cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Low-complexity reorder buffer architecture

In some of today's superscalar processors (e.g.the Pentium III), the result repositories are implemented as the Reorder Buffer (ROB) slots. In such designs, the ROB is a complex multi-ported structure that occupies a significant portion of the die area and dissipates a non-trivial fraction of the total chip power, as much as 27% according to some estimates. In addition, an access to such ROB typically takes more than one cycle, impacting the IPC adversely.We propose a low-complexity and low-power ROB design that exploits the fact that the bulk of the source operand values is obtained through data forwarding to the issue queue or through direct reads of the committed register values. Our ROB design uses an organization that completely eliminates the read ports needed to read out operand values for instruction issue. Any consequential performance degradation is countered by using a small number of associatively-addressed retention latches to hold the most recent set of values written into the ROB. The contents of the retention latches are used to satisfy the operand reads for issue that would otherwise have to be read from the ROB slots. Significant savings of the ROB real estate as well as power savings in the range of 20% to 30% for the ROB are achieved using the proposed technique. At the same time, the fact that results are accessible in a single cycle from the retention latches actually leads to an overall improvement in the IPC of up to 3% on the average for SPEC 2000 benchmarks.
Causality in device behavior

Abstract This paper shows how formal characterizations of causality and of the method of comparative statics, long used in econometrics, thermodynamics and other domains, can be applied to clarify and make rigorous the qualitative causal calculus recently proposed by de Kleer and Brown [2]. The formalization shows exactly what assumptions are required to carry out causal analysis of a system of interdependent variables in equilibrium and to propagate disturbances through such a system. The intuitive concepts of causality captured by de Kleer and Brown provide a rough approximation to the standard analytic techniques that are used in the treatment of simultaneous algebraic and differential equations.
Diagnostic Evaluation of Vertical Motion Forcing Mechanisms by Using Q-Vector Partitioning

Abstract Q-vector partitioning has proven to be a useful tool for the understanding of the frictionless, adiabatic processes responsible for the generation of synoptic-scale vertical motion in the extratropical atmosphere. Partitioning of Q into components parallel and normal to the isotherms on an isobaric surface is standard practice in studies dealing with vertical motion and frontogenesis. This paper is concerned with vertical motion only and examines the consequences of projecting Q onto isohypses, instead of isotherms, on an isobaric surface. Specifically, the Q vector is partitioned in the natural coordinate system that follows the geostrophic wind. The novelty with this partitioning is that it naturally leads to the evaluation of different vertical motion forcing mechanisms, among which are those related to flow curvature and to confluence or diffluence. This evaluation is illustrated by applying the new Q-vector partition to a gridded analysis of a real weather situation. An important conclusion ...
New-onset left bundle branch block–associated idiopathic nonischemic cardiomyopathy and left ventricular ejection fraction response to guideline-directed therapies: The NEOLITH study

Background Left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) response to guideline-directed medical therapy (GDMT) and to early cardiac resynchronization therapy (CRT) in new-onset idiopathic nonischemic cardiomyopathy (NICM) and left bundle branch block (LBBB) is not well described. CRT is recommended if LVEF remains ≤35% after at least 3 months of GDMT. Objective The purpose of this study was to describe LVEF response to GDMT at 3 months and to early CRT in new-onset LBBB–associated idiopathic NICM. Methods A retrospective cohort study was performed in subjects with new-onset idiopathic NICM, LVEF ≤35%, and LBBB or narrow ( Results In 102 subjects (70 with narrow QRS complex and 32 with LBBB), post-GDMT LVEF was >35% in 39 narrow QRS complex subjects (56%) and 2 LBBB subjects (6%) (P 35% (relative risk 10.30; 95% confidence interval 2.63–40.27; P = .0008) and absolute difference between post-GDMT LVEF and initial LVEF (β = 16.296; standard error=2.977; P Conclusion GDMT did not significantly improve LVEF in new-onset LBBB–associated idiopathic NICM at 3 months. Most remained candidates for CRT, and a high percentage were super-responders. Optimal timing for CRT implantation requires further investigation.
Laser irradiation of the chick embryo germinal crescent

The germinal crescent of head-fold and one-somite-stage chicken embryos was irradiated with multiple pulses of a microbeam ruby laser. Primordial germ cells were not detected in the gonad primordium of six laser-irradiated 5-day embryos; ten laser-irradiated embryos had varying numbers of primordial germ cells. Ten control embryos had gonad primordia populated with many primordial germ cells.
Spanning Time and Length Scales in Simulations of Radiation Damage

