cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Ofatumumab Exhibits Enhanced In Vitro and In Vivo Activity Compared to Rituximab in Preclinical Models of Mantle Cell Lymphoma

Purpose: Mantle cell lymphoma (MCL) is a mature B-cell lymphoma considered to be incurable with current treatments including: front-line rituximab in combination with multi-agent chemotherapy and for those eligible, high dose-chemotherapy and stem cell support or rituximab maintenance. On the other hand, achieving a complete remission by high-sensitive flow cytometry is associated with prolonged duration of remission, stressing the need to develop and/or incorporate novel agents into the management of MCL. To this end, we examined the activity of ofatumumab, an anti-CD20 monoclonal antibody with distinct binding and immunological properties than rituximab, in MCL pre-clinical models. Experimental Design: MCL cells were labeled with 51Cr prior to incubation with rituximab or ofatumumab (10 µg/ml) plus human serum or effector cells. 51Cr-release was measured and the percentage of lysis was calculated. Surface CD20, CD55 and CD59 were measured by Imagestream analysis. SCID mice inoculated subcutaneously with Z138 cells were assigned to control versus 4 doses of ofatumumab or rituximab (10mg/kg/dose). Results: Ofatumumab exhibited enhanced in vitro complement dependent cytotoxicity activity compared to rituximab in MCL cell lines, despite a high degree of in vitro resistance to rituximab associated with low CD20 levels and/or high expression of complement inhibitory proteins. Ofatumumab also delayed tumor progression and prolonged survival in a murine model of MCL. Conclusions: Our results demonstrate that ofatumumab is more effective than rituximab in MCL pre-clinical models, including in the presence of rituximab resistance, and support the clinical investigation of ofatumumab in combination with standard systemic chemotherapy in MCL (NCT01527149).
Correlates of Peak Expiratory Flow Lability in Elderly Persons

Objective: To determine the correlates of the lability of peak expiratory flow (PEF) in the elderly. Methods: A community sample of 4,581 persons > 65 years old from the Cardiovascular Health Study completed an asthma questionnaire and underwent spirometry. During a follow-up examination of the cohort, 1,836 persons agreed to measure PEF at home twice daily for 2 weeks, and 90% successfully obtained at least 4 days of valid measurements. PEF lability was calculated as the highest daily (PEF maximum PEF minimum)/mean PEF. Results: Mean PEF measured at home was accurate when compared to PEF determined by spirometry in the clinic. Mean PEF lability was 18% in those with current asthma (n 165) vs 12% in healthy nonsmokers (upper limit of normal, 29%). Approximately 26% of those with asthma and 14% of the other participants had abnormally high PEF lability (> 29%). After excluding participants with asthma, other independent predictors of high PEF lability included black race, current and former smoking, airway obstruction on spirometry, daytime sleepiness, recent wheezing, chronic cough, emphysema, and wheezing from lying in a supine position. Despite having a lower mean PEF, those reporting congestive heart failure (n 82) did not have significantly higher PEF lability. Conclusions: Measurement of PEF lability at home is highly successful in elderly persons. PEF lability > 30% is abnormal in the elderly and is associated with asthma. (CHEST 2001; 120:1861–1868)
The use of independent component analysis as a tool for data mining

Recently there has been increased interest in the use of the independent component analysis (ICA) for image analysis. ICA can be considered as one approach to component analysis. Among other approaches, the traditional principal component analysis (PCA) is most popular. The component analysis that extracts the most important components of the data is useful for data mining in remote sensing which normally involves a very large amount of data. While PCA method attempts to decorrelate the components in a vector, ICA methods are to make the components as statistically independent as possible. ICA methods are generally more demanding in computation than PCA. We have developed a joint cumulant ICA (JC-ICA) algorithm which can be implemented efficiently by a neural network. As such it is a very useful tool for data mining in remote sensing. The use of the algorithm especially in hyperspectral image analysis will be presented in this paper.
Massive hemoperitoneum following rupture of hepatic metastases from unsuspected choriocarcinoma

Spontaneous massive hemoperitoneum in a reproductive-aged woman is usually associated with ectopic pregnancy. An unusual cause of intraperitoneal hemorrhage is presented: spontaneous rupture of hepatic metastases from unsuspected choriocarcinoma in a 29-year-old woman 4 weeks postpartum. Although choriocarcinoma is known to have the potential for subsequent hemorrhage of secondary sites, massive hemoperitoneum due to rupture of hepatic metastases is rare. In this case report, the presentation, prognosis groups, and treatment modalities are presented.
Connections between student explanations and arguments from evidence about plant growth

In an analysis of 22 middle and high school student interviews, we found that many students reinterpret the hypotheses and results of standard investigations of plant growth to match their own unde...
The MATCH Program: Long-Term Obesity Prevention Through a Middle School Based Intervention

