cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Linguistic hybridization in K-Pop: discourse of self-assertion and resistance

Abstract: English mixing in Korean popular music (K-Pop) is prevalent and heterogeneous in its forms and functions. The size of a mixed English constituent in K-Pop lyrics varies from a single word to an entire song. The manifestation of linguistic sophistication differs from Koreanized English only intelligible to the Korean public to American English with African American Vernacular English (AAVE) features. Functions of English mixing are also varied from a simple attention-getter for stylistic purposes to assertion of liberated self and exercising freedom of speech. K-Pop is a sociolinguistic breathing space for young South Koreans to construct identity and socially connect with others. The findings of the study show that K-Pop provides discursive space for South Korean youth to assert their self-identity, to create new meanings, to challenge dominant representations of authority, to resist mainstream norms and values, and to reject older generations’ conservatism. English is used as discourse of resistance. Young South Korean artists are empowered by tactical English switches into Korean. Appropriations between global and local dialogues yield resultant linguistic hybrids. Mixing two language codes epitomizes South Korean youth's battle with their unsettling identities in dealing with the tension between global and local dialogues to which they are simultaneously exposed.
Distribution of Na+, K+‐ATPase α‐Subunit Isoforms in Rat Pituitary

The distributions of alpha-subunit isoforms of the Na+,K(+)-ATPase in rat pituitary were determined by immunoblotting and immunohistochemistry. Immunoreactivity for all three forms is present in the neural lobe, whereas the anterior lobe contains only alpha 1 and alpha 2. Most areas of the intermediate lobe exhibit faint immunoreactivity for only alpha 1, but thin strands of cells which stain strongly for all three isoforms are also present in this lobe. The previously reported ouabain inhibitable Na+,K(+)-ATPase activity in the neural lobe is consistent with the presence of both alpha 2 and alpha 3 subunits.
Genome-Wide Characterization of Endogenous Retroviruses in the Bat Myotis lucifugus Reveals Recent and Diverse Infections

Bats are increasingly recognized as reservoir species for a variety of zoonotic viruses that pose severe threats to human health. While many RNA viruses have been identified in bats, little is known about bat retroviruses. Endogenous retroviruses (ERVs) represent genomic fossils of past retroviral infections and, thus, can inform us on the diversity and history of retroviruses that have infected a species lineage. Here, we took advantage of the availability of a high-quality genome assembly for the little brown bat, Myotis lucifugus, to systematically identify and analyze ERVs in this species. We mined an initial set of 362 potentially complete proviruses from the three main classes of ERVs, which were further resolved into 13 major families and 86 subfamilies by phylogenetic analysis. Consensus or representative sequences for each of the 86 subfamilies were then merged to the Repbase collection of known ERV/long terminal repeat (LTR) elements to annotate the retroviral complement of the bat genome. The results show that nearly 5% of the genome assembly is occupied by ERV-derived sequences, a quantity comparable to findings for other eutherian mammals. About one-fourth of these sequences belong to subfamilies newly identified in this study. Using two independent methods, intraelement LTR divergence and analysis of orthologous loci in two other bat species, we found that the vast majority of the potentially complete proviruses identified in M. lucifugus were integrated in the last ~25 million years. All three major ERV classes include recently integrated proviruses, suggesting that a wide diversity of retroviruses is still circulating in Myotis bats.
Predawn plant water potential does not necessarily equilibrate with soil water potential under well-watered conditions

Predawn leaf water potential (Ψ w) and xylem pressure potential (Ψ p ) are expected to be in equilibrium with the soil water potential (soil Ψ w ) around roots of well-watered plants. We surveyed 21 plant species (de- sert, chaparral, and coastal salt marsh species, as well as two temperate tree and two crop species) for departures from this expectation and for two potential mechanisms explaining the departures. We measured soil Ψ w , leaf Ψ w , and xylem Ψ p in the glasshouse under well-watered conditions that eliminated soil moisture heterogeneity and ensured good soil-root hydraulic continuity. Most species failed to equilibrate fully with soil Ψ w , depend- ing on whether leaf Ψ w or xylem Ψ p was used as the measure of predawn plant water potential. The contribu- tion of nighttime transpiration to predawn disequilibrium was assessed by comparing plants with bagged canopies (enclosed overnight in plastic bags to eliminate transpi- ration) to plants with unbagged canopies. Nighttime tran- spiration significantly reduced predawn xylem Ψ p for 16 of 21 species and the magnitude of this contribution to predawn disequilibrium was large (0.50-0.87 MPa) in four woody species: Atriplex confertifolia, Batis maritima, Larrea tridentata, and Sarcobatus vermicula- tus. The contribution of nighttime transpiration to pre- dawn disequilibrium was not more prevalent in mesic compared with xeric or desert phreatophytic compared with non-phreatophytic species. Even with bagging that eliminated nighttime transpiration, plants did not neces- sarily equilibrate with soil Ψ w . Plant xylem Ψ p or leaf Ψ w were significantly more negative than soil Ψ w for 15 of 15 species where soil Ψ w was measured. Predawn dis- equilibrium based on leaf Ψ w was of large magnitude (0.50-2.34 MPa) for seven of those 15 species, predomi- nately halophytes and Larrea tridentata. A portion of the discrepancy between leaf and soil Ψ w is consistent with the putative mechanism of high concentrations of leaf apoplastic solutes as previously modeled for a halophyte, but an additional portion remains unexplained. Predawn leaf Ψ w and xylem Ψ p may not reflect soil Ψ w , particu- larly for woody plants and halophytes, even under well- watered conditions.
Improved Working Memory but No Effect on Striatal Vesicular Monoamine Transporter Type 2 after Omega-3 Polyunsaturated Fatty Acid Supplementation

