cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
SU-G-JeP3-06: Lower KV Image Dose Are Expected From a Limited-Angle Intra-Fractional Verification (LIVE) System for SBRT Treatments

Purpose: In order to track the tumor movement for patient positioning verification during arc treatment delivery or in between 3D/IMRT beams for stereotactic body radiation therapy (SBRT), the limited-angle kV projections acquisition simultaneously during arc treatment delivery or in-between static treatment beams as the gantry moves to the next beam angle was proposed. The purpose of this study is to estimate additional imaging dose resulting from multiple tomosynthesis acquisitions in-between static treatment beams and to compare with that of a conventional kV-CBCT acquisition. Methods: kV imaging system integrated into Varian TrueBeam accelerators was modeled using EGSnrc Monte Carlo user code, BEAMnrc and DOSXYZnrc code was used in dose calculations. The simulated realistic kV beams from the Varian TrueBeam OBI 1.5 system were used to calculate dose to patient based on CT images. Organ doses were analyzed using DVHs. The imaging dose to patient resulting from realistic multiple tomosynthesis acquisitions with each 25–30 degree kV source rotation between 6 treatment beam gantry angles was studied. Results: For a typical lung SBRT treatment delivery much lower (20–50%) kV imaging doses from the sum of realistic six tomosynthesis acquisitions with each 25–30 degree x-ray source rotation between six treatment beam gantry angles were observed compared to that from a single CBCT image acquisition. Conclusion: This work indicates that the kV imaging in this proposed Limited-angle Intra-fractional Verification (LIVE) System for SBRT Treatments has a negligible imaging dose increase. It is worth to note that the MV imaging dose caused by MV projection acquisition in-between static beams in LIVE can be minimized by restricting the imaging to the target region and reducing the number of projections acquired. For arc treatments, MV imaging acquisition in LIVE does not add additional imaging dose as the MV images are acquired from treatment beams directly during the treatment.
Ontogenetic bite-force modeling of Alligator mississippiensis: implications for dietary transitions in a large-bodied vertebrate and the evolution of crocodylian feeding

Crocodylians undergo substantial increases in size during ontogeny. The American alligator, Alligator mississippiensis, in particular traverses nearly four orders of body mass between hatching and senescence. Accompanying such changes are modifications in rostrodental morphology and feeding capabilities that facilitate major shifts in diet. How such anatomical changes relate to ecological niche occupation across sizes is not well understood. In this study, we focused on the effects of ontogenetic changes on the force-generating mechanisms for jaw closure to assess the impacts of scaling on feeding biomechanics. We developed dissection-based, musculoskeletal models of maximum bite-force generation throughout ontogeny and compared and tested their veracity with data from an A. mississippiensis developmental series, for which bite forces were directly measured. Through examinations of the scaling patterns within the parameters of our models, we discuss how muscle pennation and positive allometry in the American alligator jaw adductor system facilitate capture strategies and oral processing of prey, and contribute to developmental niche shifts in this large-bodied taxon. On the basis of conservation of the crocodylian jaw adductor system, we argue that our findings are broadly applicable to crown Crocodylia and reflect an important, but often overlooked, aspect of the crocodylian feeding ecomorphology: littoral, sit-and-wait predation is enhanced by posteroventrally displaced, exceptionally large, and forceful ventral pterygoideus muscles, in particular. Future studies on the ontogeny and evolution of feeding in crocodylians should not neglect the functional and ecological implications of these muscles' contributions to diet.
150 years of an integrative plant physiology.

In October 1865, Julius Sachs published a monograph entitled Experimental Physiology of Plants, and so initiated a new, quantitative branch of basic and applied botany. In our current post-genomic era the legacy of Sachs is re-emerging as a key discipline of the botanical sciences.
Flash (Ultra-Rapid) Spark-Plasma Sintering of Silicon Carbide.

A new ultra-rapid process of flash spark plasma sintering is developed. The idea of flash spark plasma sintering (or flash hot pressing - FHP) stems from the conducted theoretical analysis of the role of thermal runaway phenomena for material processing by flash sintering. The major purpose of the present study is to theoretically analyze the thermal runaway nature of flash sintering and to experimentally address the challenge of uncontrollable thermal conditions by the stabilization of the flash sintering process through the application of the external pressure. The effectiveness of the developed FHP technique is demonstrated by the few seconds–long consolidation of SiC powder in an industrial spark plasma sintering device. Specially designed sacrificial dies heat the pre-compacted SiC powder specimens to a critical temperature before applying any voltage to the powder volume and allowing the electrode-punches of the SPS device setup to contact the specimens and pass electric current through them under elevated temperatures. The experimental results demonstrate that flash sintering phenomena can be realized using conventional SPS devices. The usage of hybrid heating SPS devices is pointed out as the mainstream direction for the future studies and utilization of the new flash hot pressing (ultra-rapid spark plasma sintering) technique.
The Use of Growth Mixture Modeling for Studying Resilience to Major Life Stressors in Adulthood and Old Age: Lessons for Class Size and Identification and Model Selection.

