cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Race, immigration, and homicide in contemporary Europe and the United States: an urban comparison

In this paper we ask a key question: Do immigrants contribute a disproportionate amount of crime beyond what we would expect from native-born populations? We start with a description of the immigration and homicide literature in the United States and Europe and transition into a description of lessons learned from this topic in the United States. Specifically, we compare the level of immigration to white, black, and Latino homicide rates between 1985 and 2009. We compare and contrast racial/ethnic/immigrant group specific homicide rates in the cities of Miami and San Diego from 1980 through 2000. We do so since both cities are major entry points into the United States. We compare these findings to European countries, because there are some similarities on immigration into the United States and Europe and, by extension, the study of immigration and violence. In many ways, the study of urban immigration and homicide in the United States is relevant to the study of urban immigration and homicide in Europe. Many of the topics discussed in this paper are likely to be faced by European countries in the future and our hope is that findings from the United States are useful in other contexts.
Evolution of Copper-Oxide Damascene Structures in Chemical Mechanical Polishing I. Contact Mechanics Modeling

Nonplanarity arising from the chemical mechanical polishing of Cu-oxide damascene structures results in the exposure field (die-size) being partially out of focus in subsequent lithography process. Thus the corresponding mechanisms of within-die polishing must be determined and the within-die nonplanarity due to polishing needs to be minimized to increase the process yield In this paper, contact mechanics models were developed to explain the role of pattern geometry on the variation of material removal rate. The effects of Cu linewidth, area fraction, and the elastic properties of the polishing pad on pad displacement into low features were examined to focus on the mechanical aspects of the process. The pressure distribution On the high features was determined and the rate of pattern planarization was quantified. Experiments on patterned Cu wafers were conducted to verify the model. Based on these results. The planarization and polishing behavior and the within-die nonplanarity due to the variation of pattern geometry were discussed.
Carrots of Various Colors

Orange carrots are one of the most widely consumed vegetables and are a significant source of provitamin A carotenoids in the US diet. Breeding efforts to increase the nutritional value of carrots through biofortification have been on the rise.
Interface Protection and the First Circuit's Decision in Lotus v. Borland

In Lotus v. Borland the First Circuit held that the menu command hierarchy of the Lotus 1-2-3 spreadsheet program was a method of operation, and thus outside the protection of copyright law. The decision has been criticized and acclaimed by the opposing camps in the battle over copyright protection for software. International Business Machines Corporations’ Assistant General Counsel Anthony L. Clapes and Arizona State University Professor of Law Dennis S. Karjala ably represent the opposing points of view.Mr. Clapes criticizes the decision as an abrupt and unsettling paradigm shift, which is ungrounded in copyright jurisprudence, driven by the desired result, and which may pose serious problems for the software industry in the long term. Professor Karjala concludes that the Court’s holding properly recognizes the statutory distinction between a protectable computer program and the unprotectable user interface which the program generates and that the decision also recognizes the proper relationship between patent and copyright protection, which reserves tot patent law the protection of functional aspects of a user interface.
Effect of Inflow Boundary Conditions on the Solution of Transport Equations for Internal Flows

A fully implicit numerical method for the solution of three-dimensional transport equations of fluid dynamics cast in generalized curvilinear coordinates has been enhanced to demonstrate the effect of inflow conditions on the downstream development of internal flow in a channel. The effect of inlet boundary conditions on turbulence kinetic energy (k) and the dissipation rate (�) on the downstream developing flow is investigated in terms of local values of k and Reynolds stress profiles. It is shown that the effect of inflow conditions lasts well over tens of channel heights downstream, before the flow eventually attains a fully developed state. This has an important bearing on turbulent flow (especially internal turbulent flow) simulation results where the characteristic dimensions of interest of engineering systems are much shorter. In some simulations, the solution sought may be in serious error if the inflow conditions chosen are not physically realistic. It is therefore important to account for the effect of wind tunnel inlet turbulence levels when comparing experimental data with predictions from a given external flow simulation. This study serves as a guide in the prescription of inflow
The Digital Humanities as Cultural Capital: Implications for Biblical and Religious Studies

Although the study of the Bible was central to early Humanities Computing efforts, now Biblical Studies and Religious Studies are marginal disciplines in the emerging field known as Digital Humanities (English, History, Library Science, for example, are much more influential in DH.) This paper explores two questions: First, what does it mean for Biblical Studies to be marginal to the Digital Humanities when DH is increasingly seen as the locus of as transformation in the humanities? Second, how can our expertise in Biblical Studies influence and shape Digital Humanities for the better? Digital Humanities, I argue, constitutes a powerful emerging field with which Biblical Studies and Religious Studies must engage as critical participants or analysts. Moreover, our own field’s expertise on the history of canon, orthodoxy, and commentary can contribute to shaping a more inclusive and self-critical Digital Humanities.
Live interaction distinctively shapes social gaze dynamics in rhesus macaques

