cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Acoustic Properties of the Voice Source and the Vocal Tract: Are They Perceptually Independent?

Summary Objective/Hypothesis This study sought to determine whether the properties of the voice source and vocal tract are perceptually independent. Study Design Within-subjects design. Methods This study employed a paired-comparison paradigm where listeners heard synthetic voices and rated them as same or different using a visual analog scale. Stimuli were synthesized using three different source slopes and two different formant patterns (mezzo-soprano and soprano) on the vowel /a/ at four pitches: A3, C4, B4, and F5. Results Whereas formant pattern was the strongest effect, difference in source slope also affected perceived quality difference. Source slope and formant pattern were not independently perceived. Conclusion These results suggest that when judging laryngeal adduction using perceptual information, judgments may not be accurate when the stimuli are of differing formant patterns.
Strain sensing and structural health monitoring using nanofilms and nanocomposites

Structures can develop damage throughout their operational lifetimes, typically due to excessive loading, harsh environmental and loading conditions, and long-term deterioration. To evaluate the condition of structures, conventional structural health monitoring (SHM) systems employ discrete sensors such as accelerometers, displacement transducers, and strain gages, among others. Although these sensors provide quantitative data that can be correlated to structural behavior, it remains challenging to accurately detect and locate damage effectively. This chapter presents a summary of recent developments in using carbon nanotubes for the design of nanocomposite thin films that are sensitive to damage (specifically strain). In particular, the chapter presents in great detail the design and strain-sensing properties of three different types of nanofilms: buckypaper, layer-by-layer, and spray-coated films. In addition, nanofilms were also deposited on aggregates, and these nanofilm-coated aggregates were used for casting multifunctional cementitious composites that could bear loads while their electrical properties were sensitive to damage. The chapter also includes a brief discussion of the electrical impedance tomography (EIT) algorithm, which enables one to estimate the spatial conductivity (or resistivity) distribution of a conductive body. When applied to nanofilms or nanofilm-enhanced cementitious composites, it was shown that this technique allowed for the detection of damage severity and the identification of damage location in a precise and efficient manner. The chapter concludes with a summary of other avenues of research and a discussion of future research challenges that need to be addressed in order for this technology to be adopted for real-world SHM applications.
Ten Cheaper Spades: Production Theory and Cost Curves in the Short Run - A Reply

In "Ten Cheaper Spades", Richard Miller argues that the analysis of production and cost presented in the principles and intermediate microeconomics courses does not accurately describe manufacturing reality and is not supported by empirical estimation of cost curves. He proposes an alternative analysis based on the premise that firms can increase the use of labor and capital in fixed proportions until the capital stock is fully employed. The accompanying marginal cost curve would be horizontal until capacity and then become vertical. In order to obtain a determinant output firms would have to have pricing power. Miller recognizes that replacing the standard production and cost model with his alternative would mean that the perfectly competitive model would no longer be the focal point of the principles and intermediate courses. In this reply, I take issue with Miller's analysis on three grounds. First, his production model is not as general as he would suggest. No one cost model can be expected to accurately fit all situations. The standard model is reasonably descriptive of production and cost in the service sector, which is the largest sector of a modern economy. Second, empirically estimated cost curves do not provide a decisive test of the underlying theory. Third, and most important, the model of perfect competition has important welfare properties that make it a useful yardstick for evaluating the performance of actual economies.
A Numerical Study of Filtering and Control for Scramjet Engine Flow

Nicholas West George Papanicolaou Peter Glynn Gianluca Iaccarino Institute for Computational and Mathematical Engineering, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, 94305 Department of Mathematics, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, 94305 Department of Management Sciences and Engineering, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, 94305 Department of Mechanical Engieering, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, 94305
On Ovid's Ibis: a poem in context*

In Propertius' reconstruction of the battle of Actium in 4.6 Apollo is pictured taking his place over Augustus' ship, braced for war:non ille attulerat crinis in colla solutosaut testudineae carmen inerme lyrae. (31–2)In the opening couplet of the Ibis Ovid repeats the words carmen inerme at the same point in the pentameter:tempus ad hoc lustris bis iam mihi quinque peractisomne fuit Musae carmen inerme meae.In Propertius Apollo lays aside the peaceful lyre and takes up his bow to begin the onslaught (55) which will bring Augustus easy victory (57). By echoing Propertius' words Ovid signals his own move into bellicose poetics. But whereas Apollo is equally adept with the lyre and the bow, Ovid is a stranger to war and no more equipped to take up figurative arms in his unaccustomed hands (cf. 10) than he is to take up real arms in self-defence against the marauding hordes of Pontic barbarians (cf. Tr. 4.1.71–4). So why does Ovid have no option but to make war when, on his own admission, he is so ill-equipped for the task? Why is he at such pains to stress his strangeness to arms?
Chemical composition of ambient nanoparticles on a particle-by-particle basis.

