cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Simplified model for avalanche-resonance-pumped semiconductor diodes

A simplified model for avalanche-resonance pumped semiconductor diodes is presented in terms of its voltage/current relation and its equivalent circuit. All signal levels can be handled and the compatibility with lumped or transmission line circuits will be useful for circuit modelling. Small- and large-signal examples for degenerate pumping are described.
Salinization decreases population densities of the freshwater crustacean, Daphnia dentifera

Salinization of freshwater systems is a global concern. In the northern United States, a large driver of freshwater salinization is the application of road salt which runs into freshwater systems. We tested the effects of salinization on traits and population densities of the freshwater crustacean, Daphnia dentifera, a common species in the Midwestern United States. We first measured the effects of salinity on resource acquisition (feeding rates), birth rates, and death rates of individual D. dentifera. Then we performed an experiment to quantify the population-level effects of salinity. There was little effect of salinity on individual characteristics; birth and death rates were unaffected by salinity treatment and only one D. dentifera genotype showed lower feeding rates with increased salinity. However, D. dentifera population densities were lower with increased salinity. Our results suggest that studies conducted on individuals may underestimate the population-level effects of salinization. Moreover, since Daphnia are often dominant grazers in freshwater systems, reduced population densities from salinization could have dramatic effects on communities and ecosystems.
The Impact of Tunneled Catheters for Ascites and Peritoneal Carcinomatosis on Patient Rehospitalizations.

The aim of the study is to assess patient outcomes, complications, impact on rehospitalizations, and healthcare costs in patients with malignant ascites treated with tunneled catheters. A total of 84 patients with malignant ascites (mean age, 60 years) were treated with tunneled catheters. Patients with peritoneal carcinomatosis and malignant ascites treated with tunneled drain catheter placement over a 3-year period were studied. Overall survival from the time of ascites and catheter placement were stratified by primary cancer and analyzed using the Kaplan–Meier method. Complications were graded by the Common Terminology Criteria for Adverse Events v3.0 (CTCAE). The differences between pre- and post-catheter admissions, hospitalizations, and Emergency Department (ED) visits, as well as related inpatient expenses were compared using paired t tests. There were no significant differences in gender, age, or race between different primary cancer subgroups. One patient (1 %) developed bleeding (CTCAE-2). Four patients (5 %) developed local cellulitis (CTCAE-2). Three patients (4 %) had prolonged hospital stay (between 7 and 10 days) to manage ascites-related complications such as abdominal distention, discomfort, or pain. Comparison between pre- and post-catheter hospitalizations showed significantly lower admissions (−1.4/month, p < 0.001), hospital stays (−4.2/month, p = 0.003), and ED visits (−0.9/month, p = 0.002). The pre- and post-catheter treatment health care cost was estimated using MS-DRG IPPS payment system and it demonstrated significant cost savings from decreased inpatient admissions in post-treatment period (−$9535/month, p < 0.001). Tunneled catheter treatment of malignant ascites is safe, feasible, well tolerated, and cost effective. Tunneled catheter treatment may play an important role in improving patients’ quality of life and outcomes while controlling health care expenditures.
Intestinal Lipoprotein Secretion: Incretin-Based Physiology and Pharmacology Beyond Glucose.

The incretin axis, mostly glucagon-like peptide 1 (GLP-1), is a well-acknowledged and -applied science of glucose homeostasis. Importantly, modifying this physiology with GLP-1 receptor (GLP-1R) agonists or inhibiting the enzymatic breakdown of GLP-1 with dipeptidyl peptidase-4 (DPP-4) inhibitors experienced increasing success in achieving glycemic control in patients with type 2 diabetes (T2D) (1). Yet, the role of gut peptides on lipid and lipoprotein metabolism has been relatively unnoticed, and the favorable changes in fasting and nonfasting lipids with incretin-directed pharmacotherapy may be an important pathway to promote cardiovascular health beyond glucose lowering alone (2). The most typical lipid and lipoprotein disorder in T2D is hypertriglyceridemia with a reduced plasma level of HDL cholesterol, mechanisms related to increased VLDL triglyceride (TG) production and secretion, and reduced clearance of TG-rich particles by lipoprotein lipase (3). Moreover, increases in postprandial lipid excursion in patients with T2D are also seen, an alteration related to similar mechanisms in the setting of chylomicron assembly and secretion by the intestine. Herein is where the evolving science of incretins is worthy of attention. In this issue of Diabetes , the Perspective by Xiao et al. (4) is timely and state of the art. As documented by the authors, treatment of patients with T2D with GLP-1R agonists has variable reductions in fasting TG, an effect typically more pronounced with GLP-1R agonists than DPP-4 inhibitors. A reduction mediated by GLP-1R agonists and/or DPP-4 inhibitors in postprandial …
Nitrogen, sulfate, chloride, and manganese in ground water in the alluvial deposits of the South Platte River Valley near Greeley, Weld County, Colorado

Ground water is used extensively for agriculture along the South Platte River in the study area, which is about 10 miles east of Greeley and about 50 miles northeast of Denver, Colorado. Significant changes in the reuse of water may result from use and reuse of water from the stream-aquifer system for irrigated crops, extensive use of crops and poultry farms. To help water users and managers better understand the effects of land use on ground-water resources, this report presents data on nitrite plus nitrate, sulfate, chloride, and manganese concentrations, which are good indicators of the water quality, and a brief description of the geology and hydrology of the study area.
Examining Ankle-Joint Laxity Using 2 Knee Positions and With Simulated Muscle Guarding.

