cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Sport Discontinuation: An Assessment of Goal Achievement via Empirical Measures

Collegiate athletic teams are being eliminated at an alarming rate; however, empirical research of athletic spending and participation after these cuts occur is lacking. This study compared whether the proffered rationales for discontinuing teams were consistent with the measurable budgetary and participation outcomes. From a sample of NCAA Division I institutions that discontinued at least one team between the academic years 2000-01 and 2008-09 ( N = 125), a total of 49 schools with documented cut rationales were identified. The EADA cutting tool was then used to examine athletic revenues, expenses, and participation numbers from the year prior and the year after the cuts to determine, via descriptive statistics and paired t -tests, if the stated objectives were met. The three reasons primarily cited for the program elimination included: reducing athletic spending (44.9%), reallocating resources (42.9%), and Title IX compliance (18.4%). Statistical analysis revealed that only institutions citing reallocation of athletic resources were able to achieve their stated goals. Institutions citing efforts to reduce athletic spending had significant increases in athletic expenses and none of the institutions citing Title IX compliance achieved substantial proportionality. These results show a troubling disconnection between the elimination rationale and the budgetary and participation outcomes that is worthy of additional investigation.
Understanding Health and Health-Related Behavior of Users of Internet Health Information

Abstract Background: Little is known about how actual use of Internet health-related information is associated with health or health-related behavior. Methods: Using a nationally representative sample of 34,525 from 2012, this study examined the demographics of users of Internet health-related information (users), reports estimates of association with several health and behavioral outcomes adjusting for demographic factors, and analyzed the sample by education level, race, gender, and age. Results: Analysis of a large nationally representative sample shows evidence that users of health-related information (users) on the Internet are younger, more educated, more likely to be insured, more likely to be female, and less likely to be African American. After adjusting for demographic differences, users are more likely to have been diagnosed with hypertension, cancer, stroke, and high cholesterol, but no evidence of current hypertension, weight-related issues, or being in fair or poor health. Users are less lik...
The effect of adding copper and various fat sources to the diets of weanling swine on growth performance and serum fatty acid profiles.

An experiment involving 540 weanling pigs was conducted to determine the effect of the addition of Cu (5, 125, or 250 ppm) on the growth performance and serum fatty acid profiles of pigs fed diets that contained no added fat (NO FAT), 5% added soybean oil (SBO), 5% added animal fat (ANI), or 5% added medium-chain triglycerides (MCT). Pigs had ad libitum access to corn-soybean meal-based diets that contained 10% whey and 5% fish meal during the 28-d trial. Pigs were weighed and pen feed intakes were recorded weekly. Blood samples were collected for serum fatty acid analysis on d 1, 14, and 28 of the trial. The addition of all sources of fat to the diet increased (P < .001) ADG and gain:feed ratios during the 28-d trial. Increasing levels of dietary Cu linearly increased (P < .001) ADG and quadratically increased (P < .05) ADFI during the 28-d experiment. A Cu x fat source interaction was observed d 14 to 28 for ADG. The ADG of pigs fed NO FAT or SBO linearly increased with increasing levels of Cu, and pigs fed MCT or ANI had quadratic increases in ADG as Cu levels increased. Compared with the NO FAT diet, d-28 serum saturated fatty acid concentrations were decreased (P < .01) by the addition of SBO or ANI, monounsaturated fatty acid concentrations were decreased (P < .001) by the addition of SBO, and polyunsaturated fatty acid concentrations were increased by the addition of SBO (P < .001).(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
Missing person alerts: does repeated exposure decrease their effectiveness?

Prospective person memory refers to situations where one is asked to be on the lookout for a missing or wanted individual. Some researchers have hypothesized that because people see missing person alerts for multiple people over a period of time, that people habituate to missing persons alerts much like they do to car alarms. The purpose of this research was to test that hypothesis. Some participants saw three different mock missing person videos, depicting three different target individuals, with one video being shown on each of 3 days (Monday, Wednesday, Friday). Other participants engaged in unrelated tasks on the first 2 days and saw a single mock missing person video on the third day. All participants were told that if they saw a person from a mock missing person video and contacted the experimenters they would win a cash prize. On the final day of the study, the target individual was located in the hallway a short distance from the experiment room in a location that participants had to pass on their way out of the building. Correct sightings of the target individual were significantly lower in the multiple video condition than in the single video condition. The results suggest that overuse of missing person alert systems can decrease their effectiveness in a manner consistent with a “car alarm” effect.
Inter-rater Reliability of the Diamond & Forrester Score in Emergency Department Chest Pain Observation Unit Patients.