The nano aerosol mass spectrometer provides a quantitative measure of the elemental composition of individual, ambient nanoparticles in the 10–30 nm size range. In this work, carbon mole fraction p...
Some cellular diffusion problems based on Onsager's generalization of Fick's law

Some consequences of Onsager's, generalization of Fick's law are examined. It is found thatmetabolized solutes may flow continually against their concentration gradients.Inert solutes may exist in a higher or lower concentration inside of the cell than in the medium thus appearing to be accumulated or excluded. The magnitudes of such concentration differences are dependent upon the rates of metabolism of metabolized solutes. Alteration of these rates mayfurther increase the concentration disparity by causing inert solute to flow from a low to a high concentration. Due to the mutual dependence, demanded by Onsager's law, of the diffusion currents, the rates ofchemically independent reactions are mutually dependent. This so calledcoupling by diffusion implies that:The rate of metabolism of a given substrate is influenced by the rates of metabolism of metabolically unrelated substrates. Furthermore, the presence, in the medium, of aninert solute to which the membrane is permeable will influence the rates of concentration-dependent reactions in the cell. The spatial distribution of a catalyst in the diffusion field within the cell is examined. The general effect of including heat flow and thermal diffusion in the cellular diffusion problems is briefly pointed out.
Thin Films of Oxygen-Deficient Perovskite Superconductors by Laser Ablation

Thin films of the new class of high temperature superconducting perov-skites have been prepared by laser ablation of t,he bulk materials with a pulsed, excimer laser operating at 193 nm. The films were deposited on room temperature substrates without post-deposition processing. The existence of superconducting regions in the inhomogeneous films was established by a novel microwave method which uses a slightly modified electron spin resonance spectrometer.
Conrad and Impressionism: Other-like-self and other-unlike-self: the epistemology of subjectivity

“One's own personality is only … something hopelessly unknown.” “Letter to Edward Garnett” In representing objects of consciousness, Conrad does not limit himself simply to physical objects, but also considers human subjects. Knowledge of objects begins with impressionist perception, as does knowledge of subjects, as Conrad focuses on both self and other – and more particularly on their interrelationship. In an article on “Heart of Darkness,” Eric Tretheway refers to “the question that Conrad never ceased to worry throughout his career, that of the possibility of shaping a ‘substantial,’ coherent self.” Various other commentators have also looked at Conrad's conception of the self. A common feature of these investigations is that they look to the self for knowledge of the self. Similarly, commentators on perception of other human beings look to the other for knowledge of the other. These commentaries on self and other consistently imply that self and other are distinct and self-contained entities. In contrast to this separation of self and other, I would argue that Conrad presents a necessary link between the two, between subject and object, in coming to any knowledge – however limited – of human subjectivity. The self alters the other, just as the other alters the self, and in the space between them exists the possible epistemology of subjectivity. Conrad is concerned with subjective knowledge throughout his works, but Lord Jim provides perhaps the best example of his inquiry into human subjectivity and its relationship to western civilization.
Functions of the chemokine receptor CXCR4 in the central nervous system and its regulation by μ-opioid receptors.

Activation of the G protein-coupled receptor CXCR4 by its chemokine ligand CXCL12 regulates a number of physiopathological functions in the central nervous system, during development as well as later in life. In addition to the more classical roles of the CXCL12/CXCR4 axis in the recruitment of immune cells or migration and proliferation of neural precursor cells, recent studies suggest that CXCR4 signaling also modulates synaptic function and neuronal survival in the mature brain, through direct and indirect effects on neurons and glia. These effects, which include regulation of glutamate receptors and uptake, and of dendritic spine density, can significantly alter the ability of neurons to face excitotoxic insults. Therefore, they are particularly relevant to neurodegenerative diseases featuring alterations of glutamate neurotransmission, such as HIV-associated neurocognitive disorders. Importantly, CXCR4 signaling can be dysregulated by HIV viral proteins, host HIV-induced factors, and opioids. Potential mechanisms of opioid regulation of CXCR4 include heterologous desensitization, transcriptional regulation and changes in receptor expression levels, opioid–chemokine receptor dimer or heteromer formation, and the newly described modulation by the protein ferritin heavy chain—all leading to inhibition of CXCR4 signaling. After reviewing major effects of chemokines and opioids in the CNS, this chapter discusses chemokine–opioid interactions in neuronal and immune cells, focusing on their potential contribution to HIV-associated neurocognitive disorders.
Rescue robots for mudslides: A descriptive study of the 2005 La Conchita mudslide response: Field Reports

The Center for Robot-Assisted Search and Rescue (CRASAR) assisted the Ventura County Fire Rescue Department with the January 2005 La Conchita, California, mudslide response. CRASAR provided commercially available urban search and rescue robots and expert operators which were deployed twice into damaged structures. The waterproof robots were able to tolerate wet conditions but proved unable to handle the densely packed rubble, vegetation, and soil and failed within two and four minutes, respectively on their two deployments. Informal interviews were conducted with responders as well. The experience forms a descriptive study of what mudslide responses are like, what tasks robots are needed for, how the rescue robots performed, and how responders viewed the robots. Our observations are captured in fourteen findings on robot performance (3), domain characteristics of mudslides (8), and general rescue robot design issues (3). These findings are expected to be of interest to robot designers, software developers, and the human-robot interaction communities. The experience at La Conchita illustrates that terrain understanding, critical for both robot design and for control, remains an important open research question for rescue robotics. © 2008 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
TU-AB-202-06: Quantitative Evaluation of Deformable Image Registration in MRI-Guided Adaptive Radiation Therapy

