cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Estimating an End-User's Received Video Signal at the Transmitter Using Cross-Layer Feedback

The proliferation of wireless technology, mobile computing, and increasingly sophisticated video codecs have fueled the sharp increase in demand for user-centric applications involving wireless video streaming. Consequently, it is becoming progressively more important to ensure that wirelessly transmitted video signals are delivered with optimal perceptual quality to the end-user. This is in contrast to traditional QoS, which aims to optimize system and packet-level performance, but not necessarily perceptual quality. In order to drive towards this goal, one of the most important evolutions to modern video streaming systems will be the adaptive allocation of both wireless and video coding resources at the transmitter - ideally according to a cost function designed to optimize some measure of the received perceptual video quality. Unfortunately, it is not at all likely that a transmitting station will have access to the video signal received by the end-user, and therefore, this precludes the possibility of using such a perceptually-oriented cost function. Indeed, current resource allocation strategies are based on simplistic packet-statistic-based estimates of the received video quality, and one can easily demonstrate that this results in suboptimal perceptual video quality to the end-user. In this paper, we propose a simple, but powerful technique which allows a transmitting station to obtain an accurate estimate of the video signal seen by the recipient using cross-layer feedback between the wireless MAC and the video encoder, thus enabling the transmitter to use more perceptually oriented resource allocation strategies. We support the proposed technique through both simulation and experiments involving a database of over 420 distorted H.264 AVC compressed video sequences.
The Effect of a Wall Mural on Decreasing Four Types of Door-Testing Behaviors:

This study examined the effect that a wall mural painted over an exit door had on decreasing door-testing behaviors of residents with dementia. Twelve residents who tested the doors regularly were ...
Dynamic Water Uptake of Flexible Ion‐Containing Polymer Networks

Dynamic gravimetric water sorption and desorption was measured while incrementing the relative humidity of the sample environment for a variety of ion-containing polymers. The sorption and desorption experiments as a function of time were performed from 20 to 95% relative humidity and temperatures from 30 to 70 °C. The water uptake characteristics of the membranes were observed to depend on the flexibility of the polymer backbone, the ion exchange capacity of the membrane, and in the case of triblock copolymers, the molecular weight of the sulphonated block. Additionally, the water uptake tended to occur more slowly at high relative humidity where the enthalpy of solvation is low due to already well-hydrated ions in the membrane. At low relative humidity, the water sorption occurred quickly due to the high enthalpy of solvation at low λ, but the polymer matrix constrained the magnitude of the total water swelling. A unique physical crosslinking effect was observed for triblock copolymers where less swelling of the network occurred at high temperatures than at low temperatures. This deswelling phenomenon with increased temperature was not observed for Nafion, which behaved like a classic elastic solid and swelled to a greater extent with increased temperature.
Atmospheric Prognostic and Dispersion Model Design for Use in the European ENSEMBLE Modeling Exercises

The Savannah River Technology Center (SRTC) of the Department of Energy (DOE)Savannah River Site (SRS) has been involved with predicting the transport and dispersion of hazardous atmospheric releases for many years. The SRS utilizes an automated, real-time capability for consequence assessment during emergency response to local releases. The emphasis during these situations is to provide accurate guidance as quickly as possible. Consequently, atmospheric transport and dispersion models of a simple physical nature (such as Gaussian plume models) have typically been used in an effort to provide timely responses. However, use of one or two-dimensional (steady-state) winds are inadequate in conditions of high spatial and temporal variability (such as during frontal passage). Increased computing capabilities have led to the use of more sophisticated three dimensional prognostic models that may capture some of these higher resolution phenomena. In an ideal situation, the decision-maker would want to use the best model each time an accident occurred. Unfortunately, due to the nonunique nature of solutions to the nonlinear equations governing the atmosphere, model A may perform better than models B and C in one type of weather scenario, and worse during a different situation.Therefore, it is not always possible to distinguish which model is best, especially during a forecast situation. The use of an ensemble approach of averaging results from a variety of model solutions is beneficial to the modeler in providing the DM guidance on model uncertainties. Meteorological forecasts generated by numerical models provide individual realizations of the atmosphere. The resulting wind and turbulence fields are then used to drive atmospheric dispersion (transport and diffusion) models. Although many modeling agencies utilize ensemble-modeling techniques to determine atmospheric model sensitivities of prognostic fields (i.e. wind, temperature, radiation, etc.), the European Union has conducted two programs that are the first to examine atmospheric dispersion model output using an ensemble approach. The research discussed in this report is the result of participation in the latest of these two programs, ENSEMBLE.
Visual Fatigue and Occupational Stress in VDT Operators

In this study, 121 office workers whose jobs required the use of video display terminals for varying proportions of their workdays were interviewed. A semistructured interview technique was used to determine the attitudes of the workers toward their work and toward office automation. A smaller subset of this group was examined more intensively for workweek, during which time optometric measurements were taken and a mood/physical symptom checklist was administered. Results indicated a relatively high level of incidence of eye fatigue symptoms, as well as complaints regarding glare and lighting. However, the patterning of these complaints appeared to be relatively independent of job pressure and hostility toward office computerization. No consistent pattern of optometric measurements was found to be related to subjective complaints.
The effect of optokinetic stimulation on daytime sleepiness

