cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Preliminary Benchmarking of Radar Signature Prediction Codes

A preliminary study of two newly developed radar signature prediction codes was conducted in comparison to Xpatch, a high-frequency radar signature code suite based on the shooting and bouncing ray technique. We use a canonical ground vehicle target known as SLICY for which high quality surface mesh representations could be developed. The main objective was to port the new codes to various HPC platforms and investigate their practical use for ground vehicles rather than a comprehensive benchmark study. We summarize the calculated signatures and computational requirements compared to Xpatch. The simulation results indicate some of the trade offs between computational speed and accuracy. Xpatch is ultra-fast and usually sufficient for applications which involve perfectly conducting targets, devoid of cavities and not designed for low RCS performance. Under the above mentioned circumstances numerical approaches based on rigorous solution of Maxwells equations normally provide only minor improvements in accuracy with an extreme computational cost penalty. When a more accurate method is desired these new codes provide a viable alternative to conventional approaches because of their reduced computational complexity and memory requirements.
State estimation for autonomous flight in cluttered environments

Safe, autonomous operation in complex, cluttered environments is a critical challenge facing autonomous mobile systems. The research described in this paper was motivated by a particularly difficult example of autonomous mobility: flightofasmallunmannedaerialvehiclethroughaforest.Thefocuswasonenablingthethreecriticaltasks that comprise flight: 1) maintaining controlled flight while avoiding collisions (aviate); 2) flying from a known start location to a known goal location (navigate); and 3) providing information about the environment—a map—to a humanoperatororotherrobotsin the team(communicate).Presentedhere isasolution tothe problem ofestimating vehicle state (its position, orientation, and velocity) as well as the positions of obstacles or landmarks in the environment using only inertial measurements and bearings to landmarks. This is a highly nonlinear estimation problem, and standard estimation techniques such as the extended Kalman filter are prone to divergence in this application. In this paper asigma-point Kalman filter is implemented, resulting in anestimator which is ableto cope with the significant nonlinearities in the system equations and uncertainty in state estimates while remaining tractable for real-time operation. In addition, the issues of data association and landmark initialization are addressed. Estimator performance is examined through Monte Carlo simulations in two dimensions for scenarios involving unmanned aerial vehicle flight in cluttered environments. Simulations show that convergent, consistent estimates of vehicle state and obstacle positions can be obtained and that the estimates can be used by a trajectory planner to generate a path through a cluttered environment.
Development of a biocompatible and biodegradable hybrid hydrogel platform for sustained release of ionic drugs

In this study, we reported the development of a new drug encapsulation strategy and a robust hybrid hydrogel platform for controlled and sustained release of small and large molecule ionic drugs. A biodegradable, biocompatible and temperature stimuli responsive hybrid hydrogel platform was fabricated from arginine based unsaturated poly(ester amides) (Arg-UPEAs), Pluronic diacrylate (Pluronic-DA) and alginate by the UV photo-crosslinking method, combining the favorable properties of a hydrogel and a polyelectrolyte complex. The hydrogels were systematically characterized, including the swelling mechanics, mechanical properties, biodegradation and interior morphologies. In vitro biocompatibility study showed that the hydrogels could support the cell attachment and proliferation well. Some model drugs, such as hydrochloride salts of hydralazine, insulin and interleukin-12, were encapsulated into the hydrogels and the drug release behavior was investigated using HPLC, LC-MS, BCA assay and ELISA assay. The obtained release profiles indicated that the Pluronic/Arg-UPEA/alginate hybrid hydrogels could release ionic drugs over weeks in vitro via a sustained manner. The structure–function study of hydrogels indicated that the polymer structure, hydrogel composition and environmental temperature had strong effects on the hydrogel properties and their drug release profiles.
Who benefits most? The effects of managerial assistance on high- versus low-performing small businesses

Abstract This study investigates the relationship between outside managerial assistance and small business performance using a conditional quantile regression approach. The model was tested using a sample of 902 ventures that received managerial or technical assistance from the U.S. Small Business Administration's Entrepreneurial Development Resource Partners. Results show that outside assistance for primary business functions, such as marketing strategy, promotional strategy, financial management and general management, is more effective for firms with lower levels of financial performance. Outside assistance for secondary business functions, such as human resources and obtaining capital, is likely to have a greater impact on firms in the middle- to upper-quantile levels. Based on the results, we propose that managerial outside assistance providers should employ different approaches for firms with lower versus higher levels of financial performance.
Measure of Justice

The pieces in this Amerasia Journal Forum provides first-person retrospectives on the multiethnic, multi-generational, and transnational Free Chol Soo Lee movement from many of the principals involved in it. Derrick Lim was a member of the Chol Soo Lee Defense Committee
Patterns of Treatment Sequences in Chemotherapy and Targeted Biologics for Metastatic Colorectal Cancer: Findings from a Large Community-Based Cohort of Elderly Patients

Background Over the last decade, multiple chemotherapies/targeted biologics have been approved for metastatic colorectal cancer (mCRC). However, evidence is limited with regards to the array of treatments received by mCRC patients.
Effects of ivermectin (MK-933) on the reproductive rate of Aedes aegypti (Diptera: Culicidae)