Simulating radiation damage production and evolution in materials is a problem spanning many orders of magnitude in both time and length scales. Therefore, any one simulation method will be inadequate for studying radiation damage. We apply several modeling techniques to study radiation damage in oxides, specically MgO, Al-doped MgO and MgAl2O4 spinel. We use molecular dynamics to simulate damage production in collision cascades, where energies between 400 eV and 5 keV were investigated. The kinetic behavior of the resulting defects was probed on long time scales using temperature accelerated dynamics. Molecular statics was used to calculate fundamental properties of these defects, and density functional theory calculations support the basic results of the empirical potential studies. Finally, a chemical rate theory model is developed to understand the impact of the atomic scale behavior on dislocation loop size.
Abstract 273: HDL Particle Concentration Inversely Associates with Incident Metabolic Syndrome in the Multiethnic Dallas Heart Study

Objective: Metabolic syndrome (MetS) increases atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease (ASCVD) risk. Low HDL cholesterol (HDL-C) is a diagnostic criterion of MetS and a major ASCVD risk factor. HDL particle concentration (HDL-P) associates with incident ASCVD independent of HDL-C, but its association with incident MetS has not been studied. We hypothesized that HDL-P would be inversely associated with incident metabolic syndrome independent of HDL-C and other recognized risk factors. Methods: HDL-P was measured by NMR and visceral fat by MRI in participants of the Dallas Heart Study, a probability-based population sample of adults age 30-65. Participants with prevalent MetS, DM, CVD, cirrhosis, cancer, HIV, or renal failure were excluded. Incident MetS as defined by NCEP ATPIII criteria was determined in all participants after median follow-up period of 9.4 years. Results: Among a cohort of 1120 participants without DM or MetS at baseline (57% women, 45% Black, mean age 43), 22.8% had incident MetS at foll...
Why Do Politicians Distribute Gifts During Campaigns? Survey Experimental Evidence from Kenya

Distributing gifts is common in new democracies in Africa and elsewhere around the world. Though many explanations for vote-buying's prevalence and alleged effectiveness focus on the role of monitoring and punishment in enforcing vote-buying bargains, the degree of resource distribution during many African political campaigns is puzzling in part because parties and agents of politicians generally lack the capacity and organizational structure to utilize such mechanisms. This paper presents a set of alternative explanations for the prevalence of vote-buying in Africa's new democracies, and presents results from a pilot survey experiment conducted in July-August 2010 in Nairobi, Kenya. In the experiment, 352 respondents were randomly assigned to one of two almost identical audio recording conditions that describe a political candidate and a campaign event. The sole difference between the recordings was a brief reference to the distribution of cash inserted into the vote-buying recording. After listening to the recordings, respondents answered a series of questions gauging how desirable the candidate was to them, how likely they believe the candidate would be to win the election, and their expectations about policies and other events should the candidate win the election. I find that the vote-buying candidate is more desirable to respondents than the otherwise identical non-vote-buying control candidate. I also find that explanations relating to the signalling of credibility or candidate quality, and the monitoring and punishment capacity of the candidate do not explain the vote-buyer's advantage. In fact, the vote-buying candidate performs worse than the control condition candidate on question's relating to future policy performance. Results are consistent with an argument about the role of vote-buying in projecting the political strength of the gift-giving candidate. I argue that projecting political strength to voters is beneficial to politicians for at least two reasons: First, projecting political strength can generate bandwagon effects that attract voters who enjoy siding with the victor or who perceive access to valued resources as being tied to their or their community's support of the winning politician; and second, projecting political strength can affect an individual voter's beliefs about the future behavior of other voters, creating an obstacle to voter coordination around support of non-vote-buying politicians and incentive for individual's to support vote-buyers even when policy expectations of them are lower. Results have implications for how the distribution of gifts during campaigns is conceptualized theoretically and for the study of campaigns more broadly in young democracies such as Kenya.
The Hasanlu (Iran) Gold Bowl in context: all that glitters

The discovery of a crushed golden bowl in the remains of the Iron Age citadel of Hasanlu in 1958 attracted considerable media attention at the time. The circumstances of its loss have long remained unclear, but were clearly associated with the violent destruction of the site in c. 800 BC. Detailed review of the find context and the skeletons found nearby now suggests that the bowl was being looted during the sack of the citadel by Urartian soldiers from an upper room where weapons, armour and fine metal vessels were stored. The enemy soldiers carrying off the Gold Bowl died in the attempt when the upper floors of the building collapsed, plunging them to their deaths
High content imaging of early morphological signatures predicts long term mineralization capacity of human mesenchymal stem cells upon osteogenic induction.

