cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Construction and Application of Water Quality Monitoring Database in the Area around Taihu Lake

[Objective]To design and develop the sharing platform of water quality monitoring database in the area around Taihu Lake,improve the propagation velocity of water quality monitoring data and data analysis ability,so as to increase the scientific research ability.[Methods]With web browser,on the basis of J2EE design environment,the database platform was constructed by using Oracal database and B/S multi-layer system.[Results]The database system can collect overall water quality monitoring data in the area around Taihu Lake,and share the data through internet.The date transport was rapid and all the functions worked well.[Conclusion]The informatization management of water quality monitoring data has been realized by the construction of sharing platform of water quality monitoring database in the area around Taihu Lake,so as to increase the work efficiency.
IL-15 : THE ROLE OF TRANSLATIONAL REGULATION IN THEIR EXPRESSION

We previously reported that the human T cell lymphotropic virus type I (HTLV-I)-associated adult T cell leukemia (ATL) line HuT-102 produces a cytokine designated interleukin (IL)-T. Using anti-cytokine antibodies we demonstrated that IL-T is identical to the simultaneously described IL-15. The observation of a discordance between IL-15 message expression and IL-15 synthesis led us to examine normal and aberrant IL-15 mRNA for post-transcriptional controls that inhibit protein production at the level of RNA translation. When compared to activated monocytes, IL-15 mRNA expression was 6- to 10-fold greater in HuT-102 T cells. The predominant IL-15 message from HuT-102 is a chimeric mRNA joining a segment of the R region of the long terminal repeat of HTLV-I and the 5' untranslated region (UTR) of IL-15. R segment introduction eliminated over 200 nucleotides of IL-15 5' UTR including 8 of 10 upstream AUGs that are present in the normal IL-15 message. On analysis of the 5' UTR of normal IL-15, we demonstrated that these 10 upstream AUGs interfere with IL-15 mRNA translation. Thus, IL-15 synthesis by the ATL cell line HuT-102 involves an increase in IL-15 mRNA transcription and translation secondary to the production of an HTLV-I-R fusion message that lacks many upstream AUGs.
Fmoc solid-phase synthesis of C-terminal modified peptides by formation of a backbone cyclic urethane moiety

C-terminally modified peptides are of high significance due to the therapeutic properties that accompany various C-terminal functional groups and the ability to manipulate them for further applications. Thus, there is a great necessity for an effective solid phase technique for the synthesis of C-terminally modified peptides. Here, we report a universal solid phase strategy for the synthesis of various C-terminal modified peptides which is independent of the type of resins, linkers, and unnatural moieties typically needed for C-terminal modifications. The technique proceeds by the modification of C-terminal serine to a cyclic urethane moiety which results in the activation of the backbone amide chain for nucleophilic displacement by various nucleophiles to generate C-terminally modified acids, esters, N-aryl amides, and alcohols. This cyclic urethane technique (CUT) also provides a general strategy for synthesis of C-terminal protected peptides that can be used for convergent synthesis of large peptides. The C-terminal protecting groups are cleaved by facile hydrolysis to release the free peptide.
Social Stigma: The Consequences of Attributional Ambiguity

Publisher Summary A great deal of social psychological research has been devoted to understanding stereotyping and prejudice. The dominant focus of the research has been on the beliefs and reactions of the nonstigmatized, or dominant groups in society, toward those who are members of stigmatized or oppressed groups. In contrast, relatively little work has taken the perspective of the person or group who is the target of stereotypes or prejudice. This chapter presents the subjective experience of being stigmatized, from the perspective of the stigmatized person. Specifically, it addresses the cognitive, affective, motivational, and interpersonal consequences of prejudice for members of stigmatized groups. Cognitions held by the stigmatized about their stigma, including their awareness of stereotypes associated with their stigma or group, their beliefs about the content of these stereotypes, and especially, the attributions they make for the treatment and outcomes they receive, have important affective, motivational, and interpersonal consequences for the stigmatized individual.
A Critical Evaluation of Rea's Response to the Problem of Divine Hiddenness

In an important discussion of the problem of hiddenness, Michael Rea briefly presents and defends an argument from divine hiddenness which he thinks encapsulates the problem of divine hiddenness, and then develops a detailed and nuanced response to this argument. Importantly, Rea claims that his response does not depend on the commonly held theistic view that God allows hiddenness to secure human goods. In this paper I offer a detailed criticism of Rea’s account of what justifies God in allowing divine hiddenness, arguing that Rea’s response to the argument from divine hiddenness is unsuccessful.
Splenomegaly may be a new marker for organ rejection in heart transplant patients