Context: Several factors affect the reliability of the anterior drawer and talar tilt tests, including the individual clinician's experience and skill, ankle and knee positioning, and muscle guarding. Objectives: To compare gastrocnemius activity during the measurement of ankle-complex motion at different knee positions, and secondarily, to compare ankle-complex motion during a simulated trial of muscle guarding. Design: Cross-sectional study. Setting: Research laboratory. Patients or Other Participants: Thirty-three participants aged 20.2 ± 1.7 years were tested. Intervention(s): The ankle was loaded under 2 test conditions (relaxed, simulated muscle guarding) at 2 knee positions (0°, 90° of flexion) while gastrocnemius electromyography (EMG) activity was recorded. Main Outcome Measure(s): Anterior displacement (mm), inversion-eversion motion (°), and peak EMG amplitude values of the gastrocnemius (μV). Results: Anterior displacement did not differ between the positions of 0° and 90° of knee flexion (P =...
Rapid Service Composition Reasoning for Agile Cyber Physical Systems

In some agile applications, cyber and physical entities need to be rapidly composed to cope with dynamically arising situations and to meet high dependability requirements. Automated service composition reasoning techniques can be leveraged to compose cyber and physical services in a timely way. However, the modeling of the physical services poses some challenges. In this paper, we present novel models for the specification of the physical services and the state of the world to facilitate real-time service composition of cyber physical systems (CPS).
Exercise in the Elderly

Publisher Summary This chapter reviews some of the changes in physiological responses known to occur with aging. and presents some recommendations for exercises to the elderly. The physical capacity of elderly patients who wish to exercise should be determined. Often, this evaluation reveals that physical capacity is significantly reduced compared with individuals of younger age, although elderly individuals who have continuously exercised have surprisingly good physical capacity. The elderly individuals are more likely to have coronary diseases that may be undiagnosed. The pulmonary function may be reduced, there may be endocrine metabolic disorders either manifested or undiagnosed, the renal function may be impaired, or blood flow to the central nervous system may be impaired because of arterial stenosis. The peripheral vascular disease may also be present in the elderly and should be searched for prior to providing exercise prescriptions. With a careful evaluation, an elderly individual can be given an appropriate exercise prescription and obtain significant benefits from a continuous program of exercise.
Assessment of genetic diversity and relationship of coastal salt tolerant rice accessions of Kerala (South India) using microsatellite markers

Rice (Oryza sativa L.) is one of the most significant cereal crops, about 3 billion people, nearly half the world's population; depend on rice for survival and it offers up to 80% of daily energy intake in most of the Asian countries. Knowledge of the distribution, extent and pattern of genetic variation is useful for estimation of any possible loss of genetic diversity and its role in breeding programs. This work assessed the genetic diversity among 25 coastal rice populations of five regions of Kerala (South India) using 18 microsatellite markers. A mean PIC value of 0.37 and an average of 3.5 alleles per loci were observed. Mean Heterozygosity value of 0.29 and gene diversity value of 0.41 was attained. AMOVA demonstrated that genetic differentiation was significant at P< 0.001 and FST index value of 0.035 was obtained. Of the total diversity, 57.76% was attributed within individuals, 38.71% was attributed among individuals within populations and 3.53% among populations. Information regarding the amount of genetic variations in these salt tolerant coastal accessions and genetic relationship between genotypes are essential for designing effective breeding programs. Especially, to meet the differentiated goals of plant breeding such as breeding for increasing yield, wider adaptation, desirable quality, pest and disease resistance.
Spiritual Reflective Practice in Preservice Art Education.

Spirituality is becoming an increasingly significant aspect of contemporary art education theory. The manner in which one conceives of holistic art education curricula is partially shaped by one's ...
Prognosis of Intraventricular Hemorrhage

The relationship of periventricular-intraventricular hemorrhage in infants of <32 weeks gestation to the occurrence of disability at 5 years of age was studied in a National Collaborative Survey in the Netherlands.
Alexander in Africa. Acta Classica Supplementum V., P.R. Bosman (Ed.) : review

Alexander the Great was in Egypt for a matter of months between 332 and 331 BCE. This period is often viewed with a curious mix of inconsequentiality and dire importance. On the one hand, Egypt was a distraction from Alexander's declared intent of defeating Darius and conquering Persia, included seemingly for the purposes of capturing all Persian possessions; on the other, it was in Egypt that he founded the most famous Alexandria and was confirmed in his godhead by the oracle of Zeus Ammon at Siwah. Alexander in Africa, the latest in a series of volumes based on conferences about Alexander and his legacy, is designed to unpack these 'activities of great political and symbolic significance' (p.vii). The conference was held in Grahamstown, South Africa in 2011 as part of the biennial Classical Association of South Africa Conference; the resultant volume has four main areas of inquiry: the history and historical record for Alexander in Africa, the role of the diadochic period in constructing Alexander's African legacy, the African variations on Alexander's legend, and twentieth-century conceptions of Alexander as mediated by African contexts (p. viii). The nine contributions tend to deal with issues and controversies common to scholarship about Alexander and are arranged in rough chronological order. While the topics are notformally represented by section headings, all but one of the contributions may be grouped into pairs about each of the core areas of inquiry.
Additive manufacturing of a functionally graded material from Ti-6Al-4V to Invar: Experimental characterization and thermodynamic calculations