Human bone marrow-derived multipotent mesenchymal stromal cells, often referred to as mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs), represent an attractive cell source for many regenerative medicine applications due to their potential for multi-lineage differentiation, immunomodulation, and paracrine factor secretion. A major complication for current MSC-based therapies is the lack of well-defined characterization methods that can robustly predict how they will perform in a particular in vitro or in vivo setting. Significant advances have been made with identifying molecular markers of MSC quality and potency using multivariate genomic and proteomic approaches, and more recently with advanced techniques incorporating high content imaging to assess high-dimensional single cell morphological data. We sought to expand upon current methods of high dimensional morphological analysis by investigating whether short term cell and nuclear morphological profiles of MSCs from multiple donors (at multiple passages) correlated with long term mineralization upon osteogenic induction. Using the combined power of automated high content imaging followed by automated image analysis, we demonstrated that MSC morphology after 3 days was highly correlated with 35 day mineralization and comparable to other methods of MSC osteogenesis assessment (such as alkaline phosphatase activity). We then expanded on this initial morphological characterization and identified morphological features that were highly predictive of mineralization capacities (>90% accuracy) of MSCs from additional donors and different manufacturing techniques using linear discriminant analysis. Together, this work thoroughly demonstrates the predictive power of MSC morphology for mineralization capacity and motivates further studies into MSC morphology as a predictive marker for additional in vitro and in vivo responses.
Street Justice: The Retaliatory Ethic

A merican society expects urban police forces to devote their efforts to detecting and controlling street criminals. The police have responded to this expectation with intensive patrols, crackdowns, sweeps, and sophisticated covert operations – all designed to attack street criminals on their own turf. As a result, the underworld of urban street criminals is saturated with law enforcement. It is ironic, therefore, that there is probably no other setting in which recourse to the protection of the law is less available. This state of affairs is doubly ironic because urban street criminals, compared with their law-abiding counterparts, are much more vulnerable to crime. As we noted in Chapter One, criminals are often reticent to report being victimized to the police for fear of exposing their own illicit activities. And even if they do make a police report, they are unlikely to be taken seriously because of a widespread belief among officers that lawbreakers deserve whatever fate befalls them. For all practical purposes, then, street criminals cannot really be victims in the eyes of the law; they are on their own when it comes to seeing justice done. This implies that criminal retaliation is merely a response to the perceived unavailability of law – and to an extent this is true. But there are deeper reasons why criminal victims might choose retaliation over making an official police report, even when they might be taken seriously and could do so without risk to themselves.
Sensitive clock recovery for multi-rate DPSK optical receivers

Robust clock recovery is essential for optical receivers that can operate over a wide range of data rates. The multi-rate burst-mode DPSK format that is finding applications in NASA’s Laser Communications Relay Demonstration (LCRD) leverages a single optically-preamplified receiver that can maintain nearly theoretical performance for data rates spanning more than two orders of magnitude. Clock recovery of this versatile format needs to function both in low signal-to-noiseratio (SNR) and in high-power regimes, and needs to be able to accommodate a wide variation of rate-dependent peak-to-average powers as well as operation over intermittent fading channels. This can be achieved with traditional analog phase-locked-loop techniques as well as gated approaches that offer lower jitter, which is helpful for stressing low-data-rate applications. This paper presents an overview of clock recovery approaches for multi-rate DPSK receivers, an analysis of expected performance, and measured results.
Expression and potential functions of G-protein alpha subunits in embryos of Xenopus laevis

During early embryonic development, many inductive interactions between tissues depend on signal transduction processes. We began to test the possibility that G-proteins participate in the signal transduction pathways that mediate neural induction. The expression during Xenopus development of three G alpha subunits, G alpha 0, G alpha i-1 and G alpha s-1, was characterized. The three maternally expressed genes showed different expression patterns during early development. Whole-mount in situ hybridization revealed that all three genes were expressed almost exclusively in the gastrula ectoderm and predominantly in the neuroectoderm in the neurula embryo. In order to investigate the involvement of these proteins in neural induction, we overexpressed the G-protein alpha subunits by injecting the G alpha mRNAs into fertilized eggs. Overexpression of G alpha s-1 increased the ability of gastrula ectoderm to become induced to neural tissue approximately four-fold. Overexpression of G alpha 0 and G alpha i-1 had less pronounced effects on neural competence, and inhibition of the G alpha 0 and G alpha i-1 proteins by pertussis toxin did not change the neural competence of the exposed gastrula ectoderm. Overexpression of the G alpha 0 and G alpha i-1 genes did, however, inhibit the normal disappearance of the blastocoel during gastrulation, suggesting a role for these G-proteins in regulating this process. The data also suggest a specific role for the G alpha s subunit in mediating the initial phases of neural induction.
Less common neuro-otologic disorders.

Purpose of Review: A systematic approach to the history and examination allows the physician to diagnose the most common vestibular disorders of the brain or inner ear. However, some less common disorders require a specific familiarity so that they are not misdiagnosed as one of the more common diso
Differences in Habitat Use between Two Morphologically Similar Tropical Forest Rodents

We examined differences in habitat use between two morphologically similar tropical forest rodents that have sympatric distributions. Mark-recapture techniques were used in Soberania National Park, Panama in a variety of forested habitats to characterize microhabitat use by Proechimys semispinosus (Central American spiny rat) and Hoplomys gymnurus (armored rat). P. semispinosus were distributed throughout the study area, but H. gymnurus were largely absent from ridgetops and the entire southern half of the study area. Canonical discriminant analysis showed that these two species used significantly different microhab-itats. H. gymnurus were restricted to very wet, steep, and rocky microhabitats along streams within relatively undisturbed forest. P. semispinosus did not use microhabitats that were different from the overall available microhabitat and therefore exhibited a generalized pattern of microhabitat use. P. semispinosus rarely were captured along streams where H. gymnurus were most abundant. Differences in microhabitat use suggested that these two species may have physiological adaptations to preferred habitats.
Hypertension, dietary salt restriction, and iodine deficiency among adults.