Abstract Background: Motivating Adolescents with Technology to CHOOSE Health™ (MATCH) has been provided for eight years in North Carolina middle schools with high obesity prevalence. Methods: Seventh grade teachers in two schools delivered MATCH lessons in 2009, with one control school. In 2013 students were remeasured and completed a health behavior survey. Outcomes include BMI, BMI z-score (zBMI), weight category, and self-reported behaviors. Comparisons used t tests (continuous measures), Fisher's exact test (categorical measures), and linear mixed models (trend between groups). Results: Of original participants, 104/189 (55%) of MATCH and 117/173 (68%) of control were remeasured. In the control group, retained participants had lower baseline BMI and were higher percent white. Among all participants, zBMI decreased in MATCH (mean change −0.15 with SD = 0.60) and increased in control (mean change 0.04 with SD = 0.52); between groups p = 0.02. In mixed models for the all overweight subgroup, MATCH had a ...
A review of Coffee by Gavin Fridell

Gavin Fridell provides an invaluable, beautifully written and thoroughly engaging account of the contemporary global coffee market. I would recommend this work widely, not just for those interested...
Magnetostrictive Particles Modeled in a Fluid

This paper describes a computational scheme for the modeling of magnetostrictive material in a fluid utilizing the immersed finite element method (IFEM). The IFEM is used for the modeling of magnetostrictive particles (MPs) in a fluid with the goal of capturing changes to viscosity. The IFEM approach entails having an Eulerian fluid mesh for an entire computational domain, a single continuum, with MPs being immersed deformable solid structures in the fluid as unique Lagrangian meshes moving on top of a fluid mesh. The interaction between these deformable structures and the surrounding fluid is accomplished by distributing forces and interpolating velocities between these two domains, fluid and solid, utilizing the Reproducing Kernel Particle Method (RKPM) delta function. MPs are modeled to enable a future physical system exploiting the Joule and Villari effects to measure the relative changes to viscosity. This sensing action is directly proportional to a fluid’s viscosity, e.g. different fluid viscosities result in different signal signatures.Copyright © 2008 by ASME
Clínica ética reconsidera radicalmente: bioética, moralidade comum e a lei:

A secao “Bioetica no Mundo da Saude”, foi criada para comportar trabalhos de grande relevância na area da Bioetica e da Saude. Nesta edicao, dando continuidade a publicacao da obra “After God: Morality and Bioethics in a Secular Age”, do importante bioeticista Prof. Tristram Engelhardt, Jr, que gentilmente nos cedeu os direitos, sera apresentado o capitulo seis. Tal trabalho foi primeiramente apresenta-do na secao “artigos em series”, da revista Bioethikos em 2014;8(1):80-88. This chapter is drawn in part from a lecture, “Bioethics after Foundations: Feeling the Full Force of Secularization,” delivered at the Centro Evangelico di Cultura “Arturo Pascal” and the Consulta di Bioetica ONLUS, Turin, Italy, January 31, 2012. An ancestral version of this chapter appears as Engelhardt 2013.
Physical Modeling Study on Slag/Steel Entrainment and Inclusion Removal Behavior in 145 t Ladle with bottom Argon Blowing

Based on the similarity principle, the behavior of slag/steel entrainment and inclusion removal in 145 ton ladle was studied by physical modeling. By choosing the mixture of kerosene and vacuum pump oil, and emulsion drops simulated as the top slag and inclusions in ladle respectively, the effect of gas flowrate on slag entrapment, and the effects of time and gas flowrate on inclusion removal were investigated. The results show that there was a critical gas flowrate for slag entrapment, and the slag entrapment occurred more frequently with the increase of gas flowrate. Most of the inclusions can be removed in eight minutes of gas blowing, and the inclusion removal rate first increased and then decreased with the increase of gas flowrate. And the gas flowrate of 0.379 NL·min-1is the best one for the inclusion removal.
Principals’ Perceptions of Needs in Hispanic Special Education:

This mixed methods study used a survey by Frost and Kersten to answer the following questions: (a) Do principals of predominantly Hispanic schools perceive themselves as having adequate knowledge i...
Genome-wide identification of SNPs and copy number variation in common bean (Phaseolus vulgaris L.) using genotyping-by-sequencing (GBS)

Next-generation sequencing technologies have increased markedly the throughput of genetic studies, allowing the identification of several thousands of SNPs within a single experiment. Even though sequencing cost is rapidly decreasing, the price for whole-genome re-sequencing of a large number of individuals is still costly, especially in plants with a large and highly redundant genome. In recent years, several reduced representation library approaches have been developed for reducing the sequencing cost per individual. Among them, genotyping-by-sequencing (GBS) represents a simple, cost-effective, and highly multiplexed alternative for species with or without an available reference genome. However, this technology requires specific optimization for each species, especially for the restriction enzyme (RE) used. Here we report on the application of GBS in a test experiment with 18 genotypes of wild and domesticated Phaseolus vulgaris. After an in silico digestion with different RE of the P. vulgaris genome reference sequence, we selected CviAII as the most suitable RE for GBS in common bean based on the high frequency and even distribution of restriction sites. A total of 44,875 SNPs, 1940 deletions, and 1693 insertions were identified, with 50 % of the variants located in genic sequences and tagging 11,027 genes. SNP and InDel distributions were positively correlated with gene density across the genome. In addition, we were able to also identify putative copy number variations of genomic segments between different genotypes. In conclusion, GBS with the CviAII enzyme results in thousands of evenly spaced markers and provides a reliable, high-throughput, and cost-effective approach for genotyping both wild and domesticated common beans.
Leveraging Microsoft's mobile usability guidelines

