cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Hybrid Segmentation Algorithm for Detecting Alzheimer's Disease in MRI Images

Alzheimer is defined as the loss of mental functions such as thinking, memory, and reasoning that is severe enough to interfere with a person's daily functioning. The appearance of Alzheimer's Disease symptoms are resulted based on which part of the brain has a variety of infection or damage. Therefore, MRI is the best biomedical instrumentation to detect Alzheimer's Disease. For that reason, this paper proposes a novel method for detecting Alzheimer's Disease in MRI images using thresholding and morphology. In this paper, we analyzed 20 MRI images collected from OASIS brains database to detect the threshold that will allow our program to automatically detect Alzheimer's Disease existence in MRI images. Automatically Image Classification is one of the challenging problems of our recent era. So, we have implemented and tested our proposed technique and the end results have 98% accuracy.
Region-specific recombination in phage T4. I. A special glucosyl-dependent recombination system.

In this communication, we describe a recombination mechanism in bacteriophage T4D that acts only on glucosylated phage, acts in some regions of the genome, but not others, and is heat sensitive, showing decreasing activity with increasing temperature.
Associations Between Specific Negative Emotions and DSM-5 PTSD Among a National Sample of Interpersonal Trauma Survivors

The diagnosis of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) has undergone several significant changes corresponding with the recent implementation of the fifth edition of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders ( DSM-5). Many of these changes reflect a growing recognition that PTSD is characterized by a wide range of negative affective experiences that were underrepresented in prior conceptualizations of the disorder. The present study examined the prevalence and correlates of a new Criterion D symptom (D4-Negative Affect), which is aimed at assessing subjective problems with persistent negative emotion states (e.g., fear, anger, shame, guilt, horror) among a sample of 1,522 U.S. adults with a history of interpersonal trauma recruited from a national online panel. The prevalence of D4-Negative Affect was very high among individuals with assault-related PTSD (AR-PTSD) and in particular, was significantly higher than among PTSD negative individuals. Moreover, specific problems with anger, shame, and fear were significantly and uniquely associated with AR-PTSD. Important differences also emerged as a function of gender and interpersonal trauma history. These findings provide initial empirical support for the expanded emphasis on assessing a wide range of negative affective experiences that may be associated with PTSD in DSM-5.
Student Perceptions of the Acceptability and Utility of Standardized and Idiographic Assessment in School Mental Health.

Evidence-based assessment (EBA) comprises the use of research and theory to select methods and processes that have demonstrated reliability, validity and clinical usefulness for prescribed populations. EBA can lead to positive clinical change, and recent work has suggested that it is perceived to be useful by school mental health providers. However, virtually nothing is known about student perceptions of assessment use. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 31 ethnically diverse middle and high school students (71% female) receiving mental health services in school-based health centers. Findings indicated that the majority of students found assessments to be useful, and perceived three primary functions of assessments: structuring the therapy session, increasing students’ self-awareness and improving communication with the provider. Barriers to acceptability were also found for a minority of respondents. Some students found the nature of standardized assessments to be confining, and others expres...
Dose site reactions and related findings after vaccine administration in safety studies

Potential new human vaccines undergo toxicology testing to evaluate local reactogenicity and systemic toxicity. A review of 30 recently published and in-house repeat dose toxicity studies with a variety of vaccines was performed. Species tested were generally rat or rabbit, usually by intramuscular (although occasionally subcutaneous) injection. Results showed no unexpected findings indicating vaccine toxicity, but classic signs of enhanced acute and/or chronic inflammation at the dose site compared with that seen in injected control animals, often accompanied by changes in draining lymph nodes and the spleen (lymphoid hyperplasia and/or increased weight). Other associated signs of a response to vaccine dosing were altered clinical pathology parameters (commonly raised blood neutrophil count and altered globulin level). No obvious difference in dose site or systemic reaction was seen across vaccine, species or the dose route used. A non-dose recovery period of 2 to 4 weeks was sufficient to show evidence of reversibility of dose site effects. Injection site, lymphoid tissue and clinical pathological changes can be interpreted as related to an expected reaction after vaccine dosing, with generation of an immune response largely as a result of the presence of adjuvant, although direct vaccine antigen involvement was also occasionally demonstrated by the presence of a slightly increased inflammatory response seen over adjuvant treatment only. Overall, the need for toxicity testing of vaccines is in line with current regulatory guideline requirements and has proven to be a valuable part of the safety evaluation process prior to human use. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Sexualities and Social Movements: Three Decades of Sex and Social Change

Social movements have been at the center of dramatic legal, political, and social change for marginalized sexualities for the last 30 years. These social changes include increase of supportive laws, policies, public opinion, cultural visibility, and affirming identities for alternative sexual practices, identities, and communities. This includes more positive visibility for sexual practices, identities, and communities around sexualities such as homosexuality, bisexuality, polyamory, sex work, and BDSM. There have been, of course, limitations to these social changes, as many sexualities are still stigmatized or legally marginalized. This chapter considers the role that social movements play in the social transformation of gender and sexuality with attention to the lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer (LGBTQ) movement.
Line-shape analyses of XVV Auger spectra of p ( 1 × 1 ) - V 3 Si(100): Evidence for autoionization emission

