cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Deforestation alters the resource base and biomass of endemic stream insects in eastern Madagascar

Summary 1. Rainforest streams in eastern Madagascar have species-rich and diverse endemic insect communities, while streams in deforested areas have relatively depauperate assemblages dominated by collector-gatherer taxa. We sampled a suite of benthic insects and their food resources in three primary rainforest streams within Ranomafana National Park in eastern Madagascar and three agriculture streams in the park's deforested peripheral zone. We analysed gut contents and combined biomass and stable isotope data to examine stream community responses to deforestation in the region, which is a threatened and globally important hotspot for freshwater biodiversity. 2. Gut analyses showed that most taxa depended largely on amorphous detritus, obtained either from biofilms (collector-gatherers) or from seston (microfilterers). Despite different resource availability in forest versus agriculture streams, diets of each taxon did not differ between stream types, suggesting inflexible feeding modes. Carbon sources for forest stream insects were difficult to discern using δ13C. However, in agriculture streams dependence on terrestrial carbon sources was low relative to algal sources. Most insect taxa with δ13C similar to terrestrial carbon sources (e.g. the stonefly Madenemura, the caddisfly Chimarra sp. and Simulium blackflies) were absent or present at lower biomass in agriculture streams relative to forest streams. Conversely, collector-gatherers (Afroptilum mayflies) relied on algal carbon sources and had much higher biomass in agriculture streams. 3. Our analyses indicate that a few collector-gatherer species (mostly Ephemeroptera) can take advantage of increased primary production in biofilms and consequently dominate biomass in streams affected by deforestation. In contrast, many forest stream insects (especially those in the orders Plecoptera, Trichoptera and Diptera) depend on terrestrial carbon sources (i.e. seston and leaf litter), are unable to track resource availability and consequently decline in streams draining deforested landscapes. These forest-specialists are often micro-endemic and particularly vulnerable to deforestation. 4. The use of consumer biomass data in stable isotope research can help detect population-level responses to shifts in basal resources caused by anthropogenic change. We also suggest that restoration of vegetated riparian zones in eastern Madagascar and elsewhere could mitigate the deleterious effects of deforestation on sensitive, endemic stream taxa that are dependent on terrestrial carbon sources.
New Quantitative Trait Loci for the Genetic Variance in Circadian Period of Locomotor Activity between Inbred Strains of Mice

Provisional quantitative trait loci (QTL) for circadian locomotor period and wheel-running period have been identified in recombinant inbred (RI) mouse strains. To confirm those QTL and identify new ones, the genetic component of variance of the circadian period was partitioned among an F2 intercross of RI mouse strains (BXD19 and CXB07). First, a genomic survey using 108 SSLP markers with an average spacing of 15 cM was carried out in a population of 259 (BXD19 x CXB07)F2 animals. The genome-wide survey identified two significant QTL for period of locomotor activity measured by infrared photobeam crossings on mouse chromosomes 1 (lod score 5.66) and 14 (lod score 4.33). The QTL on distal chromosome 1 confirmed a previous report based on congenic B6.D2-Mtv7a/Ty mice. Lod scores greater than 2.0 were found on chromosomes 1, 2, 6, 12, 13, and 14. In a targeted extension study, additional genotyping was performed on these chromosomes in the full sample of 341 F2 progeny. The 6 chromosome-wide surveys identified 3 additional QTL on mouse chromosomes 6, 12, and 13. The QTL on chromosome 12 overlaps with circadian period QTL identified in several prior studies. For wheel-running period, the chromosome-wide surveys identified QTL on chromosomes 2 and 13 and one highly suggestive QTL on proximal chromosome 1. The results are compared to other published studies of QTL of circadian period.
The stability of infinite Prandtl number rotating conduction

Energy theory is used to show that infinite Prandtl number rotating Boussinesq convection between two infinite plates cannot be sustained at any Rayleigh number R below the point of linear instability RL(T). It is known that for large Taylor number T the asymptotic transition curve is RL ∼ c0T23, where c0 = (27π44)13 for both slippery and sticky boundary conditions.
Angiotensin II-mediated biphasic regulation of proximal tubular Na+/H+ exchanger 3 is impaired during oxidative stress.

Angiotensin (ANG) II via AT1 receptors (AT1Rs) maintains sodium homeostasis by regulating renal sodium transporters including Na+/H+ exchanger 3 (NHE3) in a biphasic manner. Low-ANG II concentratio...
Beyond salience: Interpretation of personal and demonstrative pronouns

Three experiments examined the hypothesis that it preferentially refers to the most salient entity in a discourse, whereas that preferentially refers to a conceptual composite. In Experiment 1, eye movements were monitored as participants followed spoken instructions such as, Put the cup on the saucer. Now put it/that ... . The preferred referent was the theme (cup) for it and the composite for that (cup on the saucer) with the goal (saucer) rarely chosen. Experiment 2 demonstrated that stressing it reduces the number of theme interpretations. Experiment 3 replicated the main findings from Experiment 1, regardless of whether or not the theme was the backward-looking center. The authors conclude that entities without linguistic antecedents are sometimes preferred over entities with linguistic antecedents and a single construct such as salience is insufficient to account for differences among referential forms. Candidate reference-specific constructs include the availability of conceptual composites and syntactic role. 2005 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
Out-of-order parallel simulation for ESL design