This research conceptualizes mobile application usability and develops and validates an instrument to measure the same. Mobile application usability has attracted widespread attention in the field of human-computer interaction because well-designed applications can enhance user experiences. To conceptualize mobile application usability, we analyzed Microsoft's mobile usability guidelines and defined 10 constructs representing mobile application usability. Next, we conducted a pilot study followed by a quantitative assessment of the content validity of the scales. We then sequentially applied exploratory factor analysis and confirmatory factor analysis to two samples (n=404; n=501) consisting of German consumers using mobile social media applications on their smartphones. To evaluate the confirmatory factor model, we followed a step-by-step process assessing unidimensionality, discriminant validity and reliability. To assess the nomological validity of our instrument, we examined the impact of mobile application usability on two outcomes: continued intention to use and brand loyalty. The results confirmed that mobile application usability was a good predictor of both outcomes. The constructs and scales associated with mobile application usability validated in this paper can be used to guide future research in human-computer interaction and aid in the effective design of mobile applications. We created a new instrument to measure mobile usability.The instrument has been adapted from Microsoft's usability guidelines.The instrument can be used in future research and practitioner studies.
The visualization toolkit

The Visualization Toolkit (VTK) is an open-source, object-oriented software system providing a toolkit of functionality for 3D data visualization. As visualization inherently involves the capabilities from computer graphics, image processing, volume rendering, computational geometry, human/computer interaction, and other fields, VTK supports these capabilities in an integrated, robust manner. VTK is packaged as a part of a sophisticated development environment that includes advanced interface, build, and test tool. It is this combination of openness, extensive features, reliability, and comprehensive development environment that makes VTK one of today's premier visualization tools for academic, research, and commercial applications. This chapter provides insight into the key features of the toolkit. The focus is on architecture and system concepts. The chapter also provides the motivation, history, and goals for VTK. Further, it describes important architectural features and how VTK is used in large-data visualization, one of the key challenges facing visualization systems of the future. The chapter concludes with a brief survey of important applications developed using VTK.
Here Begins Chapter Two on the Multiplication of Whole Numbers

We divide chapter two on the multiplication of whole numbers into eight parts in order to understand better their properties and differences. The first part will be on the multiplication of two figures by two, and also one figure by many. The second, on the multiplication of three figures by three, and also two figures by three. The third, on the multiplication of four figures by four, and moreover two and three figures by four figures. The fourth, on the multiplication of five figures by five. The fifth, on the multiplication of many figures by five, or any number by itself. The sixth, on the multiplication of numbers of two places by numbers of the same number of places, that is two figures by two figures, and also one figure by many, multiplying whatever is held in the hands. The seventh, on the multiplication of three figures by three, similarly whatever is held in the hands is multiplied. The eighth, on the multiplication of any numbers in another way.
The Influence of Affect on Health Decisions

To understand how affect influences judgment and choice is important because it is often a better predictor than thoughts. In addition, affect manipulations can facilitate judgment and choice. Affect, of course, also can hinder decision making. With immediate strong emotions from a new diagnosis, healthcare providers should ensure that patients have time to stop and think. To understand how to maximize the beneficial effects of affect while minimizing any harms will assist patients in making better, more reasoned choices about their health.
Early Results of Pilot Study Using Hepatitis C Virus (HCV) Positive Kidneys to Transplant HCV Infected Patients with End-Stage Renal Disease Allowing for Successful Interferon-Free Direct Acting Antiviral Therapy after Transplantation.

Introduction: Hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection in kidney transplant (KTX) patients reduces long-term patient and graft survival. Direct-acting antivirals (DAA) are > 90% effective in achieving sustained viral response (SVR); however, DAAs are not routinely available to patients with end-stage renal disease (ESRD). The University of Utah Transplant Program developed a protocol to allow HCV-positive potential KTX recipients to accept HCV-positive donors' kidneys. Three months after successful KTX, they were eligible for DAA therapy. Methods: HCV-positive patients approved for KTX by the University of Utah Transplant Selection Committee were eligible to be enrolled in this study. Patients consented for the use of HCV-positive donor organs. Three to six months after successful KTX, these patients were treated for HCV with interferon-free direct-acting antiviral regimens according to viral genotype and prior treatment experience. Results: Between 2014-2015, 12 HCV-positive patients were listed for KTX. Eight patients were kidney only eligible, seven patients received HCV-positive deceased donor kidneys, and one received an HCV-negative organ. Currently, six patients have completed treatment, all have achieved sustained viral response (SVR), and one patient is currently awaiting treatment. All seven patients have functioning kidney grafts. Wait time for KTX was reduced amongst all blood groups from an average of 1,350 days to only 65 days. Conclusions: HCV-positive patients with ESRD can successfully receive an HCV-positive donor's kidney. Once transplanted, these patients can receive DAA therapy and achieve SVR. Use of HCV-positive organs reduced time on the waitlist by greater than three years and expanded the donor organ pool.
Acute fasting inhibits central caspase-1 activity reducing anxiety-like behavior and increasing novel object and object location recognition.

