cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
90nm Games Processor Wafer to Module Power Yield Optimization

When fabricating a high volume games processor (CPU) for the consumer market, due to the cost of the module package, it is important to optimize the functional yield loss between the wafer die and the finished module package. For a performance CPU in a mature 90 nm technology the primary yield drivers can be power and performance. A functional power Iddq screen test method is presented here that decreases yield loss across functional test sectors by minimizing the impact of process variation for device gate leakage.
Mobile phones without guarantees: The promises of technology and the contingencies of culture

The mobile phone’s global diffusion has generated hope in its ability to enable individuals in developing countries to increase their income and life opportunities. However, numerous socio-cultural factors contribute to the outcomes of technology in diverse contexts. This article uses Alcoff’s (2006) theory of positionality and the notion of socio-techno practices to examine mobile phones and the labor relations of young rural-to-urban migrant women working in the low-level service sector in Beijing. This study argues that the women’s gender, age, class, and rural origin produce particular constraints on their ability to generate higher income and find better jobs. It also reveals that some employers use mobile phones for surveillance of employees, which was not likely before since most migrant women do not have landlines. This article shows that as much as the mobile phone is a liberatory and equalizing technology, it can also reinforce rather than upset patriarchal power relationships.
Evaluating the uncertainty caused by Post Office Box addresses in environmental health studies: A restricted Monte Carlo approach

A Monte Carlo approach is used to evaluate the uncertainty caused by incorporating Post Office Box (PO Box) addresses in point-cluster detection for an environmental-health study. Placing PO Box addresses at the centroids of postcode polygons in conventional geocoding can introduce significant error into a cluster analysis of the point data generated from them. In the restricted Monte Carlo method I presented in this paper, an address that cannot be matched to a precise location is assigned a random location within the smallest polygon believed to contain that address. These random locations are then combined with the locations of precisely matched addresses, and the resulting dataset is used for performing cluster analysis. After repeating this randomization-and-analysis process many times, one can use the variance in the calculated cluster evaluation statistics to estimate the uncertainty caused by the addresses that cannot be precisely matched. This method maximizes the use of the available spatial information, while also providing a quantitative estimate of the uncertainty in that utilization. The method is applied to lung-cancer data from Grafton County, New Hampshire, USA, in which the PO Box addresses account for more than half of the address dataset. The results show that less than 50% of the detected cluster area can be considered to have high certainty.
Visual flow influences gait transition speed and preferred walking speed

It is typically assumed that basic features of human gait are determined by purely biomechanical factors. In two experiments, we test whether gait transition speed and preferred walking speed are also influenced by visual information about the speed of self-motion. The visual flow during treadmill locomotion was manipulated to be slower than, matched to, or faster than the physical gait speed (visual gains of 0.5, 1.0, 2.0). Higher flow rates elicit significantly lower transition speeds for both the Walk-Run and Run-Walk transition, as expected. Similarly, higher flow rates elicit significantly lower preferred walking speeds. These results suggest that visual information becomes calibrated to mechanical or energetic aspects of gait and contributes to the control of locomotor behavior.
Formulas for the Inductance of Coaxial Busses Comprised of Square Tubular Conductors

BY virtue of its axial symmetric geometry, the coaxial tubular bus possesses certain very desirable electrical and mechanical characteristics. Low inductance contributes to good voltage regulation. Reduced skin and proximity effects minimize line losses and average temperature rise under load. Axial-symmetric distribution of skin and proximity effects reduces current density distortion and attendant hot-spot concentrations, hence enables a greater current rating for a specified maximum copper temperature. As electromagnetic forces between conductors are eliminated largely, mechanical bracing against short-circuit forces correspondingly can be reduced. The nested conductors require less space for installation and a smaller supporting structure than they would if arranged side by side.
Problems in the Study of Later Pleistocene Man in Africa

The Upper and post-Pleistocene prehistory of man in Africa is highly complex, and a number of problems remain unsolved. The meaning of the Omo finds in relation to other late Middle or early Upper Pleistocene assemblages from southern Africa is uncertain, as is the significance of later fossil human remains which have been termed “Boskopoid.” The origin of the African Negro is another question, difficult to answer on the basis of evidence at hand. These problems are reviewed in the light of new dating and fresh study of key fossils.
Gel permeation chromatography of polymers

The literature on gel permeation chromatography (GPC) is surveyed and briefly reviewed to provide a guide to some of the more important references, particularly those dealing with equipment and polymer molecular weight determination. A number of applications of GPC in the authors' laboratories are discussed in order to illustrate use of the GPC technique, with particular regard to its value in estimating low molecular weight substances present in polymers.
Examining relationships among elementary schools' contexts, leadership, instructional practices, and added-year outcomes: a regression discontinuity approach

