cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Effects of l‐lysine supplementation of diets with different protein levels and sources on channel catfish, Ictalurus punctatus (Rafinesque)

. Semipurified diets containing either 25% or 30% crude protein (CP) from soy isolate (soy) or 30% CP from casein and gelatin (casein) were supplemented with either of two levels of L-lysine HCI (0 or 0·5% of diet) in a 3 × 2 factorial arrangement and fed to fingerling channel catfish, Ictalurus punctatus (Rafinesque), in aquaria for 8 weeks. Factorial analysis of variance indicated a significant (P < 0·001) positive effect of lysine on weight gain, protein conversion efficiency (PCE) and feed efficiency. Fish fed the soy diet containing 25% CP showed increased weight gain of 24% with lysine supplementation while fish fed soy and casein diets containing 30% CP showed increases of 11 % and 3%, respectively. However, supplementing the 25% CP soy diet with 0–5% L-lysine HCI did not enhance growth performance to the level offish fed the unsupplemented 30% CP soy diet. Significant effects of dietary protein levels and sources on weight gain, PCE, feed efficiency, haematocrit, hepatosomatic index (HSI; % liver weight), intraperitoneal fat (IPF) ratio, dry matter of fillet and whole-body, as well as lipid and protein content of whole-body tissue, were also observed. Fish fed the casein diet containing 30% CP had the greatest weight gain, PCE, feed efficiency, haematocrit and whole-body protein values and lowest IPF ratio and whole-body lipid values compared with those of fish fed the soy diets. Supplemental lysine did not affect body condition indices or proximate composition of whole-body and fillet tissues of fish fed the different protein sources. Therefore, based on this study, dietary protein levels and sources significantly influenced performance characteristics of channel catfish and supplemental lysine was most beneficial at a reduced CP level.
A distributed joint-learning and auction algorithm for target assignment

We consider an agent-target assignment problem in an unknown environment modeled as an undirected graph. Agents incur cost or reward while traveling on the edges of this graph. Agents do not know the graph or the locations of the targets on it. However, they can obtain local information about these by local sensing and communicating with other agents within a limited range. To solve this problem, we come up with a new distributed algorithm that integrates Q-Learning and a distributed auction. The Q-Learning part helps estimate the assignment benefits calculated by summing up rewards over the graph edges for each agent-target pair, while the auction part takes care of assigning agents to targets in a distributed fashion. The algorithm is shown to terminate with a near-optimal assignment in a finite time. Optimality refers to the assignment benefit maximization, which can depend on a target-agent pair value, and the routing cost of the agent to visit the target.
Provincialism and migration in Lower and Middle Devonian pelecypods

Abstract Comparisons of early Devonian pelecypods of the Rhineland with mid-Devonian taxa from the Appalachian United States reveal pronounced similarities at the specific level. Evidence suggests: (1) either the Lower Devonian Emsian stage of Germany and France is biostratigraphically equivalent to the Middle Devonian Cazenovian stage of New York; or (2) the distinctions between early Devonian European and North American Faunal provinces deteriorated as a result of invasion of European endemic species into Appalachian seas (probably via northwest Africa) occuring at the end of the early Devonian; (3) diastrophic processes associated with the Caledonian and Acadian orogenies may have had an important bearing on initial endemism, speciation, and later migration; (4) the distinctiveness of Michigan Basin pelecypods suggests that this region was a separate province or sub-province during the Devonian due to geographic barriers and salinity differences; (5) endemic molluscan taxa of possible Asian affinities in western North America and Devonian transcontinental emergence support biogeographic separation of this region from the Appalachian and Michigan basins; (6) preliminary evidence suggests endemism associated with Gondwana pelecypods.
ESTROGEN RECEPTOR-alpha IMMUNOREACTIVE NEURONS IN THE BRAINSTEM AND SPINAL CORD OF THE FEMALE RHESUS MONKEY : SPECIES-SPECIFIC CHARACTERISTICS

Abstract The distribution pattern of estrogen receptors in the rodent CNS has been reported extensively, but mapping of estrogen receptors in primates is incomplete. In this study we describe the distribution of estrogen receptor alpha immunoreactive (ER-α IR) neurons in the brainstem and spinal cord of the rhesus monkey. In the midbrain, ER-α IR neurons were located in the periaqueductal gray, especially the caudal ventrolateral part, the adjacent tegmentum, peripeduncular nucleus, and pretectal nucleus. A few ER-α IR neurons were found in the lateral parabrachial nucleus, lateral pontine tegmentum, and pontine gray medial to the locus coeruleus. At caudal medullary levels, ER-α IR neurons were present in the commissural nucleus of the solitary complex and the caudal spinal trigeminal nucleus. The remaining regions of the brainstem were devoid of ER-α IR neurons. Spinal ER-α IR neurons were found in laminae I–V, and area X, and were most numerous in lower lumbar and sacral segments. The lateral collateral pathway and dorsal commissural nuclei of the sacral cord and the thoracic intermediolateral cell column also contained ER-α IR neurons. Estrogen treatment did not result in any differences in the distribution pattern of ER-α IR neurons. The results indicate that ER-α IR neurons in the primate brainstem and spinal cord are concentrated mainly in regions involved in sensory and autonomic processing. Compared with rodent species, the regional distribution of ER-α IR neurons is less widespread, and ER-α IR neurons in regions such as the spinal dorsal horn and caudal spinal trigeminal nucleus appear to be less abundant. These distinctions suggest a modest role of ER-α in estrogen-mediated actions on primate brainstem and spinal systems. These differences may contribute to variations in behavioral effects of estrogen between primate and rodent species.
High carbon dioxide and sun/shade effects on isoprene emission from oak and aspen tree leaves