Abstract Background Inflammation within the central nervous system (CNS) is frequently comorbid with anxiety. Importantly, the pro-inflammatory cytokine most commonly associated with anxiety is IL-1β. The bioavailability and activity of IL-1β are regulated by caspase-1-dependent proteolysis vis-a-vis the inflammasome. Thus, interventions regulating the activation or activity of caspase-1 should reduce anxiety especially in states that foster IL-1β maturation. Methods Male C57BL/6j, C57BL/6j mice treated with the capase-1 inhibitor biotin-YVAD-cmk, caspase-1 knockout (KO) mice and IL-1R1 KO mice were fasted for 24 h or allowed ad libitum access to food. Immediately after fasting, caspase-1 activity was measured in brain region homogenates while activated caspase-1 was localized in the brain by immunohistochemistry. Mouse anxiety-like behavior and cognition were tested using the elevated zero maze and novel object/object location tasks, respectively. Results A 24 h fast in mice reduced the activity of caspase-1 in whole brain and in the prefrontal cortex, amygdala, hippocampus, and hypothalamus by 35%, 25%, 40%, 40%, and 40% respectively. A 24 h fast also reduced anxiety-like behavior by 40% and increased novel object and object location recognition by 21% and 31%, respectively. IL-1β protein, however, was not reduced in the brain by fasting. ICV administration of YVAD decreased caspase-1 activity in the prefrontal cortex and amygdala by 55%, respectively leading to a 64% reduction in anxiety like behavior. Importantly, when caspase-1 KO or IL1-R1 KO mice are fasted, no fasting-dependent reduction in anxiety-like behavior was observed. Conclusions Results indicate that fasting decrease anxiety-like behavior and improves memory by a mechanism tied to reducing caspase-1 activity throughout the brain.
The Polytrauma Patient

Polytrauma patients (Fig. 1.1) are a unique and often challenging population that frequently requires multidisciplinary interventions. Their orthopedic injuries should be viewed with reference to their overall condition and other organ system injuries. A prudent approach should be followed for operative interventions to prevent iatrogenic deterioration of a patient’s overall condition. Effective communication between general surgery, ICU, orthopedic surgery, and other consulting services is key to optimizing patient outcomes.
Trapped Atoms in One-Dimensional Photonic Crystals

I describe one-dimensional photonic crystals that support a guided mode suitable for atom trapping within a unit cell, as well as a second probe mode with strong atom-photon interactions. A new hybrid trap is analyzed that combines optical and Casimir-Polder forces to form stable traps for neutral atoms in dielectric nanostructures. By suitable design of the band structure, the atomic spontaneous emission rate into the probe mode can exceed the rate into all other modes by more than tenfold. An unprecedented single-atom reflectivity greater than 90% for the guided probe field should enable diverse investigations of photon-mediated interactions for 1D atom chains and cavity QED.
Isotachophoresis applied to biomolecular reactions

This review discusses research developments and applications of isotachophoresis (ITP) to the initiation, control, and acceleration of chemical reactions, emphasizing reactions involving biomolecular reactants such as nucleic acids, proteins, and live cells. ITP is a versatile technique which requires no specific geometric design or material, and is compatible with a wide range of microfluidic and automated platforms. Though ITP has traditionally been used as a purification and separation technique, recent years have seen its emergence as a method to automate and speed up chemical reactions. ITP has been used to demonstrate up to 14 000-fold acceleration of nucleic acid assays, and has been used to enhance lateral flow and other immunoassays, and even whole bacterial cell detection assays. We here classify these studies into two categories: homogeneous (all reactants in solution) and heterogeneous (at least one reactant immobilized on a solid surface) assay configurations. For each category, we review and describe physical modeling and scaling of ITP-aided reaction assays, and elucidate key principles in ITP assay design. We summarize experimental advances, and identify common threads and approaches which researchers have used to optimize assay performance. Lastly, we propose unaddressed challenges and opportunities that could further improve these applications of ITP.
Demo: Low-power Capacitive Sensing Wristband for Hand Gesture Recognition

