cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Towards a standard for model specification and storage

Software production has become an industrial task usually involving teams of programmers working on complex problems to produce large, even huge software systems. Globally distributed teams are doing a growing share of all software development work. The management of software engineering teamwork, especially of a temporally and/or spatially distributed team, presents an enormous organizational challenge as well as an intricate technical problem, as such distributed teamwork requires tool support for coordination of cooperative activities, maintenance of project control, and sharing of information. Domain-specific Model Integrated Program Synthesis environments are created according to a modeling paradigm: a description of the class of models that can be created using the system. Just as model integrated computing applications are executable instances of domain models, domain models can be viewed as instances of metamodels. The representation of these models and the modeling paradigm is unique to the specific modeling environment. This poses a major problem for portability of models from one modeling environment to another. The purpose of the paper is to explore the possibility of a common standard for the storage of models, in what framework the standard should exist, and who should define the standard.
Compensatory relationship between splice sites and exonic splicing signals depending on the length of vertebrate introns

Background The signals that determine the specificity and efficiency of splicing are multiple and complex, and are not fully understood. Among other factors, the relative contributions of different mechanisms appear to depend on intron size inasmuch as long introns might hinder the activity of the spliceosome through interference with the proper positioning of the intron-exon junctions. Indeed, it has been shown that the information content of splice sites positively correlates with intron length in the nematode, Drosophila, and fungi. We explored the connections between the length of vertebrate introns, the strength of splice sites, exonic splicing signals, and evolution of flanking exons.
Interatomic Potentials for Al and Ni From Experimental Data and AB Initio Calculations

New embedded-atom potentials for Al and Ni have been developed by fitting to both experimental data and the results of ab initio calculations. The ab initio data were obtained in the form of energies of different alternative computer-generated crystalline structures of these metals. The potentials accurately reproduce basic equilibrium properties of Al and Ni such as the elastic constants, phonon dispersion curves, vacancy formation and migration energies, stacking fault energies, and surface energies. The equilibrium energies of various alternative structures not included in the fitting database are calculated with these potentials. The results are compared with predictions of total-energy tight-binding calculations for the same structures. The embedded-atom potentials correctly reproduce the structural stability trends, which suggests that they are transferable to different local environments encountered in atomistic simulations of lattice defects.
A Creative Writing Program to Enhance Self‐Esteem and Self‐Efficacy in Adolescents

PURPOSE To describe the rationale, content, and results of a group creative writing program to increase adolescent self-esteem and self-efficacy. METHODS Subjects were low-income, at-risk minority youth (N = 11). Free writing in response to specific exercises, sharing their own stories in their own language, and responding to their peers were used daily for 2 weeks as part of the high school English class. The program was oriented toward health rather than problems, with the content created by the adolescents. FINDINGS The opportunity to tell their own story, in their own language in a safe, structured setting with positive feedback led to higher self-efficacy and self-esteem. CONCLUSIONS This study suggests that a writing intervention focused on building self-in-relation self-esteem and the four aspects of self-efficacy resulted in increased sense of well-being.
Truncation to Subminimal Words in Early French

It has commonly been proposed that there is a stage in development where children's early productions are binary feet, or minimal words. However, the present study of a French-speaking child (1;1–1;8) finds an extended period where both CVC and disyllabic target words are truncated to CV after initially being produced as reduplicated CiVCiV forms. That is, the child appears to regress, failing to produce disyllabic forms that could be produced earlier. This article proposes an explanation for this apparent regression in terms of segmental-prosodic constraint interaction, where the child's limited segmental inventory, in conjunction with the high frequency of CV lexical items in everyday French, conspire to yield subminimal truncations as "optimal" at this stage in development. These findings provide support for a growing body of literature showing the importance of both constraint interaction and frequency effects in early production, arguing for a more probabilistic approach to theories of language learning. Plusieurs chercheurs ont propose l'existence d'un stade d'acquisition pendant lequel les productions chez les enfants ont la forme non marquee d'un pied binaire (mots minimaux). Cependant, la presente etude d'un enfant de langue maternelle francaise (1;1–1;8) revele une periode prolongee ou les mots cibles CVC et disyllabiques sont reduits (en formes CV) apres avoir ete produits comme des formes redupliquees (CiVCiV). Des analyses plus precises suggerent que ces troncations resultant en des formes sous-minimales peuvent etre expliquees : les interactions de contraintes segmentales et prosodiques, l'inventaire de phonemes limite de l'enfant et la haute frequence des mots lexicaux CV en francais font en sorte que ces troncations sous-minimales soient optimales a ce stade de developpement. Ces resultats sont en accord avec la documentation grandissante montrant l'importance des effets de frequence dans les stades precoces de la production chez l'enfant et soutiennent une approche probabilistique des theories d'acquisition du langage
Measurements of Boundary Layer Profiles in an Urban Environment