Studies in rodents indicate that diets deficient in omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (n–3 PUFA) lower dopamine neurotransmission as measured by striatal vesicular monoamine transporter type 2 (VMAT2) density and amphetamineinduced dopamine release. This suggests that dietary supplementation with fish oil might increase VMAT2 availability, enhance dopamine storage and release, and improve dopamine-dependent cognitive functions such as working memory. To investigate this mechanism in humans, positron emission tomography (PET) was used to measure VMAT2 availability preand post-supplementation of n–3 PUFA in healthy individuals. Healthy young adult subjects were scanned with PET using [ 11 C]-(+)-a-dihydrotetrabenzine (DTBZ) before and after six months of n–3 PUFA supplementation (Lovaza, 2 g/day containing docosahexaenonic acid, DHA 750 mg/d and eicosapentaenoic acid, EPA 930 mg/d). In addition, subjects underwent a working memory task (n-back) and red blood cell membrane (RBC) fatty acid composition analysis pre- and post-supplementation. RBC analysis showed a significant increase in both DHA and EPA post-supplementation. In contrast, no significant change in [ 11 C]DTBZ binding potential (BPND) in striatum and its subdivisions were observed after supplementation with n–3 PUFA. No correlation was evident between n–3 PUFA induced change in RBC DHA or EPA levels and change in [ 11 C]DTBZ BPND in striatal subdivisions. However, pre-supplementation RBC DHA levels was predictive of baseline performance (i.e., adjusted hit rate, AHR on 3-back) on the n-back task (y=0.19+0.07, r 2 =0.55, p=0.009). In addition, subjects AHR performance improved on 3-back post-supplementation (pre 0.6560.27, post 0.8060.15, p=0.04). The correlation between n-back performance, and DHA levels are consistent with reports in which higher DHA levels is related to improved cognitive performance. However, the lack of change in [ 11 C]DBTZ BPND indicates that striatal VMAT2 regulation is not the mechanism of action by which n–3 PUFA improves cognitive performance.
Use of social media by residency program directors for resident selection

Purpose Pharmacy residency program directors’ attitudes and opinions regarding the use of social media in residency recruitment and selection were studied. Methods A 24-item questionnaire was developed, pilot tested, revised, and sent to 996 residency program directors via SurveyMonkey.com. Demographic, social media usage, and opinions on social media data were collected and analyzed. Results A total of 454 residency program directors completed the study (response rate, 46.4%). The majority of respondents were women (58.8%), were members of Generation X (75.4%), and worked in a hospital or health system (80%). Most respondents (73%) rated themselves as either nonusers or novice users of social media. Twenty percent indicated that they had viewed a pharmacy residency applicant’s social media information. More than half (52%) had encountered e-professionalism issues, including questionable photos and posts revealing unprofessional attitudes, and 89% strongly agreed or agreed that information voluntarily published online was fair game for judgments on character, attitudes, and professionalism. Only 4% of respondents had reviewed applicants’ profiles for residency selection decisions. Of those respondents, 52% indicated that the content had no effect on resident selection. Over half of residency program directors were unsure whether they will use social media information for future residency selection decisions. Conclusion Residency program directors from different generations had different views regarding social media information and its use in residency applicant selections. Residency program directors anticipated using social media information to aid in future decisions for resident selection and hiring.
Impact of climate change on soil erosion, runoff, and wheat productivity in central Oklahoma