At the Electronic System Level (ESL), design validation often relies on discrete event (DE) simulation. Recently, parallel simulators have been proposed which increase simulation speed by using multiple cores available on today's PCs. However, the total order of time in DE simulation is a bottleneck that severely limits the benefits of parallel simulation. This paper presents a new out-of-order simulator for multi-core parallel DE simulation of hardware/software designs at any abstraction level. By localizing the simulation time and carefully handling events at different times, a system model can be simulated following a partial order of time. Subject to automatic static data analysis at compile time and table-based decisions at run time, threads can be issued early which reduces the idle time of available cores. Our experiments show high performance gains in simulation speed with only a small increase of compile time.
Methane Abundance Variations toward the Massive Protostar NGC 7538 IRS 9

Absorption and emission lines originating from the ν_3 C–H stretching manifold of gas-phase CH_4 were discovered in the high-resolution (R = 25,000) infrared L-band spectrum along the line of sight toward NGC 7538 IRS 9. These observations provide a diagnostic of the complex dynamics and chemistry in a massive star-forming region. The line shapes resemble P Cygni profiles with the absorption and emission components shifted by ~7 km s^(-1) with respect to the systemic velocity. Similar velocity components were observed in CO at 4.7 μm, but in contrast to CH_4, the CO shows deep absorption due to a high-velocity outflow as well as absorption at the systemic velocity due to the cold outer envelope. It is concluded that the gas-phase CH_4 abundance varies by an order of magnitude in this line of sight: it is low in the envelope and the outflow (X[CH_4] < 0.4 × 10^(-6)) and at least a factor of 10 larger in the central core. The discovery of solid CH4 in independent ground- and space-based data sets shows that methane is nearly entirely frozen onto grains in the envelope. It thus appears that CH_4 is formed by grain surface reactions, evaporates into the gas phase in the warm inner regions of protostellar cores, and is efficiently destroyed in shocks related to outflows.
Listening as a Missing Dimension in Engineering Education: Implications for Sustainable Community Development Efforts

Although listening is valued in engineering education literature, it is conspicuously absent from engineering curricula. Using interview data, data from published literature, reflective instructional experiences, and the intersection of those three data sources, this study investigates two primary issues: (1) engineering students' sources of resistance to listening instruction in a sustainable community development initiative, and (2) benefits from such instruction. Findings feature a proposed theory of contextual listening and suggest that sources of resistance include the paucity of listening instruction in the engineering curriculum and curricular components that may devalue listening. Benefits of a listening intervention are described, and implications are discussed.
Educational innovations: categories of bulletin board postings designed to increase awareness of contemporary pharmaceutical policy issues

*Objective: The goal of this project was to categorize and classify bulletin board postings pertaining to pharmaceutical policy from both the professional and lay press. Methods: Bulletin board postings were used to supplement in-class discussion to keep students, faculty and staff up-to-date on emerging trends. A bulletin board located in the main classroom area of the College of Pharmacy Building where students would pass by on the way to class and congregate during break periods was used to display articles from various sources concerning topics related to pharmaceutical policy. Information is presented about the primary subject matters addressed in the articles, the types of publications from which they were drawn, and the top ten sources of articles displayed. Results: This project showed that coverage of issues related to pharmacists is predominantly seen in newspapers and most pertinent issues are business related. Conclusions: It can be seen from this analysis that the issues facing pharmacists are varied. The pharmaceutical policy field is transforming and many of these changes are very relevant to the general population. This is seen from the coverage of all of these issues in the lay press.
Evidence of a Role for Fat-Free Body Mass in Modulation of Plasma Carotenoid Concentrations in Older Men: Studies with Hydrodensitometry

We examined the relationship between body composition and changes in plasma carotenoid concentration in response to dietary carotenoid restriction or beta-carotene (betaC) supplementation in healthy older men. Subjects (mean age 65 y) were assigned randomly to supplement (30 mg betaC/d) or placebo groups, and all subjects consumed a standard low carotenoid basal diet plus 1.5 mg betaC/d as carrots. Body composition was measured at baseline by hydrodensitometry, and plasma carotenoids were measured at baseline and after 28 d of treatment by HPLC. Baseline plasma total carotenoid concentration was significantly and negatively correlated with body mass index (BMI) and fat-free mass (FFM) but not with fat mass, whereas baseline betaC concentration was negatively associated with all three variables. The increase in plasma betaC concentration in response to betaC supplementation was significantly and inversely correlated with BMI and FFM but not with fat mass. Likewise, the decline in plasma total carotenoid concentration in the placebo group was also significantly and inversely related to BMI and FFM but not to fat mass. Thus, FFM seems to be an important determinant of plasma carotenoid concentrations and to explain a substantial portion of the often-observed relationship between BMI and blood carotenoid levels. Fat-free mass seems to represent a dynamic reservoir that dampens short-term changes in plasma carotenoid concentrations during fluctuation in carotenoid intake.
A Model of Inertial Oscillations with Deformation Frontogenesis

