cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
The Armed Career Criminal Act: Imprecise, Indeterminate, and Unconstitutional

The Armed Career Criminal Act provides a mandatory minimum fifteen-year sentence enhancement for felons possessing a firearm who have previously been convicted three times of a “violent felony” or a “serious drug offense.” Despite this seemingly clear mandate, the statute has been embroiled in controversy for decades as judges struggle to determine what predicate crimes meet this standard. The culmination of this battle resulted in the invalidation of the ACCA’s “residual clause” when the Supreme Court found that the clause violated due process in Johnson v. United States. Nonetheless, the remaining provisions of the ACCA are still problematic. For example, although burglary is a specifically enumerated offense that constitutes a violent felony, burglary convictions in some states have been held to be violent felonies while burglary convictions in other states have not. Likewise, offenses involving “the use, attempted use, or threatened use of physical force against the person of another” have mired the courts in similar difficulties in determining whether the particular offensive qualifies as violent felony. Perhaps most troublesome, a finding of juvenile delinquency can be considered a criminal conviction that subjects an individual to ACCA enhancement in a subsequent adult proceeding, despite the fact that juveniles do not have the right to a jury trial. This paper argues that the ACCA is imprecise, indeterminate, and insusceptible of principled and predictable interpretation. Absent a wholesale modification by Congress, the substantive provisions of the ACCA examined in this paper ought to be held by the courts to be unconstitutional because they deprive defendants of due process.
Healing the Bishop: Consent and the Legal Erasure of Colonial History

During the summer of 1998, Hubert O'Connor, a white Catholic bishop and former Indian residential school principal in British Columbia, participated in what a local magazine termed "a centuries-old native ceremony": an indigenous healing circle. In 1991, Bishop O'Connor was indicted on criminal charges for sexual offences he had allegedly committed some thirty years earlier against five indigenous women, all of whom were his former students and/or employees. While O'Connor acknowledged having sexual relations with these women, he denied having committed any illegal acts, maintaining that these relationships had been consensual. While the trial court originally convicted O'Connor of rape and indecent assault, the provincial Court of Appeal asserted that the trial court had not adequately resolved the issue of consent in O'Connor's criminal trial, and that it was thus left with no choice but to overturn both convictions and order a new trial for the rape charge alone. In order to avoid another lengthy trial, the provincial government instead convened an "indigenous healing circle" for O'Connor and the complainants. In this paper, I argue that legal discourse in R v. O'Connor erases colonial history, an erasure that rests on particular notions of temporality and subjectivity-revealed in the construction of the legal case as an issue of consent. I examine both the healing circle and the Appeal Court's decision to overturn O'Connor's conviction and argue that the culturalist discourse surrounding O'Connor's circle elides the very thing it is supposed to address: namely, the ongoing effects of colonization on indigenous peoples, and on indigenous women in particular. In this configuration of legal spaces, the healing circle is posited as the cultural space of decolonization, thus enabling the mainstream courts to ignore the legacies of colonial history that create the very conditions that bring O'Connor into prolonged contact with the plaintiffs. I ask how the court's construction of consent, and more specifically the consensual agent, is dependent on the erasure of indigeneity. This position stands in sharp contrast to the space of the healing circle that depends on the complainants' indigeneity in order to exist.
Challenges in designing an introductory course in big data programming: lightning talk

We live in a world where massive amounts of data are being generated, leading to advances in disciplines including physics, astronomy, biology, sociology, and business. This so-called Big Data cannot be stored and analyzed using traditional data storage and processing applications, yet its successful storage, mining, and analyses are critical for advances in the fields mentioned above and others. Since April 2014, four Computer Science professors from Eastern Connecticut State University have been participating in Big Data training exercises and developing an Introductory Course in Big Data Programming. However, the broad scope of Big Data and its relative newness pose key challenges to course development.
“Nutritional Wastelands”: Vending Machines, Fast Food Outlets, and the Fight over Junk Food in Canadian Schools

In light of a growing obesity crisis among children and concern about junk food in schools, this article investigates the attempt by food and beverage companies to gain entry into Canadian schools. Focusing in particular on the introduction of fast-food franchises in cafeterias and on school boards’ secret exclusivity deals with soft drink manufacturers in the 1990s, it examines how and why this process occurred, public reactions to it, and government responses. Placing this phenomenon within a larger pattern of commercialization in North American schools, it argues that long-lasting reforms require government intervention and enforcement. A la lumiere d’une crise croissante d’obesite chez les enfants et l’arrivee de la malbouffe dans les ecoles, cet article examine les strategies mises en place par l’industrie alimentaire pour s’infiltrer dans les ecoles canadiennes. En particulier, notre enquete s’interesse a l’introduction, dans les annees 1990, de franchises de restauration rapide dans les cafeterias et aux ententes d’exclusivite passees entre les commissions scolaires et les fabricants de boissons gazeuses. Nous examinons comment s’est developpe ce systeme de commercialisation, comment le public a reagi et quelles ont ete les reponses du gouvernement concernant ce phenomene. Placee dans le contexte plus vaste de l’exploitation alimentaire dans les ecoles de l’Amerique du Nord, notre etude sur ce phenomene fait valoir que les reformes durables requierent l’intervention du gouvernement, afin qu’elles soient mises en oeuvre.
A comparative cost analysis of robotic-assisted surgery versus laparoscopic surgery and open surgery: the necessity of investing knowledgeably.