1130 Objectives Patients who have had orthotopic heart transplantation routinely undergo frequent invasive endomyocardial biopsies to monitor for organ rejection. Currently, no markers have been found to correlate reliably with biopsy results identifying patients undergoing acute cellular rejection. Methods We evaluated 294 consecutive patients who had orthotopic heart transplantation and routine multi gated acquisition (MUGA) scans during the years 2006-8. Spleen size was measured on the scans, identifying 184 patients with splenomegaly (mean age 57 years, 35 female), defined as an area greater than 84 cm2 on lateral planar imaging. 110 patients (mean age 60 years, 44 female) had a normal size spleen. We also reviewed a control group of 5 patients (mean age 60 years, 3 female) who had MUGA scans to confirm normal heart function prior to starting chemotherapy. Mean spleen size was 51 cm2+/- 19 cm2. Endomyocardial biopsies done within one year before and after the date of MUGA scans were reviewed. The standardized International Society for Heart and Lung Transplantation grading system was used to determine class of cellular rejection. Results More patients with splenomegaly experienced rejection of any grade (1R/1B or more severe) on endomyocardial biopsy compared to patients without splenomegaly (50/184=26.5% vs. 17/110=14.7%, respectively; chi-square p=0.02). Both Caucasians and men were more likely to have splenomegaly than other groups (chi-square p Conclusions This study suggests that splenomegaly is a potential marker for organ rejection in patients who have had heart transplantation. Spleen size can be assessed non-invasively and its apparent correlation with acute cellular rejection may be beneficial in identifying patients with need for closer surveillance
Do Proficiency Testing Participants Learn From Their Mistakes

Abstract Context.—Participation in proficiency testing is required under the Clinical Laboratory Improvement Amendments of 1988. Although the primary purpose of this testing is evaluation of current laboratory performance, a major secondary benefit of such testing is postulated to be progressive improvement in laboratory performance over time as laboratories learn from their previous experiences and feedback. Objective.—To test the hypothesis that a secondary result of proficiency testing is improvement over time of laboratory performance. Design.—The performance of participants in a large proficiency testing program (EXCEL), designed for clinic and office laboratories, on a specific problematic competence, the ability to differentiate group A streptococcus from group C streptococci, was monitored during a 6-year period (1996–2001) for changes in participant performance. Interventions.—With each testing cycle, feedback on performance relative to peers and an educational discussion analyzing performance an...
A bayesian method for accelerated magnetic resonance elastography of the liver.

Purpose Magnetic resonance elastography (MRE) is a noninvasive tool for quantifying soft tissue stiffness. MRE has been adopted as a clinical method for staging liver fibrosis. The application of liver MRE, however, requires multiple lengthy breath holds. We propose a new data acquisition and processing method to reduce MRE scan time. Theory and Methods A Bayesian image reconstruction method that utilizes transform sparsity and magnitude consistency across different phase offsets to recover images from highly undersampled data is proposed. The method is validated using retrospectively downsampled phantom data and prospectively downsampled in vivo data (n=86). Results The proposed technique allows accurate quantification of mean liver stiffness up to an acceleration factor of R=6, enabling acquisition of a slice in 4.3 seconds. Bland Altman analysis indicates that the proposed technique (R=6) has a bias of −0.04 kPa and limits of agreement of –0.36 to +0.28 kPa when compared to traditional GRAPPA reconstruction (R=1.4). Conclusion By exploiting transform sparsity and magnitude consistency, accurate quantification of mean stiffness in the liver can be obtained at acceleration rate of up to R=6. This potentially enables collection of three to four liver slices, as per clinical protocol, within a single breath hold.
An uneasy alliance: planning and performance in nonprofit organizations

The research presented here contributes to our understanding of strategic planning and its relationship to performance in nonprofit organizations. Based on a sample of 303 nonprofit organizations, the study emphasizes individual and diverse elements of the planning process. Multiple measures of performance highlight a nonprofits need to garner resource contributions from several constituencies. Using factor analysis and canonical correlation analysis, we find a positive association between scope of planning and executive satisfaction and a negative association between administrative informality and volunteer involvement. Our results suggest that two critical resource contributors, executive directors and donors, may not value formalized decision-making and planning to the extent previously assumed.
The long view: lasting (and fleeting) reforms in public budgeting in the twentieth century

The knowledge base in public budgeting has certainly grown during the twentieth century, but the most enduring features of public budgeting were developed or documented in the first half of the century. The line item budget is still the dominant format in government budgeting; incremental adjustment to the previous year’s allocation is still the dominant budget process. Later developments in public budgeting, like planning-programming-budgeting system (PPBS), management by objective (MBO), zero-based budgeting (ZBB), and performance budgeting have had very little enduring impact on the practice of budgeting, largely because they reflected presidential attitudes about the role of government in society rather than theoretical advances in budgeting.
Synthesis of Alginate in Bacteria