Abstract. Isoprene (2-methyl 1, 3-butadiene) is emitted from many plants, especially trees. We tested the effect of growth at high CO2 partial pressure and sun versus shade conditions on the capacity of Quercus rubra L. (red oak) and Populus tremuloides Michx. (quaking aspen) leaves to make isoprene. Oak leaves grown at high CO2 partial pressure (65 Pa) had twice the rate of isoprene emission as leaves grown at 40Pa CO2. However, aspen leaves behaved oppositely, with high CO2-grown leaves having just 60-70% the rate of isoprene emission as leaves grown in 40 Pa CO2. Similar responses were observed from 25 to 35 °C leaf temperature during assay. The stimulation of isoprene emission by growth at high CO2 and the stimulation in high temperature resulted in isoprene emission consuming over 15% of the carbon fixed during photosynthesis in high-CO2 grown oak leaves assayed at 35 °C. Leaves from the south (sunny) sides of trees growing in natural conditions had rates of isoprene emission double those of leaves growing in shaded locations on the same trees. This effect was similar in both aspen and oak. The leaves used for these experiments had significantly different chlorophyll a/b ratios indicating they were functionally sun (from the sunny locations) or shade leaves (from the protected locations). Because the metabolic pathway of isoprene synthesis is unknown, we are unable to speculate about how or why these effects occur. However, these effects are more consistent with metabolic control of isoprene release rather than a metabolic leak of isoprene from metabolism. The results are also important for large scale modelling of isoprene emission and for predicting the effect of future increases in atmospheric CO2 level on isoprene emission from vegetation.
Teaching nursing without lecturing: critical pedagogy as communicative dialogue.

Abstract This article is an interpretive analysis of the author's method of teaching nursing to a diverse student body in an associate degree program. Rather than lecturing, the author and her colleagues facilitate small-group discussions, engaging students in communicative dialogue. This method leads to flexibility and openness to student ideas as well as opportunities to share personal stories and dialogue with students. As a result, students are helped to overcome misunderstanding, misconceptions, and misinterpretations of the nursing literature.
Articaine: A New Alternative in Dental Hygiene Pain Control

Purpose. Local anesthesia administration is integral to pain control in dental hygiene. As of 2006, 40 licensing jurisdictions in the United States include local anesthesia administration in the scope of dental hygiene practice. While the risks associated with use of intraoral local anesthesia are not great, careful attention to recommended practices helps foster patient safety. As new products are introduced, it is important to study their advantages and limitations to see where they fit into dental hygiene practice. An amide local anesthetic agent, articaine, that has been available in Europe for over 20 years, was approved for US distribution in 2000. Methods. The purpose of this article is to review the current peer reviewed literature on the characteristics of articaine so it can be incorporated into dental hygiene practice when indicated. Results. Rather than simply using one agent for all procedures, patient care is enhanced when local anesthetics are selected based on the unique needs of the procedure, the patient and with safety and effectiveness in mind.
Effects of representation on solving complex spatial-temporal problems

Human data are used to study how people solve complex problems that have spatial and temporal components. Major findings include the use of task-focused representations, unexpectedly tight coupling of representation and search, time and space conflation, and use of multiple concurrent representations. The major contributions of this work include a set of abstract representations that strongly support spatial-temporal reasoning.
Location-Based Fear of Crime A Case Study in Houston, Texas

Fear of crime has been a central issue in criminological research from the 1970s onward. The salience of geographic location in shaping individuals’ fear of crime has been well documented in the re...
Influence networks among substance abuse treatment clinics: implications for the dissemination of innovations.

Understanding influence networks among substance abuse treatment clinics may speed the diffusion of innovations. The purpose of this study was to describe influence networks in Massachusetts, Michigan, New York, Oregon, and Washington and test two expectations, using social network analysis: (1) Social network measures can identify influential clinics; and (2) Within a network, some weakly connected clinics access out-of-network sources of innovative evidence-based practices and can spread these innovations through the network. A survey of 201 clinics in a parent study on quality improvement provided the data. Network measures and sociograms were obtained from adjacency matrixes created by UCINet. We used regression analysis to determine whether network status relates to clinics’ adopting innovations. Findings suggest that influential clinics can be identified and that loosely linked clinics were likely to join the study sooner than more influential clinics but were not more likely to have improved outcomes than other organizations. Findings identify the structure of influence networks for SUD treatment organizations and have mixed results on how those structures impacted diffusion of the intervention under study. Further study is necessary to test whether use of knowledge of the network structure will have an effect on the pace and breadth of dissemination of innovations.
Myxoma of the mitral valve associated with Hemophilus parainfluenza bacteremia.