BACKGROUND Cardiology consensus guidelines recommend use of the Diamond & Forrester (DF P<0.01). CONCLUSION This study supports the use of the D&F score as a reliable indicator of pretest probability in CPU patients by demonstrating that there is good inter-rater reliability. Prospective validation is necessary at the point of patient assessment, in conjunction with application of the D&F score to augment stress utilization decision making.
Improving structure MCMC for Bayesian networks through Markov blanket resampling

Algorithms for inferring the structure of Bayesian networks from data have become an increasingly popular method for uncovering the direct and indirect influences among variables in complex systems. A Bayesian approach to structure learning uses posterior probabilities to quantify the strength with which the data and prior knowledge jointly support each possible graph feature. Existing Markov Chain Monte Carlo (MCMC) algorithms for estimating these posterior probabilities are slow in mixing and convergence, especially for large networks. We present a novel Markov blanket resampling (MBR) scheme that intermittently reconstructs the Markov blanket of nodes, thus allowing the sampler to more effectively traverse low-probability regions between local maxima. As we can derive the complementary forward and backward directions of the MBR proposal distribution, the Metropolis-Hastings algorithm can be used to account for any asymmetries in these proposals. Experiments across a range of network sizes show that the MBR scheme outperforms other state-of-the-art algorithms, both in terms of learning performance and convergence rate. In particular, MBR achieves better learning performance than the other algorithms when the number of observations is relatively small and faster convergence when the number of variables in the network is large.
Co-targeting of Adenosine Signaling Pathways for Immunotherapy: Potentiation by Fc Receptor Engagement.

Targeting the signaling pathway of the immunosuppressive metabolite adenosine is an emerging approach for cancer immunotherapy. In this issue of Cancer Cell, Young et al. describe that co-inhibition of the adenosingenic pathway through blockade of both CD73 and A2AR enhances antitumor efficacy through distinct mechanisms.
Epilepsy and Autism

The relationship of epilepsy and epileptiform EEG abnormalities to language and behavioral regression in children with pervasive developmental disorders or autism was studied in 585 patients at the Miami Children’s Hospital, Florida.
Good riddance to the term “refractory anemia” in myelodysplastic syndromes

Abstract The term “refractory anemia” was used in 1937 by Cornelius Parker Rhoads to describe patients whose anemia did not improve after treatment with liver extract or iron salts, and this term has been used to denote patients with certain subtypes of myelodysplastic syndromes (MDS) since the 1976 and 1982 French-American-British (FAB) classifications of acute leukemias and MDS. In 2016, the World Health Organization (WHO) proposed elimination of “refractory anemia” in a more general proposal for reclassification of myeloid neoplasia. A scandal relating to Dr. Rhoads’ possibly unethical medical experiments on anemic patients in Puerto Rico in 1931 and a racially offensive letter he wrote during that period prompted an international incident and Congressional-level inquiry. This dark history, as well as continued terminological problems with refractory anemia, suggest that this hoary term has indeed worn out its usefulness. This article reviews the history of “refractory anemia” and evolution in its use over the past 80 years. Rhoads' personal history, the potentially confusing nature of “refractory anemia”, and the fact that it is possible none of the 100 patients Rhoads described in 1937 actually had MDS all support the new WHO reclassification proposal to eliminate this term.
Designing Internal Innovation Contests

Enterprises worldwide increasingly aim to achieve cost-effective innovation and product development. Innovation/Design contests within firms offer an opportunity to tap the latent employee expertise across the organization, going beyond core R & D teams. Such intra-enterprise design contests offer a contrast with external contests where firms pose questions and engage an outside world of solvers not contractually employed by the firm. Internal contests, where solution-seeking firms internalize some or all of the participant opportunity costs, pose new opportunities and challenges, managing which forms the focus of this paper. While internal contests allow firms to pursue proprietary concepts, we learned from field studies that employee participation in internal contests requires carefully coordinated decision making. How can managers architect contests by setting participation cost-sharing policies, contest awards and specifying problems to ensure optimal outcomes from contests? Based on field work in the software and electronics industries, we develop an application-driven model which we formulate and analyze for managerial decisions and insights about when to resort to internal contests, how to structure and specify them, and when and how to cover the participant opportunity costs. We find that budget constraints combined with intellectual property considerations make internal contests increasingly attractive for solution-seeking firms. Interestingly, the contest reward in internal contests is curvilinear in the design problem uncertainty. Solutions of better average and extreme quality can be obtained with an internal contest under budget constraints. Firms with larger contestant pools can share more of their opportunity costs with employees, making internal contests more appropriate for larger firms. Also, a contest designer can under most cases exert less effort to specify the contest challenge problem in an internal contest relative to posing the problem to an external group. Curiously, it is optimal for open ended contest problems to be organized with smaller rewards in internal contest settings. We discuss how managers of solution-seeking firms can benefit with the careful design of innovation contests.
Tribe, Ethnicity, and Colonial Rule

Chapter 2 defines the concepts of both tribe and ethnicity and their linkage to the colonial state. Referring to the literature on ethnicity and its three major approaches, it discusses how the African studies literature rejected “tribe” in favor of “ethnicity,” and how the adoption of the term “ethnicity” came hand in hand with the claim that the colonial state created tribes and fostered tribal identity.
ETHNICITY, MARITAL STATUS, AND NEIGHBORHOOD POVERTY INFLUENCE RESUSCITATION OF OUT-OF-HOSPITAL SUDDEN UNEXPECTED DEATHS

