cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Imaging of gynecologic malignancy

s t I p p HE EVOLUTION OF imaging techniques over the past few decades has continued at an stounding pace. Imaging modalities that are presntly being used for evaluating patients with gyecologic cancers include ultrasound, computed omography (CT), magnetic resonance imaging MRI), and positron-emission tomography (PET). his review discusses the role of specific imaging echniques in the diagnosis and management of ommon gynecologic malignancies such as cervial cancer, endometrial cancer, and ovarian cancer. Ultrasound is widely available and cost effecive. Therefore, sonography is typically the initial maging modality used in evaluating pelvic masses n women. The development of high-frequency robes has improved the diagnostic accuracy for dentifying normal and abnormal structures in the emale pelvis. Doppler imaging techniques, espeially color Doppler, may be used to assess the ascularity of pelvic masses. Three-dimensional ltrasound may be used to reliably reproduce varian and endometrial volume measurements.1 hen a pelvic mass is found by sonography, it ay be characterized by its size, location (uterine r extrauterine), external contours (well-defined, ll-defined, or irregular) and internal consistency cystic, solid, or complex). Although a specific maging diagnosis cannot be made in many intances, a more limited differential diagnosis may e given. A transabdominal pelvic sonogram should iniially be performed with a distended urinary blader. The bladder provides an acoustic window to iew the pelvic organs and serves as an internal tandard for evaluating cystic structures in the elvis. The distended bladder also displaces bowel oops out of the pelvis. Typically, 3.5-MHz transucers are used for transabdominal sonography. maging of the uterus and adnexa are performed in oth sagittal and transverse planes. Transabdomial sonography of the pelvis is limited in those
FEKIS: a fast architecture-level thermal analyzer for online thermal regulation

Owning to increasing power consumption and the corresponding heat dissipated on die, efficient on-chip temperature regulation becomes imperative for today's high performance microprocessors. Temperature tracking based on the on-chip thermal sensors is not sufficient as the temperature hot spots keep changing with the load. One way to mitigate this problem is by means of software sensors, where temperature of any location is computed based on realtime power information and calibrated with the physical sensors. In this paper, we present a very efficient numerical thermal analyzer, which is suitable for fast temperature tracking and online thermal regulation. The proposed method, called FEKIS, combines two existing numerical techniques: extended Krylov subspace reduction technique to reduce the thermal circuit complexity and large-step integration method to exploits the piecewise constant power input traces, which is typical in the power traces at the architecture level. Experimental results show that FEKIS runs 10X faster than the precise time-step integration method only and $1000X$ faster than the traditional numerical integration method with high accuracy.
LC 2 : Limited contention level converter for robust wide-range voltage conversion

We propose a robust single-stage static level converter called LC2 that uses a pulsed control strategy to avoid contention. It reliably converts from 0.3V to 2.5V across wide PVT ranges. Fabricated in 130nm CMOS, 80 measured converters have an average delay of 2.38FO4 and 229fJ switching energy, marking 3.0× and 7.4× improvements over the best prior work. It consumes 475pW static power.
The Social Studies Teacher's Lament How Powerful Is the Textbook in Dealing with Knowledge of Ethnic Diversity and Attitude Change?

This year-long study examined three research questions: (a) Does the increase in quantity and quality of the African American experience in a U.S. history textbook promote significant knowledge acquisition of that group? (b) Does this knowledge positively modify racial attitudes of White students toward that group? (c) What is the effect of a teacher's utilization of the textbook's technology on knowledge acquisition and attitude change? The subjects were 149 White high school sophomores enrolled in U.S. history classes in two Midwestern high schools. Four teachers were placed in pairs in a limited use control group and an extensive use experimental group. A Black History Knowledge Test and the Multifactor Racial Attitude Inventory served as the pretest/posttest measures. The data indicated that although both limited and extensive use of such a text produced statistically significant knowledge gains, neither had any significant impact on attitude change.
Analytical solution for light propagation in a two-layer tissue structure with a tilted interface for breast imaging

Reflectance measurement of breast tissue is influenced by the underlying chest wall, which is often tilted as seen by the detection probe. We develop an analytical solution of light propagation in a two-layer tissue structure with tilted interface and refractive index difference between the layers. We validate the analytical solution with Monte Carlo simulations and phantom experiments, and a good agreement is seen. The influence of varying the tilting angle of the interface on the reflectance is discussed for two types of layered structures. Further, we apply the developed analytical solution to obtain the optical properties of breast tissue and chest wall from clinical data. Inverse calculation using the developed solution applied to the data obtained from Monte Carlo simulations shows that the optical properties of both layers are obtained with higher accuracy as compared to using a simple two-layer model ignoring the interface tilt. This is expected to improve the accuracy in estimating the optical properties of breast tissue, thus enhancing the accuracy of optical tomography of breast tumors.
Controlling the Edge Length of Gold Nanoprisms via a Seed‐Mediated Approach