Robotic surgery has been proposed as a minimally invasive surgical technique with advantages for both surgeons and patients, but is associated with high costs (installation, use and maintenance). The Health Technology Assessment Unit of the Bambino Gesu Children’s Hospital sought to investigate the economic sustainability of robotic surgery, having foreseen its impact on the hospital budget Break-even and cost-minimization analyses were performed. A deterministic approach for sensitivity analysis was applied by varying the values of parameters between pre-defined ranges in different scenarios to see how the outcomes might differ. The break-even analysis indicated that at least 349 annual interventions would need to be carried out to reach the break-even point. The cost-minimization analysis showed that robotic surgery was the most expensive procedure among the considered alternatives (in terms of the contribution margin). Robotic surgery is a good clinical alternative to laparoscopic and open surgery (for many pediatric operations). However, the costs of robotic procedures are higher than the equivalent laparoscopic and open surgical interventions. Therefore, in the short run, these findings do not seem to support the decision to introduce a robotic system in our hospital.
The Present Status of Honey Investigations

A brief sketch is given of investigations on honey and of the needs of the future. Special emphasis is placed on the need of studies of the physical properties of honey, which promise to be the most helpful line of investigations from the point of view of preparing honeys for market.
Intubation conditions and postoperative myalgia in outpatient dental surgery: a comparison of succinylcholine with mivacurium.

Ninety-four patients undergoing elective outpatient third molar extraction were recruited into a double-blind, randomized, prospective trial comparing mivacurium (group M) with succinylcholine (Group S) for conditions for endotracheal intubation and the occurrence of postoperative myalgia. Anaesthesia was induced with fentanyl 1 microgram.kg-1 and propofol 2.5 micrograms.kg-1 in all patients. Group S patients were given gallamine 20 mg while group M patients were given mivacurium 0.2 mg.kg-1. Manual ventilation was commenced and anaesthesia maintained with nitrous oxide 70% and isoflurane 1 to 2% in oxygen. After two minutes, group S patients were given succinylcholine 1.5 mg.kg-1 and group M patients 0.9% saline. Nasotracheal intubation was performed 30 seconds later. Intubating conditions in group M were significantly better than those in group S (P < 0.001). The incidence of postoperative myalgia was 9.5% in group M and 26% in group S but this was not statistically significant (P = 0.09). We propose that mivacurium is a suitable neuromuscular blocker to use for endotracheal intubation in outpatient dental surgery.
Human Chorionic Gonadotropin Blocks The Estrogen-Induced Luteinizing Hormone Release In Long-Term Castrated Rhesus Monkeys: Evidence For An Ultrashort-Loop Negative Feedback

We studied the effects of human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG) administration on the biphasic response of luteinizing hormone (LH) to estrogen challenge in long-term castrated, female rhesus monkeys. Estradiol benzoate (EB), 400 µ g, was administered to all animals at time zero; hCG, 2000 IU, was administered either concomitantly or 12 hours after EB. Blood samples were obtained every 6 hours for 58 hours, and then at 72 and 82 hours. Control animals received EB alone. Serum LH and β hCG were determined by radioimmunoassay. Control animals showed a typical biphasic response to EB: an initial decrease in LH levels, 50% to 70% of baseline, from +6 hours until +30 hours; then a large increase, 150% to 190% of baseline, at +48 hours. Animals treated with hCG at time zero showed an initial decrease in LH, 40% to 70% of baseline, but LH returned to basal levels at +42 hours. Animals treated with hCG 12 hours after EB showed an initial decrease in LH, 45% to 55% of baseline, but LH returned to basal levels at +36 hours. These results suggest that an LH ultrashort-loop negative feedback may exist in the nonhuman primate.
Nearest Neighbor Technique for a Positive Definite Correlation Matrix in Advanced Stressed VAR

We present a new technique for obtaining a positive definite (PD) correlation matrix from a stressed target matrix within the context of Advanced Stressed Value at Risk, (cf. Dash ). The technique uses the spherical decomposition and a “nearest neighbor” technique. The advantage is that control over the scenario specified by the risk manager for the target matrix is achieved in that a maximal number of correlations specified by the target matrix scenario is maintained.
NMR of Polycrystalline NaUF 6

NMR of polycrystalline NaUF6 was used to study the cubic to rhombohedral transition and some properties of the unpaired electron. The transition occurs with a hyster­esis of 26° centered at 297K. The electron relaxation is relatively slow providing an extremely efficient relaxation mechanism for fluorine.
The relationship between nonmedical use of prescription stimulants, executive functioning and academic outcomes