Abstract A model of inertial oscillations that may occur with, and be modulated by, deformation frontogenesis is formulated. The deformation parameter is α ∼ 10−5 s−1 and the Coriolis parameter is f ∼ 10−4 s−1. This timescale separation, distinguished by the ratio α/f ∼ 10−1, provides the basis for application of a two-timescale analysis that separates the frontal evolution from the inertial frequency oscillations. To lowest order, the inertial oscillations do not influence frontogenesis, described by the classical Hoskins and Bretherton model. The frontal evolution, characterized by the alongfront geostrophic wind, does, however, provide an amplitude modulation of the inertial wind oscillation and of the temperature that also undergoes an oscillation at the inertial frequency. Parameter values are chosen to illustrate frontal contraction and translation characteristics that can distort the wind hodograph from circular motion. Ground-level temperature traces also exhibit unusual attributes, such as an ini...
Significant increase in prostatectomy and decrease in radiation for clinical T3 prostate cancer from 1998 to 2012

Abstract Purpose We aimed to describe changes in treatment patterns for clinical T3 prostate cancer (PCa) from 1998 to 2012, specifically investigating what factors influence receipt of prostatectomy or radiation. Materials and methods Using the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results database, we studied 11,604 men with clinical T3N0M0 PCa from 1998 to 2012, with treatment categorized as radiation, radical prostatectomy (RP), or no curative therapy. We calculated rate of treatment type by year of diagnosis to investigate trends in treatment patterns, further stratifying by clinical T3a, defined as unilateral and bilateral extracapsular extension ( n = 3,842), vs. T3b (defined as extension to seminal vesicles ( n = 3,665). Finally, a multivariable logistic regression analysis measured association of demographic and clinical variables with type of treatment received for years 2010 to 2011. Results Rates of prostatectomy increased significantly from 1998 to 2012 (12.5% vs. 44.4%), radiation decreased significantly (55.8% vs. 38.4%), and receipt of no treatment also decreased (31.7% vs. 17.2%, all P P = 0.002), and were statistically similar to radiation in 2012 for clinical T3b, reaching 41.6% vs. 42.1% ( P = 0.92). Multivariable logistic regression analysis demonstrated that patients were less likely to receive prostatectomy than radiation if biopsy Gleason scores of 8 to 10 (adjusted odds ratio [AOR] = 0.41, 0.32–0.53), higher initial prostate-specific antigen (AOR = 0.97, 0.97–0.98), and older age (AOR = 0.92, 0.90–0.03, all P P = 0.74). Conclusions Since 1998, there has been a significant increase in the use of RP for clinical T3 PCa and a significant decrease in the use of radiation such that in 2012, the use of prostatectomy exceeded the use of radiation.
The Epistemological Foundations of SR

By the end of the nineteenth century, physicists had already realized that there was something fundamentally wrong with Newton’s analysis of physical time and space. The failure to detect the earth’s motion through the aether, which constituted a relative or physical space at rest with respect to metaphysical space,1 prompted a crisis in physics which compelled men like Lorentz, Larmor, and Poincare to revise and then abandon the Galilean transformation equations in favor of the relativistic Lorentz transformations. In so doing, they had already sounded the death knell of Newtonian physics, for they had relativized the sensible measures of metaphysical time and space in a way undreamed of by Newton. But they did so without abandoning the notion that there really is a true time and a true space.
An active learning approach to coreference resolution

In this paper, we define the problem of coreference resolution in text as one of clustering with pairwise constraints where human experts are asked to provide pairwise constraints (pairwise judgments of coreferentiality) to guide the clustering process. Positing that these pairwise judgments are easy to obtain from humans given the right context, we show that with significantly lower number of pairwise judgments and feature-engineering effort, we can achieve competitive coreference performance. Further, we describe an active learning strategy that minimizes the overall number of such pairwise judgments needed by asking the most informative questions to human experts at each step of coreference resolution. We evaluate this hypothesis and our algorithms on both entity and event coreference tasks and on two languages.
Deep ultraviolet light-emitting and laser diodes

Nearly all the air-water purification/polymer curing systems and bio-medical instruments require 250-300 nm wavelength ultraviolet light for which mercury lamps are primarily used. As a potential replacement for these hazardous mercury lamps, several global research teams are developing AlGaN based Deep Ultraviolet (DUV) light emitting diodes (LEDs) and DUV LED Lamps and Laser Diodes over Sapphire and AlN substrates. In this paper, we review the current research focus and the latest device results. In addition to the current results we also discuss a new quasipseudomorphic device design approach. This approach which is much easier to integrate in a commercial production setting was successfully used to demonstrate UVC devices on Sapphire substrates with performance levels equal to or better than the conventional relaxed device designs.
Regiospecific Syntheses of 6α-(1R-Hydroxyoctyl)penicillanic Acid and 6β-(1R-Hydroxyoctyl)penicillanic Acid as Mechanistic Probes of Class D β-Lactamases