Along with the rapid development of human-computer interaction (HCI), controlling objects and smart devices remotely from afar has become the trend to satisfy the needs of consumers. Hand gesture recognition is among the methods that highly attract the attention in this field yet there still exists many aspect to explore and improve. We propose a low-cost low-power wristband-form hand gesture recognition system utilizing capacitive sensing technique. We provide an open source system which includes low-power, low-cost hardware components and user-friendly software stack. This system will be available for users and developers to customize various hand gesture set and integrate into third part application, from computer remote command to video game controller.
IoTVerif: An Automated Tool to Verify SSL/TLS Certificate Validation in Android MQTT Client Applications

Developing secure Internet of Things (IoT) applications that are free of vulnerabilities and resilient against exploit is desirable for software developers and testers. In this paper, we present IoTVerif, an automated tool that can verify SSL/TLS (Secure Socket Layer/Transport Layer Security) X.509 certificate validation of IoT messaging protocols utilized by real-world IoT client applications. IoTVerif does not require any prior knowledge about the messaging protocol, but simply correlates the observed network trace of an application with its execution context. IoTVerif helps IoT client application developers identify the SSL/TLS vulnerabilities based on certificate validation. We specifically target MQTT, a broker-based protocol that has attracted increasing popularity in the IoT application market. We used IoTVerif to analyze the server X.509 certificate validation in 15 well-known MQTT client applications. Our result revealed that 5 (33.3%) of the applications examined are vulnerable to man-in-the-middle (MITM) and/or TLS renegotiation attacks. Our result also shows that IoTVerif can generate a Finite State Machine (FSM) that depicts the interaction between the application and the IoT broker and automatically identifies various attacks. It has the potential to reverse-engineer the emerging IoT messaging protocols and identify the vulnerabilities in the IoT applications.
Role of Medical Journals in Promoting Innovation

Abstract Many academic journals do not publish new innovative ideas or techniques unless the investigator has actual data. Maybe each journal should consider adding a section or series called “INNOVATION”.
An intracellular approach for generating stable synthetic peptides and its potential applications

The use of novel non-naturally occurring synthetically derived peptides as a source of new therapeutics for medicine remains incredibly promising. There is a major problem, however, with implementing this technology since many peptides have proven to be unstable and are degraded by peptidases in the host cell [1,2]. Our laboratory has developed an in vivo genetic approach to investigate methods by which bioactive peptides can be stabilized in order to prevent their degradation. Using a highly regulatable expression vector that we created, various randomized peptide libraries were tested for their ability to inhibit the growth of Escherichia coli bacteria. The peptide clones from these libraries were transformed into E. coli bacteria using medium that prevented the peptides from being expressed and then screened using medium that induced expression of the peptides intracellularly in E. coli.
Possible relationship of gluconeogenesis to modulation of phosphate transport in the proximal tubule.

The renal cortex, specifically the proximal tubule (1–3), is the only tissue besides the liver capable of synthesizing glucose from smaller carbon fragments. Contribution of renal gluconeogene-sis (GNG) to the maintenance of blood glucose homeostasis is relatively minor, in comparison with GNG in the liver (4). Numerous studies in the past have shown that the rate of renal GNG changes in response to a variety of hormonal or pharmacologic stimuli and in various pathophysiologic situations (4,5). Whether and how the GNG pathway in renal proximal tubules relates to specific functions of this segment of the nephron remains unknown. Recent observations from our laboratory (6,7) taken together with reports by other investigators in the past, led us to propose a hypothesis (Fig. 1) according to which the rate of GNG in the cells of proximal tubules might modulate the rate of phosphate (Pi) reab-sorption from luminal fluid across the epithelium of the proximal tubules (7,8,9).
Quantification of Health Outcomes for Policy Studies in Behavioral Epidemiology

Epidemiological research requires the quantification of health outcomes. Some outcomes are hard or directly observable. These include mortality and observable lesions. Other outcomes, such as symptomatic complaints, are soft. The objective of health care is to achieve positive outcomes. Through prevention or medical care we hope to avoid negative outcomes.
FRP Reinforced Concrete Exposed to Elevated Temperatures: The Role of Viscosity on Bond Strength

There is overwhelming consensus among researchers that the bond strength between concrete and fiber reinforced polymer composite materials would be the first to yield when the composite is exposed to high temperatures. In this chapter, a semi-empirical model is developed that accounts for molecular bond breakup and viscosity conversion degree rate values to predict the normalized bond strength at elevated temperatures. The model is assessed with limited experimental data from available literature. Our results show that the proposed approach correlates well with the available experimental results. This formulation can be used for design of FRP reinforced concrete members at elevated temperatures, particularly in identifying critical bond strength and comparison of alternative proposed FRP reinforcing systems.
Shear and Torsion

