cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Predictions of Mature and Total Tree Wood Properties from Juvenile Wood

Rarely can accurate predictions of mature wood properties be made from the wood of juvenile trees, but it is very important to learn how to do so as accurately and as soon as possible. It was clearly stated by Loo et al. (1984): “Genetic gains per unit time are inversely proportional to the length of a selection cycle, thus the value of the juvenile form of a trait in predicting the mature form is an important consideration in a breeding program.” Therefore, there is great interest (and great utility) in determining any relationship between juvenile and mature wood, and especially between juvenile wood and values for the whole mature tree (Fig. 6.1).
From Emancipation to Assimilation: Is Secular Liberalism Still Good for Jewish Lawyers?

Jewish lawyers played a central role in the development of secular liberal jurisprudence, with its commitment to equal treatment of individuals, including the legal campaigns for civil rights and for separation of church and state. Secular liberalism similarly provided the impetus for ending widespread discrimination against Jewish lawyers in the legal elite. Today, however, during the crisis of professionalism, secular liberalism’s focus on privatizing identity in order to maximize individual freedom deprives Jewish lawyers of resources that could help construct a meaningful professional identity. Similarly, secular liberalism provides ambiguous guidance in battling the most significant remaining discrimination against Jews – discrimination against Orthodox Jews. This chapter suggests that Jewish lawyers consider integrating their religious commitments into their professional role, an approach consistent with a wide range of Jewish theological perspectives, from Reform, Reconstructionist, and Conservative, to Orthodox. This grounding would provide a strong foundation for meaningful Jewish identify as a lawyer committed to equal justice under law and the public good.
Vietnam: A New Tiger Earns its Stripes

In January 2008, Vietnam faced an economic challenge as the U.S. Federal Reserve cut rates by 75 basis points. What would it take to keep the financial markets from faltering? What would it take to maintain the high growth that had lifted millions out of poverty? Was it time for significant changes, or was a steady hand what the markets needed most?
What's Significant about a Digit?

(1989). What's Significant about a Digit? The College Mathematics Journal: Vol. 20, No. 2, pp. 136-139.
School Desegregation Litigation: Crossroads or Dead End?

The purpose of racial integration was to ensure that African-American children obtained equal access to the quality of education received by whites and denied to Blacks because of their skin color. After Brown, civil rights activists assumed that school districts would capitulate to court-ordered desegregation and open allwhite schools to Black children. Integration, however, did not occur without struggle. Lives were lost. White segregationists terrorized Black children and their families who sought to enforce the desegregation principle. And now, recent studies suggest that racial mixing itself does not necessarily ensure the academic success of Black children; in some instances, it may hinder success. Therefore the question becomes: Are we at a crossroads or a dead end on the issues of whether and how to achieve school integration? If we are at a crossroads, what are the roads available and which ones should we choose? If we have reached a dead end, will we encounter the same circumstances when we turn back as we did on the journey forward?
The "Best Catalyst" for Water Oxidation Depends on the Oxidation Method Employed: A Case Study of Manganese Oxides.

Manganese oxides are a highly promising class of water-oxidation catalysts (WOCs), but the optimal MnOx formulation or polymorph is not clear from previous reports in the literature. A complication not limited to MnOx-based WOCs is that such catalysts are routinely evaluated by different methods, ranging from the use of a chemical oxidant such as Ce4+, photoactive mediators such as [Ru(bpy)3]2+, or electrochemical techniques. Here, we report a systematic study of nine crystalline MnOx materials as WOCs and show that the identity of the “best” catalyst changes, depending on the oxidation method used to probe the catalytic activity.
Diagnosing Infection in Patients Undergoing Conversion of Prior Internal Fixation to Total Hip Arthroplasty.

Abstract Background Criteria for diagnosis of infected internal fixation implants at the time of conversion to total hip arthroplasty (THA) are not clear. The purpose of this study is to identify risk factors for infection in patients undergoing conversion to THA. Methods We retrospectively reviewed patients at a single institution who underwent conversion to THA from 2009 to 2014. Patients were diagnosed with infection preoperatively using Musculoskeletal Infection Society criteria or postoperatively if they were found to have positive cultures intraoperatively at the time of conversion surgery. Medical comorbidities and preoperative inflammatory markers were compared between infected and noninfected groups. Univariate and multivariate logistic regression analysis were performed to identify independent risk factors for infection. Receiver operating characteristic curves were generated to determine test performance of erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR) and C-reactive protein (CRP). A post hoc power analysis was performed. Results Thirty-three patients were included in the study. Six patients (18%) were diagnosed with infection. We found no association between comorbidities and infection in this cohort. The mean ESR and CRP were higher in infected (ESR = 41.6 mm/h, CRP = 2.0 mg/dL) vs noninfected (ESR = 19.3 mm/h, CRP = 1.3 mg/dL) groups (both P 30 mm/h (odds ratio 28.8, 95% confidence interval 2.6-315.4, P = .001) and CRP >1.0 mg/dL (odds ratio 11.5, 95% confidence interval 1.6-85.2, P = .01) were strongly associated with infection. Receiver operating characteristic curves for ESR (area under the curve [AUC] = 0.89) and CRP (AUC = 0.89) demonstrated good fit. Conclusion We report a high incidence of infection in patients who underwent conversion to THA. Preoperative ESR and CRP are effective screening tools though occult infections may still be missed. Patients with borderline or elevated inflammatory markers should raise strong suspicion for infection.
Probe for the measurement of cell surface pH in vivo and ex vivo