Alginate is a linear polysaccharide composed of mannuronate (M) and guluronate (G) residues that is produced by marine algae and some bacteria. It serves as a virulence factor in Pseudomonas aeruginosa, is a major constituent of mature biofilms, and is believed to play a significant role in allowing the bacteria to maintain persistent infections. The bacterial biosynthetic pathway is outlined, and available mechanistic data on the constituent enzymes are summarized. The pathway begins with fructose 6-phosphate, which is converted through several steps into GDP-mannuronate. GDP-mannuronate serves as the substrate for the synthesis of the polymeric product mannuronan; the enzymes catalyzing this transformation are localized in the inner membrane and are poorly characterized. Some residues in the mannuronan polymer undergo enzyme-catalyzed epimerization and acetylation. These transformations occur in the periplasmic space and a number of accessory proteins have been identified as being critical for these processes, but their functions have not yet been elucidated.
Microblogging and the Value of Undirected Communication

Online social networks have become extremely popular, but what drives sharing through these channels? We demonstrate that one of the most popular features of online social networks, microblogging (e.g., tweeting or sharing Facebook status updates), is driven in part by its undirected nature. Microblogging allows people to simultaneously express themselves to a large number of potential communication partners without having to address anyone in particular. As a result, this communication channel is particularly valued when people feel socially apprehensive; it allows them to reach out without having to impose communication and potentially bother anyone in particular. These findings shed light on one reason why people use online social networks and provide insight into the value of undirected communication.
Max Planck, the First Superhero of Quantum Theory, Saves the Universe from the Ultraviolet Catastrophe: Assemble Two Flawed Hypotheses About a Key Phenomenon into a Model That Fits Experiment Exactly and People Will Listen to You Even if You Must Revolutionize Physics

Max Planck patched up a disturbing failure in the physics of the late nineteenth century: its inability to explain the spectrum of the radiation emitted from hot bodies. An influential calculation of the time had predicted the impossible: that a hot surface should radiate an infinite amount of ultraviolet energy. Planck’s resolution of this problem forced him to assume that the energies of the oscillators that emitted this radiation were “quantized” in discrete units of energy proportional to their vibrational frequency. Making this radical assumption was painful for Planck, but it led to the breakthrough physics of Albert Einstein and Niels Bohr.
Multiple Intentional Delays Can Facilitate Fast Consensus and Noise Reduction in a Multiagent System

We investigate the use of a derivative-free control scheme called the multiple-delay proportional-retarded (PR) protocol to achieve fast consensus in a large-scale multiagent system. The delays are intentionally introduced in the PR with the purpose of creating derivative-like controllers that rely only on position measurements, thus mitigating undesirable noise effects. The main result places the spectral abscissa of the consensus dynamics at a desired locus and also achieves a user-defined spectral “separation,” both of which directly influence convergence to consensus. Design rules and limitations arising from analytical derivations to achieve these results are laid out. Case studies are provided to demonstrate the concepts.
Vinorelbine-induced regression of a choroidal metastasis from primary breast carcinoma

Various therapeutic options exist to treat choroidal metastatic lesions. However, they are all associated with potential long-term adverse effects. This case report discusses a case of choroidal metastasis from primary breast carcinoma that regressed after single-agent chemotherapy. We report a case of choroidal metastasis from estrogen receptor (ER) positive breast carcinoma that became resistant to endocrine therapy. The primary malignancy was treated with surgical resection and adjuvant chemoradiation, followed by hormone therapy with various agents in combination with kinase inhibitors for ER resistance. The choroidal metastatic lesion regressed after the initiation of vinorelbine. Vinorelbine is a cytotoxic vinca alkaloid with tolerable systemic adverse effects. This case report highlights the possible role of vinorelbine as a single chemotherapeutic agent for the conservative therapy of uveal metastasis from advanced breast carcinoma, irrespective of responsiveness to hormone therapy.
Classical and Augmentative Biological Control

Parasitoids, predators, herbivorous arthropods, and plant pathogens may fail to follow an invasive species to new regions, allowing great increases in the invading species’ density. Introduction of the missing natural enemies, once their safey has been demonstrated to the local fauna or flora, is termed classical biological control. Classical biological control is a major tool in reducing impacts of invasive species, both in crops and natural areas, and has successfully control several hundred invasive species, completely and permanently in invaded countries. This form of restoration ecology is a basic tool in invasive species management and should be considered whenever the objective is to permanently reduce the density of an invasive species over a large area. In contrast, augmentative biological control seeks only to protect a crop during its period of production and permanent pest suppression is not intended or possible. Natural enemies used in augmentative biological control are reared in insectaries, often by commercial firms. This approach is used against insects and mites, but not weeds. The value of this approach depends on efficacy and cost of the natural enemy and augmentative biological control is most effective in greenhouse crops. Classical biological control is less polluting than use of pesticides and is often the only practical approach to suppression of invasive weeds or insects in wild lands. Both classical and augmentative biological control are harmless to people and vertebrates. Risks to nontarget plants or native insects may exist, depending on the host specificity of the agents use, and such risks can be managed to low levels by careful screening of the species employed.
How does intimate partner violence affect condom and oral contraceptive Use in the United States?: A systematic review of the literature.