Boundary layer profiles of mean temperature, velocity, and small-scale turbulence from in situ sensors, Doppler lidar, sodar, and rawinsondes are intercompared for an urban environment. A new Doppler lidar algorithm is presented to produce high-resolution profiles of small-scale velocity statistics. The lidar-derived profiles are robust and accurate even for challenging conditions such as stable boundary layers with a low-level jet, low turbulence, and low wind speed. Similar results are expected for other locations and convective conditions.
Clustering Spectral Filters for Extensible Feature Extraction in Musical Instrument Classification

We propose a technique of training models for feature extraction using prior expectation of regions of importance in an instrument's timbre. Over a dataset of training examples, we extract significant spectral peaks, calculate their ratio to fundamental frequency, and use $k$-means clustering to identify a set of windows of spectral prominence for each instrument. These windows are used to extract amplitude values from training data to use as features in classification tasks. We test this approach on two databases of 17 instruments, cross evaluate between datasets, and compare with MFCC features.
Tortuosity and Archie’s Law

Despite the popularity of Archie’s Law, parameterizing bulk electrical conductivity as a power-law function of porosity seems to lack support from first principles. In this chapter, we renew the discussion on improving the way to upscale electrical current in porous media. We notice that in a solute diffusion problem (without advection), which is mathematically equivalent to the electrical current problem at the pore scale, bulk diffusivity is upscaled to be a linear function of porosity. The paradox of this upscaling problem results from the difficulty in quantifying the effects of the twisted and windings paths of transport in porous media, and from the ambiguous correlation between tortuosity and porosity. We argue that tortuosity is not well defined at the microscale; it is a macroscopic property. We show that the intuitive definition of tortuosity from an effective length is not a fruitful approach in terms of rigorous quantitative analysis, even for simple tubes with non-uniform cross-sectional area. Moreover, even though empirical relationships between tortuosity and porosity widely exist in the literature, our numerical study of electrical current in 3-D porous media demonstrates that tortuosity does not have to exhibit intrinsic correlation with porosity. Furthermore, we show that as a macroscopic parameter to capture the overall impediment that soil grains have on solute diffusion or electric current, the tortuosity is a tensorial property (i.e., directionally dependent), and cannot be predicted from porosity.
The evolution of morphology in NR/HDPE blends. Part I. Microscopy for unvulcanized blends

Abstract Phase morphology is an important factor in the determination of properties of polymer blends. In this work, methods for determining phase morphology of unvulcanized natural rubber (NR)/high-density polyethylene (HDPE) blends were investigated. Small, quick-quenched samples were taken from the internal mixer for examination under scanning electron microscopy (SEM). There was almost no interruption of the mixing because the sampling device was designed for preventing the coalescence of dispersed particles. Three specimen-preparation methods for SEM were considered: (i) OsO4 vapor staining, followed by carbon coating; (ii) toluene etching of NR phase at room temperature, followed by coating of the surface with a platinum alloy; (iii) crosslinking of NR phase by S2Cl2 vapor and then etching of HDPE phase by using boiling xylene. Method (i), OsO4 staining of cryogenic microtomed samples, was selected for the work on the kinetics of dispersion during the mixing process. Vast differences in phase morpho...
Improving Application Security through TLS-Library Redesign

Research has revealed a number of pitfalls inherent in contemporary TLS libraries. Common mistakes when programming using their APIs include insufficient certificate verification and the use of weak cipher suites. These programmer errors leave applications susceptible to man-in-the-middle attacks. Furthermore, current TLS libraries encourage system designs which leave the confidentiality of secret authentication and session keys vulnerable to application flaws. This paper introduces libtlssep pronounced lib.tai¾ź.el.sep, a new, open-source TLS library which provides a simpler API and improved security architecture. Applications that use libtlssep spawn a separate process whose role is to provide one or more TLS-protected communication channels; this child process assures proper certificate verification and isolates authentication and session keys in its separate memory space. We present a security, programmability, and performance analysis of libtlssep.
Long-Term Outcomes of Acute Encephalitis

Researchers at the Astrid Lindgren Children’s Hospital and Karolinska Institute, Stockholm, Sweden, reviewed medical records of 71 of 93 children who were treated for acute encephalitis at 5 weeks to 17 years of age in 2000-2004, using questionnaires and a structured telephone interview conducted with the parents.
Testing the Chinese ‘Myth’ About Freedom of Navigation

Recently, a former officer in the People’s Liberation Army (PLA) of China published a commentary, entitled "5 Myths About China’s Missile Deployment on Woody Island." Among those five myths was one about China and the freedom of navigation in the South China Sea. Such Chinese comments and others like them made by officials of China’s government, share a common theme: Any international concern about China’s actions in the South China and their impact on the freedom of navigation is much ado about nothing. In response, this article undertakes a close examination of the Chinese myth about the freedom of navigation in the South China Sea (hereinafter, the “FON myth”), using the methodology similar to the one followed in scientific community and the popular television show Mythbusters, It tests the FON myth in a three-step manner, by: (1) identifying the applicable universal standards, (2) correcting inherent fallacies in the myth, and (3) applying those standards to relevant data. Steps 1 and 2 were discussed in a previous article by the author. Step 3 will be the focus of this second article on the matter. In testing the FON myth, the evidence outlined in this article supports only one logical conclusion: China’s FON myth for the South China Sea is “busted.” In other words, the international community has legitimate grounds to be concerned about China’s actions impacting the rights, freedoms, and lawful uses of the sea and airspace in the South China Sea.
Cause Analysis and Treatment Measure of Serious Coking for 300 MW Lignite Coal Boiler