Aedes aegypti (L.) females were blood fed a single time on rabbits previously injected subcutaneously with ivermectin at 10 or 50 times the labeled dose recommended for cattle (0.2 mg [AI]/kg body weight). Although adult mosquito survival was unchanged by the low dose, fecundity and hatch were depressed slightly. Females fed on rabbits at the high dose exhibited reduced survival and egg production compared with females fed on control rabbits. Eggs from these females also were less likely to hatch, and subsequent larval survival was lower than controls. The effect of ivermectin on these reproductive parameters diminished as the time between drug administration and blood meal increased.
Acoustic emission monitoring of carbon-fiber-reinforced-polymer bridge stay cables in large-scale testing

This paper presents acoustic emission (AE) monitoring of damage initiation and progression in carbon-fiber-reinforced-polymer (CFRP) stay cables subject to largescale laboratory tests. The research is part of the University of California, San Diego (UCSD), larger project on the design and construction of a new cable-stayed bridge made of advanced composites. No previous use of AE on large-size CFRP stay cables appears in the literature. Three types of cables of potential use in the UCSD composite bridge were tested at lengths ranging from 5500 mm to 5870 mm. The AE events were monitored to detect damage and provide a qualitative correlation with the type of structural failure. The tests allowed a comparative characterization of the failure behavior of the three types of cables under investigation. An additional study was performed to characterize acoustic attenuation and dispersion phenomena that are relevant to AE testing of largescale CFRP cables. It is shown that despite their large size, these cables are excellent acoustic wave guides exhibiting very low attenuation. Finally, this study shows promising results for an effective use of in situ AE for health monitoring of these structural components in service.
Click-Path Analysis

Click-path analysis is the use of web analytics data to understand how users move through your website. It can cover their entire visit from start to finish or just a portion, such as how users move between two or more pages. The challenge of click-path analysis is that for most websites, user behavior is so varied that it is impossible to generalize about the complete beginning-to-end experience of using your website. It is more productive to focus on relationships between pages: how people get to a page and where they go from a page. This analysis will help you uncover surprising relationships that may lead to discovering problems on pages. You can analyze specific pages, and with some work, combine data for multiple pages with the same layout to learn how users interact with an entire class of pages on your website.
Ideas, Language and Skepticism

Aristotelian representations track ontology closely. One result is an argument against abstract ideas that seems puzzling in terms of more semantically oriented conceptions of representation. Hume gives us three sub-arguments against the existence of abstract ideas, when these are supposed to be ideas that represent, for example, all cats by not representing any of the particular features that might distinguish among them. Hume’s argument will, he tells us, prove ‘that it is utterly impossible to conceive any quantity or quality, without forming a precise notion of its degrees.’ There are three arguments that are supposed to show this.
Young adults’ attitudes toward pediatric whole-genome sequencing

Aim: To characterize the views of young adults toward integrating whole-genome sequencing (WGS) into standard pediatric care, particularly when used as a supplement to newborn screening. Materials & methods: This mixed methods descriptive study assessed the perspectives of a diverse group of 18- and 19-year olds (n = 145) in the USA using an informational video and online survey. Results: Young adults typically recommended disclosing WGS results to both parents and children during childhood. In the qualitative analysis, most participants emphasized the anticipated health benefits of pediatric WGS, while a minority discussed possible negative emotional and developmental impacts. Conclusion: Differing preferences for pediatric WGS emphasize the importance that clinicians adopt responsive approaches when providing WGS and disclosing results to families.
Stability-indicating proton nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopic assay method for furosemide in tablets and injections

A simple, specific, and accurate proton nuclear magnetic resonance (1H-NMR) spectroscopic method has been developed for the identification and assay of furosemide and its degradation product, 4-chloro-5-sulfamoylanthranilic acid (CSA), in tablets and injections. Dissolution of the sample in D2O-NaOD resulted in a solution yielding the required separation among the resonance signals of furosemide, CSA, and tert-butyl alcohol, the internal standard. The mean +/- SD recovery values of furosemide and CSA from 10 synthetic formulations were 99.6 +/- 0.8 and 98.9 +/- 1.7%, respectively. Commercial tablets (6 lots) and injections (5 lots) of furosemide were assayed by the proposed method and found to contain 53.1-99.8% furosemide and 0.3-45.2% CSA.
Activation of Clotting Factors in Thrombocytopenia Due to Platelets Destruction: A Possible Compensated Mechanism for Hemostasis.