This study proposes and tests a multilevel structural model of school context, composition, and school leadership on school instructional practices and outcomes in elementary schools in a western state in the United States. We focus on direct and indirect relationships implied in our proposed model using an “added year of schooling” in reading and math as our primary school-level outcomes. Added-year effects, which result from a regression discontinuity design, represent a relatively new approach for describing how school factors influence outcomes. Our results suggest that, net of context and composition factors, improvement-focused school leadership directly affected subsequent school instructional practices and, in turn, instructional practices affected added-year outcomes. We discuss the findings in terms of their theoretical and practical implications for conducting further educational effectiveness research.
The Dit des monstiers

This article offers a critical edition of a text known as the Dit des moustiers or, to follow the text itself more closely, the Dit des monstiers, found in a fourteenthcentury Paris manuscript. The presentation here is intended to make this text better known to scholars interested in the history of Paris in the fourteenth century. The article will discuss the manuscript and the text, provide an edition and translation of the poem, and offer a brief linguistic, textual, and historical commentary on the dit.
Paradigm for Pluralism: Mikhail Bakhtin and Social Work Practice

This article explores the work of the literary and cultural theorist and philosopher Mikhail Bakhtin and acknowledges him as a new voice to social work. In a larger context the authors argue that his ideas can help the profession negotiate the tricky and unsettling transition from modernity to postmodernity. In particular the authors explore two of his key concepts-dialogue and carnival-and suggest that they offer creative and innovative ways to think about three enduring issues in social work practice: (1) empowerment and social justice, (2) the creation of knowledge for practice, and (3) diversity and difference. Overall Bakhtin's thoughts provide the profession with a paradigm for pluralism that the authors believe will add new credibility and strength to the profession and its practitioners.
On the first cohomology group of cofinite subgroups in surface mapping class groups

Abstract Following the well-known analogy between arithmetic groups and surface mapping class groups Ivanov asked whether the first cohomology group of any subgroup of finite index in a surface mapping class group must be trivial. In this note, we establish, as our first result, an affirmative answer to Ivanov's question, provided the surface in question has genus at aleast 3, and the subgroup of finite index contains the Torellli group. Secondly, we show that our first result does not hold for any surface of genus 2. This second result established, in particular, a negative answer to Ivanov's question for any surface of genus 2.
Clinical correlates of the rate of transmission of transmitral “A” wave to the left ventricular outflow tract in left ventricular hypertrophy secondary to systemic hypertension, hypertrophic cardiomyopathy or aortic valve stenosis

Il. Huhta JC, Smallhorn IF, Macartney FJ. Two dimensional echocardiographic diagnosis of situs. Br Heart J 1982;48:97-108. l2. Vick GW, Murphy DJ, Ludomirsky A, Morrow WR, Moniss MJ, Danford DA, Huhta JC. Pulmonary venous and systemic ventricular inflow obstruction in patients with congenital heart disease: detection by combined two-dimensional and Doppler echocardiography. J Am Ml Cardiol 1987;9:58&587. 13. Wang JK, Li YW, Young ML, How SW, Lue HC. Delineation of obstruction in total anomalous pulmonary venous connection utilizing magnetic resonance imaging. Am Heart J 1992;124:807-809. 14. Matsuda H, Kawashima Y, Kishimoto H, Hiroso H, Nakano S, Kato H, Taniguchi K, Nishigaki K, Sam T, Ogawa M. Problems in the modified Fontan operation for univentricular heart of the right ventricular type, Circulation 1987; 76(suppl III):III-45-111-52. 15. Franklin RCG, Spielgelhalter DJ, Anderson RH, Macartney FJ, Filho RIR, Rigby ML, Deanfield JE. Double-inlet ventricle presenting in infancy. II. Result of palliative operation. J Thorac Cardiovasc Surg 1991;101:917-923. 16. Houston AB, Simpson IA, Sheldon CD, Doig WB, Coleman EN. Doppler ultrasound in the estimation of the severity of pulmonary infundibular stenosis m infants and children. Br Heart J 1986;55:381&384.
Efficiency, Participation, and Quality

This book review essay offers a picture of e-government scholarship that involves three major themes: efficiency, citizen participation, and quality. Two of the themes, efficiency and citizen participation, have sometimes been counterposed in public administration literature, seeing citizen participation coming at the expense of efficiency. In this essay, the effects of the goals of efficiency and citizen participation on the third theme, ?quality? in e-government literature, are explored via a thematic map based on multidimensional scaling. This analysis offers that efficiency and political participation in e-government literature stem from macro-political conceptions, and they are separate from ?quality? concerns.
Boundary Control of PDEs and Applications to Turbulent Flows and Flexible Structures