The nonmedical use of prescription stimulants (NMUPS) is a prevalent issue among college students. The primary reason college students report NMUPS is for academic enhancement i.e., to perform better on schoolwork/tests and focus better in class. Executive functioning (EF), which includes abilities that allow for planning, cognitive flexibility, self-regulation, and goal-directed behavior, are potential mechanisms underlying academic performance. Preliminary research has revealed that college students with EF deficits are more likely to have educational difficulties and take part in risky behavior. Based on the literature, it is possible that students with EF deficits are engaging in NMUPS to help them overcome these deficits to succeed academically. Therefore, the purpose of the present study was to examine the relationship between NMUPS and EF among a sample of college students. The sample included 308 students from six public universities located in various regions of the United States. Measures used in this study were the SSQ, BDEFS and GPA. Results revealed 18.8% of the general sample reported NMUPS. Participants with clinically significant EF deficits reported significantly higher rates of NMUPS, compared to those without deficits in EF. NMUPS, however, did not moderate the relationship between EF and GPA. The present findings have implications for identifying sub-populations of college students who might be at risk for engaging in NMUPS and to improve prevention and intervention strategies aimed at reducing NMUPS. Limitations and suggestions for future research are discussed.
Physiological processes underlying organ injury in alcohol abuse.

This review summarizes the American Physiological Society (APS) Presidential Symposium 1 entitled “Physiological Processes Underlying Organ Injury in Alcohol Abuse” at the 2016 Experimental Biology...
Linear or Nonlinear Least-Squares Analysis of Kinetic Data?

The disadvantages of the usual linear least-squares analysis of first- and second-order kinetic data are described, and nonlinear least-squares fitting is recommended as an alternative.
Intermediate term thrombotic risk in contemporary total cavo-pulmonary connection for single ventricle circulations

Despite the common occurrence of thrombosis in Fontan circulations, the mid-term thrombotic risk beyond the first two postoperative years is poorly defined especially in total cavo pulmonary Fontan. This study examines the thrombotic incidence and risk beyond the first 2 years after contemporary Fontan surgery. Using a retrospective cohort study design, 89 Fontan patients, 50 male, were included and evaluated with a median of 8.3 years (IQR 6.8-11.4) follow-up. Hospital records were reviewed for known risk factors of thrombosis, thrombotic events, antiplatelet and anticoagulation management, and basic characteristics. Forty seven patients (52%) had a dominant left ventricle, and 28 (32%) had hypoplastic left heart syndrome. Eight patients had thrombotic events post Fontan surgery at a median age of 9 years (IQR 5.6-13), 5.7 (IQR 2.0-9.7) years following surgery, not including events that occurred immediately peri-operatively. Four thrombotic events were intracardiac whereas the remainder were extra-cardiac. There was no significant univariate correlation between thrombosis and the presence of ventricular morphology, pulmonary arterial reconstruction, or type of cavopulmonary anastomosis (lateral tunnel vs. extracardiac conduit). Thrombosis continues to be an important intermediate-term risk even for patients with contemporary Fontan circulations. These results strongly suggest that thrombophilic risk is not dictated purely by vascular pathway and hemodynamic variables. Further investigation into the pathophysiology, individualized risk, and effectiveness of anticoagulation strategies are required in this high risk population.
Bayesian Methods in Public Health

Abstract In this chapter we consider the application of Bayesian methods to several statistical problems that arise in the health sciences. We show that the Bayesian approach is straightforward to apply for a broad array of commonly encountered statistical problems, as well as many that are more complex, using freely available statistical software. We begin by contrasting frequentist estimation and inferential procedures with the Bayesian framework. Approaches to Bayesian inference for one- and two-sample Binomial problems are illustrated, along with extensions to logistic regression and hierarchical linear mixed effects models. Throughout, examples based on real applications are presented and the importance of specifying realistic and meaningful prior distributions, along with the scientific interpretability and importance of inferential results, is emphasized.
The Neuroendocrinology of Thirst: Afferent Signaling and Mechanisms of Central Integration

An animal at rest loses water continuously to the external environment. This decline in hydration is accelerated by environmental and dietary challenges which increase renal water excretion and evaporative fluid loss associated with perspiration and respiration. The body responds to an accumulating fluid deficit by activating multiple hormonal (e.g., antidiuretic hormone) and efferent neural (e.g. sympathetic) control systems, which act to decrease the rate of loss and optimize the distribution of available fluids within the body. Although such compensatory responses serve temporarily to stem the tide of dehydration, fluid homeostasis can be restored only by ingestion of water. Drinking as a response to replete fluid loss is vital and has been termed homeostatic drinking (see Fitzsimons 1972; Epstein et al. 1973; Peters et al. 1975; Fitzsimons 1979; Rolls and Rolls 1982; and de Caro et al. 1986, for reviews of the physiology of thirst). (Depending on the author or discipline, the term thirst has been used in a variety of different ways. It has been used to describe a sensation and as a hypothetical construct or intervening variable. In the present essay, thirst is used simply as a substitute for water intake, drinking, or drinking behavior. The term thirst is used here for the convenience of providing some literary variety.)
Failure Times of Deterioration Processes