Background: Out-of-hospital cardiac arrest outcomes vary across communities. While these outcomes are known to be largely dependent on initiation of cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR), the effect of individual and neighborhood socioeconomic characteristics on CPR initiation is less clear. We
Motion-Prediction-Based Multicast for 360-Degree Video Transmissions

360-degree video is on the cusp of going mainstream. Such videos have a large size (4-5&#8969; the size of a regular one). Since each viewer has to wear Head-Mounted Display (HMD), screen sharing is impossible when a group is watching the same content. Multiple parallel video-streams will be required to serve a group of viewers along the last mile (think of a family or a group of friends watching Super Bowl in their HMDs). This would end up quickly choking the entire network. In this paper, we present a scheme to optimize the network bandwidth using motion-prediction-based multicast to serve concurrent viewers. Based on empirical evaluation of more than 150 viewers watching our pool of sixteen 360-degree videos, we observe that most viewers follow similar motion patterns when watching the same video. We present a data- driven scheme for temporal prediction of viewer motion from previous states, and hence optimize the multicast bandwidth consumption by sending only the portion likely to be watched by a group of viewers. Our evaluations with real viewer motion traces show a bandwidth saving of over 50%, compared to full frame video multicast, and significant bandwidth reduction compared to unicast.
Pretreatment albumin may aid in patient selection for intrahepatic Y-90 microsphere transarterial radioembolization (TARE) for malignancies of the liver.

Background: Hepatic malignancies are common including primary malignancies and metastases. Transarterial radioembolization (TARE) is an important treatment option. We reviewed safety and efficacy of (TARE) in our patients to identify factors that may impact treatment outcomes in a heterogeneous population. Methods: All patients that received TARE at the Medical University of South Carolina from March 2006 through May of 2014 were included. Kaplan-Meier estimates on overall survival (OS) from date of first procedure are reported. Potential prognostic factors for OS were evaluated using log rank tests and Cox proportional hazards models. Results: In the 114 patients that received TARE at our institution, median follow-up was 6.4 months (range, 0–86 months) with the following histologies: colorectal (CR) n=55, hepatocellular (HC) n=20, cholangiocarcinoma (CC) n=16, neuroendocrine (NE) n=12, breast (BR) n=6, other n=5. At least 1 line of prior systemic therapy was noted in 79% of patients. Median OS was significantly better with NE and BR histology, and in those with normal albumin levels. With an albumin >3.4 median OS was 10.3 months, but was only 3.1 months with an albumin Conclusions: TARE is a relatively safe and effective treatment for intrahepatic malignancies. Patients with NE and BR histology as well as those with better hepatic synthetic function were associated with significantly better survival. Our data suggest that patients with albumin below 3 g/dL may not derive significant benefit from TARE.
Automating Construction of Machine Learning Models With Clinical Big Data: Proposal Rationale and Methods

Background: To improve health outcomes and cut health care costs, we often need to conduct prediction/classification using large clinical datasets (aka, clinical big data), for example, to identify high-risk patients for preventive interventions. Machine learning has been proposed as a key technology for doing this. Machine learning has won most data science competitions and could support many clinical activities, yet only 15% of hospitals use it for even limited purposes. Despite familiarity with data, health care researchers often lack machine learning expertise to directly use clinical big data, creating a hurdle in realizing value from their data. Health care researchers can work with data scientists with deep machine learning knowledge, but it takes time and effort for both parties to communicate effectively. Facing a shortage in the United States of data scientists and hiring competition from companies with deep pockets, health care systems have difficulty recruiting data scientists. Building and generalizing a machine learning model often requires hundreds to thousands of manual iterations by data scientists to select the following: (1) hyper-parameter values and complex algorithms that greatly affect model accuracy and (2) operators and periods for temporally aggregating clinical attributes (eg, whether a patient’s weight kept rising in the past year). This process becomes infeasible with limited budgets. Objective: This study’s goal is to enable health care researchers to directly use clinical big data, make machine learning feasible with limited budgets and data scientist resources, and realize value from data. Methods: This study will allow us to achieve the following: (1) finish developing the new software, Automated Machine Learning (Auto-ML), to automate model selection for machine learning with clinical big data and validate Auto-ML on seven benchmark modeling problems of clinical importance; (2) apply Auto-ML and novel methodology to two new modeling problems crucial for care management allocation and pilot one model with care managers; and (3) perform simulations to estimate the impact of adopting Auto-ML on US patient outcomes. Results: We are currently writing Auto-ML’s design document. We intend to finish our study by around the year 2022. Conclusions: Auto-ML will generalize to various clinical prediction/classification problems. With minimal help from data scientists, health care researchers can use Auto-ML to quickly build high-quality models. This will boost wider use of machine learning in health care and improve patient outcomes. [JMIR Res Protoc 2017;6(8):e175]
Definitive Diagnosis of Children Presenting to A Pediatric Emergency Department With Fever and Extremity Pain.