The unique hydrophobic surface patches in class D β-lactamases presented an opportunity for designing two compounds, 6α-(1R-hydroxyoctyl)penicillanic acid and 6β-(1R-hydroxyoctyl)penicillanic acid, as mechanistic probes of these enzymes. In a sequence of three synthetic steps from benzhydryl 6,6-dibromopenicillanate, the targeted compounds were prepared in a stereospecific manner.
Taking Self-help Books Seriously: The Informal Aesthetic Education of Writers

Aesthetic education with a writing focus has occurred in the United States through two vehicles: textbooks in classroom-based instruction or self-help books in extracurricular instruction. Writing self-help books, or texts which address a readership interested in learning about writing independent of a teacher or university, played a significant role in guiding countless individuals during the twentieth century and continue to do so today (For the purposes of this article, “self-help” refers exclusively to self-help literature offering advice about the act of writing and not to any of the myriad of other self-help topics [dieting, relationships, and so forth]). The evolution of these self-help books paralleled the development of college and university writing courses that arose early in the twentieth century: indeed, a powerful informal aesthetic education has been occurring through self-help books. In this chapter, I perform a textual analysis of five twentieth-century self-help books, all attracting substantial readership: Dorothea Brande’s Becoming a Writer (1934); Brenda Ueland’s If You Want to Write (1938); Peter Elbow’s Writing Without Teachers (1973); Natalie Goldberg’s Writing Down the Bones (1986); and Anne Lamott’s Bird by Bird (1995). An examination of these popular twentieth-century self-help books reveals four areas of overlapping content. Collectively, self-help books on writing address the role of the unconscious in composing, issues of control, the holistic nature of composing, and failures in traditional teaching, and they all formulate a broader argument about the universal ability of humans to be creative.
TNFα and IFNγ Induced by Innate Anti-adenoviral Immune Responses Inhibit Adenovirus-Mediated Transgene Expression

The transient nature of adenovirus-mediated transgene expression has been attributed to adaptive immune responses to adenoviral proteins and transgene products. However, the cytokines interferon-γ (IFNγ) and tumor necrosis factor-α (TNFα) inhibit transgene expression from adenoviral vectors in vitro by a transcription-related mechanism, and their early induction following vector administration in vivo suggests a contribution of innate immunity in regulating transgene expression. In this study, the significance of cytokine expression and its relation to adaptive and innate immunities were determined in TNFα-knockout mice, IFNγ-knockout mice, or anti-IFNγ mAb-injected animals. Adenoviral LacZ reporter expression directed by human cytomegalovirus (HCMV) promoters was greater in magnitude and duration than that by the murine CMV (MCMV) promoter. β-Galactosidase reporter gene expression up to day 7 was greater in cytokine-deficient animals compared with wild type. Decrements in transgene expression occurred in advance of adaptive immune responses and were not due to alterations in specific adaptive immunity or vector clearance in cytokine-depleted mice. We conclude that TNFα and IFNγ inhibit early adenovirus-mediated transgene expression by HCMV and MCMV promoters in vivo. Cytokine inhibition of expression is independent of adaptive immunity and is likely secondary to innate immune responses to adenovirus infection.
Polarizability anisotropy relaxation in nanoconfinement: molecular simulation study of acetonitrile in silica pores.

We present the results of a molecular simulation study of polarizability anisotropy relaxation of liquid acetonitrile confined in approximately cylindrical silica pores of diameters in the range of 20–40 A. Grand Canonical Monte Carlo simulation is used to determine the density of acetonitrile in pores in equilibrium with the bulk liquid, and canonical-ensemble molecular dynamics is then used to calculate the trajectories of the filled pores prepared in this way. We find that the pores are wetting, partially due to hydrogen bonding between acetonitrile nitrogen and pore silanol groups and that acetonitrile molecules have preferential orientations relative to the interface. The mobility of molecules in interfacial regions is considerably reduced and dependent mainly on their proximity to the interface. We include the contributions of molecular and interaction-induced polarizabilities to the collective polarizability anisotropy relaxation. We find that this relaxation includes a slowly relaxing component ab...
Analysis of syphilis,HIV infection and awareness of AIDS-related knowledge among rural women left behind at home in Si county

Objective To understand the situation of awareness of AIDS-related knowledge and syphilis,HIV infection among rural women left behind at home in Si county,and explore suitable health education measures for prevention of AIDS and syphilis.Methods Firstly we selected 15 townships,then selected four villages from each township,and finally selected 10 people from each village.At last a total of 650 rural left-behind women were selected to complete the questionnaires,and accept HIV and syphilis test.Results The overall awareness of AIDS-related knowledge among rural left-behind women was 43.40%.There was significant difference in awareness rate for people with different education level(F = 56.029,P= 0.000).Serologic tests for HIV and syphilis among all of the women were negative.Conclusion Health education should be strengthened to raise self-protection awareness of rural women left behind at home and control the spread of AIDS and syphilis.
New Frontiers in Nanocarbons