Purpose: To assess the performance of the deformable image registration algorithm used for MRI-guided adaptive radiation therapy using image feature analysis. Methods: MR images were collected from five patients treated on the MRIdian (ViewRay, Inc., Oakwood Village, OH), a three head Cobalt-60 therapy machine with an 0.35 T MR system. The images were acquired immediately prior to treatment with a uniform 1.5 mm resolution. Treatment sites were as follows: head/neck, lung, breast, stomach, and bladder. Deformable image registration was performed using the ViewRay software between the first fraction MRI and the final fraction MRI, and the DICE similarity coefficient (DSC) for the skin contours was reported. The SIFT and Harris feature detection and matching algorithms identified point features in each image separately, then found matching features in the other image. The target registration error (TRE) was defined as the vector distance between matched features on the two image sets. Each deformation was evaluated based on comparison of average TRE and DSC. Results: Image feature analysis produced between 2000–9500 points for evaluation on the patient images. The average (± standard deviation) TRE for all patients was 3.3 mm (±3.1 mm), and the passing rate of TRE<3 mm was 60% on the images. The head/neck patient had the best average TRE (1.9 mm±2.3 mm) and the best passing rate (80%). The lung patient had the worst average TRE (4.8 mm±3.3 mm) and the worst passing rate (37.2%). DSC was not significantly correlated with either TRE (p=0.63) or passing rate (p=0.55). Conclusions: Feature matching provides a quantitative assessment of deformable image registration, with a large number of data points for analysis. The TRE of matched features can be used to evaluate the registration of many objects throughout the volume, whereas DSC mainly provides a measure of gross overlap. We have a research agreement with ViewRay Inc.
Refining Four-Dimensionalism

Current formulations of Four-Dimensionalism may be objected to on grounds that they are too inflexible: the formulations do not seem to allow for enough variety in the views they are paired with. For instance, Kit Fine has noted that formulations of Four-Dimensionalism in terms of instantaneous parts may be too demanding for Four-Dimensionalists who believe nothing is instantaneous. And Trenton Merricks has argued that one can think something persists four-dimensionionally without taking it to have proper temporal parts (i.e., temporal parts distinct from the whole object), and claims that our formulation of Four-Dimensionalism should be revised to allow for this. I will add my own worries to those of Fine and Merricks. I will note that current formulations of Four-Dimensionalism are not sufficiently neutral with respect to the structure of time, with respect to how liberally objects decompose into parts, and with respect to whether objects and the regions they fill match in mereological structure. I will show that we can formulate Four-Dimensionalism in a sufficiently neutral way, while still producing a view that can do the work we typically require of Four-Dimensionalism.
Abstract LB-020: IP3 3-kinase B suppresses B-cell lymphoma by antagonizing PI3K/mTOR in B cells

Proceedings: AACR 107th Annual Meeting 2016; April 16-20, 2016; New Orleans, LA Accounting for ∼4% of all cancers in the US, Non-Hodgkin Lymphoma (NHL) is the most prevalent blood cancer. Diffuse large B-cell Lymphoma (DLBCL) is the most common and aggressive type of NHL. Here, we identify inositol-trisphosphate (IP3) 3-kinase B (Itpkb) as a novel tumor suppressor whose deficiency triggers DLBCL in mice. We found that aging Itpkb-/- mice die prematurely with anemia and splenomegaly. 15% of these mice showed multiorgan-infiltration with neoplastic germinal-center phenotype B cells reminiscent of DLBCL. Itpkb-/- B cell lymphomas are mono-or oligoclonal, transplantable, and constitutively hyperactivate the oncogenic phosphoinositide 3-kinase (PI3K) signaling pathway. Growth of Itpkb-/- B cell lymphoma xenografts in immunodeficient mice is sensitive to treatment with PI3K or mTOR inhibitors. In humans, subsets of DLBCL patients carry Itpkb missense mutations, deletions or copy number reductions. Additionally, Itpkb expression is altered in several other hematopoietic and non-hematopoietic human cancers. We propose that Itpkb suppresses tumors by producing inositol-tetrakisphosphate (IP4), a soluble analog of the PI3K product phosphatidylinositol-trisphosphate (PIP3). We and others have previously shown that IP4 antagonism with PIP3 for Akt effector kinase binding prevents excessive Akt/mTORC1 signaling in hematopoietic cells. Our new results suggest that this mechanism prevents oncogenic PI3K signaling in the B cell lineage and possibly in other cell types. Thus, Itpkb might be a novel biomarker for tumor aggressiveness or prognosis, and Itpkb activating drugs or IP4 might have therapeutic potential. This work was supported by NIH grants AI070845 and GM100785 to KS, The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society Scholar Award 1440-11 to KS, the AAI Careers in Immunology Fellowship Program to SR, DFG Fellowship SI 1547/1-1 to SS, and an ARC fellowship to CC. Citation Format: Karsten Sauer, Claire Conche, Hyun-Yong Jin, Kelly Bethel, Stephanie Rigaud, Luise Westernberg, Sabine Siegemund, Changchun Xiao. IP3 3-kinase B suppresses B-cell lymphoma by antagonizing PI3K/mTOR in B cells. [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 107th Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2016 Apr 16-20; New Orleans, LA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2016;76(14 Suppl):Abstract nr LB-020.
Management of Postanesthetic Pediatric Problems