Objectives Growth mixture modeling (GMM) combines latent growth curve and mixture modeling approaches and is typically used to identify discrete trajectories following major life stressors (MLS). However, GMM is often applied to data that does not meet the statistical assumptions of the model (e.g., within-class normality) and researchers often do not test additional model constraints (e.g., homogeneity of variance across classes), which can lead to incorrect conclusions regarding the number and nature of the trajectories. We evaluate how these methodological assumptions influence trajectory size and identification in the study of resilience to MLS. Method We use data on changes in subjective well-being and depressive symptoms following spousal loss from the HILDA and HRS. Results Findings drastically differ when constraining the variances to be homogenous versus heterogeneous across trajectories, with overextraction being more common when constraining the variances to be homogeneous across trajectories. In instances, when the data are non-normally distributed, assuming normally distributed data increases the extraction of latent classes. Discussion Our findings showcase that the assumptions typically underlying GMM are not tenable, influencing trajectory size and identification and most importantly, misinforming conceptual models of resilience. The discussion focuses on how GMM can be leveraged to effectively examine trajectories of adaptation following MLS and avenues for future research.
Identification and Parameter Estimation for Control Design

Abstract An approach is proposed which unifies finite element and measurement modeling of flexible systems for the purpose of creating an accurate uncert ainty model suitable for control design. The Discrete Extended Kalman Filter is used to estimate modal parameters and a measurement modd. Using a number of measurement models that capture the actual dynamics of the structure, a "mean" model is created with bounds on critical parameters of the system which can thpn be used with a robust control technique. The process is demonstrated using the Middeck Active Control Experiment, a shuttle middeck experiment which flew on STS-67 in March 1995.
Gamma-radiation induced conductivity in glass

The effect of gamma-radiation on the electrical conductivity of glasses is of interest because of the practical uses of these insulators and because the mechanism of induced conductivity is not expected to be masked by chemical deterioration caused by the irradiation as in the case of organic insulators.
Adjunctive Therapies with LVADs: Combining Biological and Mechanical Regenerative Therapies

Left ventricular assist devices (LVADs) have emerged as an important treatment for advanced heart failure (AHF). While LVAD support results in left ventricular reverse remodeling with evidence of improvement on cellular, molecular, and genetic levels, the recovery is partial and generally inadequate for device explant. This has prompted recent interest in the evaluation of adjunctive regenerative therapies, such as stem cells and gene therapy, with LVADs to explore the potential for synergistic effects of myocardial regeneration. This chapter discusses the opportunities and challenges of designing and conducting clinical trials evaluating biological therapies in AHF patients undergoing LVAD implantation. In particular, LVADs as a platform for evaluating adjunctive therapies, and the methodological and technical issues arising from this approach of combining biological treatments with LVADs will be explored.
Evaluating students' abilities to construct mathematical models from data using latent class analysis

Analyzing and interpreting data is an important science practice that contributes toward the construction of models from data; yet, there is evidence that students may struggle with making meaning of data. The study reported here focused on characterizing students’ approaches to analyzing rate and concentration data in the context of method of initial rates tasks, a type of task used to construct a rate law, which is a mathematical model that relates the reactant concentration to the rate. Here, we present a large-scale analysis (n = 768) of second-semester introductory chemistry students’ responses to three open-ended questions about how to construct rate laws from initial concentration and rate data. Students’ responses were coded based on the level of sophistication in their responses, and latent class analysis was then used to identify groups (i.e. classes) of students with similar response patterns across tasks. Here, we present evidence for a five-class model that included qualitatively distinct and increasingly sophisticated approaches to reasoning about the data. We compared the results from our latent class model to the correctness of students’ answers (i.e. reaction orders) and to a less familiar task, in which students were unable to use the control of variables strategy. The results showed that many students struggled to engage meaningfully with the data when constructing their rate laws. The students’ strategies may provide insight into how to scaffold students’ abilities to analyze data.
DFT study of nano zinc/copper voltaic cells

To facilitate the development of new materials for use in batteries, it is necessary to develop ab initio full-electron computational techniques for modeling potential new battery materials. Here, we tested density functional theory procedures that are accurate enough to obtain the energetics of a zinc/copper voltaic cell. We found the magnitude of the zero-point energy correction to be 0.01–0.2 kcal/mol per atom or molecule and the magnitude of the dispersion correction to be 0.1–0.6 kcal/mol per atom or molecule for Zn n , (H2O) n , $$ \mathrm{Zn}{\left({\mathrm{H}}_2\mathrm{O}\right)}_n^{2+} $$ , $$ \mathrm{Cu}{\left({\mathrm{H}}_2\mathrm{O}\right)}_n^{2+} $$ , and Cu n . Counterpoise correction significantly affected the values of ∆ $$ {E}_n^{\mathrm{abs}} $$ , ∆ $$ {E}_n^{\mathrm{coh}} $$ , and ∆Esolv by 1.0–3.1 kcal/mol per atom or molecule at the B3PW91/6-31G(d) level of theory, but by only 0.04–0.4 kcal/mol per atom or molecule at the B3PW91/cc-pVTZ level of theory. The application of B3PW91/6-31G(d) yielded results that differed from macroscopic experimental values by 0.1–7.1 kcal/mol per atom or molecule, whereas applying B3PW91/cc-pVTZ produced results that differed from macroscopic experimental values by 0.1–4.8 kcal/mol per atom or molecule, with the smallest differences occurring for reactions with a small macroscopic experimental ∆E and the largest differences occurring for reactions with a large macroscopic experimental ∆E, implying size consistency.
Second-look endoscopy for bleeding peptic ulcer disease: a decision-effectiveness and cost-effectiveness analysis.