We present a tutorial overview of new methods for designing feedback controllers for infinite-dimensional systems controlled from the boundary. Such problems arise in turbulent flow control, chemical process control, fusion, nanotechnology applications such as control of cantilever beams in atomic force microscopes, etc. Due to the inherent high dimensionality and unbounded input and output operators, control methods that mimic standard finite-dimensional techniques and require the solution of operator Riccati equations are hard to apply to these problems. We present a set of novel controller and observer design techniques inspired by geometric nonlinear control tools and "backstepping," which employ only symbolic computation. In flow control applications these techniques can be employed in such a way that not only the turbulence is suppressed but the linearized Navier-Stokes PDEs are solved explicitly. In control of flexible beams the new techniques remove the need for collocated actuators and sensors, which has permeated this field for decades. For distributed parameter systems with unknown parameters we show adaptive control techniques that ensure stabilization even in the most challenging of cases like the cases with infinite relative degrees, infinitely many unknown parameters, and infinitely many unmeasured states. Trajectory tracking problems are rarely, if ever, pursued for PDE systems. We show that they become readily tractable with the new techniques. All of the new techniques are fully accessible to researchers with an engineer's level of mathematical background.
Polychlorinated Biphenyl (Aroclor (R) 1254) Residues in Rainbow Trout: Effects on Sensitivity to Nine Fishery Chemicals

Abstract The influence of background polychlorinated biphenyl (PCB) residues in rainbow trout (Salmo gairdneri) on the susceptibility of the fish to nine chemicals routinely or occasionally used in fishery operations was evaluated. Rainbow trout fry were divided into three groups: one was exposed to 0.01 ppb and another to 0.1 ppb of the PCB Aroclor (R) 1254; the third (control) group was unexposed. After 30 days of exposure, whole body residues were 0.28 and 2.31 ppm for fish exposed to 0.01 and 0.1 ppb, respectively; control fish had residue concentrations of 0.04 ppm. Acute toxicity tests showed that both groups of exposed fish were more sensitive to rotenone and 2,4-D. Exposure did not significantly affect sensitivity to 2-[digeranylamino]-ethanol (GD-174), 3-trifluoromethyl-4-nitrophenol (TFM), nifurpirinol (Furanace), tricaine methanesulfonate (MS-222), or copper sulfate. Fishery managers should be aware that sensitivity of fish to control chemicals may be altered by the presence of contaminants in ...
Violent Hate Groups in Rural America

The "agrarian myth" portrays rural America as a refuge from the "evils" of the urban environment. Despite this popular image, criminal violence does occur in rural communities and in some situations it evolves out of the social, political, and economic structures of rural life. This is illustrated by the criminal activities of various hate groups found throughout the farm belt.
Interband Electronic Structure of α‐Alumina up to 2167 K

The electronic structure and interband transitions of α-Al2O3 have been studied using temperature-dependent vacuum ultraviolet spectroscopy from 5 to 43 eV, at temperatures ranging from 293 up to 2167 K, which is approaching the melting point of 2327 K. The energy range of the spectra spans the full range of interband electronic transitions. Kramers–Kronig analysis has been employed to recover the phase information, and the interband transition strength (Jcv) of the valence to conduction band transitions. Critical point (CP) analysis of Jcv, a modeling technique based on band structure topology, is then applied to the study of temperature-induced changes in the interband electronic structure. This approach offers newinsights into the nature of the electronic structure of α-Al2O3—by allowing us to decompose the interband transitions into subsets associated with states of O 2p nonbonding and Al = O bonding character, and by allowing us to apply partial optical sum rules to these subsets to determine changes in their electron occupancy as a function of temperature. Up to 1700 K the temperature dependence of the electronic structure is linear, corresponding to the linear behavior of the thermal lattice expansion and the vibrational Debye–Waller factors. Below 1700 K the absorption edge shifts at −1.1 meV/K while the exciton and band gap, decomposed through CP modelling, shift at 0.93 and 0.85 meV/K with an exciton binding energy of 0.13 eV. The electron occupancy of the O 2p nonbonding CP set decreases and the occupancy of the Al = O bonding CP set increases. Above 1700 K the temperature dependence of the electronic structure is nonlinear, reflecting the interaction of electrons with phonons in the anharmonic regime, and related to the nonlinearity observed in the vibrational Debye–Waller factors. Also above 1700 K, the O 2p nonbonding and Al = O bonding CP sets merge and this is discussed in the context of temperature-induced changes in the interatomic bonding.
Optimal Information Disclosure in Auctions and the Handicap Auction

We analyze a situation where a monopolist is selling an indivisible good to risk neutral buyers who only have an estimate of their private valuations. The seller can release, without observing, certain additional signals that affect the buyers’ valuations. Our main result is that in the expected revenue maximizing mechanism, the seller makes available all the information that she can, and her expected revenue is the same as it would be if she could observe the part of the information that is “new” to the buyers. We also show that this mechanism can be implemented by what we call a handicap auction in interesting applications. In the first round of this auction, each buyer picks a price premium from a menu offered by the seller (a smaller premium costs more). Then the seller releases the additional signals. In the second round, the buyers bid in a second-price auction where the winner pays the sum of his premium and the second highest non-negative bid. In the case of a single buyer, this mechanism simplifies to a menu of European call options.
Modeling and simulation of circuit-electromagnetic effects in electronic design flow