Summary The postanesthesia care of the pediatric patient covers the transition from general anesthesia with CNS depression and respiratory and cardiovascular instability to a state of full alertness with recovery of all protective reflexes. Familiarity with the specific requirements of infants and children and constant vigilance to prevent hypoxia and hypoperfusion allows safe recovery. In addition, plans to minimize psychological trauma due to separation or pain allow for a minimally disturbing hospital experience.
Community Detection in Dynamic Attributed Graphs

Community detection is one of the most widely studied tasks in network analysis because community structures are ubiquitous across real-world networks. These real-world networks are often both attributed and dynamic in nature. In this paper, we propose a community detection algorithm for dynamic attributed graphs that, unlike existing community detection methods, incorporates both temporal and attribute information along with the structural properties of the graph. Our proposed algorithm handles graphs with heterogeneous attribute types, as well as changes to both the structure and the attribute information, which is essential for its applicability to real-world networks. We evaluated our proposed algorithm on a variety of synthetically generated benchmark dynamic attributed graphs, as well as on large-scale real-world networks. The results obtained show that our proposed algorithm is able to identify graph partitions of high modularity and high attribute similarity more efficiently than state-of-the-art methods for community detection.
Platelets in liver and renal disease

This review will discuss how 2 common and morbid conditions, renal disease and liver disease, alter platelet number and function. It will review the impact of thrombocytopenia on bleeding complications in patients with these disorders and whether the low platelet count actually correlates with bleeding risk. Emerging data also suggest that platelets are much more than bystanders in both renal and liver disease, but instead play an active role in the pathobiology of these disorders. This review will briefly cover the emerging information on novel roles of platelets in the biology of renal and liver disease.
Cutting-edge CMP modeling for front-end-of-line (FEOL) and full stack hotspot detection for advanced technologies

As process technology scales down, the number of Chemical Mechanical Polishing (CMP) processes and steps used in chip manufacturing are increasing exponentially. Shrinking process margins increase the risk of excessive metal or oxide thickness or topography variations, causing potential yield problems such as dishing, erosion, resist lifting or printability issues. Present DFM CMP modeling and applications mainly focus on the hotspot detection and fixing methodology for the Back-End-Of-Line (BEOL) layers [1]. Today, the present methodology is no longer sufficient to eliminate all the CMP related manufacturing defects. There is a strong demand for STI, poly and contact silicon calibrated CMP models to predict and fix the related CMP hotspots. Shallow Trench Isolation (STI) and Poly CMP planarity is very critical in advanced technologies with Diffusion layer FIN structures and Replacement Metal Gate Process flow [2]. Gate uniformity after CMP will improve device performance, reduce CMP defects and increases the yield. Contact (Tungsten) CMP polishing is another important step that defines contact planarity, which will influence metal layer CMP planarization [3]. This paper will discuss design dependent CMP variations for STI, Poly and Contact CMP steps and showcase the importance of FEOL CMP modeling. We present the methodology for Silicon calibrated STI CMP, Poly and Contact CMP models and the applications of FEOL CMP models in CMP dishing and erosion hotspot analysis. We also present FEOL plus BEOL multi stack CMP simulations applications and provide design guidelines to fix CMP hotspots.
Reliability and validity of the Omron HJ-720 ITC pedometer when worn at four different locations on the body

AbstractPurpose: To determine the reliability and validity of the Omron HJ-720 ITC pedometer when worn at four different locations on the body. Methods: Subjects wore pedometers at the hip, chest, back, and pocket. Subjects’ stature, body mass, and stride length were entered in to each pedometer prior to walking one mile on a track while wearing a portable metabolic analyzer. Results: Intraclass correlation coefficients (ICCs) revealed that the pedometer produced high and statistically significant inter-device reliability for steps (ICC = 0.95), distance (ICC = 0.93), and kcal expenditure (ICC = 0.87), regardless of placement on the body. Measures of percent agreement and one-way ANOVAs revealed that the pedometer was valid for measures of steps and distance, but there was a statistical difference between actual and pedometer-estimated kcal expenditure (p < 0.05). Conclusions: Although the Omron pedometer produced reliable results regardless of placement on the body, it did not produce valid estimates of ...
Deployable stabilization mechanisms for endoscopic procedures