We have developed a way to measure cell surface pH by positioning a pH-sensitive fluorescent dye, seminaphtharhodafluor (SNARF), conjugated to the pH low insertion peptide (pHLIP). It has been observed that many diseased tissues are acidic and that tumors are especially so. A combination of effects acidifies tumor cell interiors, and cells pump out lactic acid and protons to maintain intracellular pH, acidifying the extracellular space. Overexpression of carbonic anhydrases on cell surfaces further contributes to acidification. Thus, the pH near tumor cell surfaces is expected to be low and to increase with distance from the membrane, so bulk pH measurements will not report surface acidity. Our new surface pH-measurement tool was validated in cancer cells grown in spheroids, in mouse tumor models in vivo, and in excised tumors. We found that the surface pH is sensitive to cell glycolytic activity: the pH decreases in high glucose and increases if glucose is replaced with nonmetabolized deoxyglucose. For highly metastatic cancer cells, the pH measured at the surface was 6.7-6.8, when the surrounding external pH was 7.4. The approach is sensitive enough to detect 0.2-0.3 pH unit changes in vivo in tumors induced by i.p. injection of glucose. The pH at the surfaces of highly metastatic cells within tumors was found to be about 6.1-6.4, whereas in nonmetastatic tumors, it was 6.7-6.9, possibly creating a way to distinguish more aggressive from less aggressive tumors. Other biological roles of surface acidity may be found, now that targeted measurements are possible.
The Role of Structured Lipids in Host Defense Interactions

Lipids are important components in the host defense to injury and sepsis. They not only provide a necessary and preferred substrate but are important modulators of cellular response and function. Over the past several years the role of lipids in these two areas has been better clarified in the stressed state. It is the attempt to optimize lipid composition for use both as a fuel and a modulator of the cellular response that has led the development of the structured lipid.
Betalain-Rich Concentrate Supplementation Improves Exercise Performance in Competitive Runners.

This study aimed to determine the effects of a betalain-rich concentrate (BRC) of red beets, containing antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties, on performance and exercise-related muscle damage. Thirteen (25.3 ± 5.4 years) competitive male runners completed two double-blind, cross-over, randomized trials (BRC and control) separated by seven days. Each trial was preceded by six days of supplementation with 100 mg of BRC or control. On the seventh day, exercise trials commenced 150 min after supplementation with 50 mg BRC or control and consisted of 30 min of treadmill running (77 ± 4% VO2max) followed by a 5-km time trial (TT). During exercise at the same intensity, BRC resulted in a 3% lower heart rate, a 15% lower rate of perceived exertion (RPE) and a 14% lower blood lactate concentration compared to the control (p = 0.05). Five-kilometer TT duration (23.0 ± 4.2 versus 23.6 ± 4.0 min) was faster in 10 of the 13 subjects, and RPE was lower (p < 0.05) with the BRC treatment compared to the control. Lactate dehydrogenase, a marker of muscle damage, increased less from baseline to immediately and 30 min after the 5-km TT with the BRC treatment, despite no differences in subjective measures of muscle soreness and fatigue. In summary, BRC supplementation improved 5-km performance time in male competitive runners.
Quantitative Proteomic Analysis Reveals Similarities between Huntington's Disease (HD) and Huntington's Disease-Like 2 (HDL2) Human Brains.

The pathogenesis of HD and HDL2, similar progressive neurodegenerative disorders caused by expansion mutations, remains incompletely understood. No systematic quantitative proteomics studies, assessing global changes in HD or HDL2 human brain, were reported. To address this deficit, we used a stable isotope labeling-based approach to quantify the changes in protein abundances in the cortex of 12 HD and 12 control cases and, separately, of 6 HDL2 and 6 control cases. The quality of the tissues was assessed to minimize variability due to post mortem autolysis. We applied a robust median sweep algorithm to quantify protein abundance and performed statistical inference using moderated test statistics. 1211 proteins showed statistically significant fold changes between HD and control tissues; the differences in selected proteins were verified by Western blotting. Differentially abundant proteins were enriched in cellular pathways previously implicated in HD, including Rho-mediated, actin cytoskeleton and integ...
Putting (Big) Black Dog Syndrome to the Test: Evidence from a Large Metropolitan Shelter