Abstract In functionally graded materials (FGMs), the elemental composition, or structure, within a component varies gradually as a function of position, allowing for the gradual transition from one alloy to another, and the local tailoring of properties. One method for fabricating FGMs with varying elemental composition is through layer-by-layer directed energy deposition additive manufacturing. This work combines experimental characterization and computational analysis to investigate a material graded from Ti-6Al-4V to Invar 36 (64 wt% Fe, 36 wt% Ni). The microstructure, composition, phases, and microhardness were determined as a function of position within the FGM. During the fabrication process, detrimental phases associated with the compositional blending of the Ti-6Al-4V and Invar formed, leading to cracking in the final deposited part. Intermetallic phases (FeTi, Fe 2 Ti, Ni 3 Ti, and NiTi 2 ) were experimentally identified to occur throughout the gradient region, and were considered as the reason that the FGM cracked during fabrication. CALPHAD (CALculation of PHase Diagrams) thermodynamic calculations were used concurrently to predict phases that would form during the manufacturing process and were compared to the experimental results. The experimental-computational approach described herein for characterizing FGMs can be used to improve the understanding and design of other FGMs.
Cultural-Linguistic Test Adaptations: Guidelines for Selection, Alteration, Use, and Review.

In 1991, Bracken and Barona wrote an article for School Psychology International focusing on state of the art procedures for translating and using tests across multiple languages. Considerable prog...
PreSight: Enabling Real-Time Detection of Accessibility Problems on Sidewalks

Accessibility problems such as obstacles on sidewalks can make navigation dangerous for the visually impaired. Detecting these accessibility problems using embedded cameras is a plausible remedy. However, current computer vision algorithms for object detection rely on exhaustive search with high-dimensional features that present a heavy computational burden and incur a long latency, making them non-ideal for real-time object detection on embedded platforms. To address this problem, inspired by prior-based searching schemes from human vision, we accelerate the machine vision process by using scene-specific features to select candidate regions in the view for further processing. Our system, {\hav} achieves speedup by trading off the workload from on-line detection to off-line prior data collection and extraction. We demonstrate a complete, scalable PreSight prototype to accelerate general computer vision object detection algorithms with focus on detecting of sidewalk accessibility problems. Our prototype system automates the process of creating a geo- tagged database of object-specific priors using crowdsourcing and utilizes this prior knowledge to speedup object detection on embedded platforms. Evaluating under two benchmark object detection algorithms, we demonstrate that the detection latency can be reduced by around 8 times with the aid of PreSight.
Influence of Gender-based Family Roles on Gender Transition for Transgender Women

The purpose of this study was to describe the influence of gender-based family roles on the process of gender transition for transgender women in the United States. Secondary analysis was undertake...
High glucose derived endothelial microparticles increase active caspase-3 and reduce microRNA-Let-7a expression in endothelial cells.

Abstract The experimental aim of this study was to determine the effects of high glucose-induced endothelial microparticles (EMPs) on endothelial cell susceptibility to apoptosis. Human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs) were cultured (3rd passage) and plated in 6-well plates at a density of 5.0 × 105 cells/condition. Cells were incubated with media containing 25 mM d -glucose (concentration representing a diabetic glycemic state) or 5 mM d -glucose (normoglycemic condition) for 48 h to generate EMPs. EMP identification (CD144+ expression) and concentration was determined by flow cytometry. HUVECs (3 × 106 cells/condition) were treated with EMPs generated from either the normal or high glucose conditions for 24 h. Intracellular concentration of active caspase-3 was determined by enzyme immunoassay. Cellular expression of miR-Let7a, an anti-apoptotic microRNA, was determined by RT-PCR using the ΔΔCT normalized to RNU6. High glucose-derived EMPs significantly increased both basal (1.5 ± 0.1 vs 1.0 ± 0.1 ng/mL) and staurosporine-stimulated (2.2 ± 0.2 vs 1.4 ± 0.1 ng/mL) active caspase-3 compared with normal glucose EMPs. Additionally, the expression of miR-Let-7a was markedly reduced (∼140%) by high glucose EMPs (0.43 ± 0.17 fold vs control). These results demonstrate that hyperglycemic-induced EMPs increase endothelial cell active caspase-3. This apoptotic effect may be mediated, at least in part, by a reduction in miR-Let-7a expression.
Beta’s Cash Flow and Discount Rate Components