INTRODUCTION. Thrombocytopenia (TP) due to bone marrow failure, as in aplastic anemia (AA), is often associated with frequent and fatal bleeding, whereas fatal bleeding in TP due to platelet destruction, as in ITP, is rare. It has been suggested that giant platelets or increased cell-derived microparticles (MP) act to limit bleeding in ITP. We investigated clotting factors and MP from 3 cell types, platelets (PMP), leukocytes (LMP), and endothelial (EMP), in patients with different causes of their TP. METHODS. Group 1 (platelet destruction) consisted of 2 subgroups, Grp 1a having n=35 pts with active ITP (ITP-A) and Grp 1b having n=15 pts with platelet destruction (PD) by other disorders (TTP, PNH, others). Group 2 (impaired production (IP)) consisted of n=19 pts with AA, MDS/MPD, and others. Group 3 comprised n=28 pts with ITP in remission (ITP-R). Laboratory measures included CBC, platelets, FVIII, FIX, FXI, and 3 kinds of MP: PMP, LMP, EMP. Signs and symptoms of bleeding were graded and recorded. RESULTS. Key data is summarized in Table 1. The percentage of patients with elevated activity of FVIII was significantly more prevalent in Grp 1a vs. Grp 3 (53% vs . 15%, p=0.002) or Grp 1b vs . Grp 2 (73% vs . 11%, p=0.0002). The mean value of FVIII titer was also significantly higher in Grp 1a vs . Grp 3 (1.92 vs . 1.33 U/mL, p=0.0036) or Grp 1b vs . Grp 2 (2.44 vs . 1.18 U/mL, p=0.00007). The mean percentage of patients with elevated FIX or FXI, or the mean value of FIX or FXI titer were also higher in Grp 1a vs . Grp 3 or Grp 1b vs . Grp 2, but the difference did not reach statistical significance. PMP counts were found to correlate with platelet counts in all groups, and were significantly higher in Grp 3 than Grp 1a (p=0.0004). Grp 3 also had higher EMP than Grp 1a (p=0.04). LMP showed no significant differences. REPRESENTATIVE CASE. A patient with chronic ITP who relapsed with severe acute ITP was monitored sequentially. In acute phase of TP, activities of FVIII, FIX, and FXI surged, in parallel with shortening of aPTT, and patient had minimal signs of bleeding. Serial assays revealed gradual fall of factor activities, reaching normal levels after 5 months. A similar pattern was observed in another patient, with acute TTP: clotting factors returned to normal after 2 months. CONCLUSION. TP due to platelet destruction appears to trigger activation of intrinsic clotting pathway which may protect from excessive bleeding. Surge in FVIII was most notable. This compensation effect appears to be absent in TP due to depressed platelet production, and likewise for ITP in remission. The mechanism underlying this phenomenon remains to be elucidated. Further study is in progress to delineate the mechanism.
Unusual Presentation of Chronic Myelogenous Leukemia Concomitant with Mycobacterium Avium Complex Infection.

Only rare cases of patients with chronic myelogenous leukemia (CML) with disseminated Mycobacterium avium complex (MAC) infection are reported in the literature. In the majority of those cases, MAC infection was diagnosed after at least 12 months and following busulfan or high dose steroids therapy. In many of those cases, disseminated MAC infection was preceded by clinically evident pulmonary disease, including interstitial pneumonia and/or pulmonary alveolar proteinosis. We report a highly unusual case of CML presenting with concomitant disseminated MAC infection in a HIV-negative host with no known preexisting active pulmonary disease. A 41-year-old Caucasian male without significant past medical history presented to the emergency department with a ten-day history of progressively worsening abdominal pain. He reported generalized weakness, fever, chills, night sweats, decreased appetite and weight loss. His laboratory data were significant for thrombocytosis of 992,000/uL, mild anemia, and a normal white blood cell count of 10,000/uL. He had marked splenomegaly, hepatomegaly, and lymphadenopathy. Bone marrow aspiration was markedly hypercellular with normal myeloid to erythroid ratio, no increase in blasts, mild eosinophilia, moderate fibrosis, and focal necrosis. Routine cytogenetic study revealed t(9;22)(q34;q11). Acid fast bacillus (AFB) culture was positive for MAC, confirmed by DNA probe. Flow cytometry revealed normal CD4:CD8 ratio of T-lymphocytes. There was no evidence of HIV infection by serologic and molecular studies. Therapy with ethambutol and azythromycin was initiated. The patient’s course was complicated by severe pancytopenia, bleeding episodes, and dyspnea. A repeat bone marrow examination revealed severe myelofibrosis with decrease of cellularity and foamy macrophages positive for AFB. Bronchioalveolar lavage demonstrated AFB positive for MAC DNA probe. He required multiple blood product transfusions. Rifampin, Amikacin, Levaquin, imatinib and GM-CSF were added to his therapy. Five months after his initial presentation the patient developed a new lung infiltrate on chest radiography and subsequently underwent video-assisted thoracoscopy with lung biopsy, reveling Aspergillus fumigatus infection. Voriconazole therapy was added. The patient continued to decline and expired six months after his initial presentation. In summary, this was an atypical presentation of CML without leukocytosis or granulocytic hyperplasia in the bone marrow. While the bone marrow findings were consistent with a chronic myeloproliferative disease, they were more typical of chronic idiopathic myelofibrosis rather than CML. Yet, the cytogenetic study documented the presence of Philadelphia chromosome, diagnostic for CML. It is possible that the underlying MAC infection was responsible for the atypical features. This case illustrates the fact that patients with CML can be at risk for MAC or other atypical mycobacterial infections even prior to chemotherapy. The mechanism of immunosuppression in CML has not been satisfactory explained.
The Design and Implementation of the Parallel Out-of-coreScaLAPACK LU, QR, and Cholesky Factorization Routines