A straightforward method is investigated for controlling and reinitiating the growth of single-crystalline Au nanoprisms. This work is based on seeding methodology, and depends on the slow reduction of metal ions onto the surface of a growing nanoprism. In this manner, we can tailor the edge length of Au nanoprisms between 100 and 300 nm without changing their thickness or crystallinity. Each nanoprism size has been characterized by UV-vis-NIR (NIR: near-IR) spectroscopy, transmission electron microscopy (TEM) techniques, and statistical analysis. Based on this work and existing silver halide crystal-growth theories, a preliminary mechanism is proposed which comments on the interplay between crystal growth and surface chemistry that ultimately dictates the morphology of the resulting nanostructure.
A paced shared-control teleoperated architecture for supervised automation of multilateral surgical tasks

Automation of repetitive tasks can improve laparoscopic surgical procedures by unloading surgeons and reducing duration, trauma, and expense. However, surgical procedures involve delicate manipulation of deformable tissues in a very dynamic environment, suggesting that automated execution of surgical tasks should be carried out under the supervision of the surgeon. We propose a teleoperated architecture that allows a surgeon to employ and supervise agents that can autonomously perform or assist with surgical tasks. The architecture is independent of the automation method. It includes a dominance factor that allows the surgeon to take control over the slave robot at any time, and an aggressiveness factor that sets the performance pace of the autonomous agent. We tested the architecture during execution of a multilateral tension-and-cut task, where a human operator and an autonomous agent are responsible for tensioning or cutting of a tissue. The architecture allowed for supervised and paced automation of the task. We found that collaboration of the human operator and autonomous agent can lead to shorter completion time compared to performance of only a human.
Calculating the Impact Force of Supersonic Hail Stones Using SWAT-TEEM

In the aerospace industry, hail strikes on a structure are an environment that must be considered when qualifying a product. Performing a physical test on a product would require a test setup that would launch a fabricated hail stone at an expensive prototype. This test may be difficult or impossible to execute and destructive to the product. Instead of testing, a finite element model (FEM) may be used to simulate the damage and consequences of a hail strike. In order to use a FEM in this way, an accurate representation of the input force from a hail stone must be known. The purpose of this paper is to calculate the force that a hail stone imparts on an object using the inverse method SWAT-TEEM. This paper discusses the advantages of using SWAT-TEEM over other force identification methods and exercises the algorithm for a test series of hail strikes that include multiple angles of attack and multiple velocities which include speeds that are supersonic.
Prevalence and risk factors of vitamin D insufficiency in cancer

9581 Background: Low vitamin D has been linked to increased cancer incidence and reduced prognosis. Little is known about prevalence and risks of insufficiency in cancer. Methods: Electronic medical records of all adult solid tumor patients treated at The Cleveland Clinic in 2006–2007 were reviewed. Data extracted: demographics (age, gender, race), cancer site (primary and metastatic, ICD-9 codes) and first 25 hydroxy vitamin D level [25OHD] during the study period. Laboratory data (calcium, hepatic and renal function), medications prescribed (anticonvulsants, antineoplastic, corticosteroids, vitamin D) and treatment procedures (chemotherapy and radiotherapy) in 2 months preceding vitamin D were recorded. Clinical factors were compared between those tested for 25OHD vs not, and those insufficient (25OH D ≤30ng/ml) vs not (25OH D >31ng/ml) by Chi square or T-tests. Stepwise logistic regression identified independent predictors of vitamin D insufficiency. Results: n=39,254. 19,030 (48%) were female, mean ag...
Study of Polydiacetylene-Poly (Ethylene Oxide) Electrospun Fibers Used as Biosensors

Polydiacetylene (PDA) is an attractive conjugated material for use in biosensors due to its unique characteristic of undergoing a blue-to-red color change in response to external stimuli. 10,12-Pentacosadiynoic acid (PCDA) and poly (ethylene oxide) (PEO) were used in this study to develop fiber composites via an electrospinning method at various mass ratios of PEO to PCDA, solution concentrations, and injection speeds. The PEO-PDA fibers in blue phase were obtained via photo-polymerization upon UV-light irritation. High mass ratios of PEO to PCDA, low polymer concentrations of spinning solution, and low injection speeds promoted fine fibers with small diameters and smooth surfaces. The colorimetric transition of the fibers was investigated when the fibers were heated at temperatures ranging from 25 °C to 120 °C. A color switch from blue to red in the fibers was observed when the fibers were heated at temperatures greater than 60 °C. The color transition was more sensitive in the fibers made with a low mass ratio of PEO to PCDA due to high fraction of PDA in the fibers. The large diameter fibers also promoted the color switch due to high reflectance area in the fibers. All of the fibers were analyzed using Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR) and differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) and compared before and after the color change occurred. The colorimetric transitional mechanism is proposed to occur due to conformational changes in the PDA macromolecules.
Minimally Intrusive Optical Micro-Strain Sensing in Bulk Elastomer Using Embedded Fabry-Pérot Etalon.