This study examined the effect of optokinetic stimulation on objective sleepiness, as measured by the Multiple Sleep Latency Test (MSLT). The Nightcap, a portable sleep monitor, was used in a novel way to perform MSLTs, as well as record sleep in the home. Subjects wore the Nightcap for seven consecutive nights. On days 3 and 5 of the protocol, subjects came into the lab for an MSLT. On the experimental day, subjects underwent 10 minutes optokinetic stimulation (OKS), resulting in moderate motion sickness prior to each MSLT trial. Although subjects in the OKS condition reported significantly more drowsiness than controls, this did not result in significantly reduced sleep latencies.
Collisions of organic ions at surfaces

Abstract Historical experiments in molecular (organic) secondary ion mass spectrometry (SIMS) at keV energies are reviewed, including the first matrix experiments and the introduction of key mechanistic concepts. The paper deals principally with the newer topic of ion/surface collisions at lower energies (hyperthermal energies, 1–100 eV). Chemically relevant processes occurring in this regime include surface-induced dissociation (SID) as a means of activating and fragmenting organic ions, chemical sputtering used for surface analysis, reactive collisions as a means of surface chemical modifications, and ion soft-landing at surfaces which amongst other things allows preparative mass spectrometry. Fundamentals of great interest include studies of energy partitioning during inelastic collisions and non-statistical dissociation mechanisms. Unique applications of ion/surface collisions include the creation of protein arrays by ion soft-landing.
A view from the joint commission perspective: updated compendium will continue to help reduce healthcare-associated infections.

There is a vast body of knowledge generated for the purpose of improving patient outcomes, including information on how to prevent healthcare-associated infections (HAIs). However, it is a daunting task to ensure that the most valuable practices contained within the scientific domain become broadly, timely, and effectively used in practice. Much has been written about the unacceptably long lag time between new clinical knowledge development and its widespread use, even when that knowledge is produced using the gold standard of randomized controlled clinical trials. With this issue in mind, “A Compendium of Strategies to Prevent Healthcare-Associated Infections in Acute Care Hospitals” was written to accelerate adoption of important practices known to be effective at reducing infections. Now updated, enhanced, and included within this and recent issues of Infection Control and Hospital Epidemiology, the Compendium is more than the requisite synthesis of the expansive science on infection prevention and a distillation of that evidence for its relevancy to hospitals. What makes the Compendium unique is its commitment to the usability of its content at the ground level. By presenting information in a format that can make operational sense out of complicated knowledge, the Compendium jump-starts the ability of hospital healthcare professionals to translate essential information into practice.
Atmospheric nitrogen inputs and losses along an urbanization gradient from Boston to Harvard Forest, MA

Urbanization alters nitrogen (N) cycling, but the spatiotemporal distribution and impact of these alterations on ecosystems are not well-quanti- fied. We measured atmospheric inorganic N inputs and soil leaching losses along an urbanization gradient from Boston, MA to Harvard Forest in Petersham, MA. Atmospheric N inputs at urban sites (12.3 ± 1.5 kg N ha -1 year -1 ) were significantly greater than non-urban (5.7 ± 0.5 kg N ha -1 year -1 ) sites with NH4 ? (median value of 77 ± 4 %) contributing thrice as much as NO3 - . Proximity to urban core correlated positively with NH4 ? (R 2 = 0.57, p = 0.02) and total inorganic N inputs (R 2 = 0.61, p = 0.01); on-road CO2 emissions correlated positively with NO3 inputs (R 2 = 0.74, p = 0.003). Inorganic N leaching rates correlated positively with atmospheric N input rates (R 2 = 0.61, p = 0.01), but did not differ significantly between urban and non-urban sites (p ( 0.05). Our empirical measurements of atmospheric N inputs are greater for urban areas and less for rural areas compared to modeled regional estimates of N depo- sition. Five of the nine sites had NO3 leached that came almost entirely from nitrification, indicating that the NO3 - in leachate came from biological processes rather than directly passing through the soil. A significant proportion (17-100 %) of NO3 leached from the other four sites came directly from the atmosphere. Surprisingly, the four sites where atmo- spheric sources made up the largest proportion of leachate NO3 - also had relatively low N leaching rates, suggesting that atmospheric N inputs added to terrestrial ecosystems can move to multiple sinks and losses simultaneously, rather than being lost via leaching only after abiotic and biotic sinks have become saturated. This study improves our under- standing of atmospheric N deposition and leaching in urban ecosystems, and highlights the need to incor- porate urbanization effects in N deposition models.
Transplantation tolerance: evidence for Lyt 1+,2-,Qa 1.2+ Suppressor-inducer T cells in allogeneic thymus-grafted nude mice.