Carbon is an extraordinary element. Its ability to covalently bond with different orbital hybridizations leads to a uniquely rich array of molecular structures that form the vast subject of organic chemistry. Approximately 20 million organic compounds containing carbon and other elements have been characterized, and it is estimated that than more than 90% of all recognized chemical compounds include carbon. By contrast, for millennia only two known substances were composed exclusively of carbon atoms: the elemental allotropes graphite and diamond. This situation changed dramatically in 1985 with the discovery of a new molecular allotrope, the soccer-ball shaped cage molecule C60, also known as Buckminsterfullerene. The discovery of C60 marked the dawn of carbon nanostructure research. In this field the focus is on all-carbon materials whose properties are determined by their specific covalent bonding geometries and the resulting well defined nanoscale structures. Activity in nanocarbon research grew explosively after the 1991 report of a method for making bulk quantities of fullerenes, and two years later a Fullerenes Group was formed within The Electrochemical Society to serve this new research community. With dimensions of approximately 1 nm, C60 and related larger fullerenes such as C70, C76, C84, etc. are studied using the experimental methods and concepts of chemistry. The scientific literature currently contains approximately 28,000 papers dealing with fullerenes. A second category of carbon nanostructure emerged in the early 1990s: nanotubes. Like fullerenes, these ordered cage structures are composed entirely of 5and 6-membered covalently bonded carbon rings, but nanotubes are highly elongated and contain 5-membered rings only at their caps. Carbon nanotubes also exist in far more structural varieties than fullerenes. With their large aspect ratios and crystalline order along the tube axis, nanotubes must be studied from an interdisciplinary viewpoint that combines concepts from chemistry and condensed matter physics. Carbon nanotubes display remarkable properties that have attracted great interest among basic and applied researchers working in chemistry, physics, materials science, chemical engineering, electrical engineering, and biomedicine. More than 85,000 papers have been published to date on carbon nanotubes. In 2004, a technique was demonstrated for removing and studying single atomic layers of carbon from graphite. These graphene sheets represent a third category of carbon nanostructures, with particularly unusual electrical properties arising from the semi-metallic pielectron band structure. As is true for nanotubes, the network of covalent carbon–carbon bonds linking the entire structure also gives graphene very high strength and suggests novel mechanical New Frontiers in Nanocarbons
Design optimization and control of a crank-slider actuator for a lower-limb prosthesis with energy regeneration

Recently as technology has progressed, interest in powered prostheses has expanded in an attempt to improve kinematics and kinetics for amputees. The current state of this art is described, noting that most powered knee prosthesis designs do not consider the energy regeneration potential of the natural knee. Three actuator models for the knee joint and its control method are designed, optimized, and evaluated using simulation models. The first model excludes mechanical losses. The second includes a Coulomb friction model. A more coarse efficiency model accounting for the mechanical losses is used in the third case. Energy regeneration of 11.94 J per stride resulted for the first model. The second model gave a total of 7.95 J per stride. Lastly, 1.94 J per stride were regenerated in the third model's simulation. In addition, sufficiently accurate gait tracking was realized with a total RMS error on the order of 10−3 rad or less for all models.
Enhancing Kuhlthau’s Guided Inquiry Model Using Moodle and LibGuides to Strengthen Graduate Students’ Research Skills

Abstract This case study describes a faculty–librarian collaboration for integrating information literacy instruction (ILI) in a law, ethics, and technology course for a graduate education leadership program. The hybrid (distance learning–face-to-face) modality of this eight-week-cycle course provides faculty with the opportunity to develop a distributed learning environment in which ILI is integrated using different modes of delivery. Based on Kuhlthau’s Guided Inquiry Model, the faculty and librarian establish a diverse learning environment for a comprehensive information literacy curriculum to support students’ research. Additional face-to-face IL sessions are incorporated. The librarian is now included as a co-instructor in the course management system (CMS). In addition, an online research guide is embedded into the CMS using Springshare’s LibGuide interface. The LibGuide provides relevant resources and tutorials to enable asynchronous learning to scaffold instruction. Data collected from the Moodle library discussion forum and LibGuide’s analytics demonstrates student use of these technologies in a distributed learning environment. An analysis of student responses in pre–post Moodle surveys and students’ reference lists from final papers reveals that the distributed learning environment meets students’ needs and improves student learning.
Solute Effect on Strength and Formability of Mg: A First-Principle Study