Abstract Background Children who present to the emergency department (ED) with complaint of fever and new-onset joint or extremity pain can be a diagnostic dilemma for many emergency and consulting physicians. Objectives The purpose of our study was to identify the etiologies of pediatric fever and extremity pain presenting to a tertiary care pediatric ED and to define factors that were associated with advanced imaging, admission, and surgical intervention. Methods The electronic medical records of children presenting to our institution's pediatric ED with fever and extremity pain were retrospectively reviewed. Data collected included demographic characteristics, laboratory studies, diagnostic imaging, need for admission, and surgical procedures. Results The initial ED diagnosis was consistent with the definitive diagnosis 42% of the time. Children with the inability to bear weight on the affected limb were more likely to have a bacterial infection, such as osteomyelitis, septic arthritis, or intramuscular abscess ( p = 0.016). An erythrocyte sedimentation rate >36 mm/hour and C-reactive protein levels >60 mg/L were found in children with osteomyelitis or septic arthritis ( p = 0.043 and p = 0.05). Conclusions In addition to a thorough history and physical examination, a complete set of laboratory studies and diagnostic imaging is necessary to reach an accurate diagnosis. The inability to bear weight, elevated C-reactive protein levels, and an elevated erythrocyte sedimentation rate are associated with bacterial infection. Magnetic resonance imaging is a useful imaging modality in determining an accurate diagnosis.
Wisdom of the social versus non-social crowd in face identification.

Face identification is more accurate when people collaborate in social dyads than when they work alone (Dowsett & Burton, 2015, Br. J. Psychol., 106, 433). Identification accuracy is also increased when the responses of two people are averaged for each item to create a ‘non-social’ dyad (White, Burton, Kemp, & Jenkins, 2013, Appl. Cogn. Psychol., 27, 769; White et al., 2015, Proc. R. Soc. B Biol. Sci., 282, 20151292). Does social collaboration add to the benefits of response averaging for face identification? We compared individuals, social dyads, and non-social dyads on an unfamiliar face identity-matching test. We also simulated non-social collaborations for larger groups of people. Individuals and social dyads judged whether face image pairs depicted the same- or different identities, responding on a 5-point certainty scale. Non-social dyads were constructed by averaging the responses of paired individuals. Both social and non-social dyads were more accurate than individuals. There was no advantage for social over non-social dyads. For larger non-social groups, performance peaked at near perfection with a crowd size of eight participants. We tested three computational models of social collaboration and found that social dyad performance was predicted by the decision of the more accurate partner. We conclude that social interaction does not bolster accuracy for unfamiliar face identity matching in dyads beyond what can be achieved by averaging judgements.
[RuII(tpy)(bpy)Cl]+-Catalyzed reduction of carbon dioxide. Mechanistic insights by carbon-13 kinetic isotope effects

In this work, we examine the use of competitive 13C kinetic isotope effects (13C KIEs) on CO2 reduction reactions that produce CO and formic acid as a means to formulate reaction mechanisms. The findings reported here mark a further advancement in the combined 13C KIE measurements and theoretical calculations methodology for probing CO2 conversion reactions.
Role Involvement of Farm Women

This study describes role involvement of farm women through computer content analysis of text. This approach provides a broad framework for characterizing social meanings. The sample includes 193 farm women. The role involvement variable includes a combination of the farm work role, off-farm work role, family role, and social/civic role. Four contextual/conceptual categories are the organizing foundation of the computer content analysis program. Those women at the lowest involvement levels described their needs in traditional ways, the mid-range levels were more emotional, and those at the highest role involvement levels were very pragmatic. The mid-ranges emphasized themes of help, education, and future while the highest levels emphasized immediate time and uncertainty.
An Efficient Linearized Octave-Bandwidth Power Amplifier for Carrier Aggregation

In this paper, a single-stage octave bandwidth power amplifier from 2–4 GHz with greater than 10 W output power and drain efficiency ranging from 55–70 % is presented. Input and output networks are synthesized to match the fundamental, 2nd and 3rd harmonics for efficiency, based on load-pull simulations. The amplifier performance is characterized over the entire band for a 20-MHz LTE signal with a PAPR of 8 dB, demonstrating an average efficiency greater than 25 % with a normalized mean square error (NSMR) below −28 dB. Two 20-MHz signals are then simultaneously amplified with a spacing that varies from 200 MHz to 1 GHz, with resulting average efficiencies over 28%.
Stem Cell Therapy for Musculoskeletal Diseases

Abstract Musculoskeletal disorders constitute a substantial disease burden. Neither conservative management nor surgical intervention provides adequate treatment for several pathologies. As an element of regenerative medicine, stem cell therapies may overcome the poor innate healing capacity of several musculoskeletal tissues. This review highlights promising results of preclinical studies in which stem cell therapies have been applied to individual tissues of the musculoskeletal system (bone, articular cartilage, tendon and ligament, meniscus, intervertebral disc, and skeletal muscle) as well as transitions between tissues (osteochondral interfaces and tendon–bone interfaces). Clinical studies, although limited in number, are also reviewed. Challenges to the translation of stem cell therapies from bench to bedside are discussed and possible solutions are highlighted.
Reading Motivation of Adolescent Struggling Readers Receiving General Education Support