In this chapter we discuss reliability models for systems under stress, which are deteriorating.
On the Cosmological Implications of the String Swampland

Abstract We study constraints imposed by two proposed string Swampland criteria on cosmology. These criteria involve an upper bound on the range traversed by scalar fields as well as a lower bound on | ∇ ϕ V | / V when V > 0 . We find that inflationary models are generically in tension with these two criteria. Applying these same criteria to dark energy in the present epoch, we find that specific quintessence models can satisfy these bounds and, at the same time, satisfy current observational constraints. Assuming the two Swampland criteria are valid, we argue that the universe will undergo a phase transition within a few Hubble times. These criteria sharpen the motivation for future measurements of the tensor-to-scalar ratio r and the dark energy equation of state w, and for tests of the equivalence principle for dark matter.
“To Include or Not to Include?” That is NOT the Question

Turning to psychological research, intelligence theory, and behavioral studies, this article offers practical advice for implementing an inclusive model of Catholic education. Field-tested models are discussed and suggested components for any inclusion program are provided. The article concludes with a vision statement for inclusive Catholic education.
HeI Photoelectron Spectroscopy of Transient and Unstable Species

Photoelectron (PE) spectroscopy is a technique involving ejection of electrons from molecules by radiation (in this case, Hel, 21.2 eV). The ejected electron carries away information about the electronic, vibrational, and rotational states of the resultant ion, the first providing information on a manifold of ionic states, and the second giving the vibrational frequencies in the ion. Rotational structure is not usually resolved.
A Quantitative Analysis of Mixed-to-Pure Pixel Conversion (MPCV)

Over the past years many algorithms have been developed for multispectral and hyperspectral image classification. Due to a lack of standardized data, these algorithms have not been rigorously compared within a unified framework. In this chapter, we present a comparative study of several popular classification algorithms through a standardized HYDICE data set with custom-designed detection and classification criteria. The algorithms to be considered for this study are those developed in Chapter 8, viz. the orthogonal subspace projection (OSP), unconstrained Gaussian maximum likelihood (GML) classifier, minimum distance, and Fisher’s linear discriminant analysis (LDA). In order to compare mixed pixel classification (MPC) algorithms against pure pixel classification (PPC) algorithms, a mixed pixel is converted to a pure pixel via a mixed-to-pure pixel converter (MPCV). The standardized HYDICE data are then used to evaluate the performance of various PPC and MPC algorithms. Since the precise spatial locations of all the targets in the standardized HYDICE data are available, the candidate algorithms can be evaluated by tallying the number of targets detected and classified for quantitative analysis.
Direct liquefaction (DCL) processes and technology for coal and biomass conversion

Abstract: This chapter focuses on liquefaction of solids, primarily coal and biomass sources such as lignin. In a two-step process the molecular structure is broken into fragments and hydrogenated, increasing the hydrogen-to-carbon ratio and preventing retrogressive reactions. Solvents solubilize smaller molecular weight components and promote hydrogenation; catalyst improves hydrogenation. The use of high-carbon-based feeds to produce alternative fuels and value-added chemicals is discussed. Basic conversion chemistry, chemical structures of coal and lignin biomass are discussed, followed by process technologies for direct liquefaction, liquid quality, process control and modeling, advantages and limitations, and future trends. Direct liquefaction processes can overlap with pyrolysis; low-temperature pyrolysis is included because of the liquids generated.
Choroid Plexus Neoplasms

Intraventricular neoplasms derived from choroid plexus epithelium including choroid plexus papilloma (WHO grade I), atypical choroid plexus papilloma (WHO grade II), and choroid plexus carcinoma (WHO grade III). The vast majority are sporadic, though rarely arise in association with hereditary cancer predisposition syndromes, including the Li Fraumeni and Rhabdoid Predisposition Syndromes, with germline mutations of TP53 and hSNF5/INI1/SMARCB1 respectively. Choroid plexus papillomas (CPP) are also a component of Aicardi syndrome, the affected patients showing agenesis of the corpus callosum, chorioretinal lacuna, and infantile spasms. Rarely CPP arise in the context of von Hippel-Lindau disease. Choroid plexus papillomas are at least five times more common than carcinomas (CPC).
Oximes short-acting CB1 receptor agonists.

