cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Intraoperative Magnetic Resonance Imaging in Skull Base Surgery: A Review of 71 Consecutive Cases

Background Although intraoperative magnetic resonance imaging (iMRI) increasingly is used during glioma resection, its role in skull base surgery has not been well documented. In this study, we evaluate our experience with iMRI for skull base surgery. Methods Medical records were reviewed retrospectively on all neurosurgical cases performed at our institution in the IMRIS iMRI suite between April 2014 and July 2015. Results During the study period, the iMRI suite was used for 71 skull base tumors. iMRI was performed in 23 of 71 cases. Additional tumor resection was pursued after scanning in 7 of 23 patients. There was a significant difference in procedure length between the scanned versus nonscanned groups, and this was likely attributable to a greater proportion of petroclival meningiomas in the scanned group. Further analyses revealed significant increases in procedure length for the following scanned subgroups: anterolateral approach, anterolateral and petroclival lesion locations, and meningiomas. The rate of non-neurologic complications was significantly greater in the scanned group, particularly for patients with tumors >3 cm. Conclusions Despite the unique challenges associated with skull base tumor surgery, iMRI can be safely obtained while adding a modest although not prohibitive amount of time to the procedure. The immediate evidence of residual tumor with a patient still in position to have additional resection may influence the surgeon to alter the surgical plan and attempt further resection in a critical area.
Free at Last: Coming to Terms with the Mother in the Woman in La noce d ’ Anna by Nathacha Appanah

Florence Ramond Jurney’s chapter looks at how Sonia, the narrator of Appanah’s La noce d’Anna, negotiates and comes to understand her various roles and identities: her attempts to accommodate motherhood to a career as a writer, and her evolution from young, single mother to middle-aged mother of a grown daughter about to marry. The story of the Other (daughter, on her wedding day) becomes an opportunity to reflect on the story of the Self (mother, looking back on her own life and ahead to her future). Jurney focuses her analysis on Sonia’s perception of the gap between her identity as a woman and her identity as a mother. As her grown daughter leaves her and she confronts her own aging, will she be able to reinvent herself, and if so, how?
Climate-change influences on the response of macroinvertebrate communities to pesticide contamination in the Sacramento River, California watershed.

Abstract Limited studies have addressed how future climate-change scenarios may alter the effects of pesticides on biotic assemblages or the effects of exposures to repeated pulses of pesticide mixtures. We used reported pesticide-use data as input to a hydrological fate and transport model (Soil and Water Assessment Tool) under multiple climate-change scenarios to simulate spatiotemporal dynamics of pesticides mixtures in streams on a daily time-step in the Sacramento River watershed of California. We predicted that there will be increased pesticide application with warming across the watershed, especially in upstream areas. Using a statistical model describing the relationship between macroinvertebrate communities and pesticide dynamics, we found that compared to the baseline period of 1970–1999: (1) most climate-change scenarios predicted increased rainfall and warming across the watershed during 2070–2099; and (2) increasing pesticide contamination and increased impact on macroinvertebrates will likely occur in most areas of the watershed by 2070–2099; and (3) lower increases in effects of pesticides on macroinvertebrates were predicted for the downstream areas with intensive agriculture compared to some upstream areas with less-intensive agriculture. Future efforts on practical adaptation and mitigation strategies can be improved by awareness of altered threats of pesticide mixtures under future climate-change conditions.
Elastic-Plastic Torsion of Nonhomogeneous Bars

This paper considers the mathematical formulation for elastic-plastic torsion of uniform and nonuniform nonhomogeneous bars subjected to monotonically increasing angle of twist. Each material in a given bar is assumed to be isotropic and to behave in an elastic perfectly-plastic manner. The method of solution employs a statically admissible minimum rate principle of plasticity, finite elements, and stress function formulations of the torsion problems to reduce the solutions for stress-like quantities to a problem in quadratic programming. Typical results are presented for a nonhomogeneous nonuniform bar of square cross section and a nonhomogeneous nonuniform bar composed of two thick-walled cylinders of different material properties and different diameters.
Improvement in Glycemic Control of Type 2 Diabetes After Successful Treatment of Hepatitis C Virus

OBJECTIVE Hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection is associated with diabetes and may worsen glycemic control in patients with diabetes. We aimed to investigate whether eradication of HCV infection with direct-acting antiviral (DAA) agents is associated with improved glycemic control in patients with diabetes. RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS We identified 2,435 patients with diabetes who underwent interferon-free and ribavirin-free DAA-based antiviral treatment for HCV in the national Veterans Affairs health care system. Changes in average hemoglobin A 1c (HbA 1c ) level and use of antidiabetic medications 1 year before and after antiviral treatment were compared between patients who achieved sustained virologic response (SVR) and those who did not. RESULTS Among patients with elevated baseline HbA 1c , the drop in HbA 1c associated with antiviral treatment was greater in those who achieved SVR (0.98%) than in those who sustained treatment failure (0.65%) (adjusted mean difference 0.34, P = 0.02). Use of antidiabetic medications decreased more in patients who achieved SVR than in those who sustained treatment failure, especially for the use of insulin, which dropped significantly from 41.3% to 38% in patients achieving SVR compared with a slight increase from 49.8% to 51% in those who sustained treatment failure. CONCLUSIONS DAA-based eradication of HCV is associated with improved glycemic control in patients with diabetes as evidenced by decreased mean HbA 1c and decreased insulin use. These endocrine benefits of SVR provide additional justification for considering antiviral treatment in all patients with diabetes.
Developing curricular modules for cybersecurity informatics: An active learning approach