BACKGROUND Second-look endoscopy after initial therapeutic endoscopy for bleeding peptic ulcer disease (PUD) may decrease the risk of rebleeding; however, it is not recommended routinely. Understanding conditions under which second-look endoscopy is beneficial might be useful for clinical decision making.
The Darboux process and a noncommutative bispectral problem: some explorations and challenges

The Darboux process, also known by many other names, played a very important role in some extremely enjoyable joint work that Hans and I did many years ago. I revisit a version of this problem in a case when scalars are replaced by matrices, i.e., elements of a non-commutative ring. Many of the issues considered here can be pushed to the case of a ring with identity, but my emphasis is on very concrete examples involving 2×2 matrices. This paper could be seen as an invitation for further work.
Robotic Vehicles Enable High-Resolution Light Pollution Sampling of Sea Turtle Nesting Beaches

Nesting sea turtles appear to avoid brightly lit beaches and often turn back to sea prematurely when exposed to artificial light. Observations and experiments have noted that nesting turtles prefer darker areas where buildings and high dunes act as light barriers. As a result, sea turtles often nest on darker beaches, creating spatial concentrations of nests. Artificial nighttime light, or light pollution, has been quantified using a variety of methods. However, it has proven challenging to make accurate measurements of ambient light at fine scales and on smaller nesting beaches. Additionally, light has traditionally been measured from stationary tripods perpendicular to beach vegetation, disregarding the point of view of a nesting sea turtle. In the present study, nighttime ambient light conditions were assessed on three beaches in central North Carolina: a developed coastline of a barrier island, a nearby State Park on the same barrier island comprised of protected and undeveloped land, and a completely uninhabited wilderness on an adjacent barrier island in the Cape Lookout National Seashore. Using an autonomous terrestrial rover, high resolution light measurements (mag/arcsec2) were collected every minute with two Sky Quality Meter-LU-DL, Unihedron along transects on each beach. Spatial comparisons between ambient light and nesting density at and between these locations reveal that highest densities of nests occur in regions with lowest light levels, supporting the hypothesis that light pollution from coastal development may influence turtle nesting distribution. These results can be used to support ongoing management strategies to mitigate this pressing conservation issue.
A New Multilevel CART Algorithm for Multilevel Data with Binary Outcomes.

The multilevel logistic regression model (M-logit) is the standard model for modeling multilevel data with binary outcomes. However, many assumptions and restrictions should be considered when appl...
A dynamic model of helical dielectric elastomer actuator

Advances in soft robotic systems enable to create devices that can elegantly deal with complex environments and gently interface with humans. However, much progress in actuator technologies is required for adoption in practical and commercial scale-up implementations. An helical dielectric elastomer actuator (HDEA) can be a promising solution that fits in these applications. Nevertheless, in order to move forward from theory to practice, many aspects still need to be developed and advanced. For instance, current works may be insufficient to advance the topics in control systems applied to actuator geometry, in relation to relevant segments such as material synthesis and design for manufacturing. It is apparent that absence of a more complete and generalized dynamics model of an HDEA limits rapid engineering progress in this field. In some previous research, important contributions of electromechanical model were proposed for linear and nonlinear hyperelastic materials. However, other effects such as viscoelasticity and hysteresis in the strain-voltage relation were often neglected. This paper presents the dynamical model derivation of an HDEA using lumped parameters to model the electrical and mechanical behavior of the actuator. Furthermore, it covers the most imperative effects embedded in the dynamics of the actuator. In this work, the dielectric elastomeric transducer is modeled with VHB 4910 acrylic due to its well-documented material parameters needed in the non-linear strain energy functions.
Prevalence and quantitative analysis of indium-111 pentetreotide (Octreoscan) uptake in the pancreatic head on SPECT/CT imaging: establishing a region of interest-based pathological uptake threshold.

