cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Sporadic Adenomas of the Large Intestine

Sporadic adenomas of the colon are extremely common in the general western population. The risk increases with age and is higher in men than women. The etiology of sporadic polyps is related to the individual’s genetic background and exposure to environmental agents. Environmental factors that increase the risk of adenoma development include increased levels of dietary fat and decreased levels of specific vitamins and physical activity. Genetic events in colonic epithelium that set the stage for adenoma development include the early events of APC and k-ras gene mutations. The development of advanced adenomas results from accumulated genetic damage in cells within dysplastic or aberrant crypts. This primarily occurs in the setting of chromosomal instability, characterized by aneuploidy and alterations of SMAD2, SMAD4, DCC, and P53 genes. A minority of sporadic adenomas develop as a result of inactivated DNA mismatch repair genes, and are characterized by normal (diploid) DNA content, microsatellite instability, and frequent mutations of TGFβRII. Sporadic adenomas are largely asymptomatic, but may occasionally present with rectal bleeding, anemia, or obstructive symptoms. Diagnosis and treatment of adenomas is primarily by colonoscopy. Screening for the presence of adenomas is accomplished by fecal occult blood testing and/or flexible sigmoidoscopies or colonoscopies. Once adenomas are removed current practice guidelines call for repeat surveillance colonoscopies at 3—5 year intervals. Calcium supplementation can reduce adenoma formation in patients with a previously resected adenoma, but the effect is modest. Primary prevention of colonic adenomas is best accomplished by diets low in fat and high in fiber, fruits, and vegetables; increased physical exercise; and avoidance of smoking, excessive alcohol, and obesity. Primary prevention by dietary supplements of vitamin E, vitamin C, selenium, or calcium; or the use of cyclooxygenase inhibitors (aspirin, sulindac) or selective cyclooxygenase (COX-2) inhibitors is currently under investigation and cannot be recommended for general use.
The Information Propagation Speed Upper Bound in Cognitive Radio Networks

The information propagation speed (IPS) of a network specifies how fast the information can be transmitted in a network. In this paper, we derive an IPS upper bound in cognitive radio networks. The upper bound is tight when the number of primary user (PU) channels is large. We discover that the IPS upper bound is determined by both the PU activity level and the transmission range of cognitive radios. When the PU activity level is below a certain threshold value, the IPS upper bound is achieved if cognitive radios transmit at their maximum transmission ranges. When the PU activity level is above the threshold, the cognitive radios have to use a smaller transmission range to reach the IPS upper bound. In addition, we also provide a numerical method for computing the threshold value of PU activity level and the optimal transmission range for achieving the IPS upper bound. The correctness of our analysis is validated by simulations. Our work can provide important insights and guidelines for optimal secondary user placement in cognitive radio networks.
Competing in the Era of Emergent Architecture: The Case of Packaged Software Industry

The firms that comprise the prepackaged software industry form a complex system engaged in systems-based competition. This complex system survives and grows because it follows emergent design principles notably articulated by Herbert Simon. In particular, complex systems form stable subsystems -clusters - that can be described (in this industry) as a stack. In this research, we study the evolution of the software industry using data on packaged software development firms over 13 years (1990-2002) across functional markets. We show that by exploiting complementarities based on the emergent architecture, firms can outperform competitors that use complementarities that are based on the espoused architecture/stack, which outperform those that ignore architecture altogether
Elevated temperature enhances virulence of Erwinia carotovora subsp. carotovora strain EC153 to plants and stimulates production of the quorum sensing signal, N-acyl homoserine lactone, and extracellular proteins.

Erwinia carotovora subsp. atroseptica, E. carotovora subsp. betavasculorum, and E. carotovora subsp. carotovora produce high levels of extracellular enzymes, such as pectate lyase (Pel), polygalacturonase (Peh), cellulase (Cel), and protease (Prt), and the quorum-sensing signal N-acyl-homoserine lactone (AHL) at 28°C. However, the production of these enzymes and AHL by these bacteria is severely inhibited during growth at elevated temperatures (31.2°C for E. carotovora subsp. atroseptica and 34.5°C for E. carotovora subsp. betavasculorum and most E. carotovora subsp. carotovora strains). At elevated temperatures these bacteria produce high levels of RsmA, an RNA binding protein that promotes RNA decay. E. carotovora subsp. carotovora strain EC153 is an exception in that it produces higher levels of Pel, Peh, Cel, and Prt at 34.5°C than at 28°C. EC153 also causes extensive maceration of celery petioles and Chinese cabbage leaves at 34.5°C, which correlates with a higher growth rate and higher levels of rRNA and AHL. The lack of pectinase production by E. carotovora subsp. carotovora strain Ecc71 at 34.5°C limits the growth of this organism in plant tissues and consequently impairs its ability to cause tissue maceration. Comparative studies with ahlI (the gene encoding a putative AHL synthase), pel-1, and peh-1 transcripts documented that at 34.5°C the RNAs are more stable in EC153 than in Ecc71. Our data reveal that overall metabolic activity, AHL levels, and mRNA stability are responsible for the higher levels of extracellular protein production and the enhanced virulence of EC153 at 34.5°C compared to 28°C.
Learning for Practice

In spite of the importance of both theory and practice, professions are not simply conduits for taking knowledge from the academy and applying it to the field. The process of judgment intervenes between knowledge and application. Human judgment intervenes between knowledge and application. Human judgment creates bridges between universal terms of theory and the gritty particularities of situated practice. And human judgment always incorporates both technical and moral elements, negotiating between the general and the specific, as well as between the ideal and the feasible.
Cholinesterase inhibitors and memantine: best practices.