A variety of strain sensors have been developed to measure internal deformations of elastomeric structures. Strain sensors measuring extremely small mechanical strain, however, have not yet been reported due mainly to the inherently intrusive integration of the sensor with the test structure. In this work, we report the development of a minimally intrusive, highly sensitive mechanical strain transducer realized by monolithically embedding a Fabry-Perot (FP) etalon into a poly(dimethylsiloxane) (PDMS) block test structure. Due to the extreme sensitivity of the FP resonance condition to the thickness of the spacer layer between the two reflectors, the limit of detection in the mechanical deformation can be as low as ~110 nm with a 632.8 nm laser used as the probing light. The compatibility of PDMS with additive fabrication turned out to be the most crucial enabling factor in the realization of the FP etalon-based strain transducer.
Nonprofit financial assessment and research service learning: Evaluating the performance of an animal welfare nonprofit organization

The objective of this project is to evaluate the current financial and compliance status of an animal welfare nonprofit organization (NPO) by: analysis of trends over time using information reporte...
On the practice base construction of finance and economics majors in higher education institutions under the guidance of “outstanding talent plan”——take School of International Business of Northeast University of Finance and Economics as an example

According to the document"Opinions raised by MOE on the implementation of the plan for educating and training outstanding engineers"issued by MOE,the emphases of higher education reform in future will be to improve college students' practice ability,and develop feasible practical teaching. On the base of summing up of the experience of practice base construction,this article mainly discusses the direction and problems of practice base construction.
Psychological care in improving application results in acute myocardial infarction in patients with anxiety and depression

Objective To discuss the effects of psychological nursing in acute myocardial infarction(AMI) patients. Methods 60 AMI patients were analyzed and divided into two groups randomly in our hospital from June 2010 to June 2012.The two groups received conventional therapy and different nursing models,patients in group A cured with psychological nursing and normal nursing,patients in group B just accepted normal nursing.All patients were tested with self-rating anxiety scale(SAS) and self-rating depression scale(SDS)to evaluate their anxiety and depression when they were in stable condition and before discharge.Results The SAS and SDS in group A were(38.63±6.84) scores and(46.11±6.19) scores respectively,and the SAS and SDS in group B were(44.32±8.37) scores and(49.96±7.15) scores, there were significant differences between Group A and Group B(P 0.05).Conclusion Psychological nursing can improve the anxiety and depression state of patients with acute myocardial infarction effectively.
Absence of an age effect on sulfobromophthalein retention in healthy men.

Sulfobromophthalein retention was measured 45 min after injection of the dye (5 mg per kg of body weight) in 904 healthy veterans participating in a longitudinal study of aging. No relationship between mean sulfobromophthalein retention and age could be demonstrated and the frequency of abnormal sulfobromophthalein values did not change with increasing age in the cohort studied.
An Output-Output analysis of German i-truncations

This paper argues for an Output-Output-analysis of i-truncations in German and shows that Sympathy Theory is not necessary to analyze German i-truncations (contra Ito & Mester 1997). I further argue that German i-truncations and reduplications are not the same phenomenon (contra Wiese 2001), although i-truncations and reduplicated forms in German (such as lari-fari, ‘nonsense’) both have an /i/-morpheme. The crucial restrictions on word-medial consonant sequences in German i-truncations can be explained with the syllable contact principle (“SyllCont”), the requirement for nasal-consonant sequences to be homorganic (“NasCodaCond”) (Fery 1997), and a prohibition of complex margins in unstressed syllables (“PrefLaw” & “NoComplMargins”).
Spectroscopic Diagnosis for Control of Laser Treatment of Atherosclerosis

Healthy artery tissue is composed of three layers: intima, media, and adventitia. With the onset of atherosclerosis, fatty and fibrous deposits build up in the intimai layer, narrowing the lumen for blood flow, leading to stroke and heart attack. Laser radiation of modest power can vaporize these deposits, restoring normal flow [l]. This can be accomplished without open heart surgery, using a catheter containing optical fibers to deliver the laser light to the obstruction. However, without appropriate control, arterial perforation can occur. As part of our efforts in this area [2, 3], we are developing a spectroscopic guidance system to diagnose the presence and control the removal of atherosclerotic blockages.
The dynamics of peak shifts and the pattern of morphological evolution

Recent theoretical results demonstrate that a phenotypic version of Wright's shifting balance theory generates the dynamical pattern of punctuated equilibria. Thus, classical mechanisms of random genetic drift and selection for multiple adaptive peaks produce geologically long periods of relative stasis interrupted occasionally by very brief intervals of rapid change. A simple extension of this theory is made here to encompass developmental constraints between quantitative characters, manifested as phenotypic and genetic correlations between characters. Developmental constraints do not qualitatively alter the dy- namical pattern of phenotypic evolution produced by selection and random genetic drift. A quantitative definition of stasis is proposed, based on a common taxonomic practice for recognizing subspecies. From this it is concluded that stasis is not the rule for quantitative measurements of detailed sequences for fossil species throughout most of their existence. Instead, periods of relative stasis are interspersed with gradual fluctuating trends, short intervals of rapid change, and discontinuities of subspecific magnitude.
ΜΑΘΗΜΑΤΙΚΑ. — Actual Mathematical Solutions of Problems Posed by Reality, I. (A classical Procedure)