Flexible endoscopes are still the gold standard in most natural orifice translumenal endoscopic surgery (NOTES) procedures; however their flexibility (necessary for navigating through the GI tract) limits their capabilities in terms of distal manipulation and stability. We propose a deployable endoscopic add-on aimed at locally counteracting forces applied at the tip of an endoscope. We analyze different designs: a fully soft version and two hybrid soft-folded versions. The hybrid designs exploit either an inextensible structure pressurized by a soft actuator or the stiffness provided by the unfolded “magic cube” origami structure. We focus on the fabrication and experimental characterization of the proposed structures and present some preliminary designs and integration strategies to mount them on top of current flexible endoscopes.
Radius Ratio Rule Rescue

Making optimal pedagogical and predictive use of the radius ratio rule to distinguish between solid state structures that feature tetrahedral, octahedral and cubic holes requires several updated insights. A comparative analysis of the Born–Lande equation for lattice energy is developed to show that the rock salt structure is a suitable choice for radius ratios between 0.326 and 1.00. The lower bound is the ratio at which the energy of the rock salt structure matches that of the zinc blende structure, all other things being equal. The upper bound extends all the way to unity because the relative energy of the rock salt and CsCl structures are within 1% of each other for radius ratios above 0.717, which is the ratio at which the energy of the rock salt structure matches that of the CsCl structure. Geometric analysis of 154 1:1 ionic compounds that can potentially adopt the zinc blende, rock salt, or CsCl structure demonstrates that while existing ionic radii can be used for predictions with substantial succ...
Characterization of thin film CO2 ice through the infrared ν1 + ν3 combination mode

Carbon dioxide is abundant in ice mantles of dust grains; some is found in the pure crystalline form as inferred from the double peak splitting of the bending profile at about 650 cm$^{-1}$. To study how CO$_2$ segregates into the pure form from water-rich mixtures of ice mantles and how it then crystallizes, we used Reflection Absorption InfraRed Spectroscopy (RAIRS) to study the structural change of pure CO$_2$ ice as a function of both ice thickness and temperature. We found that the $\nu_1+\nu_3$ combination mode absorption profile at 3708~cm$^{-1}$ provides an excellent probe to quantify the degree of crystallinity in CO$_2$ ice. We also found that between 20 and 30~K, there is an ordering transition that we attribute to reorientation of CO$_2$ molecules, while the diffusion of CO$_2$ becomes significant at much higher temperatures. In the formation of pure crystalline CO$_2$ in ISM ices, the rate limiting process is the diffusion/segregation of CO$_2$ molecules in the ice instead of the phase transition from amorphous to crystalline after clusters/islands of CO$_2$ are formed.
Teaching an Old Drug New Tricks: Agonism, Antagonism, and Biased Signaling of Pilocarpine through M3 Muscarinic Acetylcholine Receptor

Pilocarpine is a prototypical drug used to treat glaucoma and dry mouth and is classified as either a full or partial muscarinic agonist. Here, we report several unexpected results pertaining to its interaction with muscarinic M3 receptor (M3R). We found that pilocarpine was 1000 times less potent in stimulating mouse-eye pupil constriction than muscarinic agonists oxotremorin-M (Oxo-M) or carbachol (CCh), although all three ligands have similar Kd values for M3R. In contrast to CCh or Oxo-M, pilocarpine does not induce Ca2+ mobilization via endogenous M3R in human embryonic kidney cell line 293T (HEK293T) or mouse insulinoma (MIN6) cells. Pilocarpine also fails to stimulate insulin secretion and, instead, antagonizes the insulinotropic effect of Oxo-M and CCh-induced Ca2+ upregulation; however, in HEK293T or Chinese hamster ovary-K1 cells overexpressing M3R, pilocarpine induces Ca2+ transients like those recorded with another cognate G protein–coupled muscarinic receptor, M1R. Stimulation of cells overexpressing M1R or M3R with CCh resulted in a similar reduction in phosphatidylinositol 4,5-bisphosphate (PIP2). In contrast to CCh, pilocarpine stimulated PIP2 hydrolysis only in cells overexpressing M1R but not M3R. Moreover, pilocarpine blocked CCh-stimulated PIP2 hydrolysis in M3R-overexpressing cells, thus, it acted as an antagonist. Pilocarpine activates extracellular regulated kinase 1/2 in MIN6 cells. The stimulatory effect on extracellular regulated kinase (ERK1/2) was blocked by the Src family kinase inhibitor PP2, indicating that the action of pilocarpine on endogenous M3R is biased toward β-arrestin. Taken together, our findings show that pilocarpine can act as either an agonist or antagonist of M3R, depending on the cell type, expression level, and signaling pathway downstream of this receptor.
Using Children’s Literature to Enhance Math Instruction in K-8 Classrooms