Background A common recommendation for the treatment of hypertension is dietary salt intake restriction. However, dietary salt is one of the major sources of iodine. This study evaluated the association between dietary salt restriction and iodine deficiency among adults in the United States. Methods Multiple regression models, which controlled for confounders, were used to evaluate the association between hypertension conditions, salt restriction and iodine deficiency among 996 men and 960 women in the blood pressure and iodine subsamples of the 2001-2004 waves of the National Health and Nutrition Examination Surveys (NHANES). Results High proportions of men (24.96%) and women (40.42%) were iodine deficient. Current hypertension or having a history of hypertension among men and women did not associate significantly with iodine deficiency or high iodine status, compared with those without current or history of hypertension. Compared with men not restricting dietary salt, salt restriction did not associate significantly with iodine deficiency among men. Compared with women not restricting dietary salt, women who were restricting dietary salt associated with significantly lower urinary iodine concentration (UIC), P = 0.01, and were more likely to be iodine deficient, adjusted odds ratios, 1.79, P = 0.03. Conclusions Salt restriction associated with iodine deficiency among women but not men. Alternative sources of iodine should be suggested to persons who are consuming low levels of iodine such as women if they need to restrict dietary salt intake. Among those iodine deficient, health professionals should enquire about salt restriction.
Study on testing method for usability of computer pointing device

With the increasing utilization of graphical user interface(GUI),computer users have heavily relied on the use of pointing device(e.g.mouse) for control and operation.This study attempted to develop a testing method usability of pointing device,in order to better understand the ergonomic aspect of pointing of office work with VDTs.This usability testing method involved: designing standardized pointing task;developing a set of parameters that are capable of charactering pointing activity;composing user satisfaction questionnaires.To verify this testing method,an experimental usability testing of notebook computer external mouse and built-in touchpad being representative of current pointing devices were conducted.20 subjects operated two kinds of devices to finish the standardized the tests and answered questionnaires.Experiment data analysis showed that the usability testing method were accurate and effective.
Up-regulation of Siah1 by ethanol triggers apoptosis in neural crest cells through p38 MAPK-mediated activation of p53 signaling pathway

Seven in absentia homolog 1 (Siah1) is one of the E3 ubiquitin ligases and plays a key role in regulating target protein degradation. This study was designed to test the hypothesis that Siah1 mediates ethanol-induced apoptosis in NCCs through p38 MAPK-mediated activation of the p53 signaling pathway. We found that exposure of NCCs to ethanol resulted in the increases in the total protein levels of p53 and the phosphorylation of p53 at serine 15. Ethanol exposure also resulted in a significant increase in the phosphorylation of p38 MAPK. Knock-down of Siah1 dramatically reduced the ethanol-induced increase in the phosphorylation of p38 MAPK. Knock-down of Siah1 by siRNA or down-regulation of p38 MAPK by either siRNA or inhibitor significantly diminished ethanol-induced accumulations of p53 and the phosphorylation of p53. In addition, ethanol exposure resulted in a significant increase in the expression of p53 downstream targets and apoptosis in NCCs, which can be significantly diminished by down-regulation of Siah1 with siRNA. Knock-down of p38 MAPK by siRNA also dramatically reduced the ethanol-induced apoptosis. These results demonstrate that Siah1 plays a crucial role in ethanol-induced apoptosis in NCCs, and that the up-regulation of Siah1 by ethanol can trigger apoptosis through p38 MAPK-mediated activation of the p53 signaling pathway.
A relationship between apoptosis and flow during programmed capillary regression is revealed by vital analysis

Previous analyses of developmentally programmed capillary regression suggested two distinct causes of vascular endothelial cell (VEC) death. The first appeared to be macrophage-dependent (Lang, R. A. and Bishop, M. J. (1993) Cell 74, 453-462) while the second was proposed to result from cessation of blood flow (Lang, R. A., Lustig, M., Francois, F., Sellinger, M. and Plesken, H. (1994). Development 120, 3395-3403). Combined, these analyses suggested a model in which initial, macrophage-mediated endothelial cell apoptosis blocked blood flow within a capillary segment and, as a consequence, caused apoptosis of all remaining cells in the affected segment. In the current study, we have tested this model using a new method that combines vital and histological analyses as a means of determining the fate of whole capillary segments and individual cells in vivo. This technique revealed that one of the first events in regression was the apoptosis of a single VEC in otherwise normal, flowing capillary segments (initiating apoptosis). These isolated, dying VECs projected into and restricted the capillary lumen, imposing either a temporary or permanent block to blood flow. Following cessation of flow, synchronous apoptosis of VECs occurred (secondary apoptosis). In addition, a quantitative analysis revealed a reciprocal relationship between plasma flow and VEC apoptosis. These observations are consistent with a model for capillary regression in which macrophages induce apoptosis in a limited number of VECs and, as a consequence of a block to blood flow, also cause apoptosis in those remaining.
Knowledge of AIDS Transmission, Risk Behavior, and Perceptions of Risk Among Urban, Low-Income, African-American and Hispanic Youth