In wrought magnesium alloys, room temperature plasticity is largely controlled by limited slip systems such as basal slip and tension/compression twins. The insufficient number of active slip systems limits strength and ductility preventing broader structural applicability of Mg-alloys. Hence, we employ first-principle calculations to investigate the effects of Y and Al alloying elements on shearability and dislocation motion on various slip systems through ideal shear resistance and generalized stacking fault energy calculations. Yttrium is seen to lower the ideal shear resistance and dislocation motion energetics on all the slip systems. On the other hand, aluminum increases the ideal shear resistance but decreases the energy barrier for dislocation motion on various slip systems. The profound effects of solute addition result from the charge transfer between the solute atom and surrounding magnesium atoms.
Reappraisal of Staging Laparoscopy for Patients with Pancreatic Adenocarcinoma: A Contemporary Analysis of 1001 Patients

Recent advances in imaging and the increasing use of neoadjuvant therapy puts the contemporary utility of staging laparoscopy for patients with pancreatic adenocarcinoma (PDAC) into question. This study aimed to develop a prognostic score to optimize prevention of an unnecessary laparotomy and minimize the rate for unnecessary laparoscopy. Clinicopathologic data were evaluated for all patients undergoing surgical intervention for PDAC between 2001 and 2015, who were stratified into group 1 (2001–2008) and group 2 (2009–2014). The study identified 1001 patients eligible for analysis, 331 (33%) of whom underwent a staging laparoscopy before exploration. An unnecessary laparotomy was prevented for 44.4% of the patients in period 1 and for 24% of the patients in period 2 (p < 0.001). Male gender [odds ratio (OR), 1.8; p < 0.05], preoperative resectability (borderline resectable OR 2.1; p < 0.019; locally advanced OR 7.6; p < 0.001), CA 19-9 levels higher than 394 U/L (OR 3.1; p < 0.001), no neoadjuvant chemotherapy (OR 2.7; p = 0.012), and pancreatic body or tail lesions (OR 1.8; p = 0.063) were predictive of occult metastatic disease. The developed scoring index demonstrated a c-statistic of 0.729. The observed-to-expected ratio for the index at every score level validated the index’s model. A score cutoff at 4 was able to detect 76.1% of radiographically occult metastatic disease. The rate for unnecessary laparotomy among patients with PDAC has decreased in contemporary times, but unnecessary laparotomy still occurs for 1 in 4 patients. Using our scoring system, a cutoff of 4 allows 76% of radiographically occult metastases to be predicted, thereby selecting high-risk patients for laparoscopic biopsy and potentially avoiding a non-therapeutic laparotomy.
Is “Interesting” Interesting?

The focus of this chapter is at once specific and illustrative. The aim is to show and to argue that the common, overworked adjective “Interesting” lacks cognitive and emotive meaning. “Interesting” fails as an instructive modifier and as a word that stirs the emotions. As such, this word should, at a minimum, appear sparingly in formal writing and speaking. Even better, it should disappear and, like some other adjectives that are included in this chapter, find itself in the dustbin of history. To make a case for this aim in the chapter is to appeal to assorted philosophical arguments including the famous ontological proof that God exists.
Improving edge crystal identification in flood histograms using triangular shape crystals

This work presents a method to improve the separation of edge crystals in PET block detectors. As an alternative to square-shaped crystal arrays, we used an array of triangular-shaped crystals. This increases the distance between the crystal centres at the detector edges potentially improving the separation of edge crystals. To test this design, we have compared the flood histograms of two 4×4 scintillator arrays in both square and triangular configurations. The quality of the flood histogram was quantified using the fraction of events positioned in the correct crystal based on a 2D Gaussian fit of the segmented flood histograms. In the first study, the two crystal arrays were coupled with the SiPM directly using optical grease, and the flood histogram quality for the edge and corner crystals in the triangular-shaped array were much better than that for those crystals in the square-shaped array. The average light collection efficiency for the triangular-shaped array was 5.9% higher than that for the square-shaped array. The average energy resolution for the triangular and square shape array were 11.6% and 13.2% respectively. In the second study, two light guides with thickness 1 mm and 2 mm were used between the crystal arrays and the SiPM. The thicker lightguide degraded the light collection efficiency and energy resolution due to the light loss introduced by the light guide. However, in the 2-mm thick lightguide case, the flood histogram quality for the edge and corner crystals in the square-shaped array were improved due to better separation of those crystals in the flood histogram. Comparing the performance of the two crystal arrays with three different light guides, the triangular-shaped crystal array with no lightguide gave the best performance.
Enabling Edge Devices that Learn from Each Other: Cross Modal Training for Activity Recognition

Edge devices rely extensively on machine learning for intelligent inferences and pattern matching. However, edge devices use a multitude of sensing modalities and are exposed to wide ranging contexts. It is difficult to develop separate machine learning models for each scenario as manual labeling is not scalable. To reduce the amount of labeled data and to speed up the training process, we propose to transfer knowledge between edge devices by using unlabeled data. Our approach, called RecycleML, uses cross modal transfer to accelerate the learning of edge devices across different sensing modalities. Using human activity recognition as a case study, over our collected CMActivity dataset, we observe that RecycleML reduces the amount of required labeled data by at least 90% and speeds up the training process by up to 50 times in comparison to training the edge device from scratch.
HYALURONAN BIOMATERIALS FOR TARGETED DRUG DELIVERY AND WOUND HEALING

