cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
From Slavery to the Cooperative Commonwealth: The Paradox of Slavery and Freedom

No legislator of antiquity ever attempted to abrogate slavery; on the contrary, the people most enthusiastic for liberty – the Athenians, the Lacedemonians, the Romans, and the Carthaginians – were those who enacted the most severe laws against their serfs. Voltaire Voltaire’s assault on ancient liberty, which forms the epigraph to this chapter, contains a familiar liberal criticism of the classical republics. The “most enthusiastic” advocates of liberty in the classical republics were some of the most ardent slave-owners. A half-century and a French Revolution later, Benjamin Constant plowed the same ground: “[W]ithout the slave population of Athens, 20,000 Athenians could never have spent every day at the public square in discussions.” Polemical as these formulations were, they carried a strong grain of truth, enough to worry modern inheritors of republican ideas. Some, including slave-owners in the American South, bit the bullet and defended their peculiar institution on the grounds that they were the true defenders of republican liberty. As John C. Calhoun, a Senator from South Carolina who served for seven years as Vice President, put it, “I fearlessly assert that the existing relation between the two races in the South ... forms the most solid and durable foundation on which to rear free and stable political institutions.” Even after the abolition of slavery in the United States, the compatibility of slavery and republican liberty remained a guiding concern. George McNeill’s The Labor Movement: The Problem of To-day , an authoritative collection of late nineteenth-century views on the labor question, opened with the observation that, “in Greece and Rome slavery was recognized as a fundamental institution of the state – the absolute condition of any progress in the arts and sciences.” It is “not likely to be true” that “the free citizens of the Roman Empire supported themselves in agriculture by their own labor without the assistance of slaves.” However they judged ancient society, many modern republicans knew they faced a particular kind of conflict between freedom and equality. It appeared to any interpreter of republican liberty that the independence of free citizens presupposed the dependence of slaves. Yet, if freedom could not be enjoyed by all, if some had to be slaves so that others could be free, then respect for human equality required abandoning republican liberty.
The Development of Development: Social Learning or Discourse of the Dominant?

Development usually serves as an all-encompassing term that summarizes the economic model and goals that industrialized Western nations and international organizations apply in dealing with such conditions as chronic poverty, rising population, hunger and malnutrition, unand under-employment, environmental destruction, and political repression and violence. The apparent disparity in economic conditions-the "development gap"-between the industrialized "First World" and the less developed "Third World" stands at the crux of the development literature.
Predicting successful completion using student delay indicators in undergraduate self-paced online courses

Self-paced online courses meet flexibility and learning needs of many students, but skepticism persists regarding the quality and the tendency for students to procrastinate in self-paced courses. R...
On control of multiagent formations through local interactions

We recently showed for multiagent systems with first-order agent dynamics how information exchange rules represented by a network having multiple layers (multiplex information networks) can be designed for enabling spatially evolving multiagent formations. In this paper, we generalize our earlier results for multiagent systems with general linear dynamics. Specifically, we utilize multiplex information networks for formation density control of multiagent systems. The proposed approach allows capable agents to spatially alter density of the resulting formation while tracking a target of interest — without requiring global information exchange ability, and hence, through local interactions. We provide an illustrative numerical example to demonstrate the efficacy of the proposed distributed control architecture.
Why I am not a fan of pragmatic nihilism.

Peters and Crutzen (2017) argue against the attempts of health psychology researchers to build integrative theories (theories of everything), and base their argument on the notion of pragmatic nihi...
Radiated emissions from signal lines as a function of line geometry

Previously developed numerical methods for predicting radiated emissions from parallel wire structures are extended to alternative geometries. Methods based on obtaining approximate current distributions using classical transmission line theory are compared to Moment Method results. Twisting and ground planes are investigated for their effects on electromagnetic radiation characteristics. Numerical simulation results are compared and used to illustrate alternatives in system configuration and their impact on total system functionality and compatibility.
Effect of varied alumina/zirconia content on ballistic performance of a functionally graded material