Abstract Nude mice, of BALB/c genotype, grafted with thymus stroma become immunocompetent (R. Hong, H. Schultz-Wisserman, E. Jarreth-Toth, S. D. Horowitz, and D. D. Manning, J. Exp. Med. 149 , 398, 1979; B. P. Chen and G. A. Splitter, Cell. Immunol. 51 , 127, 1980), but are tolerant to the thymus-donor genotype. Using such mice to investigate the mechanism(s) of transplantation tolerance, it was found that maintenance of tolerance required active interactions of three subsets of T cells specific for alloantigens of the thymus-donor genotype: (i) Lyt 1 + ,2 − helper T cells, (ii) Lyt 1 − ,2 + suppressor T cells, and (iii) Lyt 1 + ,2 − ,Qa 1.2 + suppressor-inducer T cells. In mixed-lymphocyte culture, helper T cells could be activated by alloantigens of the thymus-donor genotype, but clonal expansion of these helper T cells was inhibited by suppressor T cells with the same specificity. Furthermore, exogenous interleukin-2 (IL-2) could modulate this suppressor activity, which suggested that one consequence of suppression was to limit IL-2 available to effector T cells. The response of cultures to exogenous IL-2 also indicated that thymus alloantigen-specific helper T cells had functional IL-2 receptors. Last, the presence of Lyt 1 + ,2 − ,Qa 1.2 + suppressor-inducer T cells were essential for active suppression, as suppressor T cells could not prevent helper T cells from proliferating to thymus-donor alloantigens when Lyt 1 + ,2 − ,Qa 1.2 + cells were removed. Altogether, the data presented in this study indicate a feedback-suppression pathway that led to clonal silencing of effector cells in transplantation tolerance.
Increasingly correct message passing averaging algorithms

We study averaging algorithms, when implemented in large networks of wirelessly connected elements. We extend the notion of ?increasing correctness? (IC) which was defined for cycle-free graphs, to general graphs. An averaging algorithm that is IC has meaningful outputs at each iteration. This makes it possible to stop the algorithm at any time, and use the output values computed up to that time. We prove that the class of IC averaging algorithms is nontrivial. We then present a simple IC averaging algorithm that is based on ideas from graphical models, and study its properties. Finally, we give example applications and simulations of IC averaging algorithms.
Translational Research: Role for the Clinical Laboratory Professional?

Given the lack of a precise definition, and aided by a fluidity of application whereby observations made at the bench are “translated” to the bedside and vice versa, many can claim to conduct translational research. To quote Dr. Steven Woolf in a 2008 commentary published in the Journal of the American Medical Association , “Translational research means different things to different people, but it seems important to almost everyone” (1). In the early 2000s, the Institute of Medicine's Clinical Research Roundtable classified translational research into 2 major blocks. T1 is defined as “the transfer of new understandings of disease mechanisms gained in the laboratory into the development of new methods for diagnosis, therapy, and prevention and their first testing …
Plasmon-enhanced absorption and photocurrent in ultrathin GaAs solar cells with metallic nanostructures

Metallic nanostructures can excite surface plasmons and can dramatically increase the optical path length in thin active photovoltaic layers to enhance overall photoabsorption. This effect has potential for cost and weight reduction with thinned layers and also for efficiency enhancement associated with increased carrier excitation level in the absorber layer.
Bacterial tissue tropism: an in vitro model for infective endocarditis

Since infective endocarditis may affect individuals without pre-existing valvar heart disease, and Staphylococcus aureus is the organism most commonly involved, the binding characteristics of S aureus to several components of normal vascular endothelium and subendothelium were studied. S aureus adhered specifically to endothelial monolayers (6.08(1.10)%; p<0.005), fibronectin (5.43(0.81)%; p<0.001), fibrinogen (7.13(1.43)%; p<0.001), and acid soluble calf skin collagen (2.38(0.90)%; p<0.001). S aureus also adhered specifically to Von Willebrand factor (1.62(0.28)%, p<0.001). Protein A containing (Cowan I) and deficient (Wood) strains of S aureus adhered similarly to all surfaces and substrates (NS). Escherichia coli adhered poorly. Immunofluorescence microscopy of preconfluent endothelial cells identified an extensive pericellular fibronectin network at regions of cell to cell contact. Light microscopy showed S aureus binding solely within these regions. Therefore, the ability of S aureus to infect valvar endothelium may be dependent on the presence of a fibronectin receptor. The existence of specific receptor for S aureus on the endothelial cell surface itself remains undetermined.
Earnings Per Share Reporting: A Movement Toward International Harmonization

Earnings per share (EPS) is one of the most widely quoted financial measures used in assessing firm performance. Due to the use of the price-earnings ratio in financial analysis, some countries have established a standard for the computation of EPS measures. This paper compares, contrasts and illustrates current EPS reporting practices for two countries with actual pronouncements: the United States, and the United Kingdom. These two countries were specifically chosen because they represent how current EPS reporting practices can differ on a number of dimensions. In addition, this paper discusses the exposure draft of the Financial Accounting Standards Board (FASB) as compared to that of the International Accounting Standards Committee (IASC), based on a joint project to harmonize the reporting of EPS measures. Final passage of the exposure drafts is expected in mid-1997.
Limit-Point Criteria for a Second Order Dynamic Equation on Time Scales