Low-income, urban, African-American and Hispanic youth have been identified as a group that may be at risk for the spread of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV). This article evaluates general knowledge of acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS), knowledge of routes of sexual transmission of HIV, risk behaviors related to sex, and perceived susceptibility to AIDS of urban low-income youth in Detroit. We drew data from a household probability sample of 1,435 of these Detroit youth. The data indicate that, with a few exceptions, general knowledge of AIDS and routes of sexual HIV transmission was good; there were small ethnic and gender differences in knowledge. However, we found substantial ethnic and gender differences in risk behaviors. Young African-American men reported the earliest initiation of sexual activity and the most partners. Young Hispanic women reported the latest initiation of sexual activity and the fewest partners. A substantial minority of the youth were concerned about becoming infected with HIV, and these concerns were related to risk behavior. We demonstrate from these data a need for interventions in this population to correct misconceptions and to promote use of condoms and other safer sexual behaviors.
A NUP98-HOXD13 Leukemic Fusion Gene Leads To Aberrant Actin Localization In Dysplastic Megakaryocytes

Myelodysplastic syndrome (MDS) is a hematopoietic malignancy characterized by peripheral cytopenias due to bone marrow (BM) failure. Megakarypoiesis, megakaryocyte (MK) production, and platelet release are impaired in in some cases of MDS. Patients often have fewer, but larger circulating platelets, which have abnormal demarcation membrane systems (DMS); the DMS, which determines the number and size of platelets released, is dependent on actin formation. However, the precise role of actin during megakaryopoiesis is poorly understood. Transgenic mice that express the fusion gene NUP98-HOXD13 ( NHD13 ) is a model for MDS and have dysplastic MKs in BM, and macro platelets in circulation. We hypothesized that expression of NHD13 disrupts actin localization during megakaryopoiesis resulting in reduced platelet release and macro platelet formation. To test the hypothesis, BM from wild type (WT) and NHD13 mice were flushed and cultured in media supplemented with Thrombopoietin for 5 days. Following in vitro propagation, MKs were harvested over a discontinuous gradient for downstream experiments. Sternums were also fixed in paraformaldehyde, stained with hematoxylin and eosin, and evaluated by light microscopy to analyze MK morphology in vivo . NHD13 BM contained many dysplastic MKs. Harvested MKs and BM cores from one femur were processed and analyzed by transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and the ultrastructural properties of the DMS detailed. TEM of MKs showed NHD13 leads to formation of an irregular DMS along with abnormal distribution of unusually large granules in MK cytoplasm. Cultured MKs were also cytospun onto glass slides, labeled with fluorescent-tagged F-actin and Myosin IIa and the cytoskeleton visualized by confocal microscopy. WT MKs in vitro had two phenotypes: (1) MKs with myosin and actin evenly dispersed in the cytoplasm and (2) MK with actin predominantly in the periphery of the cytoplasm. In contrast, transgenic MKs displayed only the former phenotype suggesting that actin localization is impaired in NHD13 MKs. Finally, MKs were stimulated with estrogen and adhered to fibrinogen matrices to determine their proplatelet formation functionality. Our results showed impaired proplatelets formation in NHD13 MKs. These data suggest that expression of NHD13 leads to aberrant actin localization leading to dysplastic MK differentiation and macro platelet release. Understanding molecular mechanisms of abnormal megakaryopoiesis in MDS is important as many MDS patients die of hemorrhagic complications. Further studies using this model system will provide a platform for translational research and should reveal potential therapeutic targets in MDS, leading to improved patient care/survival. Disclosures: No relevant conflicts of interest to declare.
Pre-Implementation Strategies to Adapt and Implement a Veteran Peer Coaching Intervention to Improve Mental Health Treatment Engagement Among Rural Veterans