A 17-year-old girl who presented with signs and symptoms of bacterial endocarditis did not respond clinically to antibiotic therapy. Cerebral embolic episodes subsequently occurred. Serial echocardiography disclosed an enlarging vegetation attached to the posterior leaflet of the mitral valve. During open heart surgery, the vegetation was removed, which on histological examination proved to be a myxoma covered by a layer of septic thrombus. Blood cultures obtained preoperatively eventually grew Hemophilus parainfluenza. Removal of the tumor, as well as mitral valve annuloplasty, resulted in complete cure.
Boko Haram: The strategic evolution of the Islamic State’s West Africa Province

ABSTRACTThe Nigerian Islamist militant group Boko Haram has distinguished itself as one of the fastest evolving of its kind, undergoing several major transformations in the space of barely more than half a decade, successfully transitioning from a small militant band focused on localized concerns and using relatively low levels of violence to a significant terrorist organization with a clearer jihadist ideology to a major insurgency seizing and holding large swathes of territory. More recently, Boko Haram underwent another evolution, with its early 2015 pledge of allegiance to the so-called Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) and subsequent rebranding as the “Islamic State West Africa Province” (ISWAP). The ideological, rhetorical, and operational choices made by Boko Haram shifted considerably in each of its iterations along this trajectory, as did the use of tactics themselves to strategically communicate its message, both to adherents and to outsiders, as it emerged as “the most deadly terroris...
Influence of lymph diversion on the gastric secretory response to feeding.

SummaryThoracic duct lymph diversion decreased the gastric secretory response to feeding by 59%. When lymph was subsequently able to flow per via naturalis, the secretory response was restored to normal levels. Preliminary fractionation of lymph suggests that a secretagogue may be carried in the lymph, perhaps gastrin.
Thermal Expansion of CNF/Polymer Composites

Improved dimensional stability of composites is desired in applications where they are exposed to varying temperature conditions. Polymers inherently have a high coefficient of thermal expansion (CTE) , which complicates their inclusion in structural designs exposed to temperature extremes. However, through low-CTE reinforcements dispersed in a polymeric matrix, the CTE of the composite can be lowered to a degree suitable for use in service. This chapter aims at summarizing the studies that analyze the effect of vapor-grown carbon nanofibers (CNFs) on the thermal expansion behavior of polymer matrix composites. CNFs typically have a significantly lower CTE than epoxy resins and other widely used polymer matrices, which result in composites with increased dimensional stability as the dispersed CNF content is increased. The use of nanofibers has resulted in the ability to tailor the thermal expansion of the composite over a wide range. Schapery’s model is used to estimate the upper and lower bounds on the CTE of CNF/epoxy nanocomposites. The experimental results are found to be within the bounds.
Unsupervised Identification of Isotope-Labeled Peptides.

In vivo isotopic labeling coupled with high-resolution proteomics is used to investigate primary metabolism in techniques such as stable isotope probing (protein-SIP) and peptide-based metabolic flux analysis (PMFA). Isotopic enrichment of carbon substrates and intracellular metabolism determine the distribution of isotopes within amino acids. The resulting amino acid mass distributions (AMDs) are convoluted into peptide mass distributions (PMDs) during protein synthesis. With no a priori knowledge on metabolic fluxes, the PMDs are therefore unknown. This complicates labeled peptide identification because prior knowledge on PMDs is used in all available peptide identification software. An automated framework for the identification and quantification of PMDs for nonuniformly labeled samples is therefore lacking. To unlock the potential of peptide labeling experiments for high-throughput flux analysis and other complex labeling experiments, an unsupervised peptide identification and quantification method wa...
The Research and Field Application of New Generation Vehicle Special Test Platform for UHV Transformer

The special test platform of power transformers developed by our institute takes a specially modified vehicle as a carrier.The partial discharge and AC withstand voltage testing equipments are highly integrated on the vehicle through optimized design.With integrated equipment,we don't need any outside lifting equipment and it is easy to connect the electric wires.By using the special test platform,the special field experiments on power transformers can be accomplished successfully,efficiently and safely.
Evaluations of outcome in mental health consultation in schools.

Evaluation of outcome should be a part of every consultation, with before-and-after measurements and a control group, if possible. Eight examples of outcome evaluations are described, for behavioral (child-centered), consultee-centered, and administrative consultations. Comparison is made with outcome in a school- based health center.
Dermoid Cyst in the Intermandibular Space of a 3-Year-Old Thoroughbred Gelding: A Case Report

Abstract Soft tissue swelling located in the intermandibular space is very common in horses and presents a significant diagnostic challenge. Although the possible etiologies of intermandibular swelling are many, dermoid cysts are rarely included within the differential diagnoses list. This may be due to their low prevalence and to the lack of English written literature reporting dermoid cysts in this location in horses. This is the first report describing the clinical signs, diagnosis, and management of a dermoid cyst arising in the intermandibular space of a Thoroughbred horse. In this case, an enlarging soft tissue mass located in the intermandibular space was diagnosed as a dermoid cyst following complete subcutaneous surgical excision and histopathology.
Regulation of glomerular volume in normal and partially nephrectomized rats.