The dynamic interaction of gaze between individuals is a hallmark of social cognition. However, very few studies have examined social gaze dynamics after mutual eye contact during real-time interactions. We used a highly quantifiable paradigm to assess social gaze dynamics between pairs of monkeys and modeled these dynamics using an exponential decay function to investigate sustained attention after mutual eye contact. When monkeys were interacting with real partners compared with static images and movies of the same monkeys, we found a significant increase in the proportion of fixations to the eyes and a smaller dispersion of fixations around the eyes, indicating enhanced focal attention to the eye region. Notably, dominance and familiarity between the interacting pairs induced separable components of gaze dynamics that were unique to live interactions. Gaze dynamics of dominant monkeys after mutual eye contact were associated with a greater number of fixations to the eyes, whereas those of familiar pairs were associated with a faster rate of decrease in this eye-directed attention. Our findings endorse the notion that certain key aspects of social cognition are only captured during interactive social contexts and dependent on the elapsed time relative to socially meaningful events.
The Immunotherapeutic Effect of the Peptide Tuftsin on the B Cell Lymphoma, CH1

ABSTRACT The effect of the tetrapeptide tuftsin on the CH1 lymphoma was investigated. All mice received tumor cells (100 LD 50 ) iv, followed by tuftsin treatment given every other day beginning on day 1. Treatment with 0.001, 0.01, or 0.1 μg/dose had no effect on tumor development while mice receiving 1, 10, or 100 μg/dose survived significantly longer than control animals. Tuftsin treatment was also shown to significantly reduce the number of mice which developed subcutaneous (SC) tumors. Treated with 100, 10, or 1 μg reduced the incidence of SC tumors from 92% to 0,0, and 25%, respectively. Lower dosages of tuftsin had no effect on the development of SC tumors.
VERDICT-a plan for gravity compensation of inertial navigation systems

The effect of gravitational disturbances prior and subsequent to compensation with prepared maps for advanced tactical fighter application is quantified. The avionics issues associated with implementation of vertical deflection compensation are addressed. It is shown that a unique implementation concept designated the VERDICT (vertical deflection inertial compensation terminal) can provide the required compensation and is adaptable to a wide variety of inertial navigators. The authors document the validation of the VERDICT concept and present an approach to the hardware design of VERDICT. It is concluded that the combination of advanced mass storage and digital processing electronics, and the availability of large gravity databases from satellite altimetry make the VERDICT concept feasible for near-term implementation. >
An opportunity to address the genetic causes of birth defects.

Birth defects are the leading cause of infant death in the United States and a major cause of death and hospitalization among children of all ages. Despite the devastating impact of birth defects, we understand little of their etiology impeding progress towards treatment and prevention. Our inability to accurately predict, diagnose and treat the common sequelae of birth defects leaves the economic, social and public health burden of birth defects unacceptably high. Emerging genomic sequencing technologies provide an unprecedented opportunity to identify genetic variants, including those that cause birth defects. It is essential that we leverage these advances to enhance our understanding of birth defects. Such an effort will lead to new avenues for treatment and provide benefits to families, including improved understanding of the cause of a child’s condition and the risks to any future children. However, understanding the genetics of human birth defects presents many challenges. This White Paper outlines the need for a birth defect genomics initiative, the challenges to overcome, and suggested solutions. Ultimately, we conclude that understanding birth defects must be a trans-NIH effort and involve the development of a new type of interdisciplinary team working together in all aspects of the enterprise.
Einzelhandel in Läden – Ein Auslaufmodell?

„Handel ist Wandel“. Nie schien diese alte Weisheit aktueller. Das grose Sterben des letzten Jahrhunderts, ob das der Tante-Emma-Laden, der Supermarkte, der Fachgeschafte, der Warenhauser oder der Ladenpassagen, scheint eine Randnotiz der Geschichte vor den angefuhrten Umwalzungen dieser Tage. Die Bedrohung komme aus dem Netz. Dem Konsumenten stunden online kostengunstigere Einkaufsmoglichkeiten zur Verfugung, was zwangslaufig zum Austrocknen des stationaren Handels fuhren musse. Einzelhandler wurden zum digitalen Broker, in dem sie dem Verbraucher die Ware direkt vom Distributionslager nach Hause zustellen. Der Einzelhandel im engeren Sinne wurde sich somit schon kurzfristig selber abschaffen. Was bleibe, seien vereinzelte Restbestande, die aus Mitleid und Romantik gerade noch am Leben erhalten werden.
Probabilistic Inference on Twitter Data to Discover Suspicious Users and Malicious Content