Fired-coal boiler coking is important problem affecting security and economic operation of boiler.The paper analyses the main cause leading to boiler serious coking in a 2×300 MW thermal power plant,and gives treatment measure.The research shows that the main reasons leading to boiler serious coking are the lignite coal fired by the boiler is strong coking coal,and many problems exist in the boiler combustion,such as low primary air rate,pulverized coal fineness thin,large deviation of primary air speed,small circumferential air opening,bad second air distribution etc.These problems of superimposed on each other lead to boiler serious coking.Aimed to these problems,corresponding measure is adopted,and combustion adjustment is introduced.Boiler coking is effectively controlled by combustion adjustment,and the peng slag in the top of deslagging machine no longer appears.At present boiler operation is very stabilization.
Effection of edger shape on the slab profile

Based on the theory of elasto-plastic finite element, the article simulated the edger rolling process and analyzed the ef-fection of edger shape on the slab profile by ANSYS/LS-DYNA software. Losing width would happen at the head and end of the slab after edging. The highest of dog bone arised at the middle of slab length. The stability would increase by using edging roller with groove and slope angle.
Crystal structure of ethyl 4-[(E)-(4-hy­droxy-3-meth­oxy­benzyl­idene)amino]­benzoate: a p-hy­droxy Schiff base

The title p-hy­droxy Schiff base, C17H17NO4, was synthesized via the condensation reaction of benzocaine with vanillin. The benzyl­idine and benzoate rings are inclined to one another by 24.58 (8)°, and the conformation about the C=N bond is E. In the crystal, mol­ecules are linked by O—H⋯N hydrogen bonds, forming zigzag chains propagating along [010]. Adjacent chains are linked by C—H⋯π and weak offset π–π inter­actions [inter­centroid distance = 3.819 (1) A], forming sheets parallel to (10-2).
Combining Inhibitors of ALK and ROS1 With Other Agents for the Treatment of Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer

AS ALK and ROS1 rearrangements define relatively small subsets of patients with NSCLC. ALK rearrangement is identified in 3% to 5% of patients, whereas ROS1 rearrangement is identified in approximately 1% of patients. Although the percentages are small, the total number of patients diagnosed each year with advanced NSCLC is very large, so small percentages still translate into a sizable number of patients. The clinical features of patients with ALKor ROS1rearranged lung cancers are very similar. Both ALKand ROS1-rearranged patients tend to be younger than average, they usually are never or light smokers, and they almost always have adenocarcinoma histology. Nonetheless, these are distinct subsets of lung cancer patients, and we rarely if ever see overlap of ALK and ROS1 rearrangement. We did recently report a case in which a tumor tested positive for both ALK and ROS1 using fluorescence in situ hybridization assays. However, confirmatory next-generation sequencing demonstrated that the tumor harbored only ALK rearrangement, and not ROS1 rearrangement.1
General Multi-Porosity simulation for fractured reservoir modeling

Abstract In the area of fractured reservoir modeling, conventional Dual Porosity Models is challenged to flexibly simulate more than two porosity systems and it is also difficult to capture the transient fluid transfer between matrix and fracture. This work aims to solve those problems in fractured reservoir simulation. The newly introduced Multi-Porosity Model honors any number of porosity types with different properties, such as permeability, porosity and wettability thus achieving significant improvements over conventional Dual-Porosity Models. Arbitrary connections for intra-porosity flow and inter-porosity flow are incorporated into the design to allow for the convenient transformation between Multi-Porosity and Multi-Permeability formulations. The addition of a flexible subdivision in each porosity system has allowed us to characterize the transient flow for inter-porosity flow. Due to the low permeability in the matrix, transient flow between matrix and fracture dominates, and thus matrix spatial subdivision is necessary to accurately capture the dynamics. The formulation is designed to allow the proposed scheme to be generalized. To quantify the improvements available with the new formulation, several typical Multi-Porosity Models are compared with Fine-Grid Single-Porosity Models. Consistent results have been obtained with those similar cases from literature, and the robustness and efficiency of the model is validated. Besides, the extra matrix subdivision is proven to accurately capture the transient fluid transfer between matrix and fracture.
A Revolution in Administration

A courier arrives in the courtyard of the hotel Conti, hot and sweaty from a five-day ride. He is determined to hand his packet to the Minister of the Interior (whose name is carefully marked on the packet he carries) as the prefect in charge of the eastern departement of Doubs had assured him that it was urgent and very important. Instead, the uniformed usher shows him to a vestibule, and tells him to wait. Some hours later, the secretary general authorizes his office to take receipt of the courier's burden. The secretariat signs its contents into the register, and begins to number, date and classify the various pieces for distribution to the appropriate divisions.1 The ministry swallows the packet; the courier is dismissed. He trudges out of the secretary general's antechamber, watched idly by administrators and petitioners as he crosses the cobblestoned courtyard.2
Attention, reward, and inhibition: symptomatic features of ADHD and issues for offenders in the criminal justice system.