Today’s therapies must be put in the context of both currently available treatments as well as treatment trials with exciting potential for use in the near future. Current clinical trial methodologies do not allow for clear separation of symptomatic treatments from disease-modifying therapies; it may be unproductive to maintain this distinction given the current range of treatments available. A more currently relevant focus is added value. Therapies should aim to provide added value through incremental benefits above and beyond existing treatments, as well as enduring benefits.Alzheimer’s disease (AD) treatment guidelines are not used by physicians only. Healthcare payers often make use of these guidelines to delimit coverage. Cost concerns will also impact AD treatments after generic cholinesterase inhibitors are made available; it is widely believed that a great number of patients will switch to generics. Therefore, treatment guidelines must account for the possible adverse effects of switching therapies as well as the desirability of persistent treatment. There are many AD treatment guidelines, among them the American Academy of Neurology (AAN) Management of Dementia Guidelines, which are currently being revised. The Institute for the Study on Aging (ISOA) Management of Alzheimer’s Disease in Managed Care Guideline also presents a different approach for a different audience.The first step to creating evidence-based best practices guidelines is to determine what is meant by “evidence.” A system of classification exists for examining forms of evidence: Class I evidence is provided by one or more well-designed, randomized, controlled clinical trials, including overviews or meta-analyses of such trials. Class II evidence is provided by well-designed observational studies with concurrent controls; for example, case-control studies that generate hypotheses about epidemiologic associations. Class III evidence is provided by expert opinion, case series, case reports, and studies with historical controls.
Acute radiation esophagitis in a phase I dose-escalation trial evaluating helical tomotherapy for inoperable non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC)

7694 Background: In an attempt to improve the poor local control in patients with locally advanced and medically inoperable lung cancer we investigated helical tomotherapy as a means to decrease ra...
Abstract W P107: HDAC4 Shuttling in Interneurons and Pyramidal Neurons is Associated with Improved Axonal Density and Myelination after Stroke

Background: We have previously demonstrated that stroke induces nuclear shuttling of histone deacetylase 4 (HDAC4) in neurons during stroke recovery. Further examination of the distribution of HDAC4 shuttling in interneurons and pyramidal neurons may provide new insights into mechanisms of HDAC4 mediated neuronal circuitry remodeling after stroke. In the current study, we measured nuclear shuttling of HDAC4 in these two populations of neurons in the peri-infarct cortical layers after stroke. Methods: Adult male Wistar rats (n=6/group) were subjected to permanent middle cerebral artery occlusion (MCAO) and sacrificed at 2 or 14 days after MCAO. Sham operated rats were used as a control. Double immunohistochemistry was performed with antibodies against HDAC4 along with microtubule-associated protein 2 (MAP2, neurons), parvalbumin (PV, interneurons), Ctip2 (pyramidal neurons), phosphorylated neurofilament heavy chain (pNFH, axons) and myelin basic protein (MBP, myelination). Results: HDAC4 nuclear immunoreactivity in MAP2+ neurons of the normal cortex was evenly distributed throughout the upper (L1-4) and lower cortical layers (L5-6). Stroke significantly (p<0.05) increased the percentage of neurons with nuclear HDAC4 in L5-6 at 2 (37%) and 14 days (73%) compared to sham (19%), whereas in L1-4, a significant increase in neurons with nuclear HDAC4 was detected only at 14 days after MCAO (49% vs 17%). Among neurons, stroke significantly increased the number of Ctip2+ and PV+ neurons with nuclear HDAC4 in L5-6 at 2 (Ctip2 57%, PV 66%) and 14 days after stroke (Ctip2 73%, PV 74%) compared to sham (Ctip2 33%, PV 12%). Furthermore, in L5-6, but not in L1-4, nuclear HDAC4 shuttling was positively and significantly correlated with increased axons and myelination as determined by pNFH (r = 0.84, p<0.05) and MBP (r = 0.76, p<0.05) densities, respectively. Conclusion: Stroke induces nuclear shuttling of HDAC4 in pyramidal neurons and interneurons of layers 5-6 of the peri-infarct cortex which is strongly correlated with enhanced axonal density and myelination, suggesting a role for HDAC4 in promoting pyramidal neuron and interneuron axon remodeling during stroke recovery.
Scheduling for transfers in pickup and delivery problems with very large neighborhood search