ABSTRACTMost support for Black Dog Syndrome or Big Black Dog Syndrome is anecdotal or theoretical. Yet some animal shelters/organizations have implemented strategies to address what they believe are lower rates of adoption and/or higher rates of euthanasia for “Big Black Dogs.” This study examines the persistent anecdotes and theories on humans’ preferences and aversions to dogs of various shades, using hierarchical multinomial logistic regression to predict outcomes for an analytic sample of 7,440 dogs from 2010–2011 in an urban, public animal shelter serving Louisville, Kentucky, USA. The relationship between coat shade and dog outcomes was not straightforward; while no relationship existed at the bivariate level, after controls were added, entirely black dogs showed somewhat lower odds of adoption—and higher euthanasia risk—than those characterized as secondarily black or sans black. Breed category, breed size, and purebred status were stronger predictors of dog outcomes than coat shade. Big Black Dog ...
Gender‐based outcomes of bivalirudin versus heparin in patients undergoing percutaneous coronary interventions: Meta‐analysis of randomized controlled trials

OBJECTIVES We aimed to perform a gender-based meta-analysis of the outcome of bivalirudin versus heparin in patients undergoing percutaneous coronary interventions (PCI). BACKGROUND Bivalirudin has been shown to decrease major bleeding when compared to heparin ± glycoprotein IIb/IIIa inhibitors (GPI) in patients undergoing PCI. It is unclear, however, if those differences in outcomes are the same for men and women. METHODS We included randomized controlled trials (RCTs) that compared bivalirudin to heparin with or without GPI in patients undergoing PCI and reported outcome data that were stratified by gender. Random effect model was used to pool odds ratio (OR) and 95% confidence intervals (CI). RESULTS We included 9 trials with 33,224 patients. Bivalirudin decreased major bleeding when compared to heparin plus routine GPI in both men (OR: 0.51, P < 0.001) and women (OR: 0.55, P < 0.001). However, when GPI were used selectively with heparin, the bleeding lowering effect of bivalirudin was statistically significant in men (OR: 0.69, P = 0.02) but not in women (OR: 0.71, P = 0.21). When compared to heparin ± GPI, there was a nonstatistically significant trend toward lower all-cause mortality with bivalirudin in both men (OR: 0.76, P = 0.055) and women (OR: 0.79, P = 0.21). There were no significant differences in major adverse cardiovascular events between heparin and bivalirudin in both men and women. CONCLUSION Bivalirudin decreases major bleeding in both men and women when compared to heparin plus routine GPI. However, when compared to heparin alone, the bleeding lowering benefit of bivalirudin is less evident in women. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Origin and Evolution of the Universal Genetic Code

The standard genetic code (SGC) is virtually universal among extant life forms. Although many deviations from the universal code exist, particularly in organelles and prokaryotes with small genomes, they are limited in scope and obviously secondary. The universality of the code likely results from the combination of a frozen accident, i.e., the deleterious effect of codon reassignment in the SGC, and the inhibitory effect of changes in the code on horizontal gene transfer. The structure of the SGC is nonrandom and ensures high robustness of the code to mutational and translational errors. However, this error minimization is most likely a by-product of the primordial code expansion driven by the diversification of the repertoire of protein amino acids, rather than a direct result of selection. Phylogenetic analysis of translation system components, in particular aminoacyl–tRNA synthetases, shows that, at a stage of evolution when the translation system had already attained high fidelity, the correspondence...
NOD2 Genetic Variants Predispose One of Two Familial Adenomatous Polyposis Siblings to Pouchitis Through Microbiome Dysbiosis

Background and aims Individuals with familial adenomatous polyposis (FAP) may undergo a total proctocolectomy with ileal pouch-anal anastomosis (IPAA) to surgically treat their disease. Inflammation of the ileal pouch, termed pouchitis, is uncommon in FAP patients but prevalent in patients who received IPAA for ulcerative colitis, a type of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). Methods and results We report on two FAP siblings, living in the same household, who underwent IPAA surgery within one week of each other. Their mother also had an IPAA for FAP. One sibling developed pouchitis while his brother and mother have remained pouchitis-free. We investigated the genetic and microbial factors that might explain the development of pouchitis in the one sibling. We surveyed DNA isolated from the two brothers and their parents for NOD2 IBD risk variants by Sanger sequencing. The composition of mucosa-associated bacteria was analyzed by 16S rRNA gene sequencing on terminal ileum and rectal tissue collected at the time of surgical resection from the two brothers. The sibling with pouchitis inherited the IBD-associated risk alleles for NOD2 (rs17221417 and rs2076756) from his healthy father. Both the mother and unaffected brother lacked these variants. Microbiome sequencing of the terminal ileum and rectum found reduced levels of potentially 'beneficial' bacteria (Faecalibacterium prausnitzii, Bacteroides, and Ruminococcaceae) in the sibling with pouchitis relative to his brother. Conclusion These findings suggest that the NOD2 signaling pathway may contribute to intrinsic bacterial dysbiosis which is pre-existing and which may then predispose individuals to pouchitis after IPAA surgery.
B-type natriuretic peptide clinical activation in aortic stenosis: impact on long-term survival.

