cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Energy-Aware Mobile Service Overlays: Cooperative Dynamic Power Management in Distributed Mobile Systems

With their increasingly powerful computational resources and high-speed wireless communications, future mobile systems will have the ability to run sophisticated applications on collections of cooperative end devices. Mobility, however, requires dynamic management of these platforms' distributed resources, and such management can also be used to meet application quality requirements and prolong application lifetimes, the latter by best using available energy resources. This paper presents energy-aware mobile service overlays (MSOs), a set of mechanisms and associated policies for running mobile applications across multiple, cooperating machines while actively performing power management to extend system usability lifetimes. MSO policies manage energy consumption by (i) allocating application components to available nodes based upon their current energy capacities and resource availabilities, (ii) monitoring for, and responding to changes in energy and resource characteristics, and (iii) dynamically exploiting energy-performance tradeoffs in over provisioned situations. Coupled with mobility, such cooperation enables multiple mobile platforms to bring their joint resources to bear on complex application tasks, providing significant benefits to application lifetimes and performance. Evaluations of MSOs on a MANET computing testbed indicate an extension in system lifetime of up to 10% for an example application.
A general formulation for a one-sided group sequential design.

Background A major contribution to the statistical literature on group sequential designs was provided by Pampallona and Tsiatis who developed closed form functions that can be used to iteratively ...
Career Orientations of Female Social Work Students: An Examination of Sex Differences

Abstract This study examined the professional expectations and goals of female and male social work graduate students. The results indicated that, in general, female students did not have lower career aspirations or different professional attitudes than males. Differences were found in four areas, including (1) expectations regarding parental responsibility, (2) work values concerning leisure time and early retirement, (3) salary expectations, and (4) expectations concerning continuing education.
Calcium Phosphate Cement: Review of Mechanical and Biological Properties

Purpose Calcium phosphate cement is a bioactive and biodegradable grafting material in the form of powder and liquid, which when mixed, sets as primarily hydroxyapatite, sometimes mixed with unreacted particles and other phases. This material has been extensively investigated due to its excellent biological properties, potential resorbability, molding capabilities, and easy manipulation. Because the material can potentially be replaced with bone after a period of time, it could retain the short-term biological advantages of hydroxyapatite without the long-term disadvantages. Although little is known about this material in the dental community, in vivo and in vitro studies show calcium phosphate cement as a promising material for grafting applications. In the following article, the authors review the biological and mechanical properties of calcium phosphate cement, as well as its potential use in clinical applications. Materials and methods A Medline search was performed (timeline: 1980 to 2003) using the following keywords: calcium phosphate cement, hydroxyapatite cement, HA cement, and hydroxyapatite. The search was limited to the English language. The patent literature as well as a limited number of master's theses and books were reviewed after using the electronic database search service from a dental school library. Results Calcium phosphate cement appears to have excellent biological properties. At only 2 weeks, spicules of living bone with normal bone marrow and osteocytes can be seen. Excellent moldability is a desired clinical characteristic; however, further research is necessary in order to improve the mechanical properties of the cement. The resorption/replacement by bone capability of the cement remains controversial. Further research is needed to clarify this issue. Due to poor mechanical properties, clinical applications are currently limited to craniofacial applications. Further research is necessary to take advantage of the excellent biological properties of this cement under clinical applications. Conclusion Further research is necessary to understand and improve the behavior of this type of cement under clinical situations.
Solid Oxide Fuel Cell Modeling

This paper discusses the modeling of a solid oxide fuel cell using both lumped and distributed modeling approaches. In particular, the focus of this paper is on the development of a computationally efficient lumped-parameter model for real-time emulation and control. The performance of this model is compared with a detailed distributed model and experimental results. The fundamental relations that govern a fuel cell operation are utilized in both approaches. However, the partial pressure of the species (fuel, air, and water) in the distributed model is assumed to vary through the length of the fuel cell. The lumped model approach uses the partial pressure of the species at the exit point of the fuel cell. The partial pressure of the species is represented by an equivalent RC circuit in the lumped model.
Simplified adaptive backstepping control of buck DC:DC converter with unknown load

In this paper a backstepping control scheme is developed for the Buck DC:DC converter topology. This control scheme achieves the output voltage tracking objective operating under the constraint of an unknown load, along with an unknown constant disturbance. This work simplifies the control scheme by utilizing a novel controller with added terms to compensate for additional missing information. This solution is more easily implemented in real-time systems, with only a small decrease in system fidelity. Lyapunov stability analysis is utilized to demonstrated closed loop system stability while meeting the voltage-tracking control objective. Simulation and experimental results validate analytical formulation.
Feeding Dairy Cows High Moisture Alfalfa Hay Preserved with Anhydrous Ammonia