In this paper, we establish some criteria under which the second order formally self-adjoint dynamic equation (p(t)x � ) ∇ +q(t)x = 0 is of limit-point type on a time scale T. As a special case when T = R, our results include those of Wong and Zettl (11) and Coddington and Levinson (5). Our results are new in a general time scale setting and can be applied to difference and q-difference equations.
Universal cervical length screening in singleton gestations without a previous preterm birth: ten reasons why it should be implemented

A short cervix is associated strongly with preterm birth. Pharmacologic intervention with vaginal progesterone in women with a singleton pregnancy and a short cervix in the second trimester decreases the incidence of preterm birth. We explore the evidence that universal cervical length screening in women with a singleton pregnancy meets the criteria for an effective screening test for preterm birth prevention, driving it towards becoming routinely offered in prenatal care.
Immigration Outside the Law

Historically, immigration policy has defined those who belonged and those who have been excluded from US society. This carried significant consequences to the everyday existence of those affected b...
Examining the Reading Level of Internet Medical Information for Common Internal Medicine Diagnoses

Abstract Background The National Institutes of Health (NIH) recommend that health materials be written at a grade 6-7 reading level, which has generally not been achieved in online reading materials. Up to the present time, there have not been any assessments focused on the reading level of online educational materials across the most popular consumer Web sites for common internal medicine diagnoses. In this study, we examined the readability of open-access online health information for 9 common internal medicine diagnoses. Methods Nine of the most frequently encountered inpatient and ambulatory internal medicine diagnoses were selected for analysis. In November and December 2014, these diagnoses were used as search terms in Google, and the top 5 Web sites across all diagnoses and a diagnosis-specific site were analyzed across 5 validated reading indices. Results On average, the lowest reading grade-level content was provided by the NIH (10.7), followed by WebMD (10.9), Mayo Clinic (11.3), and diagnosis-specific Web sites (11.5). Conversely, Wikipedia provided content that required the highest grade-level readability (14.6). The diagnoses with the lowest reading grade levels were chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (10.8), followed by diabetes (10.9), congestive heart failure (11.7), osteoporosis (11.7) and hypertension (11.7). Depression had the highest grade-level readability (13.8). Discussion Despite recommendations for patient health information to be written at a grade 6-7 reading level, our examination of online educational materials pertaining to 9 common internal medicine diagnoses revealed reading levels significantly above the NIH recommendation. This was seen across both diagnosis-specific and general Web sites. There is a need to improve the readability of online educational materials made available to patients. These improvements have the potential to greatly enhance patient awareness, engagement, and physician–patient communication.
A Historical Investigation into Item Formats of ACS Exams and Their Relationships to Science Practices

The release of the NRC Framework for K-12 Science Education and the Next Generation Science Standards has important implications for classroom teaching and assessment. Of particular interest is the implementation of science practices in the chemistry classroom, and the definitions established by the NRC makes these objectives much more tangible. However, this still may leave some wondering about how to begin making these changes. Mid-twentieth century chemical educators and pioneers of the first ACS exams advocated for testing science thinking and skills as early as the 1930s, and this necessitates a discussion about how early ACS exams measured these attributes. More recent debates have seen arguments that multiple-choice questions cannot measure high levels of cognitive ability in chemistry, which leaves questions about how ACS exams or instructors who write tests for large scale classrooms might try to measure science practices. The possibility that an analysis of the item formats used on ACS exams fro...
TEM of the Relaxor Material Pb(Sc0.5Ta0.5)O3

The transmission electron microscope (TEM) was used to directly observe ordered microdomains in Pb(Sc0.5Ta0.5)O3 (PST). The microstructure of both single crystal and polycrystalline PST was studied as a function of S, the degree of order (which was controlled by thermal treatment). The observed domain sizes were in good agreement with the results of prior X-ray studies. It was found that the domain coarsening kinetics are much slower for the single crystal than the polycrystalline material. Also evidence was obtained for the presence of short range order within PST.
Prenatal Folic Acid Supplements and Reduced Risk of Severe Language Delay

The prospective Norwegian Mother and Child Cohort Study of pregnant women between 1999 and 2008 was used by researchers at the Norwegian Institute of Public Health, Oslo to examine the association between mothers’ use of prenatal folic acid supplements and risk of severe language delay in the children at age 3 years.
Serum Paraoxonase (PON1) Isozymes: The Quantitative Analysis of Isozymes Affecting Individual Sensitivity to Environmental Chemicals

In a recent study on Gulf War veterans who developed delayed neurotoxicity symptoms, we found their levels of serum paraoxonase (PON1) isozyme type Q to be significantly lower than in the control, unaffected veteran group. These results were obtained in 25 ill veterans and 20 well control subjects, of which 10 were deployed and 10 were nondeployed battalion members who remained in the United States during the Gulf War. The blood samples were also assayed for serum butyrylcholinesterase in our laboratory, and more recently in Dr. C. Broomfield's laboratory for somanase and sarinase activities. The cholinesterase activities showed no significant correlation with the PON1 isozyme levels or the severity of the clinical symptoms, but the somanase and sarinase levels ran parallel to the PON1 type Q isozyme concentrations. Although there is no direct evidence that these Gulf War veterans were directly exposed to or encountered either of these nerve gases, they may have been exposed to some environmental or chemical toxin with a similar preference for hydrolysis by the PON1 type Q isozyme. The number of subjects is relatively small, but the results should encourage other investigators to examine both the individual phenotypes and the levels of PON1 isozymes in other groups exhibiting neurological symptoms.
Prolactin-Secreting Pituitary Carcinoma with Dural Metastasis: Diagnosis, Treatment, and Future Directions