Purpose Telephone motivational coaching has been shown to increase urban veteran mental health treatment initiation. However, no studies have tested telephone motivational coaching delivered by veteran peers to facilitate mental health treatment initiation and engagement. This study describes pre-implementation strategies with 8 Veterans Affairs (VA) community-based outpatient clinics in the West and Mid-South United States to adapt and implement a multisite pragmatic randomized controlled trial of telephone peer motivational coaching for rural veterans. Methods We used 2 pre-implementation strategies, Formative Evaluation (FE) research and Evidence-Based Quality Improvement (EBQI) meetings to adapt the intervention to stakeholders’ needs and cultural contexts. FE data were qualitative, semi-structured interviews with rural veterans and VA clinic staff. Results were rapidly analyzed and presented to stakeholders during EBQI meetings to optimize the intervention implementation. Findings FE research results showed that VA clinic providers felt overwhelmed by veterans’ mental health needs and acknowledged limited mental health services at VA clinics. Rural veteran interviews indicated geographical, logistical, and cultural barriers to VA mental health treatment initiation and a preference for self-care to cope with mental health symptoms. EBQI meetings resulted in several intervention adaptations, including veteran study recruitment, peer veteran coach training, and an expanded definition of mental health care outcomes. Conclusions As the VA moves to cultivate community partnerships in order to personalize and expand access to care for rural veterans, pre-implementation processes with engaged stakeholders, such as those described here, can help guide other researchers and clinicians to achieve proactive and veteran-centered health care services.
Representative Bureaucracy: A Lever to Enhance Social Equity, Coproduction, and Democracy

Scholars and practitioners have long questioned whether the race, ethnicity, and gender of public bureaucrats matter to the efficacy and legitimacy of public services. Representative bureaucracy theory and research provide a growing body of empirical evidence that it does. This article examines some of the rich scholarly work that has been generated on representative bureaucracy and its implications for practice. A significant aspect of recent research focuses on the notion of symbolic representation, whereby the mere existence of a passively represented bureaucracy can itself improve outcomes by influencing the attitudes and behaviors of clients, regardless of bureaucratic actions or results. This article is intended to help both students and public managers understand the importance of representativeness in public organizations for a broad spectrum of practices and goals, from the coproduction of services to democratic rule.
Quantitative synaptic vesicle imaging for evaluating neuron activities in neurodegenerative diseases

Synaptic vesicle dynamics play an important role in studying neuronal and synaptic activities of neurodegenerative diseases ranging from epidemic Alzheimer's disease to rare Rett syndrome. To obtain significant statistical power in such studies, we developed a high content analysis (HCA) pipeline to visualize the vesicle dynamics and characterize the neuronal synaptic activities in a large population of neurons. Our experiments on hippocampal neuron assays showed that the proposed HCA system can automatically detect vesicles and quantify their dynamics for evaluating neuron activities. The availability of such an automated system would open up a vista to investigate synaptic neuropathology and identify candidate therapeutics of neurodegeneration.
An interactive, extensible environment for power system simulation on the PMU time frame with a cyber security application

Power system simulation environments with appropriate time-fidelity are needed to enable rapid testing of new smart grid technologies and for coupled simulations of the underlying cyber infrastructure. This paper presents such an environment which operates with power system models in the PMU time frame, including data visualization and interactive control action capabilities. The flexible and extensible capabilities are demonstrated by interfacing with a cyber infrastructure simulation.
Kinship Networks Among Immigrants

Through a comparative framework that includes state policies of reception, the local labor market, the organization of the receiving community, and the migration history of the group in question, this paper analyses the effects of the receiving context on kinship-based networks among recent immigrants to California. Based on 80 intensive interviews among Salvadoreans, Vietnamese and Mexicans immigrants, this article seeks to explain the sustainability of kinship networks as well as their breakdown, which occurs at the place of destination. The article highlights the fruitfulness of comparing network outcomes across immigrant groups that face different contexts of reception.
BinDNN: Resilient Function Matching Using Deep Learning

Determining if two functions taken from different compiled binaries originate from the same function in the source code has many applications to malware reverse engineering. Namely, this process allows an analyst to filter large swaths of code, removing functions that have been previously observed or those that originate in shared or trusted libraries. However, this task is challenging due to the myriad factors that influence the translation between source code and assembly instructions—the instruction stream created by a compiler is heavily influenced by a number of factors including optimizations, target platforms, and runtime constraints. In this paper, we seek to advance methods for reliably testing the equivalence of functions found in different executables. By leveraging advances in deep learning and natural language processing, we design and evaluate a novel algorithm, BinDNN, that is resilient to variations in compiler, compiler optimization level, and architecture. We show that BinDNN is effective both in isolation or in conjunction with existing approaches. In the case of the latter, we boost performance by 109% when combining BinDNN with BinDiff to compare functions across architectures. This result—an improvement of 32% for BinDNN and 185% for BinDiff—demonstrates the utility of employing multiple orthogonal approaches to function matching.
An analytical treatment for MHD mixed convection boundary layer flow of Oldroyd-B fluid utilizing non-Fourier heat flux model