Objectives This study was conducted to define the association between serum B-type natriuretic peptide (BNP) activation and survival after the diagnosis of aortic stenosis (AS). Background In AS, the link between BNP levels and clinical outcome is in dispute. Failure to account for the normal shifting of BNP ranges with aging in men and women, not using hard endpoints (survival), and not enrolling large series of patients have contributed to the uncertainty. Methods A program of prospective measurement of BNP levels with Doppler echocardiographic AS assessment during the same episode of care was conducted. BNP ratio (measured BNP/maximal normal BNP value specific to age and sex) >1 defined BNP clinical activation. Results In 1,953 consecutive patients with at least moderate AS (aortic valve area 1.03 ± 0.26 cm2; mean gradient 36 ± 19 mm Hg), median BNP level was 252 pg/ml (interquartile range: 98 to 592 pg/ml); BNP ratio 2.46 (interquartile range 1.03 to 5.66); ejection fraction (EF) 57% ± 15%, and symptoms present in 60% of patients. After adjustment for all survival determinants, BNP clinical activation (BNP ratio >1) independently predicted mortality after diagnosis (p 2 (HR: 0.56; 95% CI: 0.47 to 0.66; p Conclusions In this large series of patients with AS, BNP clinical activation was associated with excess long-term mortality incrementally and independently of all baseline characteristics. Higher mortality with higher BNP clinical activation, even in asymptomatic patients, emphasizes the importance of appropriate clinical interpretation of BNP levels in managing patients with AS.
Utilizing Neonatal Brain Imaging to Predict Neurodevelopmental Outcomes

For 40 years, clinicians have sought to utilize neonatal neuroimaging results to not only aid in diagnosis and support clinical decision making, but also attempt to predict neurodevelopmental outcomes in high-risk infants. This effort has been supported by rapidly advancing imaging technology and a wealth of research correlating neuroimaging results with short-term outcomes. The univariate nature of imaging and dynamic pathophysiology of neonatal brain injury, however, have resulted in widely variable sensitivity and specificity of neuroimaging in predicting development outside of the first 2 years of life. This chapter reviews the history and current state of brain imaging for predicting later neurodevelopmental outcomes in high-risk neonates. Imaging modalities that are discussed include magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), ultrasound, computed tomography, as well as more recent magnetic resonance modalities such as magnetic resonance spectroscopy, arterial spin-labelling perfusion MRI, and diffusion tensor imaging. Currently, the predictive capabilities of isolated neuroimaging results do not adequately allow for either the exclusion of high-risk infants from structured follow-up or the selection of infants for additional therapies. Combining modes and timing of imaging, however, may allow for improved predictive values. As neuroimaging research evolves, it will be important to consider how investigators may utilize neuroimaging to improve outcomes for neonates rather than solely anticipating outcomes.
The Dual Role of Neutrophils in HIV Infection

We summarize what is known about neutrophils in HIV infection, focusing on their potential roles in HIV protection, acquisition, and pathogenesis. Recent studies have demonstrated that neutrophil-associated proteins and cytokines in genital tissue pre-infection associate with HIV acquisition. However, recent in vivo assessment of highly exposed seronegative individuals and in vitro studies of anti-HIV functions of neutrophils add to older literature evidence that neutrophils may be important in a protective response to HIV infection. Neutrophils are important for containment of pathogens but can also contribute to tissue damage due to their release of reactive oxygen species, proteases, and other potentially harmful effector molecules. Overall, there is a clear evidence for both helpful and harmful roles of neutrophils in HIV acquisition and pathogenesis. Further study, particularly of tissue neutrophils, is needed to elucidate the kinetics, phenotype, and functionality of neutrophils in HIV infection to better understand this dichotomy.
Correlated metabolomic, genomic, and histologic phenotypes in histologically normal breast tissue

Breast carcinogenesis is a multistep process accompanied by widespread molecular and genomic alterations, both in tumor and in surrounding microenvironment. It is known that tumors have altered metabolism, but the metabolic changes in normal or cancer-adjacent, nonmalignant normal tissues and how these changes relate to alterations in gene expression and histological composition are not well understood. Normal or cancer-adjacent normal breast tissues from 99 women of the Normal Breast Study (NBS) were evaluated. Data of metabolomics, gene expression and histological composition was collected by mass spectrometry, whole genome microarray, and digital image, respectively. Unsupervised clustering analysis determined metabolomics-derived subtypes. Their association with genomic and histological features, as well as other breast cancer risk factors, genomic and histological features were evaluated using logistic regression. Unsupervised clustering of metabolites resulted in two main clusters. The metabolite differences between the two clusters suggested enrichment of pathways involved in lipid metabolism, cell growth and proliferation, and migration. Compared with Cluster 1, subjects in Cluster 2 were more likely to be obese (body mass index ≥30 kg/m2, p<0.05), have increased adipose proportion (p<0.01) and associated with a previously defined Active genomic subtype (p<0.01). By the integrated analyses of histological, metabolomics and transcriptional data, we characterized two distinct subtypes of non-malignant breast tissue. Further research is needed to validate our findings, and understand the potential role of these alternations in breast cancer initiation, progression and recurrence.
950 Health and safety of temporary construction workers: evidence from teaching temporary employees about competencies in health and safety (tteachs) study