Abstract Introduction Intimate partner violence (IPV) is estimated to affect 25% of adult women in the United States alone. IPV directly impacts women's ability to use contraception, resulting in many of unintended pregnancies and STIs. This review examines the relationship between IPV and condom and oral contraceptive use within the United States at two levels: the female victim's perspective on barriers to condom and oral contraceptive use, in conjunction with experiencing IPV (Aim 1) and the male perpetrator's perspective regarding condom and oral contraceptive use (Aim 2). Study Design We systematically reviewed and synthesized all publications meeting the study criteria published since 1997. We aimed to categorize the results by emerging themes related to each study aim. Results We identified 42 studies that met our inclusion criteria. We found 37 studies that addressed Aim 1. Within this we identified three themes: violence resulting in reduced condom or oral contraceptive use ( n =15); condom or oral contraceptive use negotiation ( n =15); which we further categorized as IPV due to condom or oral contraceptive request, perceived violence (or fear) of IPV resulting in decreased condom or oral contraceptive use, and sexual relationship power imbalances decreasing the ability to use condoms or oral contraceptives; and reproductive coercion ( n =7). We found 5 studies that addressed Aim 2. Most studies were cross-sectional, limiting the ability to determine causality between IPV and condom or oral contraceptive use; however, most studies did find a positive relationship between IPV and decreased condom or oral contraceptive use. Conclusions Quantitative, qualitative, and mixed methods research has demonstrated the linkages between female IPV victimization/male IPV perpetration and condom or oral contraceptive use. However, additional qualitative and longitudinal research is needed to improve the understanding of dynamics in relationships with IPV and determine causality between IPV, intermediate variables (e.g., contraceptive use negotiation, sexual relationship power dynamics, reproductive coercion), and condom and oral contraceptive use. Assessing the relationship between IPV and reproductive coercion may elucidate barriers to contraceptive use as well as opportunities for interventions to increase contraceptive use (such as forms of contraception with less partner influence) and reduce IPV and reproductive coercion.
Treatment of Cocaine Abuse in Methadone Maintenance Patients

Publisher Summary Heavy use of cocaine has increased dramatically in the United States over the past 30 years. This chapter reviews the interventions used to treat cocaine use in methadone patients. The high rates of cocaine use in methadone patients has prompted concern that methadone itself may increase cocaine use. A number of descriptive studies have examined the effects of entry into methadone maintenance on cocaine use. A few controlled studies have assessed the effects of varying methadone dose on cocaine use. There are a number of published reports on the effects of nonopioid medications on cocaine use in methadone patients; however, only a limited number of reports describe controlled studies. A medication that binds to the same site on the dopamine transporter could potentially block this effect of cocaine and thereby, block its reinforcing effects. Studies of psychosocial and behavioral interventions provide the clearest evidence that cocaine abuse in methadone patients is a treatable problem. A variety of treatments are used in clinical practice such as acupuncture, biofeedback, and hypnosis. Efforts to identify an effective pharmacotherapy for cocaine abuse in methadone patients are ongoing and could be critical to developing optimally effective treatment packages.
Diagnosing Voice Disorder with Machine Learning

The goal of this study is to build an effective model to identify the types of voice disorder, include Normal, Neoplas, Phonotrauma and Vocal palsy, from FEMH dataset. To deal with this classification problem, we use several Machine learning methods, such as Support Vector Machine, Random Forest, K-Nearest Neighbor, and Gradient Boosting. Meanwhile, we also try the Ensemble Learning algorithm, which combines these learners and selects the most popular prediction.
Servant Leadership: Research

This chapter explores some of the key servant leadership research that has been conducted but starts with a comparison of servant leadership to other leadership theories including authentic leadership, spiritual leadership, charismatic leadership, transformational leadership, and transactional leadership. Transformational leadership is most often identified as having the most similarities to servant leadership but key differences are explained including a transformational leader’s focus on outcomes and servant leader’s focus on follower need satisfaction. Research regarding antecedents of servant leadership is also shared. Proposed and researched antecedents of servant leadership include emotional intelligence, compassion, moral identity, character, personality traits, and negative connections to narcissism are shared. Despite its lack of focus on organizational outcomes, research on servant leadership consequences are discussed in the areas of creativity, trust, job satisfaction, engagement, leadership development, sales performance, and follower well-being. Finally, some of the sport-related research connected to outcomes is shared as well. Connections between servant leadership and athlete satisfaction, intrinsic motivation, enhanced performance, and organizational trust are discussed.
Re-entry friction: The curious effects of cultural dislocation on outcomes for global service learning returnees