Although the relationship between criminal activity and ADHD has been heavily studied, this paper reviews a largely neglected area of academic discourse: how symptoms of ADHD that often contribute to offending behavior may also potentially create further problems for offenders with ADHD after they come into contact with the criminal justice system and pilot their way through the legal process. The main symptoms of ADHD that are primarily connected to criminal offending are examined and contextualized with respect to diagnosed offenders’ experiences with the justice system. Symptoms of ADHD, specifically reward deficiency, behavioral inhibition, and attention deficits, may affect whether individuals will be successful in their experiences in court, with probation, and during incarceration. This is especially true for individuals whose ADHD diagnoses are unknown to the criminal justice system or have never been formally diagnosed. Actors in the criminal justice need to be aware of the symptomatic features and behavioral patterns of offenders with ADHD in order to recognize and identify these offenders, and correspondingly, to refer them to mental health services. Recognizing that at least some of an offender’s behavior may be related to symptoms of ADHD will help the criminal justice system better provide recommendations regarding sentencing, probation, and treatment provisions, as well as better ensure that offenders with ADHD have a more successful and just experience in their interactions with the criminal justice system.
Thermoelectric Power Factor Calculator for Nanocrystalline Composites

Quantum Simulation of the Seebeck Coefficient and Electrical Conductivity in a 2D Nanocrystalline Composite Structure using Non-Equilibrium Green's Functions
Life, Death, and Archaeology at Fort Blue Mounds: A Settlers' Fortification of the Black Hawk War

Review of: "Life, Death, and Archaeology at Fort Blue Mounds: A Settlers' Fortification of the Black Hawk War," by Robert A. Birmingham.
On-line load estimation for distribution automation using AMI data

This paper presents a method to estimate the loads on a distribution feeder in real-time with limited real-time customer load data from AMI. The method consists of two modules: a load clustering module and a load modeling module. Load clustering helps to identify customer loads with similar profiles thereby helping to determine the subset of customers that need to be monitored in real-time. The load modelling module constructs statistical models for each load on the feeder. The module uses both the historical AMI data and the real-time AMI data from the selected customers in order to improve the performance of the model. Test results based on actual AMI data show the effectiveness of the method.
AGINDO POR UMA RAZÃO

Neste ensaio a autora intenta discutir o que uma razao pratica e, isto e, a que nos estamos referindo quando falamos sobre a razao para uma acao, bem como sobre o que ocorre quando alguem age por uma razao. Nesse sentido, ela evoca especialmente Aristoteles e Kant com o proposito de dar uma resposta a essa questao. Essa estrategia distinguira sua resposta da resposta dada por filosofos contemporâneos. Assim, ela ira conectar sua descricao do que sejam razoes com um aspecto da Razao tal como esta era concebida pelos filosofos acima mencionados: A Razao como uma dimensao ativa da mente mesma.
On L 1 -Reference System Linear Model Predictive Control

Abstract This paper presents a Model Predictive Controller based on the Reference System concept for LTI plants. The algorithm presented uses process model factorization approaches and is implemented by an error system. The output feedback is addressed in the well established MPC framework and an l1-based algorithm is used as a measure of the controller performance index. The online implementation of the RS1-MPC algorithm requires the solution of an LP problem, a less expensive optimization technique when compared to the corresponding traditional quadratic problem. Stability constraints can be also incorporated as it is done in past MPC techniques for constrained systems. Two examples are shown, where the application of the algorithm using inner-outer and interactor matrix factorizations are used for defining the reference system.
OSCAR: Optimizing SCrAtchpad reuse for graph processing

Recently, architectures with scratchpad memory are gaining popularity. These architectures consist of low bandwidth, large capacity DRAM and high bandwidth, user addressable small capacity scratchpad. Existing algorithms must be redesigned to take advantage of the high bandwidth while overcoming the constraint on capacity of scratchpad. In this paper, we propose an optimized edge-centric graph processing algorithm for scratchpad based architectures. Our key contribution is significant reduction in (slower) DRAM accesses through intelligent reuse of scratchpad data. We trade off reduction in DRAM accesses for slightly higher scratchpad accesses. However, due to the much higher bandwidth of scratchpad, the total memory access cost (DRAM + scratchpad) is significantly reduced. We validate our analysis with experiments on real world graphs using a simulator which mimics the scratchpad based architecture using Single Source Shortest Path (SSSP) and Breadth First Search (BFS). Our experimental results demonstrate 1.7× to 2.7× reduction in DRAM accesses leading to an improvement of 1.4× to 2× in total memory (DRAM + scratchpad) accesses.
Polymorphic duplicate genes and persistent non-coding sequences reveal heterogeneous patterns of mitochondrial DNA loss in salamanders.