Abstract New oximes short-acting CB1 agonists were explored by the introduction of an internal oxime and polar groups at the C3 alkyl tail of Δ8-THC. The scope of the research was to drastically alter two important physicochemical properties hydrophobicity (log P) and topological surface area (tPSA) of the compound, which play a critical role in tissue distribution and sequestration (depot effect). Key synthesized analogs demonstrated sub-nanomolar affinity for CB1, marked reduction in hydrophobicity (ClogP∼2.5–3.5 vs 9.09 of Δ8-THC-DMH), and found to function as either agonists (trans-oximes) or neutral antagonists (cis-oximes) in a cAMP functional assay. All oxime analogs showed comparable affinity at the CB2 receptor, but surprisingly they were found to function as inverse agonists for CB2. In behavioral studies (i.e. analgesia, hypothermia) trans-oxime 8a exhibited a predictable fast onset (∼20 min) and short duration of pharmacological action (∼180 min), in contrast to the very prolonged duration of Δ8-THC-DMH (>24 h), thus limiting the potential for severe psychotropic side-effects associated with persistent activation of the CB1 receptor. We have conducted 100 ns molecular dynamic (MD) simulations of CB1 complexes with AM11542 (CB1 agonist) and both trans-8a and cis-8b isomeric oximes. These studies revealed that the C3 alkyl tail of cis-8b orientated within the CB1 binding pocket in a manner that triggered a conformational change that stabilized the CB1 receptor at its inactive-state (antagonistic functional effect). In contrast, the trans-8a isomer’s conformation was coincided with that of the AM11542 CB1 agonist-bound structure, stabilizing the CB1 receptor at the active-state (agonistic functional effect). We have selected oxime trans-8a based on its potency for CB1, and favorable pharmacodynamic profile, such as fast onset and predictable duration of pharmacological action, for evaluation in pre-clinical models of anorexia nervosa.
RLUIPA's Equal Terms Clause and the Circuit Split: It's All About the Money

Families are not the only ones struggling to make ends meet in the Great Recession; so are cities. Some are even going bankrupt, and as municipalities struggle to find revenue and make ends meet, the temptation to eliminate those who get in the way — like religious institutions — may grow. Tax revenue and economic development have become the centerpiece of a new and spreading area of conflict in the law of church and state. This Essay examines the roots of conflict between religious institutions and local governments, and adds a framework for considering the potential zones of conflict between them. In understanding what conflicts may arise, why they arise, and how they figure into litigation, we are better prepared to address litigation between these two entities. While there are many different reasons for conflict resulting in litigation under the Religious Land Use and Institutionalized Persons Act of 2000 (RLUIPA), one topic has made its way into the cases more often than the others — economic issues and revenue generation. The fact that churches do not add to a city’s revenue has become a deciding issue in many of the cases. As the circuits split over how exactly to apply the requirement of the Equal Terms clause in RLUIPA, the tests they have chosen weigh economic considerations differently in their analysis and in the outcome of litigation.
Cortical thinning in military blast compared to non-blast persistent mild traumatic brain injuries.

In the military, explosive blasts are a significant cause of mild traumatic brain injuries (mTBIs). The symptoms associated with blast mTBIs causes significant economic burdens and a diminished quality of life for many service members. At present, the distinction of the injury mechanism (blast versus non-blast) may not influence TBI diagnosis. However, using noninvasive imaging, this study reveals significant distinctions between the blast and non-blast TBI mechanisms. A cortical whole-brain thickness analysis was performed using structural high-resolution T1-weighted MRI to identify the effects of blasts in persistent mTBI (pmTBI) subjects. A total of 41 blast pmTBI subjects were individually age- and gender-matched to 41 non-blast pmTBI subjects. Using FreeSurfer, cortical thickness was quantified for the blast group, relative to the non-blast group. Cortical thinning was identified within the blast mTBI group, in two clusters bilaterally. In the left hemisphere, the cluster overlapped with the lateral orbitofrontal, rostral middle frontal, medial orbitofrontal, superior frontal, rostral anterior cingulate and frontal pole cortices (p < 0.02, two-tailed, size = 1680 mm2). In the right hemisphere, the cluster overlapped with the lateral orbitofrontal, rostral middle frontal, medial orbitofrontal, pars orbitalis, pars triangularis and insula cortices (p < 0.002, two-tailed, cluster size = 2453 mm2). Self-report assessments suggest significant differences in the Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder Checklist-Civilian Version (p < 0.05, Bonferroni-corrected) and the Neurobehavioral Symptom Inventory (p < 0.01, uncorrected) between the blast and non-blast mTBI groups. These results suggest that blast may cause a unique injury pattern related to a reduction in cortical thickness within specific brain regions which could affect symptoms. No other study has found cortical thickness difference between blast and non-blast mTBI groups and further replication is needed to confirm these initial observations.
$W$ -Band Vibrometer for Noncontact Thermoacoustic Imaging

Noncontact thermoacoustic imaging (TAI) has several desirable characteristics for applications such as explosive detection in high-water-content media. In this letter, we report a detection technique using millimeter-wave interferometry based on sensitive phase detection at ${W}$ -band. The displacement sensitivity of the proposed ${W}$ -band vibrometer at 95 GHz is of the order of 1 nm. We also analyze the effect of phase noise on the sensitivity of the vibrometer. Unlike laser-based sensors, a ${W}$ -band sensor has several advantages; it can easily penetrate surface obscurants such as fur or cloth and it does not require a highly reflective surface of the target to detect the thermoacoustic vibrations.
The Relation of Lotic Fish and Benthic Macroinvertebrate Condition Indices to Environmental Factors Across the Conterminous USA.