While the power of social media on the Internet is undeniable, it has become a major weapon for launching cyberattacks against an organization and its people. Today, there is a growing number of cyberattacks being launched through social media such as posting of false content from hacked accounts, posting malicious URLs to spread malware, and others. In this paper, we present a simple and flexible unified framework called SocialKB for modeling social media posts and reasoning about them to ascertain their veracity, a first step towards discovering emerging cyber threats. SocialKB is based on Markov Logic Networks (MLNs), a popular representation in statistical relational learning. It learns a knowledge base (KB) on the social media posts and users' behavior in a unified manner. By conducting probabilistic inference on the KB, SocialKB can identify suspicious users and malicious content. In this work, we specifically focus on tweets posted by users on Twitter. Finally, we report an evaluation of SocialKB on 20,000 tweets and discuss our early inference results.
Fall Risk Evaluation by Electromyography Solutions

Falls are very dangerous events among elderly people. Several automatic fall detectors have been developed to reduce the time of the medical intervention, but they cannot avoid the injures due to the fall. The purpose of this study has been to identify a computational framework for the real-time and automatic detection of the fall risk, allowing the fast adoption of properly intervention strategies, to reduce injuries and traumas due to falls. A wearable, wireless and minimally invasive surface Electromyography (EMG)-based system has been used to measure four lower-limb muscles activities. Eleven young healthy subjects have simulated several fall events (through a movable platform) and normal Activities of Daily Living (ADLs) and their patterns have been analyzed. Highly discriminative features extracted within the EMG signals for the pre impact fall evaluation have been explored and a threshold-based approach has been adopted, assuring the real-time functioning. The threshold level for each feature has been set to distinguish an instability condition from normal activities. The proposed system seems able to recognize all falls with an average lead-time of 840 ms before the impact, in simulated and controlled fall conditions.
Changes over time of papillary thyroid carcinoma and total thyroidectomy rates.

e13081Background: Prior analyses have uncovered increases in thyroid carcinoma, but concluded these were largely artifacts of increased detection of small tumors. We hypothesized that examination o...
Managerial Self-Interest and Strategic Repurchases: Evidence from Equity Vesting Schedules

This paper studies the strategic use and timing of share repurchases by insiders for personal gain. Using grant level compensation data and a hand-collected sample of monthly repurchases, I find a positive causal relation between CEO equity sales and share repurchases. I identify the relation using the vesting schedule of equity grants as an instrument for equity sales. This behavior is stronger when the CEO is chairman of the board but otherwise is persistent across firm characteristics. However, these repurchases do not appear to destroy shareholder value. The results indicate CEO contracts motivate the timing of share repurchases.
The relation of erp indices of exercise to brain health and cognition

This chapter describes a program of research aimed at the relation of physical activity to brain health and cognition, with implications for scholastic achievement among youth. We describe a body of neurophysiological research that indicates that both chronic and acute physical activity relate to enhanced cognitive function, albeit over a different temporal duration. Such findings have important implications for public health in school age children, as physical activity stands to increase brain health and cognitive function during childhood and across the life span.
Complementarity between term-time forcing and delayed vaccination response in explaining irregular dynamics in childhood diseases

This paper investigates an SIR model with the following properties: (i) demographics are present. (ii) The fraction vaccinating at any time is dependent on past levels of disease prevalence with distributed delay. (iii) The maximum fraction vaccinating is bounded below one by medical contraindications or unshakeable beliefs among a sub-set of the population that the vaccination is not beneficial. (iv) Disease transmissibility is higher when school is in session than when it is not. Our main findings are that the time series of prevalence can exhibit irregular inter-epidemic intervals, and the profile of outbreaks can be highly variable over time—sometimes exhibiting single large peaks and sometimes clusters of closely-spaced lesser peaks.
Chalcones and Five-Membered Heterocyclic Isosteres Bind to Alpha Synuclein Fibrils in Vitro.

A series of chalcone and heterocyclic isosteres, in which the enone moiety was replaced with an isoxazole and pyrazole ring system, was synthesized and their affinities for alpha synuclein (Asyn), amyloid beta (Aβ), and tau fibrils were measured in vitro. The compounds were found to have a modest affinity and selectivity for Asyn versus Aβ fibrils and low affinity for tau fibrils. Insertion of a double bond to increase the extendable surface area resulted in an increase in affinity and improvement in selectivity for Asyn versus Aβ and tau fibrils. The results of this study indicate that compound 11 is a secondary lead compound for structure–activity relationship studies aimed at identifying a suitable compound for positron emission tomography-imaging studies of insoluble Asyn aggregates in Parkinson’s disease.
User Classification and Authentication for Mobile Device Based on Gesture Recognition

Intelligent mobile devices are now commonplace in daily life. A large amount of sensitive information is stored on these devices, raising severe concerns regarding data security. In this work, we propose a novel user classification and authentication scheme for mobile devices based on continuous gesture recognition. The user’s input patterns are collected by the integrated sensors on an Android smartphone. A learning algorithm is developed to uniquely recognize a user during their normal interaction with the device while accommodating hardware and biometric features that are constantly changing. Our experimental results demonstrate a great possibility for our gesture-based security scheme to reach sufficient detection accuracy with an undetectable impact on user experience.
Targeting the Stem Cell Plasticity of Tumor Cells