Mitochondria are the site of the citric acid cycle and oxidative phosphorylation (OXPHOS). In metazoans, the mitochondrial genome is a small, circular molecule averaging 16.5 kb in length. Despite evolutionarily conserved gene content, metazoan mitochondrial genomes show a diversity of gene orders most commonly explained by the duplication-random loss (DRL) model. In the DRL model, (1) a sequence of genes is duplicated in tandem, (2) one paralog sustains a loss-of-function mutation, resulting in selection to retain the other copy, and (3) the non-functional paralog is eventually deleted from the genome. Despite its apparent role in generating mitochondrial gene order diversity, little is known about the tempo and mode of random gene loss after duplication events. Here, we determine mitochondrial gene order across the salamander genus Aneides, which was previously shown to include at least two DRL-mediated rearrangement events. We then analyze these gene orders in a phylogenetic context to reveal patterns of DNA loss after mitochondrial gene duplication. We identified two separate duplication events that resulted in mitochondrial gene rearrangements in Aneides; one occurred at the base of the clade tens of millions of years ago, while the other occurred much more recently (i.e. within a single species), resulting in gene order polymorphism and paralogs that are readily identifiable. We demonstrate that near-complete removal of duplicate rRNA genes has occurred since the recent duplication event, whereas duplicate protein-coding genes persist as pseudogenes and duplicate tRNAs persist as functionally intact paralogs. In addition, we show that non-coding DNA duplicated at the base of the clade has persisted across species for tens of millions of years. The evolutionary history of the mitochondrial genome, from its inception as a bacterial endosymbiont, includes massive genomic reduction. Consistent with this overall trend, selection for efficiency of mitochondrial replication and transcription has been hypothesized to favor elimination of extra sequence. Our results, however, suggest that there may be no strong disadvantage to extraneous sequences in salamander mitochondrial genomes, although duplicate rRNA genes may be deleterious.
Concept Cartoons as a Representation of Practice

The chapter focuses on using Concept Cartoons as a representation of practice in pre-service primary school teachers’ education, especially on the possibility to employ them as a tool for investigating informal foundations of pedagogical content knowledge. The chapter introduces Concept Cartoons, and reports qualitative empirical research with a preparatory study. The preparatory study suggests the form of the Concept Cartoons environment suitable for investigating pedagogical content knowledge, and the main study analyzes displays of pedagogical content knowledge revealed in data collected from pre-service primary school teachers before their entering the course on didactics of mathematics. The results confirmed that Concept Cartoons were suitable for the studied purpose.
Behavioral Characterization of β-Arrestin 1 Knockout Mice in Anxiety-Like and Alcohol Behaviors.

beta-arrestin 1 and 2 are highly expressed proteins involved in the desensitization of G protein-coupled receptor signaling which also regulate a variety of intracellular signaling pathways. Gene knockout studies suggest that the two isoforms are not homologous in their effects on baseline and drug-induced behavior; yet, the role of beta-arrestin 1 in the central nervous system has been less investigated compared to -arrestin 2. Here, we investigate how global beta-arrestin 1 knockout affects anxiety-like and alcohol-related behaviors in male and female C57BL/6 mice. We observed increased baseline locomotor activity in beta-arrestin 1 knockout animals compared with wild-type or heterozygous mice , with no influence of sexa sex effect. . Knockout male mice were less anxious in a light/dark transition test, although this effect may have been confounded by increased locomotor activity. No differences in sucrose intake were observed between genotypes or sexes. FInterestingly, emale beta-arrestin 1 knockout mice consumed more total sucrose than wild-type mice and more consumed more 10% alcohol than heterozygous animals females in a limited four-hour access, two-bottle choice, drinking-in-the-dark models. In a 20% alcohol binge-like access model, female knockout animals consumed significantly more alcohol than both heterozygous and wild-type animalsfemales. A significant sex-effect was observed in both alcohol consumption models, with female mice consuming greater amounts of alcohol than males relative to body weight. Increased sensitivity to latency to loss of righting reflex was observed in beta-arrestin 1 knockout mice although no differences were observed in duration of loss of righting reflex. Overall, our efforts suggest that expression of beta-arrestin 1 may be protective against increased alcohol reward consumption (alcohol and natural rewardin females) and hyperactivity in both sexes.
Clinical Trials in CRS and HIPEC: Ongoing Trials and Future Directives