SUMMARY This paper describes the design and implementation of three core factorization routines—LU, QR, and Cholesky—included in the out-of-core extension of ScaLAPACK. These routines allow the factorization and solution of a dense system that is too large to fit entirely in physical memory. The full matrix is stored on disk and the factorization routines transfer sub-matrice panels into memory. The ‘left-looking’ columnoriented variant of the factorization algorithm is implemented to reduce the disk I/O traffic. The routines are implemented using a portable I/O interface and utilize high-performance ScaLAPACK factorization routines as in-core computational kernels. We present the details of the implementation for the out-of-core ScaLAPACK factorization routines, as well as performance and scalability results on a Beowulf Linux cluster. Copyright © 2000 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Prognostic Irrelevance of Vitamin D Insufficiency in Myeloproliferative Neoplasms and De Novo Myelodysplastic Syndromes

Abstract 5158 Background: Vitamin D insufficiency is commonly observed in clinical practice. Observational studies have suggested an association of vitamin D insufficiency with increased risk of cancer development. Further, vitamin D insufficiency has been associated with poorer prognosis in solid tumors as well as hematologic malignancies, including non-Hodgkin lymphoma and chronic lymphocytic leukemia. In this study, we examined the clinical and prognostic correlates of low plasma levels of 25-hydroxyvitamin D (25[OH]D), which reflects whole-body vitamin D stores, in a cohort of myeloproliferative neoplasm (MPN) and myelodysplastic syndrome (MDS) patients. Methods: We studied a total of 409 patients: 247 (60%) had primary myelofibrosis (PMF), 74 (18%) de novo MDS, 63 (15%) polycythemia vera (PV) and 25 (6%) essential thrombocythemia (ET). Inclusion criteria required availability of archived plasma, bone marrow aspirate and biopsy and cytogenetic information at the time of first referral to our institution. Vitamin D measurements were performed by liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS). For the purposes of this study, plasma 25(OH)D levels Results: Patient characteristics were as follows: (i) PMF: median age=63 years, >65 years=41%, males=68% and serum creatinine above the upper normal limit (UNL)=15%; (ii) MDS: median age=72 years, >65 years=77%, males=69% and creatinine >UNL=12%; (iii) PV median age=61 years, >65 years=37% and males=50%; and (iv) ET: median age=48 years, >65 years=10% and males=28%. Median (range) plasma 25(OH)D levels (ng/mL) were as follows: PMF 25 (0–60), PV 27 (6.8–51), ET 31 (6–50) and MDS 30 (7.7–72) (p=0.005). The proportion of patients with 25(OH)D insufficiency were: PMF 48%, PV 43%, ET 28% and MDS 28% (p=0.01). Similarly, the proportion of patients with severe 25(OH)D deficiency were: PMF 9%, PV 3%, ET 12% and MDS 1% (p=0.05). In PMF and MDS, 25(OH)D insufficiency was not significantly correlated with age (≤65 vs. >65 years), gender, red cell transfusion need, DIPSS-plus/IPSS category, hemoglobin ( 9 /L), circulating blasts, unfavorable karyotype, serum creatinine >UNL, or JAK2 V617F (PMF only) (p>0.05). 25(OH)D insufficiency was not predictive of inferior overall survival (OS) in PMF, MDS, PV, or ET (p>0.05). Similarly, in PMF and MDS, 25(OH)D insufficiency was not predictive of inferior leukemia-free survival (LFS) (p>0.05). Severe 25(OH)D deficiency was infrequently observed in MDS or PV patients; in PMF or ET patients, there was no prognostic impact of severe 25(OH)D deficiency on OS or LFS (p>0.05). Conclusions: Vitamin D insufficiency is relatively common in PMF, PV, ET and de novo MDS however this finding had no prognostic value for OS in the aforementioned patients. In PMF and MDS patients, low 25(OH)D levels had no clearly identifiable clinical correlates and further did not have prognostic value for LFS. Disclosures: No relevant conflicts of interest to declare.
Congruence of Patient Self-Rating of Health with Family Physician Ratings

BACKGROUND A single self-rated health (SRH) question is associated with health outcomes, but agreement between SRH and physician-rated patient health (PRPH) has been poorly studied. We studied patient and physician reasoning for health ratings and the role played by patient lifestyle and objective health measures in the congruence between SRH and PRPH. METHODS Surveys of established family medicine patients and their physicians, and medical record review at 4 offices. Patients and physicians rated patient health on a 5-point scale and gave reasons for the rating and suggestions for improving health. Patients' and physicians' reasons for ratings and improvement suggestions were coded into taxonomies developed from the data. Bivariate relationships between the variables and the difference between SRH and PRPH were examined and all single predictors of the difference were entered into a multivariable regression model. RESULTS Surveys were completed by 506 patients and 33 physicians. SRH and PRPH ratings matched exactly for 38% of the patient-physician dyads. Variables associated with SRH being lower than PRPH were higher patient body mass index (P = .01), seeing the physician previously (P = .04), older age, (P < .001), and a higher comorbidity score (P = .001). Only 25.7% of the dyad reasons for health status rating and 24.1% of needed improvements matched, and these matches were unrelated to SRH/PRPH agreement. Physicians focused on disease in their reasoning for most patients, whereas patients with excellent or very good SRH focused on feeling well. CONCLUSIONS Patients' and physicians' beliefs about patient health frequently lack agreement, confirming the need for shared decision making with patients.
Psychological issues in treatment of the "chemical imbalance".