Abstract National and regional ecological assessments are essential for making rational decisions concerning water body conservation and management at those spatial extents. We analyzed data from 4597 samples collected from 3420 different sites across the conterminous USA during the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s 2008–2009 and 2013–2014 National Rivers and Streams Assessment. We evaluated the relationship between both fish and macroinvertebrate multimetric index (MMI) condition scores and 38 environmental factors to assess the relative importance of natural versus anthropogenic predictors, contrast site-scale versus watershed-scale predictors, and examine ecoregional and assemblage differences. We found that most of the environmental factors we examined were related to either fish and/or macroinvertebrate MMI scores in some fashion and that the factors involved, and strength of the relationship, varied by ecoregion and between assemblages. Factors more associated with natural conditions were usually less important in explaining MMI scores than factors more directly associated with anthropogenic disturbances. Local site-scale factors explained more variation than watershed-scale factors. Random forest and multiple regression models performed similarly, and the fish MMI-environment relationships were stronger than macroinvertebrate MMI-environment relationships. Among ecoregions, the strongest environmental relationships were observed in the Northern Appalachians and the weakest in the Southern Plains. The fish and macroinvertebrate MMIs were only weakly correlated with each other, and they generally responded more strongly to different groups of variables. These results support the use of multiple assemblages and the sampling of multiple environmental indicators in ecological assessments across large spatial extents.
Big Data Analytics in Cybersecurity: Network Data and Intrusion Prediction

Intrusion detection of computer networks is an important issue in cybersecurity. Networks generate stream data which are big data and often lead to challenges in intrusion detection. The ‘Variety’ and ‘Veracity’ characteristics of big data in network data are studied using $R$ and its functions in this paper. The statistics, correlation, and association of variables in the spam email database ‘spambase’ are analysed. The clustering analysis based on k-means and principal component analysis for the data dimension reduction of the database are performed. Spam-email intrusion is predicted based on the Naive Bayesian classification and deep learning, respectively. The analytics of missing values and missing data patterns in a large data set of ‘VAST 2013’ (with multiple data types and a huge volume of missing values) is conducted and its missing data patterns are obtained.
Women Who Are Young, Non-White, and with Lower Socioeconomic Status Report Higher Financial Toxicity up to 1 Year After Breast Cancer Surgery: A Mixed-Effects Regression Analysis.

PURPOSE We examined self-reported financial toxicity and out-of-pocket expenses among adult women with breast cancer. METHODS Patients spoke English, Spanish, or Mandarin Chinese, were aged 18+ years, had stage I-IIIA breast cancer, and were eligible for breast-conserving and mastectomy surgery. Participants completed surveys about out-of-pocket costs and financial toxicity at 1 week, 12 weeks, and 1 year postsurgery. RESULTS Three hundred ninety-five of 448 eligible patients (88.2%) from the parent trial completed surveys. Excluding those reporting zero costs, crude mean ± SD out-of-pocket costs were $1,512 ± $2,074 at 1 week, $2,609 ± $6,369 at 12 weeks, and $3,308 ± $5,000 at 1 year postsurgery. Controlling for surgery, cancer stage, and demographics with surgeon and clinic as random effects, higher out-of-pocket costs were associated with higher financial toxicity 1 week and 12 weeks postsurgery (p < .001). Lower socioeconomic status (SES) was associated with lower out-of-pocket costs at each time point (p = .002-.013). One week postsurgery, participants with lower SES reported financial toxicity scores 1.02 points higher than participants with higher SES (95% confidence interval [CI], 0.08-1.95). Black and non-White/non-Black participants reported financial toxicity scores 1.91 (95% CI, 0.46-3.37) and 2.55 (95% CI, 1.11-3.99) points higher than White participants. Older (65+ years) participants reported financial toxicity scores 2.58 points lower than younger (<65 years) participants (95% CI, -3.41, -1.74). Younger participants reported significantly higher financial toxicity at each time point. DISCUSSION Younger age, non-White race, and lower SES were associated with higher financial toxicity regardless of costs. Out-of-pocket costs increased over time and were positively associated with financial toxicity. Future work should reduce the impact of cancer care costs among vulnerable groups. IMPLICATIONS FOR PRACTICE This study was one of the first to examine out-of-pocket costs and financial toxicity up to 1 year after breast cancer surgery. Younger age, Black race, race other than Black or White, and lower socioeconomic status were associated with higher financial toxicity. Findings highlight the importance of addressing patients' financial toxicity in several ways, particularly for groups vulnerable to its effects.
Identification of Novel lncRNAs in Ovarian Cancer and Their Impact on Overall Survival