AbstractStudent motivation is a necessary catalyst for reading achievement; therefore, educators need to determine how to motivate reluctant readers, including students reading below grade level. Our qualitative study begins to address this challenge by reporting what struggling adolescents and their teacher at 1 urban middle school discussed about their motivation to read before and after the implementation of a multicomponent reading intervention. We found that students (a) valued narrative fiction over informational text, (b) valued certain text features and books, and (c) were motivated by key relationships with others to obtain and read books. Furthermore, some students were uninterested in reading, unable to obtain books, or not inspired to read by others. The teacher also noted students’ differential preferences for texts and levels of motivation for reading. We discuss how these qualitative findings yield important implications for practice and future research centered on motivating adolescents wh...
Variability of Southern Ocean Transports

AbstractThe Southern Ocean (SO) is capable of transporting vast amounts of salt, heat, and nutrients, which allows it to influence and regulate global climate. The variability of depth- and density...
Ethical Considerations for Providing In-Home Mental Health Services for Homebound Individuals

The number of homebound individuals in the United States is on the rise, causing health-care professionals to expand in-home health services to help meet the increased demand. Due to the prevalence...
Latte: Large-Scale Lateral Movement Detection

The frequency of recent headlines indicates that attacks on governmental and corporate computer networks are increasing. Once they infect one computer, the attackers are quite likely to explore the network by accessing additional computers. Such “lateral movement”, i.e., the process attackers use to move from one computer to the next in a compromised network, increases the difficulties of preventing data exfiltration. To deal with challenges from large-scale data and little knowledge of the attackers, we propose Latte, a graph-based detection system to discover potential malicious lateral movement paths. We model computers and accounts as nodes, and computer-to-computer connections or user logon events as edges. We address the lateral movement problem in two ways. Starting with an infected computer or account, forensic analysis quickly identifies other compromised computers. To discover a new attack, general detection identifies unknown lateral movement across nodes which are not known to be compromised. A key component for general detection is a remote file execution detector which filters out the majority of the rare paths in the network. We provide separate algorithms for these subproblems and validate their effectiveness and efficiency on two, large-scale datasets, including one with a confirmed attack and one from a penetration test.
Trends In Coverage For Disease-Modifying Therapies For Multiple Sclerosis In Medicare Part D.

The high cost of multiple sclerosis (MS) disease-modifying therapies can negatively affect access for patients through increased payer restrictions and higher out-of-pocket spending. Our objective ...
A postdictive bias associated with déjà vu.

Recent research links reports of deja vu - the feeling of having experienced something before despite knowing otherwise - with an illusory feeling of prediction. In the present study, a new finding is presented in which reports of deja vu are associated not only with a predictive bias, but also with a postdictive bias, whereby people are more likely to feel that an event unfolded as expected after the event prompted deja vu than after it did not. During a virtual tour, feelings of predicting the next turn were more likely during reported deja vu, as in prior research. Then, after actually seeing the turn, participants exhibited a postdictive bias toward feeling that the scene unfolded as expected following deja vu reports. This postdictive bias following deja vu reports was associated with higher perceived scene familiarity intensity. A potential reason for this association may be that high familiarity intensity as an event outcome unfolds falsely signals confirmatory evidence of having sensed all along how it would unfold. Future research should further investigate this possibility.
Valuing Seawall Protection in the Wake of Hurricane Ike

This paper estimates the value of seawall protection in the wake of Hurricane Ike using a difference-in-difference and fixed-effects type quasi-experimental approach. The analysis is based on residential housing transactions in Galveston, Texas from 2000 to 2014. The results suggest a positive price premium of up to 22% for seawall protected homes. The positive effect is found to be the highest after the occurrence of Hurricane Ike. Although as memory fades away the effect began decreasing gradually, the price premium of seawall protection still persists six years after Hurricane Ike.
Mesenteric Ischemia: When a Benign Exam Means Danger Close

This chapter provides a review of mesenteric ischemia. We will discuss the four pathophysiologies that lead to this disease entity and how the treatment differs between the four groups. This is a high-mortality pathology, which can be easily missed.
Break-point statistical model for building heating hot water consumption with constant volume reheat systems