In the light of recent advances in understanding the Auger process, the local electronic structural origins of selected core-valence-valence (XVV) Auger line shapes are analyzed for a transition-metal silicide prototype, V/sub 3/Si. We report for clean p(1 x 1)-V/sub 3/Si(100) Auger spectra that include the region of the vanadium M/sub 2,3/VV and M/sub 1/VV and the Si L/sub 2,3/VV transitions. We compare the measured line shapes to spectra we generated based on the muffin-tin local density of states (DOS) calculated self-consistently by Klein et al. Good agreement in both the Si pp(L/sub 2,3/M/sub 2,3/M/sub 2,3/) and the V dd(M/sub 2,3/M/sub 4,5/M/sub 4,5/) peak positions between experiment and calculation verified that the final-state hole-hole repulsion for Si (U/sub p/p) and V (U/sub d/d) are both approx.0 eV. Also, the Si L/sub 2,3/VV spectrum resembles that of elemental Si in that the line shape is predominantly a self-fold of the Si 3p DOS. However, an unexpected result is that the V spectral region above the M/sub 2,3/VV threshold possesses a broad (approx.30-eV-wide) intense feature that is not amenable to conventional interpretation in terms of the M/sub 1/VV transition or M/sub 2,3/VV double-ionization or plasmon-gain satellites. We attribute this observation to the presencemore » of Fano autoionization emission associated with deexcitation of the resonant 3p..-->..3d transition. Supporting evidence comes from a comparison of our p x-ray- and electron-stimulated Auger spectra, and to the line shape of the 3p loss spectrum. In addition, oxygen-dosing Auger and x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy experiments p (0--20 L) (1 langmuir = 1 L = 10/sup -6/ Torr sec) indicate dramatic Si L/sub 2,3/VV line-shape changes associated with oxidation, similar to that observed previously for Pd/sub 4/Si. The initial oxidation rate is approx.10/sup 2/ faster than that for elemental Si.« less
Identification of a cDNA Transcript Containing the Coding Region for F-I Globin from Urechis caupo

A cDNA transcript of 729 bp in length coding for Urechis caupo F-I globin has been cloned. The coding region has been completely sequenced. Northern and Southern blot analysis indicate that there may be several genes coding for mRNA transcripts of nearly identical size. This could account for the heterogeneity observed in the hemoglobin.
Semantically Guided Geo-location and Modeling in Urban Environments

The problem of localization and geo-location estimation of an image has a long-standing history both in robotics and computer vision. With the advent of availability of large amounts of geo-referenced image data, several image retrieval approaches have been deployed to tackle this problem. In this work, we will show how the capability of semantic labeling of both query views and the reference dataset by means of semantic segmentation can aid (1) the problem of retrieval of views similar and possibly overlapping with the query and (2) guide the recognition and discovery of commonly occurring scene layouts in the reference dataset. We will demonstrate the effectiveness of these semantic representations on examples of localization, semantic concept discovery, and intersection recognition in the images of urban scenes.
Taking a STEP back: Assessing the outcomes of multiple STEP procedures

Abstract Purpose Short bowel syndrome (SBS) is a highly morbid condition primarily because of parenteral nutrition (PN)–associated complications. Bowel lengthening via serial transverse enteroplasty (STEP) has become standard of care. While initial STEPs have resulted in weaning from PN, outcomes of repeated STEPs (ReSTEPs) are not well described. We investigated outcomes of initial STEP compared to ReSTEP procedures. Methods This retrospective review of STEPs included 17 children and a total of 24 procedures. Demographics, complications, hospital readmission rates, postoperative costs, and PN weaning were analyzed. Results Neither patient-specific data nor the etiology of SBS was predictive of requiring a ReSTEP. PN weaning was more likely in the year following a first STEP (18% wean rate vs. 0% for ReSTEP, p >.05). No ReSTEP patients reached enteral autonomy. Enteral nutrition (%EN) increases were greater after first STEP compared to ReSTEP (26.0% vs. 4.7%, p =0.03). This trend was true for bowel length as well, where first STEPs resulted in a 51% increase in bowel length compared to a 20% increase after in ReSTEP ( p =0.02). Conclusions ReSTEPs failed to result in significant PN weaning, with no ReSTEP patients achieving enteral autonomy during follow-up. Given its higher costs, smaller bowel length gains, and limited ability to produce enteral autonomy, surgeons should carefully consider performing ReSTEP procedures. Level of evidence Level III.
STEAM-based interventions: Why student engagement is only part of the story

EarSketch lowers the barriers to entry and broadens engagement in computer science through expressive and culturally relevant music composition. In EarSketch, students write computer code to remix sound samples into original music compositions, often within hours of first exposure to the application. Coupled with sound samples rooted in modern music genres, EarSketch generates deep student engagement. We observed two unexpected challenges when implementing EarSketch in high school Computer Science Principles courses. First, music that appeals to the students' generation may be difficult for teachers to appreciate (and vice versa). Second, while a majority of students engaged in music production and coding, we observed that some students fixated on artistic musical expression without engaging in substantial computational thinking. These findings may apply more broadly in computational courses situated in expressive domains and to STEAM courses in general. We conclude with suggested changes to professional development, which may be applied more generally to creative computation and STEAM-based courses.
Regulation of p53-mediated changes in the uPA-fibrinolytic system and in lung injury by loss of surfactant protein C expression in alveolar epithelial cells.