Glomerular extracellular matrix accumulation may derive from the stretching of mesangial cells caused by excessive glomerular dilatation. The relationship of glomerular volume (VG) to intraglomerular pressure, expressed as compliance or as mean VG in the isolated, perfused rat glomerulus, was used to analyze factors that regulate VG. Glomeruli were highly distensible over the normal and relevant abnormal range of pressure. Compliance increased directly with basal VG (P < 0.001), i.e., larger glomeruli dilated more than smaller ones at any given pressure. Perfusion with atrial natriuretic peptide did not alter compliance, and inhibitors of nitric oxide synthesis exerted only a trivial effect. VG expansion was consistently reduced by angiotensin II, but this effect was small (3.8%, P < 0.001). After subtotal nephrectomy, compliance increased by 59% in the remnant glomeruli (P < 0.001); 22% of this increase was attributable to structural changes, and the remainder was attributable to the large basal VG of the hypertrophied glomeruli. Thus the major determinants of VG expansion include capillary wall tension, basal VG, and intrinsic distensibility, which is markedly influenced by the character of the extracellular matrix and only slightly altered by an angiotensin II-modified mesangial cell tone.
The Internet, Cartographic Surveillance, and Locational Privacy

Publisher Summary As a medium of geospatial surveillance, Web maps raise a variety of privacy concerns. This chapter explores the concept of locational privacy, the scope of Web-based cartographic surveillance, and the range of ethical and public policy issues raised by GPS-based tracking systems, community notification of sex offenders, crime mapping, traffic mapping, and online cadastres. In some cases, the Internet is an indispensable element of a potentially invasive system. In others, a website is a secondary component that raises privacy issues by promoting easier, more immediate access to information that otherwise would be substantially less invasive. If used to organize information about complaints against the police, Web cartography could even be useful in combating racial profiling, excessive use of force, and other abusive practices. Although Web maps of traffic conditions have little to do with locational privacy as long as specific vehicles cannot be reliably tracked, they have a prominent and an important role in cartographic surveillance.
Transmission of Ideology Through Film: The Cinematic Construction of Gendered Domination in Mr. Deeds Goes to Town

Contemporary applications of behavioral and social science to the understanding of how cinematic narratives influence viewers tend to be bifurcated. Cognitive film/media theorists and psychologists emphasize microlevel processes at the expense of the macrolevel. Sociological approaches emphasize macrolevel analysis at the expense of the microlevel. Bridging these two levels is the mesolevel concept of identification elaborated to apply to stereotypic role relationships; that is, schemas or associative networks linking thoughts, memories, emotions, and behaviors. Here assumptions of Social Cognitive Theory and Transactional Analysis are employed to contextualize a discussion of how cinematic narrative can operate to construct an ideologically hegemonic narrative reinforcing the legitimation of gendered domination at the sociocultural (macro)level of analysis.
Entrepreneurial traits and firm innovation

Entrepreneurial behavior is widely considered to be influenced by the interaction between skills and motivation. And because entrepreneurial behavior is viewed as a causal determinant of firm performance, given the context in which the venture is embedded, factors determining entrepreneurial behavior are expected to influence firm performance. The research questions explored in this paper are: Do entrepreneurial traits have a direct effect on firm innovation? and if so, Is there a specific entrepreneurial profile that makes firms more innovative? I use a representative survey of firms from Chile to examine whether owners’ skills and motivations affect firm innovation. The survey collects information on both firm and owner characteristics, which allows us to put the entrepreneur back into the analysis of the determinants of firm innovation, a dimension that the related literature does not generally focus on. The survey also allows us to analyze the incidence of innovation in micro and small firms, which have been traditionally overlooked in the study of innovation, despite the fact that they represent the majority of firms in developing countries. The results from a probit model suggest that entrepreneurial traits are important in explaining firm innovation propensity, so any attempt to understand firm innovation should also take the characteristics of the entrepreneur into consideration. Furthermore, different entrepreneurial profiles are related to different firm innovation propensities, providing new evidence on the sources of firm heterogeneity. These results confirm the idea that not all entrepreneurs are the same and that some have particular traits that greatly affect the innovating performance of their ventures.
Enumeration of Hydrogen Sulfide-Producing Bacteria from Anaerobically Packaged Pork