We discuss here phenomena or situations posed by reality which are changes of variable quantities that influence and interact to each other in an organized behavior. We call such a situation a “real system”. A real system, either physical or social, corresponds to a “physical or social problem”, mathematically expressed.
Correlations for Densities of Aqueous Electrolyte Solutions

We present simple %-level accuracy universal correlations for densities of aqueous electrolyte solutions at 298.15 K and 0.1 MPa. The developed expressions and parameters are based on 1032 experimental density data points for 56 aqueous single electrolyte solutions including chlorides, bromides, iodides, bicarbonates, carbonates, sulfates, nitrates, nitrites, phosphates, hydrogen phosphates, and dihydrogen phosphates. The correlations relate the solution density with “excess” mass fraction of electrolytes in solution. With molar mass and concentrations of electrolytes as input, the correlation yields density results for all 56 electrolytes with the average error of 0.97% and the maximum error of 8.05%. When grouping the electrolytes as either structure making, structure breaking, or structure superbreaking, the correlations yield the average error of 0.59% and the maximum error of 3.45%. The correlations should be very useful in estimating the density of aqueous single and multicomponent electrolyte solut...
Abstract B058: Drug resistant HER2Δ16 overexpression cells are sensitive to a new class of tyrosine kinase inhibitors

HER2 positive breast tumors make up 15-20% of reported breast cancer cases and are associated with poor prognosis and increased mortality due to enhanced rates of metastatic disease. Trastuzumab is commonly used to treat HER2 positive tumors, however, when used alone 76-88% of patients showed de novo resistance to the drug while patients sensitive to trastuzumab go on to develop resistance. When used with chemotherapy, patients experience improved benefit, but nearly half of these patients will still experience metastatic disease progression. The difference in treatment success may be due to the variable genotypes of individual tumors. One such variant is the unique tumor specific isoform of HER2, HER2Δ16, which promotes tumorigenic phenotypes and trastuzumab resistance. Indeed, we have shown that 90% of metastatic HER2 positive breast cancers tested also express HER2Δ16. Since HER2Δ16 overexpression leads to resistance to trastuzumab, directly targeting the kinase activity of HER2Δ16 could potentially slow growth of cancer cells expressing this isoform. Here we show that HER2Δ16 overexpression also promotes resistance to the dual HER2/EGFR kinase inhibitor, lapatinib, currently in clinical use for the treatment of patients that fail trastuzumab. Therefore, our goal is to find small molecules that can act to inhibit HER2Δ16, thereby reversing resistance to current therapies. The HER2 kinase inhibitor Emodin (1,3,8-trihydroxy-6-methyl-anthraquinone) also inhibits HER2Δ16 activation, and as such, been used as the base structure for developing more effective inhibitors. Emodin binds the hinge region in the ATP binding pocket of the kinase domain, therefore molecules with similar structures may also act as HER2Δ16 inhibitors. We tested 13 small molecules that are structurally similar to emodin on MCF-7 breast cancer cell lines that express HER2, HER2Δ16 or empty vector. Of the 13, we found three molecules that suppressed cell viability potently in all three cell lines at 10μM. HER2 and EGFR phosphorylation were suppressed in these cell lines after exposure to each of the drugs, similar to lapatinib. Finally, we measured the IC 50 of each drug and found that the two most effective drugs also had similar IC 50 concentrations for both the HER2 and HER2Δ16 overexpression cell lines. With IC 50 values of 50 >10μM. These results indicate the potential of either of these drugs to effectively inhibit HER2Δ16 and thus combat the drug resistance seen in HER2Δ16 expressing tumors. Citation Format: Mary E. Sfondouris, Jayalakshmi Sridhar, Cheryl Stevens, Frank Jones. Drug resistant HER2Δ16 overexpression cells are sensitive to a new class of tyrosine kinase inhibitors. [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the AACR Special Conference on Advances in Breast Cancer Research: Genetics, Biology, and Clinical Applications; Oct 3-6, 2013; San Diego, CA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Mol Cancer Res 2013;11(10 Suppl):Abstract nr B058.
Inappropriate ICD Discharge Related to Electrical Muscle Stimulation in Chiropractic Therapy: A Case Report

Implantable cardioverter defibrillators (ICDs) have been shown to reduce mortality in high-risk patients. Despite several advances in programming ICDs, inappropriate shocks persist and continue to be psychologically and physically disturbing. External electromagnetic interference from electrocautery, welding, acupunctures, low-output transcutaneous electric nerve stimulators, and electronic muscle stimulators may result in inappropriate ICD sensing and shock. We present a 63-year-old female who presented to the emergency department after an ICD shock while undergoing electronic muscle stimulation in chiropractic treatment, during which light electrical pulses were sent through skin electrodes. Our case highlights the importance of recognizing methods used by alternative medicine doctors, including electrical muscle stimulation that may cause electromagnetic interference and inappropriate ICD discharge and therefore, a higher overall mortality risk.
Decreasing wait times for endobronchial ultrasound (EBUS).