Abstract In current framework, an analytical treatment for mixed convection flow of an electrically conducting Oldroyd-B fluid adjacent to a vertical stretchable surface is provided. A non-Fourier heat flux approach is employed to formulate the energy balance relation. Using similarity approach, the governing equations are changed to a set of non-linear differential equations which are tackled by well-known analytical approach called homotopy analysis method (HAM). Appropriate range of auxiliary parameter is obtained by plotting the so called ℏ -curves. Velocity and temperature profiles are computed and elucidated in the existence of new physical mechanism, that is, thermal relaxation time in current research. The main implication of this research is that the relaxation and retardation times considerably alter the flow behavior near the surface. The results predict that heat penetration into the fluid reduces as the relaxation time of heat flux enlarges. Furthermore, the change in temperature gradient at the surface with increasing thermal relaxation time appears similar in magnitude at all considered Prandtl numbers. In assisting flow regime, we noticed a growth in velocity and temperature profiles for increasing strength of buoyancy force.
Screening practices and associated anomalies in infants with anorectal malformations: Results from the Midwest Pediatric Surgery Consortium.

Abstract Background This study evaluates screening practices and the incidence of associated anomalies in infants with anorectal malformations (ARM). Methods We performed a multi-institutional retrospective cohort study of children born between 2007 and 2011 who underwent surgery for ARM at 10 children's hospitals. ARM type was classified based on the location of the distal rectum, and all screening studies were reviewed. Results Among 506 patients, the most common ARM subtypes were perineal fistula (40.7%), no fistula (11.5%), and vestibular fistula (10.1%). At least 1 screening test was performed in 96.6% of patients, and 11.3% of patients underwent all. The proportion of patients with ≥1 abnormal finding on any screening test varied by type of ARM (p Conclusion Screening practices and the incidence of associated anomalies varied by type of ARM. The rate of identifying at least one associated anomaly was high across all ARM subtypes. Screening for associated anomalies should be considered standard of care for all ARM patients. Type of study Multi-institutional retrospective cohort study. Level of evidence III
Alienation, Sociology of

This article is a revision of the previous edition article by F. Gyer, volume 1, pp. 14549–14554, © 2001, Elsevier Ltd.
Metagenomic Metaphors: New Images of the Human from ‘Translational’ Genomic Research

In an article written in 1990 at the dawn of the US Human Genome Project, James Watson and Robert Cook-Deegan wrote something guaranteed to catch the eye of anyone interested in public engagement with biomedical science. They said that ‘The major impact of the genome project will be a slow but steady conceptual evolution – a change in the way that we think about disease and normal physiology’ (Watson & Cook-Deegan, 1990, p. 3322). Since the way we think about disease and normal physiology are fundamental to the public’s interests in (and feelings about!) biomedical science, significant changes in how we think about these topics will be important to understand for any attempt to follow or facilitate democratic deliberations about genome science. In their 1990 essay, Watson and Cook-Deegan go on to suggest the direction in which they think the Human Genome Project will take our thinking about disease:
Body Image and Other Psychological Issues in Breast Augmentation

As the popularity of cosmetic breast augmentation has surged in the past decade, so has interest in the psychological aspects of the procedures. A growing literature has investigated the preoperative characteristics of women who seek cosmetic breast augmentation. The preoperative psychological assessment of breast augmentation patients should focus on three areas: motivations for and expectations about surgery, physical appearance and body image, and psychiatric history and status. The surgeon should assess the patient as a routine part of the initial consultation. In addition to assessing for body dysmorphic disorder, mood disorders and eating disorders may be overrepresented among women who seek breast augmentation. There has been an association between cosmetic breast implants and subsequent suicides. Breast augmentation candidates who present with a history of psychopathology, or those who are suspected of having some form of psychopathology, should undergo a mental health consultation prior to surgery.
A biomedical device to improve pediatric vascular access success.

Purpose to evaluate the effectiveness of a vein-viewing device on the success of venipunctures performed by staff nurses on a pediatric surgical unit. Method this prospective, non-randomized study examined pediatric inpatients from the age of newborn to 17 years requiring vascular access at a tertiary care center in northeast Florida. The number of attempts, age of the patient, and time required to establish successful vascular access using a vein-viewing device were self-reported by nursing staff (experimental group, n = 91, mean age 9 years, range 3 days to 17 years) as well as staff, patient, and parental comments about the device. These data were compared to baseline data (control group, n = 150, mean age 5.7 years, range 11 days to 17 years) previously collected on the same unit without using the device. The outcome variables were first-attempt success rate, the number of attempts per patient, and the time to procedure completion. Findings when comparing the two groups, the first-attempt success rate increased from 49.3% to 80.2%, the mean number of attempts per patient decreased from 1.97 to 1.29, and the percentage of procedures completed in 15 minutes or less increased from 52.8% to 86.7%. Results were statistically significant for all outcome variables between the two groups and also when re-analyzed in subgroups controlling for age. Conclusions use of a vein-viewing device significantly improved first-attempt venipuncture success rate, decreased the number of attempts per patient, and decreased procedure time for the study population. The device was well received by patients, families, and staff.
The Conscience Defense to Malpractice