As cybercrimes and their data volumes proliferate, business professionals and public servants urgently need new knowledge and skills to address the growing threats. However, curricular materials, pedagogical research, and courses to address the data deluge in cybersecurity are not widely available. This research developed a contextual active learning approach to creating curricular modules for use in online informatics education. The approach emphasizes active and contextual learning in module design and deployment. Student participation, problem-based thinking, case study, and interactive question-answering and discussion are used. We implemented the approach in a new online course titled “Cybersecurity Informatics,” a cross-disciplinary subject that connects advanced information technologies, systems, algorithms, and databases with cybersecurity-related applications. Results from an expert evaluation indicate strongly positive comments and significant innovation on active learning. The research demonstrates a strong potential for using the approach to developing new cybersecurity informatics modules.
Agent-Awareness in Reflective Knowledge

I argue that current discussions of the epistemological significance of reflection have entangled concerns about reflection with agential concerns. I begin by showing that a central strand of internalist criticism finds externalism unsatisfactory because it fails to provide a particular kind of self-knowledge, knowledge about the epistemic status of one’s own beliefs. Identifying this internalist motivation as the desire for a kind of self-knowledge opens up new possibilities and suggests new conceptual resources. I employ one of these resources—Richard Moran’s distinction between the theoretical stance and the deliberative stance—to locate two types of reflection: mere reflective awareness of one’s attitudes and agent-awareness of one’s attitudes. I then examine Ernest Sosa’s account of the importance of reflection, showing how Moran’s distinction brings out the centrality of agential concerns in Sosa’s argument for reflective knowledge. I also consider briefly its relevance to fully apt knowledge. While I focus on Sosa’s epistemology, the point extends to internalism more generally.
Medical Treatment Adherence

Advancements in healthcare have resulted in many promising medical and behavioral treatments to address a variety of acute and chronic medical conditions through outpatient services. Inherent in many of these approaches is the need for patients to independently monitor and manage these regimens. Historically, this area of patient engagement has been discussed in terms of treatment adherence and nonadherence. We refer to self-management in this chapter because it is more descriptive of what care systems aim to have patients do when clinicians intervene to improve treatment adherence.
Organisational citizenship behaviour in university administrative committees

ABSTRACTCommittees are ubiquitous throughout institutions of higher education. Identifying conduct that is conducive to committee work is a precursor to exploring why some individuals engage in committees and others do not. Using qualitative methods, this study explores organisational citizenship behaviours (OCB) exhibited and observed by university professional staff in the context of university committees. University administrators identify exemplary behaviours in committees that conform to OCB criteria (i.e., voluntary, exceeding job expectations and without expectation of reward) which are differentiated from normative committee behaviours. Participants agree that ‘active engagement’, a form of civic virtue OCB, is an aggregation of eight second-order behaviours that collectively improve committee performance. Recommendations for future research directions are also discussed.
RNP Assembly Defects in Spinal Muscular Atrophy

Spinal muscular atrophy (SMA) is a motor neuron disease caused by mutations/deletions within the survival of motor neuron 1 (SMN1) gene that lead to a pathological reduction of SMN protein levels. SMN is part of a multiprotein complex, functioning as a molecular chaperone that facilitates the assembly of spliceosomal small nuclear ribonucleoproteins (snRNP). In addition to its role in spliceosome formation, SMN has also been found to interact with mRNA-binding proteins (mRBPs), and facilitate their assembly into mRNP transport granules. The association of protein and RNA in RNP complexes plays an important role in an extensive and diverse set of cellular processes that regulate neuronal growth, differentiation, and the maturation and plasticity of synapses. This review discusses the role of SMN in RNP assembly and localization, focusing on molecular defects that affect mRNA processing and may contribute to SMA pathology.
Lattices and Lattice Complexes

A lattice is an array of points each of which has identical environment in identical orientation. The points of a lattice are related to each other by a translation: by moving the entire lattice parallel to itself through an appropriate distance it can be brought into coincidence with itself (cf. Fig. 15-1). It follows that a lattice is infinite in extent. The points of any planar lattice may constitute the centers of hexagonal Dirichlet Domains; we saw in the previous chapter that such Domains necessarily have paired equal and parallel opposite edges (Fig. 15-2). Each lattice point therefore generally shares Dirichlet Domains with six other lattice points, hence has six near neighbors.
Carabidae Semiochemistry: Current and Future Directions