Background Pituitary carcinoma is extremely rare, representing approximately 0.2% of all surgically resected pituitary neoplasms. It is thought to arise from World Health Organization grade II (atypical) pituitary adenomas. Pituitary carcinoma is defined by metastasis; it is otherwise indistinguishable from atypical pituitary adenomas, which can be considered carcinoma in situ. Pituitary carcinoma is difficult to diagnose and treat and is associated with poor long-term outcomes. Case Description A 75-year-old man presented with a highly aggressive and treatment-refractory atypical prolactinoma that transformed into a prolactin carcinoma. Although the patient experienced early hormonal and surgical remission and local tumor control after tumor resection and fractionated radiation, isolated dural-based metastases were subsequently noted following gradual elevation in serum prolactin despite ongoing dopamine agonist therapy. En bloc resection was performed of the pathology-confirmed, prolactin-staining dural metastases. At 1-year follow-up, there was no further evidence of metastatic disease, and normalization of serum prolactin was observed. Conclusions Long-term surveillance using serum prolactin as a tumor biomarker and correlation to imaging studies were critical for the diagnosis and interval screening for recurrence. This technique can be applied to all secretory atypical pituitary adenomas to improve early detection of potential metastasis. Further research, especially of genetic and epigenetic characteristics, could readily improve the diagnosis and treatment of pituitary carcinomas.
From PVI to Perception: A Return to the Roots of Rhythm in Broadcast News.

In the mid 1900s, scholars such as Lloyd James (1940), Pike (1945), and Abercrombie (1967) popularized the theory of syllable-timed and stress-timed languages using impressionistic judgments. At that time, the ears of the researchers determined rhythm types. However, in current years, there has been a shift towards an empirical investigation of speech rhythm based on speakers’ production of particular languages. A notable lack of research on the perception of rhythm exists since the mid twentieth century. This study tested perception of rhythmic differences between languages using data previously shown to be statistically different based on rhythm metrics. Using what was thought to be prototypical speech rhythm samples of Chinese and English Broadcast news, this work has shown that 60 listeners of various language backgrounds were able to perceive the difference between these two languages, using only acoustic correlate based rhythm cues, with accuracy that was better than chance.
Microfluidic devices for the study of sperm migration

Microfluidics technology offers us an opportunity to model the biophysical and biochemical environments encountered by sperm moving through the female reproductive tract and, at the same time, to study sperm swimming dynamics at a quantitative level. In humans, coitus results in the deposition of sperm in the vagina at the entrance to the cervix. Consequently, sperm must swim or be drawn through the cervix, uterus, uterotubal junction and oviductal isthmus to reach the oocyte in the oviductal ampulla. Only a very small percentage of inseminated sperm reach the ampulla in the periovulatory period, indicating that strong selection pressures act on sperm during migration. A better understanding of how sperm interact with the female tract would inspire improvements in diagnosis of fertility problems and development of novel-assisted reproductive technologies that minimize damage to sperm and mimic natural selection pressures on sperm.
Progressive antithrombin: a three-phase system.

1. Data are presented which demonstrate that progressive antithrombin activity results from the interaction of three factors: antithrombin, an antithrombin inhibitor, and a platelet factor. In plasma, the antithrombin is held inactive by combination with inhibitor so that no free antithrombic activity is present. When platelets are disrupted—namely, in clotting—the platelet factor made available binds the inhibitor, releasing antithrombin to react with thrombin. 2. Antithrombin was isolated from plasma in the 70-75 per cent ammonium sulfate fraction. It was relatively heat stable at 56-57 C. for 5 minutes and was not soluble in perchloric acid. 3. Inhibitor was isolated from plasma in the 30-50 per cent ammonium sulfate fraction. It was inactivated at 56-57 C. for 5 minutes. It was soluble in perchloric acid in which it was purified by a factor of 300. 4. Platelet factor was present in the sedimentable fragments of platelets.
Migrations in Late Anasazi Prehistory: The Evidence from the Goat Hill Site

ABSTRACTResults of recent investigations at the Goat Hill site (AZ CC: 1: 28 [ASM]), a 35-room masonry pueblo with a central plaza and D-shaped kiva, are summarized. The migration of Kayenta-Tusayan groups during the late thirteenth century is briefly discussed. The argument is presented that the inhabitants of the Goat Hill site were Kayenta-Tusayan immigrants who left northeastern Arizona in the mid-to late thirteenth century and occupied Goat Hill from about A.D. 1275 to 1325. Other topics addressed include methods of dating the site occupation, site demography, implications of the ceramic assemblage, and abandonment of the site.
Development Brokers Revisited