Cancer tissues consist of a heterogeneous cell population with diverse genetic and functional characteristics. The ability of cancer cells to survive depends upon the plasticity or adaptability of these cells to the ever-changing microenvironment. Understanding how cancer cells can evolve from one phenotype to another will help identify potential regulatory molecules as targets to better control the elusive and changing nature of cancer. In cancer cells, the reemergence of embryonic pathways, such as Nodal and Notch signaling, has been shown to play an important role in cancer biology. More specifically we have shown that these signaling pathways are correlated with tumor progression and phenotypic plasticity. One important example of phenotypic plasticity regulated by embryonic pathways such as Nodal is vasculogenic mimicry—the ability of tumor cells to acquire an endothelial phenotype and organize into fluid-conducting channels similar to blood vessels and capable of providing nutrients to the tumor mass. Our studies have shown that and others indicate that targeting Nodal or Notch signaling in aggressive tumor cells may provide useful means of inhibiting tumor progression and the plastic phenotype.
DYNORPHIN: DIFFERENTIAL INTERACTIONS WITH OPIATES AND PEPTIDES IN NAIVE AND MORPHINE TOLERANT MICE

Dynorphin-(1–13), a recently sequenced brain peptide, can significantly inhibit morphine- or B-endorphin-induced analgesia, but not DALA, Sandoz FK33824 and ethylketocyclazocine-induced analgesia in naive mice. However, in morphine tolerant animals, dynorphin potentiates the analgesic effects of all agonists.
Auditory–visual misalignment: A theoretical perspective on vocabulary delays in children with ASD

In this commentary, we describe a novel theoretical perspective on vocabulary delays in children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD)-a perspective we refer to as auditory-visual misalignment. We synthesize empirical evidence that: (a) as a result of differences in both social and nonsocial visual attention, the auditory-visual statistics available to children with ASD for early word learning are misaligned; (b) this auditory-visual misalignment disrupts word learning and contributes to the vocabulary delays shown by children with ASD; and (c) adopting a perspective of auditory-visual misalignment has important theoretical and clinical implications for understanding and supporting vocabulary development in children with ASD. Theoretically, the auditory-visual misalignment perspective advances our understanding of how attentional differences impact vocabulary development in children with ASD in several ways. By adopting the point of view of the child, we provide a framework that brings together research on social and domain-general visual attention differences in children with ASD. In addition, the auditory-visual misalignment perspective moves current thinking beyond how misalignment disrupts vocabulary development in the moment, and considers the likely consequences of misalignment over developmental time. Finally, considering auditory-visual misalignment may assist in identifying active ingredients of existing language interventions or in developing new interventions that deliver high quality, aligned input. Future research is needed to determine how manipulating auditory-visual alignment changes word learning in ASD and whether the effects of auditory-visual misalignment are unique to ASD or shared with other neurodevelopmental disorders or sources of language impairment. Autism Research 2018, 11: 1621-1628. © 2018 International Society for Autism Research, Wiley Periodicals, Inc. LAY SUMMARY: This article describes a new way of thinking about vocabulary delays in children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). We suggest that children with ASD may have difficulty learning words because their attention is not tuned in to what is most important for learning, creating a mismatch between what they see and what they hear. This perspective brings together research on different types of attentional differences in people with ASD. It may also help us to understand how language interventions work.
Life-saving vascular access after combined liver and kidney transplantation: A challenging access to the right atrium:

Exhaustion of vascular accesses is a major complication in patients undergoing hemodialysis, especially in pediatric setting. We report the case of a boy treated for loss of hemodialysis access after a combined liver-kidney transplantation and transient renal dysfunction. An interventional dilatation of calcific superior vena cava allowed to insert a stable central venous line for dialysis until full graft recovery. Careful management of central lines allows to spare the main vessels and reduces the need for unusual accesses.
The Dangerous Middle: Situational Awareness and Worker Perception of Beetle Kill

Forest workers, including loggers, foresters, and wildland firefighters, are regularly exposed to some of the most fatal occupational environments in the United States. These hazardous work environments may become even more complex and dynamic when subject to bark beetle outbreaks that have resulted in significant tree mortality. The impacts of tree death from bark beetles are significant, with the cumulative 17-year (2000-2016) footprint for bark beetle caused tree mortality estimated at 54 million acres. However, how workers think about and act in these environments is understudied. This study, therefore, approaches the issue of beetle kill and forest worker safety by examining the perspectives or workers themselves. Its contribution is to leverage ethnographic research to provide insights that can generate new research questions, better inform outreach, and ultimately improve worker safety outcomes. The resulting insights show that beetle kill was understood by workers as a hazard that increased the complexity and dynamism of the work environment, making situational awareness both more necessary and more difficult to maintain. While much research about situational awareness focuses on hazardous situations, it is suggested that building adequate situational awareness should also include broader considerations of organizational communication, as well as training and experience considered over the course of entire careers.
Structural characterization of monoclonal antibodies targeting C-terminal Ser404region of phosphorylated tau protein.