Long non-coding RNA's (lncRNA) are RNA sequences that do not encode proteins and are greater than 200 nucleotides in length. They regulate complex cellular mechanisms and have been associated with prognosis in various types of cancer. We aimed to identify lncRNA sequences that are associated with high grade serous ovarian cancer (HGSC) and assess their impact on overall survival. RNA was extracted from 112 HGSC patients and 12 normal fallopian tube samples from our Biobank tissue repository. RNA was sequenced and the Ultrafast and Comprehensive lncRNA detection and quantification pipeline (UClncR) was used for the identification of lncRNA sequences. Univariate logistic and multivariate lasso regression analyses identified lncRNA that was associated with HGSC. Univariate and multivariate Cox proportional hazard ratios were used to evaluate independent predictors of survival. 1943 of 16,325 investigated lncRNA's were differentially expressed in HGSC as compared to controls (p < 0.001). Nine of these demonstrated association with cancer after multivariate lasso regression. Our multivariate analysis of survival identified four lncRNA's associated with survival in HGSC. Three out of these four were found to be independently significant after accounting for all clinical covariates. Lastly, seven lncRNAs were independently associated with initial response to chemotherapy; four portended a worse response, while three were associated with improved response. More research is needed, but there is potential for these lncRNAs to be used as biomarkers of HGSC or predictors of treatment outcome in the future.
Priors, population sizes, and power in genome-wide hypothesis tests

Abstract Genome-wide tests, including genome-wide association studies (GWAS) of germ-line genetic variants, driver tests of cancer somatic mutations, and transcriptome-wide association tests of RNA-Seq data, carry a high multiple testing burden. This burden can be overcome by enrolling larger cohorts or alleviated by using prior biological knowledge to favor some hypotheses over others. Here we compare these two methods in terms of their abilities to boost the power of hypothesis testing. We provide a quantitative estimate for progress in cohort sizes, and present a theoretical analysis of the power of oracular hard priors: priors that select a subset of hypotheses for testing, with an oracular guarantee that all true positives are within the tested subset. This theory demonstrates that for GWAS, strong priors that limit testing to 100–1000 genes provide less power than typical annual 20–40% increases in cohort sizes. These theoretical results explain the continued dominance of simple, unbiased univariate hypothesis tests for RNA-Seq studies and GWAS: if a statistical question can be answered by larger cohort sizes, it should be answered by larger cohort sizes rather than by more complicated biased methods involving priors. We suggest that priors are better suited for non-statistical aspects of biology, such as pathway structure and causality, that are not yet easily captured by standard hypothesis tests. Author summary Biological experiments often test thousands to millions of hypotheses. Gene-based tests for human RNA-Seq data, for example, involve approximately 20,000 tests; genome-wide association studies (GWAS) involve about 1 million effective tests. A robust approach is to perform individual tests and then apply a Bonferroni correction to account for multiple testing. This approach implies a single-test p-value of 2.5 × 10−6 for RNA-Seq experiments, and a p-value of 5 × 10−8 for GWAS, to control the false-positive rate at a conventional value of 0.05. Many methods have been proposed to alleviate the multiple-testing burden by incorporating a prior probability that boosts the significance for a subset of candidate genes or variants. At the extreme limit, only hypotheses within a candidate set are tested, corresponding to a decreased multiple testing burden. Despite decades of methods development, prior-based tests have not been generally used. Here we compare the power increase possible with a prior with the power increase from a much simpler strategy of increasing a study size. We show that increasing the population size is exponentially more valuable than increasing the strength of prior, even when the true prior is known exactly. Furthermore, even modest yearly increases in actual GWAS cohorts can yield power gains beyond the reach of any reasonable prior. These results provide a rigorous explanation for the continued use of simple, robust methods rather than more sophisticated approaches. They suggest that the value of priors is not in multiple hypothesis testing but rather in non-statistical aspects of interpretation including pathway structure and causality.
Shielding and Radiation Protection in Ion Beam Therapy Facilities

Radiation protection is a key aspect of any radiotherapy (RT) department and is made even more complex in ion beam therapy (IBT) by the large facility size, secondary particle spectra and intricate installation of these centers. In IBT, large and complex radiation producing devices are used and made available to the public for treatment. It is thus the responsibility of the facility to put in place measures to protect not only the patient but also the general public, occupationally and nonoccupationally exposed personnel working within the facility, and electronics installed within the department to ensure maximum safety while delivering maximum up-time.
Smart Products, Smarter Services: Smart product ecosystems

The HealthVault platform supports a growing ecosystem of connected, user-friendly applications, so people can keep a comprehensive, up-to-date record of their health information in a place where they can view and share it with whomever they choose. (Microsoft, 2009a) Combine the name of any technology company with “platform” or “ecosystem” in the search engine of your choice and you will get a sense of the maturity and scope of that company's product, platform, and ecosystem strategies. Even early-stage technology companies that don't have much of a strategy beyond issuing press releases are eager to announce an ecosystem partnership with a market leader in their industry. An August 2009 search for “Microsoft ecosystem” on the Bing search engine retrieved 6.4 million results. Most high-tech companies fall somewhere in-between Microsoft and new entrants in the scope of their ecosystem strategies. Like the concept of shaping a corporate value chain to create competitive advantage, an enterprise ecosystem has become a fundamental element in technology product development and distribution. Applying product platform strategies to computer component design and software development gained favor in the 1990s as a way to keep up with rapid-fire technological advances and accelerating software-update cycles. Platform strategies allowed technology companies to attract more developers and component partners, to create more coherent product roadmaps, and to assure their technical and channel partners that the next generation of products would complement current development and sales plans and be compatible with their growing base of customer installations (McGrath, 1995; Salonen, 2004).
Manual control with saturating actuators