Cytoreductive surgery (CRS) and hyperthermic intraperitoneal chemotherapy (HIPEC) have gained momentum as a viable treatment option for primary or recurrent malignancies with peritoneal metastasis (PM). Despite significant progress over the last 30 years, this field has lacked in high-quality randomized, controlled trials, with most data supporting the use of CRS and HIPEC coming from smaller retrospective and prospective trials. Ultimately, validation of treatment efficacy and outcomes will require large, collaborative, well-organized, outcomes-based studies. Thus far, the use of CRS and HIPEC in metastatic gastric, ovarian, pancreatic, and other gastrointestinal malignancies has spurred further development of a growing number of prospective clinical trials to study outcomes and survival benefit. This chapter summarizes some of the notable, completed clinical trials and current trials being conducted.
Interaction of Macrophages and Mast Cells in the Production of Prostaglandins and Leukotrienes

It is well established that macrophages are very important in host defence, including the elimination of tumour cells. Macrophages contribute to host defence by phagocytosis, cytotoxic activity and immune regulation (Allison et al. 1978; Nathan et al. 1980). Mast cells are best characterized for their role in immediate hypersensitivity reactions. However, they also have other functions in host defence. They have been shown to phagocytose, though less efficiently than macrophages (Otani et al. 1982), and kill tumour cells (Tharp et al. 1986). With certain types of tumours, the mast cell number is greatly increased (Burtin 1986). The functional significance of mast cells in tumour control has been confirmed by the observation that the tumour incidence is increased in mast cell deficient mice (Burtin 1986). Mast cells also seem to be important in the initiation of inflammation, and certain tumours are associated with intense inflammatory reactions. We have observed that the influx of polymorphonuclear leukocytes in inflammation is markedly reduced in mast cell deficient mice (Qureshi and Jakschik 1987). Mast cells as well as macrophages are positioned in the tissue where noxious material may enter. They have the capacity to initiate processes which could eliminate unwanted material or cells.
Antenatal diagnosis of renal anomalies with ultrasound. IV. Bilateral multicystic kidney disease.

Abstract Bilateral multicystic kidney disease is a congenital disorder that is fatal in the newborn period. A series of nine cases of bilateral multicystic kidney disease diagnosed prenatally by ultrasound is presented. Ultrasound criteria necessary for the diagnosis are (1) bilateral multicystic kidneys, (2) loss of renal architecture, (3) nonvisualization of the fetal bladder, and (4) absence of amniotic fluid. Seven of the nine cases had autopsy confirmation of the diagnosis. Three cases had other associated congenital anomalies. Precise prenatal diagnosis may allow patients the option of elective abortion or may prevent unnecessary obstetric intervention. We propose that a reliable diagnosis can be made with prenatal ultrasound.
Removing redundancies in constraint networks

The removal of inconsistencies from the problem's representation, which has been emphasized as a means of improving the performance of backtracking algorithms in solving consttaint satisfaction problems, increases the amount of redundancy in the problem. In this paper we argue that some solution methods might actually benefit from using an opposing strategy, namely, the removal of redundancies from the representation. We present various ways in which redundancies may be identified. In particular, we show how the path-consistency method. developed for removing inconsistencies can be reversed for the purpose of identifying redundancies, and discuss the ways in which redundancy removal can be beneficial in solving consttaint satisfaction problems.
Repetitive Fragile Sites: Centromere Satellite DNA As a Source of Genome Instability in Human Diseases.

Maintenance of an intact genome is essential for cellular and organismal homeostasis. The centromere is a specialized chromosomal locus required for faithful genome inheritance at each round of cell division. Human centromeres are composed of large tandem arrays of repetitive alpha-satellite DNA, which are often sites of aberrant rearrangements that may lead to chromosome fusions and genetic abnormalities. While the centromere has an essential role in chromosome segregation during mitosis, the long and repetitive nature of the highly identical repeats has greatly hindered in-depth genetic studies, and complete annotation of all human centromeres is still lacking. Here, we review our current understanding of human centromere genetics and epigenetics as well as recent investigations into the role of centromere DNA in disease, with a special focus on cancer, aging, and human immunodeficiency–centromeric instability–facial anomalies (ICF) syndrome. We also highlight the causes and consequences of genomic instability at these large repetitive arrays and describe the possible sources of centromere fragility. The novel connection between alpha-satellite DNA instability and human pathological conditions emphasizes the importance of obtaining a truly complete human genome assembly and accelerating our understanding of centromere repeats’ role in physiology and beyond.
Cognitive Behavioral Intervention for Youth at Risk for Conduct Problems: Future Directions

This article briefly overviews the history of cognitive behavioral intervention (CBI) for children displaying early signs, or actual diagnoses, of conduct disorders. A series of randomized control trials have identified evidence-based CBI programs for children with these behavior problems at various developmental stages from preschool through adolescence. Although it is critically important for the field to disseminate these existing programs as developed, we argue that it is important to also move beyond the existing evidence-based programs. Research should continue to test new comprehensive, multicomponent interventions, fueled by our evolving understanding of active mechanisms that contribute to children's externalizing behavior problems. The future of research in this area can also benefit from a focus on four central issues. First, research can address how single interventions can have meaningful impact on a range of transdiagnostic outcomes because the intervention mechanisms may affect those various outcomes. Second, rooted in implementation science, we are beginning to understand better how evidence-based programs can be disseminated in the real world, examining key issues such as the adequacy of training approaches and the role of therapist and organizational characteristics. Third, a major focus of research can be on how to optimize intervention outcomes, including a focus on microtrials, on tailoring of interventions, on examining rigorously how interventions are delivered, and on the integration of technology and of other approaches such as mindfulness training into CBI. Fourth, research can explore how the therapeutic relationship and the therapists' characteristics can play substantial roles in effective CBI with conduct problem children.
Ethical Statistics and Statistical Ethics: Making an Interdisciplinary Module