192Background: The department of pulmonary medicine evaluates manifestations of cancer and complications of therapy that affect the lungs. It is a procedurally oriented specialty with many diagnostic and therapeutic interventions. Endobronchial ultrasound with transbronchial fine needle aspiration (EBUS-TBNA) is a minimally invasive procedure that allows real time image guided sampling of tissue in the mediastinum. Current guidelines recommend use of EBUS for the initial test to diagnosis and stage lung cancer. It has a low complication rate, but needs specialized equipment as well as anesthesia support. Alternatives include CT-guided biopsy or surgery. The delay from time of referral to EBUS procedure has the potential to delay diagnosis and treatment, create patient anxiety, frustration and expense of travel for multiple appointments. The staff is under pressure to perform excessive cases on a daily basis resulting in overtime staffing costs. Our objectives were to reduce delays in diagnosis/treatment, ...
A condition monitoring approach for real-time monitoring of degrading systems using Kalman filter and logistic regression

We present a new model for reliability analysis that is able to employ condition monitoring data in order to simultaneously monitor the latent degradation level and track failure progress over time. The method presented in this paper is a bridge between Bayesian filtering and classical binary classification, both of which have been employed successfully in various application domains. The Kalman filter is used to model a discrete-time continuous-state degradation process that is hidden and for which only indirect information is available through a multi-dimensional observation process. Logistic regression is then used to connect the latent degradation state with the failure process that is itself a discrete-space stochastic process. We present a closed-form solution for the marginal log-likelihood function and provide formulas for few important reliability measures. A dynamic cost-effective maintenance policy is finally introduced that can employ sensor signals for real-time decision-making. We finally de...
A process to fabricate fused silica nanofluidic devices with embedded electrodes using an optimized room temperature bonding technique

Fused silica is an ideal material for nanofluidic systems due to its extreme purity, chemical inertness, optical transparency, and native hydrophilicity. However, devices requiring embedded electrodes (e.g., for bioanalytical applications) are difficult to realize given the typical high temperature fusion bonding requirements (∼1000 °C). In this work, we optimize a two-step plasma activation process which involves an oxygen plasma treatment followed by a nitrogen plasma treatment to increase the fusion bonding strength of fused silica at room temperature. We conduct a parametric study of this treatment to investigate its effect on bonding strength, surface roughness, and microstructure morphology. We find that by including a nitrogen plasma treatment to the standard oxygen plasma activation process, the room temperature bonding strength increases by 70% (0.342 J∕m2 to 0.578 J∕m2). Employing this optimized process, we fabricate and characterize a nanofluidic device with an integrated and dielectrically sep...
CaloGAN: Simulating 3D high energy particle showers in multilayer electromagnetic calorimeters with generative adversarial networks

The precise modeling of subatomic particle interactions and propagation through matter is paramount for the advancement of nuclear and particle physics searches and precision measurements. The most computationally expensive step in the simulation pipeline of a typical experiment at the Large Hadron Collider (LHC) is the detailed modeling of the full complexity of physics processes that govern the motion and evolution of particle showers inside calorimeters. We introduce CaloGAN, a new fast simulation technique based on generative adversarial networks (GANs). We apply these neural networks to the modeling of electromagnetic showers in a longitudinally segmented calorimeter and achieve speedup factors comparable to or better than existing full simulation techniques on CPU ($100\ifmmode\times\else\texttimes\fi{}--1000\ifmmode\times\else\texttimes\fi{}$) and even faster on GPU (up to $\ensuremath{\sim}{10}^{5}\ifmmode\times\else\texttimes\fi{}$). There are still challenges for achieving precision across the entire phase space, but our solution can reproduce a variety of geometric shower shape properties of photons, positrons, and charged pions. This represents a significant stepping stone toward a full neural network-based detector simulation that could save significant computing time and enable many analyses now and in the future.
Generation and differentiation potential of retrovirus-immortalized mature murine B cells.