The behavior of beams and slabs in flexure is well understood and is generally predicted with satisfactory margin of error as reflected by the strength reduction factor. Flexure is considered on a section basis. The application of principles learned in mechanics of materials with some modification for nonlinear material behavior is more than suitable to obtain a reasonable solution. The modeling of shear behavior in reinforced and prestressed concrete, however, does not lend itself to consideration at the sectional level. Before cracking, as we shall explore in this chapter, the element is analyzed using first principles. After cracking, though, flexure is still analyzed on a sectional basis, but not shear. In fact, shear behavior of cracked concrete beams has historically been idealized as a truss by visualizing a series of concrete diagonals and steel vertical members that transfer stresses through the element. The concrete diagonal members have traditionally been assumed to be at an angle of 45° from the beam axis. The contribution of the concrete tensile strength was customarily ignored, so the method underestimated the shear capacity. Current design practice in both the ACI Building Code and AASHTO LRFD Design Specification utilizes a plastic truss analogy for both reinforced and prestressed concrete.
Pasture-finished beef production in the south

Abstract There has been increased interest in pasture-based systems for finishing beef cattle in the Southern United States. These systems include grass-fed, pasture-finished, and many other variations. The local food movement has provided farmers with new outlets through farmers’ markets, restaurants, and independent grocery stores, and various business models are being explored to deliver consistent and high-quality products to consumers. Farmers need to define and document their production system to support any production claims they make on their beef packaging labels or marketing materials. Farmers developing these systems must overcome many challenges with economy of scale, unsteady forage supply and nutritive value, lack of processing infrastructure, and consumer misconceptions about animal welfare, human health benefits, and environmental impacts. There are compositional differences between conventional feedlot beef and pasture-raised beef, including differences in total fat, fatty acid composition, and vitamin levels. However, because beef is only a small part of the overall diet, these differences have limited implications for human health. Forage system research has identified some of the weaknesses of Southern pasture–based beef finishing systems, but inflexibility in study design makes it difficult to mimic the systems used by producers. Most producers are targeting a significant level of marbling in meat, so that they either supplement concentrates on forage-based diets, use high-quality forages, and/or keep animals to older ages than may be typical for conventional feedlot beef. Regardless of the production system, providing animals with high-quality grazed or harvested forages as much of the year as possible will improve meat quality and improve the sustainability of these systems.
A 0.1-V 5-GHz VCO Achieving FoM of 190-dBc/Hz

Today, sub-0.1 V and sub-0.1 mW VCO is not available mainly due to inductor/transistor limitations. Here, the designed 5-GHz VCO using the proposed L/Q-booster demonstrated a P DC of 0.051 mW, and achieved a FoM of 190 dBc/Hz at 0.1 V supply voltage. The VCO can operate even down to 0.05 V under a P DC of 0.036 mW. The proposed booster not only enhances the inductor Q by more than 10×, but also L by 2× to save chip area. As a result, a VCO core area of 0.047 mm2 was achieved by using 16-nm CMOS FinFET technology.
The Benefits of Using Cascode GaN Power Devices in a Bidirectional DC-DC Buck/Boost Converter

Photovoltaic (PV) and wind energy conversion systems combined with battery energy storage are rapidly developing and being used for clean energy technologies. In these systems, non–isolated dc–dc bidirectional buck/boost converters are widely employed to interface between batteries and the dc-link/bus. However, these converters suffer from large semiconductor losses in silicon (Si) devices, which drastically limit the converter’s performance and efficiency. Wide bandgap (WBG) power devices, gallium nitride (GaN) in particular, exhibit superior material properties with high operating capabilities promising tremendous potential for power conversion systems. The benefits of replacing Si devices with cascode GaN-FETs in a bidirectional buck/boost converter are not well defined. The focus of this paper is to investigate the impact of using new cascode GaN-FET devices on the converter’s switching performance and energy efficiency. It involves designing Si-based and GaN-based converters to compare their performance under identical operating conditions. The switching behavior and energy loss of Si and GaN devices are examined through the double-pulse test (DPT). The total power loss in the two converters is analyzed to determine their efficiency. The outcomes reveal considerable benefits to using emerging cascode GaN-FETs in the bidirectional buck/boost converter, which has improved substantially in terms of switching performance and energy efficiency.
Redefining the Globe: An Interview with Murray Fraser on Architectural History for the 21st Century

The highly anticipated 21st edition of Sir Banister Fletcher’s Global History of Architecture was published in January 2020 by Bloomsbury in collaboration with the Banister Fletcher Trust, the Royal Institute of British Architects, and the University of London. Among many new features is an emphasis on the book’s ‘global’ reach, which reshapes its scope and structure. With all chapters written anew and encompassing architectural histories and sites across the globe over the past 5,500 years, the 21st edition of Banister Fletcher emerges at the forefront of the march towards global architectural history. This is a radical transformation of a classic book previously viewed as the Eurocentric canon’s centrepiece. The following interview with Murray Fraser, general editor of the new edition and professor of architecture and global culture at the Bartlett School of Architecture, University College London, explores the paths of his intellectual development, starting with changes from within the ‘centre’ — the former British Empire and its traditionally defined scope of architectural history — through to his eventual shift towards a global outlook. The conversation also offers a retrospective look at architectural education in the 20th century, now seen as a postcolonial ‘tipping point’, and discusses recent scholarship that led to the reformulation of Sir Banister Fletcher’s A History of Architecture. Ultimately, Fraser’s intellectual trajectory identifies two critical factors that ushered in the new Sir Banister Fletcher’s Global History of Architecture: a seismic change that took place within British architectural education, and the ensuing efforts to redefine architectural history for global audiences.
Polarization-induced Strain-coupled TMD FETs (PS FETs) for Non-Volatile Memory Applications