Ground beetles (Carabidae) are recognized for their diverse, chemically-mediated defensive behaviors. Produced using a pair of pygidial glands, over 250 chemical constituents have been characterized across the family thus far, many of which are considered allomones. Over the past century, our knowledge of Carabidae exocrine chemistry has increased substantially, yet the role of these defensive compounds in mediating behavior other than repelling predators is largely unknown. It is also unclear whether non-defensive compounds produced by ground beetles mediate conspecific and heterospecific interactions, such as sex-aggregation pheromones or kairomones, respectively. Here we review the current state of non-exocrine Carabidae semiochemistry and behavioral research, discuss the importance of semiochemical research including but not limited to allomones, and describe next-generation methods for elucidating the underlying genetics and evolution of chemically-mediated behavior.
Measurement of Relative Potency

This chapter discusses the measurement of relative potency. The dosage–response curve for a standard preparation of vitamin is determined primarily as a guide in developing a satisfactory experimental technique and for selecting a suitable dosage range. The response to known doses of vitamin is so variable that such a curve cannot be used directly to estimate the potency of unknown preparations. For quantitative results, both the unknown and the standard are tested in every assay. Moreover, one or both preparations should be tested at two or more dosage levels as the slope of the dosage–response curve may vary not only from one laboratory to another but also from time to time in the same laboratory. Relative potency can be computed from assays with few or no refinements in design, although in most cases the factorial assays are preferred. The more general types may be considered; however, comparisons of each unknown at a single dosage level with a concomitant standard curve based upon two or more doses and comparisons of the dosage–response curves of two preparations.
Free-breathing 3-D quantification of infant body composition and hepatic fat using a stack-of-radial magnetic resonance imaging technique

Body composition and hepatic fat correlate with future risk for metabolic syndrome. In children, many conventional techniques for quantifying body composition and hepatic fat have limitations. MRI is a noninvasive research tool to study body composition and hepatic fat in infants; however, conventional Cartesian MRI is sensitive to motion, particularly in the abdomen because of respiration. Therefore we developed a free-breathing MRI technique to quantify body composition and hepatic fat in infants. In infants, we aimed to (1) compare the image quality between free-breathing 3-D stack-of-radial MRI (free-breathing radial) and 3-D Cartesian MRI in the liver and (2) determine the feasibility of using free-breathing radial MRI to quantify body composition and hepatic proton-density fat fraction (PDFF). Ten infants ages 2–7 months were scanned with free-breathing radial (two abdominal; one head and chest) and Cartesian (one abdominal) MRI sequences. The median preparation and scan times were reported. To assess feasibility for hepatic PDFF quantification, a radiologist masked to the MRI technique scored abdominal scans for motion artifacts in the liver using a 3-point scale (1, or non-diagnostic, to 3, or no artifacts). Median visceral adipose tissue (VAT), subcutaneous adipose tissue (SAT) and brown adipose tissue (BAT) volume and PDFF, and hepatic PDFF were measured using free-breathing radial MRI. We assessed repeatability of free-breathing radial hepatic PDFF (coefficient of repeatability) between back-to-back scans. We determined differences in the distribution of image-quality scores using McNemar-Bowker tests. P<0.05 was considered significant. Nine infants completed the entire study (90% completion). For ten infants, the median preparation time was 32 min and scan time was 24 min. Free-breathing radial MRI demonstrated significantly higher image-quality scores compared to Cartesian MRI in the liver (radial scan 1 median = 2 and radial scan 2 median = 3 vs. Cartesian median = 1; P=0.01). Median measurements using free-breathing radial were VAT=52.0 cm3, VAT-PDFF=42.2%, SAT=267.7 cm3, SAT-PDFF=87.1%, BAT=1.4 cm3, BAT-PDFF=26.1% and hepatic PDFF=3.4% (coefficient of repeatability <2.0%). In this study, free-breathing radial MRI in infants achieved significantly improved liver image quality compared to Cartesian MRI. It is feasible to use free-breathing radial MRI to quantify body composition and hepatic fat in infants.
Hybrid multi-cell thin-walled tubes for energy absorption applications: Blast shielding and crashworthiness

Abstract Nowadays, thin-walled structures are recognized for their significance in numerous technical fields particularly in automotive, aeronautics, and structural engineering. State-of-the-art studies reveal various techniques for improving energy absorptions of thin-walled structures, and each technique has its pros and cons. This paper proposes a combination of two energy absorption techniques to attain a high-level energy absorber component applicable to a wide range of blast-resistant design and crashworthiness applications. Thus, experimental and numerical investigations have been conducted to study the influence of applying internal stiffeners and staking composite layers on the behavior of aluminum (AL) thin-walled tubes. Single, double, and quadruple thin-walled metallic and hybrid tubes were tested under axial quasi-static compression test. The specimens were fabricated from unidirectional CFRP, epoxy resin and aluminum alloy T6061-T6. Various crashworthiness parameters were assessed such as the absorbed crash energy, specific energy absorption, crush force efficiency, average crushing load and peak load absorbed in order to highlight the behavior of the novel configurations. The hybrid quadrable multi-cell structure showed the highest energy absorption capabilities between the other proposed configurations. Its energy absorption improved by 116% compared to the solo hollow AL tube. In addition, nonlinear finite element analysis (FEA) using the commercial ANSYS-LSDYNA Workbench software was utilized to verify the experimental results. Numerical simulations showed very good decent agreement with the experimental results. The energy absorption of the proposed techniques has been significantly improved, with the most effective configuration (Hybrid quadruple-cell) showed 131.70% more than the control single-cell AL tube.
Attention can be subdivided into neurobiological components corresponding to distinct behavioral effects