This article describes an innovative curriculum module the first author created on the two-way exchange between statistics and applied ethics. The module, having no particular mathematical prerequi...
“This isn’t my real writing”: The fate of children’s agency in too-tight curricula

In this article, I adopt a practice theory consideration of student agency, that is, I consider students’ power to act on their interests and intentions, on their own inclinations; this will-to-act...
Sunscreen Safety: a Review of Recent Studies on Humans and the Environment

To provide an up-to-date synopsis of the literature on the safety of sunscreen active ingredients in humans and the environment and highlight regulatory changes in the USA. Currently, as per the US Food and Drug Administration, the only ultraviolet filters generally recognized as safe and effective are inorganic zinc oxide (ZnO) and titanium dioxide (TiO2). In vivo human systemic absorption studies found that common organic filters attain sufficient plasma concentrations to require carcinogenicity and reproductive studies. In vivo human skin penetration studies showed ZnO nanoparticles (ZnO-NP) did not penetrate the stratum corneum. Limited quantities of TiO2-NP may be absorbed systemically. In laboratory settings, corals exposed to oxybenzone manifested concentration-dependent toxicity and bleaching. In response, bills passed in Hawaii and elsewhere ban sales of oxybenzone-containing sunscreens. ZnO-NP, but not TiO2-NP, caused coral bleaching under controlled conditions. The collective knowledge on sunscreen safety is continually evolving, with many preliminary findings. Studies on the effects of systemic absorption of organic filters in humans are forthcoming; importantly, there has been no evidence of harm over decades of use. Organic (less so inorganic) filters caused coral bleaching in controlled environments, but filter concentrations may not have been realistic, and bleaching is predominantly driven by other factors. No present evidence suggests any marketed sunscreens should be avoided. For consumers with concerns, inorganic ZnO and TiO2 are supported by the most reassuring data at the time of writing.
Cooperative Transport of a Slung Load Using Load-Leading Control

A system for cooperative transport of a slung load by a team of autonomous rotorcraft is described. The method described here is hierarchical and centralized, with the payload defined as the leader...
Brief communication: Heterogenous thinning and subglacial lake activity on Thwaites Glacier, West Antarctica

Abstract. A system of subglacial lakes drained on Thwaites Glacier from 2012–2014. To improve coverage for subsequent drainage events, we extended the elevation and ice velocity time series on Thwaites Glacier through austral winter 2019. These new observations document a second drainage cycle and identified two new lake systems located in the western tributaries of Thwaites and Haynes Glaciers. In situ and satellite velocity observations show temporary
Biodiversity Conservation Targets: How to Allocate Resources

In this issue of One Earth, Chauvenet et al. identify strategies for the near-term allocation of protected areas on an ecoregion basis. However, the biodiversity challenge extends beyond ecoregions. More resources are needed to maximize the potential co-benefits between conservation, climate-change mitigation, indigenous communities, and sustainable land-management practices.
Human infestation with pubic lice

Pediculosis pubis is caused by Phthirus pubis (diptera: anoplura) commonly known as crab louse, an obligatory ectoparasite, found on human hair and requires human blood to survive. Pubic lice can be found on pubic hair, underarms, thigh and leg hair, beard and rarely on eyebrows and eyelashes. They are rarely found on scalp hair. Spread of lice occurs mostly by sexual contact but spread via non-sexual contact although rare has also been reported. I present the case of a middle-aged woman with pubic lice. No lice/nits were found in underarm hair, eyebrows or eyelashes. A review of literature is enclosed.
Tots and Teens: How Does Child’s Age Influence Maternal Labor Supply and Child Care Response to the Earned Income Tax Credit?