Abstract Building energy consumption statistical models have been accepted and commonly utilized as baseline models for Measurement and Verification (M&V) purposes. Early researchers developed change-point models to account for seasonality and normalize building energy use. These models have become the best practice standard as they successfully capture most whole-building cooling and heating energy profiles. However, a constant volume reheat system sometimes has a peculiar heating load shape that cannot be well described by the basic models so far reported in literature where it increases unexpectedly with temperature in a limited temperature range. This increase is caused by varying the cold deck setpoint to meet dehumidification needs which influences reheat loads. Based on this physical understanding, a new model formulation is proposed in this work. This new formulation has value as it fills a gap for a major system type and operation condition that has not yet been analyzed. Also noticeably, these systems tend to be used in older buildings that have significant savings potential and are good candidates for retrofit and commissioning projects. The new modeling approach has been tested on nine sets of whole-year measured data from seven commercial buildings, where the suitability of the new formulation was validated.
Improving Energy Efficiency and Productivity at Industrial Plants Using Dynamic Voltage Management

This paper presents a practical approach to realize demand and energy savings in large industrial plants through behind-the-meter conservation voltage reduction implementation. The requirements of the device that can implement conservation voltage reduction in harsh industrial environments are identified. Based on the requirements, a device called stacked isolated voltage optimization module (SIVOM) solution is discussed. Issues concerning the design and operation of the device are explained. Experimental results from a prototype unit are presented.
Sputtered p-Type CuxZn1–xS Back Contact to CdTe Solar Cells

As thin film cadmium telluride (CdTe) solar cells gain prominence, one particular challenge is optimizing contacts and their interfaces to transfer charge without losses in efficiency. Back contact...
Comparison of behaviors characteristic of autism spectrum disorder behaviors and behavioral and psychiatric symptoms of dementia.

Similarities exist in behavioral expression of autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias (ADRD). The purpose of this study was to assess presence of behavioral an...
Testing and Vaccination to Reduce the Impact of COVID-19 in Nursing Homes: An Agent-Based Approach

BackgroundEfforts to protect residents in nursing homes involve non-pharmaceutical interventions, testing, and vaccine. We sought to quantify the effect of testing and vaccine strategies on the attack rate, length of the epidemic, and hospitalization. MethodsWe developed an agent-based model to simulate the dynamics of SARS-CoV-2 transmission in a nursing home with resident and staff agents. Interactions between 172 residents and 170 staff were assumed based on data from a nursing home in Los Angeles, CA. We simulated scenarios assuming different levels of non-pharmaceutical interventions, testing frequencies, and vaccine efficacy to block transmission. ResultsUnder the hypothetical scenario of widespread SARS-CoV-2 in the community, 3-day testing frequency minimized the attack rate and the time to eradicate an outbreak. Prioritization of vaccine among staff or staff and residents minimized the cumulative number of infections and hospitalization, particularly in the scenario of high probability of an introduction. Reducing the probability of a virus introduction reduced the demand on testing and vaccine to reduce infections and hospitalizations. ConclusionsImproving frequency of testing from 7-days to 3-days minimized the number of infections and hospitalizations, despite widespread community transmission. Vaccine prioritization of staff provides the best protection strategy, despite high risk of a virus introduction.
How Litigation Imports Foreign Regulation

Foreign regulators exert a powerful and deeply underestimated influence on American complex litigation. From the French Ministry of Health and the U.K.’s National Health Services, to the Japanese Fair Trade Commission and the European Commission, foreign agencies have shaped some of the most important cases in the last two decades. The intersections between American litigation and foreign regulation range from plaintiff discovery requests of documents produced by or to foreign regulators, to coattail class actions against multinationals triggered by enforcement penalties abroad, all the way to foreign agency letters submitted to U.S. courts expressing an interest in a case. Indeed, dozens upon dozens of the most important multidistrict cases in the country—covering over 100,000 claims—have been heavily influenced by the existence of foreign regulatory documents or enforcement actions. In this manner, litigation is importing foreign regulatory zeal to the United States. Yet few American legal actors know that foreign regulation affects domestic cases and even judges are unsure whether this practice is appropriate. This Article presents a systematic study of the new relationship between foreign regulation and American litigation. The cross-border spread of litigation ideas sits at the center of broader debates about complex litigation, the regulatory role of multidistrict litigation, the recent trend of litigation isolationism, and the expanding role of discovery. The Article argues that litigation can import and domesticate foreign regulations, allowing private litigants to audit the work of captured domestic agencies. For instance, litigators can measure the work of the FDA against health regulators in France, or the work of the SEC against financial regulators in Germany. Litigation can also push U.S. law to match foreign regulation, promoting a rough harmonization across borders, coherence, and convergence. While the litigation-led use of foreign regulation promises a wealth of benefits for U.S. law, it has not been sufficiently recognized, nudged forward, or appreciated. The Article thus seeks to provide a solid theoretical footing for the incorporation of foreign regulations, and argues that an understanding of litigation-led globalization clarifies scholarly debates in a variety of literatures. After this analysis, the Article also argues that courts should invite American regulators to help them decide whether to welcome or reject this foreign influence.
Biology and clinical management of hypoplastic MDS: MDS as a bone marrow failure syndrome