Attention is a common but highly complex term associated with a large number of distinct behavioral and perceptual phenomena. In the brain, attention-related changes in neuronal activity are observed in widespread structures. The many distinct behavioral and neuronal phenomena related to attention suggest that it might be subdivided into components corresponding to distinct biological mechanisms. Recent neurophysiological studies in monkeys have isolated behavioral changes related to attention along the 2 indices of signal detection theory and found that these 2 behavioral changes are associated with distinct neuronal changes in different brain areas. These results support the view that attention is made up of distinct neurobiological mechanisms.
Semantics and algorithms for trustworthy commitment achievement under model uncertainty

We focus on how an agent can exercise autonomy while still dependably fulfilling commitments it has made to another, despite uncertainty about outcomes of its actions and how its own objectives might evolve. Our formal semantics treats a probabilistic commitment as constraints on the actions an autonomous agent can take, rather than as promises about states of the environment it will achieve. We have developed a family of commitment-constrained (iterative) lookahead algorithms that provably respect the semantics, and that support different tradeoffs between computation and plan quality. Our empirical results confirm that our algorithms’ ability to balance (selfish) autonomy and (unselfish) dependability outperforms optimizing either alone, that our algorithms can effectively handle uncertainty about both what actions do and which states are rewarding, and that our algorithms can solve more computationally-demanding problems through judicious parameter choices for how far our algorithms should lookahead and how often they should iterate.
Failure to Rescue in Emergency Surgery: Is Precedence a Problem?

Abstract Background Mortality in emergency general surgery (EGS) is often attributed to patient condition, which may obscure opportunities for improvement in care. Identifying failure to rescue (FTR), or death after complication, may reveal these opportunities. FTR has been problematic in trauma secondary to low precedence rates (proportion of deaths preceded by complication). We sought to evaluate this in EGS, hypothesizing that precedence is lower in EGS than in similar elective operations. Methods National Inpatient Sample data from January 2014 through September 2015 were used. 150,027 adult operative EGS complete cases were defined by emergent admission, one of seven International Classification of Diseases, ninth revision (ICD-9) procedure group codes for common EGS operations, and timing to operation ( Results There was a 2.5% mortality rate in this cohort of operative EGS patients, with an 84.1% (95% CI: 82.7%-85.4%) precedence rate. Among the seven listed procedure groups, those with clinically reasonable elective analogs were cholecystectomy, colon resection, and laparotomy. Emergent versus elective precedence rates were 90.2% versus 82.0% (P = 0.004) for colon resection, 81.3% versus 86.8% (P = 0.26) for cholecystectomy, and 68.8% versus 92.7% (P Conclusions Precedence rates in EGS were higher than expected and were similar to previously published rates in nonemergent surgery, suggesting that FTR is likely to be reliable using standard methodology. Management of complications after emergency operation may represent significant opportunities to prevent mortality.
Probabilistic Fuzzy Neural Networks and Interval Arithmetic Techniques for Forecasting Equities.

We develop an architecture for a neural network specifically for forecasting equities. By implementing the already successful probabilistic fuzzy neural network (PFNN) (developed by Han-Xiong Li and Zhi Liu), we are able to handle complex stochastic uncertainties. In light of the Black Scholes Merton model, we use triangular fuzzy numbers in its calculaltion to include the range instead of a spot price for an investment. Stock market forecasting is multi-dimensional, where time is not the only variable of interest and is non-linear. However, the stochastic gradient descent accounts for optimization in one-dimension for a convex function. We optimize the family of functions with the Hamilton-Jacobi partial differential equation to more accurately represent a non-linear and non-convex function (developed by Chaudhari et al.). In this approach, we will observe the neural network in light of the Dupire formula. Dupire continues the Black Scholes Merton model (BSM), but addresses the weakness of the volatility in the model. By observing volatility as a function of time, Dupire removes the predictable volatility smile found in the BSM model. We optimize this volatility to minimize the risk in forecasting for an optimal prediction. In a future study, we plan to analyze the program’s efficiency for forecasting stock options.
Differential expression of connexins in melanoma and adjacent epidermis