The goal of this paper is to describe a methodology for modeling and simulation of circuit-electromagnetic (EM) effects that fits into a current electronic design flow Our methodology is based on using time-domain macromodels implemented in a hardware description language (HDL). Simulation of the entire coupled circuit-EM system can be carried out either entirely in the HDL simulator or in a SPICE-type circuit simulator (using a model compiler for macromodel import). We also describe in detail a circuit-EM contact interface and a neutral mesh format necessary to allow for flexibility in choice of EM simulators. At each step of our methodology, we provide an overview of current problems and solutions with reference to existing publications. As a demonstration example, we consider a simple coupled system (MEMS resonator connected to a lumped circuit) and show that simulations using a VHDL-AMS macromodel match full-wave EM results but easily fit in the design flow and take significantly less time. Our methodology is straightforward and permits the use of various EM simulators and macromodel identification algorithms.
Protein Import into Endoplasmic Reticulum: Methods

Nascent secretory proteins and integral membrane proteins must translocate into the endoplasmic reticulum (ER). The regulation of translocation remains ill-defined. Posttranslational translocation into the yeast ER can be measured using ER-derived microsomes or reconstituted proteoliposomes and the mating pheromone precursor prepro-alpha factor as the translocation substrate. Keywords: translocation; endoplasmic reticulum; yeast; Sec61; microsomes
TGF-β1 epigenetically modifies Thy-1 expression in primary lung fibroblasts

Idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis is a progressive lung disease that increases in incidence with age. We identified a profibrotic lung phenotype in aging mice characterized by an increase in the number of fibroblasts lacking the expression of thymocyte differentiation antigen 1 (Thy-1) and an increase in transforming growth factor (TGF)-β1 expression. It has been shown that Thy-1 expression can be epigenetically modified. Lung fibroblasts (PLFs) were treated with TGF-β1 ± DNA methyltransferase (DNMT) inhibitor 5-aza-2'-deoxycytidine (5-AZA) and analyzed for Thy-1 gene and protein expression, DNMT protein expression, and activity. α-Smooth muscle actin (α-SMA) and collagen type 1 (Col1A1) gene and protein expression was assessed. PLFs were transfected with DNMT1 silencing RNA ± TGF-β1. TGF-β1 inhibited Thy-1 gene and protein expression in PLFs, and cotreatment with 5-AZA ameliorated this effect and appeared to inhibit DNMT1 activation. TGF-β1 induced Thy-1 promoter methylation as assessed by quantitative methyl PCR. Treatment with 5-AZA attenuated TGF-β1-induced Col1A1 gene and protein expression and α-SMA gene expression (but not α-SMA protein expression). Inhibiting DNMT1 with silencing RNA attenuated TGF-β1-induced DNMT activity and its downstream suppression of Thy-1 mRNA and protein expression as well as inhibited α-SMA mRNA and Col1A1 mRNA and protein expression, and showed a decreased trend in Thy-1 promoter methylation. Immunofluorescence for α-SMA suggested that 5-AZA inhibited stress fiber formation. These findings suggest that TGF-β1 epigenetically regulates lung fibroblast phenotype through methylation of the Thy-1 promoter. Targeted inhibition of DNMT in the right clinical context might prevent fibroblast to myofibroblast transdifferentiation and collagen deposition, which in turn could prevent fibrogenesis in the lung and other organs.
An Assessment of the Risks and Benefits of Immediate Autologous Breast Reconstruction in Patients Undergoing Postmastectomy Radiation Therapy

BACKGROUND The utility of immediate autologous breast reconstruction in patients likely to undergo radiation therapy remains controversial. The purpose of this study was to perform a quantitative outcomes assessment of patients undergoing immediate free-flap breast reconstruction and postmastectomy radiation therapy (PMRT). METHODS A retrospective chart review was performed of patients undergoing free-flap breast reconstruction by the senior authors (L.C.W. and J.M.S.) between 2005 and 2009. The treatment group included patients who underwent immediate free-flap breast reconstruction and received PMRT. The control group consisted of patients undergoing immediate breast reconstruction without PMRT. Variables assessed included postoperative complications and revision surgery. RESULTS Four hundred seven women underwent immediate free-flap breast reconstruction for a total of 655 flaps. In the cohort that underwent unilateral reconstruction, there was a higher incidence of volume loss (28.26% vs 4.42%, P < 0.0001) and fat necrosis (19.57% vs 3.54%, P = 0.002) in the PMRT group. In the cohort that underwent bilateral reconstruction, there was a higher rate of volume loss for those in the PMRT group (19.75% vs 1.0%, P < 0.0001). However, for both patients who underwent unilateral reconstruction and those who underwent bilateral reconstruction, the PMRT group underwent similar rates of revision surgery. The cohort that underwent bilateral reconstruction experienced a higher incidence of volume loss in radiated perforator flaps (39%) vs muscle-sparing free transverse rectus abdominis myocutaneous flaps (12%; P = 0.013). CONCLUSIONS Postmastectomy radiation therapy can result in volume loss and fat necrosis, yet there are no increases in other complications or revision procedures. The deleterious effects of PMRT do not preclude the decision for immediate autologous reconstruction.
Preoperative evaluation of the toxic goiter patient.