ABSTRACT A mild chemical modification of hyaluronic acid (HA) provides functionalized derivatives for fabrication of targeted drug delivery systems, wound dressings, tissue engineering scaffolds, and probes for cellular binding and transport of HA. First, we describe the use of covalent HA-anti-cancer agents for use as potential therapeutics. Data from cell culture, flow cytometry, and in vivo mouse models support this targcted anti-tumor strategy. Second, we describe new flexible hydrogel films composed of crosslinked chondroitin sulfate (CS) and HA, which have potential as wound dressings capable of biointegration and drug release. Lyophilization and rehydration of these flexible films also provide porous materials for cell growth and tissue engineering. Third, we describe progress on the elucidation of the structure determination of the HA-binding domain (HABD) of RHAMM and the use of this domain to identify peptides that mimic HA.
Meta-Blackmail and the Evidentiary Theory: Still Taking Motives Seriously

For generations, criminal law theorists, moral and political philosophers, and economists have struggled to resolve one of the law's great puzzles: whether, why, and under what circumstances the law should criminalize the conditional threat to do what is lawful. This is the so-called paradox of blackmail. Although libertarians have insisted that blackmail should be lawful, most commentators agree that at least some forms of blackmail are properly criminalized, disagreeing over the proper rationale. In his provocative article, Meta-blackmail, Russell Christopher presents a wholly novel argument in support of the libertarian conclusion. Christopher's argument relies upon the imaginary device of a conditional threat to conditionally threaten what it is permissible to do. The challenge, he says, is to figure out how the law should treat such meta-blackmail proposals - as equivalent to their corresponding blackmail proposals, as more serious, or as less serious. According to Christopher, each possibility is supported by compelling intuitions, thus confronting defenders of blackmail's criminalization with a trilemma. The only way out, he concludes, is to decriminalize blackmail itself. This Reply seeks to demonstrate that Christopher's analysis is flawed, and that conditional threats to advance a conditional threat yield no trilemma. Therefore, the meta-blackmail conceit does not support the conclusion that blackmail ought to be decriminalized. It also defends, against Christopher's criticisms, the explanation for blackmail's criminalization that I put forth nearly a decade ago. According to that account - what I dubbed the evidentiary theory - the conditional threat is evidence that the threatener would lack the sorts of reasons for doing as he threatens that are necessary to make the knowing causing of harm morally justifiable. It follows that even if the act-type threatened is not necessarily wrongful (because it could be engaged in by good reasons), the act-token that this particular actor threatens on this occasion may well be. And if the act-token threatened would be wrongful, the conditional threat itself would constitute the moral wrong of coercion. Because there is nothing puzzling about criminalizing attempts to extract property belonging to another by means of morally coercive threats, the evidentiary insight resolves the blackmail paradox.
The role of recasts in the interactions of native-speakers of English with Korean English language learners

This study partially replicates that of Braidi (2002). Like the original, it investigates occurrences and use of recasts, that is, reformulations of incorrect utterances, in relation to the number of grammatical errors in conversations of NSEs (Native Speakers of English) and NNSEs (Nonnative Speakers of English) and examines whether different types of tasks can affect the occurrences and use of recasts. In contrast to many previous studies, I examine here the occurrences of recasts in non-instructional interactions between NSEs and NNSEs. Five dyads of American teaching assistants and Korean graduate students at Iowa State University participated in performing two different types of tasks, a picture description and a spot-the-difference task. Their performances were audio/video recorded and transcribed with Transana 2.0, a transcription software program. For data analysis, frequency of recasts was counted and NNSE responses to recasts were also counted, according to the classification of Braidi (2002) and a chi-square test and a Fisher’s exact test were used to find statistical significance. The results showed similarities to those of Braidi’s (2002) study in that recasts occurred less than non-recasts in the frequencies of recasts predicted by the level of grammaticality. However, in contrast to Braidi’s result showing a significant relationship between the level of grammaticality and occurrences of recasts, this study showed non-significant relationship between them. Furthermore, it appears that task types did not affect the occurrence of recasts. However, the study reveals considerable variation between dyads regarding both the occurrences of recasts and NNSE responses to recasts.
Immune Cell Metabolism in Autoimmunity

Immune metabolism is a rapidly moving field. While most of the research has been conducted to define the metabolism of healthy immune cells in the mouse, it is recognized that the overactive immune system that drives autoimmune diseases presents metabolic abnormalities that provide therapeutic opportunities, as well as a means to understand the fundamental mechanisms of autoimmune activation more clearly. Here, we review recent publications that have reported how the major metabolic pathways are affected in autoimmune diseases, with a focus on rheumatic diseases.
An 8-year-old boy with delayed motor milestones and proximal leg muscle weakness