Pulmonary surfactant protein C (SP-C) expression by type II alveolar epithelial cells (AECs) is markedly reduced in diverse types of lung injuries and is often associated with AEC apoptosis. It is ...
Unequal Partners: RCCs, Law Enforcement, and Medical Response to Rape

Rose Corrigan does an excellent job in explaining the strengths and limits of rape law reform in the United States in her book Up Against a Wall: Rape Reform and the Failure of Success (2013). Corrigan challenges the success story of rape law reform in the United States. In her research she documents the continued widespread resistance of the U.S. Criminal Justice System and the medical establishment to taking rape seriously. Corrigan engages in an in depth examination of rape crisis centers in the United States, and explains their marginalized and politically sensitive position. Because Corrigan’s work takes place in the United States, all comments in this review will also focus on the U.S., unless otherwise noted. This is a unique piece of research due to its breadth and qualitative research methods. This book is a necessary read for any scholar of social movements, law & society, gender and the law, and/or those interested in issues surrounding violence against women. It is appropriate for graduate and undergraduate students in Sociology, Criminology, Social Movements, Law & Society, Criminal Justice, Political Science and History. Corrigan argues that rape care work in the United States is misunderstood in much of the academic literature and works to set the record straight. This study starts to fill the void of research on rape care work in the literature on law and social movements. Corrigan highlights the limits of legal mobilization. She argues that rape law reform ultimately has failed victims, in that there are nowmore laws on the books, but enforcement of and adherence to these laws is lacking. The insightful analysis here highlights the pitfalls and shortcomings of feminist attempts to use the law for social change. Corrigan outlines the struggle between feminist activists and the state over defining sexual violence. This book asks critical questions about the impact of legal reform to better understand how legal reforms intersect with existing institutional norms, practices and values, and with the internal politics of the anti-rape movement. Corrigan asks:
Superoxide Production by NADPH Oxidase Intensifies Macrophage Antiviral Responses during Diabetogenic Coxsackievirus Infection

Coxsackievirus B infections are suspected environmental triggers of type 1 diabetes (T1D) and macrophage antiviral responses may provide a link to virus-induced T1D. We previously demonstrated an important role for NADPH oxidase (NOX)-derived superoxide production during T1D pathogenesis, as NOX-deficient NOD mice (NOD.Ncf1m1J ) were protected against T1D due, in part, to impaired proinflammatory TLR signaling in NOD.Ncf1m1J macrophages. Therefore, we hypothesized that loss of NOX-derived superoxide would dampen diabetogenic antiviral macrophage responses and protect from virus-induced diabetes. Upon infection with a suspected diabetogenic virus, Coxsackievirus B3 (CB3), NOD.Ncf1m1J mice remained resistant to virus-induced autoimmune diabetes. A concomitant decrease in circulating inflammatory chemokines, blunted antiviral gene signature within the pancreas, and reduced proinflammatory M1 macrophage responses were observed. Importantly, exogenous superoxide addition to CB3-infected NOD.Ncf1m1J bone marrow-derived macrophages rescued the inflammatory antiviral M1 macrophage response, revealing reduction-oxidation-dependent mechanisms of signal transducer and activator of transcription 1 signaling and dsRNA viral sensors in macrophages. We report that superoxide production following CB3 infection may exacerbate pancreatic β cell destruction in T1D by influencing proinflammatory M1 macrophage responses, and mechanistically linking oxidative stress, inflammation, and diabetogenic virus infections.
Anticoagulation in the Patient with Cancer

The association between malignant neoplasms and venous thromboembolism (VTE) is well recognized, and anticoagulation therapy is commonly administered in the oncological setting. The treatment approach to cancer-associated VTE differs substantially compared to the general population, as chronic low-molecular-weight heparin (LMWH) has been shown to be more effective than vitamin K antagonist (VKA). There are also several challenges specific to the cancer patient. These include an increased risk of bleeding, higher rates of anticoagulation failure, drug interactions, decreased oral intake, chemotherapy-induced thrombocytopenia, and cerebral metastases.
Semiconductor Laser Particles in Biological cells

We develop a method for fabricating biocompatible, semiconductor laser particles for integration into biological systems. Micron-sized laser particles coated with a passivating silica shell are readily and safely uptaken by several cell lines in vitro.
Metabolism and Redox Signaling in Brain Aging