Important in the preparation of a patient for thyroidectomy is an accurate, written and, preferably, graphic record of the patient's progress. Although the antithyroid drugs, such as propyl thiouracil, have revolutionized preoperative management of the thyrotoxic patient, the established prerequisites for thyroidectomy must not be abandoned.
Corrosion and deposition on the secondary circuit of steam generators

ABSTRACTThis study conducts a critical review on the studies of material corrosion and deposition on the secondary circuit of a pressurized water reactor, especially on the steam generators (SGs). Available knowledge has shown that the structural materials in the environment of the secondary circuit are susceptible to flow-accelerated corrosion and deposition-induced degradation. The deposition of the non-volatile impurities, especially the corrosion products, on the SG surfaces can be a primary cause of material degradations, including stress corrosion cracking. The review will analyze the fouling mechanisms and behaviors, the source of impurities, corrosion mechanisms, and the factors that affect the deposition and corrosion behaviors.
The clinical observation of armpit sweat influencing on axillary temperature test

Objective To observe the influence of whether there was sweat or nor in armpit on the value of axillary temperature in order to better guide the clinical practice.Methods 122 patients newly admitted into our hospital were selected for measuring axillary temperature.In the chronological order,every one was asked to clamp thermometer for 5 min and 10 min when there was sweating in armpit.The same procedure was repeated after drying the armpit sweat.Results Data from 122 participants displayed that there was significant differences in clamping thermometer for 5 min on sweating in armpit and drying armpit sweat(P0.05).But no obvious difference gained in clamping thermometer for 10 min whether there was sweat in armpit or not(P0.05).Conclusion Aiming at reducing workload of nurses,it is not necessary to dry armpit sweat on measuring axillary temperature,but the thermometer must be clamped with height of flexing arm over chest for at least 10 min.
Characterization of ovarian surface epithelial cells from the hen : A unique model for ovarian cancer

To further develop the hen as a model of ovarian adenocarcinoma, we have studied normal and neoplastic ovaries as well as cultured cells from the ovarian surface epithelium (OSE). We characterized the OSE layer of the hen for specific histologic markers and evaluated these markers on tumor tissue. We also isolated and characterized the epithelial cells that are the likely source of the ovarian tumors of the hen. The surface epithelium of normal ovaries demonstrated positive staining for cytokeratin, proliferating cell nuclear antigen (PCNA), progesterone receptor (PR), and negative staining for vimentin. Ovarian tumors demonstrated positive cytokeratin, PCNA, PR, and weak vimentin staining in the gland-like areas. Epithelial cell cultures were obtained by an explant method utilizing small and large yellow follicles. These cells were positive for cytokeratin and negative for vimentin on Days 1 and 3. By Day 10, cytokeratin protein expression was less for some cells, and vimentin expression was weakly present in some cells. Expression of PCNA was observed at Days 1 and 3, but was rarely seen in cells cultured for 10 days. Expression of PR was observed on Day 10 after 24-hr estrogen treatment. Epithelial cells grew slowly in culture, and were susceptible to trypsin or other dissociation treatments.
Mucous fistula refeeding decreases parenteral nutrition exposure in postsurgical premature neonates.

Abstract Background/Purpose Premature neonates can develop intraabdominal conditions requiring emergent bowel resection and enterostomy. Parenteral nutrition (PN) is often required, but results in cholestasis. Mucous fistula refeeding allows for functional restoration of continuity. We sought to determine the effect of refeeding on nutrition intake, PN dependence, and PN associated hepatotoxicity while evaluating the safety of this practice. Methods A retrospective review of neonates who underwent bowel resection and small bowel enterostomy with or without mucous fistula over 2years was undertaken. Patients who underwent mucous fistula refeeding (RF) were compared to those who did not (OST). Primary outcomes included days from surgery to discontinuation of PN and goal enteral feeds, and total days on PN. Secondary outcomes were related to PN hepatotoxicity. Results Thirteen RF and eleven OST were identified. There were no significant differences among markers of critical illness ( p >0.20). In the interoperative period, RF patients reached goal enteral feeds earlier than OST patients (median 28 versus 43days; p =0.03) and were able to have PN discontinued earlier (median 25 versus 41days; p =0.04). Following anastomosis, the magnitude of effect was more pronounced, with RF patients reaching goal enteral feeds earlier than OST patients (median 7.5 versus 20days; p ≤0.001) and having PN discontinued sooner (30.5 versus 48days; p =0.001). Conclusions RF neonates reached goal feeds and were able to be weaned from PN sooner than OST patients. A prospective multicenter trial of refeeding is needed to define the benefits and potential side effects of refeeding in a larger patient population in varied care environments.
A Neural Network Controller For Functional Neuromuscular Stimulation Systems

Functional Neuromuscular Stimulation (FNS) is a technique used for restoring the ability to stand and walk to individuals with neurological deficits of the lower extremities. Existing FNS systems operate by electrically activating a set of paralyzed muscles with a predetermined sequence of stimulus pulses, thus they operate in a open-loop or feed-forward (FF) mode. This work is directed at developing a procedure for customizing FF parameters and adapting them online. A neural network control system is described and evaluated in studies on a computer simulated musculoskeletal model. Results demonstrate the ability of the control system to customize and adapt the FF controller parameters on-line.
Late Effects in Testicular Cancer Survivors