The potential for global climate changes to increase the risk of soil erosion is clear, but the actual damage is not. The objectives of this study were to evaluate the potential impacts of climate change on soil erosion, surface runoff, and wheat productivity in central Oklahoma. Monthly projections were used from the Hadley Centre’s general circulation model, HadCM3, using scenarios A2a, B2a, and GGa1 for the periods of 1950–1999 and 2070–2099. Projected changes in monthly precipitation and temperature distributions between the two periods were incorporated into daily weather series by means of a stochastic weather generator (CLIGEN) with its input parameters adjusted to each scenario. The Water Erosion Prediction Project (WEPP) model was run for four climate scenarios including a recent historical climate and three tillage systems (conventional tillage, conservation tillage, and no-till). HadCM3-projected mean annual precipitation during 2070–2099 at El Reno, Oklahoma decreased by 13.6%, 7.2%, and 6.2% for A2a, B2a, and GGa1, respectively; and mean annual temperature increased by 5.7, 4.0, and 4.7 8C, respectively. Predicted average annual soil loss in the tillage systems other than no-till, compared with historical climate (1950–1999), increased by 18–30% for A2a, remained similar for B2a, and increased by 67–82% for GGa1. Predicted soil loss in no-till did not increase in the three scenarios. Predicted mean annual runoff in all three tillage systems increased by 16–25% for A2a, remained similar for B2a, and increased by 6–19% for GGa1. The greater increases in soil loss and runoff in GGa1 were attributed to greater variability in monthly precipitation as projected by HadCM3. The increased variability led to increased frequency of large storms. Small changes in wheat yield, which ranged from a 5% decrease in B2a to a 5% increase in GGa1, were because the adverse effects of the temperature increase on winter wheat growth were largely offset by CO2 rise as well as the bulky decrease in precipitation occurred outside the growing
Restaurants in the Sky: Consumer Preference for Brand Name Foods In-Flight

ABSTRACT Increased airline spending on foodservice has not resulted in an increase in the perception of food quality by airline passengers. Airline co-branding with popular branded restaurant concepts is a strategy for positively increasing the perception of in-flight meal quality. Using a structural equation modeling approach, this research effort proposed and tested a simple model for the inclusion of branded restaurant concepts in-flight. U.S. airline passengers were asked to rate their preference for 30 restaurant chains if their products were to be included in-flight. The data were analyzed using AMOS 4.0. The results showed that chicken segments-Popeye's and KFC were most desired in-flight followed by the quick-service chains Subway, Taco Bell, and Wendy's. Pizza concepts-Pizza Hut and Papa John's placed third while dinner house concepts Applebee's, Romano's Macaroni Grill, and Ruth Chris Steakhouse were least desired in-flight by survey respondents.
The concurrency control problem in multidatabases: characteristics and solutions

A Multidatabase System (MDBS) is a collection of local database management systems, each of which may follow a different concurrency control protocol. This heterogeneity makes the task of ensuring global serializability in an MDBS environment difficult. In this paper, we reduce the problem of ensuring global serializability to the problem of ensuring serializability in a centralized database system. We identify characteristics of the concurrency control problem in an MDBS environment, and additional requirements on concurrency control schemes for ensuring global serializability. We then develop a range of concurrency control schemes that ensure global serializability in an MDBS environment, and at the same time meet the requirements. Finally, we study the tradeoffs between the complexities of the various schemes and the degree of concurrency provided by each of them.
SDRT: A reliable data transport protocol for underwater sensor networks

In this paper, we investigate the reliable data transfer problem in underwater sensor networks. Underwater sensor networks are significantly different from terrestrial sensor networks in two aspects: acoustic channels are used for communications and most sensor nodes are mobile due to water current. These distinctions feature underwater sensor networks with low available bandwidth, large propagation delay, highly dynamic network topology, and high error probability, which pose many new challenges for reliable data transfer in underwater sensor networks. In this paper, we propose a protocol, called segmented data reliable transfer (SDRT), to achieve reliable data transfer in underwater sensor network scenarios. SDRT is essentially a hybrid approach of ARQ and FEC. It adopts efficient erasure codes, transferring encoded packets block by block and hop-by-hop. Compared with traditional reliable data transfer protocols, SDRT can reduce the total number of transmitted packets significantly, improve channel utilization, and simplify protocol management. In addition, we develop a mathematic model to estimate the expected number of packets actually needed in SDRT with SVT codes. Based on this model, we devise a new window control mechanism to further reduce energy consumption which is introduced by large propagation delay of acoustic channels. Moreover, this model enables us to set the appropriate size of the block to address the mobility of the nodes in the network. We conduct simulations to evaluate our model and SDRT. The results show that our model can closely predict the number of packets actually needed, and SDRT is energy efficient, and can achieve high channel utilization.
Mitochondrial and sarcolemmal Ca2+ transport reduce [Ca2+]i during caffeine contractures in rabbit cardiac myocytes