Targeting tau with immunotherapies is currently the most common approach taken in clinical trials of patients with Alzheimer’s disease. The most prominent pathological feature of tau is its hyperph...
Online Support Group Participation and Social Support: Incorporating Identification and Interpersonal Bonds:

An increasing number of people with chronic diseases exchange social support using online support groups (OSGs). However, there is little understanding of group communication mechanisms that underp...
Review of the Test of Mathematical Abilities—2 (TOMA-2)

The Test of Mathematical Abilities—2 (TOMA-2; Brown, Cronin, & McEntire, 1994) provides information concerning attitudes about mathematics, mathematical vocabulary, application of information, comp...
Analysis of malaria death cases in Henan Province from 2010 to 2015

Objective To retrospectively overview the malaria death cases reported in Henan Province and analyze the cause of death. Methods The data including basic information, epidemiological survey and medical records of malaria death cases in Henan Province from 2010 to 2015 were collected and analyzed. Results In the six years, a total of 14 malaria patients were dead. All the death patients were adult males and imported from Africa. They had definite histories of living in malaria-epidemic areas and the symptoms of fever. Twelve patients were diagnosed as malaria after at least twice diagnoses. The average time from symptom appearing to correct diagnosis was 6.5 d. The causes of deaths were misdiagnosis and delayed treatment. Conclusions The major reasons of malaria death cases in Henan Province are the failure of correct diagnosis and prompt treatment. Health education of malaria prevention and diagnosis and treatment training of malaria should be strengthened in order to improve the public awareness and the diagnosis ability of clinical doctors for malaria, which can prevent the death of imported malaria cases.
A novel mouse model for the study of endogenous neural stem and progenitor cells after traumatic brain injury

Traumatic brain injury (TBI) is a leading cause of death and disability in the US. Neural stem/progenitor cells (NSPCs) persist in the adult brain and represent a potential cell source for tissue regeneration and wound healing after injury. The Notch signaling pathway is critical for embryonic development and adult brain injury response. However, the specific role of Notch signaling in the injured brain is not well characterized. Our previous study has established a Notch1CR2-GFP reporter mouse line in which the Notch1CR2 enhancer directs GFP expression in NSPCs and their progeny. In this study, we performed closed head injury (CHI) in the Notch1CR2-GFP mice to study the response of injury-activated NSPCs. We show that CHI induces neuroinflammation, cell death, and the expression of typical TBI markers (e.g., ApoE, Il1b, and Tau), validating the animal model. In addition, CHI induces cell proliferation in GFP+ cells expressing NSPC markers, e.g., Notch1 and Nestin. A significant higher percentage of GFP+ astrocytes and GABAergic neurons was observed in the injured brain, with no significant change in oligodendrocyte lineage between the CHI and sham animal groups. Since injury is known to activate astrogliosis, our results suggest that injury-induced GFP+ NSPCs preferentially differentiate into GABAergic neurons. Our study establishes that Notch1CR2-GFP transgenic mouse is a useful tool for the study of NSPC behavior in vivo after TBI. Unveiling the potential of NSPCs response to TBI (e.g., proliferation and differentiation) will identify new therapeutic strategy for the treatment of brain trauma.
Exploring Cultural Niche Construction from the Paleolithic to Modern Hunter-Gatherers

Niche construction is an evolutionary process through which organisms modify their environments, thereby altering the selection pressures on future generations. Cultural niche construction theory concentrates on those changes made by the spread of socially learned traits or to the evolutionary niche in which these learned traits evolve. We present a number of cultural niche construction models exploring important cultural processes that are either unique to, or uniquely well developed in, modern humans. We assess the role of these processes in the success of humans compared to other now extinct Homo species.
Real-time contrast-enhanced ultrasound imaging using pulse inversion spectral deconvolution

Contrast-enhanced ultrasound (CEUS) involves the use of a microbubbles (MB) contrast agent and specialized ultrasound (US) imaging techniques. Any progress that can improve image quality and contrast, could positively impact patient management. Herein we introduce the concept of nonlinear filtering of backscattered US data for separating the tissue and MB signal components. Termed pulse inversion spectral deconvolution (PISD), this method does not require multiple pulse transmissions, which is typical for many nonlinear US imaging modes. Our new PISD-based CEUS approach uses two Gaussian-weighted Hermite polynomials (GH) to form two inverted pulse sequences. The two inverted pulses are then used to filter US backscattered data and discrimination of the linear and nonlinear signal components. A programmable US scanner (Vantage 256, Verasonics Inc) equipped with a linear array transducer was implemented with real-time PISD-based CEUS imaging. The receive data from all channels were shaped using plane wave imaging beamforming with angular compounding (1 to 9 angles). In vitro data was collected using a tissue-mimicking flow phantom perfused with a MB contrast agent (Definity, Lantheus Medical Imaging) using both PISD and traditional nonlinear US imaging as comparison. Contrast enhancement was quantified by computing the contrast-to-tissue ratio (CTR). Preliminary in vivo data was collected in the hindlimb of a healthy mouse. These in vitro and in vivo results collectively show that PISD-based CEUS imaging yields improved image contrast compared to the more traditional nonlinear US imaging approach.
School-Based Practicum: Exploring the Experiences of Student Clinicians, Supervisors, and New Employees

Purpose Data collected by the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA) consistently show that over 50% of ASHA-certified speech-language pathologists (SLPs) are employed in a school-base...
Characterization of Markerless Tumor Tracking Using the On-Board Imager of a Commercial Linear Accelerator Equipped With Fast-kV Switching Dual-Energy Imaging.