The influence of medium composition, pH, incubation time and gaseous atmosphere during incubation on enumeration of H2S-producing bacteria from anaerobically packaged pork was determined. Samples of anaerobically packaged pork were plated and H2S-producing bacteria isolated. Stock cultures of these isolates were prepared, diluted and pour-plated with Lead Acetate Agar (LAA) containing various concentrations of cysteine (0.001 to 0.005%) at different pH values (5.0 to 8.0). The inoculated plates were incubated at 21°C for various periods (3 to 6 d) under different gaseous atmospheres (N2, CO2 or mixtures of both). The conditions resulting in optimized recovery and enumeration of H2S-producing bacteria from anaerobically packaged pork consisted of pour-plating the isolates with LAA to which 0.003 to 0.005% cysteine was added and pH adjusted to 7.5-8.0 plus incubation in an atmosphere of 5%CO2-95%N2 for 5 to 6 d at 21°C.
T-Cell Adoptive Immunotherapy of Cancer

The T-cells of many cancer patients are naturally sensitized to tumor-associated antigens or can readily be sensitized with even simple vaccination maneuvers. Adoptive immunotherapy (AIT) constitutes a coordinated effort to harvest and activate such Tcells, propagate them in culture, and adoptively transfer them back into patients as therapy. Recent modifications in culture techniques, coupled with the administration of nonmyeloablative chemotherapy, have markedly improved the clinical impact of AIT in melanoma patients. Whereas such results clearly validate the capacity of AIT to cause regression of macroscopic tumors, not just micrometastases, it remains difficult to predict which patients receiving autologous T-cells will respond to AIT, and it remains poorly understood why tumor regressions tend to be partial and impermanent at best in the clinical setting. Continuing insights from preclinical mouse studies illuminate the complexities of AIT treatment failure and point to many underlying correctable elements, such as the inadvertent coadoptive transfer of passenger suppressor cells and both positive and negative impacts of culture on effector T-cell trafficking and apoptotic susceptibility. In addition, current investigations demonstrate distinctive and often synergistic roles for CD4+ and CD8+ subsets in AIT, which have so far not been superseded merely by giving higher doses of either subset alone. Despite the currently nonoverlapping contributions of CD4+ and CD8+ subsets to therapeutic outcome, it is anticipated that continuing strides in culture techniques may ultimately produce CD4+ and CD8+ subsets that each possess true stand-alone potency as adoptive monotherapy.
Islam and Gender

This article analyszes the nature of the relationship between Islam and gender through a historical sociological perspective. It first focuses on the emergence of the framework within which scholars interpreted the relationship between Islam and gender, and then traces its transformations in that framework as more and more local voices joined in the interpretive process. The article concludes with a survey of the variation in the contemporary practices of Islam and gender.
Hardware Trojans and Other Threats against Embedded Systems

Countless systems ranging from consumer electronics to military equipment are dependent on integrated circuits (ICs). A surprisingly large number of such systems are already security- critical, e.g., automotive electronics, medical devices, or SCADA systems. If the underlying ICs in such applications are maliciously manipulated through hardware Trojans, the security of the entire system can be compromised. In recent years, hardware Trojans have drawn the attention of the scientific community and government. Initially, the primary attacker model was a malicious foundry that could alter the design, i.e., introduce hardware Trojans which could interfere with the functionality of a chip. Many other attacker models exist too. For instance, a legitimate IC manufacturer, such as a consumer electronics company, might be in cohort with a national intelligence agency and could alter its products in a way that compromises their security. Even though hardware Trojans have been studied for a decade or so in the literature, little is known about how they might look, and what the "use cases" for them is. We describe two applications for low-level hardware manipulations. One introduces an ASIC Trojans by sub-transistor changes, and the other is a novel type of fault-injection attacks against FPGAs. As an example for an extremely stealthy manipulations, we show how a dangerous Trojans can be introduced by merely changing the dopant polarity of selected existing transistors of a design. The Trojan manipulates the digital post-processing of Intel's cryptographically secure random number generator used in the Ivy Bridge processors. The adversary is capable of exactly controlling the entropy of the RNG. For example, the attacker can reduce the RNG's entropy to 40 bits of randomness. Due to the AES-based one-way function after the entropy extracting, the Trojan is very difficult to detect. Crucially, this approach does not require to add new circuits to the IC. Since the modified circuit appears legitimate on all wiring layers (including all metal and polysilicon), our family of Trojans is resistant to many detection techniques, including fine-grain optical inspection and checking against "golden chips". As a second "use case", we show how an adversary can extract cryptographic keys from an unknown FPGA design. The attack, coined bitstream fault injection (BiFI), systematically manipulates the bitstream by changing random LUT contents, configures the target device, and collects the resulting faulty ciphertexts. The ciphertexts are used to recover the key by testing a set of hypotheses, e.g., that the ciphertext is the plaintext XORed with the key. The attack only needs a black-box assumption about the bitstream structure and format. It was verified by considering a set of 3 rd party AES designs on different standard FPGAs. In 15 out of 16 designs, we were able to extract the AES key.
Corporate Venture Capital: A Study of Manager Discretion and Adoption of Novel Innovation Vehicles

Extant literature on corporate governance has assumed that stronger external governance leads to a reduction of agency costs. However, too strong of governance and less managerial flexibility may c...
Abstract 4538: UniConSig: A new algorithm for genome wide quantification of gene functions and disease associations