2769 Under normal homeostasis, melanocyte growth is controlled by the surrounding keratinocytes through a complex system of paracrine growth factors and cell-cell adhesion molecules. Disruption of this balance can alter the expression of cell-cell adhesion and cell-cell communication molecules and thus lead to development of melanoma. Gap junctional intercellular communication (GJIC) plays an important role in maintaining tissue homeostasis and is thus a critical factor in the life and death balance of cells. In the skin GJIC is likely to be involved in the regulation of keratinocyte growth, differentiation and migration as well as in keratinocyte-melanocyte interactions. Ten of the 21 connexins are expressed in human skin. Changes in connexin expression, in particular loss of Connexin (Cx) 43, may result in a reduction or a loss of gap junctional activity, which is thought to contribute to tumor progression. Using microarrays and RT-PCR we show that Cx43 is not expressed in 14 of the 28 investigated melanoma cell lines and only weakly in the other 14, but is highly expressed in melanocytes, keratinocytes, fibroblasts and endothelial cells. On the other hand, Cx32 is expressed in 24/28 melanoma cell lines and –at a lower level –in all melanocytes, but not in keratinocytes, fibroblasts and endothelial cells. Cx26 is weakly expressed in 12/28 melanoma cell lines. In contrast, Cx30 is only weakly expressed in 3/28 melanoma cell lines. These three cell lines were also positive for Cx43 and Cx26 and were derived from metastases of the same patient.Using immunofluorescence on human tissue sections, we did not detect Cx43, Cx26 and Cx30 in melanoma (n=8). However, we show an induction of Cx26 and Cx30 in the epidermis adjacent to melanoma, while both are not detectable in the epidermis adjacent to benign non-epithelial skin tumors (melanocytic nevi and angioma). As the expression patterns of Cx26 and Cx30 are not identical with CK6, a marker for hyperproliferation, and CK17, a marker of trauma, we suggest that the induction of these gap junctional proteins is not a reflection of reactive hyperproliferative or traumatized epidermis. We instead discuss the putative roles of these gap junctional proteins in tumor progression.
Differences in Comorbidities Between Children and Youth With Suicide Attempts Versus Ideation Presenting to the Emergency Department.

The aim of this work was to explore identified risk factors for suicidal ideations and attempts and the differences in these risk factors between emergency department encounters among youth seeking...
The GSK-3β-FBXL21 Axis Contributes to Circadian TCAP Degradation and Skeletal Muscle Function

FBXL21 is a clock-controlled E3 ligase modulating circadian periodicity via subcellular-specific CRYPTOCHROME degradation. How FBXL21 regulates tissue-specific circadian physiology and what mechanism operates upstream is poorly understood. Here we report the sarcomere component TCAP as a cytoplasmic substrate of FBXL21. FBXL21 interacts with TCAP in a circadian manner antiphasic to TCAP accumulation in skeletal muscle, and circadian TCAP oscillation is disrupted in Psttm mice with an Fbxl21 hypomorph mutation. GSK-3β phosphorylates FBXL21 and TCAP to activate FBXL21-mediated, phosphodegron-dependent TCAP degradation. GSK-3β inhibition or knockdown diminishes FBXL21-Cul1 complex formation and delays FBXL21-mediated TCAP degradation. Finally, Psttm mice show significant skeletal muscle defects, including impaired fiber size, exercise tolerance, grip strength, and response to glucocorticoid-induced atrophy, in conjunction with cardiac dysfunction. These data highlight a circadian regulatory pathway where a GSK-3β-FBXL21 functional axis controls TCAP degradation via SCF complex formation and regulates skeletal muscle function.
Field Demonstration of a Distributed Microsensor Network for Chemical Detection

We have developed the ABEAM-15, a custom-built multiplexed reflectance device for the detection of vapor phase and aerosolized chemical plumes. The instrument incorporates fifteen individual sensing elements, has wireless communications, offers support for a battery pack, and is capable of both live and fully autonomous operation. Two housing options have been fabricated: a compact open housing for indoor use and a larger weather-sealed housing for outdoor use. Previously developed six-plex analysis algorithms are extended to 15-plex format and implemented on a laptop computer. We report the results of recent outdoor field trials with this instrument in Denver, CO in a stadium security scenario. Through software, the wireless modules on each instrument were configured to form a six-instrument, star-point topology, distributed microsensor network with live reporting and real-time data analysis. The network was tested with aerosols of methyl salicylate.
The reciprocal impact of electoral turnout on protest participation in developing countries: evidence from Iran’s 2018 uprising

Despite a rich body of scholarship in social movements and electoral studies, the interaction between electoral turnout and protest participation has been generally overlooked. This article aims to...
The Backlash Against Neoliberal Globalization from Above: Elite Origins of the Crisis of the New Constitutionalism:

This article recounts the backlash against the neoliberal constitutionalism that locked in free trade and capital rights through the multilateral treaty organizations of the 1990s. It argues that w...
DICE: Automatic Emulation of DMA Input Channels for Dynamic Firmware Analysis