Abstract Our investigation explored year-long re-entry growth trajectories of global service learning returnees’ international interests (a global learning outcome) and psychological well-being (a psychosocial outcome) as functions of both (a) pre-departure levels of the same variable and (b) subjectively and objectively assessed degree of cultural dislocation. Participants were 111 (87% female; 72% Caucasian) college students who participated in a short-term (13 to 62 d) global service learning immersion to one of 15 countries. International interests remained stable from pre-departure through 12 months re-entry and were best predicted by the pre-departure level of the same variable. Neither subjective nor objective cultural dislocation moderated the re-entry trajectory. The growth trajectory for psychological well-being was best explained by a cubic function. After re-entry, psychological well-being decreased, reaching its lowest point at approximately 4 months, and returned to baseline by 12. Subjectively reported sociocultural adaptation to the host country was a significant predictor to both the re-entry level of psychological well-being, the rate of decline, and the subsequent rate of return to baseline. Those who adapted more strongly to their host country experienced more psychological difficulty upon return and took longer to return to baseline. We recommend preparing students for the potential re-entry friction by adhering to known best practices for education abroad (i.e., providing ample pre-departure and re-entry programming and services). We suggest that pre-departure preparation include psychoeducation for stress and coping and we recommend framing the period of re-entry friction (contrasting reverse culture shock) as an invitation to personal growth and exploration.
Treating SIRVA Early With Corticosteroid Injections: A Case Series

Shoulder injury related to vaccine administration (SIRVA) is defined as "shoulder pain with limited range of motion within 48 hours after vaccine receipt in individuals with no prior history of pain, inflammation, or dysfunction of the affected shoulder before vaccine administration." Corticosteroid injections (CSIs) have been proposed as a reasonable treatment modality for SIRVA, although evidence regarding efficacy is scanty. In this case series, we present two patients diagnosed with SIRVA who received CSI within 5 days of symptom onset and saw symptom resolution within 1 month. This is in comparison to a Centers for Disease Control and Prevention report that showed 65% of patients with SIRVA will have pain lasting longer than 1 month, and 25% will have pain lasting longer than 3 months. Our case series shows that CSIs may be an effective treatment modality for SIRVA. It would be reasonable to use CSIs as a first line treatment and should especially be considered in patients who have contraindications to nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs.
Cisgender Teen Dating Violence: Differential Associations with Various Substances Used

Adolescent substance use and teen dating violence (TDV) are both significant public health concerns. Yet, less research has examined the intersection of different substances used with differing TDV experiences or types. More scholarship is needed examining how these two behaviors relate A subset of data (n = 2099) from Technology, Teen Dating Violence and Abuse, and Bullying in Three States, 2011–2012 (Zweig and Dank 2016) was used to explore group differences in TDV victimization, perpetration, or mutual violence within different TDV types (physical, psychological, sexual, and online) on various drugs of use Bivariate analyses (e.g. Chi-square analysis and independent t-test analysis) were conducted comparing positive report of each substance used among the TDV groups (never, victimization only, perpetration only, and mutual) for each TDV type. Findings indicated several significant group differences between dating violence groups and different drugs of use within each type of TDV. For physical dating violence, significant group differences were found for gender, race, alcohol use, marijuana use, pain relievers, and illicit drugs. For psychological dating violence and online dating violence, the only significant group differences were gender and alcohol. For sexual coercion, there were significant group differences for all 10 substances included in the analysis and for gender The present results highlight the complex nature of how substance use and TDV are related. Recognizing the complicated intersection of these two public health issues is important for considering future prevention and intervention protocols.
Preferential interactions of primary amine-terminated quantum dots with membrane domain boundaries and lipid rafts revealed with nanometer resolution

The initial interactions of engineered nanoparticles (NPs) with living cells are governed by physicochemical properties of the NP and the molecular composition and structure of the cell membrane. Eukaryotic cell membranes contain lipid rafts – liquid-ordered nanodomains involved in membrane trafficking and molecular signaling. However, the impact of these membrane structures on cellular interactions of NPs remains unclear. Here we investigate the role of membrane domains in the interactions of primary amine-terminated quantum dots (Qdots) with liquid-ordered domains or lipid rafts in model membranes and intact cells, respectively. Using correlative atomic force and fluorescence microscopy, we found that the Qdots preferentially localized to boundaries between liquid-ordered and liquid-disordered phases in supported bilayers. The Qdots also induced holes at these phase boundaries. Using super resolution fluorescence microscopy (STORM), we found that the Qdots preferentially co-localized with lipid rafts in the membrane of intact trout gill epithelial cells – a model cell type for environmental exposures. Our observations uncovered preferential interactions of amine-terminated Qdots with liquid-ordered domains and their boundaries, possibly due to membrane curvature at phase boundaries creating energetically favorable sites for NP interactions. The preferential interaction of the Qdots with lipid rafts supports their potential internalization via lipid raft-mediated endocytosis and interactions with raft-resident signaling molecules.
Methodology for evaluating image-segmentation algorithms