Abstract Purpose To describe and characterize fast-kV switching, dual-energy (DE) imaging implemented within the on-board imager of a commercial linear accelerator for markerless tumor tracking (MTT). Methods and Materials Fast-kV switching, DE imaging provides for rapid switching between programmed tube voltages (ie, 60 and 120 kVp) from one image frame to the next. To characterize this system, the weighting factor used for logarithmic subtraction and signal difference-to-noise ratio were analyzed as a function of time and frame rate. MTT was evaluated using a thorax motion phantom and fast kV, DE imaging was compared versus single energy (SE) imaging over 360 degrees of rotation. A template-based matching algorithm was used to track target motion on both DE and SE sequences. Receiver operating characteristics were used to compare tracking results for both modalities. Results The weighting factor was inversely related to frame rate and stable over time. After applying the frame rate–dependent weighting factor, the signal difference-to-noise ratio was consistent across all frame rates considered for simulated tumors ranging from 5 to 25 mm in diameter. An analysis of receiver operating characteristics curves showed improved tracking with DE versus SE imaging. The area under the curve for the 10-mm target ranged from 0.821 to 0.858 for SE imaging versus 0.968 to 0.974 for DE imaging. Moreover, the residual tracking errors for the same target size ranged from 2.02 to 2.18 mm versus 0.79 to 1.07 mm for SE and DE imaging, respectively. Conclusions Fast-kV switching, DE imaging was implemented on the on-board imager of a commercial linear accelerator. DE imaging resulted in improved MTT accuracy over SE imaging. Such an approach may have application for MTT of patients with lung cancer receiving stereotactic body radiation therapy, particularly for small tumors where MTT with SE imaging may fail.
Structural Police Deception in American Police Interrogation: A Closer Look at Minimization and Maximization

Deception is one of the most distinctive features of American police interrogations of criminal suspects. For example, false evidence ploys, a routine police interrogation technique, are designed to make the suspect believe — through intentional misrepresentations — that he has no choice but to confess because the police possess highly incriminating evidence against him. While scholars have written extensively about the use, effects, and morality of false evidence ploys, this chapter argues that police use of deception in interrogations should be understood in the broader context of the American adversary system. After a brief literature review, Part II of this chapter describes the structure of American police interrogations and argues that they are strategically manipulative and deceptive because they occur in the context of a fundamental contradiction. Police need incriminating statements and admissions to solve crimes; however, it is almost always against the suspect's self-interest to incriminate himself during an interrogation. American police interrogations are inherently deceptive because they are designed to obscure this adversarial nature. Regardless of the technique used, interrogations rely on making the suspect believe (falsely) that confessing is actually in his self-interest. Part III discusses the psychology of evidence ploys and different types of false evidence ploys that have been recognized by scholars as deceptive techniques. Part IV focuses on minimization and maximization interrogation techniques (implying that a suspect will receive more lenient treatment if she confesses and harsher treatment if she does not) and reframes them as not only psychologically coercive, but as deceptive interrogation techniques integral to the psychology and structure of modern American police interrogation. This chapter concludes with a discussion of the implications of using this broader conceptual framework to understand police deception during interrogation.
Procedures Matter: Strong Voice, Evaluations of Policy Performance, and Regime Support:

Many scholars assume that policy performance determines popular support for political systems. Yet in the wake of recent economic crises, patterns of performance and regime support have diverged in...
Twelve tips to present an effective webinar

Educators are increasingly invited to present via webinars rather than in-person. Webinars offer multiple advantages over in-person presentations, including the ability to speak to participants across a wide geographic area and the possibility of reduced financial and time costs for the webinar organizer, speakers, and participants. To capitalize on these advantages, educators need strategies to present effectively using this medium. Here we provide 12 tips for effective webinar presentations based upon best practices identified in the literature and the authors' experience organizing educational webinars. The 12 tips are: (1) Learn webinar logistics, (2) Conduct a needs assessment, (3) Write specific learning objectives, (4) Attend a webinar, (5) Create clear, engaging slides, (6) Develop interactive learning activities, (7) Familiarize yourself with the technology, (8) Practice your presentation, (9) Be organized, prepared, and energetic, (10) Evaluate participant learning, (11) Learn from feedback, and (12) Share your experience with the organizer. We hope these tips help presenters improve the quality and effectiveness of their webinars.
Fiduciary Duties (from Corporations in 100 Pages)