In pickup and delivery problems (PDPs), vehicles pickup and deliver a set of items under various constraints. We address the PDP with Transfers (PDP-T), in which vehicles plan to transfer items between one another to form more efficient schedules. We introduce the Very Large Neighborhood Search with Transfers (VLNS-T) algorithm to form schedules for the PDP-T. Our approach allows multiple transfers for items at arbitrary locations, and is not restricted to a set of predefined transfer points. We show that VLNS-T improves upon the best known PDP solutions for benchmark problems, and demonstrate its effectiveness on problems sampled from real world taxi data in New York City.
Selection of Patients and Results of 25 Years of Topical Anesthesia and Adjustable Suture Surgery

Background and purpose The author has used adjustable suture techniques either in the operating room with topical anesthesia or at a later time after retrobulbar or general anesthesia for over 25 years. Careful selection of patients is essential to the success of this technique. It is the purpose of this paper to report the selection criteria used and to compare the results of the two methods utilized. Patients and methods One hundred eighty-three patients were included in this study: 123 were operated upon with topical anesthesia. For comparison, sixty patients were included who had adjustment later in the day or the next day after having retrobulbar or general anesthesia. Both horizontal and vertical strabismus cases were included. Results Adjustable techniques done in the operating room or at a later time have both shown significant improvement in the strabismus angle following one operation in 86% of the cases. Diplopia was eliminated in 63% of patients with this complaint. (63% and 64.5% in the two groups, respectively). Seventeen of 123 patients having topical anesthesia (13.8%) required a second operation, and 8 of 60 (13.3%) of those having a later adjustment needed further surgery. Conclusion Careful selection of patients undergoing strabismus surgery allows successful topical muscle adjustment in the operating room with results similar to adjustments done following retrobulbar or general anesthesia at a later time.
Generator Parameter Identification Method Based Load Rejection Method and BPA Simulation

Generator parameters are key factors for the calculation correctness of the power system simulation. In order to improve the correctness of generator parameters and aiming at the lower precision disadvantage of graphing method in generator parameters identification,a generator parameters identification method based on load rejection method and BPA simulation is proposed. Based on the principles of load rejection method,a field d/q axes load rejection test of a certain generator is carried out,and the simulation modal with same operation status of load rejection test is built by BPS software. By the comparison analysis of simulation result and field test,the d,q axes parameters of the generator is identified. Simulation results show that parameters identified by the proposed method are practical and have higher precision.
Rare case of entero-enteric intussusception caused by small bowel metastasis from a cardiac liposarcoma.

Rare case of entero-enteric intussusception caused by small bowel metastasis from a cardiac liposarcoma
On the streamwise and normal vortices forming on plates with spanwise periodic cambering

Abstract Three-dimensional measurements of the flow field over rigid plates with periodic cambering in the spanwise direction were performed. Two plates of an aspect ratio of 5 with 5 and 9 periodic cells were used, and measurements were performed at a Reynolds number of 28,000 and three angles of attack. Previous research showed that organized vortices form in the valleys between the periodic cells, and that these vortices contribute to slight enhancement of lift and reduction in drag. In this investigation, the details of these vortices are examined and compared at three different flow fields including: 1) short separation bubble, 2) long separation bubble and 3) fully separated flow. The formation of these primary vortices is observed in all cases. The formation of these vortices is influenced by the interaction between the periodic cambering, and the thickness and strength of the backflow. This interaction becomes strongest when a long separation bubble forms resulting in larger vortices in size and magnitude. The instantaneous flow field shows that the primary vortices form most of the time, while they move in the spanwise direction and breakdown in the streamwise direction at other instances of time. In addition to the primary vortices, smaller vortices also form in the vicinity of the primary vortices. Proper Orthogonal Decomposition results indicate that reconstructing the flow field with different number of modes isolates the primary vortices from the smaller scale vortices.
An Effective Evidence-Based Student Run Near-Peer Support Group for the USMLE Step 1 Exam

Despite the existence of data describing student factors and test-taking habits associated with success, preclinical medical students preparing for the USMLE Step 1 exam face the challenges of creating a study plan and selecting between study-aid resources while preparing for this high-stakes test. This is often an expensive and anxiety-provoking experience. A near-peer support group for second year medical students studying for the USMLE Step 1 exam at the Albert Einstein College of Medicine (Einstein) provided evidence-based recommendations with goals of facilitating study planning and raising scores. An annual survey evaluating study habits and group perception was collected to identify study habits associated with higher Step 1 scores, evaluate group effectiveness, and refine the evidence-based recommendations for optimal exam preparation. Over a 3-year period, 302 students responded to the survey. After simultaneous adjustment for factors associated with Step 1 performance in bivariate analyses, preclinical medical school performance (P 4000 practice questions (P = 0.05) remained independently associated with Step 1 scores. There was a significant increase in the average Step 1 score from 226.8 to 230.5 (P = 0.002) after the group began providing evidence-based advice to students. Over 90 % of respondents were aware of the group and 64 % followed the group’s advice. Sixty-seven percent would recommend the group to subsequent students and 79 % found the near-peer format useful. A student run near-peer support group was a popular and effective mechanism to assist students preparing for the USMLE Step 1 exam by accumulating and disseminating evidence-based study habit recommendations. Certain habits including a start date approximately 6 months in advance and completion of >4000 test-like practice questions may be beneficial in preparing for the Step 1 exam. The increase in average Step 1 score at Einstein may be in part due to this intervention or may represent part of a national trend.
Comparison of multiple single-nucleotide variant association tests in a meta-analysis of Genetic Analysis Workshop 19 family and unrelated data