The purpose of this paper is to describe a framework for evaluating image segmentation algorithms. Image segmentation consists of object recognition and delineation. For evaluating segmentation methods, three factors - precision (reproducibility), accuracy (agreement with truth, validity), and efficiency (time taken) - need to be considered for both recognition and delineation. To assess precision, we need to choose a figure of merit, repeat segmentation considering all sources of variation, and determine variations in figure of merit via statistical analysis. It is impossible usually to establish true segmentation. Hence, to assess accuracy, we need to choose a surrogate of true segmentation and proceed as for precision. In determining accuracy, it may be important to consider different landmark areas of the structure to be segmented depending on the application. To assess efficiency, both the computational and the user time required for algorithm and operator training and for algorithm execution should be measured and analyzed. Precision, accuracy, and efficiency are interdependent. It is difficult to improve one factor without affecting others. Segmentation methods must be compared based on all three factors. The weight given to each factor depends on application.
MEF2D Fusions Drive Oncogenic Pre-BCR Signaling in B-ALL.

Summary: Chimeric fusion proteins involving transcriptional regulators are a common feature in pre-B acute lymphoblastic leukemia (B-ALL). However, systematic dissection of the core regulatory circuits by which these fusions exert their oncogenic effects is still required. Using chromatin immunoprecipitation sequencing and robust functional assays, Tsuzuki and colleagues identify the core transcription factor network directed by MEF2D fusions in B-ALL. The new findings demonstrate how activation of MEF2D fusions ultimately converge on pre-BCR signaling and lipid metabolism to drive malignant B-cell transformation. See related article by Tsuzuki et al., p. 82.
Bilinguals who stutter: A cognitive perspective.

Abstract Purpose Brain differences, both in structure and executive functioning, have been found in both developmental stuttering and bilingualism. However, the etiology of stuttering remains unknown. The early suggestion that stuttering is a result of brain dysfunction has since received support from various behavioral and neuroimaging studies that have revealed functional and structural brain changes in monolinguals who stutter (MWS). In addition, MWS appear to show deficits in executive control. However, there is a lack of data on bilinguals who stutter (BWS). This literature review is intended to provide an overview of both stuttering and bilingualism as well as synthesize areas of overlap among both lines of research and highlight knowledge gaps in the current literature. Methods A systematic literature review on both stuttering and bilingualism studies was conducted, searching for articles containing “stuttering” and/or “bilingualism” and either “brain”, “executive functions”, “executive control”, “motor control”, “cognitive reserve”, or “brain reserve” in the PubMed database. Additional studies were found by examining the reference list of studies that met the inclusion criteria. Results A total of 148 references that met the criteria for inclusion in this paper were used in the review. A comparison of the impact of stuttering or bilingualism on the brain are discussed. Conclusion Previous research examining a potential bilingual advantage for BWS is mixed. However, if such an advantage does exist, it appears to offset potential deficits in executive functioning that may be associated with stuttering.
A 13.56-MHz −25-dBm-Sensitivity Inductive Power Receiver System-on-a-Chip With a Self-Adaptive Successive Approximation Resonance Compensation Front-End for Ultra-Low-Power Medical Implants

Battery-less and ultra-low-power implantable medical devices (IMDs) with minimal invasiveness are the latest therapeutic paradigm. This work presents a 13.56-MHz inductive power receiver system-on-a-chip with an input sensitivity of −25.4 dBm (2.88 μW) and an efficiency of 46.4% while driving a light load of 30 μW. In particular, a real-time resonance compensation scheme is proposed to mitigate resonance variations commonly seen in IMDs due to different dielectric environments, loading conditions, and fabrication mismatches, etc. The power-receiving front-end incorporates a 6-bit capacitor bank that is periodically adjusted according to a successive-approximation-resonance-tuning (SART) algorithm. The compensation range is as much as 24 pF and it converges within 12 clock cycles and causes negligible power consumption overhead. The harvested voltage from 1.7 V to 3.3 V is digitized on-chip and transmitted via an ultra-wideband impulse radio (IR-UWB) back-telemetry for closed-loop regulation. The IC is fabricated in 180-nm CMOS process with an overall current dissipation of 750 nA. At a separation distance of 2 cm, the end-to-end power transfer efficiency reaches 16.1% while driving the 30-μW load, which is immune to artificially induced resonance capacitor offsets. The proposed system can be applied to various battery-less IMDs with the potential improvement of the power transfer efficiency on orders of magnitude.
The Content and Quality of Publicly Available Information About Congenital Diaphragmatic Hernia: Descriptive Study.