Recently, neuroscience has begun to greatly expand our knowledge of the biological basis of psychiatric illness. A great deal of emphasis has been rightly placed on not overlooking the importance o...
Increased denitrification rates associated with shifts in prokaryotic community composition caused by varying hydrologic connectivity

While modern developments in agriculture have allowed for increases in crop yields and rapid human population growth, they have also drastically altered biogeochemical cycles, including the biotransformation of nitrogen. Denitrification is a critical process performed by bacteria and fungi that removes nitrate in surface waters, thereby serving as a potential natural remediation strategy. We previously reported that constant inundation resulted in a coupling of denitrification gene abundances with denitrification rates in sediments, but these relationships were not maintained in periodically-inundated or non-inundated environments. In this study, we utilized Illumina next-generation sequencing to further evaluate how the microbial community responds to these hydrologic regimes and how this community is related to denitrification rates at three sites along a creek in an agricultural watershed over 2 years. The hydrologic connectivity of the sampling location had a significantly greater influence on the denitrification rate (P = 0.010), denitrification gene abundances (P < 0.001), and the prokaryotic community (P < 0.001), than did other spatiotemporal factors (e.g., creek sample site or sample month) within the same year. However, annual variability among denitrification rates was also observed (P < 0.001). Furthermore, the denitrification rate was significantly positively correlated with water nitrate concentration (Spearman's ρ = 0.56, P < 0.0001), denitrification gene abundances (ρ = 0.23-0.47, P ≤ 0.006), and the abundances of members of the families Burkholderiaceae, Anaerolinaceae, Microbacteriaceae, Acidimicrobineae incertae sedis, Cytophagaceae, and Hyphomicrobiaceae (ρ = 0.17-0.25, P ≤ 0.041). Prokaryotic community composition accounted for the least amount of variation in denitrification rates (22%), while the collective influence of spatiotemporal factors and gene abundances accounted for 37%, with 40% of the variation related to interactions among all parameters. Results of this study suggest that the hydrologic connectivity at each location had a greater effect on the prokaryotic community than did spatiotemporal differences, where inundation is associated with shifts favoring increased denitrification potential. We further establish that while complex interactions among the prokaryotic community influence denitrification, the link between hydrologic connectivity, microbial community composition, and genetic potential for biogeochemical cycling is a promising avenue to explore hydrologic remediation strategies such as periodic flooding.
A novel application of terrestrial LIDAR to characterize elevation change at human grave surfaces in support of narrowing down possible unmarked grave locations

Abstract Unmarked graves are difficult to locate once the ground surface no longer shows visible evidence of disturbance, posing significant challenges to missing person investigations. This research evaluates the use of terrestrial LIDAR point data for measuring localized elevation change at human grave surfaces. Three differently sized human graves, one control-pit, and surrounding undisturbed ground, were scanned four times between February 2013 and November 2014 using a tripod-mounted terrestrial laser scanner. All the disturbed surfaces exhibited measurable and localized elevation change, allowing for separation of disturbed and undisturbed ground. This study is the first to quantify elevation changes to human graves over time and demonstrates that terrestrial LIDAR may contribute to multi-modal data collection approach to improve unmarked grave detection.
On the impact of the physical layer model on the performance of D2D-offloading in vehicular environments

Abstract Offloading data traffic from Infrastructure-to-Device (I2D) to Device-to-Device (D2D) communications is a powerful tool for reducing congestion, energy consumption, and spectrum usage of mobile cellular networks. Prior network-level studies on D2D data offloading focus on high level performance metrics as the offloading efficiency, and take into account the radio propagation aspects by using simplistic wireless channel models. In this work, we consider a D2D data offloading protocol tailored to highly dynamic scenarios as vehicular environments, and evaluate its performance focusing on physical layer aspects, like energy consumption and spectral efficiency. In doing this, we take into account more realistic models of the wireless channel, with respect to the simplistic ones generally used in the previous studies. Our objective is twofold: first, to quantify the performance gain of the considered D2D offloading protocol with respect to a classic cellular network, based on I2D communications, in terms of energy consumption and spectral efficiency. Second, to show that using simplistic channel models may prevent to accurately evaluate the performance gain. Additionally, the use of more elaborated models allows to obtain insightful information on relevant system-level parameters settings, which would not be possible to obtain by using simple models. The considered channel models range from widely used models based on deterministic path loss formulas, to more accurate ones, which include effects like multipath fading and the associated frequency selectivity of wideband channels. These models have been proposed and validated, in the recent years, through large-scale measurements campaigns. Our results show that the considered protocol is able to achieve a reduction in the energy consumption of up to 35%, and an increase in the system spectral efficiency of 50%, with respect to the benchmark cellular system. The use of different channel models in evaluating these metrics may result, in the worst case, in a sixfold underestimation of the achieved improvement.
Rethinking East-European Socialism: Notes Toward an Anti-Capitalist Decolonial Methodology