This final chapter revisits this book's argument and findings and discusses its implications for a number of important social scientific and policy debates. This book's findings are obviously germane to discussions about the role of traditional leaders in contemporary politics, but they have implications well beyond this particular debate. I begin by summarizing what this book has shown and – equally importantly – has not shown before describing the implications of this book for our understanding of traditional leaders, clientelism, state building, and local-level democracy in Africa and beyond. Revisiting the Argument To begin, it is worth revisiting what the argument claims and what it does not claim. I have argued that unelected traditional leaders improve the responsiveness of national-level democratic governments in Africa. In explaining why this is so, I do not romanticize the role of chiefs. It is precisely the fact that these leaders are unelected “mini-monarchs” that creates a crucial paradox. The methods by which traditional leaders are selected are fundamentally undemocratic, they typically rule for life, and citizens have little ability to sanction them. Furthermore, traditional leaders are often bestowed powers that would otherwise be granted to elected local governments. As a result, I am skeptical of claims that chiefs are inherently the authentic representatives of their communities. The chieftaincy is not “democracy in its purest form,” as is sometimes claimed by its supporters. There is no guarantee that leaders of small tight-knit communities will share their communities' norms, values, and interests, as communitarian scholars sometimes maintain. But traditional leaders have a personal interest in the provision of local public goods in their communities insofar as they are locally embedded . Chiefs who live full time in their chiefdoms and depend in significant part on other community members for material support have an encompassing interest in the local economies. Like Mancur Olson's “stationary bandits,” if the local economy improves, their own well-being will improve. Social sanctions from other community members also may motivate locally embedded chiefs. But their incentives to help deliver local development are not inherent; they are contingent on them perceiving their own fate to be intimately connected with the economic and social well-being of their broader chiefdom. In addition to having an interest in the provision of local public goods, traditional leaders have a unique ability to organize community contributions to these projects.
A BCL6 Target Gene Signature Predicts the Biological Behavior and Classification of Diffuse Large B-Cell Lymphoma.

Diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL), the most common lymphoid malignancy, is a heterogeneous disease. These tumors are thought to arise from normal antigen-exposed B-cells that have migrated to or through the germinal center (GC). Structural abnormalities of the BCL6 locus (chromosomal translocation and aberrant somatic hypermutation) are the most common genetic abnormalities in DLBCL, occurring in over a third of these tumors. We recently developed a potent and specific BCL6 peptide inhibitor (BPI) that disrupts the interaction between BCL6 and the SMRT co-repressor complex. BPI was cytotoxic against some, but not all, BCL6 positive primary DLBCLs and DLBCL cell lines, indicating that a subset of DLBCLs was particularly dependent on BCL6 for their survival. We predicted that such cases might be identified through a specific BCL6-dependent gene signature and utilized ChIP on chip and a 24,000 promoter genomic microarray to identify BCL6 target genes. In these studies, BCL6 bound to 431 loci. Eighty percent of these candidate target genes contained a canonical BCL6 binding site and 85% of analyzed candidates were confirmed using quantitative single-locus CHIP. GO term enrichment revealed that BCL6 targets were significantly more likely to be genes associated with transcription, ubiquitylation, response to DNA damage, cell cycle and chromatin assembly/disassembly (FDR
Hepatitis C virus-related complications are increasing in women veterans: A national cohort study.

There are gender-specific variations in the epidemiology and clinical course of hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection. However, few long-term longitudinal studies have examined trends in the incidence and prevalence of serious liver complications among women compared with men with HCV infection. We used the Veterans Administration Corporate Data Warehouse to identify all veterans with positive HCV viraemia from January 2000 to December 2013. We calculated gender-specific annual incidence and prevalence rates of cirrhosis, decompensated cirrhosis and hepatocellular cancer (HCC) adjusting for age, diabetes, HIV and alcohol use. We also calculated the average annual per cent change (AAPC) for each outcome by gender using piecewise linear regression in the Joinpoint software. We identified 264 409 HCV-infected veterans during 2000-2013, of whom 7162 (2.7%) were women. There were statistically significant increases over time in the incidence rates of cirrhosis, decompensated cirrhosis and HCC for both men and women. The annual-adjusted incidence rates of cirrhosis, decompensated cirrhosis and HCC were higher in men than women for all study years. However, these complications increased at a similar rate in both groups. Specifically, the AAPC for cirrhosis was 13.1 and 15.2, while it was 15.6 and 16.9 for decompensated cirrhosis and 21.0 and 25.3 for HCC in men and women, respectively (all test of parallelism not significant). The results were similar in the prevalence analyses, although AAPCs were slightly smaller for each outcome. In conclusion, we found an ongoing upward trend in the incidence and prevalence of HCV complications in this cohort of HCV-infected women. This increase in cirrhosis complications in women with active HCV infection is similar to those in men. With cure from HCV now becoming a reality, most of the projected burden of HCV is potentially preventable. However, benefits of HCV treatment will need to extend to all patients in order to stem the rising tide of HCV complications.
Metagenomic Shotgun Sequencing and Unbiased Metabolomic Profiling Identify Specific Human Gut Microbiota and Metabolites Associated with Immune Checkpoint Therapy Efficacy in Melanoma Patients