Abstract Functionally graded materials (FGMs) are characterized by continuous variation in their composition and structure with thickness or volume. Hence, the corresponding changes in the properties and functions of the FGMs can be investigated to create new materials. In this study, four-layered FGM specimens with three different compositions, i.e., Al2O3/(0, 5, 10, 15%) ZrO2, Al2O3/(0, 10, 20, 30%) ZrO2 and Al2O3/(0, 15, 30, 45%) ZrO2, were designed. The ceramic specimens were hexagons whose sides were 11 mm long. Accordingly, 6061-T6 Al was used as a back plate. A ballistic test was conducted using 0.3″ armor-piercing bullets with an initial speed of 868 ± 15 m/s. Numerical simulation software, i.e., LS-DYNA, was employed to analyze stress transfer and the fracture of the FGM specimens under impact. The ballistic test showed that the Al2O3/(0, 5, 10, 15%) ZrO2 FGM exhibited the best impact resistance performance. The investigation of microstructures through observation using a SEM did not show delamination in the FGM interlayer after impact. Furthermore, the abrasion between the ceramic and projectile increased. XRD analysis verified the phase transformation of ZrO2 from the tetragonal phase to the monoclinic phase. This transition delayed crack growth and increased material toughness, thereby promoting the impact resistance performance of the FGMs.
The Construction of a Pet Attitude Scale

An 18-item Likert-format Pet Attitude Scale was developed. It was found to have a Chronbach’s Alpha of.93 and test-retest reliability of .92. Correlations with the Mini-Mult, Eysenck Personality Inventory, Allport-Vernon-Lindzey Study of Values, and the Personality Research Form were determined. Varimax rotation yielded three factors, labeled love and interaction, pets in home, and joy of pet ownership. Kennel workers had significantly higher scores than social work students, an indication of criterion-oriented validity as well as face validity.
Cytological features of noninvasive follicular thyroid neoplasm with papillary-like nuclear features (NIFTP).

Introduction The noninvasive encapsulated follicular variant of papillary carcinoma (EFVPC) was recently renamed a noninvasive follicular thyroid neoplasm with papillary-like nuclear features (NIFTP) because of its unique genetic alterations and biological behavior. The objective of this report is to help cytopathologists and cytotechnologists improve diagnostic accuracy and determine the need for cytogenetic studies during adequacy evaluation of thyroid fine-needle aspirations. Materials and methods Fifty-five cases of surgery-proven noninvasive EFVPC with corresponding cytology material were reviewed. These cases were collected over 17 years, from 1999 to 2016. Results Thirty-four of 55 (61.8%) cases were diagnosed as follicular neoplasm or suspicious for follicular neoplasm on cytology. Eighty to ninety percent of cases showed scant colloid, cellular smears with small clusters of follicular cells with nuclear atypia including enlarged nuclei, oval-shaped nuclei, nuclear grooves, mild chromatin powdering, and rare nuclear pseudo-inclusions. Conclusions NIFTP has unique features: cytologically similar to follicular neoplasms, and nuclear atypia falling between atypia of undetermined significance (category III) and suspicious for/and papillary thyroid carcinoma (category V/VI) (The Bethesda System for Reporting Thyroid Cytopathology).
Risk Factor Management with Guideline-Based Medications for Prevention of Recurrent Ischemic Stroke: A Retrospective Chart Review

Background: Implementation of new practice guidelines for stroke prevention has decreased the number of patients experiencing recurrent stroke. Clinical trials show antihypertensives, high-intensity statins, and antithrombotics to be beneficial after stroke. Objective: The objective of this study was to determine if recurrent stroke patients were discharged on guideline-based medications for secondary stroke prevention, and to identify potential errors in appropriate prescribing of medications. Methods: A retrospective chart review was conducted at a community hospital and included patients 19 years and older diagnosed with their second, third, or fourth stroke (transient ischemic attack or cerebrovascular accident). Descriptive statistics were used to describe collected information. Collected data included relevant patient demographics, diagnosis, past medical history, medications, and readmission rates. The primary objective was the percentage of patients appropriately discharged on guideline-based secondary stroke prevention medications. Appropriate treatment was based upon the 2010 and 2014 American Heart Association/American Stroke Association Guidelines for the Prevention of Stroke in Patients with Stroke and Transient Ischemic Attack. Results: A total of 124 charts were reviewed, 106 charts met the inclusion criteria. Guideline-based and appropriate medication-use was initiated in 9% and 4% of patients with noncardioembolic and cardioembolic stroke, respectively. Therapy deemed not guideline-based, but appropriate was initiated in 20% and 9% of patients with noncardioembolic and cardioembolic stroke, respectively. Errors in appropriate prescribing of secondary prevention medications were related to statins and antihypertensives. Conclusion: Better adherence to preventative recurrent stroke measures is needed at the time of patient discharge. Type: Student Project
Accurate methods for estimating transmission line parameters using synchronized and unsynchronized data