Introduction Despite the high-risk nature of construction jobs, this blue-collar workforce continues to provide unique opportunities for contingent (e.g., temporary) work. Compared to payroll workers, there is evidence suggesting temporary construction workers have a relatively higher risk of being injured at work, which may in part be as a result of inadequate safety training, high job demands, and low job control. Using a semi-structured focus group script, we collect qualitative data to characterise the workplace health and safety experiences, attitudes, and perceptions of temporary workers employed in the construction industry. Methods Eight focus groups with 7–10 temporary construction workers per group will be conducted. The discussions will be conducted in English or Spanish and will be audio recorded and transcribed. Data collection began in March 2017 and will conclude July 2017. Focus group audio files will be transcribed verbatim and analysed using a general inductive approach to identify emergent themes. Result Preliminary findings indicate that participating temporary workers (n=20) were mostly male (95.0%), non-Hispanic (84.2%), Black/African American (78.9%) with a mean age of 42.8 years (standard deviation [SD]=11.9), and employed as a temporary construction worker for an average of 2.9 years (SD=2.4). Among all participants, 40% had been injured at the construction site in the past 12 months, 52.6% reported receiving safety training at the start of their job, and 41.2% were trained when asked to conduct new job tasks. Major themes that emerged included: assessment of jobsite risk at the worker- and organizational- level; visual safety cues in risk assessment process; worksite protective factors. Discussion Temporary construction workers in this ongoing pilot study reported high rates of worksite injuries. Strategies to improve training opportunities for temporary construction workers during new jobsite orientation and upon being asked to complete new job tasks are needed.
Mixing driven by transient buoyancy flows. I. Kinematics

Mixing of two miscible liquids juxtaposed inside a cavity initially separated by a divider, whose buoyancy-driven motion is initiated via impulsive perturbation of divider motion that can generate the Richtmyer-Meshkov instability, is investigated experimentally. The measured Lagrangian history of interface motion that contains the continuum mechanics of mixing shows self-similar nearly Gaussian length stretch distribution for a wide range of control parameters encompassing an approximate Hele-Shaw cell to a three-dimensional cavity. Because of the initial configuration of the interface which is parallel to the gravitational field, we show that at critical initial potential energy mixing occurs through the stretching of the interface, which shows frontogenesis, and folding, owing to an overturning motion that results in unstable density stratification and produces an ideal condition for the growth of the single wavelength Rayleigh-Taylor instability. The initial perturbation of the interface and flow field generates the Kelvin-Helmholtz instability and causes kinks at the interface, which grow into deep fingers during overturning motion and unfold into local whorl structures that merge and self-organize into the Rayleigh-Taylor morphology (RTM) structure. For a range of parametric space that yields two-dimensional flows, the unfolding of the instability through a supercritical bifurcation yields an asymmetric pairwise structure exhibiting smooth RTM that transitions to RTM fronts with fractal structures that contain small length scales for increasing Peclet numbers. The late stage of the RTM structure unfolds into an internal breakwave that breaks down through wall and internal collision and sets up the condition for self-induced sloshing that decays exponentially as the two fluids become stably stratified with a diffusive region indicating local molecular diffusion.
SONET and WDM

Synchronous Optical Networking (SONET) is a popular standard for fiber optic voice and data transmission. It was developed originally by Bellcore, the research and development arm of the local American phone companies in the late 1980s [60]. It was meant to be a standard for fiber optic connections between telephone switches. However, it was a technology at the right place, at the right time and has been extensively used over the years for telephone trunk transmission and internal corporate and governmental traffic. More specifically, it was developed at about the time that there was an interest in providing broadband integrated services digital network (B-ISDN) technology. After its creation it was used to carry ATM traffic, IP packets and Ethernet frames (Wikipedia).
A holistic computational model for prediction of clay suspension structure

Abstract The formation of clay suspensions involves complex interactions among clay particles subjected to the geochemical environment during the sedimentation process. The structural characteristics have a major influence on the physical and mechanical behavior of the suspension. A modeling framework involving a Discrete Element Method (DEM) model with customized particle mechanical interactions is proposed in this paper for the holistic prediction of the physical structure of clay suspensions. The particle interaction force model is based on the Derjaguin, Landau, Verwey, and Overbeek (DLVO) theory that accounts for electrostatic repulsion, van der Waals attraction, contact repulsion, etc. Kaolinite is used as the model clay to demonstrate the model performance. The surface charge density of kaolinite is obtained through Atomic Force Microscope (AFM) force measurement and is implemented in the particle interaction force model in the subsequent simulations. Influencing factors, such as centrifugal acceleration, ionic concentration, platy structure of particles, and particle size, on the formation of kaolinite suspensions are studied with the numerical model and compare favorably well with the experimental data. This work lays down a unique framework consisting of computational modeling and microscale characterization of clay particles to holistically predict the characteristics of clay suspensions, which paves the basis to model and predict their bulk physical and mechanical behavior.
A Machine Learning Framework for Studying Domain Generation Algorithm (DGA)-Based Malware