The integration of math and literacy enriches student experience and increases the chances of successful math learning for students. Elementary-age students typically spend hours each day building reading skills in literacy classes. Literacy skills that are emphasized in reading programs, including effective listening, comprehension, predicting, and questioning, are a logical fit with mathematics and help teachers and students dispel the myth that mathematics is a separate subject unrelated to other disciplines. Using children’s books to connect literacy skills to mathematics, a subject that often produces great anxiety in students, is a reasonable and positive approach. Educational structures such as standardized testing and instruction that utilizes repetitive drill and practice as evidence of standards mastery contributes to this anxiety. Integration of math and literacy frees students to use knowledge they already possess in new applications. The use of children’s literature, therefore, can free students from boundaries that limit their confidence, motivating them to see that success in mathematics is possible. Relevant children’s books also form connections between math and its application in the world. This helps students to understand that math goes beyond what they see in a math textbook. How can the use of children’s literature in math instruction help break down barriers to math understanding and increase student success? Foundational studies, empirical research, and specific classroom examples are combined in this chapter to answer this question.
Patient Perceptions of Hidradenitis Suppurativa Stressors.

We are in the midst of a new and exciting era of drug development, the “biologic revolution,” that has transformed the way dermatologic conditions such as psoriasis and atopic dermatitis are treate...
Chronic hepatitis C as an adverse prognostic factor in myelodysplastic syndromes.

e18557Background: Chronic hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection has been associated with hematologic malignancies such as B-cell non-Hodgkin lymphoma. In contrast, there is very little known about the ...
Retrieval of Near-Surface Ice Sheet Properties Using the Global Precipitation Measurement (GPM) Radiometer Constellation

Recent studies have demonstrated that wideband microwave radiometers provide significant potential for profiling important subsurface properties of ice sheets necessary to understand ice sheet dynamics and predict future changes in ice coverage. Different frequencies within the wide spectra of such radiometers result in different electromagnetic propagation losses, thus reveal characteristics at different depths in ice sheets. This study explores the utilization of the Global Precipitation Measurement (GPM) constellation as a single wideband receiver to profile subsurface properties of ice sheets. Results indicated that intercalibrated GPM brightness temperature measurements over Concordia and Vostok stations in Antarctica can provide information regarding the subsurface temperatures and density properties of snow and ice down to a few tens of meters depth from surface.
To Fis or not to Fuse? This is the question!

Mitochondrial shaping proteins are categorized as fusion and fission factors based on their opposing actions on the architecture of mitochondria. Mammalian Fis1 fragments mitochondria into small units and was initially considered a major mitochondrial fission factor, with this major role being challenged. Yu et al (2019) define that Fis1 induces mitochondrial fragmentation by blocking mitochondrial fusion. This study highlights the limitation of categorizing mitochondrial dynamics proteins based on architecture measurements, given the general tendency to associate fragmentation with activation of fission.
Decreased BDNF in female but not male rats after exposure to stress: a sex-sensitive rat model of stress?

AbstractThe literature has consistently emphasized a relationship between chronic stress and depression as well as the involvement of brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF). It is also well known...
Characterization of de novo lytic infection of dermal lymphatic microvascular endothelial cells by Kaposi's sarcoma-associated herpesvirus.

Abstract The biology of primary lytic Kaposi's sarcoma-associated herpesvirus (KSHV) infection is still not well understood, which is largely attributed to the lack of cell lines permissive to robust lytic KSHV infection in vitro. Our study demonstrates that primary human dermal lymphatic microvascular endothelial cells (HDLMEC) support lytic KSHV replication following de novo infection, resulting in robust KSHV production, indicating that HDLMECs are suitable for studying the regulation of primary lytic KSHV infection. Importantly, by utilizing lytically infected HDLMECs, we show for the first time that the KSHV latent genes LANA and viral cyclin are required for lytic replication during de novo lytic infection, a function of these latent genes that has not yet been recognized. Since Kaposi's sarcoma is considered to be originated from infected lymphatic endothelial cells, HDLMECs represent a valuable in vitro cell culture model for investigating lytic KSHV infection, which has been understudied in KSHV pathogenesis.
The clipping enigma

There appears to be lower mortality in patients treated with MitraClip + OMT compared to OMT alone. There appears to be a lower rate of hospitalization in patients treated with MitraClip + OMT compared to OMT alone. There are only two randomized controlled trials (with discordant results) evaluating MitraClip + OMT compared to OMT alone.
Dysregulation of RNA Splicing in Tauopathies

Pathological aggregation of RNA binding proteins (RBPs) is associated with dysregulation of RNA splicing in PS19 P301S tau transgenic mice and in Alzheimer's disease brain tissues. The dysregulated splicing particularly affects genes involved in synaptic transmission. The effects of neuroprotective TIA1 reduction on PS19 mice are also examined. TIA1 reduction reduces disease-linked alternative splicing events for the major synaptic mRNA transcripts examined, suggesting that normalization of RBP functions is associated with the neuroprotection. Use of the NetDecoder informatics algorithm identifies key upstream biological targets, including MYC and EGFR, underlying the transcriptional and splicing changes in the protected compared to tauopathy mice. Pharmacological inhibition of MYC and EGFR activity in neuronal cultures tau recapitulates the neuroprotective effects of TIA1 reduction. These results demonstrate that dysfunction of RBPs and RNA splicing processes are major elements of the pathophysiology of tauopathies, as well as potential therapeutic targets for tauopathies.
Schistosomiasis and liver disease: Learning from the past to understand the present