Building on earlier work that shows that the Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC) has a substantial positive effect on maternal labor supply, we show that labor supply effects are concentrated among mot...
Abstract 1335: Analytical evaluation of a targeted solid tumor next-generation sequencing assay

With the growing interest in personalized medicine for cancer patients, next generation sequencing (NGS) variant screening assays are becoming a powerful clinical tool for tumor classification. The AmpliSeqTM for Illumina Focus Panel is a targeted sequencing approach that interrogate 52 of the most common solid tumor genes for single nucleotide variants (SNVs), insertion/deletions (indels), and copy number variants (CNVs) in DNA and gene fusions in RNA concurrently. To evaluate the performance of the Focus assay, an analytical performance study was conducted. Using an automated workflow with high quality DNA reference samples, both intra-assay and inter-assay experiments resulted in high reproducibility (R2 >0.95) for detecting expected variants at various frequencies. Similarly, using high quality RNA reference samples, 100% of all expected fusions were detected in all experiments, demonstrating accuracy and precision of the Focus panel assay with high quality samples. To evaluate assay sensitivity, limit of detection (LOD) studies were carried out by titrating the nucleic acid input into the assay. Using a 5% variant allele frequency threshold (empirically established in the analysis pipeline), the assay detected all expected SNVs and indels across sample across sample input amounts. Using extracted DNA from a human cell line model (HL-60) with a confirmed MYC gene gain, results showed reliable MYC gain detection down to 4 copies in a diploid background. Similarly, extracted RNA from a confirmed EML4-ALK fusion positive cell line (H2228) diluted into background RNA showed 100% positive fusion calling down to 250pg or 133 copies. Finally, to understand the assay performance on clinically-relevant FFPE samples, somatic variant detection in 8 human cell lines and 68 total FFPE samples was evaluated. For FFPE DNA samples, the libraries averaged >90% on-target alignment and coverage uniformity with >3000x mean coverage across all samples. While FFPE RNA showed lower alignment for poor quality samples, the assay showed overall high positive and negative predictive value for variant and fusion calling. In summary, the AmpliSeqTM for Illumina Focus panel is an automation-compatible small panel NGS assay with robust performance to assess somatic variants in solid tumors. Citation Format: Jeff H. Tsai, Valerie Montel, Nathalie Mouttham. Analytical evaluation of a targeted solid tumor next-generation sequencing assay [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research 2020; 2020 Apr 27-28 and Jun 22-24. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2020;80(16 Suppl):Abstract nr 1335.
Addressing Chronic Absenteeism in Schools: A Meta-Analysis of Evidence-Based Interventions

Research has demonstrated that regular school attendance is necessary for acceptable academic performance and the development of desirable social skills and behaviors. One in seven students in the ...
Immunogenetic response to a malaria-like parasite in a wild primate

Malaria is infamous for the massive toll it exacts on human life and health. In the face of this intense selection, many human populations have evolved mechanisms that confer some resistance to the disease, such as sickle-cell hemoglobin or the Duffy null blood group. Less understood are adaptations in other vertebrate hosts, many of which have a longer history of co-evolution with malaria parasites. By comparing malaria resistance adaptations across host species, we can gain fundamental insight into host-parasite co-evolution. In particular, understanding the mechanisms by which non-human primate immune systems combat malaria may be fruitful in uncovering transferable therapeutic targets for humans. However, most research on primate response to malaria has focused on a single or few loci, typically in experimentally-infected captive primates. Here, we report the first transcriptomic study of a wild primate response to a malaria-like parasite, investigating gene expression response of red colobus monkeys (Piliocolobus tephrosceles) to natural infection with the malaria-like parasite, Hepatocystis. We identified colobus genes with expression strongly correlated with parasitemia, including many implicated in human malaria and suggestive of common genetic architecture of disease response. For instance, the expression of ACKR1 (alias DARC) gene, previously linked to resistance in humans, was found to be positively correlated with parasitemia. Other similarities to human parasite response include induction of changes in immune cell type composition and, potentially, increased extramedullary hematopoiesis and altered biosynthesis of neutral lipids. Our results illustrate the utility of comparative immunogenetic investigation of malaria response in primates. Such inter-specific comparisons of transcriptional response to pathogens afford a unique opportunity to compare and contrast the adaptive genetic architecture of disease resistance, which may lead to the identification of novel intervention targets to improve human health.
Words on the Wards: Exploring the Effects of a Poetry Program Among Inpatient Pediatric Patients

BACKGROUND/PURPOSE: The hospital can be an unfamiliar environment for children. Illness can pull them out of school, keep them away from family and friends, and disrupt their sense of normalcy. Pediatric patients may experience anxiety, stress, and a sense of helplessness. It is important to address a patient’s emotional wellbeing. Arts therapy has been documented, but the role of poetry is a new realm of investigation. This study sought to explore the possible therapeutic effects of poetry on hospitalized pediatric patients’ physical and emotional health. METHODS: Consent was obtained from inpatient pediatric patients and …
Surgery alone for transorally resected human papillomavirus-driven head and neck cancer-Can we de-intensify adjuvant therapy to 0 Gy and 0 mg/m 2 ?

LAY SUMMARY Although smoking has traditionally been the dominant causative factor of head and neck cancer, cancers of the tonsils and base of tongue increasingly are being driven by human papillomavirus, and these cancers are easier to cure. When radiation is used as the primary curative treatment, a number of studies have shown good outcomes with reduced doses of both radiation and chemotherapy. New techniques that access the tumor through the mouth instead of the jaw have made surgery dramatically less toxic. Outcomes are favorable, and many patients traditionally given radiation and chemotherapy afterward may be able to safely omit them.