Meta-analysis has been widely used in genetic association studies to increase sample size and to improve power, both in the context of single-variant analysis, as well as for gene-based tests. Meta-analysis approaches for haplotype analysis have not been extensively developed and used, and have not been compared with other ways of jointly analysing multiple genetic variants. We propose a novel meta-analysis approach for a gene-based haplotype association test, and compare it with an existing meta-analysis approach of the sequence kernel association test (SKAT), using the unrelated samples and family samples of the Genetic Analysis Workshop 19 data sets. We performed association tests with diastolic blood pressure and restricted our analyses to all variants in exonic regions on all odd chromosomes. Meta-analysis of haplotype results and SKAT identified different genes. The most significantly associated gene identified by SKAT was the ALCAM gene on chromosome 3 with a p value of 7.0 × 10− 5. Two of the most associated genes identified by the haplotype method were FPGT (p = 6.7 × 10− 8) on chromosome 1 and SPARC (p = 3.3 × 10− 7) on chromosome 5. Both genes were previously implicated in blood pressure regulation and hypertension. We compared two meta-analysis approaches to jointly analyze multiple variants: SKAT and haplotype tests. The difference in observed results may be because the haplotype method considered all observed haplotypes, whereas SKAT weighted variants inversely to their minor allele frequency, masking the effects of common variants. The two approaches identified different top genes, and appear to be complementary.
So Many Data, So Much Time: Living with Grounded Theory in a Rhetorical Autoethnography

This chapter explores the challenges and rewards of grounded theory research methods carried out with too many data. In the context of a rhetorical autoethnography of family writing on which I am currently working, I discuss the special emotional resources (companionship, faith, and hope) necessary to persevere through the grueling and long-term challenges (loneliness, worries, and doubts) of this approach to qualitative research. The strategy of open coding receives careful attention, as it is the element of grounded theory methods that requires the most time and patience to carry out correctly. Tensions arise between the patient self-discipline by which the researcher resists reaching conclusions too soon (so as to preserve the inductive and illuminating character of the findings) and the yearning the researcher is likely to feel to arrive at some meaningful conclusions before those conclusions have been fully earned and validated. There is also discussion here of how quantitative filtering and sifting of qualitative codes helps to validate the coding process. I finish the chapter by sharing with readers some of my coding discoveries in my analysis of my family writing archive.
The role of tense and aspect in Mbodomo narrative discourse

In Mbodomo, a Gbaya language spoken in Cameroon, the tense/aspect of the verb plays an important role in narrative discourse. In general, tense/aspect is not marked on main clause verbs except in the story setting. Outside of the story setting, tense/aspect inflection is used for marking discontinuity of reference (topic, participants), situation (time, location), or action within the narrative text.
Alternative school student perceptions about forgiveness

ABSTRACTThe investigative setting for this study was an alternative educational program that serves at-risk middle and secondary school students. The study evaluated students' conceptual understandings of forgiveness, their exercise of forgiveness in the face of perceived school-related transgressions, as well as the relationship between the two variables and student mental health and well-being. Overall, the students' cognitive grasp of forgiveness was found to be less sophisticated than was demonstrated by a similar sample of adults, indicating that the students, as a group of externalizing youth, struggled to use forgiveness to resolve relational conflicts. Specific factors that may foster forgiveness in habitually aggressive youth are presented along with recommendations for interventions.
Mobile Sensing Through Deep Learning

Today, mobile devices are equipped with powerful processors along with various on-device sensors. Over the past few years, deep learning has become the dominant approach in the field of machine learning due to its impressive performance. We envision that in the near future, powered by deep learning, mobile devices will become more intelligent and revolutionize a wide range of applications. In this paper, we discuss the challenges of enabling deep learning on mobile platforms. Our work is to propose a deep learning framework that achieves state-of-the-art performance with low overhead on resource-limited mobile platforms. Our preliminary results show that deep learning can efficiently solve object recognition problem under noisy real world environment.
Distinguishing sexual lubricants from personal hygiene products for sexual assault cases

Abstract A common issue in sexual assaults is the ability to differentiation sexual lubricants from personal hygiene products (PHPs) such as lotions. While many PHPs tend to have a similar foundations to lubricants, such as polyethylene glycol, it can be difficult to differentiate sexual lubricants from background compounds such as lotions, gels, shampoos, etc. In this study, thirty-six (36) samples consisting of personal lubricants, condom lubricants and PHPs were analyzed using DART-TOFMS to determine if a method could be developed to discriminate sexual lubricants from PHPs. Using this direct introduction mass spectrometry technique, each sample displayed a chemical profile that included both commonly observed major compounds as well as more discriminating minor components. Using statistical treatments such as hierarchal cluster analysis, principle component analysis, and linear discriminant analysis, sexual lubricants and PHPs were differentiated based on significant peaks observed and their relative abundances. A method in identifying the difference between common PHP, i.e. creams and lotions, and sexual lubricants was established.
Treatment Side Effects and Associated Autoimmune Diseases