Testicular cancer is both the most curable solid tumor and the most common malignancy in men between the ages of 18 and 35. The overall survival rate after diagnosis and treatment of testicular cancer exceeds 96 % at 10 years. Their young age at diagnosis and excellent survival rate make testicular-cancer survivors an excellent population in which to study the late effects of therapy.
Lessons Learned by a New Dean

The account of my first year as dean of the Mississippi College School of Law in no way should focus on me as an individual, for my life and my decanal endeavors were inextricably woven into the life of the law school. The account of my first year as a "new dean" must, therefore, be a recounting of the events and activities of the law school in the academic year 2003-2004. Through this brief account, I shall share the story of the law school from my perspective and along the way recount the lessons I have learned and the nuggets of experience I have acquired in the event they may be of interest to other new deans who enter this noble profession in a similar manner.
Topics in Quantitative Genetics

An understanding of the genetics of current world populations provides the conceptual basis upon which today’s genetic association studies rest. This chapter focuses specifically on gaining a basic grounding in three general topics: 1. Linkage disequilibrium (LD), the nonrandom associations of alleles. A discussion on how linkage disequilibrium varies between populations due to multiple factors, such as random drift in allele frequencies in isolated populations, population migration, admixture, and population expansion. 2. Population heterogeneity. A discussion of the effects of population heterogeneity, including population stratification, admixture, and relatedness between subjects—specifically, the distribution of marker alleles and their apparent association with each other and with causal variants, using marker data for the empirical estimation of relatedness and kinship coefficients and of identity by descent probabilities. 3. The common disease-common variant hypothesis. Arguments in favor of the common disease-common variant hypothesis and a discussion of distributions of allele frequencies for both marker alleles and causal variants.
Organizational Influences on Patient Health Behaviors

Modern technological and scientific medicine is a relatively new phenomenon (Anderson, 1985). The modern profession of medicine has developed in the past 100 years. The delivery of medical care in formal organizations and bureaucratic settings has accelerated rapidly in the last few decades (Mechanic, 1976). Practitioners and health services researchers have come to increasingly appreciate the extent to which these organizational settings influence patient behaviors. These influences are difficult to study because they usually involve comparing different kinds of patients across a variety of organizations. Nevertheless, there has appeared a small but significant body of theory and research guiding our understanding of these organizational influences on patient health behaviors. This chapter will describe a particular theoretical perspective to explain organizational behaviors vis-a-vis patients and to interpret data about patient behavior in different organizational contexts.
High-resolution studies of lysis–lysogeny decision-making in bacteriophage lambda

Cellular decision-making guides complex development such as cell differentiation and disease progression. Much of our knowledge about decision-making is derived from simple models, such as bacteriophage lambda infection, in which lambda chooses between the vegetative lytic fate and the dormant lysogenic fate. This paradigmatic system is broadly understood but lacking mechanistic details, partly due to limited resolution of past studies. Here, we discuss how modern technologies have enabled high-resolution examination of lambda decision-making to provide new insights and exciting possibilities in studying this classical system. The advent of techniques for labeling specific DNA, RNA, and proteins in cells allows for molecular-level characterization of events in lambda development. These capabilities yield both new answers and new questions regarding how the isolated lambda genetic circuit acts, what biological events transpire among phages in their natural context, and how the synergy of simple phage macromolecules brings about complex behaviors.
On a Compound Duality Classification for Geometric Programming

A classification table for geometric programming is given in this paper. The table is exhaustive and exclusive with only one state in each row and each column. It proves that out of 49 possible duality states, only seven are possible. The proofs of theorems leading to the classification table are based on the new states, which are defined according to the newly defined homogenized programs for both the primal and dual geometric programming.
A smartwatch-based framework for real-time and online assessment and mobility monitoring.

Abstract Smartphone and smartwatch technology is changing the transmission and monitoring landscape for patients and research participants to communicate their healthcare information in real time. Flexible, bidirectional and real-time control of communication allows development of a rich set of healthcare applications that can provide interactivity with the participant and adapt dynamically to their changing environment. Additionally, smartwatches have a variety of sensors suitable for collecting physical activity and location data. The combination of all these features makes it possible to transmit the collected data to a remote server, and thus, to monitor physical activity and potentially social activity in real time. As smartwatches exhibit high user acceptability and increasing popularity, they are ideal devices for monitoring activities for extended periods of time to investigate the physical activity patterns in free-living condition and their relationship with the seemingly random occurring illnesses, which have remained a challenge in the current literature. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to develop a smartwatch-based framework for real-time and online assessment and mobility monitoring (ROAMM). The proposed ROAMM framework will include a smartwatch application and server. The smartwatch application will be used to collect and preprocess data. The server will be used to store and retrieve data, remote monitor, and for other administrative purposes. With the integration of sensor-based and user-reported data collection, the ROAMM framework allows for data visualization and summary statistics in real-time.
On the Nonlinear Statistics of Optical Flow