Beta as the basic unit of systematic risk may be further bifurcated into distinct components reflecting firm-specific changes in cash flow and changes in the economy-wide discount rate. By analogy to cholesterol, these components may be regarded as “bad” and “good.” Whereas “good” beta resulting from unexpectedly negative discount-rate news may be mitigated by later macroeconomic developments, “bad” beta resulting from shocks to cash flow dictates an enduring reduction in the valuation of a firm. The disproportionately high contribution of cash-flow effects to value firms’ betas (relative to growth stock betas) explains the premium on value stocks and provides a related solution to the low-volatility anomaly.
Kinematics of the Doped Quantum Vortices in Superfluid Helium Droplets

Recent observation of quantum vortices in superfluid $$^{4}$$ He droplets measuring a few hundreds of nanometers in diameter involved decoration of vortex cores by clusters containing large numbers of Xe atoms, which served as X-ray contrast agents. Here, we report on the study of the kinematics of the combined vortex–cluster system in a cylinder and in a sphere. Equilibrium states, characterized by total angular momentum, L, were found by minimizing the total energy, E, which sums from the kinetic energy of the liquid due to the vortex and due to orbiting Xe clusters, as well as solvation energy of the cluster in the droplet. Calculations show that, at small mass of the cluster, the equilibrium displacement of the system from the rotation axis is close to that for the bare vortex. However, upon decrease in L beyond certain critical value, which is larger for heavier clusters, the displacement bifurcates toward the surface region, where the motion of the system is governed by the clusters. In addition, at even smaller L, bare orbiting clusters become energetically favorable, opening the possibility for the vortex to detach from the cluster and to annihilate at the droplet’s surface.
Reaching Families Where They Are: Examining an Innovative Book Distribution Program:

This study examines a community-wide effort to promote greater access to books through the mechanisms of physical and psychological proximity. It addresses the seasonal summer slide through an innovative book distribution program in neighborhoods identified as book deserts. Four low-income neighborhoods were provided with vending machines used to dispense free children’s books over the summer months. Within a design research framework, the study was designed to capture how, why, and in what ways these machines were used in communities. Results indicated that providing greater access through close physical proximity to books and greater adult support enhanced children’s opportunities to learn.
Experimental demonstrations of the earned dogmatism effect using a variety of optimal manipulations: Commentary and response to Calin-Jageman (2018)

Abstract According to the Earned Dogmatism Hypothesis, social norms entitle experts to be more dogmatic (closed-minded) than non-experts. Consequently, individuals who occupy the expert role are more closed-minded than non-experts. Ottati, Price, Wilson, and Sumaktoyo (2015) originally documented this effect in two sets of experiments, the “switching roles” and “success versus failure” experiments. Calin-Jageman (2018) obtained the earned dogmatism effect when replicating the “switching roles” experiments, but not when replicating the “success versus failure” experiments. Two hypotheses can account for this divergent replication pattern. The “restrictive condition” hypothesis postulates the earned dogmatism effect is limited to highly restrictive and unrealistic conditions (i.e., switching roles experiments that entail projective judgments in hypothetical situations), and fails to replicate under less restrictive conditions (e.g., conditions that evoke success versus failure, real world situations). The “optimal manipulation” hypothesis postulates the earned dogmatism effect is easily replicated in experiments that employ optimal manipulations of relative expertise, but less easily replicated in experiments that employ sub-optimal manipulations. According to this view, optimal expertise manipulations elicit the earned dogmatism effect, even under non-restrictive conditions. The “optimal manipulation” hypothesis is supported in three new experiments. In these experiments, the earned dogmatism effect is obtained using an optimal manipulation that is explicitly relative, an optimal manipulation that prompts participants to remember real-world situations, and an optimal manipulation of success versus failure. When predicting the earned dogmatism effect size across studies (Ottati, Price, Wilson, & Sumaktoyo, 2015; Calin-Jageman, 2018; three new experiments), the “optimal manipulation” hypothesis is also favored.
Immunotechniques in Coagulation Research

Immunologic techniques have played a key role in both basic and applied research in coagulation. Besides providing total immunoreactive concentration of a coagulation protein, these methods have contributed a great deal to our understanding of the molecular abnormalities in fibrinogen, prothrombin, and other vitamin K-dependent coagulation factors,24,38,41,66,72,74,76,89,90,104 as well as provided new avenues of diagnosis between hemophilia and von Willebrand’s disease.79 Highly sensitive assays such as radioimmunoassay, immunoradiometric assay, radioim- munoelectrophoresis, and crossed radioimmunoelectrophoresis19,36,47,123 have enabled us to detect as low as 0.1% concentration of Factor VIII:RAg.
Childhood Obesity and the Consumption of 100 % Fruit Juice: Where Are the Evidence-Based Findings?

100 % fruit juice is rich in nutrients, and it is a low fat, low saturated fatty acid, and low sodium beverage with no added sugars. Children are not consuming excessive amounts of 100 % fruit juice, and mean intakes are within the American Academy of Pediatrics’ recommendations. The strength of the scientific evidence shows that 100 % fruit juice is not associated with weight in children.
Is There a Link Between Childhood Family Violence and Adult Health? Understanding Family Violence Amongst South Asian American Women.