The child in this vignette presented with delayed motor milestones and proximal leg muscle weakness. He had normal creatine kinase, and muscle biopsy showed features consistent with centronuclear myopathy (CNM) which was caused by DNM2 mutation. CNM is clinically and genetically heterogeneous; DNM2 mutations are the most common cause of autosomal dominant CNM. The histologic hallmark of CNM is the presence of centralized nuclei, specific patterns of disorganization in oxidative stains (e.g. radial arrangement of sarcoplasmic strands in DNM2-CNM).
Towards a scatter-gather architecture: hardware and software issues

The on-node performance of High performance computing (HPC) applications is traditionally dominated by memory operations. Put simply, memory is what these applications "do." Unfortunately, they don't do it well. Caches, our first line of attack in the battle for memory performance, often throw away most of the data they fetch before using it. Processor cores, one of our most expensive resources, spend an inordinate amount of time performing simple address computations. Addressing these issues will require new approaches to how on-chip memory is organized and how memory operations are performed. Under Project 38, a joint Department of Energy / Department of Defense architectural resarch project, we have focused on exploring what a flexible in-memory scatter-gather architecture could look like in the context of several important HPC applications.
Earnings management in the pre-IPO process: Biases and predictors

Abstract We analyze a sample of 3,293 IPOs from 29 countries to investigate the firm, industry, and country characteristics related to earnings management during the IPO process. We find that IPO firms tend to have significantly positive discretionary accruals (DCA) both prior to and after the IPO, suggesting that IPO firms tend to engage in pre-IPO earnings management. However, we also find that using a proxy for earnings management in the IPO year may lead to biased conclusions concerning pre-IPO earnings management. Firms that are more likely to need access to capital markets in the future (firms with high leverage, and firms backed by a venture capitalist) are less likely to engage in pre-IPO earnings management. Firms operating in countries with a superior rule of law are also less likely to engage in earnings management. Lastly, we find that firms may engage in pre-IPO earnings management in part to avoid returning to the capital markets to raise more funds (capital market staging). This result is robust to possible endogeneity bias stemming from management self-selection.
Food insecurity and the extremes of childhood weight: defining windows of vulnerability.

BACKGROUND Weight extremes and food insecurity (FIS) represent public-health challenges, yet their associations in childhood remain unclear. We aimed to investigate the longitudinal time-specific relationship between FIS and risk of overweight/obesity and underweight in kindergarten through 8th grade. METHODS In the prospective Early Childhood Longitudinal Study-Kindergarten Cohort (1998-2007) of 6368 children, household FIS was assessed by the validated US Household Food Security Survey Module in kindergarten, 3rd, 5th and 8th grades. Multivariable linear-regression and Poisson-regression models were computed. RESULTS Compared with children experiencing food security (FS), children exposed to FIS in 5th grade had 0.19 [95% confidence interval (CI): 0.07-0.30] and 0.17 (0.06-0.27) higher body mass index z-score (BMIZ) in the 5th and 8th grades, respectively, whereas FIS in the 8th grade was associated with a 0.29 (0.19-0.40) higher BMIZ at the same wave, after adjusting for covariates and FIS at earlier waves. Children with FIS vs FS had 27% (relative risk: 1.27, 95% CI: 1.07-1.51), 21% (1.21, 1.08-1.35) and 28% (1.28, 1.07-1.53) higher risk of overweight/obesity in the 3rd, 5th and 8th grades, respectively, adjusting for covariates and FIS at prior wave(s). Children with FIS vs FS in kindergarten had a 2.76-fold (1.22-6.25) higher risk of underweight in the 8th grade. CONCLUSIONS Proximal exposure to household FIS was associated with a higher risk of overweight/obesity in the 3rd, 5th and 8th grades. FIS in kindergarten was associated with a risk of underweight in the 8th grade. Thus, FIS coexists in weight extremes during vulnerable early-life windows in the USA, similarly to the global burden of FIS.
A Critical Review of Fluoride Salt Heat Transfer

Interest in molten salts for next-generation nuclear reactors has led to increasing design work over the last several years. Much of this builds off historic heat transfer experiments like those of...
Field-Effect Transistors 3

The availability of monoclinic aluminum gallium oxide (β-(AlxGa1−x)2O3) alloys and their staggered band alignment with β-Ga2O3 makes it possible to realize two-dimensional electron gas (2DEG) through modulation doping. This brings unique advantages in improving the electrical transport properties in β-Ga2O3, and at the same time, it provides a great platform for the evaluation of a range of the fundamental materials and electrical properties of β-Ga2O3. In this chapter, we describe the early efforts in the design and epitaxy of the heterostructures and discuss the confirmation of a 2DEG through temperature-dependent Hall measurements as well as the first observation of the quantum oscillations in the material system. We will further discuss the realization of modulation-doped field-effect transistors (MODFETs), which have contributed to the evaluation of the saturation velocity and demonstration of high breakdown field in the material system. We will also discuss the methods to improve the 2DEG density and present the first double heterostructure MODFET (DH-MODFET). The early efforts on β-(AlxGa1−x)2O3/Ga2O3 heterostructures confirmed that the modulation-doped structure could be a promising architecture for electronic device applications.