Hypoplastic MDS is a subset of MDS characterized by marrow hypocellularity diagnosed in 10-15% of MDS patients. The pathogenesis of this disease shares features of aplastic anemia with activation of the effector T cells against hematopoietic stem and progenitor cells and high-risk MDS with acquisition of somatic mutations that provide survival and growth advantage of these cells in the inflammatory bone marrow microenvironment. Clonal evolution in hypoplastic MDS may be associated with accumulation of DNA damage and progression to AML while clonal hematopoiesis in aplastic anemia is strongly related to immune escape of the hematopoietic cells. Distinction of hypoplastic MDS from other acquired and inherited bone marrow failure syndromes is frequently challenging but it is critical for the appropriate clinical management of the patients. Treatment with immunosuppression is an important component of the clinical approach to patients with hypoplastic MDS while hypomethylating agents and early allogeneic bone marrow transplantation are also considerations in some patients. In this review, we summarize the current literature on the biology of hypoplastic MDS, the differences between this disease and other bone marrow failure syndromes, and the treatment algorithm for patients with this subtype of MDS.
Genome of the parasitoid wasp Dinocampus coccinellae reveals extensive duplications, accelerated evolution, and independent origins of thelytokous parthenogeny and solitary behavior

Dinocampus coccinellae (Hymenoptera: Braconidae) is a generalist parasitoid wasp that parasitizes >50 species of predatory lady beetles (Coleoptera: Coccinellidae), with thelytokous parthenogeny as its primary mode of reproduction. Here we present the first high quality genome of D. coccinellae using a combination of short and long read sequencing technologies, followed by assembly and scaffolding of chromosomal segments using Chicago+ HiC technologies. We also present a first-pass ab initio genome annotation, and resolve timings of divergence and evolution of (1) solitary behavior vs eusociality, (2) arrhenotokous vs thelytokous parthenogenesis, and (3) rates of gene loss and gain among Hymenopteran lineages. Our study finds (1) at least two independent origins of eusociality and solitary behavior among Hymenoptera, (2) two independent origins of thelytokous parthenogenesis from ancestral arrhenotoky, and (3) accelerated rates of gene duplications, loss, and gain along the lineages leading to D. coccinellae. Our work both affirms the ancient divergence of Braconid wasps from ancestral Hymenopterans and accelerated rates of evolution in response to adaptations to novel hosts, including polyDNA viral co-evolution.
Synthesis of anthocyanidins—I: The oxidative generation of flavylium cations using benzoquinones

Abstract The addition of benzoquinone and especially chloranil has been found to greatly enhance the yields of 3-deoxyanthocyanidins produced on oxidation of flavan-4-ols. In contrast, only slight improvements are noted when the same oxidants are used in the oxidation of the related flavan-3,4-diols.
A Short Proof of Rubin's Block Theorem

Publisher Summary This chapter provides a short proof of Rubin's block theorem. The chapter leads to a characterization of D-choosability, and consequently to a generalization of Brooks' Theorem.
A Scalable and Robust Feedback Mechanism for Adaptive Multimedia Multicast Systems

We present a mechanism for providing feedback information to multicast sources o f multimedia streams in a scalable and robust manner. The presented feedback mechanism is suitable for best-effort unreliable networks such as the Internet. This mechanism is useful for controlling the transmission rate of multimedia sou rces in both cases of layered and single-rate multicast. It allows for determining the worst case state among a group of receivers, where each receiver may be in one of a set of finite states, and is applicable in receiver-driven as well as in sender-driven adaptive multimedia systems. Simulation results show that the presented feedback mechanism scales well for ve ry large groups of thousands of participants. The efficiency of the proposed mec hanism in eliminating the reply implosion problem, its robustness in facing loss es in the network, as well as its responsiveness are illustrated. The advantages of the proposed feedback mechanism over feedback based on periodic reports is d emonstrated.
Puerperal infectious morbidity: Relationship to route of delivery and to antepartum Chlamydia trachomatis infection

Abstract We investigated the relationship of route of delivery and of antepartum Chlamydia trachomatis cervical infection to selected forms of puerperal infectious morbidity, including intrapartum fever, or early ( C. trachomatis infection and was largely limited to early postpartum fever. Among women who underwent vaginal delivery, infectious morbidity occurred in 10 (34%) of 29 women with and in 23 (8%) of 300 without C. trachomatis infection (p −8 ); whereas among women who underwent vaginal delivery, antepartum C trachomatis infection was associated with an increased risk of development of intrapartum fever or late postpartum endometritis (p = 0.002).
Polyvinylidene fluoride molecules in nanofibers, imaged at atomic scale by aberration corrected electron microscopy