One of the greatest hurdles for cancer biologists is to identify the cancer-causal genes from thousands of candidate genes suggested by large-scale genomics or deep sequencing studies. In our previous study, we discovered that cancer genes possess a complicated yet distinct “gene concept signature.” Concept Signatures include cancer-related signaling pathways, molecular interactions, transcriptional motifs, protein domains, and gene ontologies. We developed a Concept Signature (or ConSig) analysis that prioritizes the biological importance of candidate genes underlying cancer by computing their strength of association with those cancer-related signature concepts. The ConSig analysis has facilitated the discovery of a recurrent ESR1-CCDC170 gene fusion in more aggressive Luminal B breast cancers (Nat. Commun. 2014) as well as TLK2, MAP3K3, and MYST3 amplifications in aggressive luminal breast cancer (Nat. Commun. 2016, J. Pathol. 2014, Oncogene In press). Nevertheless, current candidate gene prioritization methods, including ConSig, are subject to bias from redundancy in the compiled knowledgebase (also known as gene concept database). This leads to variation of the gene ranking and jeopardizes the reliability of the priority methods. In light of these problems, we developed an innovative, universal algorithm called uniConSig. By penalizing overlapping concepts with a stable parameter, “effective concept number”, we reduced the fluctuation in uniConSig scores, and stabilized the ranking of the genes even with the randomly duplicated gene concept databases. We tested the uniConSig algorithm by identifying known cancer genes based on a cancer gene list, and found that the uniConSig algorithm demonstrated significantly enhanced prioritization of known cancer genes compared to the ConSig algorithm, and the results are stable even in the presence of randomly duplicated gene concept databases. In addition, we used calculations based on the dominant/recessive cancer gene lists, and were able to provide a quantitative measure of the potential dominant/recessive functions of human genes underlying cancer. As an example application of this algorithm, we show that the uniConSig scores can directly reveal the primary oncogene targets from genomic amplicons in breast cancer.To our knowledge, UniConSig is the first tool for genome-wide quantification of gene functions and disease associations. UniConSig has broad applications on gene prioritization for genomic-based studies to discover new disease causal genes or new gene functions. Citation Format: Xu Chi, Meenakshi Anurag, Sartor A. Maureen, Xiaosong Wang. UniConSig: A new algorithm for genome wide quantification of gene functions and disease associations [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the American Association for Cancer Research Annual Meeting 2017; 2017 Apr 1-5; Washington, DC. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2017;77(13 Suppl):Abstract nr 4538. doi:10.1158/1538-7445.AM2017-4538
Widows, Congressional Representation, and the (Ms.)Appropriation of a Name

For much of the 20th century, widowhood was the primary path for women into the U.S. Congress. However, little is understood on how widows’ gender, familial connections and name recognition widows acquire from their husbands may affect their political behavior. Drawing on insights from the literatures across American politics, comparative politics, and economics, we argue that widows in Congress will have an inherent name brand advantage, providing them more freedom to pursue their own policy agendas. Using a differences-in-differences analysis of legislative voting behavior from the 63rd to 104th Congresses, we provide evidence that widows are more liberal than their husbands and follow their own policy agendas. We also show that widows are more liberal than other women. Thus, our results indicate that widowhood embeds both the gender and the dynastic dimension of these legislators. Further evidence suggests that this difference is rooted in the name brand advantage that widows have compared to other women, highlighting the complementarity between these individuals’ dynastic identity and their gender identity.
Clinic Versus Online Social Network-Delivered Lifestyle Interventions: Protocol for the Get Social Noninferiority Randomized Controlled Trial.

Background: Online social networks may be a promising modality to deliver lifestyle interventions by reducing cost and burden. Although online social networks have been integrated as one component of multimodality lifestyle interventions, no randomized trials to date have compared a lifestyle intervention delivered entirely via online social network with a traditional clinic-delivered intervention. Objective: This paper describes the design and methods of a noninferiority randomized controlled trial, testing (1) whether a lifestyle intervention delivered entirely through an online social network would produce weight loss that would not be appreciably worse than that induced by a traditional clinic-based lifestyle intervention among overweight and obese adults and (2) whether the former would do so at a lower cost. Methods: Adults with body mass index (BMI) between 27 and 45 kg/m2 (N=328) will be recruited from the communities in central Massachusetts. These overweight or obese adults will be randomized to two conditions: a lifestyle intervention delivered entirely via the online social network Twitter (Get Social condition) and an in-person group-based lifestyle intervention (Traditional condition) among overweight and obese adults. Measures will be obtained at baseline, 6 months, and 12 months after randomization. The primary noninferiority outcome is percentage weight loss at 12 months. Secondary noninferiority outcomes include dietary intake and moderate intensity physical activity at 12 months. Our secondary aim is to compare the conditions on cost. Exploratory outcomes include treatment retention, acceptability, and burden. Finally, we will explore predictors of weight loss in the online social network condition. Results: The final wave of data collection is expected to conclude in June 2019. Data analysis will take place in the months following and is expected to be complete in September 2019. Conclusions: Findings will extend the literature by revealing whether delivering a lifestyle intervention via an online social network is an effective alternative to the traditional modality of clinic visits, given the former might be more scalable and feasible to implement in settings that cannot support clinic-based models. Trial Registration: ClinicalTrials.gov NCT02646618; https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT02646618 (Archived by WebCite at http://www.webcitation.org/6v20waTFW) [JMIR Res Protoc 2017;6(12):e243]
Including College and Career Readiness Within a Multitiered Systems of Support Framework