Given the availability of recombinant lymphokines, antibodies specific for various lymphokines and lymphocyte cell-surface molecules, and functional antigen-specific Th clones, homogeneous and functionally responsive B cell lines and clones would be valuable tools for studying T cell-B cell interactions and B lymphocyte differentiation. However, most of the available B cell lines to date have limited potential for differentiation. Generation of functional B cell lines has become an urgent task.
Optimum Membrane Trough

A fluid is contained in an inextensible membrane trough. Due to hydrostatics the shape of the trough is governed by a set of nonlinear differential equations which is solved by perturbations and numerical integration.
Robust highly stable multi-resonator refractive index sensor

Abstract Here we show that a serial array of three evanescently coupled microring resonators can achieve detection limits for refractive index changes in the surrounding environment that are more than 40 % better than a single resonator. The improved performance of the three rings occurs when only the central resonator is exposed to the refractive index change and is due to the narrower linewidth that results from the off-resonant coupling to the adjacent resonators. Unlike a single resonator sensor that is usually operated close to critical coupling to maximize the sensitivity, the three resonator configuration is able to achieve superior detection limits over a wide range of inter-resonator couplings. We use this to show that random variations of the couplings resulting from manufacturing variations has a minimal impact on the performance of the three ring system.
Super high frequency reflective biquad antenna

This research is focused on the reflective biquad antenna and how it's simple, but interesting, design allows for a much more powerful antenna than similar antennas in multiple situations. Through research it was confirmed that the reflective biquad antenna follows square-loop antenna theory. It also generates multiple peak frequencies (multiband), wide bandwidths, and strong directivity.
African women and the postcolonial state

This chapter examines African women’s complex relationship with the postcolonial state. More specifically, it explores the ways in which African statecraft has created opportunities and challenges for African women on the continent. Decker begins by looking at the status of women in a number of Sub-Saharan African countries to determine how state policies and practices have influenced their lives. She then examines the political trajectories of several women who got involved in politics and thus became part of the state. In the last section, she considers the role of activism as a tool for engaging the state from the outside. Decker concludes by returning to the gendering of African statecraft, theorizing how and to what extent African women can make the postcolonial state less patriarchal.
Following the electrons: peculiarities in the catalytic cycles of radical SAM enzymes.

Radical SAM enzymes use S-adenosyl-L-methionine as an oxidant to initiate radical-mediated transformations that would otherwise not be possible with Lewis acid/base chemistry alone. These reactions are either redox neutral or oxidative leading to certain expectations regarding the role of SAM as either a reusable cofactor or the ultimate electron acceptor during each turnover. However, these expectations are frequently not realized resulting in fundamental questions regarding the redox handling and movement of electrons associated with these biological catalysts. Herein we provide a focused perspective on several of these questions and associated hypotheses with an emphasis on recently discovered radical SAM enzymes.
Hydraulic Thresholds to Mitigate Sedimentation Problems at Sangju Weir, South Korea

AbstractThe construction of eight consecutive weirs along the Nakdong River changed the erosion and sedimentation patterns after the Four Major River Restoration Project. This study examines the se...
Associations between mixtures of urinary phthalate metabolites with gestational age at delivery: a time to event analysis using summative phthalate risk scores

Preterm birth is a significant public health concern and exposure to phthalates has been shown to be associated with an increased odds of preterm birth. Even modest reductions in gestational age at delivery could entail morbid consequences for the neonate and analyzing data with this additional information may be useful. In the present analysis, we consider gestational age at delivery as our outcome of interest and examine associations with multiple phthalates. Women were recruited early in pregnancy as part of a prospective, longitudinal birth cohort at the Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston, Massachusetts. Urine samples were collected at up to four time points during gestation for urinary phthalate metabolite measurement, and birth outcomes were recorded at delivery. From this population, we selected all 130 cases of preterm birth (< 37 weeks of gestation) as well as 352 random controls. We conducted analysis with both geometric average of the exposure concentrations across the first three visits as well as using repeated measures of the exposure. Two different time to event models were used to examine associations between nine urinary phthalate metabolite concentrations and time to delivery. Two different approaches to constructing a summative phthalate risk score were also considered. The single-pollutant analysis using a Cox proportional hazards model showed the strongest association with a hazard ratio (HR) of 1.21 (95% confidence interval (CI): 1.09, 1.33) per interquartile range (IQR) change in average log-transformed mono-2-ethyl-5-carboxypentyl phthalate (MECPP) concentration. Using the accelerated failure time model, we observed a 1.19% (95% CI: 0.26, 2.11%) decrease in gestational age in association with an IQR change in average log-transformed MECPP. We next examined associations with an environmental risk score (ERS). The fourth quartile of ERS was significantly associated with a HR of 1.44 (95% CI: 1.19, 1.75) and a reduction of 2.55% (95% CI: 0.76, 4.30%) in time to delivery (in days) compared to the first quartile. On average, pregnant women with higher urinary metabolite concentrations of individual phthalates have shorter time to delivery. The strength of the observed associations are amplified with the risk scores when compared to individual pollutants.
Meeting the Murderer

M urder is uncommon. Yet the television news seems to report one or more murders each night. Almost every murder receives some publicity, and murders with more than one victim receive widespread news coverage. Death by illness or accident is overwhelmingly more common but not newsworthy, unless the victim is famous. Similarly, any mental illness present in a murderer is given great attention; in fact, most people with mental illness are not violent. The spotlights of journalism are on murder, making the perceived rate of death by murder seem to be higher than it is.
No Safe Place to Hide