A wide variety of immunosuppressants and immunomodulators have been used to treat autoimmune hepatitis. Prednisone or prednisolone, alone or in combination with azathioprine is the treatment mainstay, limited mostly by the development of drug toxicity. In that regard, combination therapy is associated with fewer side effects than prednisone monotherapy (10 versus 44%). In approximately 10% of the cases treatment with prednisone/azathioprine will fail and use of alternative therapy will be necessary. This chapter will review the most common side effects of these drugs used in the treatment of autoimmune hepatitis followed by a discussion regarding associated autoimmune diseases.
Classification and risk assessment in AML: integrating cytogenetics and molecular profiling

In recent years, the composite molecular architecture in acute myeloid leukemia (AML) has been mapped out. We now have a clearer understanding of the key genetic determinants, the major genetic interactions, and the broad order in which these mutations occur. The next impending challenge is to discern how these recent genomic discoveries define disease biology as well as how to use molecular markers to deliver patient-tailored clinical decision support.
Malleable victims and discourses of dominance at Huaca de la Luna

At Huaca de la Luna, an ancient Moche ceremonial centre in northern coastal Peru (c. AD 200–850), archaeologists excavated ceramic vessels that seem to depict captive warriors defeated in battle. T...
Residual Byproducts of Peroxide Crosslinked Vitamin E-Blended Ultrahigh Molecular Weight Polyethylene.

Abstract Background Wear resistance of ultrahigh molecular weight polyethylene (UHMWPE) is improved via ionizing radiation crosslinking and subsequent high temperature melting for improved toughness. Our group has previously reported that crosslinking can also be achieved chemically using organic peroxides. However, volatile peroxide byproducts are generated during consolidation. The purpose of this study was to quantify elution of volatile peroxide byproducts from UHMWPE before and after in vivo implantation, and to determine their effects on local tissues. Methods We prepared crosslinked UHMWPE samples with 5 times the nominal concentration of peroxide needed for improved wear resistance. Control samples (not crosslinked), crosslinked samples, and crosslinked high temperature melting samples were implanted subcutaneously in New Zealand white rabbits for 28 days. Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) was used to quantify elution of residual peroxide byproducts, and biocompatibility was determined via histological analysis of periprosthetic tissues. Results Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy demonstrated elution of residual peroxide byproducts in vivo. No histological differences were observed between tissues in contact with any of the 3 groups of implants; tissues were characterized by fibrosis and a synovial-like lining for all groups. Conclusion UHMWPE chemically crosslinked with very high concentration of organic peroxide did not show any detrimental changes to surrounding subcutaneous tissues, further demonstrating feasibility of crosslinking UHMWPE with a peroxide, rather than irradiation, for the potential use of the material as a bearing surface for joint arthroplasty.
Improving Occupational Health Disparity Research: Testing a method to estimate race and ethnicity in a working population.

BACKGROUND Race and ethnicity data are often absent from administrative and health insurance databases. Indirect estimation methods to assign probability scores for race and ethnicity to insurance records may help identify occupational health inequities. METHODS We compared race and ethnicity estimates from the Bayesian Improved Surname Geocoding (BISG) formula to self-reported race and ethnicity from 1132 workers. RESULTS The accuracy of the BISG using gender stratified regression models adjusted for worker age and industry were excellent for White and Latino males and Latino females, good for Black and Asian Pacific Islander males and White and Asian Pacific Islander females. American Indian/Alaskan Native and those who indicated they were "Other" or "More than one race" were poorly identified. CONCLUSION The BISG estimation method was accurate for White, Black, Latino, and Asian Pacific Islanders in a sample of workers. Using the BISG in administrative datasets will expand research into occupational health disparities.
Managerial risk incentives and accounting conservatism

We provide empirical evidence of the effect of managerial risk incentives on financial reporting conservatism. We hypothesize that firms use greater accounting conservatism as a means of addressing increased firm risk arising from excessive managerial risk incentives provided by option compensation. Consistent with this hypothesis, we find a positive association between excessive managerial risk incentives and accounting conservatism measured as asymmetric timeliness of loss recognition. By contrast, we find no impact by normal (anticipated) risk-taking on accounting conservatism. Further analysis shows that the association between excessive managerial risk incentives and accounting conservatism is more pronounced when firms face more severe debtholder–shareholder conflicts. We also find that while cost of debt financing is positively associated with both anticipated and excessive risk incentives, the relationship with the latter is weakened by timelier loss recognition, suggesting firms with heightened risk incentives could economically benefit from using more conservative accounting.
Reconfigurable Spaces and Places in Smart Built Environments: A Service Centric Approach