This text seek to make a contribution to both anti-capitalist and decolonial critique from the perspective of the historical legacy of East-European socialism. More particularly, the text argues th...
Do All Patients with Multiple Sclerosis Benefit from the Use of Contrast on Serial Follow-Up MR Imaging? A Retrospective Analysis

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: Patients with multiple sclerosis routinely have MR imaging with contrast every 6–12 months to assess response to medication. Multiple recent studies provide evidence of tissue deposition of MR imaging contrast agents, questioning the long-term safety of these agents. The goal of this retrospective image-analysis study was to determine whether contrast could be reserved for only those patients who show new MS lesions on follow-up examinations. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We retrospectively reviewed brain MRIs of 138 patients. To increase our sensitivity, we used a previously described computerized image-comparison software to evaluate the stability or progression of multiple sclerosis white matter lesions in noncontrast FLAIR sequences. We correlated these findings with evidence of contrast-enhancing lesions on the enhanced T1 sequence from the same scan. RESULTS: Thirty-three scans showed an increase in white matter lesion burden. Among those 33 patients, 14 examinations also demonstrated enhancing new lesions. While we found a single example of enhancement of a pre-existing white matter lesion that appeared unchanged in size, that same examination showed an overall increase in lesion burden with enhancement of other, new lesions. Thus, we found that all patients with enhancing lesions had evidence of progression on their noncontrast imaging. CONCLUSIONS: Because all enhancing lesions were associated with new lesions on unenhanced imaging and progression was only evident in 24% of patients, in patients with relapsing-remitting MS, it is reasonable to consider reserving contrast for only those patients with evidence of progression on noncontrast MR images.
Standard Sound Synthesis

In this chapter we immerse ourselves in the core elements that constitute a sound; we discuss waves, their specifics, and the frequency content of a sound. Moreover, we elaborate on the sinusoidal functions and the processes that characterize them and have revolutionized modern technology, culminating in Fourier’s Theorem.
Psychosocial well-being and efforts to quit smoking in pregnant women of South-Central Appalachia.

Abstract Introduction Psychosocial well-being variables from the Tennessee Intervention for Pregnant Smokers (TIPS) study, a longitudinal smoking cessation study in South-Central Appalachia, were investigated as potential predictors of smoking status. Methods A sample of 1031 pregnant women participated in an expanded 5A's (Ask, Advise, Assess, Assist, Arrange) program, from 2008 to 2011. Measures of stress, self-esteem, depressive symptoms, and disordered eating collected by interview during the first trimester, or during the third trimester in a combined interview if participants began prenatal care late, were hypothesized to differ among three groups of participants: pregnant women who never smoked, pregnant women who smoked but quit prior to birth, and pregnant women who smoked and did not quit prior to birth. Smoking status was measured throughout the study. Whether or not a participant quit smoking was assessed at delivery. Results Non-smokers were lowest in stress F(2,1027) = 46.38, p Conclusions Findings may lead to improved intervention programs and reduction of adverse health effects in children attributable to prenatal smoking. More research should be conducted on smoking cessation in rural pregnant women.
Contemplating a Doughnut: Analyzing Current Food Theologies through a Fellowship Hour Treat

The smell of sugar and fried dough wafts through the air. For some, this is an aroma synonymous with church, but should churches serve doughnuts during fellowship time after the worship service? To...
Advancing Mission-Based Metrics: An Abstract

Every organization measures performance, and historically, the various measures used in business are largely financial in nature. While the primacy of financial and operational metrics to the various stakeholders is appropriate for most organizational types, more is needed to measure the efficacy of nonprofit organizations as they are primarily motivated by their missions. However, measuring performance on the mission side of the double bottom line has proven to be more difficult. How do NPOs measure their success against their stated missions? Perhaps a more basic question is, how should they measure their success against stated missions?
How Pre-deliberation Processes Predict Group Discussion: An Application of the Goals-Plans-Action Model

The goal of the study was to investigate the role of pre-deliberation planning on the enactment of normative and informational influence attempts during group decision-making. The goals-plans-action model (Dillard, 1990) was used to frame the study. The participants ( N =112) performed a judgmental group decision-making task. The results of the study support the GPA in several ways. Pre-deliberation plans were enacted in discussion. In support of the extant group literature, perceptions of the task type influenced the proportion of pre-deliberation informational plans. Post-discussion attitudes toward the group’s decision were related to goals and to the proportion of normative plans.
State territorialization through shequ community centres: bureaucratic confusion in Xinjiang, China

The shequ community centres in Xinjiang, China, provided services, safety and employment to the community. Yet, their heavy-handed controls through administration and policing created fear and conf...
Disentangling the rhetoric of public goods from their externalities: The case of climate engineering