The devastating effects of experiencing violence in childhood has been particularly difficult to assess among South Asians (SA) living in the U.S. due to a lack of race specific data. A cross-sectional quantitative study of 535 SA adult women living in the U.S. was conducted to better understand the relationship between childhood exposure to violence and health behaviors in adulthood. Measures included socio-demographics, exposure to violence as a child via witnessing parental violence, and experience of childhood violence, adult IPV, suicide ideation and attempt, and body esteem and subjective well-being in adulthood. Significant associations were found between childhood verbal abuse and body esteem and subjective well-being in adulthood; childhood physical abuse and subjective well-being in adulthood; and having a battered mother and subjective well-being in adulthood. To date, this is the first study to examine childhood violence and its relationship to adult IPV and health among SA women in the U.S.
Humanae Vitae: Fifty Years Later:

This article considers what has transpired in the Catholic Church on the issue of contraception in the fifty years since the encyclical Humanae Vitae in 1968. The author argues that today there are...
Historical Perspectives and Current Directions in Hockey Analytics

We review recent advances in hockey analytics research, most of which have occurred from the early 2000s to the present day. We discuss these advances in the context of earlier attempts to evaluate...
Influence of Baseline Magnetic Resonance Imaging Features on Outcome of Arthroscopic Meniscectomy and Physical Therapy Treatment of Meniscal Tears in Osteoarthritis.

Background:Arthroscopic partial meniscectomy (APM) is used to treat meniscal tears, although its efficacy is controversial.Purpose:This study used magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) to determine char...
The Incomplete Medicalization of Obesity: Physician Office Visits, Diagnoses, and Treatments, 1996-2014:

Objectives:Despite increased awareness of obesity-related health risks and myriad treatment options, obesity still affects more than one-third of persons in the United States and is a substantial p...
Airway management in patients with mucopolysaccharidoses: The progression toward difficult intubation

Background Patients with mucopolysaccharidoses (MPS) have physical changes to their airways over time. Due to the natural progression of their disease, these patients become more difficult to intubate as they get older. Aims The aims of this study were to evaluate the difficulty of airway management in MPS patients over time, and to evaluate the effect of bone marrow transplant and/or enzyme replacement therapy on airway difficulty. Methods A retrospective review of MPS patients presenting for surgery from January 2012 to May 2018 was performed. Patients were assigned to groups based on their ages at the time of surgery, number of intubation attempts, equipment used for intubation, difficulty of mask ventilation, and difficulty of laryngeal mask airway placement. The same designations were applied to patients with a history of a bone marrow transplant (BMT) and/or enzyme replacement therapy, and they were compared to patients of similar ages who had received no treatment. Logistic regression was used to determine the odds of difficult intubation. Results One hundred and twenty-eight anesthetic records were reviewed. In 27 cases, the patient had a BMT and in 54 cases, the patient had received enzyme replacement therapy. Adults (18 years and older) had the highest likelihood of difficult intubation (OR 13.44, CI 1.45-124.86, P = 0.022). Mask ventilation and laryngeal mask airway placement were not significantly more difficult in any age groups. Bone marrow transplant did not improve airway management. A history of enzyme replacement therapy was associated with an increased risk of difficult intubation in patients under the age of 12. Conclusions As patients with MPS get older, there is a progression toward difficult intubation. Mask ventilation and laryngeal mask airway placement does not become more difficult with age. Bone marrow transplantation did not affect airway difficulty in our population, while enzyme replacement therapy was associated with difficult intubations in younger patients.
Neurodevelopmental Outcomes After Neonatal and Pediatric ECMO

Neonatal and pediatric extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) is an increasingly utilized, potentially life-saving therapy for critically ill patients. The immediate and long-term neurodevelopmental outcomes for patients who require ECMO is not fully understood or appreciated. There is a growing body of literature examining the neurodevelopmental outcomes of neonatal and pediatric survivors of ECMO. Estimates of ECMO patients’ long-term neurological disabilities range from 10 to 60% (Glass et al. Pediatrics 83:72–78, 1989; Boyle et al. Pediatr Crit Care Med 19:760–766, 2018). Multiple modalities of neurologic monitoring while on ECMO are being investigated for their ability to detect neurologic injury, but their impact on long-term neurodevelopmental outcome remains unknown. Improved knowledge about the long-term neurodevelopmental outcomes for patients receiving ECMO therapy may help providers to access better resources and support patients after recovery from their acute illnesses. This review seeks to highlight some of the current understanding of the risks for poor neurodevelopmental outcomes of patients supported on ECMO, modes of neurologic monitoring, and recent data on neurodevelopmental outcomes.
Managing Heterogeneous Processor Machine Dependencies in Computer Network Applications

Executing complex network packet applications typically requires using network processors and parallel processing to handle packet transmission speeds of 1 gigabit per second and beyond. Heterogeneous computing approaches also employ specialized coprocessors, such as associative memory processors for flow matching and regular expression (regex) processors for packet payload searching. Our goals for this kind of heterogeneous processing are to free application developers from hardware-specific details and to develop systems in which we can deploy new hardware and software components in modular, plug-and-play fashion. Our initial contribution to realizing these goals involves (1) expressing classic packet operations in a C dialect as C/C++-style operators; (2) compiling user code into bytecodes for a packet-processing virtual machine that hides machine-specific details; and (3) interpreting the bytecodes with microcoded interpreters that orchestrate an ensemble of heterogeneous processors on the users’ behalf.
Integrating Microsystems with Metamaterials Towards Metadevices