OBJECTIVE Determine the prevalence of benign indium-111 (In) pentetreotide uptake in the pancreatic head and determine if a semi-quantitative method can be used to differentiate physiologic from pathologic uptake. PATIENTS AND METHODS Institutional Review Board-approved, HIPAA-compliant retrospective review of 197 somatostatin receptor scintigraphy studies performed in 136 patients, from December 2012 to November 2013 at a large academic medical center. The pancreatic head uptake was visually graded and for all positive cases, two-dimensional and three-dimensional ratios of the pancreatic head to normal liver uptake were calculated. Statistical analysis using paired and two-sample t-tests was performed. RESULTS Nineteen of one hundred twenty-nine (14.7%) patients had benign In pentetreotide uptake in the pancreatic head. Seven of seven (100%) patients with neuroendocrine (NE) tumors had definite visual uptake. Uptake was 2.7× more likely benign than malignant. Using a three-dimensional region of interest (ROI) method, the pancreatic head-to-liver ratio was 0.91±0.38 (0.37-1.63) for benign uptake and 8.2±7.3 (1.79-23.6) for pathologic uptake (P<0.001). A threshold of 1.67 provided 100% accuracy for determining the presence or absence of a pancreatic head NE tumor. Using a two-dimensional ROI method, the uptake ratio was 0.88±0.37 (0.28-1.73) for benign and 7.5±6.2 (1.85-19.6) for pathologic uptake (P<0.001); a ratio threshold of 1.62 provided 97% accuracy. There was no difference between the uptake ratios at 4 and 24 h. CONCLUSION In pentetreotide uptake in the pancreatic head is common and more frequently benign than malignant. Using simple ROI ratiometric methods helps to differentiate benign physiologic from malignant NE tumor uptake.
Protester, Partygoer, or Simply Playing It Down? The Impact of Crowd Affiliations on LGBT Emerging Adults' Socioemotional and Academic Adjustment to College.

Although peer crowd affiliations have been studied among emerging adults in college, this work has yet to focus in on LGBT-identifying students. Accordingly, the current study a) surveyed the peer ...
The “Culture” of Pain Control: A Review of Opioid-Induced Dysbiosis (OID) in Antinociceptive Tolerance

It is increasingly recognized that chronic opioid use leads to maladaptive changes in the composition and localization of gut bacteria. Recently, this "opioid-induced dysbiosis" (OID) has been linked to antinociceptive tolerance development in preclinical models and may therefore identify promising targets for new opioid-sparing strategies. Such developments are critical to curb dose escalations in the clinical setting and combat the ongoing opioid epidemic. In this article, we review the existing literature that pertains to OID, including the current evidence regarding its qualitative nature, influence on antinociceptive tolerance, and future prospects. PERSPECTIVE: This article reviews the current literature on OID of gut bacteria, including its qualitative nature, influence on antinociceptive tolerance, and future prospects. This work may help identify targets for new opioid-sparing strategies.
Work-in-Progress: Leveraging the Selfless Driving Model to Reduce Vehicular Network Congestion

With increasing traffic in urban areas, it is crucial to examine strategies to reduce traffic network congestion. Popular navigation policies currently tend to select the fastest path available for each vehicle. However, a top-down approach to navigation, which considers the traffic network as a whole, offers several speedup possibilities. Minimizing the average travel time of all vehicles in the network with respect to their separate travel deadlines improves traffic throughput. Because such a strategy does not guarantee an optimal navigation route for individual vehicles, we refer to it as a "selfless" policy and based on this observation we propose the Selfless Traffic Routing (STR) model. Hence, we propose a test bed based on Simulation of Urban MObility (SUMO) that can evaluate the performance of a traffic routing policy based on the average travel time of all vehicle agents in a given traffic grid. Continuously calculating optimal actions for multiple agents in real-time is computationally complex. We therefore introduce a value-based reinforcement learning strategy to achieve the benefits offered by a selfless traffic routing model. We explore how this approach can potentially achieve an optimal balance between action quality and the real-time performance of each decision.
Tetrabenazine, depression and suicide: good news.

Tetrabenzaine, (XenzineTM, Lundbeck) a reversible inhibitor of vesicular monoamine transporter 2, is thus far the only drug approved by the FDA specifically for Huntington’s disease. The target symptom is chorea, with a mechanism of action related to its capacity to deplete monoamines [1]. Tetrabenazine has been available since the 1950’s, and had been repeatedly shown in large case series to benefit hyperkinetic movements associated with a number of disorders, including chorea associated with HD and tardive dyskinesia, tics associated with Tourette’s syndrome, dystonia, and myoclonus [2]. While some of the same effects can be achieved with antipsychotic agents (e.g., haloperidol, olanzapine) [3], the evidence supporting the use of these agents is mixed, and antipsychotics can place patients at risk tardive dyskinesia, which is not a side effect of tetrabenazine. Hence the FDA approval of tetrabenazine was a major milestone. The use of tetrabenzine by clinicians has been held back, in part, by the highly publicized potential side effects of depression and suicide, including a “Black Box” warning [4]. Indeed, as Dorsey et al note, one participant of 54 receiving tetrabenazine in the critical Phase III tetrabenazine trial committed suicide [5]. The prominence of the monoamine hypothesis of depression into the 1990 s provided ample theoretical justification for this concern. Empiric studies of
The anatomy of a distributed predictive modeling framework: online learning, blockchain network, and consensus algorithm