This is the fifth chapter of the book Corporations in 100 Pages (2020), authored by Holger Spamann, Scott Hirst, and Gabriel Rauterberg. The book is an introduction to corporate law for students and anyone else interested in the foundations of corporate law. The book provides an accessible, self-contained presentation of the field’s essentials: what corporations are, how they are governed, their interactions with their investors, and other stakeholders, major transactions (M&A), and parallels with other legal entities, including partnerships. Optional background chapters cover the investor ecosystem, contemporary corporate governance, and corporate finance. The book’s exposition of doctrine and policy is nuanced and sophisticated, yet short and simple enough for a quick read. In addition to this Chapter 5 of the book (“Fiduciary Duties”), we have also made available on SSRN Chapter 1 of the book (“Corporations & Corporate Law”) (https://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=3655213), and Chapter 7 (“Mergers & Acquisitions”) (https://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=3655218). Chapter 5 explains the law governing “Fiduciary Duties,” which are legal duties imposed on specific individuals (“fiduciaries”) who exercise power on behalf of others. The chapter first provides an overview of corporate fiduciary duties: who owes what to whom, and introduces the principal fiduciary duties of care and of loyalty. The chapter then distinguishes standards of conduct and standards of review, and explains the two main standards of review that apply to fiduciary duties in corporate law, the “business judgment rule” and “entire fairness.” The chapter then explains how these standards of review apply to the paradigm cases of self-dealing and mere carelessness, as well as to cases involving corporate opportunities, bad faith, knowing violations of law, and (lack of) candor or oversight.
Economic Development and Energy: From Fad to Sustainable Discipline?

Energy-based economic development (EBED) can provide economic, social, and environmental benefits, such as job creation, industry development, and alternative energy deployment. The United States has recently devoted substantial financial support to EBED efforts. Although early assessments of these efforts are promising, the discipline is at risk of becoming compromised or discredited. It lacks a basic framework, common definitions, and clear goals, which is problematic for a field that requires cross-disciplinary coordination and collaboration. Most EBED evaluation efforts take place before a project is under way; without enough post-project analyses, practitioners are left with unreliable impact estimates. Finally, like early-stage energy technologies themselves, EBED relies heavily on potentially unpredictable or inconsistent funding. These factors render many practitioners ill-equipped to effectively plan, implement, and evaluate specific EBED initiatives. This study offers a working definition, typical goals, and categories of approach with the aim to mitigate difficulties in communication and understanding across disciplines.
Discovery of Clinically Relevant Fusions in Pediatric Cancer

AO_SCPLOWBSTRACTC_SCPLOWO_ST_ABSBackgroundC_ST_ABSPediatric cancers typically have a distinct genomic landscape when compared to adult cancers and frequently carry somatic gene fusion events that alter gene expression and drive tumorigenesis. Sensitive and specific detection of gene fusions through the analysis of next-generation-based RNA sequencing (RNA-Seq) data is computationally challenging and may be confounded by low tumor cellularity or underlying genomic complexity. Furthermore, numerous computational tools are available to identify fusions from supporting RNA-Seq reads, yet each algorithm demonstrates unique variability in sensitivity and precision, and no clearly superior approach currently exists. To overcome these challenges, we have developed an ensemble fusion calling approach to increase the accuracy of identifying fusions. ResultsOur ensemble fusion detection approach utilizes seven fusion calling algorithms: Arriba, CICERO, FusionMap, FusionCatcher, JAFFA, MapSplice, and STAR-Fusion, which are packaged as a fully automated pipeline using Docker and AWS serverless technology. This method uses paired end RNA-Seq sequence reads as input, and the output from each algorithm is examined to identify fusions detected by a consensus of at least three algorithms. These consensus fusion results are filtered by comparison to an internal database to remove likely artifactual fusions occurring at high frequencies in our internal cohort, while a "known fusion list" prevents failure to report known pathogenic events. We have employed the ensemble fusion-calling pipeline on RNA-Seq data from 229 patients with pediatric cancer or blood disorders studied under an IRB-approved protocol. The samples consist of 138 central nervous system tumors, 73 solid tumors, and 18 hematologic malignancies or disorders. The combination of an ensemble fusion-calling pipeline and a knowledge-based filtering strategy identified 67 clinically relevant fusions among our cohort (diagnostic yield of 29.3%), including RBPMS-MET, BCAN-NTRK1, and TRIM22-BRAF fusions. Following clinical confirmation and reporting in the patients medical record, both known and novel fusions provided medically meaningful information. ConclusionsOur ensemble fusion detection pipeline offers a streamlined approach to discover fusions in cancer, at higher levels of sensitivity and accuracy than single algorithm methods. Furthermore, this method accurately identifies driver fusions in pediatric cancer, providing clinical impact by contributing evidence to diagnosis and, when appropriate, indicating targeted therapies.
Synthetic Biology Brings New Challenges to Managing Biosecurity and Biosafety