Metamaterials, artificially engineered materials with extraordinary and controllable effective properties, have expedited the development of photonic and optical devices. The electric permittivity and magnetic permeability of metamaterials can be tailored efficiently by changing the structural design of metamaterials. Recent research has mainly focused on tunable, reconfigurable, and nonlinear metamaterials towards the development of metamaterial devices, namely metadevices. Microsystems, or microelectromechanical systems (MEMS), provide powerful platforms to control the effective properties of metamaterials and integrate various functions into metamaterials. In this paper, we present the fundamentals of metamaterials, integration schemes of MEMS and metamaterials, and outlooks for metamaterial enabled photonic devices.
Patterns of Hospice and Home-Based Palliative Care in Children: An Ohio Pediatric Palliative Care and End-of Life Network Study.

Objective To describe the demographic and clinical characteristics of a cohort of patients referred to pediatric hospice and home-based palliative care (HBPC) programs across Ohio in 2016. Study design Retrospective cohort study of patients referred to hospice/HBPC from 3 pediatric palliative care programs in Ohio in 2016. Demographic and clinical data were extracted from the medical record and analyzed with descriptive statistics. Results There were 209 patients referred: 49 (24%) to hospice and 160 (77%) to HBPC. The most common diagnoses were genetic/chromosomal syndromes (23%), neurologic or neurodegenerative conditions (23%), and cancer (21%). Durable medical equipment use was frequent (85%), with gastrostomy or jejunostomy tubes (22%) the most common. Most patients (64%) retained full-code resuscitation status. Fifty-seven patients (27%) died before July 1, 2018: 37 in hospice (18% of the overall cohort, 65% of decedents) and 20 in HBPC (10% of the overall cohort, 35% of decedents). Sixty-seven percent of hospice and 40% of HBPC patients died at home. Conclusions Pediatric hospice and HBPC programs serve a diverse cohort of patients. Patients referred to pediatric HBPC programs commonly die and are likely to die at home despite not being enrolled in hospice care. The high proportion of decedent HBPC patients indicates that the notion of hospice vs palliative care may present a false dichotomy in many children with life-limiting conditions. Reimbursement models for HBPC should reflect the clinical similarity to hospice in the care of children with life-limiting illnesses.
In-home Compared With In-Clinic Warfarin Therapy Monitoring in Mechanical Heart Valves: A Population-Based Study

Abstract Objective To evaluate differences in time in therapeutic range (TTR), major bleeding, thromboembolism, and survival comparing in-home and in-clinic international normalized ratio monitoring for patients with mechanical heart valves receiving warfarin anticoagulation. Patients and Methods An observational population-based study of 383 patients (mean ± SD age, 61.5±14.1 years; 38.6% female) with mechanical heart valves (aortic, 77.8%; mitral, 31.1%; tricuspid, 1%; pulmonic 0.2%; and multiple, 9.7%) was performed from January 1, 2012, through December 31, 2017. The target international normalized ratio was 2.5 for 199 patients (52.0%) and 3.0 for 184 (48.0). Of these patients, 37.9% (n=145) were managed by in-home monitoring (cases) and 62.1% (n=238) were monitored in the clinic (controls). Results During median follow-up of 3.1 years, mean ± SD TTR was similar between in-home (66.6%±19.2%) and in-clinic (67.2%±19.8%) monitoring (P=.76). There were no differences between the in-home and in-clinic groups regarding survival to major bleeding (5.7% per person-year vs 6.7% per person-year; P=.66) or thrombotic complications (2.3% vs 1.8%; P=.56). In-home monitoring was associated with reduced all-cause mortality (hazard ratio, 0.40; 95% CI, 0.19 to 0.83; P=.01) on univariate analysis; however, this was no longer apparent when controlling for age and baseline left ventricular ejection fraction. Conclusion In this real-world population-based study of patients with mechanical heart valves, in-home monitoring was equivalent to in-clinic monitoring regarding TTR and important clinical outcomes.
A Multilingual Reading Comprehension System for more than 100 Languages.

This paper presents M-GAAMA, a Multilingual Question Answering architecture and demo system. This is the first multilingual machine reading comprehension (MRC) demo which is able to answer questions in over 100 languages. M-GAAMA answers questions from a given passage in the same or different language. It incorporates several existing multilingual models that can be used interchangeably in the demo such as M-BERT and XLM-R. The M-GAAMA demo also improves language accessibility by incorporating the IBM Watson machine translation widget to provide additional capabilities to the user to see an answer in their desired language. We also show how M-GAAMA can be used in downstream tasks by incorporating it into an END-TO-END-QA system using CFO (Chakravarti et al., 2019). We experiment with our system architecture on the Multi-Lingual Question Answering (MLQA) and the COVID-19 CORD (Wang et al., 2020; Tang et al., 2020) datasets to provide insights into the performance of the system.
Veteran Teachers’ Understanding of “Balanced Literacy”:

The term balanced literacy was popularized in the mid-1990s to describe a middle ground in terms of text selection, instruction, skills, and strategies. The intention was to merge the promising ele...
Personalized and Nonparametric Framework for Detecting Changes in Gait Cycles