A smart built environment (SBE) contains connected, interactive smart objects that have sensing and actuating capabilities. A network of such objects provides an Internet of Things infrastructure that changes the way how SBEs behave and how the inhabitants interact with them. If SBE components, such as walls and furniture pieces, are mobile and controllable, the geometry and interior design of SBE spaces can be changed in response to inhabitants actions and social activities. An added complexity is the mobility of smart objects and their ability to reconfigure. We describe a preliminary work on a service-based framework that includes SBE reconfiguration services. The layered architecture provides access to the reconfigurable smart objects that react to the user activities and behavior. Initial simulation and preliminary findings are included.
Lanthanide ions doped in vanadium oxide for sensitive optical glucose detection

Blood glucose monitoring is essential to avoid the unwanted consequences of glucose level fluctuations. Optical monitors are of special interest because they can be non-invasive. Among optical glucose sensors, fluorescent upconversion nanoparticles (UCNPs) have the advantage of good photostability, low toxicity, and exceptional autofluorescence suppression. However, to sense glucose, UCNPs normally need surface functionalization, and this can be easily affected by other factors in biological systems, and may also affect their ability for real-time sensing of both increasing and decreasing glucose levels. Here, we report YVO4 : Yb3+, Er3+@Nd3+ core/shell UCNPs with Nd and Yb shell and GdVO4 : Yb3+, Er3+@Nd3+ core/shell UCNPs with Nd and Yb shell that show sensitive, reversible, and selective optical glucose detection without the need for any surface functionalization or modifications.
Light and Shadow of Independent Administrative Institutions

For two years after the launch of RIETI in 2001, its leadership, researchers, and staff were united in the enthusiasm to create “Kasumigaseki Team II” (Fig. 27.1). I think it was Executive Vice President Nobuo Tanaka who coined that term, intending it to mean that RIETI would engage in long-term policy research which could not be done in the Ministry. He and I were involved in a workshop when he was the Deputy-Director of Science, Technology, and Industry at Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD). And, as he had observed the workings of the Brookings Institution and other American think tanks when he was posted as Minister for Energy, Trade and Industry at the Japanese Embassy in Washington, D.C., he was a close colleague of mine. We did not subscribe to the notion of “the lost decade,” the depressive view popular at the time, as we aggressively pursued the potential for institutional change. During the three years I was at my post, we put out commercially based publications from Tōyō Keizai Shinpōsha: over ten volumes each on a full-fledged “Economic Policy Analysis Series” (Fiscal Reforms of Japan: Redesigning the Frame of the State, Aoki, Masahiko and Kōtarō Tsuru, authors and editors) and policy-oriented “Economic Policy Review Series” (Modularity: A New Industrial Architecture, Aoki, Masahiko and Haruhiko Andō, authors and editors). These reached a standard we could be proud of. This work led many to start on the path of becoming first-rate researchers.
Cardiac Implantable Electronic Device Lead-Induced Tricuspid Regurgitation.

Abstract With the expanding use of cardiac implantable electronic device (CIEDs) in an ever-aging population, the looming problem of CIED-associated interference with the tricuspid valve is significant. The first pacemaker was implanted in 1958 for severe symptomatic bradycardia. The concept of a device to avert sudden cardiac death (i.e., the defibrillator) was first published in 1970 by Mirowski and Mower. The first reports of CIED-mediated tricuspid valve apparatus interference surfaced in the late 1900s, but it was not until recently that concentrated efforts have been made to better define the scope of CIED-mediated interference with the tricuspid valve apparatus. Because stopping implantation of these devices is not an option, better understanding of their mechanical complications could potentially lead to improvements in device design or epicardial device implantation, as an alternative, in select patients. This review covers existing evidence for CIED-mediated tricuspid regurgitation, discusses potential mechanisms of CIED-mediated interference of the tricuspid valve apparatus, provides an overview of how to diagnose CIED-mediated interference on echocardiography, and discusses management strategies for patients who have CIED-mediated severe tricuspid regurgitation.
Contraband Immunity: Updating Amsterdam, LaFave, and White's "Use Exclusion" Proposal to Limit Police Pretext

For decades, legal scholars have struggled with the problem of pretextual searches and seizures. These are defined as police using their power to stop or search or arrest for one crime, usually a minor crime, as a means of triggering the ability to search, without probable cause, for evidence of other crimes. That is, police might stop a person in order to conduct a Terry frisk, or arrest a driver for speeding in order to conduct a search-incident-to-arrest or an inventory search. Police may conduct them hoping to “get lucky” and find evidence of criminality. In short, when used pretextually, protective searches amount to discretionary searches unsupported by probable cause – precisely the government oppression that the Fourth Amendment was framed to protect citizens against. The United States Supreme Court, however, has made pretextual searches permissible under the Fourth Amendment as a result of its unanimous decision in Whren v. United States, 517 U.S. 806 (1996), which held that the subjective motivations of police are irrelevant as long as their conduct is objectively reasonable; therefore, reasonable suspicion of any crime will suffice to * Professor of Law, Florida Coastal School of Law. J.D., Boalt Hall School of Law, University of California, Berkeley. A.B., Dartmouth College. I thank Ron Angerer (FCSL Class of 2013) for his outstanding research assistance. I thank Martin Witt, FCSL Research Librarian, for helping me track down old articles. I thank M.G. Piety for reviewing the draft, and I thank the Berkeley Journal of Criminal Law editors for their excellent work. I thank Dean C. Peter Goplerud for the research grant that helped me finish this article. I thank Boston University School of Law, where much of the research for this article was done when I was a Visiting Associate Professor of Law there from 2008-10. 1 Foley: Contraband Immunity: Updating Amsterdam, LaFave, and White's "Use Published by Berkeley Law Scholarship Repository, 2012
Contribution of tile drains to basin discharge and nitrogen export in a headwater agricultural watershed