Microcontroller-based embedded devices are at the core of Internet-of-Things (IoT) and Cyber-Physical Systems (CPS). The security of these devices is of paramount importance. Among the approaches to securing embedded devices, dynamic firmware analysis (e.g., vulnerability detection) gained great attention lately, thanks to its offline nature and low false-positive rates. However, regardless of the analysis and emulation techniques used, existing dynamic firmware analyzers share a major limitation, namely the inability to handle firmware using DMA (Direct Memory Access). It severely limits the types of devices supported and firmware code coverage.We present DICE, a drop-in solution for firmware analyzers to emulate DMA input channels and generate or manipulate DMA inputs (from peripherals to firmware). DICE is designed to be hardware-independent (i.e., no actual peripherals or DMA controllers needed) and compatible with common MCU firmware (i.e., no firmware-specific DMA usages assumed) and embedded architectures. The high-level idea behind DICE is the identification and emulation of the abstract DMA input channels, rather than the highly diverse peripherals and controllers. DICE identifies DMA input channels as the firmware writes the source and destination DMA transfer pointers into the DMA controller. Then DICE manipulates the input transferred through DMA on behalf of the firmware analyzer. DICE does not require firmware source code or additional features from firmware analyzers.We integrated DICE to the recently proposed firmware analyzer P2IM (for ARM Cortex-M architecture) and a PIC32 emulator (for MIPS M4K/M-Class architecture). We evaluated it on 83 benchmarks and sample firmware, representing 9 different DMA controllers from 5 different vendors. DICE detected 33 out of 37 DMA input channels, with 0 false positives. It correctly supplied DMA inputs to 21 out of 22 DMA buffers that firmware actually use, which previous firmware analyzers cannot achieve due to the lack of DMA emulation. DICE’s overhead is fairly low, it adds 3.4% on average to P2IM execution time. We also fuzz-tested 7 real-world firmware using DICE and compared the results with the original P2IM. DICE uncovered tremendously more execution paths (as much as 79X) and found 5 unique previously-unknown bugs that are unreachable without DMA emulation. All our source code and dataset are publicly available.
What Are the Lessons of the American Frontier for the Developing World

In this paper, we review our research on property rights institutions in two contexts: the American frontier and Afghanistan. Our analysis shows that in each context, self-governance of property is an important feature of the institutional landscape, but failings of the Afghan state explain why legal private property has remained a hollow institution in most parts of the country throughout its history. It is also clear that we ought not to expect legal titling to work the way it did in the U.S. when these policies are exported to fragile states like Afghanistan.
Role of Geographic Risk Factors in COVID-19 Epidemiology: Longitudinal Geospatial Analysis.

Abstract Objective To perform a geospatial and temporal trend analysis for coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) in a Midwest community to identify and characterize hot spots for COVID-19. Participants and Methods We conducted a population-based longitudinal surveillance assessing the semimonthly geospatial trends of the prevalence of test confirmed COVID-19 cases in Olmsted County, Minnesota, from March 11, 2020, through October 31, 2020. As urban areas accounted for 84% of the population and 86% of all COVID-19 cases in Olmsted County, MN, we determined hot spots for COVID-19 in urban areas (Rochester and other small cities) of Olmsted County, MN, during the study period by using kernel density analysis with a half-mile bandwidth. Results As of October 31, 2020, a total of 37,141 individuals (30%) were tested at least once, of whom 2433 (7%) tested positive. Testing rates among race groups were similar: 29% (black), 30% (Hispanic), 25% (Asian), and 31% (white). Ten urban hot spots accounted for 590 cases at 220 addresses (2.68 cases per address) as compared with 1843 cases at 1292 addresses in areas outside hot spots (1.43 cases per address). Overall, 12% of the population residing in hot spots accounted for 24% of all COVID-19 cases. Hot spots were concentrated in neighborhoods with low-income apartments and mobile home communities. People living in hot spots tended to be minorities and from a lower socioeconomic background. Conclusion Geographic and residential risk factors might considerably account for the overall burden of COVID-19 and its associated racial/ethnic and socioeconomic disparities. Results could geospatially guide community outreach efforts (eg, testing/tracing and vaccine rollout) for populations at risk for COVID-19.
Neighborhood disadvantage and individual-level life stressors in relation to breast cancer incidence in US Black women.