Abstract Public goods are defined by the technical conditions of nonexclusion and nonrivalry. Nonetheless, public goods are frequently viewed in environmental policy and scholarly debates as providing strictly positive benefits (or, in the case of public ‘bads’, providing strictly negative costs). We provide a theoretical understanding of heterogeneous externalities produced by public goods to challenge this assumption, by highlighting the ways in which a single public good can simultaneously produce positive benefits for some and negative externalities for others. To demonstrate our argument, we apply the theoretical framework onto the contemporary debates over climate engineering projects proposed to mitigate climate change. Such projects inevitably harm some countries internationally and some groups intranationally such that aggregate predictions about the benefits of climate engineering are misleading without an accurate accounting for its negative externalities.
Novel Interaction between Prefrontal and Parietal Cortex during Memory Guided Saccades

Dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC) and posterior parietal cortex (PPC) are linked to each other by direct reciprocal connections and by numerous pathways that traverse other areas. The nature of the functional coordination mediated by the interconnecting pathways is not well understood. To cast light on this issue, we simultaneously monitored neuronal activity in DLPFC (areas FEF and 8a) and PPC (areas LIP and 7a) while monkeys performed a memory guided saccade task. On measuring the spike-count correlation, a measure of the tendency for firing rates to covary across trials, we found that the DLPFC-PPC correlation became negative at the time of the saccade if and only if the neurons had matching spatial preferences and the target was at their mutually preferred location. The push-pull coordination underlying the negative spike-count correlation may help to ensure that saccadic commands emanating from DLPFC and PPC sum a constant value.
Low-Profile Strip-Loaded Textile Antenna With Enhanced Bandwidth and Isolation for Full-Duplex Wearable Applications

A novel dual-port textile antenna with a low profile and enhanced bandwidth is proposed for 2.45 GHz IMS-band full-duplex wearable applications. The antenna is developed on a textile material by using an advanced screen-printing technology and, thus, exhibits a very good structural flexibility and a high manufacturing accuracy. To improve the bandwidths at the two input ports, an innovative method is introduced for the first time where two additional strips are incorporated into the antenna design. These additional strips are placed perpendicularly to the feed lines to generate another resonant frequency, which is then combined with the fundamental mode of the patch antenna, producing the second-order resonant properties with enhanced bandwidths. The proposed strips are also beneficial to significantly improve the isolation between the two channels/ports. To maintain a robust linkage, a study of structural deformation is carried out by bending the antenna along both the 0° and 45° directions. The experimental results also show that the antenna is robust to the human tissue loading, where the specific absorption rate (SAR) is lower than 0.37 W/kg when the antenna is fully attached. The measured results agree reasonably well with the simulations providing experimental verification of the design concept. The antenna is believed to be the first dual-mode textile antenna of its type which features a low profile, improved bandwidth, high isolation, and low cost, making it a good candidate for potential full-duplex wearable applications.
Outcome of a dog undergoing definitive‐intent intensity‐modulated radiation therapy for an intranasal ganglioneuroma

An 11-year-old intact male Shiloh Shepherd was presented for evaluation of epistaxis, decreased nasal airflow, and destructive caudal nasal lesion identified using CT. Histopathologic evaluation of the nasal mass was consistent with a ganglioneuroma. The dog was treated with 10 × 4.2 Gy using IMRT technique. Post radiation therapy (RT), improvement in clinical signs were noted. Tumor progressed in size based on CT evaluation at 49 days, 3, and 6 months post-treatment. A grade 2 oral mucositis was the only RT side effect noted. Radiation therapy as described above was completed without evidence of high-grade radiation toxicities and has potential to improve clinical signs but failed to induce tumor response.
Coleções de manuscritos de ópera italiana nos diversos países e o acervo da Biblioteca Alberto Nepomuceno da EM-UFRJ

Ensaio sobre as diversas colecoes de manuscritos musicais da opera italiana do seculo XIX nos inumeros arquivos fora da Italia, entre os quais Espanha, Portugal, Dinamarca, Russia, Estados Unidos e Brasil, com enfase na colecao de obras raras da Biblioteca “Alberto Nepomuceno” da Escola de Musica da Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro. A importância dessas colecoes reside no fato de restarem como fontes impares do repertorio, decorrente da perda de documentacao na Italia, sobretudo depois da destruicao macica dos Arquivos Ricordi e Sonzogno em Milao durante a Segunda Guerra Mundial Este ensaio oferece possibilidades de pesquisa no intuito de nortear estudos futuros.
Naturally occurring hotspot cancer mutations in Gα13 promote oncogenic signaling.