The objectives of this paper are to concisely state the tracking control problem with actuator saturation, briefly review the current literature, and formulate the problem in a manual (flight) control context. The complexity of tracking control with saturation is demonstrated via a "simple" example. A new approach to the manual flight control problem with both rate and amplitude actuator constraints, referred to as Linear Quadratic Tracking (LQT) is outlined. This approach is specifically directed toward the dynamic tracking control problem subject to both displacement and rate actuator constraints, particularly for the challenging case of open-loop unstable plants, which are of current interest in flight control, and employs full state feedback. The saturation avoidance aspect of the proposed LQT solution is demonstrated for the simple example.
Network security architecture

One of the areas that should receive substantial attention in the CS curriculum is network security. The fact is that most CS curricula treat this issue as a subset of a course in networking, whereas it deserves its own place among other courses in the curriculum. In this paper we discuss various topics that could be included in such a course.We will first discuss different threats, their causes, and effects on the network. We will then address the measures that can be taken to secure the network. Our discussion will continue with factors that affect network security and the security services in OSI. Finally, we will cover the OSI security mechanisms to meet the network's security goals, and their relationship to each of the layers of OSI.
Statistical techniques for juror and jury research

Juror and jury research is a thriving area of investigation in legal psychology. The basic ANOVA and regression, well-known by psychologists, are inappropriate for analysing many types of data from this area of research. This paper describes statistical techniques suitable for some of the main questions asked by jury researchers. First, we discuss how to examine manipulations that may affect levels of reasonable doubt and how to measure reasonable doubt using the coefficients estimated from a logistic regression. Second, we compare models designed for analysing the data like those which often arise in research where jurors first make categorical judgments (e.g., negligent or not, guilty or not) and then dependent on their response may make another judgment (e.g., award, punishment). We concentrate on zero-inflated and hurdle models. Third, we examine how to take into account that jurors are part of a jury using multilevel modelling. We illustrate each of the techniques using software that can be downloaded for free from the Internet (the package R) and provide a web page that gives further details for running these analyses.
The missing teleconnection between the North Atlantic and the Sahel precipitation in CFSv2

This study presents new findings on the link between interannual variabilities of atmospheric circulations over the North Atlantic and precipitation over the African Sahel (PS). Our analysis shows a meridionally stratified circulation wave train resembling the East Atlantic (EA) mode, apparently connected to PS through Rossby wave dispersion in the middle troposphere originating from the North Atlantic. However, the Climate Forecast System version 2 fails to depict the EA and its PS impact. Because the EA explains 29% of variance of PS, this portion of PS variability is either missing in the seasonal forecast, or being made up by an alternative process.
Performance Factors Analysis --A New Alternative to Knowledge Tracing

Knowledge tracing (KT)[1] has been used in various forms for adaptive computerized instruction for more than 40 years. However, despite its long history of application, it is difficult to use in domain model search procedures, has not been used to capture learning where multiple skills are needed to perform a single action, and has not been used to compute latencies of actions. On the other hand, existing models used for educational data mining (e.g. Learning Factors Analysis (LFA)[2]) and model search do not tend to allow the creation of a “model overlay” that traces predictions for individual students with individual skills so as to allow the adaptive instruction to automatically remediate performance. Because these limitations make the transition from model search to model application in adaptive instruction more difficult, this paper describes our work to modify an existing data mining model so that it can also be used to select practice adaptively. We compare this new adaptive data mining model (PFA, Performance Factors Analysis) with two versions of LFA and then compare PFA with standard KT.
Sensitization to Stress and Psychostimulants

Rats exposed to chronic stress demonstrate an enhanced motor response to psychostimulants, such as cocaine. This behavioral cross-sensitization between stress (repeated mild footshock) and cocaine (15 mg/kg, ip) is associated with an increase in extracellular dopamine in the nucleus accumbens, but a decrease in the prefrontal cortex. To determine a role for the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis in sensitization, rats were adrenalectomized prior to administering repeated cocaine injections. One and twelve days after discontinuing repeated cocaine, rats were challenged with acute cocaine. Adrenalectomy blocked the cocaine-induced sensitization observed in sham animals, but both the sham and adrenalectomized rats demonstrated behavioral sensitization to cocaine after twelve days of withdrawal. These data argue that while long-term alterations in dopamine transmission may be an important neurochemical substrate of stress and psychostimulant-induced sensitization, the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis may not have a necessary role.