Atomic scale features of polyvinylidene fluoride molecules (PVDF) were observed with aberration corrected transmission electron microscopy. Thin, self-supporting PVDF nanofibers were used to create images that show conformations and relative locations of atoms in segments of polymer molecules, particularly segments near the surface of the nanofiber. Rows of CF2 atomic groups, at 0.25 nm intervals, which marked the paths of segments of the PVDF molecules, were seen. The fact that an electron microscope image of a segment of a PVDF molecule depended upon the particular azimuthal direction, along which the segment was viewed, enabled observation of twist around the molecular axis. The 0.2 nm side-by-side distance between the two fluorine atoms attached to the same carbon atom was clearly resolved. Morphological and chemical changes produced by energetic electrons, ranging from no change to fiber scission, over many orders of magnitude of electrons per unit area, promise quantitative new insights into radiation chemistry. Relative movements of segments of molecules were observed. Promising synergism between high resolution electron microscopy and molecular dynamic modeling was demonstrated. This paper is at the threshold of growing usefulness of electron microscopy to the science and engineering of polymer and other molecules.
On Deleting Links in Semantic Graphs

In [19] we introduced a graphical representation of quantifier-free predicate calculus formulas and a new rule of inference which employs this representation. The new rule is an amalgamation of resolution and Prawitz analysis, which we call path resolution.
Evaluation of fish-meal free diets for rainbow trout, Oncorhynchus mykiss

Eight experimental diets were formulated for rainbow trout using agricultural byproducts as major ingredients. Each experimental diet contained varying amounts of corn grain, corn gluten meal, corn gluten feed and one of the following: 200 g kg-1 peanut meal, 200 or 400 g kg-1 soybean meal (SBM), 390 g kg-1 low-allergen soy flour, 310 g kg-1 soy protein concentrate, 300 g kg-1 low-allergen soy protein concentrate or 200 g kg-1 SBM + 110 g kg-1 blood meal. One diet contained 200 g kg-1 SBM and canola oil as the main lipid source. The remaining diets contained 95 g kg-1 menhaden oil. Fish fed a commercial trout diet exhibited significantly greater weight gain (322%), and a lower feed conversion ratio (0.89) but significantly lower protein efficiency ratio (2.18) than fish fed the experimental diets. Within the experimental diets, fish fed the 400 g kg-1 soy flour diet and the 400 g kg-1 soybean meal diet had significantly higher weight gains (276% and 268%) and protein efficiency ratios (2.58 and 2.52), and lower feed conversion ratios (1.02 and 1.03) than fish fed other experimental diets. Fillet flavour varied between treatments. Most notable was the lower fishy flavour and higher chicken flavour of fish fed the diet that contained canola oil rather than menhaden oil. Microscopic evaluation of the liver and five sections of the gastrointestinal tract failed to demonstrate any differences between treatment groups. The ingredient costs of several experimental diets were lower than the estimated cost of a standard commercial trout diet. However, the superior feed conversion ratios of fish fed the control diet resulted in lower feed costs per unit of fish produced.
THE MEASUREMENT THEORY OF FITNESS

In this article, an approach to measure fitness is proposed that considers fitness as a measure of competitive ability among phenotypes or genotypes. This approach is based on pairwise competition tests and is related to measures of “utility” in mathematical economics. Extending the results from utility theory it is possible to recover the classical Wrightian fitness measure without reference to models of population growth. A condition, quasi-BTL, similar to the Bradley–Terry–Luce condition of classical utility theory is shown to be necessary for the existence of frequency and context-independent fitness measures. Testing for violations of this quasi-BTL condition can be used to the detect genotype-by-genotype interactions and frequency-dependent fitness. A method for the detection of genotype by environment interactions is proposed that avoids potential scaling artifacts. Furthermore the measurement theoretical approach allows one to derive Wright's selection equation. This shows that classical selection equations are entirely general and exact. It is concluded that measurement theory is able to give definite answers to a number theoretical and practical questions. For instance, this theory identifies the correct scale for measuring gene interaction with respect to fitness and shows that different scales may lead to wrong conclusions.
Increased ezrin expression and activation by CDK5 coincident with acquisition of the senescent phenotype.

Abstract Passage of normal cells in culture leads to senescence, an irreversible cell cycle exit characterized by biochemical changes and a distinctive morphology. Cellular stresses, including oncogene activation, can also lead to senescence. Consistent with an antioncogenic role for this process, the tumor suppressor pRb plays a critical role in senescence. Reexpression of pRb in human tumor cells results in senescence-like changes including cell cycle exit and shape changes. Here we show that senescence is accompanied by increased expression and altered localization of ezrin, an actin binding protein involved in membrane-cytoskeletal signaling. pRb expression results in the stimulation of CDK5-mediated phosphorylation of ezrin with subsequent membrane association and induction of cell shape changes, linking pRb activity to cytoskeletal regulation in senescent cells.
Characterization of repair inhibition by methotrexate of ethylmethanesulfonate-and ultraviolet irradiation-induced DNA damage in Chinese hamster cells.

To further understand the mechanism by which methotrexate (MTX) inhibits DNA repair, we have studied the dependency of EMS repair inhibition on both pretreatment time and concentration of MTX. The basis for the selectivity with which MTX inhibited ethylmethanesulfonate (EMS) repair more effectively than UV repair has also been examined. We found that MTX in combination with Cytosine arabinofuranoside (Ara-C) was as effective as hydroxyurea + Ara-C (H/A) in causing inhibition of UV repair