People in the United States who choose to live in urban or suburban environments retain nostalgic and rosy views of rural life. They imagine small towns and rural areas as places where neighbors are friendly and helpful, where families are close and caring, and where children can grow up without witnessing violence. Unfortunately, although rural communities have many postive characteristics, they are not immune to the types of violence that threaten the peace of urban and suburban communities. In particular, family violence is a serious problem in rural areas just as it is in urban areas. This chapter examines the problems of spouse abuse, child abuse, and elder abuse in rural areas, and the rural services available for families who are affected by these types of violence. The emphasis of the chapter is on spouse abuse and violence against women, but the occurrence of the other forms of family violence is discussed as they relate to the overall theme of family violence.
Mechanism of Chloride Transport by Halorhodopsin

The halobacterial retinal protein HR, which functions as a light-driven electrogenic chloride pump, is a small integral membrane protein, which undergoes various photoreactions including rapid cyclic isomerisation of the retinal from all-trans to 13-cis. Since this photocycle contains several chloride-dependent equilibria, it is probably directly related to the translocation of chloride ions across the protein which spans the membrane. The primary structure of HR is now available, and arguments based on plausible secondary and tertiary structures for the protein suggest that only a few arginine residues, and possibly the protonated Schiff base, participate in the intramembrane translocation of chloride.
Fat source and calcium level effects on finishing steer performance, digestion, and metabolism.

A 111-d finishing study evaluated animal growth and carcass characteristics using 138 steers (366 kg) in a randomized complete block design with a 2 x 3 factorial arrangement of treatments. The dietary treatments consisted of no supplemental fat or 3.5% tallow or soybean oil soapstock (SS) fed with .6% and .9% dietary Ca. Fat increased DMI (P less than .05) but interacted with Ca level (P less than .05) for gain/feed and ADG. All diets containing fat or .9% Ca were converted more efficiently to gain than the .6% Ca, no supplemental fat diet (P less than .05). The .9% Ca interacted with fat source to decrease gain (P less than .05) and tended to decrease efficiency in the tallow diet but improved efficiency (P less than .05) and tended to improve gain in the no-fat diet. In the SS diet, .9% Ca had no effect on ADG, DMI, or efficiency of gain. Fat addition increased backfat (P less than .10) and interacted with Ca on hot carcass weight, final weight, and dressing percentage (P less than .05). Feeding fat increased the proportion of 18:0 (P less than .02) and decreased the proportion of 16:1 fatty acids (P less than .06) in intermuscular fat. A replicated 3 x 3 Latin square design, using six Holstein steers (349 kg) fed three diets, with no supplemental fat or 3.5% SS or tallow with 1.0% Ca, was used to explore the effects of fat sources when fed with high Ca on digestion and metabolism. Ruminal fluid pH was higher (P less than .10) when steers were fed fat. Adding fat did not affect (P greater than .10) duodenal or ileal pH, VFA proportions or total concentration, or ruminal liquid volume or flow rate. Liquid retention time was shorter and liquid rate of passage was higher (P less than .05) with dietary fat addition. Adding fat did not affect site or extent of starch or DM digestion. There was net synthesis of 16:0, 18:0, and 18:1 fatty acids in the rumen. When steers were fed tallow, synthesis of 16:0 and 18:0 fatty acids in the rumen was lower (P less than .10) than when steers were fed SS. Feeding fat tended to decrease (P = .11) bacterial N flowing at the duodenum but did not affect nonbacterial N or total N. Fat addition seems to affect ruminal kinetics, and the effects may vary with fat source, particularly relative to fatty acid synthesis and digestion.
Enfoque integral de las áreas protegidas desde la geografía. El caso de la provincia de La Pampa

Protected areas are spaces to be preserved, so they should be studied as a system from an integral vision. Components of natural and socio-cultural environment are geographically analyzed in an interrelated way to understand the system and to provide solutions to issues that occur in these places. The study includes transversal concepts to the analysis variables: multiscalarity and multitemporality. The aim of the paper is to propose the study of protected areas from an integral vision under a geographical perspective. This is why the explanation of the theoretical approach propose the selection and analysis of variables for the study of protected areas. Scientific articles made on protected areas in La Pampa Province were analyzed and proved that this approach is currently not considered. A case study was presented in which strengths and weaknesses of a holistic approach were analyzed.
Formal Verification of Differential Privacy

Differential Privacy offers ways to answer statistical queries about sensitive data while providing strong provable privacy guarantees ensuring that the presence or absence of a single individual in the data has a negligible statistical effect on the query's result. In this talk I will introduce the basics of differential privacy and some of the fundamental mechanisms for building differentially private programs. I will then overview few different language-based approaches developed to help a programmer to certify her programs differentially private and to guarantee that they provide accurate answers.
Premature Ticagrelor Discontinuation in Secondary Prevention of Atherosclerotic CVD: JACC Review Topic of the Week.