To diagnose schistosomiasis, past medical history review should include recent travel to or from an endemic area, a history of elevated liver enzymes as well as contact with contaminated sources of water or farm animals.
Abstract IA04: Stem cells: Coping with stress and cancer

Adult tissue stem cells have the ability to self-renew long term and differentiate into one or more tissues. Many stem cells are used sparingly to replenish cells during normal homeostasis. However, even stem cells that are quiescent must be able to respond quickly to injury in order to fuel rapid tissue regeneration. How stem cells balance self-renewal and differentiation is of fundamental importance to our understanding of normal tissue maintenance and wound repair. The regulatory circuitry governing this normal balancing act must be intricately regulated in normal homeostasis and then transiently altered to cope with injury responses. Increasing evidence suggests that the mechanism goes awry in inflammation and becomes hijacked in cancers. Skin epithelium is an excellent model system to understand how stem cells remain quiescent during times of minimal wear and tear, how these cells become mobilized during the cyclical bouts of hair growth and wound repair, and how the normal process of stem cell activation goes awry in cancer and inflammation. We have identified and characterized at a molecular level the skin’s stem cells and shown that they reside in distinct niches that impart to the stem cells their behavior both in task and in the molecular properties they display. We use high-throughput genetic and genomic approaches to dissect at a molecular level how stem cell interactions with their niches differ in homeostasis, wound repair, and inflammation, and how heterogeneity in the tumor microenvironment can confer on stem cells resistance to chemotherapy and immunotherapy. Our global objective is to apply our knowledge of the basic science of epithelial stem cells to unfold new avenues for therapeutics. Citation Format: Elaine Fuchs. Stem cells: Coping with stress and cancer [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the AACR Special Conference on the Evolving Landscape of Cancer Modeling; 2020 Mar 2-5; San Diego, CA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2020;80(11 Suppl):Abstract nr IA04.
Outcomes of Indeterminate Thyroid Nodules Managed Nonoperatively after Molecular Testing.

CONTEXT Molecular testing to refine the diagnosis of cytologically indeterminate thyroid nodules has become increasingly popular, but data on long-term durability of test results and the rate of delayed operation are limited. OBJECTIVE Determine the delayed rate of surgical resection in indeterminate nodules with benign/negative molecular testing and the risk of false-negative molecular test results. DESIGN Prospective follow-up of the Gene Expression Classifier vs Targeted Next-Generation Sequencing in the Management of Indeterminate Thyroid Nodules randomized controlled trial comparing the diagnostic test performance of Afirma Gene Expression Classifier and ThyroSeq v2. SETTING University of California, Los Angeles. PARTICIPANTS Patients who underwent thyroid biopsy with indeterminate (Bethesda III/IV) cytology (April 2016 to July 2017). INTERVENTION Ultrasound surveillance. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE False-negative rate of molecular testing. RESULTS Of 95 indeterminate nodules with negative/benign molecular test results, 12 nodules underwent immediate resection (11 benign nodules, 1 noninvasive follicular thyroid neoplasm nodule with papillary-like nuclear features). Nonoperative management was pursued for 83 (87.4%) nodules. The median surveillance was 26.7 months. Ten nodules were resected during surveillance and malignancy was identified in 4 nodules (overall false-negative rate of 5.8%). In the 4 malignant nodules that underwent delayed operation, surgery was prompted by sonographic changes during surveillance. CONCLUSIONS The majority of indeterminate nodules with negative molecular testing have a stable clinical course over 3 years of follow-up, but our finding of a 6% false-negative rate highlights the importance of continuing sonographic surveillance. Long-term studies are needed to determine the optimal length of follow-up.
Validity of Machine Learning in the Quantitative Analysis of Complex Scanning Near-Field Optical Microscopy Signals Using Simulated Data

Scattering-type scanning near-field optical microscope (s-SNOM) is a modern technique for subdiffractional optical imaging and spectroscopy. Over the past two decades, tremendous efforts have been devoted to modeling complex tip-sample interactions in s-SNOM, aimed at understanding the electrodynamics of materials at the nanoscale. However, due to complexities in analytical methods and the limited computation power for fully numerical simulations, compromises must be made to facilitate the modeling of tip-sample interaction, such as using quasistatic approximation or unrealistic tip geometries. $\mathrm{In}$ this paper, we apply a variety of widely utilized machine-learning methods, including k nearest neighbor and feed-forward neural network etc. to study the phase-resolved spectroscopic near-field response. With only a small set of training data, which is simulated using the finite-dipole model, we demonstrate that the relation between the experimental near-field signal and sample optical constant can be one to one mapped without the need for tip modeling: for a given material with a moderate dielectric function, its complex near-field spectrum can be accurately determined within the mid-IR spectral range, and vice versa. Our preliminary study sets the stage for future exploration using real experimental data. Our method is beneficial for processing the increasing amount of data accumulated across many research groups and especially useful for user facilities such as synchrotron-based national laboratories where a large amount of data is generated on a daily basis.
Suboptimal Credit Card Repayments: A Laboratory Experiment