Background Research on psychosocial stress and risk of breast cancer has produced conflicting results. Few studies have assessed this relation by breast cancer subtype or specifically among Black women, who experience unique chronic stressors. Methods We used prospective data from the Black Women's Health Study, an ongoing cohort study of 59,000 US Black women, to assess neighborhood- and individual-level psychosocial factors in relation to risk of breast cancer. We used factor analysis to derive two neighborhood score variables after linking participant addresses to US Census data (2000 and 2010) on education, employment, income and poverty, female-headed households, and Black race for all households in each residential block group. We used Cox proportional hazards regression to estimate hazard ratios (HR) and 95% confidence intervals (CI) adjusted for established breast cancer risk factors. Results During follow-up from 1995 to 2017, there were 2167 incident invasive breast cancer cases (1259 estrogen receptor positive (ER +); 687 ER negative (ER-)). For ER- breast cancer, HRs were 1.26 (95% CI 1.00-1.58) for women living in the highest quartile of neighborhood disadvantage relative to women in the lowest quartile, and 1.24 (95% CI 0.98-1.57) for lowest versus highest quartile of neighborhood socioeconomic status (SES). For ER+ breast cancer, living in the lowest quartile of neighborhood SES was associated with a reduced risk of ER+ breast cancer (HR = 0.83, 95% CI 0.70-0.98). With respect to individual-level factors, childhood sexual abuse (sexual assault ≥ 4 times vs. no abuse: HR = 1.35, 95% CI 1.01-1.79) and marital status (married/living together vs. single: HR = 1.29, 95% CI 1.08-1.53) were associated with higher risk of ER+, but not ER- breast cancer. Conclusion Neighborhood disadvantage and lower neighborhood SES were associated with an approximately 25% increased risk of ER- breast cancer in this large cohort of Black women, even after control for multiple behaviors and lifestyle factors. Further research is need to understand the underlying reasons for these associations. Possible contributing factors are biologic responses to the chronic stress/distress experienced by individuals who reside in neighborhoods characterized by high levels of noise, crime and unemployment or the direct effects of environmental toxins.
Dynamic Resource Allocation with Cost Externality

The inter-temporal resource allocation efficiency of a property rights-based common-pool resource system is challenged by a cost externality when one user’s extraction raises the extraction cost for others. This paper builds a dynamic resource allocation model to illustrate the efficiency loss from a standard property rights market. We then create a novel inter-temporal allocation mechanism that preserves dynamic efficiency. Our dynamic resource allocation mechanism includes an optimal planning stage where the agents collectively determine a binding extraction target for each period and a market stage where agents can exchange their extraction rights assigned within each period. The theoretical model demonstrates that our mechanism can achieve the socially optimal allocation in two specific environments. A numerical simulation of our mechanism for a general environment consistently tracks the social optimum and significantly outperforms the traditional property rights market.
On the complexity of algorithms for the translation of polynomials

Three algorithms for computing the coefficients of translated polynomials are discussed and compared from the point of view of complexity. The two classical translation algorithms based on explicit application of the Taylor expansion theorem and the Ruffini-Horner method, respectively, have complexityO (n 2). A third algorithm based on the fast Fourier transform is shown to have complexityO (n logn). However, when the cost of arithmetic operations is explicitly taken into consideration, the Ruffini-Horner algorithm is one order of magnitude better than the one based on the Taylor expansion and competes quite well with the algorithm based on the fast Fourier transform.
Chondrocyte Matrix Metalloproteinase-8 HUMAN ARTICULAR CHONDROCYTES EXPRESS NEUTROPHIL COLLAGENASE

Abstract This study confirms that normal human articular chondrocytes express neutrophil collagenase or matrix metalloproteinase-8 (MMP-8), a gene product previously thought to be expressed exclusively by neutrophil leukocytes. Both MMP-8 protein and mRNA were present in articular cartilages collected from normal human donors. Cartilage extracts were assayed by immunoblotting and by analysis of enzymatic activity on gelatin-substrate gels. Latent MMP-8 extracted from cartilage has a molecular mass of 55 kDa; active MMP-8 was identified at 46 and 42 kDa. In the absence of a reducing agent, MMP-8 migrated in a high molecular mass complex above 200 kDa. Northern blotting results demonstrated the expression of MMP-8 in chondrocytes, which could be up-regulated by stimulation with interleukin-1β. In addition, reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction using nested primers and in situ hybridization revealed the presence of MMP-8 mRNA in chondrocytes. The presence of both MMP-8 protein and message in cartilage supports the concept that neutrophil collagenase could be the enzyme described as “aggrecanase.”
Product Liability Issues in Real Estate Brokerage

The legal environment for real estate brokers is moving inexorably toward the doctrine of strict liability in a product liability context. The agency relationship model currently popular in real estate brokerage may not be able to withstand this threat. A recommendation is made that the industry move toward a market-making role which lies outside the chain of distribution of the real estate product. By moving out of the distribution channel, brokers may be able to revert to a “due care” standard of performance.
Predicting likelihood of enrollment among applicants to the UVa undergraduate program

Universities face substantial uncertainty when trying to obtain their target number of incoming freshman students. The type and number of students that are accepted introduce variability for schools. This paper presents a method for reducing the uncertainty of how many undergraduate students will enroll at the University of Virginia. In addition, certain subpopulations of the accepted student pool were analyzed to help predict the number of enrolled students from those sub-groups. To shed light on how to reduce this uncertainty, we analyzed the history of applicants to UVa and identified characteristics that make a student more or less likely to enroll. Logistic regression, neural network, and classification and regression trees models are used to predict whether each accepted student will enroll. The results indicate that the logistic regression model best predicts total undergraduate enrollment. The logistic model delivered the lowest yield error, predicting an enrollment of 3,658 non-waitlist students when 3,662 actually enrolled.
Specific protein synthesis in cellular differentiation: IV. The chorion proteins of Bombyx mori and their program of synthesis