In A naturalistic open source movie for optical flow evaluation, Butler et al. create a database of ground-truth optical flow from the computer-generated video Sintel. We study the high-contrast \(3\times 3\) patches from this video, and provide evidence that this dataset is well-modeled by a torus (a nonlinear 2-dimensional manifold). Our main tools are persistent homology and zigzag persistence, which are popular techniques from the field of computational topology. We show that the optical flow torus model is naturally equipped with the structure of a fiber bundle, which is furthermore related to the statistics of range images.
The Study of Literary Texts at the Nexus of Multiple Histories in the Intermediate College-Level German Classroom

This article addresses the teaching of complex representations of history through the study of literary texts in the college-level intermediate German class, employing the categories and tenets of Scollon and Scollon's (2004) nexus analysis (see also Scollon, 2001). Nexus analysis is a model for understanding the meeting point of social actions and multiple discourses, each with its own historical body, interaction order, and discourses in place. These discourses and social actions can include the narrated action of the text, the author's writing of the text, the reception of the text, and of course, the student's reading and study of the text. Important for pedagogical design, nexus analysis includes consideration of the analyst's—in this case the L2 student's—own discourses and social actions. The curricular proposals based on two literary works by German-Jewish authors within a conventional intermediate-level German language course provide the framework for curriculum and teaching that allows learners at this level to engage with multiple, intersecting and overlapping historical, literary, and cultural issues and questions. It further involves consideration of multiple levels of analysis and multiple timescales in order to raise learners' critical historical consciousness.
Dramatic Increase in Catalytic Performance of Immobilized Lipases by Their Stabilization on Polymer Brush Supports

Despite their widespread use in biocatalysis, the marginal stability of lipases can significantly limit their catalytic performance in industrial biotransformations. Here, we demonstrate that this ...
Operation of natural gas and electricity networks with line pack

This paper addresses the coordinated operation of the electricity and natural gas networks considering the line pack flexibility in the natural gas pipelines. The problem is formulated as a mixed integer linear programming problem. The objective is to minimize the operation cost of the electricity and natural gas networks considering the price of the natural gas supply. Benders decomposition is used to solve the formulated problem. The master problem minimizes the startup and shutdown costs as well as the operation cost of the thermal units other than the gas-fired generation units in the electricity network. The first subproblem validates the feasibility of the decisions made in the master problem in the electricity network. And if there is any violation, feasibility Benders cut is generated and added to the master problem. The second subproblem ensures the feasibility of the decisions of the master problem in the natural gas transportation network considering the line pack constraints. The last subproblem ensures the optimality of the natural gas network operation problem considering the demand of the gas-fired generation units and line pack. The nonlinear line pack and flow constraints in the feasibility and optimality subproblems of natural gas transportation network are linearized using Newton-Raphson technique. The presented case study shows the effectiveness of the proposed approach. It is shown that leveraging the stored gas in the natural gas pipelines would further reduce the total operation cost.
Divestiture Performance and the Role of Private Equity Acquirers

Who gains most in a transaction where a public corporation divests its strategic assets to a private equity firm? In this early-stage study, using a sample of 1,228 divestitures by 364 public indus...
Theory: Intentionality the Matrix of Healing: A Theory Revised With Nonnurse Care Providers:

Purpose: To explore and conceptualize the nature of intentionality in the context of healing through the descriptive experiences of nonnurse professional care providers and natural healers and to d...
The effect of stormwater infiltration and surrounding built infrastructure on local groundwater dynamics: a case study for regenerative stormwater conveyances

Infiltrated stormwater from a regenerative stormwater conveyance (RSC) investigated in Knoxville, TN, was found to substantially interact with the surrounding groundwater system. The degree of inte...
Energy budgets for tadpoles approaching metamorphosis

Abstract We describe a dynamic energy budget (DEB) model for tadpoles over the course of metamorphosis. The model accounts for details in the tadpoles feeding behavior, as feeding and indirectly respiration are reduced in the late developmental stages preceding metamorphosis to an immature froglet. We propose two versions of our DEB model, one where the energy reserves of the organism are accounted for explicitly (a variant on Kooijman’s ”standard” DEB model), and one where reserves and structural biomass are lumped together so that only the size of the organism is tracked (a variant on DEBkiss). Both models are parameterized using a time series of measurements on a cohort of tadpoles of the Pacific tree frog, Pseudacris regilla. The models describe tadpoles from the middle of their development as tadpoles until they emerge as froglets. Visually, both models fit the growth and respiration empirical data reasonably well; statistically the fit to the full DEB model is slightly better. The models highlight the metabolic changes during the life of a tadpole and demonstrate how morphological changes in developing organisms can be accomodated in the DEB framework.
The application of molecular imaging to advance translational research in chronic inflammation