1. Contraction and intracellular Ca2+ (Ca2+i) transients were measured in isolated rabbit ventricular myocytes during twitches and contractures induced by rapid application of 10 mM-caffeine. 2. The amplitude of caffeine-induced contractures and the accompanying Ca2+i transients were larger than during normal twitches and also declined more slowly. This may be because only a fraction of sarcoplasmic reticulum (SR) Ca2+ is released during a normal twitch, or because of a temporal overlap of SR Ca2+ release and uptake during the twitch. 3. When a caffeine contracture was initiated in Na(+)-free, Ca(2+)-free medium (to prevent sarcolemmal Na(+)-Ca2+ exchange) the contracture and Ca2+i transient were larger and decreased much more slowly. Thus, Ca2+ extrusion via Na(+)-Ca2+ exchange may limit the amplitude of caffeine-induced contractures. 4. Relaxation half-time (t1/2) for the twitch (0.17 +/- 0.03 s) was increased to 0.54 +/- 0.07 s for caffeine contractures in control solution and 8.8 +/- 1 s for caffeine-induced contractures in Na(+)-free, Ca(2+)-free solution. These results confirm that the SR Ca2+ pump and Na(+)-Ca2+ exchange are the predominant mechanisms for cytoplasmic Ca2+ removal during relaxation. However slower mechanisms can still reduce intracellular [Ca2+]. 5. Relaxation of caffeine contractures in Na(+)-free solution was further slowed when (a) mitochondrial Ca2+ uptake was inhibited with the oxidative phosphorylation uncoupler, FCCP (t1/2 = 19.7 +/- 3.2 s), or (b) the sarcolemmal Ca(2+)-ATPase pumping ability was depressed by a large transmembrane [Ca2+] gradient (t1/2 = 27.5 +/- 6.9 s). 6. When the four Ca2+ transport systems were simultaneously inhibited (i.e. SR Ca2+ pump, Na(+)-Ca2+ exchange, mitochondrial Ca2+ uptake and sarcolemmal Ca2+ pump), relaxation was practically abolished, but the cell could recover quickly when Na+ was reintroduced and caffeine removed. 7. We conclude that, under our experimental conditions, the sarcolemmal Ca2+ pump and mitochondria are approximately 37- and 50-fold slower than the Na(+)-Ca2+ exchange at removing Ca2+ from the cytoplasm. Additionally, the SR Ca2+ pump is about 3-4 times faster than Na(+)-Ca2+ exchange.
Nest survival of piping plovers at a dynamic reservoir indicates an ecological trap for a threatened population

In the past 60 years, reservoirs have reshaped riverine ecosystems and transformed breeding habitats used by the threatened piping plover (Charadrius melodus; hereafter plover). Currently, 29 % of the Northern Great Plains plover population nests at reservoirs that might function as ecological traps because reservoirs have more diverse habitat features and greater dynamics in water levels than habitats historically used by breeding plovers. We examined factors influencing daily survival rates (DSR) of 346 plover nests at Lake Sakakawea (SAK; reservoir) during 2006–2009 by evaluating multiple a priori models, and we used our best model to hindcast nest success of plovers during 1985–2009. Our observed and hindcast estimates of nest success were low compared to published estimates. Previous findings indicate that plovers prefer nest sites that are low relative to water level. We found that elevation of nests above the water level had a strong positive correlation with DSR because water levels of SAK typically increased throughout the nesting period. Habitat characteristics on the reservoir differ from those that shaped nest-site selection for plovers. Accordingly, extraordinary nest loss occurs there in many years, largely due to inundation of nests, and based on low fledging rates those losses were not compensated by potential changes in chick survival. Therefore, our example supports the concept of ecological traps in birds because it addresses quantitative assessments of habitat preference and productivity over 25 years (since species listing) and affects a large portion of the population.
Global Patterns of the Contributions of Storm Frequency, Intensity, and Seasonality to Interannual Variability of Precipitation

AbstractInterannual variation in precipitation totals is a critical factor governing the year-to-year availability of water resources, yet the connection between interannual precipitation variability and underlying event- and season-scale precipitation variability remains unclear. In this study, tropical and midlatitude precipitation characteristics derived from extensive station records and high-frequency satellite observations were analyzed to attribute the fraction of interannual variability arising as a result of individual variability in precipitation event intensity, frequency, and seasonality, as well as the cross-correlation between these factors at the global scale. This analysis demonstrates that variability in the length of the wet season is the most important factor globally, causing 52% of the total interannual variability, while variation in the intensity of individual rainfall events contributes 31% and variability in interstorm wait times contributes only 17%. Spatial patterns in the contr...
Rewriting the Rules of Engagement: Elaborating a Model of District-Community Collaboration.

In this ethnographic case study, Ann M. Ishimaru examines how a collaboration emerged and evolved between a low-income Latino parent organizing group and the leadership of a rapidly changing school district. Using civic capacity and community organizing theories, Ishimaru seeks to understand the role of parents, goals, strategies, and change processes that characterize a school district’s collaboration with a community-based organization. Her findings suggest an emergent model of collabo ration that engages parents as educational leaders, focuses on shared systemic goals, strategically builds capacity and relationships, and addresses educational change as political process. This emergent model stands in contrast to traditional partnerships between communities and school or district leadership that often reflect deficit concep tions of marginalized parents and families. By rewriting the rules of engagement, parents, families, and community members can contribute critical resources to enable districts and schools to educate all students more equitably.
Hierarchical performance modeling of embedded systems

The ability to estimate performance metrics such as latency (delay) at an early stage of final implementation in any embedded system is essential for efficient design specially realtime systems. Constructing performance models and evaluation techniques of a given system requires a significant effort. This paper presents a mapping scheme between a Functional Modeling Approach such as FSM, UML etc and an Analytical (Mathematical) Modeling Approach such as Hierarchical Performance Modeling (HPM) as a technique to find the expected average delay time for different layers of abstractions. A generic FSM is proposed to be used in order to estimate the expected average delay and to find a bottleneck of a system. A case study is presented to illustrate the concepts of the mapping scheme to estimate the delay and to determine the bottleneck(s).
What Do Gestational Mothers Deserve