Author(s): Kuo, Tsung-Ting | Abstract: ObjectiveCross-institutional distributed healthcare/genomic predictive modeling is an emerging technology that fulfills both the need of building a more generalizable model and of protecting patient data by only exchanging the models but not the patient data. In this article, the implementation details are presented for one specific blockchain-based approach, ExplorerChain, from a software development perspective. The healthcare/genomic use cases of myocardial infarction, cancer biomarker, and length of hospitalization after surgery are also described.Materials and methodsExplorerChain's 3 main technical components, including online machine learning, metadata of transaction, and the Proof-of-Information-Timed (PoINT) algorithm, are introduced in this study. Specifically, the 3 algorithms (ie, core, new network, and new site/data) are described in detail.ResultsExplorerChain was implemented and the design details of it were illustrated, especially the development configurations in a practical setting. Also, the system architecture and programming languages are introduced. The code was also released in an open source repository available at https://github.com/tsungtingkuo/explorerchain.DiscussionThe designing considerations of semi-trust assumption, data format normalization, and non-determinism was discussed. The limitations of the implementation include fixed-number participating sites, limited join-or-leave capability during initialization, advanced privacy technology yet to be included, and further investigation in ethical, legal, and social implications.ConclusionThis study can serve as a reference for the researchers who would like to implement and even deploy blockchain technology. Furthermore, the off-the-shelf software can also serve as a cornerstone to accelerate the development and investigation of future healthcare/genomic blockchain studies.
Local neuronal secretory trafficking dynamics revealed with zapERtrap: a light-inducible ER release system

For normal synapse and circuit function, neurons must regulate the abundance and localization of transmembrane receptor, channel and adhesion proteins over vast cellular expanses, including remote sites in dendrites and axons. Whether the secretory network can support long-range trafficking of synaptic proteins synthesized in the cell body or precise trafficking of locally generated proteins at remote sites remains poorly characterized. We developed an approach for locally triggering secretory trafficking from specific subcellular domains to explore the rate, activity dependence and cargo-specificity of central and remote trafficking networks. Surprisingly, different postsynaptic proteins processed in the cell body were transported deep into dendrites, but with strikingly different kinetics, spatial distributions and activity dependencies. Proteins locally processed in dendrites were broadly dispersed prior to surface insertion, but could be directed locally to synapses. These results provide a novel interrogation of compartmentalized trafficking and reveal basic principles for protein targeting in complex cellular environments.
Development and Evaluation of Machine Learning Models for Recovery Prediction after Treatment for Traumatic Brain Injury

Traumatic brain injury (TBI) is a leading cause of death and disability yet treatment strategies remain elusive. Advances in machine learning present exciting opportunities for developing personalized medicine and informing laboratory research. However, their feasibility has yet to be widely assessed in animal research where data are typically limited or in the TBI field where each patient presents with a unique injury. The Operation Brain Trauma Therapy (OBTT) has amassed an animal dataset that spans multiple types of injury, treatment strategies, behavioral assessments, histological measures, and biomarker screenings. This paper aims to analyze these data using supervised learning techniques for the first time by partitioning the dataset into acute input metrics (i.e. 7 days post-injury) and a defined recovery outcome (i.e. memory retention). Preprocessing is then applied to transform the raw OBTT dataset, e.g. developing a class attribute by histogram binning, eliminating borderline cases, and applying principal component analysis (PCA). We find that these steps are also useful in establishing a treatment ranking; Minocycline, a therapy with no significant findings in the OBTT analyses, yields the highest percentage recovery in our ranking. Furthermore, of the seven classifiers we have evaluated, Naive Bayes achieves the best performance (67%) and yields significant improvement over our baseline model on the preprocessed dataset with borderline elimination. We also investigate the effect of testing on individual treatment groups to evaluate which groups are difficult to classify, and note the interpretive qualities of our model that can be clinically relevant.Clinical Relevance— These studies establish methods for better analyzing multivariate functional recovery and understanding which measures affect prognosis following traumatic brain injury.
A randomized controlled phase III trial of recombinant human granulocyte colony-stimulating factor (filgrastim) for treatment of severe chronic neutropenia

Patients with idiopathic, cyclic, and congenital neutropenia have recurrent severe bacterial infections. One hundred twenty-three patients with recurrent infections and severe chronic neutropenia (absolute neutrophil count or = 1.5 x 10(9)/L. Examination of BM aspirates showed increased proportions of maturing neutrophils. Infection-related events were significantly decreased (P < .05) with approximately 50% reduction in the incidence and duration of infection-related events and almost 70% reduction in duration of antibiotic use. Asymptomatic splenic enlargement occurred frequently; adverse events frequently reported were bone pain, headache, and rash, which were generally mild and easily manageable. These data indicate that treatment of patients with severe chronic neutropenia with filgrastim results in a stimulation of BM production and maturation of neutrophils, an increase in circulating neutrophils, and a reduction in infection-related events.
DECO: Liberating Web Data Using Decentralized Oracles for TLS