A decrease in energy metabolism is associated with brain aging, which was assessed in terms of a coordinated metabolic triad encompassed by mitochondria, insulin signaling (IIS), and JNT ((c-Jun N-terminal kinase) signaling. Impairment of these coordinated responses leads to the cognitive decline that occurs with aging and neurodegenerative disorders. The complexity of the antagonism and cross-talk between IIS- and JNT (signaling and how they converge on mitochondrial function underscores the significance of an insulin resistance state. The hypometabolic state inherent in brain aging, a mouse model of Alzheimer's disease, and high-fat diet-induced obesity was accompanied by decreased brain glucose uptake, an imbalance between IIS- and JNT (signaling, decreased rate of glycolysis and flux of metabolites to the TCA cycle, and diminished synaptic plasticity. These effects are not cell specific, for astrocytes developed an age-dependent energy phenotype (increased mitochondrial oxidative metabolism and biogenesis) and augmented responses to inflammatory cytokines. In most of the models described above, the hypometabolic state was rescued by treatment with lipoic acid, likely through a thiol/disulfide mechanism, which resulted largely in improved IIS and in synaptic plasticity.
Desarrollo de una aplicación para implementar un modelo predictivo de inyección química

It is presented an application developed in the Visual Basic programming language that allows to determine the behavior of oil fields, in which processes of waterflooding, polymer flooding, surfactant flooding and surfactant-polymer flooding are applied through an analytical model that considers the Buckley-Leverett theory and the streamtubes method. The application does not replace the numerical simulation because it does not consider the static model of the reservoir and, in general, it requires little input information. However, it is a quick approach of prediction that makes possible to obtain summary tables and graphs of oil and water production rates and cumulative production and oil recovery factor, besides comparing with results obtained from other type of predictive tools.
The Microbiome: Past, Present, and Future

It has been over 300 years since bacteria were initially identified, close to 150 years since their role in infectious diseases was demonstrated, and 100 years since a role in health and noncommunicable disease for our commensal intestinal bacteria was initially postulated. The role of the intestinal microbiota in autoimmune diseases such as inflammatory bowel disease and rheumatoid arthritis has sparked interest since the 1950s. However, it was not until the technological breakthroughs that tremendously expanded the capacity of sequencing and computing power that took place in the early twenty-first century was it possible to explore these associations in depth. Associations between multiple microbial agents and specific autoimmune diseases are being recognized, with some microorganisms emerging as associated with autoimmune diseases and others as even being protective. How this information will be used to prevent or treat autoimmune diseases remains to be seen.
Die Synchronisationskomponente in der Architektur eines Nicht-Standard-Datenbanksystems

In Kapitel 6.2 wird diskutiert, wie das in der vorliegenden Arbeit vorgeschlagene Synchronisationsverfahren in die Architektur eines Nicht-Standard-Datenbanksystems integriert werden kann. Die Basisarchitektur, die die Grundlage dieser Diskussion bildet, wird zuvor in Kapitel 6.1 eingefuhrt.
The Unigesture Approach One-Handed Text Entry for Small Devices

The rise of small modern handhelds mandates innovation in user input techniques. Researchers have turned to tilt-based interfaces as a possible alternative for the stylus and keyboard. We have implemented Unigesture, a tilt-to-write system that enables one-handed text entry. With Unigesture, the user can jot a note with one hand while leaving the other hand free to hold a phone or perform other tasks. In this paper, we describe a prototype implementation of Unigesture and outline results of a user study. Our results show that individual variations among users, such as hand position, have the greatest effect on tilt-to-write performance.
Hepatic Sclerosing Hemangioma Simulating Gallbladder Carcinoma: A Rare Case

Sclerosing hemangiomas of the liver are rare benign tumors of the liver. Although hepatic hemangiomas are the most common benign liver tumor, they are mostly cavernous in nature. A hepatic sclerosing hemangioma is defined by presence of fibrosis and hyalinization as a result of degenerative changes in a cavernous hemangioma. The radiological features of sclerosing hepatic hemangioma can resemble those of cholangiocarcinoma, fibrolamellar carcinoma, or metastasis. We present a case of a hepatic sclerosing hemangioma in which an unusual magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and computed tomography (CT) appearance lead to radiographic concern for gallbladder carcinoma. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first case in the literature of a hepatic sclerosing hemangioma mimicking a gallbladder carcinoma.
Enabling Sampling Properties of the Cygnss Satellite Constellation

The CYGNSS constellation of eight smallsats was successfully launched in low Earth orbit on December 15, 2016. Each satellite carries a four channel bistatic radar receiver which measures GPS signals scattered from the Earth surface, from which ocean surface wind speed is determined. The use of a constellation, and the way their orbits are configured relative to one another, enable critical sampling properties. In particular, short time scale physical processes like the rapid intensification phase of a tropical cyclone can be resolved. Results from the 2017 Atlantic hurricane season will be used to demonstrate this.
Machiavelli and the virtues of pessimism

In recent realist theory and more broadly, pessimism has tended to be treated as a problem or a liability for thought, limiting aspirations for political change and leading towards conservatism. In...
Primary Prevention in Mental Health for Head Start Classrooms: Partial Replication with Teachers as Intervenors

In a previous study, Serna, Nielsen, Lambros, and Forness (2000) demonstrated that a 12-week universal intervention in three Head Start classrooms significantly improved outcomes on 5 of 10 measure...
Detection of multiple hypervirulent Klebsiella pneumoniae strains in a New York City hospital through screening of virulence genes