Over the past several decades, molecular imaging techniques to assess cellular processes in vivo have been integral in advancing our understanding of disease pathogenesis. 18F-fluorodeoxyglucose (18-FDG) positron emission tomography (PET) imaging in particular has shaped the field of atherosclerosis research by highlighting the importance of underlying inflammatory processes that are responsible for driving disease progression. The ability to assess physiology using molecular imaging, combining it with anatomic delineation using cardiac coronary angiography (CCTA) and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and lab-based techniques, provides a powerful combination to advance both research and ultimately clinical care. In this review, we demonstrate how molecular imaging studies, specifically using 18-FDG PET, have revealed that early vascular disease is a systemic process with multiple, concurrent biological mechanisms using inflammatory diseases as a basis to understand early atherosclerotic mechanisms in humans.
AML-318: Predictors of Outcomes in AML with MLL Rearrangement

Context Outcomes and determinants of response in AML with rearrangements of the Mixed Lineage Leukemia (MLL) gene are unknown. Objectives To determine the mutational, phenotypic, and clinical characteristics of MLLr AML. Design A retrospective analysis including adult patients with newly diagnosed MLLr AML at MD Anderson from 1990–2019. Setting Tertiary care center. Patients One hundred seventy-four patients with newly diagnosed MLLr AML were analyzed and compared to 522 age-matched patients with a diploid karyotype (Dp). Main Outcomes Measures Mutational and immunophenotypic profiles, in addition to responses and survival outcomes. Results MLLr patients were younger (median age: 51 vs 61 years for Dp, P Conclusions MLLr AML has unique molecular and phenotypic features and is associated with dismal outcomes improved only with HSCT. Given the limited progress made in treatment of this entity, novel approaches are needed.
The structure of risk-sharing networks

We examine the structure of risk-sharing networks in developing countries using data from the Tanzanian village of Nyakatoke. We first show that the Nyakatoke network exhibits: (1) the “small-world” phenomenon, where two households who are not themselves risk-sharing partners are separated only by a short chain of intermediaries; (2) preferential attachment, which is a network formation process where the probability of a household receiving a partner is proportional to that household’s existing number of partners; and (3) assortative mixing, as similarly connected households tend to link to each other. We then examine the implications of these features for network performance by comparing the Nyakatoke network to simulated networks with alternative structural traits. Our simulations show that the Nyakatoke network displays optimal or near-optimal performance along multiple dimensions. In particular, the Nyakatoke network has a notable ability to withstand perturbations of multiple types, a property that none of the counterfactual networks possess.
Gun purchasing behaviours during the initial phase of the COVID-19 pandemic, March to mid-July 2020.

We sought to characterize gun and ammunition purchasing during the initial phase of the COVID-19 pandemic using a nationally representative sample of U.S. adults. We fielded a survey using NORC’s A...
Acute pancreatitis as a complication of Imuran therapy in regional enteritis.

A 57-year-old woman with regional enteritis developed acute pancreatitis after 3 weeks of Imuran treatment. Pancreatitis recurred when the drug was given again. Pancreatitis has not previously been related to Imuran therapy except in transplantation.
Regulation of rhodopsin dephosphorylation by arrestin.

Abstract We have characterized the opsin phosphatase activities in extracts of rod outer segments and determined their relationship to known protein phosphatases. The opsin phosphatase activity in the extracts was not due to protein phosphatases 1, 2B, or 2C because it was neither stimulated by Mg2+ or Ca2+/calmodulin nor inhibited by protein phosphatase inhibitors-1 or -2. Opsin phosphatase activity in rod outer segment extracts was potently inhibited by okadaic acid (IC50 approximately 10 nM), a preferential inhibitor of protein phosphatase 2A. Moreover, during chromatography on DEAE-Sepharose, the opsin phosphatase activity co-eluted with three peaks of protein phosphatase 2A activity, termed protein phosphatases 2A0, 2A1, and 2A2. The opsin phosphatase activity of each peak was stimulated by polylysine, a known activator of protein phosphatase 2A. Finally, treatment of rod outer segment extracts with 80% ethanol at room temperature converted the activity from a high molecular weight form characteristic of the protein phosphatase 2A0, 2A1, and 2A2 species to a low molecular weight form characteristic of the protein phosphatase 2A catalytic subunit. We conclude that protein phosphatase 2A is likely to be the physiologically relevant rhodopsin phosphatase. The 48-kDa rod outer segment protein arrestin (S-antigen) was found to inhibit the dephosphorylation of freshly photolyzed rhodopsin by protein phosphatase 2A but did not inhibit the dephosphorylation of unbleached rhodopsin. Arrestin has no effect on the dephosphorylation of phorphorylase a, indicating that the effect was substrate-directed. It appears that dephosphorylation of the photoreceptor protein phosphorhodopsin occurs only after decay of the photoactivated protein and that this may be regulated in vivo by arrestin. The binding of arrestin to photolyzed phosphorylated rhodopsin, i.e. the binding of a regulatory protein to a protein phosphatase substrate to form a complex resistant to dephosphorylation represents a novel mechanism for the regulation of protein phosphatase 2A.