Background: Congenital diaphragmatic hernia (CDH) diagnosis in an infant is distressing for parents. Parents often feel unable to absorb the complexities of CDH during prenatal consultations and use the internet to supplement their knowledge and decision making. Objective: We aimed to examine the content and quality of publicly available, internet-based CDH information. Methods: We conducted internet searches across 2 popular search engines (Google and Bing). Websites were included if they contained CDH information and were publicly available. We developed a coding instrument to evaluate websites. Two coders (FS and KS) were trained, achieved interrater reliability, and rated remaining websites independently. Descriptive statistics were performed. Results: Searches yielded 520 websites; 91 met inclusion criteria and were analyzed. Most websites provided basic CDH information including describing the defect (86/91, 95%), need for neonatal intensive care (77/91, 85%), and surgical correction (79/91, 87%). Few mentioned palliative care, decisions about pregnancy termination (13/91, 14%), or support resources (21/91, 23%). Conclusions: Findings highlight the variability of information about CDH on the internet. Clinicians should work to develop or identify reliable, comprehensive information about CDH to support parents.
Place: natural

An abandoned beer can in Bear Meadows, a central Pennsylvania bog and state natural area, is a convenient focus for reflecting on “nature,” within the dualistic Western conception nature and humans, in natural history. I begin by considering the difficulty of writing the natural history of a highly humanized place, the Susquehanna watershed, then consider relationships between place, meaning, and nature from legal, environmental historical, and paleoecological perspectives on Bear Meadows and its surrounding landscapes. A more satisfying conceptualization comes from a topological model that makes it possible to map ourselves and our doings in relation to a gradient from wholly natural to highly artificial but preserves the insight that we and our artifacts are simultaneously of nature and fundamentally different from it.
Physical-layer security in terahertz wireless links

This document was not made available for publication as part of the conference proceedings.
SU-E-T-158: Catching Errors with Trajectory Log Files

Purpose: To present our single institution experience on catching errors with trajectory log file analysis. The reported causes of failures, probability of occurrences (O), severity of effects (S), and the probability of the failures to be undetected (D) could be added to guidelines of FMEA analysis. Methods: From March 2013 to March 2014, 19569 patient treatment fields/arcs were analyzed. This work includes checking all 131 treatment delivery parameters for all patients, all treatment sites and all treatment delivery fractions. TrueBeam trajectory log files for all treatment field types as well as all imaging types were accessed, read in every 20ms, and every control point (total of 37 million parameters) compared to the physician approved plan in the planning system. Results: Couch angle outlier occurrence: N= 327, range = −1.7 −1.2 deg; gantry angle outlier occurrence: N =59, range = 0.09 – 5.61 deg, collimator angle outlier occurrence: N = 13, range = −0.2 – 0.2 deg. VMAT cases have slightly larger variations in mechanical parameters. MLC: 3D single control point fields have a maximum deviation of 0.04 mm, 39 step and shoot IMRT cases have MLC −0.3 – 0.5 mm deviations, all (1286) VMAT cases have −0.9 – 0.7 mm deviations. Two possible serious errors were found: 1) A 4 cm isocenter shift for the PA beam of an AP-PA pair, under-dosing a portion of PTV by 25%. 2) Delivery with MLC leaves abutted behind the jaws as opposed to the midline as planned, leading to a under-dosing of a small volume of the PTV by 25%, by just the boost plan. Due to their error origin, neither of these errors could have been detected by pre-treatment verification. Conclusion: Performing Trajectory Log file analysis could catch typically undetected errors to avoid potentially adverse incidents.
A behaviorist manifesto for the 21 st century

Observational assessment of behavior is a core measurement tool in modern psychological research and practice. Despite the importance of observational assessment and the tremendous amount of research devoted to refining and enhancing the methodological foundations of these tools, current best practices still bear a strong resemblance to those from three decades prior. The emergent field of behavioral signal processing, though relatively little known within the field of psychology, has the potential to revolutionize observational practice and resolve long-standing limitations of current methods. In this paper, we illustrate the need for and potential value of behavioral signal processing methods for observational practice by examining three current issues in the observational assessment of clinically distressed, married couples that are representative of challenges faced in numerous areas of clinical psychology.
The Chemistry of a Reporter Group: 2-Hydroxy-5-nitrobenzyl Bromide

The chemistry of the reaction of 2-hydroxy-5-nitrobenzyl bromide (HNB-Br) with tryptophan ethyl ester to form monosubstitution adducts has been elucidated. The initial compounds are formed by addition at position 3 of the indole ring to form two diastereomeric indolenines. These compounds can then cyclize and rearrange in a number of ways. The absolute stereochemistries of the products have been determined. The 2-hydroxy-5-nitrobenzyl moiety has been shown to form complexes with amino acid esters and the spectral shifts of the complexes can be correlated with the "hydrophobicity" of the amino acid side chains. The specificity of HNB-Br for tryptophan in proteins can be explained by a combination of a hydrophobic attraction and a specific charge-transfer complex of the quinone methide form of the reagent. The hydrophobic affinity of the HNB group, the specificity of HNB-Br for tryptophan, and the number of potential reaction products of HNB-Br lead to a number of possible modes of reaction of HNB-Br with tryptophan in proteins which enhance the value of the reagent as an environmental probe.
“Where Do We Go Next?”: Long-Term Reunion Relationships Between Adoptees and Birth Parents