Abstract Objectives The ‘hypervirulent' variant of Klebsiella pneumoniae (hvKp) is a predominant cause of community-acquired pyogenic liver abscess in Asia, and is an emerging pathogen in Western countries. hvKp infections have demonstrated ‘metastatic' dissemination in immunocompetent hosts, an unusual mode of infection associated with severe complications. Two cases alerted us to the possible presence of hvKp at our hospital, both involving elderly Hispanic males who presented with recurrent fever, bacteraemia, epigastric pain and liver abscesses/phlegmon, thus prompting an assessment of hvKp prevalence. Methods A surveillance of K. pneumoniae blood, body fluid and wound isolates was conducted using real-time PCR to detect virulence-associated genes (uni-rmpA, iucA and peg344). Positive isolates were further characterized by wzi gene sequencing to determine capsular types (K-type) and by multilocus sequence typing and pulsed-field gel electrophoresis to determine strain relatedness. Results Four-hundred and sixty-three K. pneumoniae isolates, derived from 412 blood, 21 body fluids and 30 abdominal wound specimens, were screened over a 3-year period. Isolates included 98 multidrug-resistant strains. Eighteen isolates from 17 patients, including two from the index patient, screened positive for all three virulence genes. Sixteen of 18 positive isolates had K-types associated with hvKp, and isolates from different patients were unrelated strains, indicating likely community acquisition. Of 13 patients with significant morbidity, five died; eight patients had co-existing hepatobiliary disease, and six had diabetes mellitus. Conclusions Multiple strains of hvKp are emerging in New York City and are associated with high mortality relative to multidrug-resistant and classical Klebsiella infections. Co-existing hepatobiliary disease appears to be a potential risk factor for these infections.
The empirical mean position of a branching Lévy process

We consider a supercritical branching Levy process on the real line. Under mild moment assumptions on the number of offspring and their displacements, we prove a second-order limit theorem on the empirical mean position.
Cumulative survival profiling: a new PAP-based method for detecting heteroresistance in staphylococcal clinical isolates

The modified area under the curve of the population analysis profile (PAP-AUC) developed by Wootton et al. (J Antimicrob Chemother 47(4) 2001) is considered the gold standard for detecting heteroresistance in staphylococci. However, the PAP-AUC method does not explicitly control for the variation in the amount of initial inoculum between tested isolates and the comparator reference heterogeneous vancomycin-intermediate S. aureus (hVISA) strain (Mu3), which has been reported to influence classification results. Further, the method requires batching the isolates and utilizing single Mu3 PAP for each, which does not capture the heterogeneity of Mu3 and adds to the labor intensity of the method. We confirmed that the area under the PAP curve for Mu3 is strongly dependent on the initial inoculum. After interpreting this strong relationship, we derived the cumulative survival: a new metric that lacks the initial inoculum influence and measures the experience under the vancomycin concentration gradient. We devised a new method, termed cumulative survival profiling (CSP), to infer a distribution for the cumulative survival metric for isolates; CSP requires conducting multiple PAPs with a broad range of initial inoculum values. We used CSP to profile Mu3 and one isolate (CoNSB18) from 67 clinical isolates of coagulase-negative staphylococci associated with central-line bloodstream infection (CoNS CLABSI). Mu3 and CoNSB18 were the respective references for hVISA and hVISA that is associated with poor clinical response. Their CSPs reveal two overlapping distributions of cumulative survival, reflecting the heterogeneity of hVISA and indicating that the most resistant in the hVISA spectrum are likely to be associated with a poor clinical response. The 2.5% quantiles of their distributions successfully cross-validated >80% of their PAPs (accuracy). To detect similar isolates to these two reference strains among the CoNS CLABSI isolates, rather than conducting CSP for each isolate, we retrospectively estimated the cumulative survivals using point estimate profiling (PEP) utilizing single PAPs. We estimated that two-thirds of the CoNS CLABSI isolated from unique subjects are heteroresistant and that about 80% of those may be associated with a poor clinical response. Standardization of PAP-based detection of heteroresistance and/or poor clinical response is within reach by using CSP and PEP. Our results should raise the profile of heteroresistance in CoNS CLABSI.
Confocal Laser Endomicroscopy Interpretation and Differentiation of Pancreatic Cysts: A Randomized Trial of Teaching Modalities