Current practices of college and career readiness (CCR) emerged from within secondary school reform efforts. During a similar timeframe, evidence-based schoolwide interventions—positive behavioral interventions and supports (PBIS) and response to interventions (RTI)—were developed, first targeting elementary initiatives and then translated to secondary schools. We provide an overview of a recently established CCR framework underscoring both academic and nonacademic factors necessary for student success. To operationalize CCR approaches within secondary schools, an effort must be made to utilize existing interventions and strategies as well as data-informed efforts included within multitiered systems of support (MTSS). Therefore, we examine how CCR can be extended within secondary MTSS approaches and extend current methods by recommending measures aligning CCR elements within essential data-based decision making and fidelity of implementation tenets of MTSS. By embedding CCR within established MTSS approac...
Tip of the Iceberg Findings: Subtle Radiographic Abnormalities Indicating Significant Pathology in the Knee

Knee injuries are common and radiographs remain the first line of study in the majority of cases. In many instances, subtle or small radiographic findings actually represent significant underlying pathology that requires expeditious diagnosis and treatment. By using a mechanistic search strategy, one that applies a comprehensive search for avulsions at ligamentous/tendinous/connective tissue attachments and potential sites of impaction, one may maximize the diagnostic accuracy of radiographic interpretation. This article will provide a review of important indicators of ligament, tendon, and osseous injuries with an emphasis on their mechanism of injury.
Role of Monoamine Neural Pathways in d-Amphetamine- and Methylphenidate-Induced Locomotor Activity

Extensive efforts have been made during the past few years to correlate the pharmacological actions of d-amphetamine and other centrally-acting stimulants with neurochemical changes in brain. Initial work was directed toward the role of brain catecholamine systems in the complex actions of such centrally-acting stimulants. Studies showing that tyrosine hydroxylase inhibitors antagonized the behavioral actions of d-amphetamine led to the proposal that d-amphetamine is an indirectly acting amine and that an uninterrupted synthesis of catecholamines is required for its central actions (Weissman, Koe, and Tenen, 1966; Hanson, 1967). From experiments that utilized a dopamine-β-hydroxylase inhibitor, Randrup and Scheel-Kruger (1966) suggested that noradrenergic fibers were responsible for amphetamine-induced locomotor activity and that dopaminergic pathways were necessary for the stereotypies that occur after amphetamine administration. However, even though subsequent studies supported the view that dopamine was involved in the stereotypic behavior induced by d-amphetamine (Simpson and Iversen, 1971; Fibiger, Fibiger, and Zis, 1973), several investigators provided evidence that dopamine rather than norepinephrine release was essential for amphetamine-induced locomotor activity (Costa, Groppetti, and Naimzada, 1972; Carlsson, 1970; Breese, Cooper, and Smith, 1973; Hollister, Breese, and Cooper, 1974).
Economic Comparison of Large and Small Fusion Reactor Concepts

If technically feasible, small, low capital cost pilot plants would accelerate fusion development. The ultimate economic issue associated with this approach is whether or not these plants can then be developed into commercial power plants without a significant increase in size, i.e., power level. It is concluded that, to be competitive, small ( about<500-MW(electric)) fusion plants would require new techniques (for the power industry) such as modular construction with factorycentered mass production of modules and minimum on-site construction. Otherwise, the economy-of-scale favors as large a power level as possible within limits imposed by constraints associated with institutional structures, sitting restrictions, and electrical grid sizesall of which could undergo radical changes by the time fusion is introduced.
The Fermat Curve

The purpose of this chapter is to give a significant example for the notions and theorems proved in the first chapter.
Research Methods and Epidemiology for Children with Special Health Care Needs

Children with special health care needs (CSHCN) are the subject of many research activities that aim to directly or indirectly benefit CSHCN. Consequently, researchers must abide by high ethical standards in the planning, design, conduct, reporting, and protection of CSHCN data in their research work. Most importantly, researchers must view and respect CSHCN research participants as unique individuals with equal human and civil rights. The purpose of this chapter is to describe appropriate research design approaches, research ethics, respect for CSHCN, their families, and privacy rights, and epidemiological statistical methodologies. We discuss these issues within the context of biopsychosocial models such as the International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health (ICF), Healthy People 2010 and 2020, Focus Group 6 (Disability and Secondary Conditions), as well as with respect to US legislation such as the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) and the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA). Throughout research activities with CSHCN, the focus should be on rigorous methods that have the potential to benefit CSHCN while minimizing risks and protecting individual rights of CSHCN.
Record Efficiencies for Selenium Photovoltaics and Application to Indoor Solar Cells