Highlights •Ticagrelor is a cornerstone of antithrombotic therapy after ACS, but its effectiveness is limited by nonadherence. •Premature ticagrelor discontinuation occurs in 25% of patients and is related to adverse events. •The most frequent adverse events of ticagrelor are bleeding and dyspnea. •Appropriate patient selection, early follow-up, patient education, and appropriate bleeding prophylaxis can mitigate ticagrelor nonadherence.
Artificial Intelligence for Clinical Trial Design.

Clinical trials consume the latter half of the 10 to 15 year, 1.5–2.0 billion USD, development cycle for bringing a single new drug to market. Hence, a failed trial sinks not only the investment into the trial itself but also the preclinical development costs, rendering the loss per failed clinical trial at 800 million to 1.4 billion USD. Suboptimal patient cohort selection and recruiting techniques, paired with the inability to monitor patients effectively during trials, are two of the main causes for high trial failure rates: only one of 10 compounds entering a clinical trial reaches the market. We explain how recent advances in artificial intelligence (AI) can be used to reshape key steps of clinical trial design towards increasing trial success rates.
parallel: A command for parallel computing:

The parallel package allows parallel processing of tasks that are not interdependent. This allows all flavors of Stata to take advantage of multiprocessor machines. Even Stata/MP users can benefit ...
O LIVRO JUCA FUBÁ VISITA UMA CIDADE E A VERGONHA DOS ANALFABETOS: CONFIGURAÇÕES SOCIAIS DE COMBATE AO ANALFABETISMO NO BRASIL (1947- 1963)

Este texto e resultado de pesquisa que teve por finalidade investigar a primeira iniciativa governamental de educacao de adolescentes e adultos no Brasil, a partir de 1947, intitulada de Campanha de Educacao de Adolescentes e Adultos (CEAA). Ao longo da investigacao, foram encontrados livros, destinados aos alunos matriculados nas classes da CEAA. Trabalhamos com um desses impressos, qual seja: Juca Fuba visita uma cidade, por meio da seguinte problematizacao: de que modo e com quais intencoes emergiram, nesse livro, estigmas relativos a “legitimidade da marginalidade” do analfabeto rural numa visita a uma grande cidade? Recorremos ao modelo de figuracao da sociodinâmica estabelecidos e outsiders, elaborado por Norbert Elias e Scotson (2000), que traz importantes reflexoes.
Assessing the Translation of Research and Innovation into Dental Practice

Introduction:Over the past 100 y, there have been an unprecedented number of innovations that have improved oral health and functioning. Variations in lag times between discovery and clinical adopt...
Inadequate Physical Activity and Sedentary Behavior Are Independent Predictors of Nonalcoholic Fatty Liver Disease.

BACKGROUND AND AIMS In general, physical activity (PA) and nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) have an inverse association. However, studies assessing the impact of the widely accepted Physical Activity Guidelines for Americans (PA Guidelines) on NAFLD are lacking. APPROACH AND RESULTS We performed a serial, cross-sectional analysis among adults by using the 2007-2016 US National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey. NAFLD and advanced fibrosis were defined by using various noninvasive panels. A PA questionnaire assessed the leisure-time PA, occupation-related PA, transportation-related PA, and total sitting time as sedentary behavior. PA was categorized according to the PA Guidelines. Of the 24,588 individuals (mean age, 47.4 years; 47.9% males), leisure-time PA (≥150 minutes per week) demonstrated 40% lower odds of NAFLD, whereas transportation-related PA was associated with a 33% risk reduction in NAFLD. Analysis of total PA and sitting times simultaneously showed a dose-response association between sitting time and NAFLD (P for trend < 0.001). Compliance with the PA Guidelines was lower in individuals with NAFLD versus those without NAFLD. The trends in compliance with the PA Guidelines for any type of PA remained stable in individuals with NAFLD except for a downtrend in transportation-related PA. In contrast, an improvement in compliance with the PA Guidelines for leisure time was noted in the cohort without NAFLD. Although PA demonstrated a 10% stronger association with risk reduction of NAFLD in women, women showed a lower tendency of meeting the PA Guidelines. Trends in total sitting time increased significantly regardless of NAFLD status. CONCLUSIONS Sedentary behavior emerged as an independent predictor of NAFLD. Overall compliance with the PA Guidelines was lower in the cohort with NAFLD, with sex- and ethnicity-based differences. Implementation of these observations in clinical practice may improve our understanding as well as clinical outcomes.
ASSOCIATION OF NT-PROBNP, PULSE PRESSURE WITH HEART FAILURE AND CARDIOVASCULAR EVENTS: ATHEROSCLEROSIS RISK IN COMMUNNITIES (ARIC) STUDY

Pulse pressure (PP), a marker of arterial stiffness, and N-terminal prohormone of brain natriuretic peptide (NT-proBNP) have been associated with heart failure (HF) and cardiovascular disease (CVD). We examined whether the combination of PP and NT-proBNP identifies individuals at higher risk for