ABSTRACT Background EUS-guided needle-based confocal laser endomicroscopy (nCLE) has not been widely adopted for the differentiation of pancreatic cystic lesions (PCLs), perhaps due to a perceived difficulty in learning novel CLE image patterns. Hence, we sought to investigate the optimal teaching modality for interpretation of nCLE imaging from PCLs. Methods Sixteen nCLE-naive observers blinded to clinical data were randomized into didactic (classroom-based) versus self-directed (computer-based) teaching groups to review nCLE videos and differentiate mucinous and non-mucinous PCLs. The study was conducted concurrently for both groups in 3 phases. Phase-1-Teaching: both groups received an overview of EUS-nCLE of PCLs. Phase-2-Training: assessment of 20 EUS-nCLE subject-videos; the didactic group had a feedback session with an nCLE expert while the self-directed group received this information via pre-recorded presentation. Phase-3-Testing: assessment of 50 EUS-nCLE subject-videos. Results For all observers (n = 16), the diagnostic accuracy for nCLE-based differentiation of mucinous from non-mucinous PCLs was higher (p=0.005) in the Phase-3-Testing (94.6%, 95%CI: 92-96%) than in Phase-2-Training (89.9%, 95%CI: 85-93%). During Phase-3-Testing, both the didactic and self-directed teaching groups achieved a comparable (p=0.48) diagnostic accuracy of 93.9% and 95.4%, respectively. The interobserver agreement (kappa, standard error) for the differentiation of mucinous from non-mucinous PCLs improved from Phase-2-Training to Phase-3-Testing stage, and was “substantial” for both the didactic (k=0.81, 0.03) and self-directed (k=0.79, 0.03) training groups. Conclusion Notwithstanding didactic and self-directed teaching, a ‘training’ and ‘test’ strategy accomplished high diagnostic accuracies and considerable interobserver agreement among naive observers for EUS-nCLE image differentiation of PCLs; Clinical trial NCT02516488 ( https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT02516488 )
Commutative Conformable Fractional Korovkin Approximation for Stochastic Processes

Here we research the expectation commutative stochastic positive linear operators acting on \(L^{1}\)-continuous stochastic processes which are conformable fractional differentiable. Under some mild, general and natural assumptions on the stochastic processes we produce related conformable fractional stochastic Shisha-Mond type inequalities pointwise and uniform.
Interdisciplinary Collaboration Approaches on Undergraduate Virtual Reality Technology Projects

Educational approaches must keep pace with the rapidly advancing state of technology so that students have the necessary skills for the modern workforce. Computer science (CS) education presents an interesting cross-section of challenges to science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) education to explore the effects of alternative teaching methods. Our undergraduate program has been working on these educational challenges for several years. We have found project-oriented studio classes with computing and design students collaborating on emerging technology projects lead to positive outcomes. This paper presents our current cross-class collaboration method along with student surveys and final presentation results. It is a necessary class structure to successfully educate future developers and designers, and we wish to share our experiences with the larger STEM educational community.
Sleep disparities during the COVID-19 pandemic: An investigation of AIAN, Asian, Black, Latinx, and White young adults.

Abstract Objectives This study investigates race-related disparities in sleep duration and quality among diverse young adults during the coronavirus 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. Design & setting Online cross-sectional study of young adults in the United States in April 2020. Participants About 547 American Indian/Alaskan Native (AIAN), Asian, Black, Latinx, and White young adults ages 18-25 years. Measurements Participants completed measures of sleep duration and quality, coronavirus victimization distress, depression, age, sex/gender, employment status, essential worker status, student status, residential region, socioeconomic status, concerns about contracting coronavirus and CDC health risks. Results Black young adults reported the largest disparity in sleep duration and quality. For sleep duration, AIAN, Asian, White, and Latinx young adults reported approximately one additional hour of sleep compared to Black respondents. Mediation analyses suggest that disparities in sleep duration between Asian and Black young adults may be explained by the higher likelihood of Black respondents being essential workers. For sleep quality, Latinx, White, AIAN, and Asian young adults reported higher levels than Black respondents. Including coronavirus victimization distress as an intervening pathway decreased the effect for Asian and White respondents on sleep quality, suggesting that coronavirus victimization distress partially explains Black and Asian, as well as Black and White differences in sleep quality. Conclusions Black young adults reported the shortest sleep duration and lowest levels of sleep quality relative to AIAN, Asian, Latinx and White peers. Interpersonal experiences of coronavirus victimization and structural inequities may partially explain disparities during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Duco: Autonomous Large-Scale Direct-Circuit-Writing (DCW) on Vertical Everyday Surfaces Using A Scalable Hanging Plotter

Human environments are filled with large open spaces that are separated by structures like walls, facades, glass windows, etc. Most often, these structures are largely passive offering little to no interactivity. In this paper, we present Duco, a large-scale electronics fabrication robot that enables room-scale & building-scale circuitry to add interactivity to vertical everyday surfaces. Duco negates the need for any human intervention by leveraging a hanging robotic system that automatically sketches multi-layered circuity to enable novel large-scale interfaces. The key idea behind Duco is that it achieves single-layer or multi-layer circuit fabrication on 2D surfaces as well as 2D cutouts that can be assembled into 3D objects by loading various functional inks (e.g., conductive, dielectric, or cleaning) to the wall-hanging drawing robot, as well as employing an optional laser cutting head as a cutting tool. Our technical evaluation shows that Duco's mechanical system works reliably on various surface materials with a wide range of roughness and surface morphologies. The system achieves superior mechanical tolerances (0.1mm XY axis resolution and 1mm smallest feature size). We demonstrate our system with five application examples, including an interactive piano, an IoT coffee maker controller, an FM energy-harvester printed on a large glass window, a human-scale touch sensor and a 3D interactive lamp.
Corporate Renewal through Internal Innovation: The Four ‘R’s of Bricolage in Large Firms