Thanks to the widespread deployment of TLS, users can access private data over channels with end-to-end confidentiality and integrity. What they cannot do, however, is prove to third parties the provenance of such data, i.e., that it genuinely came from a particular website. Existing approaches either introduce undesirable trust assumptions or require server-side modifications. Users' private data is thus locked up at its point of origin. Users cannot export data in an integrity-protected way to other applications without help and permission from the current data holder. We propose DECO (short for decentralized oracle) to address the above problems. DECO allows users to prove that a piece of data accessed via TLS came from a particular website and optionally prove statements about such data in zero-knowledge, keeping the data itself secret. DECO is the first such system that works without trusted hardware or server-side modifications. DECO can liberate private data from centralized web-service silos, making it accessible to a rich spectrum of applications. To demonstrate the power of DECO, we implement three applications that are hard to achieve without it: a private financial instrument using smart contracts, converting legacy credentials to anonymous credentials, and verifiable claims against price discrimination.
Morphological data indicate the subspecies of Leionema elatius (Rutaceae) are not conspecific

Morphological data show that the two subspecies currently assigned to Leionema elatius (Benth.) Paul G.Wilson (Rutaceae), namely L. elatius subsp. elatius and L. elatius subsp. beckleri (F.Muell.) Paul G.Wilson, are not conspecific. Leionema elatius subsp. beckleri is reinstated to the rank of species as L. beckleri (F.Muell.) I.Telford & J.J.Bruhl. The distributions of both species are mapped and their conservation status discussed. Images comparing the morphological attributes of the two species and a table comparing selected attributes of the species and the newly described L. praetermissum P.R.Alvarez & Duretto are presented. A key to species of Leionema found in New South Wales and south-eastern Queensland is provided.
In Situ High Energy X-ray Diffraction Characterization of Phase Transformations and Mechanical Behaviors in Rapidly Solidified Titanium and Stainless Steel Alloys

Advanced manufacturing techniques like additive manufacturing (AM) have poised themselves to revolutionize metal manufacturing. A wide range of AM techniques are capable of manufacturing metal components with unique, complex geometries and hastening the scientific-engineering-development cycle. Metal AM relies on a layer-by-layer rapid manufacturing process to build components from the substrate up. Rapid solidification is a large departure from traditional metal manufacturing due to its complex physics. Characterization of rapid solidification is difficult, stemming from the small volumes used in AM and the fast dynamics of the process. High energy X-ray diffraction (HEXRD) is a solution to the characterization problems of rapidly solidified alloys and AM. HEXRD can probe small volumes at fast rates and provides a wide range of thermomechanical and kinetic information. This thesis presents the application of HEXRD to rapidly solidified titanium and stainless steel alloys through a series of case studies. In the first two studies, HEXRD is applied torapidly solidified titanium and stainless steel welds. The materials are characterized for their temperature history, phase changes, kinetics, and microstructural evolution. In the next case study, HEXRD is applied to characterize phase changes in elastocaloric NiTi shape memory alloys (SMAs) under thermomechanical load. HEXRD, in conjunction with other tools, is used to explain the superior performance of the additively manufactured SMAs. In the final two case studies, HEXRD is used to measure the mechanical response of AM parts with complex geometries; namely, the octet truss lattice. Diffraction reveals a wide range of materials information about the AM microstructure including unexpected phases, texture, and mechanical response to loading. The mechanical results from HEXRD and then compared with theoretical predictions about the performance of octet truss lattices. Summarily, HEXRD is a diverse tool that is poised to address the complex characterization problems of many aspects of the additive manufacturing process.
Systematic Review of Tissue Expansion: Utilization in Non-breast Applications.

Background Tissue expansion is a versatile reconstructive technique providing well-vascularized local tissue. The current literature focuses largely on tissue expansion for breast reconstruction and in the context of burn and pediatric skin/soft tissue replacement; however, less traditional applications are also prevalent. The aim of this study was to systematically review the utilization of tissue expansion in such less well-characterized circumstances. Methods The authors conducted a systematic review of all publications describing non-breast applications of tissue expansion. Variables regarding expander specifications, expansion process, and complications were collected and further analyzed. Results A total of 565 publications were identified. Of these, 166 publications described tissue expansion for "less traditional" indications, which fell into 5 categories: ear reconstruction, cranioplasty, abdominal wall reconstruction, orthopedic procedures, and genital (penile/scrotal and vaginal/vulva) reconstruction. While lower extremity expansion is known to have high complication rates, tissue expander failure, infection, and exposure rates were in fact highest for penile/scrotal (failure: 18.5%; infection: 15.5%; exposure: 12.5%) and vaginal/vulva (failure: 20.6%; infection: 10.3%; exposure: 6.9%) reconstruction. Conclusions Tissue expansion enables index operations by providing additional skin before definitive reconstruction. Tissue expanders are a valuable option along the reconstructive ladder because they obviate the need for free tissue transfer. Although tissue expansion comes with inherent risk, aggregate outcome failures of the final reconstruction are similar to published rates of complications without pre-expansion. Thus, although tissue expansion requires a staged approach, it remains a valuable option in facilitating a variety of reconstructive procedures.
Richard Slaughter: Critical Futures and the Knowledge Base of Futures Studies; Evaluation of a selection of Slaughter’s published work