Novel biology technologies like gene editing and genetic engineering are creating a proliferation of breakthroughs in engineered biological systems that will change our world in areas ranging from medicine, to textiles, to energy. New developments in gene editing technologies, especially CRISPR-Cas9, have shown early signs of extraordinary potential in a variety of fields, including from basic research, applied biotechnology, and biomedical research. While the possibility of directly targeting and modifying genomic sequences in almost all eukaryotic cells could significantly improve standards of living, these technologies have the potential to pose serious biological hazards.
Sec. 7434 Claim Can Proceed Where W-2 Employees are, Instead, Fraudulently Issued Forms 1099

In Greenwald v. Regency Management, LLC, the Maryland District Court permitted a Sec. 7434(a) claim to proceed where the firms former employees were issued Forms 1099, as independent contractors, instead of the Forms W-2, as employees, that they had received from the employer in previous years. Sec. 7434(a) permits an action for civil damages against individuals who file fraudulent information returns. The application of Sec. 7434 has not been uniform across the district courts that have considered it. Greenwald, and similar cases discussed in this article, focused on the issuance of Forms 1099 to individuals who should have, instead, received a Form W-2 from the employer. Sec. 7434(a) creates a significant private right of action against those employers, separate from the administrative remedies available via the Internal Revenue Service.
EFFECT OF HILLSLOPE ANGLE AND SUBSTRATE ON TREE TILT, AND DENUDATION OF HILLSLOPES BY TREE FALL

Although the question of whether tilted trees indicate hillslope instability has been discussed by previous authors, few systematic measurements have been made. In Giles County, Virginia, tree-tilt measurements were made on 30 trees at each of seven sites. Sites included topographic noses, side slopes, boulder streams, and talus, with slope angles ranging from 6° to 39°. Trees on steep boulder streams are tilted more than those on noses or side slopes with comparable slope angles, but this difference could result from a difference in tree types. On one very steep (39°) fine-grained talus, however, tilt of all types of trees is great, the average tilt from the vertical being 29.1°. Tilt at this location probably reflects slope instability, although evidence suggests that this instability is not simple creep. In a second study, calculations were made of the importance of tree fall for hillslope erosion. The volumes of all tree-fall pits within a 4-hectare area on a steep shale nose were measured, and, using...
Footprints of ancient‐balanced polymorphisms in genetic variation data from closely related species

When long-lasting, balancing selection can lead to “trans-species” polymorphisms that are shared by two or more species identical by descent. In such cases, the gene genealogy at the selected site clusters by allele instead of by species, and nearby neutral sites also have unusual genealogies because of linkage. While this scenario is expected to leave discernible footprints in genetic variation data, the specific patterns remain poorly characterized. Motivated by recent findings in primates, we focus on the case of a biallelic polymorphism under ancient balancing selection and derive approximations for summaries of the polymorphism data from two species. Specifically, we characterize the length of the segment that carries most of the footprints, the expected number of shared neutral single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs), and the patterns of allelic associations among them. We confirm the accuracy of our approximations by coalescent simulations. We further show that for humans and chimpanzees—more generally, for pairs of species with low genetic diversity levels—these patterns are highly unlikely to be generated by neutral recurrent mutations. We discuss the implications for the design and interpretation of genome scans for ancient balanced polymorphisms in primates and other taxa.
Studies on the Formation of Transfer Ribonucleic Acid-Ribosome Complexes: VI. Oligopeptide synthesis and translocation on ribosomes in the presence and absence of soluble transfer factors

Abstract Protein synthesis is the result of a series of coupled events, many of which can be measured. In this report, the determination of the synthesis of peptides of chain length three and greater was used as a measure of translocation, the movement of the ribosome along the polyribonucleotide template. Translocation was observed both in the presence and absence of one added soluble transfer factor with the use of a polyuridylic acid template; with the use of a polyadenylic acid template, translocation required the transfer factor (Factor G). Characteristics of oligophenylalanine formation in the presence and absence of Factor G suggested several conclusions. The lack of secondary structure of polyuridylic acid templates probably permits oligophenylalanine synthesis in the absence of any additional supernatant transfer factor. High magnesium (g0.04 m) inhibits protein synthesis through its inhibition of translocation; this inhibition is independent of Factor G and therefore is an effect on the template-ribosome-transfer RNA complex. In contrast, the steroid antibiotic fusidic acid inhibits translocation through an effect on Factor G itself.
One-Dimensional Lorentz Gas with Rotating Scatterers: Exact Solutions

The simplest solutions (orbits) to the recently introduced Lorentz gas with rotating scatterers are found by considering its one-dimensional one-particle reduction. This model has only one parameter which can be viewed as the amount of energy transfer between the scatterers and the particle during a collision. Exact solutions of the system are found for several values of this parameter. For some of these values, the dynamics is shown to be in many respects similar to the dynamics of the deterministic Lorentz lattice gases.