Heterotrimeric G-proteins are signaling switches broadly divided into four families based on the sequence and functional similarity of their Gα subunits: Gs, Gi/o, Gq/11, and G12/13. Artificial mutations that activate Gα subunits of each of these families have long been known to induce oncogenic transformation in experimental systems. With the advent of next-generation sequencing, activating hotspot mutations in Gs, Gi/o, or Gq/11 proteins have also been identified in patient tumor samples. In contrast, patient tumor-associated G12/13 mutations characterized to date lead to inactivation rather than activation. By using bioinformatic pathway analysis and signaling assays, here we identified cancer-associated hotspot mutations in Arg-200 of Gα13 (encoded by GNA13) as potent activators of oncogenic signaling. First, we found that components of a G12/13-dependent signaling cascade that culminates in activation of the Hippo pathway effectors YAP and TAZ is frequently altered in bladder cancer. Up-regulation of this signaling cascade correlates with increased YAP/TAZ activation transcriptional signatures in this cancer type. Among the G12/13 pathway alterations were mutations in Arg-200 of Gα13, which we validated to promote YAP/TAZ-dependent (TEAD) and MRTF-A/B-dependent (SRE.L) transcriptional activity. We further showed that this mechanism relies on the same RhoGEF-RhoGTPase cascade components that are up-regulated in bladder cancers. Moreover, Gα13 Arg-200 mutants induced oncogenic transformation in vitro as determined by focus formation assays. In summary, our findings on Gα13 mutants establish that naturally occurring hotspot mutations in Gα subunits of any of the four families of heterotrimeric G-proteins are putative cancer drivers.
Kaizen (continuous improvement) and systems thinking: exploring how kaizen facilitators operationalise values and assumptions

Continuous improvement and systems thinking philosophies have diversely manifested to include the creation of multidisciplinary teams, referred to as kaizen teams, comprised of high-level leaders through frontline level staff challenged to generate business outcomes through the lens of stakeholder value. The purpose of this study was to identify values, assumptions, and behaviours associated with leaders of these teams during the kaizen process and identify post-participation impact on professional practice. Structured conversations and observations took place with leaders certified to facilitate a kaizen event. Leaders highlighted critical competencies and values that impact the team's ability to innovatively problem solve to achieve objectives as well as consequences for team members and the organisation. Data reveals significant issues organisations must direct their attention to for long-term sustainability and to fully realise their commitment to continuous improvement practices. These issues include constraints of the kaizen structure and non-traditional role responsibilities the kaizen leader takes on to make manufacturing methodologies work in a service-based environment.
Demystifying the Tenure-Track Faculty Search in Computer Science at Primarily Undergraduate Institutions: A Handbook of Advice for Job Seekers

Primarily undergraduate institutions (PUIs), including liberal arts colleges, provide a faculty career path distinct from that of faculty at research universities. Since PhD advisors often lack PUI experience, and PhD students may lack access to mentors at PUIs, this paper serves as a resource for those who want to pursue a tenure-track position at a primarily undergraduate institution. The paper includes information about the benefits and challenges of PUI careers, why departments hire, how to interpret the job advertisement, how applications are read by the search committee, the interview stages, offers, and negotiations. While this paper does not address computing education directly, it addresses the R1 to PUI pipeline which impacts undergraduate education in computer science. The advice presented in the paper is based on common attributes of the tenure-track search process at four PUIs.
Control eferente de los tracto-receptores

Comparative physiological studies have shown that in most species intrafusal or receptor muscle fibres have a motor innervation which is common with that of ordinary muscles. The mammal is an exception to this rule. Further, Crustacea and Amphibians have both "slow" and "rapid" receptor muscle fibres. In the mammal, physiological evidence has shown, so far, only slower "rapid" or twitch intrafusal fibers. There is evidence, however, through morphological studies that some mammalian intrafusal fibres may be classified as of the "slow" type. The reptilian spindle seems to posses only one intrafusal fibre apparently innervated by both large and small motor axons. No physiological studies have been performed on the reptilian spindle.
Simultaneous Noise Suppression and Incoherent Artifact Reduction in Ultrafast Ultrasound Vascular Imaging

Ultrasound vascular imaging based on ultrafast plane wave imaging and singular value decomposition (SVD) clutter filtering has demonstrated superior sensitivity in blood flow detection. However, ultrafast ultrasound vascular imaging is susceptible to electronic noise due to the weak penetration of unfocused waves, leading to a lower signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) at larger depths. In addition, incoherent clutter artifacts originating from strong and moving tissue scatterers that cannot be completely removed create a strong mask on top of the blood signal that obscures the vessels. Herein, a method that can simultaneously suppress the background noise and incoherent artifacts is proposed. The method divides the tilted plane or diverging waves into two subgroups. Coherent spatial compounding is performed within each subgroup, resulting in two compounded data sets. An SVD-based clutter filter is applied to each data set, followed by a correlation between the two data sets to produce a vascular image. Uncorrelated noise and incoherent artifacts can be effectively suppressed with the correlation process, while the coherent blood signal can be preserved. The method was evaluated in wire-target simulations and phantom, in which around 7–10-dB SNR improvement was shown. Consistent results were found in a flow channel phantom with improved SNR by the proposed method (39.9 ± 0.2 dB) against conventional power Doppler (29.1 ± 0.6 dB). Last, we demonstrated the effectiveness of the method combined with block-wise SVD clutter filtering in a human liver, breast tumor, and inflammatory bowel disease data sets. The improved blood flow visualization may facilitate more reliable small vessel imaging for a wide range of clinical applications, such as cancer and inflammatory diseases.