Abstract Alfalfa hay was baled either at 32% moisture and treated with 1.87% anhydrous ammonia (dry weight) or at 19.5% moisture and left untreated and fed to dairy cows. Ammonia treatment prevented molding and heating in high moisture hay, improved in vitro cell wall digestion slightly, and increased crude protein content of hay from 18.8 to 23.8%. There were no differences between hay treatments for actual and fat-corrected milk, percentages of milk fat and protein, and dry matter intake. Cows fed untreated or ammoniated hay produced 20.7 and 20.8kg fat-corrected milk per day and consumed 11.7 and 11.4kg hay dry matter daily. Increasing dietary ammonia intake did not influence urinary orotate, but it did elevate concentrations of orotate in milk. This experiment demonstrated that alfalfa hay with 32% moisture can be preserved with anhydrous ammonia and fed to dairy cows with no detrimental effects on cow performance.
A Novel Automated Feature Extraction Method for Fault Diagnosis of Rotating Mechanical Systems

A novel approach to feature extraction, capable of generating a number of robust features in an automated way, is introduced. Although the proposed method focuses on features on the frequency domain for vibration data related to rotating mechanical systems, it can be extended on different types of features. The method comprises of two simple models for the feature generation and a Particle Swarm Optimization system for establishing optimum or near optimum parameters for these models. The generated features are evaluated with a number of metrics, before they are used for diagnosis purposes. The features derive from real-world data related to a case of corroded bearings in a helicopter system. The extracted features of the proposed method are compared with some which were manually generated, and the former are found to be of superior quality. A series of diagnosis experiments based on the best extracted features was carried out. The results of these experiments appear to validate the performance of the automatically generated features.
The Early Work of F. B. Jones

Floyd Burton Jones was born November 22, 1910. He received his Ph.D. degree from the University of Texas, Austin, in the spring of 1935. His thesis [12] was entitled “Concerning R. L. Moore’s axiom 51”: Dr. Moore was Jones’ thesis advisor and Moore as well as several of Moore’s former students were very prominent in American mathematics at this time (notably G. T. Whyburn and R. L. Wilder.) Moore had developed axioms for the topology of the plane, and axiom 51 was one of a sequence given in Moore’s 1932 Colloquium volume [34]. This axiom as well as a number of other possible assumptions studied by Jones in his thesis concerned connectivity and separation properties. The basic theorems of the thesis prove that a space having any one of these properties and some more elementary ones which is metrizable is indeed topologically the plane.
Finished Genome Assembly of Warm Spring Isolate Francisella novicida DPG 3A-IS

We sequenced the complete genome of Francisella novicida DPG 3A-IS to closed and finished status. This is a warm spring isolate recovered from Hobo Warm Spring (Utah, USA). The last assembly is available in NCBI under accession number CP012037.
NPS Retaining Wall Inventory and Assessment Program (WIP): 3,500 Walls Later

Beginning in 2004, the FHWA Office of Federal Lands Highway (FLH) teamed with the National Park Service (NPS) to develop and implement a retaining wall inventory and condition assessment program supporting roadway asset management efforts underway throughout U.S. Parks. The vast majority of Park earth retaining structures were built prior to 1960, with many built circa 1935, making the assessment of this aging asset a high priority within the NPS. This paper briefly describes key development and implementation aspects of the WIP, overviews the condition assessment approach taken for the range of wall types inventoried, and notes preliminary program findings.
Effects of Temperature and Equivalence Ratio on Pine Syngas Primary Gases and Contaminants in a Bench-Scale Fluidized Bed Gasifier

Effects of equivalence ratio (ER = 0.15, 0.25, and 0.35 at 934 °C) and temperature (790, 934, and 1078 °C at 0.25 ER) were investigated in air gasification of pine for primary gases and contaminants. CO and H2 increased while CO2 and CH4 decreased from 790 to 1078 °C. Opposite trends were observed for ER. Based on overall contaminant weight, tar was highest at all temperatures (7.81, 8.24, and 8.93 g/kg dry biomass) and ERs (13.08, 8.24, and 2.51 g/kg dry biomass). NH3 varied from 1.63 to 1.00 g/kg dry biomass between 790 and 1078 °C and from 1.76 to 1.47 g/kg dry biomass between 0.15 and 0.35 ER. H2S ranged between 0.13 and 0.17 g/kg dry biomass from 790 to 1078 °C and between 0.154 and 0.18 g/kg dry biomass from 0.15 to 0.35 ER. Finally, HCl yields ranged from 13.63 to 0 mg/kg dry biomass and from 11.51 to 0.28 mg/kg dry biomass over the range of temperature and ER, respectively.
Some Generalizations of Vandermonde's Convolution

(1956). Some Generalizations of Vandermonde's Convolution. The American Mathematical Monthly: Vol. 63, No. 2, pp. 84-91.
Legislative Institutions as a Source of Party Leaders' Influence

Legislators' actions are influenced by party, constituency, and their own views, each weighted differently. Our survey of state legislators finds that legislator's own views are the strongest influence. We also find that institutions are an important source of party leaders' influence. Legislators in states where members rely more on party leaders—states without term limits, with less professional legislatures, and where the majority party controls the agenda—put more weight on leaders' preferences. Beyond direct party influence, the views of party leaders are preemptively incorporated into legislators' preferences when the rules of the legislature make party leaders more powerful.
Twentieth- and Twenty-first-century Readings of Hebel (הֶבֶל) in Ecclesiastes:

The meaning of הבל is a crux interpretum for the book of Ecclesiastes. Notwithstanding some variation, Jerome’s vanitas reading of הבל in Ecclesiastes dominated scholarship for several centuries. Since the rise of modern biblical scholarship, הבל as ‘vanity’ has been largely rejected; however, little consensus has been reached regarding the word’s meaning. The result has been a rich history of interpretation as scholars develop various suggestions for how הבל should be understood in Ecclesiastes. This essay briefly sketches the history of interpretation of הבל, then surveys proposals for the meaning of הבל in Ecclesiastes during the twentieth and twenty-first centuries.
Performance, Ruminal and Serum Characteristics of Steers Fed Lasalocid on Pasture

Seventy-two growing steers were used in a 126-d study to determine the influence of varying levels of lasalocid on performance, ruminal and serum characteristics of animals grazing pasture. Treatments consisted of: 1) control; 2) 200 mg lasalocid/d and 3) 300 mg lasalocid/d. Each treatment was replicated three times and each replicate of eight steers was maintained on 3.0 ha of pasture. Pastures consisted of a mixture of tall fescue, orchard grass and ladino clover. In addition to pasture, each replicate of steers was group fed ground corn at a rate of .91 kg X head-1 X d-1 with the lasalocid incorporated into the grain. Average daily gains were .50, .60 and .57 kg, respectively, for steers on the control, and for the 200 and 300 mg lasalocid treatments, which differed (P less than .05) from controls. Ruminal acetate (mol/100 mol) was lower (P less than .05) in steers fed lasalocid at 28 d, but similar for all treatments at 56 and 112 d. Molar proportion of propionate was higher (P less than .05) and butyrate and valerate were lower (P less than .10) in rumen fluid of steers receiving 200 or 300 mg/d of lasalocid. Plasma glucose concentrations were similar for controls and steers receiving 200 mg lasalocid/d, but higher (P less than .05) in steers fed 300 mg lasalocid/d. Serum Mg concentrations were lower (P less than .01) in steers receiving lasalocid. Potassium concentrations in serum were slightly lower (P less than .01) in animals fed lasalocid at 112 d, but not at 28 or 56 d.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
Using a multiplier of 10-year cardiovascular mortality underestimates cardiovascular risk in younger individuals and women.

Commentary on : Jorstad HT, Colkesen EB, Boekholdt SM, et al. Estimated 10-year cardiovascular mortality seriously underestimates overall cardiovascular risk. Heart 2016;102:63–8[OpenUrl][1][Abstract/FREE Full Text][2]. Several cardiovascular disease (CVD) prevention guidelines recommend using risk assessment tools to guide treatment in primary prevention.1–3 These tools, however, differ in terms of the CVD endpoints predicted. Although guidelines in the USA and UK recommend tools that predict risk of fatal and non-fatal CVD events,1 ,2 the 2012 European Society of Cardiology's (ESC) guidelines recommend using the Systematic COronary Risk Evaluation (SCORE) that predicts CVD mortality risk.3 Since non-fatal events are also important to patients, clinicians and health systems, ESC suggests using a fixed multiplier (×3) to estimate total CVD risk … [1]: {openurl}?query=rft.jtitle%253DHeart%26rft_id%253Dinfo%253Adoi%252F10.1136%252Fheartjnl-2015-307668%26rft_id%253Dinfo%253Apmid%252F26261158%26rft.genre%253Darticle%26rft_val_fmt%253Dinfo%253Aofi%252Ffmt%253Akev%253Amtx%253Ajournal%26ctx_ver%253DZ39.88-2004%26url_ver%253DZ39.88-2004%26url_ctx_fmt%253Dinfo%253Aofi%252Ffmt%253Akev%253Amtx%253Actx [2]: /lookup/ijlink?linkType=ABST&journalCode=heartjnl&resid=102/1/63&atom=%2Febmed%2F21%2F4%2F150.atom
A Road to New Thinking

This book attempts to explore some of the key elements that transform a healthy and active mind into a world of darkness and lost awareness. This is the world of Alzheimer’s disease. Since no cure is unlikely to be discovered in the future due to the destruction of the cognitive-related neural networks, Alzheimer’s must be thwarted by targeting two fronts: first, by creating highly effective diagnostic centers (Heart-Brain Clinics, see Chap. 16) that can detect the earliest signs and risk factors prior to advanced cognitive impairment and potential transformation to Alzheimer onset and second, by applying current preventive interventions and developing new interventions based on the database collected from the clinical findings obtained in the diagnostic centers.
Foreign Banking in the United States

Since 1960 foreign banks have achieved a substantial expansion in their activities and operations in the United States. This has taken place within a world-wide environment of rapid growth in international banking. The purpose of this chapter is to review the growth of foreign banking in this country, to describe the types of operations performed and their effects, and to discuss the regulatory environment as it applies to foreign banks.
High-fidelity plasma codes for burn physics