Malware or threat actors use a Command and Control (C2) environment to proliferate and manage an attack. In a sophisticated attack, a threat actor often employs a Domain Generation Algorithm (DGA) to cycle the network location in which malware communicates with C2. Network security controls such as blacklisting, implementing a DNS sinkhole, or inserting a firewall rule is a vital asset to an organization’s security posture. However, all of them are typically ineffective against a DGA. In this paper, we propose a machine learning framework for identifying and clustering domain names to circumvent threats from a DGA. We collect a real-time threat intelligent feed over a six month period where all domains have threats on the public Internet at the time of collection. We then apply the proposed machine learning framework to study DGA-based malware. The proposed framework contains a two-level model, which consists of classification and clustering is used to first detect DGA domains and then identify the DGA of those domains. Our extensive experimental results demonstrate the accuracy of the proposed framework. To be precise, we achieve accuracies of 95.14% for the first-level classification and 92.45% for the second-level clustering, respectively.
Changes in U.S. produce grower food safety practices from 1999 to 2016

Abstract As large, multistate foodborne illness outbreaks associated with produce have continued to occur growers, buyers, and government have responded with new organizations, standards, and regulations. Anticipating implementation of new U.S. Federal law, the U.S. Department of Agriculture carried out a national survey of U.S. produce grower food safety practices in 2015/16, the first national update since a similar survey in 1999. Since 1999, and before implementation of U.S. Standards for the Growing, Harvesting, Packing, and Holding of Produce for Human Consumption, the share of growers who use practices that reduce the risk of microbial contamination increased. Fewer growers use flowing surface water for irrigation and more growers use well water. Concurrent with growth in the organic sector, more growers use manure and compost. While more growers’ fields are adjacent to livestock, more growers use fencing around production areas. The most prominent example of change is the increase in frequency that growers and sanitize harvest tools. The decrease in growers who never wash harvest tools is drastic as is the decrease in those who never sanitize. These findings highlight the changes undertaken by industry to reduce risk associated with foodborne illness even before the implementation of a Federal regulation for on-farm food safety practices.
EPITHELIOID RHABDOMYOSARCOMA OF THE ORAL CAVITY, NOVEL LOCATION OF A RARE ENTITY: A CASE REPORT

Background Rhabdomyosarcoma, a malignant neoplasm, is characterized by skeletal muscle differentiation. Only 33 cases of the epithelioid variant have been reported, and just 8 of them were located in the head and neck region. This aggressive entity usually presents as a fast-growing, asymptomatic infiltrative mass and presents predominantly in adults. A 53-year-old male, who was edentulous and a former smoker, presented with enlargement of 2 months’ duration in the right maxillary vestibule. A clinically palpable mass was noted under the mucosa. No adenopathy or cranial nerves deficit was observed on physical examination. The initial panoramic radiograph showed a corticated radiolucent entity located on the right maxilla, with extension into the right maxillary sinus. Multidetector computed tomography (MDCT) and positron emission tomography/computed tomography (PET/CT) were performed. CT revealed an enhancing soft tissue mass of the right alveolar ridge with extension to the maxillary sinus, with erosion of the anterior and lateral walls of the sinus and the adjacent alveolar ridge. PET/CT showed a right maxillary fluorodeoxyglucose (FDG) high uptake and right neck level IIA lymph nodes with mild uptake. An incisional biopsy was performed. The histologic appearance and immunohistochemical profile supported a diagnosis of high-grade epithelioid rhabdomyosarcoma. The treatment protocol was right maxillectomy and right neck dissection with coadjuvant radiation therapy. After 1.5 years, follow-up CT was performed and did not show any signs of recurrence or metastatic disease. Discussion/Conclusions Epithelioid rhabdomyosarcoma is a rare variant of rhabdomyosarcoma. To the best of our knowledge, none has been reported in the oral cavity region; thus, this is the first case of this aggressive variant described in this location. This entity may develop without any apparent symptoms or signs of a malignant entity, thus mimicking the appearance of a benign neoplasm or inflammatory process. A comprehensive multidisciplinary approach is advised to diagnose and treat this entity accordingly.
Concomitant Myelofibrosis and Plasma Cell Disorders: The Mayo Clinic Experience.