I explain the elements of bricolage — creating solutions with what is at hand — as they apply to innovation in large firms. First, managers can enumerate existing resources through architectural and historical analysis to uncover valuable assets. Second, managers can encourage employees to alter their routines by changing how people interact across internal boundaries; either promoting boundary-spanners, restructuring, or destructuring. Third, managers can recognize new market opportunities by asking employees, customers, and others already in the firm’s network to engage in analogical thinking or interact with existing artifacts, such as products. Fourth, to enable the ideas generated through any of the first three steps to come to fruition, managers can relax mechanisms for selection by choosing more organic, decentralized structures. The bricolage approach is recommended when alternative means of innovation would take too much time or money. The framework has implications for corporate strategy and structure.
Impact of Adding Augmented Superior Rectus Transpositions to Medial Rectus Muscle Recessions When Treating Esotropic Moebius Syndrome.

Abstract Purpose Describe outcomes after treatment of Moebius syndrome (MBS) esotropia by adjustable bilateral medial rectus recession (BMR) with and without augmented superior rectus transposition (SRT) Design Retrospective case series Methods Patients meeting 2014 diagnostic criteria for MBS and treated at Boston Children's Hospital between 2003 and 2019 were identified via billing records and chart review. Visual acuity, sensorimotor evaluations, strabismus procedures, and other clinical features were recorded. Surgical outcomes for patients treated with strabismus surgery (excluding those with prior surgery elsewhere) were evaluated. Primary outcome measure was post-operative alignment comparing treatment by adjustable BMR versus adjustable BMR+SRT. Results Twenty patients had MBS, 12/20 (60%) were male. Fifteen (75%) had primary position esotropia, and all had bilateral abduction deficit. Eight of 20 met inclusion criteria for primary strabismus surgery outcome. Five had undergone adjustable BMR ranging from 4.5-6.5 mm. Three had undergone adjustable BMR+SRT, all with 4 mm medial rectus muscle recessions. Mean pre-operative esotropia before treatment by BMR was 39.5 PD (+/- 15 PD) with mean post-operative esotropia 9 PD (+/- 7.9 PD) at six months. Mean pre-operative esotropia before treatment by BMR+SRT was 70.8 PD (+/- 5.9 PD) with mean post-operative esotropia 2.5 PD (+/- 3.5 PD) at six months. Significantly greater reduction in esotropia resulted from BMR+SRT than BMR (P=0.036). Conclusions BMR proved sufficient to treat esotropia
Wikimantic: disambiguation for short queries

This paper presents an implemented and evaluated methodology for disambiguating terms in search queries. By exploiting Wikipedia articles and their reference relations, our method is able to disambiguate terms in particularly short queries with few context words. This work is part of a larger project to retrieve information graphics in response to user queries.
Pattern generation in the lobster (Panulirus) stomatogastric ganglion

1. Results from the companion paper were incorporated into a physiologically realistic computer model of the three principal cell types (PD/AB, LP, PY) of the pyloric network in the stomatogastric ganglion. Parameters for the model were mostly calculated (sometimes estimated) from experimental data rather than fitting the model to observed output patterns. 2. The initial run was successful in predicting several features of the pyloric pattern: the observed gap between PD and LP bursts, the appropriate sequence of the activity periods (PD, LP, PY), and a substantial PY burst not properly simulated by an earlier model. 3. The major discrepancy between model and observed patterns was the too-early occurrence of the PY burst, which resulted in a much shortened LP burst. Motivated by this discrepancy, additional investigations were made of PY properties. A hyperpolarization-enabled depolorization-activated hyperpolarizing conductance change was discovered which may make an important contribution to the late phase of PY activity in the normal burst cycle. Addition of this effect to the model brought its predictions more in line with observed patterns. 4. Other discrepancies between model and observation were instructive and are discussed. The findings force a substantial revision in previously held ideas on pattern production in the pyloric system. More weight must be given to functional properties of individual neurons and less to properties arising purely from network interactions. This shift in emphasis may be necessary in more complicated systems as well. 5. An example has been provided of the value quantitative modeling can be to network physiology. Only through rigorous quantitative testing can qualitative theories of how the nervous system operates be substantiated.
Authentication of cellular users through voice verification

The paper discusses a speaker verification technique that was developed to battle fraud, a common problem that the cellular operating companies have to deal with. The technique uses the user voice to perform authentication. By comparing a live voiceprint with reference voiceprints, a speaker verifier determines whether the user is "legitimate" (voiceprints match) or an "imposter" (voiceprints do not match). Speaker verification can be used as an extra layer of protection against fraud, when used with authentication that uses mathematical algorithms and fraud pin code, or as a complete substitute because a voice is unique to a person and is hard to duplicate.
Repeated Bifurcation of Relativistic Magnetic Pulse and Cosmic Gamma-Ray Bursts