Gait analysis is a standard practice used by clinicians and researchers to identify abnormalities, examine disease progression, or assess the success of interventions. Traditionally, assessments were performed with visual inspection by a trained professional. However, with the recent breakthroughs in sensing technologies, there is a growing body of literature that uses features extracted from sensing data as inputs to machine learning methods. These models require a large representative sample of gait cycles labeled according to each category of interest (e.g. standard, anomalous) for model training. This paper provides a personalized, nonparametric statistical framework that can be used for detecting and interpreting gait changes in individuals while requiring only a small number of baseline gait cycles. This framework can be applied using the acceleration trajectory or features from a single Intertial Measurement Unit (IMU). The individualized framework does not require the gait cycles to be labeled and does not require the assumption that the observed patterns are consistent across subjects. The personalized framework is applied to gait cycles extracted from a material handling task that simulates moving heavy loads in a warehouse. Twelve subjects were monitored and significant changes in personalized gait patterns consistent with perceived exertion were observed. Further interpretation of the changes illustrates that participants exhibit individualized patterns in gait as they approach the fatigued state.
Parameter Estimation for Reynolds-Averaged Navier–Stokes Models Using Approximate Bayesian Computation

Approximate Bayesian computation (ABC) is used to estimate unknown parameter values, as well as their uncertainties, in Reynolds-averaged Navier–Stokes (RANS) simulations of turbulent flows. The AB...
Isolation and properties of porcine thyrotropin-releasing hormone.

Abstract Isolation on a preparative scale of thyrotropin-releasing hormone from porcine hypothalami is described. The yields from two batches of 100,000 and 165,000 hypothalami were 2.8 mg and 4.4 mg, respectively. The material with thyrotropin-releasing hormone activity, calculated to be purified about 570,000 times, was active in mice at doses of 1 ng in vivo, and stimulated the secretion of thyroid-stimulating hormone from rat pituitaries in vitro at doses of 10 pg. Thin layer chromatography, electrophoresis, and paper chromatography indicated that the material was homogeneous. Histidine, glutamic acid, and proline, which were present in an equimolar ratio, accounted for about 32% of the dry weight of the active material. However, eight synthetic peptides containing histidine, proline, and glutamic acid or glutamine had no thyrotropin-releasing hormone activity at doses as large at 10 µg. Biological activity of thyrotropin-releasing hormone was abolished by diazotized sulfanilic acid, N-bromosuccinimide, or acid hydrolysis, but was not affected by periodate or by incubation with proteolytic enzymes.
Product market competition and the industry price-cost markup fluctuations

Abstract We examine the role played by imperfect competition in the response of markups to energy price and monetary changes. We find: (i) for concentrated industries, markups increase with monetary expansion and decrease when energy prices increase; the elasticity with respect to energy prices is greater than monetary changes; (ii) for low concentration industries, markups are virtually unaffected by monetary changes and the energy price elasticities are statistically insignificant; (iii) markups are procyclical over the industry-specific cycle; and (iv) increased import competition lowers markups only in the concentrated industries. The energy price increases (decreases) during the 1970s (1980s) may have been a key factor contributing to the narrowing (widening) of the markup gap between high and low concentration industries. We provide evidence that procyclical markups in concentrated industries are not being driven by differences in the degree of labor hoarding between low and high concentration industries.
Evolving practice patterns for the management of small renal masses in the USA

Study Type – Therapy (trend analysis) Level of Evidence 2b What's known on the subject? and What does the study add? Treatment options for small renal masses include radical nephrectomy (RN), partial nephrectomy (PN), ablation, and surveillance. PN provides equivalent oncological as RN for small tumours, but long-term outcomes for ablation and surveillance are poorly defined. Due to changing techniques and technology, treatment patterns for small renal masses are rapidly developing. Prior studies had analysed utilisation trends for PN and RN to 2006, revealing a relative rise in the rate of PN. However, overall treatment trends including surveillance and ablation had not been studied using a population-based cohort. It has become increasingly clear that RN is associated with greater renal and cardiovascular deterioration than nephron-sparing treatments. Thus, it is important to understand current population-based practice patterns for the treatment of small renal masses to assess whether practitioners are adhering to ever-changing principles in this field. The present study provides up-to-date treatment trends in the USA using a large population-based cohort. OBJECTIVE • To describe the changing practice patterns in the management of small renal masses, including the use of surveillance and ablative techniques. PATIENTS AND METHODS • All patients in the Surveillance, Epidemiology and End Results (SEER) registry treated for renal masses of ≤7 cm in diameter, from 1998 to 2008, were included for analysis. • Annual trends in the use of surveillance, ablation, partial nephrectomy (PN), and radical nephrectomy (RN) were calculated. • Multinomial logistic regression was used to determine the association of demographic and clinical characteristics with treatment method. RESULTS • In all, 48 148 patients from 17 registry sites with a mean age of 63.4 years were included for analysis. • Between 1998 and 2008, for masses of <2 cm and 2.1–4 cm, there was a dramatic increase in the proportion of patients undergoing PN (31% vs 50%, 16% vs 33%, respectively) and ablation (1% vs 11%, 2% vs 9%, respectively). • In multivariable analysis, later year of diagnosis, male gender, being married, clinically localised disease, and smaller tumours were associated with increased use of PN vs RN. Later year of diagnosis, male gender, being unmarried, smaller tumour, and the presence of bilateral masses were associated with increased use of ablation and surveillance vs RN. CONCLUSIONS • PN is now used in half of all patients with the smallest renal masses, and its use continues to increase over time. • Ablation and surveillance are less common overall, but there is increased usage over time in select populations.
Regulation of ribonucleic acid synthesis in Escherichia coli Br: An analysis of a shift-up: 1. Ribosomal RNA chain growth rates