BACKGROUND: Bone marrow fibrosis might represent either a primary myeloid malignancy such as myelofibrosis with myeloid metaplasia (MMM) or a reactive phenomenon associated with other malignancies or inflammatory/infectious processes. The development of myelofibrosis in the context of a plasma cell dyscrasia is uncommon and incompletely understood from the standpoint of both pathogenesis and clinical implications. We sought to determine the origin and clinical ramifications of this phenomenon based on a consecutive series of patients with plasma cell disorders (PCD). METHODS: A retrospective search of institutional databases was performed for clinical cases of PCD with the concomitant observation of myelofibrosis. Bone marrow aspirates and trephines from the time of diagnosis of both PCD and myelofibrosis were reviewed. Clinical history was abstracted for clinical manifestations as well as disease course. DNA from archived cytogenetic pellets, when available, from the time of diagnosis, was screened for the presence of JAK2V617F. RESULTS: Among 7587 patients with a PCD seen over the last 30 years at our institution, 29 (0.3%) displayed concomitant myelofibrosis (median age 59 years, range 27–77; 52% males). The specific PCD was multiple myeloma in 25 patients, smoldering myeloma in 2, plasmacytoma in 1, and heavy chain disease in 1. Four patients (14%) had organomegaly and bone marrow histological features most consistent with MMM. Otherwise, myeloproliferative disorder (MPD)-characteristic features were infrequent and included leukocytosis and/or thrombocytosis in only 2 patients. None of the patients displayed thrombohemorrhagic complications. Archived DNA was available in 7 cases without either clinical or bone marrow histological evidence of a MPD and yet revealed the presence of JAK2V617F in 6 of the 7 cases (86%). In addition, one other patient without MPD phenotype displayed a monosomy 5 abnormality. To date, 2 patients, one with and one without a MPD phenotype underwent leukemic transformation. All other causes of death were related to PCD-associated complications. Median survival (Kaplan-Meier) for the patients with multiple myeloma was 50 months. Survival stratified by the myeloma international staging system (ISS) was similar or better than expected (published controls of 62, 44, and 29 months): median survivals for this series of 73, 51 and 37 months for stage I, II, and III disease, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: Myelofibrosis that accompanies a PCD often represents an underlying MPD and does not negatively impact the natural history of the associated PCD.
Health Disparities Past the Classroom: The Impact of Frontier Medicine on Students.

In 2000, the Liaison Committee on Medical Education issued a standard for cultural competence for medical students, stating the necessity of understanding different belief systems and cultures and how biases can affect health care and perpetuate health disparities. While many programs travel overseas to address this standard, our study evaluated an in-state, study-away, service-learning mission trip program's efficacy of improving cultural competence and awareness of health disparities, as well as facilitating the ease of participation for students. Our overall goal was to provide a rich field opportunity in our own backyard that would allow students to visit a foreign environment without leaving the country, simultaneously eliminating the financial burden that comes with international travel and to expose the students to health disparities through partnership with local community centers and clinics present in the frontier region of southwest Texas (2016 - 2018). Post-trip assessments revealed that students were surprised by the disparities found within the state and gained a better understanding of community need. Subsequently, students revealed the desire to pursue careers that administer care to underserved populations and to improve their Spanish language skills. We concluded that this program increased awareness of cultural competency comparable to study-abroad programs. Post-trip evaluations were helpful in assessing change and impact on the students' cultural and health disparities awareness.
P92 Controlling for Confounding Factors in a Multi-Component Farmers’ Market Intervention

Background Despite federal funding to encourage SNAP EBT use at farmers’ markets, only $22 million or 0.03% of the $70 billion total SNAP dollars are spent in these direct-to-consumer channels. Objective The objective of this study was to determine if confounding factors such as weather or other market activities have an impact on SNAP sales compared to typical market days. Study Design, Setting, Participants This 4-year, quasi-experimental study used a multi-component intervention at a medium-sized, weekday, year-round farmers’ market in northern California. Total SNAP sales were collected over 54 baseline and 136 intervention market days, respectively. SNAP recipients were the target population, however several intervention components were available to all market shoppers. The multi-component intervention included SNAP outreach (ie, on-site eligibility screening, SNAP application assistance, and SNAP material distribution), SNAP signage, financial incentives (ie, Market Match), and nutrition education including food tastings highlighting market produce, recipe cards, posters, and market education. Measurable Outcome/Analysis The primary outcome measure was SNAP sales. Data about potentially confounding factors including bad weather (ie, rain, heat advisory conditions, and poor air quality) and unusual circumstances (ie, school field trips, WIC distribution days, federal holidays, and issues with the intervention programming) were also collected for each market day. Mann-Whitney tests were run for the baseline and intervention periods separately to assess if these factors had an impact on sales. Results During the baseline period, SNAP sales were significantly lower on the 9 market days that experienced bad weather (P = .01). However, bad weather did not have a significant impact on SNAP sales during the intervention period. Unusual circumstances did not have a significant impact on SNAP sales during the baseline or intervention periods. Conclusions In order to determine which market days to include in subsequent SNAP sales analyses, confounding factors should be investigated.
Of a false dilemma and the knowledge of values

The work of Gabriel Marcel is retrieved and set in relation to the question of moral epistemology. I begin by surveying Marcel’s long-running critique of a false dilemma with implications for the nature of our knowledge of values. According to this dilemma, a person’s knowledge of something is either objective, and therefore transcendent but impersonal, or it is subjective, and therefore personal but immanent, reaching only one’s inner states. Applied to the knowledge of values, this false dilemma leaves philosophy with a choice between accounts of value-knowledge as scientific/objective knowledge or value-knowledge as self-knowledge. Building on Marcel’s critique of this false dilemma, I suggest a program for a Marcelian moral epistemology that identifies the comportments by which human person are receptive to values and hence to knowledge of values. Two examples of such comportment are discussed in relation to the problem of value-knowledge: exigence and fidelity.
Genetic Dystonias: Update on Classification and New Genetic Discoveries