This paper analyzes the following question: What do women deserve, ethically speaking, when they agree to gestate a fetus on behalf of third parties? I argue for several claims. First, I argue that gestational motherhood’s moral significance has been misunderstood, an oversight I attribute to the focus in family ethics on the conditions of parenthood. Second, I use a less controversial version of James Rachels’s account of desert to argue that gestational mothers deserve a parent-like voice as well as significant care and support, conclusions that have implications for commercial surrogacy. Finally, I argue that we should not make requests of others when fulfilling them will lead others to deserve goods we cannot reasonably expect them to receive, and I conclude based on this thesis, what I call the “strings attached thesis,” that pro-life arguments in support of prohibitions on abortion commit their proponents to policies which they may not be willing to support.
The International Law Commission Re-examined

Commenting on the International Law Commission m the eighth year of its existence, Professor Julius Stone urged the conversion of the Commission from a body of learned lawyers preparing draft codes for Governments, which either do not want any code or want a code with different provisions, into an International Law Research Center for the basic problems arising in the more dynamic, changeful, and disrupted segments of international law. … [T]he International Law Commission is not destined to solve or transform the basic problems of international law and society in pursuance of its present mandate. Not even its staunchest protagonists can give to the continuance of this present mandate much more than a token, time-marking value pending the appearance of a different world situation.
Elastic Instability During Amorphization of Internetallic Compounds by Charged-Particle Beams

Transmission electron microscopy (TEN) and Brillouin scattering methods were used to determine the lattice dilatation and shear elastic constant as a function of the degree of long-range order during room temperature irradiation of Zr 3 Al with 1.0-MeV Kr + . The results indicate that the onset of amorphization in Zr 3 Al is triggered by an elastic shear instability, and that the instability is directly related to the volume dilatation associated with the destruction of long-range order. It is also shown that the volume dependence of the shear elastic constant associated with radiation-induced disordering and amorphization is virtually identical to that associated with the heating to melting of many metals.
Giant lymphocele presenting as an abdominal mass 14 years after nephrectomy.

AbstractWe report a case of a giant lymphocele following simple nephroureterectomy with delayed recognition. The unusual presentation and its management are discussed.
Application of ANSYS in Transient State Hot Analysis for the High Power Density Asynchronism Motor Stator

The software of ANSYS with APDL Language is introduced and is used in the field of analysis in transient state of the high power density asynchronism motor stator in order to realize the motor's automatic modelling and automatic-load.The software is convenient in use and fast in calculation.Dealing with the calculation results of the temperature field of the motor stator,we obtain the temperature distributed diagram at not same segment,and the temperature rising the curve of any node.
CUDA-Aware OpenSHMEM

GPUDirect RDMA (GDR) brings the high-performance communication capabilities of RDMA networks like InfiniBand (IB) to GPUs. It enables IB network adapters to directly write/read data to/from GPU memory. Partitioned Global Address Space (PGAS) programming models, such as OpenSHMEM, provide an attractive approach for developing scientific applications with irregular communication characteristics by providing shared memory address space abstractions, along with one-sided communication semantics. However, current approaches and designs for OpenSHMEM on GPU clusters do not take advantage of the GDR features leading to potential performance improvements being untapped. In this paper, we introduce "CUDA-Aware" concepts for OpenSHMEM that enable operations to be directly performed from/on buffers residing in GPU's memory. We propose novel and efficient designs that ensure "truly one-sided" communication for different intra-/inter-node configurations while working around the hardware limitations. We achieve 2.5 × and 7 × improvement in point-point communication for intra-node and inter-node configurations, respectively. Our proposed framework achieves 2.2 µ s for an intra-node 8-byte put operation from CPU to local GPU and 3.13 µ s for an inter-node 8-byte put operation from GPU to remote GPU. The proposed designs lead to 19% reduction in the execution time of Stencil2D application kernel from the SHOC benchmark suite on Wilkes system which is composed of 64 dual-GPU nodes. Similarly, the evolution time of GPULBM application is reduced by 45% on 64 GPUs. On 8 GPUs per node CS-Storm-based system, we show 50% and 23% improvement on 32 and 64 GPUs, respectively.
Androgen Binding in Human Testis

AbstractCytosol preparations of human testis contain macromolecules that bind tritiated dihydrotestosterone. Studies of steroid competition, heat sensitivity and dissociation rate constants indicate a similarity to serum testosterone-estradiol-binding globulin. The amount of binding of tritiated dihydrotestosterone is greater than could be explained by contamination of testis by serum.
WE-FG-202-05: Quantification of Bone Flare On [F-18] NaF PET/CT in Metastatic Prostate Cancer