This Article presents the first empirical study of state conscience laws that establish explicit procedural protections for medical providers who refuse to participate in the provision of reproductive health services – including abortion, sterilization, contraception, and emergency contraception. Scholarship and public debate about law’s role in protecting health care providers’ conscience rights typically focus on who should be protected, what actions should be protected, and whether there should be any limitations on the exercise of conscience rights. This study, conducted in accordance with best methodological practices from the social sciences for policy surveillance and legal mapping, is the first to provide concrete data on the vital but unanswered question of how these laws actually operate – that is, the precise procedural mechanisms by which they protect those who decline to provide medical services that violate their deeply-held conscientious beliefs. This Article demonstrates that state laws vary dramatically in the types of conscience protections they offer. States may immunize health care providers from a wide range of potential adverse consequences including civil liability, criminal prosecution, professional discipline, employment discrimination, discrimination in education, and denial of public or private funding, among others. Of these, immunity from civil liability is by far the most common procedural protection. In a majority of states, this immunity is absolute – providing no exceptions in cases of malpractice, denial of emergency treatment, or patient death. In practice, these laws eliminate patients’ common law right to recover monetary damages when they suffer physical injury as a result of a health care provider’s conscience-based deviation from the standard of care. While many scholars have examined the impact of conscience laws on patient access to medical care, there has yet been no comprehensive analysis of these laws’ impact on patients’ right to a tort law remedy when they are denied such care. This Article not only raises awareness of the previously-unrecognized breadth of protections established by U.S. conscience law, but also challenges basic assumptions about tort law’s ability to remedy harms suffered by victims of medical malpractice in reproductive health care contexts. These findings create an important opportunity for further policy discussion about the scope of health care conscience laws. This Article highlights opportunities for future research on the question of whether conscience-driven health care providers should be granted legal immunity from all possible adverse consequences of their actions, or whether these protections should be balanced against state interests in ensuring that patients who are injured by provider refusals are not denied opportunities for tort recovery.
The effect of levothyroxine treatment in individuals with subclinical hypothyroidism on surrogate markers of atherosclerosis: a meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials.

Introduction: Subclinical hypothyroidism is associated with increased carotid intima media thickness (CIMT) and decreased flow-mediated dilation (FMD) – surrogate markers of subclinical atheroscler...
Livestock pluripotency is finally captured in vitro

Pluripotent stem cells (PSCs) have demonstrated great utility in improving our understanding of mammalian development and continue to revolutionise regenerative medicine. Thanks to the improved understanding of pluripotency in mice and humans, it has recently become feasible to generate stable livestock PSCs. Although it is unlikely that livestock PSCs will be used for similar applications as their murine and human counterparts, new exciting applications that could greatly advance animal agriculture are being developed, including the use of PSCs for complex genome editing, cellular agriculture, gamete generation and invitro breeding schemes.
CANNABIS USE FOR ANXIETY AMONG OLDER ADULTS

Introduction Use and acceptability of cannabis has grown over the past decade due to the changing legal landscape and public perceptions of cannabis. There is also some evidence that cannabis use among older adults has increased as well. Anecdotal evidence suggests cannabis, when medicinally used, may help decrease anxiety-related symptoms. Little is known about the ways older adults use cannabis for anxiety. We examined older adults’ use of cannabis to treat anxiety in a clinic population. Methods We used data from 568 patients seen in a geriatrics clinic at the University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA, who completed a self-administered survey over a period of 12 weeks. Participants reported characteristics of cannabis use including lifetime cannabis use, ingredients used (CBD vs. products containing THC), reasons for use (medicinal vs. recreational), frequency of use, sources of cannabis acquisition, consumption methods, targeted symptoms, and perceived helpfulness. We examined the prevalence of these characteristics among older adults using cannabis for anxiety and explored differences across older adults using cannabis for other symptoms. Results Overall, 14.4% (n=82) of older adults reported cannabis use within the past 3?years (recent users). Among recent users, 24.4% (n=20) reported using cannabis to treat anxiety (Figure 1). For those using cannabis to treat anxiety, the majority (70%, n=14) perceived cannabis to be extremely or somewhat helpful for anxiety whereas 15% (n=3) reported cannabis to be minimally helpful or not helpful at all for anxiety, and 15% (n=3) did not respond to this question (Figure 2). Compared to older adults using cannabis to target other symptoms, those using cannabis for anxiety are more likely to use products containing THC (p Conclusions Anxiety was a common reason for using cannabis among older adults. Overall, use of cannabis for anxiety is perceived to be helpful in alleviating symptoms. More research on cannabis in older adults is warranted including prevalence of use, efficacy in treating anxiety, and potential changes in concurrently prescribed anxiolytic medications as a result of cannabis use. This research was funded by: This work was supported by the National Institute on Aging T35 grant AG26757 (PI: Dilip V. Jeste, MD), the Stein Institute for Research on Aging, the Center for Healthy Aging, and the Division of Geriatrics and Gerontology (Department of Medicine) at the University of California, San Diego.