The diverse and complex light curves of gamma-ray bursts (GRBs) remain an outstanding astrophysical mystery. Here we report the results of 2-1/2-dimensional particle-in-cell (PIC) simulations of the relativistic expansion of magnetized electron-positron plasmas. When the simulation is carried to >150 light-crossing time of the initial plasma, the plasma pulse reproduces many of the GRB features. Remarkably, the plasma pulse bifurcates repeatedly, leading to a complex, multi-peak structure at late times, resembling GRB profiles.
The price change conundrum: teaching beyond the rules

The accounting establishment has repeatedly searched for and failed to find logical, equitable mechanisms for dealing with price change effects in financial reporting. While price changes are at the heart of a wide swath of accounting controversies, the dominant US undergraduate accounting textbooks largely ignore this underlying financial reporting conundrum. The body of the paper explores possible reasons why price change issues are being ignored, suggesting that Americans may have a socio-cultural tendency to downplay problems that defy mechanistic solutions. An appendix provides a teaching module designed to encourage syncretic thinking about the underlying causes and effects of inflation or deflation. The teaching module is intended as inspiration for other accounting educators to develop materials for teaching beyond the rules, promoting a deeper understanding of social justice issues imbedded in authoritative standards.
Designing for deeper learning in a blended computer science course for middle school students

The focus of this research was to create and test an introductory computer science course for middle school. Titled “Foundations for Advancing Computational Thinking” (FACT), the course aims to prepare and motivate middle school learners for future engagement with algorithmic problem solving. FACT was also piloted as a seven-week course on Stanford’s OpenEdX MOOC platform for blended in-class learning. Unique aspects of FACT include balanced pedagogical designs that address the cognitive, interpersonal, and intrapersonal aspects of “deeper learning”; a focus on pedagogical strategies for mediating and assessing for transfer from block-based to text-based programming; curricular materials for remedying misperceptions of computing; and “systems of assessments” (including formative and summative quizzes and tests, directed as well as open-ended programming assignments, and a transfer test) to get a comprehensive picture of students’ deeper computational learning. Empirical investigations, accomplished over t...
Types of Lasers

In this chapter, the most important types of lasers are considered in some detail. It should be pointed out that there are many more lasers in existence than just those described here. This chapter, therefore, concentrates on those types that are most commonly used and whose characteristics are representative of a whole category of lasers. The main emphasis is to stress the physical behavior of the laser and to relate this behavior to the general physical concepts developed in the previous chapters. Some engineering details are, however, also included with the main intention again of providing a better physical insight into the behavior of the particular laser. To complete the picture some data relating to the laser performance (e.g., output power or energy, wavelength tunability, etc.) are also included to help provide some indication of the laser’s field of application.
Adaptation of Populations of Bacillus cereus to Tetracycline

After initial inhibition by tetracycline at concentrations from 10-6 to 10-5 M, populations of Bacillus cereus in a casein hydrolyzate-salts medium resumed exponential growth. Sensitivity to the antibiotic was reestablished by time bacteria upon continued growth in the absence of tetracycline; restoring the antibiotic to such sensitive cultures resulted in a second emergence of resistance. Tetracycline was not significantly inactivated by the bacteria. B. cereus accumulated tetracycline, and maximal intracellular concentrations were attained within approximately 20 min. The organisms escaped from the action of the drug by eliminating tetracycline progressively until the intracellular concentration of the antibiotic was no longer sufficient to sustain growth inhibition. The rate of egress of tetracycline from B. cereus was linear. Increasing the Mg2+ or Ca2+ concentrations or the pH of the medium resulted in the accumulation of lower levels of tetracycline by time cells but was without influence on the rate of egress of the drug. B. cereus did not eliminate tetracycline at 2° or in media that either were devoid of amino acids or contained arsenite (10-3 M). Ribosomal 30 S subunits from adapted or nonadapted B. cereus bound similar quantities of tetracycline-7-3H upon centrifugation into sucrose gradients.
Multi-Stage Vector Quantization Based On The Self-Organization Feature Maps

A neural network clustering algorithm, termed Self-Organization Feature Maps(SOFM) proposed by Kohoneni, is used to design a vector quantizer. The SOFM algorithm differs from the LBG algorithm in that the former forms a codebook adaptively but not iteratively. For every input vector,the weight between the input node and the corresponding output node is updated by encouraging a shift toward the center of gravity in the due influence region. Some important properties are discussed, demonstrated by examples, and compared with the LBG algorithm. Based on this clustering algorithm, a very practical image sequence coding scheme is proposed, which consists of two cascade neural networks. The first stage network is adapted with every frame so that the coder can quickly track the local changes in the picture. Simulation results have shown that quite robust performance can be achieved with high signal to noise ratio using the absolute value distortion measure. Additionally, the cascade scheme substantially reduces the computation complexity.
Note on the contribution of a ring to the stability of conjugated molecules

Abstract The concept of E(G/R), the effect of a ring on the total π-electronic energy of a conjugated system has been introduced in previous work, and it has recently been shown that E(G/R) may sometimes be a complex-valued quantity. In the present paper, conditions under which E(G/R) is real or complex are determined. It is also demonstrated that Coulson-type integral formulas used for the calculation of E(G/R) reproduce only the real part of E(G/R).