Purpose: Bone flare has been observed on Tc-99m bone scans during early assessment in metastatic Castration-Resistant Prostate Cancer (mCRPC) patients receiving select androgen-signaling pathway (AR) targeted treatments, including CYP17-inhibitor Abiraterone. This study investigates the appearance and potential clinical impact of bone flare in mCRPC patients receiving CYP17-inhibitors using 18F-NaF PET/CT. Methods: Twenty-three mCRPC patients being treated with CYP17-inhibitors received NaF PET/CT scans at baseline, week 6, and week 12 of treatment. Individual lesions were identified using a SUV>15 threshold within skeletal regions and articulated bone registration was used to track lesions between scans. Standard SUV metrics were extracted globally for each patient (pSUV) and for each individual lesion (iSUV). Differences in metrics across time-points were compared using Wilcoxon signed-rank tests. Cox proportional hazard regression analyses were conducted between global metrics and progression-free survival (PFS). Results: Nineteen patients (83%) showed increasing NaF PET global metrics at week 6, with pSUVtotal reflecting consensus change across other global metrics with median increase +33% (range +2 to 205%). Of these patients, 14 showed subsequent decrease in pSUVtotal, with a median of −17% (range −76 to −1%), indicating flare phenomenon. Increasing pSUVmean at week 6 correlated with extended clinical PFS (HR = 0.58, p=0.02). New lesions did not account for the initial increase in global NaF metrics. Lesion-level analysis reveals 316 lesions in the 14 patients exhibiting global flare. On average, 75% (sd: 22%) of lesions follow global trends with iSUVtotal increasing at week 6 and 65% (sd: 17%) showing iSUVtotal decrease at week 12. Conclusion: Bone flare was detected on NaF PET/CT in the first 6 weeks of treatment for mCRPC patients receiving CYP17-inhibitors, subsiding by week 12. Characterization provided in this study suggests prolonged PFS in patients showing bone flare early in select AR-directed treatments. Prostate Cancer Foundation
Literacy: A Field of Evolving Terms, Definitions and Educational Approaches

Everyone has an opinion about literacy. When differing opinions about literacy are represented as conflicts in the media, through print and online newspaper articles and editorials, talk-back radio and online spaces, the spectre of a literacy crisis is raised, ‘usually … in relation to socio-economic change of some kind’ (Snyder 2008: 7). While commentary is sought from politicians, employer groups, teachers, teacher unions, experts and parents, rarely, if ever, are students consulted. Everyone who believes there is a literacy crisis can give an example of the crisis in action: young people glued to their various electronic devices using text language instead of correct language; the young woman at the local store who can’t add up the prices on a few groceries, young employees who can’t follow written instructions and schools that fail to teach grammar or that teach a grammar parents don’t recognise.
Investigation of Shear Induced Reaction in Composition B3

Shear-induced reaction (SIR) in explosives was postulated in the 1940s by Bridgman1 and the results of explosive sensitivity tests, such as the drop-weight2,3 and fragment impact tests, provide some evidence for its occurrence. Such tests cannot, however, be used to establish the occurrence of SIR because they are not well instrumented and the explosives are subjected to different combinations of deformations that are not analyzed quantitatively. These limitations prompted Gupta4 to propose the use of the one-dimensional compression and shear wave technique5,6 to study SIR in explosives. In a subsequent study, DeCarli and Gupta7 examined the response of a composite explosive (with 70-wt.% RDX), using stress gages, under combined compression and shear loading. The experimental results were ambiguous and the onset of SIR was not well established. In the present work, we have chosen to examine SIR in Compositon B3 using particle velocity measurements to avoid some of the ambiguities encountered in the previous work.
Giving direction to our work

SET GOALS If you don't know where you are going, any road will take you there. Lewis Carroll, 1832–1898 It's a dream until you write it down; then it's a goal. Simon, 1998 It's difficult to imagine embarking on a journey, adventure, activity – any endeavor – without having a goal, however vague that goal might be. Even if you don't study a map before going on a road trip, you at least think to put gas in the car. Goals for a holiday might be explicit or implicit, and they can range from short term to intermediate and somewhat long. A career in science, starting from your period in graduate school and continuing into a life of research, is a journey, a long one. Much more so than for a holiday journey, the thoughtful setting of explicit goals is of crucial importance for a successful career in research and for success in the research itself. By success , we mean here the achievement of valuable contributions in your field, accomplished with a good deal of pleasure and a minimum of needless pain and time wasted. Goals give direction to our actions. By clearly choosing and defining goals, we provide a focus for action needed to arrive at a hoped-for destination or outcome. Defining goals not only helps in creating a mental commitment to take certain action, it also enables us to formulate a plan of attack toward reaching the desired ends.
Generalities About Scattering in Semiconductors

First-order perturbation theory (Fermi’s Golden Rule or the Born approximation) is used to discuss how to calculate the rate at which electrons in a crystal scatter with space- and/or time-dependent perturbations.The case of electrons in three, two, and one dimension(s) is considered in the general case in which the band structure is known from numerical calculations.
Five years of phenology observations from a mixed-grass prairie exposed to warming and elevated CO2