Since the advent of next-generation sequencing, the number of genes associated with dystonia has been growing exponentially. We provide here a comprehensive review of the latest genetic discoveries in the field of dystonia and discuss how the growing knowledge of biology underlying monogenic dystonias may influence and challenge current classification systems. Pathogenic variants in genes without previously confirmed roles in human disease have been identified in subjects affected by isolated or combined dystonia (KMT2B, VPS16, HPCA, KCTD17, DNAJC12, SLC18A2) and complex dystonia (SQSTM1, IRF2BPL, YY1, VPS41). Importantly, the classical distinction between isolated and combined dystonias has become harder to sustain since many genes have been shown to determine multiple dystonic presentations (e.g., ANO3, GNAL, ADCY5, and ATP1A3). In addition, a growing number of genes initially linked to other neurological phenotypes, such as developmental delay, epilepsy, or ataxia, are now recognized to cause prominent dystonia, occasionally in an isolated fashion (e.g., GNAO1, GNB1, SCN8A, RHOBTB2, and COQ8A). Finally, emerging analyses suggest biological convergence of genes linked to different dystonic phenotypes. While our knowledge on the genetic basis of monogenic dystonias has tremendously grown, their clinical boundaries are becoming increasingly blurry. The current phenotype-based classification may not reflect the molecular structure of the disease, urging the need for new systems based on shared biological pathways among dystonia-linked genes.
Rethinking Language, Arts and Culture in an Evolving Democracy

Democracy has been acclaimed as the best form of government practicable. Its core essence is that the authority of the government is a trust, which is lost once the government becomes a danger to the governed. Power-elites in evolving democracies, especially Nigeria, a pivotal state, consisting of north and south political divides, generate conceptualisations, (i.e., language: arts and culture) for sustenance of inequality. Using the heterogeneous purposive sampling, 7 texts produced by power-elites of Nigeria are selected and subjected to critical discourse analysis (CDA). The core assumptions of CDA are: language is both the site for power struggle and the instrument for domination and inequality. The Muslim northern Nigeria power-elites coercively dominate access to political discourse. The marginalised southern participants should strategically rethink their language to gain access to political discourse in the evolving democracy. Received: 5 December 2020 / Accepted: 21 January 2021 / Published: 5 March 2021
Inpatient rehabilitation service utilization and outcomes under US ACA Medicaid expansion

To investigate the impact of the US Medicaid expansion on care utilization and health outcomes of patients treated in the inpatient rehabilitation facilities (IRF). A retrospective observational study with a difference-in-difference design. The data was obtained from Inpatient Rehabilitation Facility – Patient Assessment Instrument (IRF-PAI). Sample included all Medicaid beneficiaries (aged 18–64 years) who received initial inpatient rehabilitation for stroke, hip fracture (acute conditions), or joint replacement (elective condition) (N = 14,917) before (2013) and after (2016) the expansion. The study estimated the differences in length of stay, functional improvement, and possibility of returning to community before and after ACA Medicaid expansion in the expansion regions relative to the non-expansion regions. The analysis was fully adjusted for patient demographics, health conditions, facility characteristics and time trends. Compared with non-expansion states, service volume in the expansion regions increased more for the two acute conditions (49 and 27% vs. 1% and − 4%) and decreased less for the selective condition (− 12% vs. -34%) after ACA Medicaid expansion. Medicaid expansion was associated with significant decreases in patient functional improvements (− 1.63 points for stroke, − 3.61 points for fracture and − 2.73 points for joint; P < 0.05). Length of stay and the possibility of returning to community after discharge were not significantly different. Medicaid expansion was associated with increases in the utilization of inpatient rehabilitation services and decreases in the patient functional improvements. Cautions should be taken with the decreases in functional improvements among some subpopulation in the short-term; longer follow up periods are needed to account for gradual changes in patient needs.
Prove It! Judging the Hostile-or-Warlike-Action Exclusion in Cyber Insurance Policies

In late 2018, snack-food giant Mondelez International sued Zurich insurance for improperly denying coverage for losses caused by the NotPetya computer virus. Zurich has asserted an exclusion for hostile and warlike actions by a sovereign or its agents. Zurich’s exclusion argument is not atypical; many standalone cyber insurance policies contain similar exclusions. As a result, the case has garnered significant attention among insurance experts. This Essay explores the challenges facing insurers and insureds litigating denials of coverage under such an exclusion. The current legal framework is ill-equipped to handle litigation that arises when insurers deny coverage citing the hostile-or-warlike-action exclusion. To assert the exclusion, the insurer must demonstrate both that the act was perpetrated by a sovereign or its agent and that the act is hostile or warlike. Insurers and insureds face significant hurdles on both fronts. This Essay explores the significant difficulties of accurately determining the source of a hack, analyzes the implications for determining insurance coverage with respect to the hostile-or-warlike-action exclusion, and offers several novel proposals for improving cyberattack attribution and adjudicating coverage disputes.