Accurate predictions of equation of state (EOS), ionic and electronic transport properties are of critical importance for high-energy-density plasma science. Transport coefficients inform radiationhydrodynamic codes and impact diagnostic interpretation, which in turn impacts our understanding of the development of instabilities, the overall energy balance of burning plasmas, and the efficacy of selfheating from charged-particle stopping. Important processes include thermal and electrical conduction, electron-ion coupling, inter-diffusion, ion viscosity, and charged particle stopping. However, uncertainties in these coefficients are not well established. Fundamental plasma science codes, also called high-fidelity plasma codes are a relatively recent computational tool that augments both experimental data and theoretical foundations of transport coefficients. This paper addresses the current status of HFPC codes and their future development, and the potential impact they play in improving the predictive capability of the multi-physics hydrodynamic codes used in HED design.
Pediatric gastrointestinal emergencies

APPLIED RADIOLOGY© www.appliedradiology.com April 2005 Gastrointestinal (GI) complaints are among the most frequent causes for emergency department visits in the pediatric population. Radiology plays an ever-increasing role in the diagnosis and treatment of these emergencies. This article describes the clinical presentation, epidemiology, and imaging Þndings of 5 GI emergencies that require surgical intervention: Malrotation and midgut volvulus; intussusception; hypertrophic pyloric stenosis; appendicitis; and Meckels diverticulum.
Arrays of Position-Sensitive Virtual Frisch-Grid CdZnTe Detectors: Results From a $4\times 4$ Array Prototype

Position-sensitive virtual Frisch-grid (VFG) CdZnTe (CZT) detectors offer a unique capability for correcting the response nonuniformities caused by crystal defects. This allowed us to achieve high energy resolution, while using typical-grade commercial CZT crystals with relaxed requirements to their quality, thus reducing the overall cost of detectors. Another advantage of the VFG detectors is that they can be integrated into arrays and used in small compact hand-held instruments or large-area gamma cameras that will enhance detection capability for many practical applications, including nonproliferation, medical imaging, and gamma-ray astronomy. Here, we present the results from testing small array prototypes coupled with front-end application-specified integrated circuit. Each detector in the array is furnished with 5-mm-wide charge-sensing pads placed near the anode. The pads signals are converted into XY coordinates, which combined with the cathode signals (for Z coordinates) provide 3-D position information of all interaction points. The basic array consists of a number of detectors grouped into $2\times 2$ subarrays, each having a common cathode made by connecting together the cathodes of the individual detectors. These features can significantly improve the performance of detectors while using typical-grade low-cost CZT crystals to reduce the overall cost of the proposed instrument.
The Approach to the Patient With Chronic Dyspnea of Unclear Etiology

Dyspnea is defined by the American Thoracic Society as a “subjective experience of breathing discomfort that consists of qualitatively distinct sensations that vary in intensity.”1 It is a common nonspecific symptom in patients presenting to both primary care and subspecialty medical providers. Dyspnea can be the presenting complaint for a large variety of disease processes and as a result, patients see several specialists for upwards of 2 years prior to formal diagnoses (Table 1).2–4 For example, nearly 90% of people with pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) present with dyspnea on exertion,5 but distinguishing between dyspnea caused by PAH from dyspnea caused by other cardiac or pulmonary disease—or a whole host of other conditions—is challenging. In this review, we will discuss the diagnostic approach to patients presenting with chronic dyspnea of inexact etiology.
Expression of PD-L1, indoleamine 2,3-dioxygenase and the immune microenvironment in gastric adenocarcinoma.

Aims The tumour microenvironment is increasingly important in several tumours. We studied the relationship of key players of immune microenvironment with clinicopathological parameters in gastric adenocarcinomas. Methods and results Tissue microarrays were constructed from gastrectomy specimens, 2004-13. Immunohistochemistry was performed for programmed cell death ligand 1 (PD-L1), indoleamine 2,3-dioxygenase (IDO), tryptophanyl-tRNA synthetase (WARS), guanylate-binding protein 5 (GBP5), tumour-infiltrating lymphocytes (TIL) expressing CD3/CD8/FoxP3/PD1 and mismatch repair proteins (MMRs) MLH1, PMS2, MSH2 and MSH6. Clinicopathological parameters and clinical follow-up were recorded. The study included 86 patients; median follow-up was 34 months (0-148). Tumour types were 45% tubular, 38% diffuse, 17% mixed. PD-L1 was positive in 70%, epithelial IDO in 58%, stromal IDO in 91%, epithelial WARS in 67%, stromal WARS in 100%, epithelial GBP5 in 53% and stromal GBP5 in 71%. MMR-deficiency was found in 22%. There was no difference in biomarker expression by histological subtype, with the exception of fewer diffuse-type being MMR-deficient. Low stromal IDO was associated with decreased progression-free, overall and disease-specific survival. PD-L1-positive tumours were larger with MMR-deficiency and with increasing TILs, and had significantly higher FoxP3TILs. Conclusions PD-L1 is expressed in a large proportion of gastric carcinomas, suggesting that therapy targeting this pathway could be relevant to many patients. PD-L1 expression and MMR-deficiency are associated with increased TILs and larger tumour size, emphasising their role in tumour biology. Higher stromal IDO expression is associated with better prognosis. Finally, we observed that immune modulators WARS and GBP5 are expressed highly in gastric adenocarcinomas, suggesting an important role in tumour pathobiology.
Modeling and optimal design of high-sensitivity piezoresistive microcantilevers within flow channels for biosensing applications