This paper studies the sources of suboptimal allocations observed in credit card repayments using a diagnostic laboratory experiment. Using a series of treatments, we present two main findings. First, suboptimal allocations persist in extremely simple choice environments. Particularly, neither optimization ability nor limited attention to interest rate information is sufficient to explain the suboptimal allocations. Second, while increasing the vividness of interest rate information does not help subjects make better decisions, changing the negative frame of the credit card repayment problem to a positive mutual fund investment frame substantially improves the quality of decisions. Using additional treatments, we show that there are clear asymmetric patterns in the way that subjects attend to information across financial frames. These patterns are also consistent with asymmetric heuristic use. We discuss the implications of our results for developing consumer protection policies, evolution of wealth inequality, and economic models of attention.
Participation of rural patients in clinical trials at a multisite academic medical center.

Objective Clinical trials, which are mainly conducted in urban medical centers, may be less accessible to rural residents. Our aims were to assess participation and the factors associated with participation of rural residents in clinical trials. Methods Using geocoding, the residential address of participants enrolled into clinical trials at Mayo Clinic locations in Arizona, Florida, and the Midwest between January 1, 2016, and December 31, 2017, was categorized as urban or rural. The distance travelled by participants and trial characteristics was compared between urban and rural participants. Ordinal logistic regression analyses were used to evaluate whether study location and risks were associated with rural participation in trials. Results Among 292 trials, including 136 (47%) cancer trials, there were 2313 participants. Of these, 731 (32%) were rural participants, which is greater than the rural population in these 9 states (19%, P < 0.001). Compared to urban participants, rural participants were older (65 ± 12 years vs 64 ± 12 years, P = 0.004) and travelled further to the medical center (103 ± 104 vs 68 ± 88 miles, P < 0.001). The proportion of urban and rural participants who were remunerated was comparable. In the multivariable analysis, the proportion of rural participants was lower (P < 0.001) in Arizona (10%) and Florida (18%) than the Midwest (38%) but not significantly associated with the study-related risks. Conclusions Approximately one in three clinical trial participants were rural residents versus one in five in the population. Rural residents travelled further to access clinical trials. The study-associated risks were not associated with the distribution of rural and urban participants in trials.
Key Performance Measures in the Management of Patients with Asthma

Asthma affects over 22 million people in the United States and leads to more than 497,000 hospital admissions annually. Given this significant healthcare burden, asthma is often the focus of quality improvement initiatives. An important part of any of these initiatives is the use of performance or quality measures to track progress. Currently there are at least 40 asthma-specific measures in use. Of these 40, the National Quality Forum endorses nine measures. In addition to these measures, there are several others of importance due to regulatory and reimbursement considerations.
Estimating and Visualizing Movement Paths from Radio-Tracking Data

Publisher Summary Radio-tracking is a reasonable means to acquire movement data at many scales. It is the only practical means to gather movement path data on some vertebrates. Radio-tracking data, if gathered via triangulation or satellite tracking, can be imprecise and inaccurate relative to the scale at which one wishes to study movement phenomena. This chapter describes some of the sampling considerations and analytical tools helpful in acquiring and evaluating narrowly scaled movement data. The use of radio tracking to periodically locate an animal along its movement path renders continuous behavior into a set of discrete points. The frequency with which point locations are recorded (sampling frequency) relative to the speed of the animal directly influences the ability to reconstruct the actual path from these data. The imprecision inherent in radio tracking via triangulation or by satellite also contributes noise to movement path data. A radio-tracking system established to collect movement path data might consist of two or more receiving stations (towers) of known location from which azimuths to the target animal are measured periodically. A complicating factor in the use of radio tracking to describe animal movement paths is the white noise added to movement data by telemetry error.
Deterministic finite automata characterization for memory-based pattern matching

In the midst of vastly numbered and quickly growing internet security threats, Network Intrusion Detection System (NIDS) becomes more important to network security every day. Vital to effective NIDS is a multi-pattern matching engine which requires deterministic performance and adaptability to new threats. Memory-based Deterministic Finite Automata (DFA) are ideal for pattern matching but have severe memory requirements that make them difficult to implement. Many previous heuristic techniques have been proposed to reduce memory requirements, however in this paper, we aim to effectively understand the basic relationship between DFA characteristics and memory, in order to create minimal memory DFA implementations. We show what DFA characteristics either cause or reduce memory requirements, as well as how to optimize DFA to exploit those characteristics. Specifically, we introduce the concepts of State Independence and State Irregularity, which are DFA characteristics that can reduce memory waste and allow for memory reuse. Furthermore, we introduce DFA normalization which optimizes DFA to fully exploit these characteristics. Altogether this work serves as a source for how to extract and utilize DFA characteristics to create minimal memory implementations.