Abstract This is the first prospective study of the effects of human gut microbiota and metabolites on immune checkpoint inhibitor (ICT) response in metastatic melanoma patients. Whereas many melanoma patients exhibit profound response to ICT, there are fewer options for patients failing ICT—particularly with BRAF-wild-type disease. In preclinical studies, specific gut microbiota promotes regression of melanoma in mice. We therefore conducted a study of the effects of pretreatment gut microbiota and metabolites on ICT Response Evaluation Criteria in Solid Tumors response in 39 metastatic melanoma patients treated with ipilimumab, nivolumab, ipilimumab plus nivolumab (IN), or pembrolizumab (P). IN yielded 67% responses and 8% stable disease; P achieved 23% responses and 23% stable disease. ICT responders for all types of therapies were enriched for Bacteroides caccae . Among IN responders, the gut microbiome was enriched for Faecalibacterium prausnitzii, Bacteroides thetaiotamicron , and Holdemania filiformis . Among P responders, the microbiome was enriched for Dorea formicogenerans . Unbiased shotgun metabolomics revealed high levels of anacardic acid in ICT responders. Based on these pilot studies, both additional confirmatory clinical studies and preclinical testing of these bacterial species and metabolites are warranted to confirm their ICT enhancing activity.
Constraint-theorems on the prototypification of shape

Mathematical results are presented that strongly constrain the prototypification of complex shape. Such shape requires local prototypification in two senses: (1) prototypification occurs in parallel at different parts of the figure, and (2) prototypification varies differentially (smoothly) across an individual part. With respect to (1), we present a theorem that states that every Hoffman-Richards codon has a unique Brady Smooth Local Symmetry. The theorem solves the issue of defining units for parallel decomposition, for it implies that a codon is the minimal unit with respect to the existence of prototypification via symmetry, and is maximal with respect to prototypification via non-ambiguous symmetry. Concerning issue (2) above, a further theorem is offered that severely limits the possible shapes that result from the sequential application of prototypifying operations to smoothly varying deformation. This second result explains why considerably fewer prototype classes exist than one would otherwise expect.
Effect of heifer development system on subsequent growth and reproduction in 2 breeding seasons

ABSTRACT A 4-yr study evaluated the effects of heifer development system on growth and reproductive performance in 2 breeding seasons. March- and May-born, crossbred heifers were stratified by BW and randomly assigned to 1 of 2 treatments from mid-January to mid-April: (1) ad libitum meadow hay (7.3% CP; 54.3% TDN) and 1.64 kg/d of a 32% CP supplement (HY) or (2) meadow grazing (10.3% CP; 61.7% TDN) and 0.41 kg/d supplement (MDW). In the March-born heifers, ADG during treatment was greater (P
The Paradox of Disctinctions

Drawing distinctions is a key tool of both mathematics and philosophy. In this essay I show that the unfettered drawing of distinctions leads to paradox.
Female Pseudohermaphroditism in 21-Hydroxylase Deficiency

Congenital adrenal hyperplasia (CAH) is a family of inherited disorders of adrenal steroidogenesis. Each of these disorders has a characteristic pattern of hormonal abnormalities caused by an inherited deficiency of one of the several enzymes necessary for normal steroid synthesis. The most common form of CAH is caused by a deficiency of the 21-hydroxylase enzyme. Virilization is the foremost clinical symptom of 21-hydroxylase deficiency, as was first documented by the Neapolitan anatomist DeCrecchio in 1865.1 Since his report, numerous investigators have unravelled the mechanism of adrenal steroid synthesis and the associated enzyme defects responsible for CAH. A brief review of the mechanism and regulation of adrenal steroidogenesis is given below to aid in the understanding of the pathophysiology of CAH.
The Role of the Defense Attorney: Not Just an Advocate

This essay was written for a symposium where several authors each analyzed the same factual hypothetical of a client planning to commit perjury. It argues that the lawyer’s ethical role must account for duties to the court and public, as well as the duties to the client. The tri-partite role of the attorney is the beginning point when dealing with what has been called the criminal defense attorney’s trilemma. The answer to the hypothetical posed is found in accepting the responsibility to fulfill each of the required ethical roles in any given situation. This essay argues that the situation of a client’s perjury should be analyzed with a recognition that each of the multiple roles implicate distinct responsibilities, and further that each role has an ethical perspective which must be considered and fulfilled in every action and decision the lawyer makes.
Impact of Sacrificial Hard Mask Material in BEOL Integration in Advanced Technology

As technology scaling continues, the selection of materials for sacrificial hard masks become very critical. Sacrificial hard masks are thin films that are used for patterning or protecting critical underlying films from damage during various processes like etching, deposition or planarization. In this article, we discuss the effect of the sacrificial hard mask material on the erosion in the self-aligned via (SAV) patterning process, selectivity in the etch process, adhesion, defectivity, and metallization.
Outcomes in Patients with Diabetic Macular Edema Requiring Cataract Surgery in VISTA and VIVID Studies