Abstract Nitrogen (N) fluxes from tile-drained agricultural watersheds have been implicated in water quality studies of the Mississippi River Basin, but the contribution of tile drains to N export in headwater watersheds is not well understood. The objective of this study was to ascertain seasonal and annual contributions of tile drainage to watershed discharge and N loading. Discharge and N concentration were measured at the outlet of an Ohio, USA agricultural headwater watershed and all tile drain outlets in the watershed from 2005 through 2012. Results showed that tile discharge accounted for 56% of annual watershed discharge over the 8-year study. Nitrate–N was the dominant form of N exported in both watershed and tile discharge with concentrations ranging from 0.1 to 70.5 mg L −1 . Watershed NO 3 –N concentration increased with increasing discharge up to the 75th percentile of flow where NO 3 –N concentrations reached an asymptote. This pattern indicates that tile contributions to stream NO 3 –N concentration were increasingly important as discharge increased, but other sources of water (e.g., precipitation, surface runoff) likely decreased stream NO 3 –N concentrations at the highest discharge rates. Annual watershed NO 3 –N load ranged from 12.4 to 39.6 kg ha −1 , with tile drainage contributing between 44 and 82% (mean: 62%) of annual watershed NO 3 –N export. Study results indicate that tile drainage is the primary factor controlling watershed discharge and N, especially NO 3 –N, export in systematically tile-drained agricultural headwater watersheds. Thus, in these landscapes, management practices that decrease NO 3 –N leaching to tile drains (e.g., reduced N application rates, cover crops) and reduce NO 3 –N loads (e.g., drainage water management) have the potential to improve downstream water quality.
WNT-Activated Medulloblastomas With Hybrid Molecular Subtypes

Molecular characterization of CNS tumors is becoming increasingly important for both diagnostic clarity and prognostication in the practice of neuropathology. Medulloblastomas, in particular, can be divided into 4 core consensus molecular subgroups (ie, WNT-activated, sonic hedgehog [SHH]-activated, group 3 [G3], and group 4 [G4]) based on genetic alterations, methylation profiles, and transcriptional patterns, which predict prognostic outcomes better than histology alone and are increasingly used for medulloblastoma classification.1,2 WNT-activated medulloblastomas are defined by activating mutations in the WNT/β-catenin signaling pathway (eg, CTNNB1 or germline APC), are often associated with loss of chromosome 6, and have the most favorable prognosis. SHH-activated medulloblastomas are denoted by mutations in the SHH pathway (eg, PTCH1, SMO, SUFU), with intermediate or poor prognosis guided by TP53 status. G3 and G4 medulloblastomas are associated with MYC amplification and MYCN or CDK6 amplification, respectively, frequently harbor isochromosome 17q, and have poor prognoses. Notably, individual tumors with highly characteristic driver events (eg, WNT methylation subclass with CTNNB1 mutation) were thought to be readily assigned to a specific methylation or genomic subclass with little genetic overlap between the subgroups.3 Recently, however, several patients with medulloblastoma have been reported to harbor combined molecular alterations characteristic of both WNT- and SHH-activated tumors.4,5 We report 2 additional patients with medulloblastoma with hybrid subclass features, one with WNT/SHH dual-activation tumors and another, strikingly, with features of WNT, SHH, and isochromosome 17q—a tertiary feature conventionally thought to be characteristic of G3 and G4 medulloblastomas.
Ultrathin quasi-hexagonal gold nanostructures for sensing arsenic in tap water

Monodispersed colloidal gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) were synthesized by an easy, cost-effective, and eco-friendly method. The AuNPs were mostly quasi-hexagonal in shape with sizes ranging from 15 to 18 nm. A screen-printed electrode modified with AuNPs (AuNPs/SPE) was used as an electrochemical sensor for the detection of As(III) in water samples. The mechanistic details for the detection of As(III) were investigated and an electrochemical reaction mechanism was proposed. Under the optimal experimental conditions, the sensor was highly sensitive to As(III), with a limit of detection of 0.11 μg L−1 (1.51 nM), which is well below the regulatory limit of 10 μg L−1 established by the United States Environmental Protection Agency and the World Health Organization. The sensor responses were highly stable, reproducible, and linear over the As(III) concentration range of 0.075 to 30 μg L−1. The presence of co-existing heavy metal cations such as lead, copper, and mercury did not interfere with the sensor response to As(III). Furthermore, the voltammogram peaks for As(III), lead, copper, and mercury were sufficiently separate for their potential simultaneous measurement, and at very harsh acidic pH it may be possible to detect As(V). The AuNPs/SPE could detect As(III) in tap water samples at near-neutral pH, presenting potential possibilities for real-time, practical applications.
Targeted Covalent Inhibition of Plasmodium FK506 Binding Protein 35