L'A. etudie les relations entre les enfants adoptes et leurs parents biologiques. Il souligne que la rencontre entre enfant adopte et parents biologiques constitue en quelque sorte une reunion. Il analyse cette notion de reunion et montre de quelle maniere la relation etablie entre enfant adopte et parent biologique tend a prendre un caractere routinier. Il s'interroge quant a la signification de ce type de relation sur le plan de la parente
Piece-Rate Wages

Piece-rate wages compensate workers based on output or productivity; fruit pickers paid by the basket, or salespeople on commission are piece-rate workers. Piece-rate wages attempt to mitigate the principal–agent problem that occurs when a firm (the principal) hires a worker (the agent) to produce a product or service in the most efficient, profitable manner. From the employee's perspective, working efficiently may require undesirable physical or psychic effort. By tying pay to output, the firm aligns the employee's incentive with the objective of the firm. Relatively few workers in the United States, however, are paid piece-rate wages. This is because of the costs of monitoring output, quantity-quality issues, and the risks workers must take on when working for piece-rates. Keywords: piece-rate; time-rate; incentives; compensation; principal–agent problem; ratchet effect; free-rider problem
Unusual musical murmurs of anterior cusp aortic regurgitation; report of ten cases.

Abstract 1. 1. Ten patients with musical aortic diastolic murmurs have been observed within a 12-year period. All occurred in the Negro race, and nine were males. All were of syphilitic etiology. 2. 2. Electrocardiograms were abnormal in nine patients with four showing atrial fibrillation. 3. 3. Appearance of the murmur was generally followed by marked adverse change in the circulatory status and gravely altered the prognosis. 4. 4. In the six necropsied cases, eversion of the right anterior cusp was found in five, and of the left anterior cusp in one. A laceration complicated one of the cases showing an eversion of the right anterior leaflet. 5. 5. Nine of the patients died within nine months, and the remaining one lived 18 months. In one case the musical quality of the murmur disappeared prior to death.
Optical switching and its impact on optical networks

We discuss the relationship between types of optical switch matrices, the optical crossconnects and add-drop multiplexers they are used to make, and the networks in which these elements are used.
Kinetochore Attachments Require an Interaction between Unstructured Tails on Microtubules and Ndc80Hec1

Summary Kinetochore attachments to microtubules are tight enough to move chromosomes, yet the microtubules' plus ends must remain dynamic and reposition within the attachment pocket during depolymerization-coupled movement. Kinetochores are unable to bind microtubules after any of the four subunits of the Ndc80 complex are knocked down [2, 4]; however, because the Ndc80 complex has important structural roles [1–3], it is unclear whether it directly mediates kinetochore-microtubule attachments. The Ndc80 Hec1 subunit (Hec1) has a microtubule-binding site composed of both an unstructured N-terminal tail and a calponin homology domain [5–7]. Here, we show that, surprisingly, the N-terminal tail is sufficient for microtubule-binding affinity in vitro. The interaction is salt sensitive, and the positively charged Hec1 tail cannot bind microtubules lacking negatively charged tails. We have replaced the endogenous Hec1 subunit with a mutant lacking the N-terminal tail. These cells assemble kinetochores properly but are unable to congress chromosomes, generate tension across sister kinetochores, or establish cold-stable kinetochore-microtubule attachments. Our data argue that the highest affinity interactions between kinetochores and microtubules are ionic attractions between two unstructured domains. We discuss the importance of this finding for models of repositioning of microtubules in the kinetochore during depolymerization.
Calculation of the low natural frequencies of clamped cylindrical shells by asymptotic methods

Abstract The low natural frequencies of a fully clamped, elastically isotropic circular cylindrical shell are calculated using asymptotic techniques. Two types of expansion are considered. The first assumes a given, low number of circumferential waves. To a first approximation, the frequencies are shown to be given by membrane theory, and a table of these values is obtained numerically for various shell lengths, circumferential wave numbers and a Poisson's ratio of 0.3. The bending correction is shown to be proportional to the square root of the thickness-radius ratio, to vanish with Poisson's ratio, and to be expressible solely in terms of the solutions of the membrane eigenvalue problem. The second type of expansion is necessary to calculate the minimum natural frequency of a shell of given length and allows the number of circumferential waves to approach infinity as the thickness-radius ratio approaches zero. A remarkably simple formula for the frequencies is obtained in terms of the natural frequencies of a clamped-clamped beam. The two asymptotic results are shown to overlap.