Abstract Richard Slaughter is one of a handful of people to whom we all owe undying gratitude for his role in sustaining and nurturing futures studies. He did so in many ways—by teaching and research, and as serving as President of the World Futures Studies Federation from 2001–2005. But I here wish to acknowledge his role in helping many of us understand what critical futures studies is, and in formulating first the idea and then the reality of a “knowledge base for futures studies.”
Early Evaluation of Fugaku A64FX Architecture Using Climate Workloads

The Energy Exascale Earth System Model (E3SM) Project is an ongoing, state-of-the-science Earth system modeling, simulation, and prediction project that targets efficient utilization of U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE) supercomputers to meet the science needs of the nation and the mission needs of DOE. This work focuses on our early evaluation of the A64FX architecture on Fugaku supercomputer using E3SM benchmarks. We will present results that track hardware trends, facilitate architecture comparison and the specific impact on our workload using an atmospheric model benchmark. We have two variants of the code written in Fortran and C++/Kokkos respectively which were used to collect data on a variety of CPU and GPU platforms. Furthermore, we have conducted a comparative evaluation of the compilers on the A64FX architecture and found GNU to be the best performer for our workload. Our experience so far indicates that Fugaku/A64FX shows promising energy efficiency (performance/Watt) with further performance gains possible through architecture-aware optimization efforts.
Diets affecting treatment of parkinsonism with levodopa.

High-protein intake has been implicated by patients with parkinsonism as neutralizing the therapeutic effect of levodopa. This study was conducted to determine interrelations between the drug and protein.
Special Functions: Hypergeometric Transformations and Identities

Gauss's work on the hypergeometric equation contains a discussion of the monodromy question for the solutions of this equation. Gauss found and analyzed a quadratic transformation of hypergeometric functions; this apparently led him to the problem of monodromy. Unlike the linear (fractional) transformations of these functions, of which Pfaff's formula in Theorem 2.2.5 is an example, quadratic transformations exist only under certain conditions on the parameters. Nevertheless, they are important and useful. We have given some applications of these transformations after deriving a few basic formulas. An interesting application deals with the problem of proving Gauss's arithmetic-geometric mean to be expressible as an elliptic integral. This chapter also contains a discussion of some methods for the summation of certain types of hypergeometric series. We use a quadratic transformation to obtain Dixon's identity for a well-poised 3 F 2 at x = 1. We then apply a method of Bailey to derive identities for special types of p +1 F p with 2 ≤ p ≤ 6, including Dougall's identity, which was mentioned in Remark 2.2.2 in the previous chapter. An important transformation formula due to Whipple is obtained by the same method. Just as Barnes's integral on the product of gamma functions was an analog of Gauss's 2 F 1 sum, these identities also have integral analogs and we discuss them. The hypergeometric identities provide a systematic approach to the evaluation of single sums of binomial coefficients.
Is the self-paced instructional program, via microcomputer-based instruction, the most effective method of addressing individual learning differences?

One of the canons that guides the design of microcomputer-based instructional programs is to use a self-paced instructional method. However, there has been some indication that moderate levels of external pacing may prove to be more effective for overall learning, in terms of amount of content acquired and level of competency achieved with that content. Hypotheses derived from this idea were tested using three types of pacing. Learning was evaluated using five achievement tests ranging in difficulty from memorizing facts to problem solving. Experimental results supported the hypothesis favoring moderate levels of external pacing and found that the common principle of using self-paced instructional methods as the best style for all types of microcomputer instruction is an incorrect assumption.
Immunotherapy with Donor T Cells Sensitized with Overlapping Pentadecapeptides for Treatment of Persistent Cytomegalovirus Infection or Viremia

Abstract We conducted a phase I trial of allogeneic T cells sensitized in vitro against a pool of pentadecapeptides (15-mer peptides) spanning the sequence of CMVpp65 for adoptive therapy of 17 allogeneic hematopoietic cell transplant recipients with cytomegalovirus (CMV) viremia or clinical infection persisting despite prolonged treatment with antiviral drugs. All but 3 of the patients had received T cell–depleted transplants without graft-versus-host disease (GVHD) prophylaxis with immunosuppressive drugs after transplantation. The CMVpp65-specific T cells (CMVpp65CTLs) generated were oligoclonal and specific for only 1 to 3 epitopes, presented by a limited set of HLA class I or II alleles. T cell infusions were well tolerated without toxicity or GVHD. Of 17 patients treated with transplant donor (n = 16) or third-party (n = 1) CMVpp65CTLs, 15 cleared viremia, including 3 of 5 with overt disease. In responding patients, the CMVpp65CTLs infused consistently proliferated and could be detected by T cell receptor Vβ usage in CMVpp65/HLA tetramer + populations for period of 120 days to up to 2 years after infusion. Thus, CMVpp65CTLs generated in response to synthetic 15-mer peptides of CMVpp65 are safe and can clear persistent CMV infections in the post-transplantation period.
Effect of “Pink Eye” Label on Parents’ Intent to Use Antibiotics and Perceived Contagiousness