The mechanical design and optimization of piezoresistive cantilevers for biosensing applications is studied via finite element analysis. Models are described for predicting the static behavior of cantilevers with elastic and piezoresistive layers for analyte-receptor binding. The high-sensitivity cantilevers can be used to detect changes in surface stress due to binding and hybridization of biomolecules. The silicon-based cantilevers have thicknesses typically on the order of a few microns and are doped to introduce their piezoresistive characteristics. Parametric modeling based on the finite element method is used to help determine the optimum parameters of cantilever design. Chemo-mechanical binding forces have been analyzed to understand issues of saturation over the cantilever surface. Furthermore, the introduction of stress concentration regions during cantilever fabrication has been discussed which greatly enhances the detection sensitivity through increased surface stress. The spring constant and the resonance frequency change are also analyzed.
High Levels of Glyphosate Resistance in Conyza canadensis from Agricultural and Non-Agricultural Sites in Ohio and Iowa.

Glyphosate is an important herbicide worldwide, but its efficacy has been compromised where weed species have evolved glyphosate resistance. To better understand evolutionary outcomes of continued and strong selection from glyphosate exposure, we characterized variation in resistance in self-pollinating Conyza canadensis (horseweed) in Ohio and Iowa, where glyphosate resistance was first reported in 2002 and 2011, respectively. In 2015, we collected seeds from a total of 74 maternal plants (biotypes) from no-till soybean fields vs. non-agricultural sites in each state, using one representative plant per site. Young plants from each biotype were sprayed with glyphosate rates of 0x, 1x (840 g ae ha−1), 8x, 20x, or 40x. Resistant biotypes with at least 80% survival at each dosage were designated as R1 (1x), R2 (8x), R3 (20x), or R4 (40x). Nearly all Ohio agricultural biotypes were R4, as were 62% of biotypes from the non-agricultural sites. In Iowa, R4 biotypes were clustered in the southeastern soybean fields, where no-till agriculture is more common, and 45% of non-agricultural biotypes were R1–R4. Our results show that resistance levels to glyphosate can be very high (at least 40x) in both states, and that non-agricultural sites likely serve as a refuge for glyphosate-resistant biotypes.
Russian and Soviet Perceptions of Siberian Shamanism: An Introduction

Reference books usually mention that the word “shaman” originated from the Tungus (Evenki) “saman” and was introduced to the Western usage through Russian, where it was employed to describe native spiritual practitioners in Siberia. Although my book samples Russian and Soviet records of indigenous shamanism, I would like to start not with Russia but with Germany to underscore specifically how the expression “shamanism” was introduced into Western and Russian belles-lettres. Originally, German observers transmitted knowledge about shamanism from Siberia to the West, including the Russian reading public.2 This was natural because the first educated people to explore and record Siberian shamanism on a regular basis were predominantly eighteenth-century German and German-speaking explorers. Commissioned by the Russian government, which lacked an educated cadre, these explorers traversed the Siberian wilderness mapping vast tundra and taiga areas, searching for mineral resources, collecting and recording exotic specimens and antiquities, and registering Siberian populations.
Using Systems Thinking to Improve Education

In higher education, we concentrate so much effort in our separate specialties that we lose sight of how all our work comes together into this thing called an education. As a result, we are asking ...
Plant Cytogenetics in Genome Databases

Cytogenetic maps provide an integrated representation of genetic and cytological information that can be used to enhance genome and chromosome research. As genome analysis technologies become more affordable, the density of markers on cytogenetic maps increases, making these resources more useful as an information-rich visual context for research. As the accessibility of online bioinformatics and database resources grows, the primary points of access to cytogenetic data and tools will be through online resources. Here we define cytogenetic maps and distinguish them from other common map types, report and discuss the cytogenetic maps and tools currently available for plants, and describe how to access these cytogenetic resources online.
Labor of love? The influence of work-conditions among self-employed and work stress

Abstract Self-employment represents work conditions distinct from wage employment. Applying concepts from the Effort-Reward Imbalance model to work characteristics typical to self-employment—autonomy, meaningfulness of work, and physical demands of work—we explore the association between these work conditions and work stress. In a sample of 225 self-employed individuals in the American Working Conditions Survey (AWCS), our results indicate that autonomy has a positive association with work stress. Furthermore, meaningfulness serves to suppress the relationship between autonomy and work stress, while physical work demands have no influence on this association. Our findings have implications for the work characteristics of self-employed and their well-being.
Central Asian crypto-Jews in the global emerald economy