Abstract The chain growth rate for ribosomal RNA was determined for Escherichia coli B r growing in succinate (μ = 0.69 doublings/h), glucose (μ = 1.36) and glucose/ amino acids (μ = 2.10) medium. With increasing bacterial growth rate the chain growth rate increases from 4400 to 6300 nucleotides/min. These values are almost twofold higher than the chain growth rate reported for messenger RNA; this implies that, following a nutritional shift-up, the transfer of a relatively small number of RNA polymerase molecules from unstable to stable RNA genes along with the increase in the stable RNA chain growth rate is sufficient to account for the abrupt increase in the net rate of RNA synthesis. Furthermore, our calculations indicate that the linear density of polymerase molecules on the ribosomal DNA template increases with the bacterial growth rate, such that in rapidly growing bacteria all ribosomal RNA genes (48 copies at μ = 3) are nearly saturated with RNA polymerase.
The Cyber Dimensions of the Syrian Civil War: Implications for Future Conflict

The use of cyber operations, as well as the interaction of other elements of power that have an effect on cyber operations, represents another method by which nations and non-state actors may attempt to achieve political ends. The Syrian civil war has encompassed many elements of warfare, including cyber operations. A study of the observed cyber operations by both direct and indirect participants in the Syrian civil war can lead to valuable lessons regarding who operates in the cyber domain, what these operators can accomplish, and how a nation-state can respond. These lessons may be applied to future conflicts.
Asthma and Allergies in Children With Autism Spectrum Disorders: Results From the CHARGE Study

Immune aberrations are often noted in children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD), but whether asthma and allergy are related to ASD is not well defined. This study examined asthma and allergies in association with ASD and phenotypic subsets. Participants were 560 children with confirmed ASD and 391 typically developing children from the CHildhood Autism Risks from Genetics and the Environment study. Maternally reported child asthma and allergy was compared between cases and controls, and in association with cognitive and behavioral test scores. Prevalence of asthma and overall allergies did not differ between cases and controls, but overall allergy in children with ASD was associated with higher stereotypy scores as measured by the Aberrant Behavior Checklist. In addition, reported food allergies were significantly associated with ASD (adjusted odds ratio = 2.23, 95% confidence interval 1.28, 3.89). Our results suggest food allergies and sensitivities may be more common in children with ASD, and that these issues may correlate with other behaviors.
Biochemical and Genetic Analysis of NAD(P)H:Quinone Oxidoreductase 1 (NQO1)

NAD(P)H:quinone oxidoreductase 1 (NQO1, DT-diaphorase, E.C. 1.6.99.2) is an FAD containing obligate two-electron reductase that catalyzes the reduction of a broad range of substrates. This unit will describe methods for the detection of NQO1 protein in formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded tissues by immunohistochemistry; detection of NQO1 protein in fresh tissues or cell lines by immunoblot analysis; measurement of NQO1 catalytic activity in fresh and frozen tissues and cell lines using spectrophotometric assays based upon the reduction of 2,6-dichlorophenol-indophenol (DCPIP) or coupled menadione-cytochrome reduction; and determination of the NQO1*2 polymorphism by PCR-RFLP. Keywords: NAD(P)H:quinone oxidoreductase; flavin; dicumarol; quinone reduction
The master equations of mode-locking

Summary form only given. The theory of active mode-locking was first formulated by Kuizenga and Siegman. The master equation of passive mode-locking with a fast saturable absorber was set up by Haus. For a while, the subsequent master equation describing mode-locking with a slow saturable absorber held sway, since ultrashort pulses ran into the relaxation rate of the saturable absorber. Mode-locking by artificial saturable absorbers, such as KLM (Kerr Lens Modelocking) and Additive Pulse Modelocking (AFM) is well described by the master equation with a fast saturable absorber, complemented by self-phase modulation as done by Martinez et al.
The Nucleation of H2SO4-H2O Solution Aerosol Particles in the Stratosphere

The homogeneous- and heterogeneous-heteromolecular nucleation of H2SO4-H2O solution droplets in the stratosphere is investigated and order-of-magnitude nucleation rates are evaluated. The heterogeneous processes considered are nucleation onto soluble particles, flat insoluble surfaces, spherical insoluble particles, and ions. The relative importance of the various nucleation mechanisms is determined for conditions assumed to correspond to 18 km altitude. Under the assumed conditions, the heterogeneous nucleation rate onto insoluble particles is shown to be about 10 to the 69th times larger than the homogeneous nucleation rate and 10 to the 57th times larger than nucleation onto ions.