Parents of children who presented for a pediatrics appointment responded to a clinical vignette that described a child with symptoms consistent with acute viral conjunctivitis. In a 2 × 2 randomized survey design, the physician in the vignette either used the term "pink eye" or "eye infection" to describe the symptoms, and either told parents that antibiotics are likely ineffective at treating the symptoms or did not discuss effectiveness. When the symptoms were referred to as "pink eye," parents remained interested in antibiotics, despite being informed about their ineffectiveness. By contrast, when the symptoms were referred to as an "eye infection," information about antibiotic ineffectiveness significantly reduced interest, Mdiff = 1.63, P < .001. Parents who received the "pink eye" label also thought that the symptoms were more contagious and were less likely to believe that their child could go to child care, compared with parents who received the "eye infection" label, Mdiff = 0.37, P = .38.
Liquid-crystalline polyethers and copolyethers of 4-hydroxy-acetophenone azine with a homologous series of flexible methylene spacers

The synthesis of high-molecular-weight polyethers and copolyethers based on 4-hydroxyacetophenone azine and α,ω-dibromoalkanes was carried out in N-methyl-2-pyrrolidone via Williamson etherification using the caesium salt of the diol. Polyethers were composed of a homologous series of flexible methylene spacers with m = 5−12, while the copolyethers contained a 1:1 mole ratio of two different spacers with m = 5/7, 6/8, 7/9, 8/10, 9/11 and 10/12. Polymers with relatively short spacers (m = 5−8 methylene groups) exhibit enantiotropic mesomorphism, whereas those having m = 8−11 are tentatively identified to be monotropic. The polyether with m = 12 is crystalline. Copolyethers are enantiotropic and their mesophase ranges are considerably wider than those of the homopolyethers. The mesophases were identified to be nematic by polarised light microscopy. The transition temperatures of both the homopolymers and copolymers show classical even-odd variations as a function of the spacer length.
The Livsic matrix in perturbation theory

In 1957, M. S. Livsic introduced into scattering theory a certain dissipative operator-valued function B(x) [22-251. His theorem, which relates the characteristic function of B(z) to a certain S-matrix, is based on a simple formula for the compression of a resolvent to a subspace. This formula, proved below as Proposition 1, and the matrix B(z) apparently have been rediscovered several times, and occur in the physics literature under a variety of names. The earliest reference known to the author‘is [22], and we shall therefore refer to B(z) as the Livsic matrix. The purpose of the present article is to indicate an application of this formula to the perturbation theory of embedded eigenvalues. A perturbation of an isolated eigenvalue may be called regular if the perturbed resolvent is analytic in the perturbation parameter K. The perturbed eigenvalues then have convergent Puiseux expansions in K. The Livsic matrix leads to a natural extension of the idea of a regular perturbation to eigenvalues which are not isolated, in which the Puiseux series describe resonances rather than eigenvalues [14]. Moreover, calculation of the coefficients of these series is reduced to the known procedures of the theory of isolated eigenvalues. A somewhat similar reduction, relying on dilatation analyticity, was obtained by Simon [28] for Balslev-Combes Hamiltonians. The general properties of B(z) are given in Section 1, and Livsic’s Theorem is proved in an abstract framework. A general theorem on resonnaces and spectral concentration is proved in Section 2. Regular perturbations of embedded eigenvalues occupy the next two sections, which include a remark on the breakdown of the ordinary perturbation method. The final section indicates how eigenvalues which are not regular can often be discussed, and gives an example in which spectral concentration occurs, but there is no analytic family of resonances. The method used here may be considered as a combination of the two approaches to the problem referred to by Simon in his introduction [28]. This article by no means exhausts the applications of the Livsic matrix, and the author recommends its use to other writers on perturbation theory.
Molecular mobility in water and glycerol plasticized cold- and hot-cast gelatin films

Abstract The molecular mechanisms that control functionality in gelatin films are poorly understood. We have used phosphorescence emission from erythrosin covalently attached to lysine residues to investigate the effect of plasticizer and physical cross-links on molecular mobility and oxygen diffusion in amorphous gelatin thin films. Phosphorescence emission energy and red-edge effects, which monitor the extent of matrix relaxation during the ∼0.5 ms probe lifetime, were modulated only slightly by either water or glycerol; the extent of matrix relaxation, however, was significantly greater in cold-cast films with, than in hot-cast films without physical cross-links. The phosphorescence intensity was well described using a stretched exponential in which the lifetime and the stretching factor, a measure of the lifetime heterogeneity, were the fit parameters. Lifetimes, which provide a measure of the rate of matrix collisional quenching, were essentially unaffected by hydration from 0 to 50% RH, slightly decreased from 50 to 84% RH, and greatly decreased at higher RH; rates of matrix collisional quenching were higher in cold-cast than in hot-cast films at all RH values. Glycerol, varied up to 50% by weight of gelatin, only slightly increased the rate of matrix collisional quenching. The rates of oxygen diffusion were higher in cold-cast than hot-cast films at 75 and 84% RH; there was no detectable oxygen diffusion at any glycerol content in dry films. Physical cross-links thus actually increased the molecular mobility of gelatin on the millisecond time scale and water and glycerol, despite their similarity as hydrogen-bonding molecules, had quantitatively different effects on the gelatin mobility.