Abstract A large proportion of the international trade in the world's finest emeralds is controlled by a community descended from Central Asian crypto-Jews. They were brought to the Islamic holy city of Mashad, in northeastern Iran, to serve as treasurers for the Khorosan Empire. In 1839 they were forced to convert en masse to Islam. They retained a Jewish identity in secret. They came to specialize in the international trade in high-value merchandise. A centuries-long history of discrimination impelled the members of this community to emigrate to Israel. From there, they went to Queens, New York. Members of this community began traveling to Colombia to purchase precious emeralds. Their experience in international, semi-licit trade, their access to credit through family connections, allowed them to prosper in the Colombian emerald trade. Members of this community still travel back and forth between Bogota and New York's diamond district moving the world's finest emeralds. The geology and gemology of emeralds makes them unlike any other mineral commodity. The descendents of the central Asian crypto-Jews took advantage of a difficult historical conjuncture and came to dominate the international trade in this precious stone.
“It Put Me in a Really Uncomfortable Situation”: A Need for Critically Conscious Educators in Interworldview Efforts

College students are majoritized and minoritized through micro- and macro-level inequities because of their varied and multiple worldview identities (e.g., [non]religious and spiritual). Ongoing in...
Effects of native bryophytes on exotic grass invasion across an environmental gradient

Understanding the role of native biodiversity in controlling exotic species invasion is a critical goal in ecology. In terrestrial plant communities, most research has focused on the effects of native vascular plants on invasion by exotic vascular plants. However, in many ecosystems, native bryophytes and other non‐vascular plants are common and can affect the establishment, survival, and growth of vascular plants. A more complete picture of how native biodiversity affects exotic plant invasion demands that more studies measure the effects of native bryophytes on exotic vascular plants. Moreover, there is growing realization that the effects of native species on invaders can range from negative to positive and that a complete picture of interactions between native and exotic plants requires measuring interactions in multiple environments. We used both observational and experimental studies to quantify the effects of native bryophytes on vascular plants along a 200‐m environmental gradient in a coastal dune in northern California. We found a positive association between vascular plants and bryophytes across the environmental gradient. Our experiments with two exotic annual grass species showed the effects of bryophytes to be species‐specific and to vary with environmental context. Bryophytes facilitated the survival of one exotic grass species, Vulpia bromoides, at both ends of the environmental gradient. Bryophytes reduced the survival and inflorescence production of the other exotic grass, Bromus diandrus, at one end of the environmental gradient and had no effect at the other end. Our findings provide a test of the effects of native bryophytes on exotic vascular plant invasion and show that these effects can vary dramatically even across local environmental gradients.
The Independent Effect of Platelet Count On Mortality in a Large Inner City Elderly Outpatient Population

Abstract 4645 Introduction: Platelets play a critical role in hemostasis and are also important in the development of pathologic processes including atherosclerosis and arterial thrombosis. Both thrombocytopenia and thrombophilia are common findings in several illnesses including liver diseases, infections, autoimmune disorders and malignancies. However, to date no study has directly investigated the effect of thrombocytopenia and thrombocytosis on the overall survival of the general population. The present study was thus undertaken to elucidate the independent association of abnormal platelet counts with subsequent mortality among a large inner city outpatient elderly cohort comprised of different ethnicities and comorbid conditions. Methods: All 36,262 non-acutely ill individuals >65 years of age who were seen at an outpatient clinic within the Montefiore medical system from January 1st 1997 to May 1st 2008 and who underwent a complete blood count within 3 months of the visit were included in our cohort. Thrombocytopenia and thrombocytosis were defined as a platelet count of 450,000/microliter respectively. Data on 19 co-morbidities that could affect mortality and confound the analysis were extracted from the electronic medical records of each patient. These included the presence of anemia, neutropenia, congestive of heart failure, baseline anemia and/or neutropenia, prior myocardial infarction, peripheral vascular disorders, cerebrovascular disease, dementia, chronic pulmonary disease, rheumatologic disease, peptic ulcer disease, liver disease, diabetes, renal disease, malignancy, neurologic deficits and HIV infection. A Cox proportional hazard model was constructed to assess the independent association of abnormal platelet counts with subsequent mortality after controlling for all extracted co-morbidities, age, gender and race. Results: As shown in table 1, caucasians had higher thrombocytopenia rates compared to blacks, Hispanics and other ethnicities (p Conclusions: Thrombocytopenia and thrombocytosis are independently associated with increased mortality in our study population. The effect of thrombocytopenia on overall survival is more prominent on Hispanics. These findings suggest that abnormal platelet count may be a mediator of increased mortality risk in older patients and this effect may differ by ethnicity. Disclosures: No relevant conflicts of interest to declare.
Just Took a DNA Test, Turns Out 100% Not That Phase

Heterochromatin protein 1 (HP1) has been proposed to drive heterochromatin formation by liquid-liquid phase separation. In this issue of Molecular Cell, however, Erdel et al. establish that heterochromatin can adopt digital compaction states that are independent of HP1 phase separation.
Electronic cigarettes promotes the lung colonization of human breast cancer in NOD-SCID-Gamma mice.