Purpose To evaluate the impact of cataract surgery on visual and anatomic outcomes in patients with diabetic macular edema treated with intravitreal aflibercept injection (IAI) or laser control and who did not require rescue therapy. Design Post hoc analysis of 2 phase 3 trials, Study of Intravitreal Aflibercept Injection in Patients with Diabetic Macular Edema (VISTA) and Intravitreal Aflibercept Injection in Vision Impairment Due to DME (VIVID). Participants Fifty-four patients (laser treatment, n = 11; IAI, n = 43) who underwent cataract surgery during the study period. Methods In VISTA and VIVID, patients received IAI 2 mg every 4 weeks, IAI 2 mg every 8 weeks after 5 monthly doses, or laser control through week 100. Starting at week 24, if rescue treatment criteria were met, IAI patients received laser therapy, and laser therapy patients received IAI 2 mg every 8 weeks (after 5 monthly doses). Patients who received rescue treatment before cataract surgery were excluded. Main Outcome Measures Best-corrected visual acuity (BCVA) and central retinal thickness (CRT) in the laser control and pooled IAI groups before and after cataract surgery. Results The cumulative incidence of cataract surgery did not depend on treatment group assignment (rate ratio, = 1.517; 95% confidence interval, 0.782–2.944; P = 0.2174). At the last study visit before surgery, BCVA was 62.2 and 56.9 letters and CRT was 342 μm and 301 μm in the laser control and IAI groups, respectively. At the first study visit after cataract surgery, BCVA was improved significantly in both the laser control and IAI groups to 73.5 letters (P = 0.010 compared with last visit before surgery) and 67.2 letters (P 0.05 compared with last visit before surgery) and 359 μm (P = 0.013 compared with last visit before surgery), respectively. Conclusions Incidence of cataract surgery was similar in both treatment groups. Despite a modest worsening in CRT after cataract surgery, BCVA was improved in both treatment groups.
Rituximab treatment for dermatitis herpetiformis in the setting of type 1 diabetes mellitus, celiac disease, vitiligo, autoimmune hemolytic anemia, and autoimmune thrombocytopenia.

Few case studies have indicated that rituximab may be helpful in achieving clinical and serologic remission of dermatitis herpetiformis. We present a case of a 47-year-old man with celiac disease refractory to standard treatments who achieved clinical resolution of dermatitis herpetiformis with rituximab.
A Highly Divergent Synthesis of 3-Aminotetrahydropyridines

Dihapto-coordinate 1,2-dihydropyridine complexes of the metal fragment {WTp(NO)(PMe3)} (Tp = tris(pyrazolyl)borate), derived from pyridine, are demonstrated to undergo protonation at C6 followed by...
Controlling quantum emission in 2D materials with strain

The generation of single photons with tunable, high spectral and single-photon purity are essential building blocks of quantum photonic technologies. I will discuss our progress on making high-quality single photon sources based on van der Waals materials including monolayers of WSe2 and hBN defects. In WSe2 we show very spectrally clean emission of high-purity single photons at a strain point in the wrinkles of hBN/WSe2 bilayers, cleaner than the single photon emission at substrate-defined nanopillars. We also study dynamic strain via the integration of ion-beam created hBN defects with drumhead mechanical resonators and study their optical properties.
Ultra-High Performance Concrete Compression and Fracture Response Parameters for Lattice Discrete Particle Model Simulations

Lattice Discrete Particle Model (LDPM) simulation parameters are obtained for Lafarge Ductal Ultra-High Performance Concrete (UHPC) from unconfined compression, fracture, and direct tension tests. The LDPM predicts macroscopic behavior of concrete including compression, shear, and flexure limit states, through mesoscale constitutive relationships. The volume and orientation of fibers were considered as test variables. The experimental results showed a 7% increase in the ultimate compression strength when fibers, 2% by volume, were introduced in the UHPC matrix. The post-peak load carrying capacity also improved where the material maintained 50% of its ultimate carrying capacity at an axial strain 157% greater than the ultimate strain with a 4% fiber volume content. In the fracture tests, the peak load increased by a factor of 5 with the inclusion of 2% fibers by volume and by a factor of 6 when these fibers were oriented perpendicular to the crack plane. The post-peak loads also improved with increasing fiber content. LDPM parameters were obtained by simulating the material tests relevant to plain UHPC (without fiber reinforcement) and comparing the results to experimental data. The simulations will be coupled with fiber-pullout models to validate the model predictive capabilities for fiber-reinforced UHPC in support of a larger research effort to bring simulation-based analysis and design to concrete codes and standards.
Local Differential Privacy Is Equivalent to Contraction of an $f$ -Divergence

We investigate the local differential privacy (LDP) guarantees of a randomized privacy mechanism via its contraction properties. We first show that LDP constraints can be equivalently cast in terms of the contraction coefficient of the $\mathsf{E}_{\gamma}$ -divergence. We then use this equivalent formula to express LDP guarantees of privacy mechanisms in terms of contraction coefficients of arbitrary $f$ -divergences. When combined with standard estimation-theoretic tools (such as Le Cam's and Fano's converse methods), this result allows us to study the trade-off between privacy and utility in several testing and minimax and Bayesian estimation problems.
The Truth about Baked Beans: An Edible History of New England

Taking the mythical origins and current state of New England baked beans as a starting point, Meg Muckenhoupt, a writer of history with a focus on food, shows all that is wrong about stereotypical ...