Among several non-volatile memories (NVMs), ferroelectric (FE) based memories show distinct advantages due to electric field ( E )-driven low-power write [1] - [2] . However, there are other concerns in FE based NVMs (such destructive read in FERAMs [3] , gate leakage in FEFETs with floating inter-layer metal (ILM) [5] and traps and depolarization fields in FEFETs without ILM [4] ). To overcome such issues while retaining the useful features of FE, we propose a Polarization-induced Strain coupled TMD FET (PS FET) [ Fig. 1(a) ] that features (a) polarization-based non-volatile bit-storage (b) E-driven write and (c) coupling of piezoelectricity with dynamic bandgap (EG) tuning of 2D Transition Metal Dichalcogenides (TMDs) for read [ Fig. 1(b) ].
Deep Active Learning for Effective Pulmonary Nodule Detection

Expensive and time-consuming medical imaging annotation is one of the big challenges for the deep learning-based computer-aided diagnosis (CAD) on the low-dose computed tomography (CT). To address this problem, we propose a novel active learning approach to improve the training efficiency for a deep network-based lung nodule detection framework as well as reduce the annotation cost. The informative CT scans, such as the samples that inconspicuous or likely to produce high false positives, are selected and further annotated for the nodule detector network training. A simple yet effective schema suggests the samples by ranking the uncertainty loss predicted by multi-layer feature maps and the Region of Interests (RoIs). The proposed framework is evaluated on a public dataset DeepLesion and achieves results that surpass the active learning baseline schema at all the training cycles.
Microbial metabolites and immune regulation: New targets for major depressive disorder

Abstract Treatments for depression and mood disorders have been singularly targeted at the brain without consideration for the context of the rest of the body. As evidence mounts for a role of autoimmunity and inflammation as risk factors and contributors to mood disorders, attention has shifted to one of the primary immunoregulatory organs in the body--the gut. Gut-brain interactions have been established and correlative links between the microbiome and mood have been examined, but with novel tools and a base of understanding, focus shifts to the mechanisms of these communications. In this review, we examine how the small molecules produced by metabolic processes of bacteria in the gut influence the host immune system. The gaps in knowledge discussed here include the under characterized diversity of small molecules crossing the gut walls, as well as the need to close the logical loop connecting the microbiome to the immune system, and the immune system to behavior and mood. As we move past the dawn of this field, more precise understanding using novel tools and techniques will help move toward a more informed and systematic process for clinically evaluating the efficacy of probiotics and bacterially derived compounds as antidepressants and mood regulators.
New York’s Law of Tax Malpractice Damages: Balanced or Biased?

In this article Professor Todres focuses on two common elements of damages often incurred by plaintiffs who are the victims of negligently rendered incorrect tax advice – additional, avoidable taxes, and interest on underpaid taxes. Both of these types of damages appear not to be recoverable under current New York law that traces its roots to Alpert v. Shea Gould Climenko and Casey, 160 A.D.2d 67, 559 N.Y.S.2d 312 (1st Dept. 1990).As to the non-recovery of additional taxes that could have been avoided with correct advice, Professor Todres argues that current New York law is incorrect. It is based upon Alpert, supra, which held such amounts are not recoverable as damages in a fraud case. While Alpert is correct under New York’s fraud measure of damages, it simply has no bearing on amounts recoverable under New York’s traditional measure of damages for negligence in attorney malpractice cases, which is broader than the fraud measure of damages. Professor Todres argues that later negligence cases that simply followed Alpert ignored the fact that they were unwittingly transporting the fraud measure of damages into the negligence arena.With respect to the non-recoverability of interest incurred on a tax underpayment, Professor Todres argues that while this approach made sense when initially promulgated by Alpert, a newer approach that developed recently in other states is much more discerning and just and should be adopted by New York. Under Alpert interest was not recoverable because the plaintiff had use of the underpaid tax money for the period of time interest was accruing to the government. Alpert held it would be an unwarranted benefit for the plaintiff to have both use of the money and to recover the interest charge for the use of this money. An assumption underlying Alpert’s reasoning is that the plaintiff is always able to earn a rate of return on the money equal to the underpayment rate charged by the government. Under the modern approach, a plaintiff would be able to recover any difference between the amount actually earned with the money and a higher interest rate imposed by the government.Both of these positions of New York law benefit defendant professionals at the expense of injured plaintiffs. This is consistent with several other aspects of New York law. Professor Todres wonders, in conclusion, whether New York is yet again being overly protective of its errant professionals rather than having a more even-handed policy.
The frequency and topology of pseudoorthologs