Electronic cigarettes (E-cigs) smoking or vaping is an emerging problem to public health due to its popularity. While its multi-faceted detrimental effects on human health are being reported, no current study addresses the effect of E-cigs on tumor metastasis, the main cause of tumor mortality. Using a well-established human breast cancer cell line MDA MB-231, we first showed that E-cig vapor extract (nicotine 24 mg/ml, propylene glycol 50%, vegetable glycerin 50%, no flavorings) significantly enhanced tumor cell migration (P 0.05). To evaluate the metastasis-promoting effect of E-cigs in vivo, we used NOD-SCID-Gamma mice and introduced tumor cells to the mice by tail vein injection. Among these mice, 4-week E-cigs exposure (nicotine 24 mg/ml, propylene glycol 50%, vegetable glycerin 50%, no flavorings, 2 h/day, 5 days/week) almost doubled the tumor load in the exposed lungs compared to controls (P=0.0036). While E-cig exposure did not alter the proliferative index of tumor cells colonized in the lungs (P=0.7953), tumor cell apoptosis was significantly reduced (P<0.001). Taken together, our data for the first time, demonstrated the lung colonization-promoting effects of E-cigs on human breast cancer cells. These findings show the risks of E-cigs on the lung metastasis of various cancers, and warrant more studies on the underlying mechanisms.
Comparative Transcriptomics of Alpha-Beta Subcutaneous Panniculitis-like T-Cell Lymphoma and Primary Cutaneous Gamma Delta T-Cell Lymphoma

Background: Subcutaneous lymphomas are a heterogeneous group of diseases with variable clinical behavior that ranges from a lymphoproliferative disorder to an aggressive cytotoxic lymphoma. Subcutaneous panniculitis-like T-cell lymphoma (SPTCL) is an uncommon, often indolent cutaneous lymphoma that localizes to the subcutaneous adipose tissue. These tumors exhibit an alpha/beta phenotype (abSPTCL). Primary cutaneous gamma-delta T-cell lymphoma (PCgdTCL) is a rare, highly aggressive lymphoma that frequently involves the subcutaneous adipose tissue. The goal of this study is to identify key inflammatory and oncogenic pathways in SPTCL and PCgdTCL to determine which mutational or expression patterns differentiate abSPTCL and PCgdTCL. A comprehensive catalog of cancer gene expression profiles generated via RNA sequencing on patient samples is essential to understand tumorigenesis and to develop effective therapies. Methods: We performed transcriptomic profiling analysis using RNA sequencing in lesional skin biopsies from patients of abSPTCL (n=10), PCgdTCL (n=9), and controls (n=5). Differential analyses were performed on the entire transcriptomic profiles among the 3 groups. Results: Although the transcriptomic profiles of abSPTCL and PCgdTCL samples had similarities, there were notable differences between these groups that may elucidate unique pathways that propagate each disease. In contrast to abSPTCL, PCgdTCL samples demonstrated upregulation of cell motility and proliferation, and downregulation of pathways involving apoptosis and tumor necrosis factor production. The most significantly upregulated gene pathways in both abSPTCL and PCgdTCL samples were those involving immune and inflammatory response, viral defense, type I interferon signaling, interferon-gamma-mediated signaling, and positive regulation of T cell proliferation. The most significantly downregulated gene pathways in the two groups were those involving cell adhesion, rRNA processing and translation, and extracellular matrix organization. The top 5 upregulated immune response and downregulated cell adhesion hub genes for abSPTCL highlighted by gene interaction network analysis included: TNF, CTLA4, CD86, IL10, CCR5 & ITGB5, ITGA8, VWF, APP, CDH5, respectively. Conclusion: Our transcriptomic profiling pinpoints disease-related enrichment pathways and gene functions in abSPTCL and PCgdTCL patients, which may shed light on molecular mechanisms that drive disease activity. Hub genes in abSPTCL represent potential drug targets for further development of novel therapies. Disclosures Mangold:Kirin:Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees;Elorac:Research Funding;Sun Pharma:Research Funding;MiRagen:Research Funding;Solagenix:Research Funding.
The influence of powered prostheses on user perspectives, metabolics, and activity: a randomized crossover trial

Powered prosthetic ankles provide battery-powered mechanical push-off, with the aim of reducing the metabolic demands of walking for people with transtibial amputations. The efficacy of powered ankles has been shown in active, high functioning individuals with transtibial amputation, but is less clear in other populations. Additionally, it is unclear how use of a powered prosthesis influences everyday physical activity and mobility. Individuals with unilateral transtibial amputations participated in a randomized clinical trial comparing their prescribed, unpowered prosthesis and the BiOM powered prosthesis. Participants’ metabolic costs and self-selected walking speeds were measured in the laboratory and daily step count, daily steps away from home, and walking speed were measured over two weeks of at-home prosthesis use. Participants also rated their perception of mobility and quality of life and provided free-form feedback. Dependent measures were compared between prostheses and the relationships between metabolic cost, perception of mobility, and characteristics of walking in daily life were explored using Pearson’s correlations. Twelve people were randomly allocated to the powered prosthesis first (n = 7) or unpowered prosthesis first (n = 5) and ten completed the full study. There were no differences in metabolic costs (p = 0.585), daily step count (p = 0.995), walking speed in-lab (p = 0.145) and in daily life (p = 0.226), or perception of mobility between prostheses (p ≥ 0.058). Changes varied across participants, however. There were several medium-sized effects for device comparisons. With the powered prosthesis, participants had increased self-reported ambulation (g = 0.682) and decreased frustration (g = 0.506). There were no universal benefits of the powered prosthesis on function in the lab or home environment. However, the effects were subject-specific, with some reporting preference for power and improved mobility, and some increasing their activity and decreasing their metabolic effort. Additionally, self-reported preferences did not often correlate with objective measures of function. This highlights the need for future clinical research to include both perception and objective measures to better inform prosthetic prescription. Trial registration: https://clinicaltrials.gov , #NCT02828982. Registered 12 July 2016, https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT02828982
Sets and Functions, Measures and Integration