Until recently, Selenium photovoltaics remained overlooked and stalled with a last efficiency record of 5% established more than 30 years ago. We recently demonstrated a 30% increase in efficiency and a simultaneous reduction in thickness by a factor of 5x. Despite the expectation for continued improvements, selenium, with a bandgap of ~1.9 eV, is not well matched for a single junction outdoor AM1.5 spectrum, but selenium matches the indoor light spectrum of LED's and CFL's perfectly. In indoor lighting conditions we have achieved >13 % efficiency which is more efficient than typical commercial a-Si and c-Si in indoor lighting, while fabrication is vastly simpler. Unlike alternative promising technologies such as perovskites, Se is both stable in air and has minimal toxicity risks. In this paper we will highlight the improvements in device structure and annealing that led to the recent record efficiency, and summarize the key variables and needs of solar cells for indoor applications.
Influence of Mirror Feedback and Ankle Joint Laxity on Dynamic Balance in Trained Ballet Dancers

Enhanced understanding of dynamic postural stability (DPS) has the potential to curtail lower extremity injuries with important implications for athletic and scientific populations. The ability to stabilize following dynamic tasks such as jumping is dependent on several intrinsic factors, including ligamentous laxity, proprioception, and neuromuscular control. Ballet dancers are a unique group of aesthetic performers who frequently must perform unipedal balance during dynamic tasks. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effects of mirror feedback and ankle laxity on dynamic balance and muscle activation in 15 trained ballet dancers during a hop-to-stabilization task with and without mirror feedback. Anteroposterior and inversion-eversion ankle laxity was measured with an arthrometer. Surface electromyography was then applied to the tibialis anterior, peroneus longus, and lateral gastrocnemius muscles to record activity during the task in question. The main finding was that time-to-stabilization during the task was unaffected by mirror feedback (F = 0.105, p = 0.900; mirror = 3.31 ± 0.10 s; no-mirror = 3.37 ± 0.12 s). Greater antero-posterior laxity, however, negatively affected DPS with (r = 0.655, p = 0.008) and without the mirror (r = 0.858, p < 0.001). These results suggest that visual feedback does not affect performance during a DPS task; however, increased ankle laxity may influence balancing ability in ballet dancers.
Correction to: Membrane expression of thymidine kinase 1 and potential clinical relevance in lung, breast, and colorectal malignancies.

Following publication of the original article [1], the authors would like to make an amendment to the Acknowledgements section.
Parametric study of optical transmission through plasmonic hole arrays modulated by the phase transition of vanadium dioxide

We have performed comprehensive electromagnetic simulations and preliminary experiments to explore the effects of geometrical and material parameters on the extraordinary optical transmission (EOT) through periodic arrays of subwavelength holes in a bilayer stack consisting of a gold or silver film atop a vanadium dioxide film (Au/Ag + VO2), where the latter undergoes a semiconductor-to-metal phase transition. Using the finite-difference time-domain (FDTD) and finite-element methods (FEM), we vary iteratively the array periodicity, VO2 film thickness and hole diameters, as well as the refractive index inside the VO2-layer holes and the VO2 optical constants. For each variation, we compare the metallic-to-semiconducting ratios of the zero-order transmission (T00) peaks and find sharp maxima in these ratios within narrow parameter ranges. The maxima arise from Fabry-Perot and Fano-type resonances that minimize T00 in the semiconducting phase of the perforated bilayers. At a fixed array period, the primary factors controlling the VO2-enabled EOT modulation are the VO2 thickness, diameter of the VO2-layer holes, and absorption in the two VO2 phases. Besides uncovering the origins of the higher metallic-phase T00, this study provides a protocol for optimizing the performance of the bilayer hole arrays for potential uses as dynamically tunable nano-optical devices.
The Effects of Nurse Specialty Certification and Medical Treatments on Glycemic Control Outcomes: A Retrospective Study

Abstract AIMS To describe and explore the impact of the presence of specialty certified nurses on the unit on glycemic control among non-critically ill hospitalized patients with Diabetes mellitus. BACKGROUND Poor glycemic control during hospitalization has been associated adverse patient outcomes. Staff nurses administer much of the diabetes-specific care delivered to patients during hospitalization. Nurse specialty certification is a recognized indicator of nursing care quality. METHODS A retrospective sample of medical records data was analyzed to describe and explore the impact of specialty certified nurses on glycemic control among a group of 293 non-critically ill hospitalized patients with Diabetes mellitus. Regression analysis was performed to assess the impact of the percentage of certified nurses on the unit as a mediator or moderator of the relationship between medical treatments and glycemic control outcomes. RESULTS Increases in the percentage of specialty certified nurses on the unit were associated with significant decreases in mean blood glucose levels among patients who received a basal-bolus insulin regimen or enteral nutritional feedings. CONCLUSIONS Patients who received specific medical treatments during hospitalization had superior outcomes when nursing care was delivered during times in which the relative proportion of certified nurses on the unit were higher.