Abstract Phylogenetics has long relied on the use of orthologs, or genes related through speciation events, to infer species relationships. However, identifying orthologs is difficult because gene duplication can obscure relationships among genes. Researchers have been particularly concerned with the insidious effects of pseudoorthologs—duplicated genes that are mistaken for orthologs because they are present in a single copy in each sampled species. Because gene tree topologies of pseudoorthologs may differ from the species tree topology, they have often been invoked as the cause of counterintuitive results in phylogenetics. Despite these perceived problems, no previous work has calculated the probabilities of pseudoortholog topologies, or has been able to circumscribe the regions of parameter space in which pseudoorthologs are most likely to occur. Here, we introduce a model for calculating the probabilities and branch lengths of orthologs and pseudoorthologs, including concordant and discordant pseudoortholog topologies, on a rooted three-taxon species tree. We show that the probability of orthologs is high relative to the probability of pseudoorthologs across reasonable regions of parameter space. Furthermore, the probabilities of the two discordant topologies are equal and never exceed that of the concordant topology, generally being much lower. We describe the species tree topologies most prone to generating pseudoorthologs, finding that they are likely to present problems to phylogenetic inference irrespective of the presence of pseudoorthologs. Overall, our results suggest that pseudoorthologs are less of a problem for phylogenetics than currently believed, which should allow researchers to greatly increase the number of genes used in phylogenetic inference. Significance Statement Phylogenetics has long relied on the use of orthologs, or genes related through speciation events, to infer species relationships. However, filtering datasets to include only orthologs is both difficult and restrictive, drastically limiting the amount of data available for phylogenetic inference. Here, we introduce a model to study the probability and topologies of pseudoorthologs—duplicated genes that are mistaken for orthologs because they are present in a single copy in each sampled species. We show that pseudoorthologs are rare and that, even when they are present, they should not mislead phylogenetic inference. Our results suggest that strict filtering to remove pseudoorthologs unnecessarily limits the amount of data used in phylogenetic inference.
Determination of critical contour area in SAR images of concrete for subsurface moisture sensing

Moisture content inside concrete affects the properties of Portland cement concrete structures. It also indicates the likelihood of structural damages (e.g., freeze-thaw, steel corrosion) in reinforced and prestressed concrete structures. While several laboratory techniques (intrusive/destructive) are available for moisture determination, it is a challenging task to quantify the moisture content of concrete in real structures without using intrusive methods/techniques. In this paper, an SAR (synthetic aperture radar) image analysis approach using critical contour area for subsurface moisture sensing inside concrete specimens is proposed. Concrete specimens cast and conditioned in laboratory environments were air-dried for three months and continuously monitored for their moisture variation by SAR imaging. Dimensions of concrete specimens were 0.3 m-by-0.3 m-by-0.05 m. A 10.5-GHz center frequency radar system with 1.5 GHz bandwidth was used to generate SAR images of the concretes at various moisture contents from 0% to 3.85% (by mass). All SAR images of concrete specimens in this paper were collected inside an anechoic chamber. To determine the critical contour area (Ac) of an SAR image for subsurface moisture sensing inside concrete, a selection criterion is proposed and applied to SAR images of concrete specimens at different moisture contents (ψ). A critical SAR amplitude is chosen at the highest coefficient of determination (R-square, R2) for all values of moisture content. From our SAR imaging result, it was found that critical contour area increases nonlinearly with a linear increase of moisture content of concrete specimens.
Unique role of dimeric carbon precursors in graphene growth by chemical vapor deposition

Abstract Chemical vapor deposition has emerged as a promising approach for high-quality graphene synthesis. Graphene quality, including the defect density, the size of monocrystal domains, and the number of layers, depend on the growth conditions. The main experimental parameters include temperature, metal catalyst composition, growth atmosphere, and gaseous dynamics in the reaction chamber. Here we show, that even for the same growth conditions, simply changing carbon source from methane to ethane or acetylene yields drastically different growth mode that allows the production of single-crystal-like graphene on a polycrystalline metal foil substrate. This new single crystal growth mechanism does not require local supply of carbon precursors or special single crystal catalytic substrate that were introduced earlier. We assign the observed differences in the growth mechanism to formation of stable and mobile dimeric C2Hx intermediate species from ethane and acetylene, in contrast to less mobile CHx and C3Hx species formed from methane and propane.
Fostering Cultural Responsiveness in an Urban High School: A Case Study

Scholars and practitioners have increasingly recognized the role of culturally responsive school leadership (CRSL). However, few studies have applied recent comprehensive CRSL theoretical framework...
Highbrow/Lowbrow: The Emergence of Cultural Hierarchy in America

(1990). Highbrow/Lowbrow: The Emergence of Cultural Hierarchy in America. American Journalism: Vol. 7, No. 3, pp. 202-203.