Abstract Detailed analysis of the chorion proteins of Bombyx mori reveals more than 70 components, each distinguished by electrophoretic mobility, relative abundance, and kinetics of synthesis. Many proteins are strain specific. A protein numbering system is established, based on isoelectric point and molecular weight. As in Antheraea polyphemus , chorion proteins are produced asynchronously, individual proteins showing characteristic developmental kinetics. The synthetic program is analyzed in detail. Stages of choriogenesis are defined according to the pattern of protein synthesis, and their relative and absolute durations are determined. In a few stages, synthesis of numerous protein cohorts is coordinately initiated.
Production of Lysozyme by Staphylococci and Its Correlation with Three Other Extracellular Substances

Jay, James M. (Wayne State University, Detroit, Mich.). Production of lysozyme by staphylococci and its correlation with three other extracellular substances. J. Bacteriol. 91:1804–1810. 1966.—Lysozyme production was determined on plates containing 1 mg/ml of Lysozyme Substrate in Heart Infusion Agar with incubation at 37 C for 48 hr. Its production was compared with that of α-hemolysin and sheep hemolysin and egg-yolk precipitation, by use of both coagulase-positive and coagulase-negative strains of staphylococci. Of 126 coagulase-positive strains tested, 120 or 95.2% produced lysozyme, 117 or 92.9% produced α-hemolysin, 108 or 85.7% precipitated egg yolk, and 102 or 81% produced sheep hemolysin. Of the 49 coagulase-negative strains (which included 22 pathogens), only 4 or 8.1% produced lysozyme, 14 or 28.6% produced α-hemolysin, 13 or 26.5% produced sheep hemolysins, and 5 or 10.2% precipitated egg yolk. Only two of the six coagulase-positive strains which failed to produce lysozyme showed any consistent patterns in relation to the four characteristics determined. The four coagulase-negative strains which produced lysozyme were inconsistent for the other characteristics measured. It is suggested that lysozyme production is more a property of coagulase-positive staphylococci, and therefore a better ancillary test of pathogenicity, than either production of α-hemolysin or egg-yolk precipitation, because the incidence of lysozyme producers is higher among this group than among those producing the other substances and because fewer coagulase-negative staphylococci produced lysozyme than hemolysins or egg-yolk precipitation. Of 16 other species of bacteria and yeasts tested, all were found negative except Bacillus subtilis. Lysozyme production by staphylococci in heavily contaminated foods was not inhibited on plates containing sodium azide, whereas media containing 7.5% salt and sorbic acid were unsuitable. The possible relationship of lysozyme production to staphylococcal pathogenicity is discussed.
Growth Options and Optimal Default Under Liquidity Constraints: The Role of Corporate Cash Balances

In this paper, we develop a structural model that captures the interaction between the cash balance and investment opportunities for a rm that already has some debt outstanding. We consider a rm whose assets produce a stochastic cash flow stream. The fi rm has an opportunity to expand its operations, which we call a growth option. The exercise cost of the growth option can be financed either by cash or costly equity issuance. In absence of cash, we derive implicit solutions for equity and debt prices when the option is exercised optimally, under both rm value and equity value maximization objectives. We characterize the optimal exercise boundary of the option, and its impact on the optimal capital structure and the debt capacity of the rm. Next, we develop a binomial method to investigate the interaction between cash accumulation and the growth option. In this framework, the fi rm optimally balances the payout of dividends with the buildup of a cash balance to finance the growth option in the "good states" (i.e., high asset value states), and to provide liquidity in the "bad states" (i.e., low asset value states). We provide a complete characterization of the firm's strategy in terms of its investment and dividend policy. We find that while the ability to maintain a cash balance does not add significant value to the rm in absence of a growth option, it can be extremely valuable when a growth option is present. Finally, we demonstrate how our method can be extended to firms with multiple growth options.
Trends toward spatial computing architectures

Describes the peak computation offered per unit silicon for RISC processors and FPGAs over the past two decades. Advances in processor architecture allow turning additional silicon area into additional performance. The time unit (seconds) is absolute, not normalized to process, so this represents some actual sacrifice of the increasing capabilities provided by the fabrication process to the design process, more complicated architectures, and increasing memory imbalance. The peak computational density for FPGAs shows at least a 10/spl times/ gap in raw density between processor architectures and FPGAs. The author assesses what this shows and what it means for the design of postfabrication, programmable computing devices.
RECENT DEVELOPMENTS IN ELECTROSTATIC CONFINEMENT—THEORETICAL*

The solution of Poisson's Equation in spherical coordinates for electron injection with spreads in total energy and in angular energy provides a realistic theoretical model for the potential within a spherical device for single-species injection. The agreement between this theory and experimental results on similar devices is excellent. The essential factor in obtaining good agreement is the inclusion of the angular motion of the injected particles. Preliminary theoretical results for two-species injection indicate that this theoretical approach may also be able to be used to provide a model of the multiple potential well structure observed in experimental devices for electron injection into a low pressure gas background. (auth)