Atmospheric CO2 concentrations have been steadily increasing since the Industrial Era and contribute to concurrent increases in global temperatures. Many observational studies suggest climate warming alone contributes to a longer growing season. To determine the relative effect of warming on plant phenology, we investigated the individual and joint effects of warming and CO2 enrichment on a mixed-grass prairie plant community by following the development of six common grassland species and recording four major life history events. Our data support that, in a semi-arid system, while warming advances leaf emergence and flower production, it also expedites seed maturation and senescence at the species level. However, the additive effect can be an overall lengthening of the growing and reproductive seasons since CO2 enrichment, particularly when combined with warming, contributed to a longer growing season by delaying plant maturation and senescence. Fostering synthesis across multiple phenology datasets and identifying key factors affecting plant phenology will be vital for understanding regional plant community responses to climate change.
Plant Breeding Evaluation with Rank Entropy-based Decision Tree

Abstract: With the rapid development of breeding equipments, large scale breeding becomes possible, massive data evaluation has to be done by software automatically. In this circumstance, this paper tries to evaluate variety with the collected informative data through data mining technologies. According to the characteristics, plant breeding evaluation is considered as an ordinal classification task, and a rank entropy-based decision tree algorithm is proposed to do this classification. The algorithm uses historical trait phenotype and evaluation data to construct decision trees, which are then used to generate evaluations for future cultivars with their trait phenotype. To demonstrate the effectiveness, experiments are carried out on three groups of soybean variety comparison tests (early-maturity, medium-maturity, and green soybean). This work can free breeders from a large number of basic work while increase the efficiency of plant breeding.
Particle Filtered Modified Compressive Sensing (PaFiMoCS) for tracking signal sequences

In this paper, we propose a novel algorithm for recursive reconstruction of a time sequence of sparse signals from highly under-sampled random linear measurements. In our method, the idea of recently proposed regularized modified compressive sensing (reg-mod-CS) is merged with sequential monte carlo techniques like particle filtering. Reg-mod-CS facilitates sequential reconstruction by utilizing a partial knowledge of the support and previous signal estimates. Under the assumption of a dynamical model on the support, the sequential Monte Carlo step renders various possibilities of the current support and choose the most likely support given the current observation. The algorithm is similar in sprit to particle filter with mode tracker (PF-MT), where, the support could be considered to be the effective basis whereas the signal values on the current support could be considered to be the residual space; the difference being the fact that in our algorithm, the mode tracking step is replaced by the reg-mod-CS for each particle and the support is re-estimated from the residual part. We compare our algorithm with other techniques like traditional particle filtering, particle filter with mode tracker (PFMT), static compressive sensing, modified compressive sensing, regularized modified compressive sensing and weighted l 1 . We demonstrate that our algorithm outperforms all the other methods in terms of reconstruction accuracy for a simulated sequence of sparse signals.
A Targeted High-Throughput Next-Generation Sequencing Panel for Clinical Screening of Mutations, Gene Amplifications, and Fusions in Solid Tumors

Clinical next-generation sequencing (NGS) assay choice requires careful consideration of panel size, inclusion of appropriate markers, ability to detect multiple genomic aberration types, compatibility with low quality and quantity of nucleic acids, and work flow feasibility. Herein, in a high-volume clinical molecular diagnostic laboratory, we have validated a targeted high-multiplex PCR-based NGS panel (OncoMine Comprehensive Assay) coupled with high-throughput sequencing using Ion Proton sequencer for routine screening of solid tumors. The panel screens 143 genes using low amounts of formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded DNA (20 ng) and RNA (10 ng). A large cohort of 121 tumor samples representing 13 tumor types and 6 cancer cell lines was used to assess the capability of the panel to detect 148 single-nucleotide variants, 49 insertions or deletions, 40 copy number aberrations, and a subset of gene fusions. High levels of analytic sensitivity and reproducibility and robust detection sensitivity were observed. Furthermore, we demonstrated the critical utility of sequencing paired normal tissues to improve the accuracy of detecting somatic mutations in a background of germline variants. We also validated use of the Ion Chef automated bead templating and chip loading system, which represents a major work flow improvement. In summary, we present data establishing the OncoMine Comprehensive Assay–Ion Proton platform to be well suited for implementation as a routine clinical NGS test for solid tumors.
The TRAINS Project: A Case Study in Defining a Conversational Planning Agent

The TRAINS project is an effort to build a conversationally proficient planning assistant. A key part of the project is the construction of the TRAINS system, which provides the research platform for a wide range of issues in natural language understanding, mixed-initiative planning systems, and representing and reasoning about time, actions and events. Four years have now passed since the beginning of the project. Each year we have produced a demonstration system that focused on a dialog that illustrates particular aspects of our research. The commitment to building complete integrated systems is a significant overhead on the research, but we feel it is essential to guarantee that the results constitute real progress in the field. This paper describes the goals of the project, and our experience with the effort so far. .pp This paper is to appear in the Journal of Experimental and Theoretical AI, 1995.
Do Older Parents' Relationships With Their Adult Children Affect Cognitive Limitations, and Does This Differ for Mothers and Fathers?