Sigma-fields, measurable functions, monotone-class theorem, Polish and Borel spaces, convergence and limits, measures and integration, monotone and dominated convergence, transformation of integrals, null sets and completion, product measures and Fubini’s theorem, Holder and Minkowski inequalities, Lp-convergence, L2-projection, regularity and approximation.
Workplace Backlash? Workforce Diversity and Dominant Group Attraction to Pro-Diversity Claims

Amidst growing workforce diversity, firms increasingly make pro-diversity claims when recruiting. This paper examines whether, for workers from historically dominant groups, perceptions of growing workforce diversity decrease attraction to firms that make pro-diversity claims. In a pre-registered survey experiment, approximately 3,000 white Americans were most attracted to a non-discrimination claim and more attracted to a pro-diversity claim than a company description that made no mention of diversity. Among non-bachelor's-holding subjects, information illustrating growing workforce diversity significantly decreased attraction to the pro-diversity claim. These findings demonstrate one way in which the well-documented relationship between growing diversity and increasingly exclusionary political preferences extends to workplace preferences. They imply that firms reliant on non-bachelor's-holding white workers may face an increasingly stark trade-off between using worker-of-color-attracting pro-diversity claims or white-worker-attracting non-discrimination claims. I discuss the strategic challenges created by far-reaching shifts in workplace preferences as well as the under-acknowledged role of human capital strategy in shaping the broader social environment.
The Dominance of Pyramidal Business Groups in Latin America Persist

This article provides insight on the historically dominant ownership structures in Latin America known as grupos. Unlike the widely-held standalone firm, the corporate governance dilemma in these business groups often arises between the concentrated ownership and outsiders from the lack of minority shareholder rights coupled with self-dealing schemes of the dominant controlling owner. The more recent stock market reforms of the MILA and BOVESPA exchanges, suggest that the long-term strategy for Latin American markets perhaps is not to expect these dominant ownership structures to change, but instead to focus attention towards understanding the corporate governance incentives that motivate business groups’ behaviors.
What modulates the Mirror Neuron System during action observation?: Multiple factors involving the action, the actor, the observer, the relationship between actor and observer, and the context

Seeing an agent perform an action typically triggers a motor simulation of that action in the observer's Mirror Neuron System (MNS). Over the past few years, it has become increasingly clear that during action observation the patterns and strengths of responses in the MNS are modulated by multiple factors. The first aim of this paper is therefore to provide the most comprehensive survey to date of these factors. To that end, 22 distinct factors are described, broken down into the following sets: six involving the action; two involving the actor; nine involving the observer; four involving the relationship between actor and observer; and one involving the context. The second aim is to consider the implications of these findings for four prominent theoretical models of the MNS: the Direct Matching Model; the Predictive Coding Model; the Value-Driven Model; and the Associative Model. These assessments suggest that although each model is supported by a wide range of findings, each one is also challenged by other findings and relatively unaffected by still others. Hence, there is now a pressing need for a richer, more inclusive model that is better able to account for all of the modulatory factors that have been identified so far.
Racial and Ethnic Health Disparities in Delay to Initiation of Intensity-Modulated Radiotherapy.

Purpose/objective(s) The benefits of intensity-modulated radiotherapy (IMRT) over standard radiotherapy (RT), including decreased toxicity and improved quality of life, have been demonstrated in many cancer sites. Timely initiation of RT is critical, yet many factors can affect the interval to initiation of treatment (IIT). Delays may contribute to worse cancer outcomes such as increased locoregional recurrence and decreased survival. We aimed to examine racial health inequities associated with delayed initiation of IMRT. Materials/methods The National Cancer Database was queried to identify the ten sites with the highest total number of cancer patients treated with definitive intent IMRT. Exclusions included stage IV, age Results Among 350,425 patients treated with IMRT from 2004-2017, NHB and Hispanic patients were significantly more likely to have delayed IIT with IMRT for nearly all disease sites compared to NHW patients (see Table 1). IIT was significantly longer for NHB (Median 87 d [days], P Conclusion Significant racial and ethnic disparities in the likelihood and duration of treatment delay were observed. These findings raise concerns that delays in initiation of IMRT in Black and Hispanic patients may contribute to the previously documented differences in cancer outcomes. Investigating sources of these delays, including insurance authorization/denials, is urgently needed to improve timely initiation of IMRT. Table 1: Association between race/ethnicity and IIT.