FK506-binding protein 35, FKBP35, has been implicated as an essential malarial enzyme. Rapamycin and FK506 exhibit antiplasmodium activity in cultured parasites. However, due to the highly conserved nature of the binding pockets of FKBPs and the immunosuppressive properties of these drugs, there is a need for compounds that selectively inhibit FKBP35 and lack the undesired side effects. In contrast to human FKBPs, FKBP35 contains a cysteine, C106, adjacent to the rapamycin binding pocket, providing an opportunity to develop targeted covalent inhibitors of Plasmodium FKBP35. Here, we synthesize inhibitors of FKBP35, show that they directly bind FKBP35 in a model cellular setting, selectively covalently modify C106, and exhibit antiplasmodium activity in blood-stage cultured parasites.
The Impact of Provider Biphobia and Microaffirmations on Bisexual Individuals’ Treatment-Seeking Intentions

Bisexual individuals experience mental illness at higher rates than monosexual individuals. In addition, previous research has found that bisexual persons face documented discrimination from mental...
Central Retinal Thickness and Visual Acuity Outcomes After Vitrectomy for Epiretinal Membrane With and Without Internal Limiting Membrane Peel

Purpose:This work compares best-corrected visual acuity (BCVA) and central retinal thickness (CRT) outcome measures following pars plana vitrectomy (PPV) with and without internal limiting membrane...
Speech Dereverberation Using Variational Autoencoders

This paper presents a statistical method for single-channel speech dereverberation using a variational autoencoder (VAE) for modelling the speech spectra. One popular approach for modelling speech spectra is to use non-negative matrix factorization (NMF) where learned clean speech spectral bases are used as a linear generative model for speech spectra. This work replaces this linear model with a powerful nonlinear deep generative model based on VAE. Further, this paper formulates a unified probabilistic generative model of reverberant speech based on Gaussian and Poisson distributions. We develop a Monte Carlo expectation-maximization algorithm for inferring the latent variables in the VAE and estimating the room impulse response for both probabilistic models. Evaluation results show the superiority of the proposed VAE-based models over the NMF-based counterparts.
Statistical Inference in Psychological and Medical Research

Chapter 9 explores the history of statistics in psychology, beginning with the development of the concept of psychological measurement, for which the impetus was clearly more commercial than scientific. It covers in detail the confusions arising from the difference between the Fisher and Neyman-Pearson theories, and the reaction to the Bayesian challenge. It concludes by noting that Bayesian statistics have made inroads in recent years, though not as a model of data analysis; rather, frequentists seeking to develop random effects (e.g., hierarchical) models found that Bayesian theorists had already shown the way. Predictably, the use of Bayesian methods by frequentists has involved less understanding on the part of practitioners than might be hoped. It seems to be seldom appreciated, for example, that the only reason multiple imputation of missing data is considered an intrinsically Bayesian procedure is that Bayesian (posterior) probabilities are intrinsically conditional and troublesome terms cancel out.
Lifecourse socioeconomic position and diabetes incidence in the REasons for Geographic and Racial Differences in Stroke (REGARDS) study, 2003 to 2016.

Abstract Low socioeconomic position (SEP) across the lifecourse is associated with Type 2 diabetes (T2DM). We examined whether these economic disparities differ by race and sex. We included 5448 African American (AA) and white participants aged ≥45 years from the national (United States) REasons for Geographic and Racial Differences in Stroke (REGARDS) cohort without T2DM at baseline (2003–07). Incident T2DM was defined by fasting glucose ≥126 mg/dL, random glucose ≥200 mg/dL, or using T2DM medications at follow-up (2013–16). Derived SEP scores in childhood (CSEP) and adulthood (ASEP) were used to calculate a cumulative (CumSEP) score. Social mobility was defined as change in SEP. We fitted race-stratified logistic regression models to estimate the association between each lifecourse SEP indicator and T2DM, adjusting for covariates; additionally, we tested SEP-sex interactions. Over a median of 9.0 (range 7–14) years of follow-up, T2DM incidence was 167.1 per 1000 persons among AA and 89.9 per 1000 persons among white participants. Low CSEP was associated with T2DM incidence among AA (OR = 1.61; 95%CI 1.05–2.46) but not white (1.06; 0.74–2.33) participants; this was attenuated after adjustment for ASEP. In contrast, low CumSEP was associated with T2DM incidence for both racial groups. T2DM risk was similar for stable low SEP and increased for downward mobility when compared with stable high SEP in both groups, whereas upward mobility increased T2DM risk among AAs only. No differences by sex were observed. Among AAs, low CSEP was not independently associated with T2DM, but CSEP may shape later-life experiences and health risks.