Objectives Increasing risk for cognitive limitations in later life, along with an aging population, presents critical challenges for caregiving families and health care systems. These challenges urgently call for research examining factors that may protect against or exacerbate cognitive limitations among older adults. We examine the quality of relationships with adult children, a feature of the social environment known to affect physical and mental health and that may also influence the cognitive health of aging parents. Methods Using nationally representative panel data from the Americans' Changing Lives survey, we analyze the impact of both emotional support and strain in relationships with adult children on trajectories of cognitive limitations of aging parents. Results Higher levels of strain with adult children were linked to higher initial levels of cognitive limitations among mothers but appeared to be protective against increasing cognitive limitations for fathers as they aged. Discussion The gender gap in cognitive limitations may be exacerbated among aging parents experiencing high levels of strain with their adult children. These findings point to the importance of taking gender into account and studying whether positive and negative aspects of close social relationships affect older adults.
Direct Time-Domain View of Auger Recombination in a Semiconductor.

The radiationless recombination of electron-hole pairs in semiconductors is detrimental to optoelectronic technologies. A prominent mechanism is Auger recombination, in which nonradiative recombination occurs efficiently by transferring the released energy-momentum to a third charge carrier. Here we use femtosecond photoemission to directly detect Auger electrons as they scatter into energy and momentum spaces from Auger recombination in a model semiconductor, GaSb. The Auger rate is modulated by a coherent phonon mode at 2 THz, confirming phonon participation in momentum conservation. The commonly assumed Auger rate constant is found not to be a constant, but rather decreases by 4 orders of magnitude as hot electrons cool down by $\ensuremath{\sim}90\text{ }\text{ }\mathrm{meV}$. These findings provide quantitative guidance in understanding Auger recombination and in designing materials for efficient optoelectronics.
The Calico Solar Project

The large proposed Calico Solar Project generated environmental concerns and a lawsuit by environmental groups (i.e., Defenders of Wildlife, the Natural Resources Defense Council, and the Sierra Club), and was ultimately terminated by the developer K Road Power. The failed project, located in California’s Mohave Desert, was either an example of a successful campaign by environmental groups to stop development in an environmentally sensitive area with threatened wildlife (e.g., Desert Tortoise), or the result of changing market conditions where the project became economically unviable for the developer. Regardless of the ultimate reason for project failure, the case study provides a classic example of environmental concerns versus renewable energy development.
THE ROLE OF HISTOCOMPATIBILITY GENE PRODUCTS IN COOPERATIVE CELL INTERACTIONS BETWEEN T AND B LYMPHOCYTES

ABSTRACT Three different experimental systems are described which support the hypothesis that active regulation of B cell responses is mediated through either direct membrane interaction with T cells or by the interaction with soluble mediators produced and released by T cells. The collective evidence presented here has led us to formulate an hypothesis that histocompatibility gene products may serve as the molecules largely responsible for regulating cell interactions required for development of most humoral immune responses.
Data-driven based estimation of HVAC energy consumption using an improved Fourier series decomposition in buildings

Many data-driven algorithms are being explored in the field of building energy performance estimation. Choosing an appropriate method for a specific case is critical to guarantee a successful energy operation management such as measurement and verification. Currently, little research work on assessment of different data-driven algorithms using real time measurement data sets is available. In this paper, five commonly used data-driven algorithms, ARX, SS, N4S, discretized variable BN and continuous variable BN, are used to estimate HVAC related electricity energy consumption in a university dormitory. In practice, total energy consumption data is easily accessible, while separated HVAC energy consumption data is not commonly available due to expensive sub-metering and/or the complexity of mechanical and electrical layouts. A virtual sub-meter based on a decomposition method is proposed to separate HVAC energy consumption from the total building energy consumption, which is derived from an improved Fourier series based decomposition method.
Adaptive Synchronization in Real-Time Multimedia Applications

Important work on synchronization has been done by many researchers in many aspects. Although some synchronization schemes perform pretty well under certain conditions, they reveal limitations under other conditions. For example, Alvarez—Cuevas, et al. provide an adaptive technique to achieve minimal voice delay, but require special measurement packets to estimate the mean network delay at the beginning of each silence interval.1 Escober, et al. intend to give general solutions to the synchronization problem, but they are based on synchronized network clocks and assume that messages are delivered reliably at least for initialization.2 Katseff and Robinson’s work copes with short-term network congestion, but applies only to delivering stored multimedia to a user.3 The work done by Ramanathan and Rangan minimizes perceptible degradations in the quality of media playback, but needs feedback.4 Zarros’ solution applies to a wide spectrum of applications, but needs pre-collection of network statistics.5 In contrast, our synchronization mechanism is adaptive to network changes, works with any underlying delay distribution, and does not need a global clock or synchronized clocks, while it provides optimal delay/buffering for given QoS requirements (delay, jitter, and loss ratio).