There is an increasing deployment of renewable energy sources in electrical power system. Designing efficient control of power system is essential in maintaining safety and reliability of the power system. Modeling of power systems plays a key role in power system analysis and designing protection and control algorithms and diverse smart grid applications. Among various power system model parameters, line parameters are key parameters, and accurate value of line parameters will ensure the reliability and accuracy of the algorithms and applications that rely on line parameters. This paper is devoted to estimating transmission line positive-sequence parameters from unsynchronized measurements of voltage and current phasors that are obtained at both terminals of the line. The series impedance and shunt admittance line parameters can be linearly estimated using the algorithm developed in this paper. The algorithm is developed based on the distributed parameter line model, and the line is assumed to be transposed. The approach developed in this paper is considered as a linear method, and the linear least square method is used to estimate the positive-sequence line parameters. The method is also applicable to synchronized measurements obtained by Phasor Measurement Unit and is able to deal with potential synchronization errors by explicitly modeling the synchronization angle. Sample results are reported to demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed method.
A Mechanistic Thermal Fatigue Model for SnAgCu Solder Joints

The present work offers both a complete, quantitative model and a conservative acceleration factor expression for the life span of SnAgCu solder joints in thermal cycling. A broad range of thermal cycling experiments, conducted over many years, has revealed a series of systematic trends that are not compatible with common damage functions or constitutive relations. Complementary mechanical testing and systematic studies of the evolution of the microstructure and damage have led to a fundamental understanding of the progression of thermal fatigue and failure. A special experiment was developed to allow the effective deconstruction of conventional thermal cycling experiments and the finalization of our model. According to this model, the evolution of damage and failure in thermal cycling is controlled by a continuous recrystallization process which is dominated by the coalescence and rotation of dislocation cell structures continuously added to during the high-temperature dwell. The dominance of this dynamic recrystallization contribution is not consistent with the common assumption of a correlation between the number of cycles to failure and the total work done on the solder joint in question in each cycle. It is, however, consistent with an apparent dependence on the work done during the high-temperature dwell. Importantly, the onset of this recrystallization is delayed by pinning on the Ag3Sn precipitates until these have coarsened sufficiently, leading to a model with two terms where one tends to dominate in service and the other in accelerated thermal cycling tests. Accumulation of damage under realistic service conditions with varying dwell temperatures and times is also addressed.
An Application of Geography to Mathematics: History of the Integral of the Secant

(1980). An Application of Geography to Mathematics: History of the Integral of the Secant. Mathematics Magazine: Vol. 53, No. 3, pp. 162-166.
A Chunking Based Selection Strategy for Integrating Meta-Heuristics with Branch and Bound

Mathematical programming problems with some or all variables constrained to take on integer values are important in a large number of applications and are receiving a great deal of research attention. Meta-heuristics such as tabu search have been proposed for such problems and have been very successful in some settings but they suffer from the disadvantage that they cannot typically, by themselves, produce provably optimal solutions. Exact methods of solving these problems often include ‘quick’ heuristics to help solve sub-problems and/or improve bounds but incorporation of meta-heuristics has not received very much attention.
The Causal Theory of Action

The great revival of interest among analytic philosophers in questions about action stems largely from the work of Wittgenstein, who set forth a number of powerful considerations against a causal theory of action. Because of this that theory has been on the defensive, and the sheer bulk of papers criticizing it made it seem in full retreat. The tide has turned recently, and the causal theory is no longer on the defensive. Some of the criticisms have been shown to be mistaken, and others have been turned aside by more subtle developments of the theory. Another reason the theory has regained its status is that its opponents, though they made cogent criticisms, failed to develop a cogent alternative, and the causal theory was given the benefit of the doubt, not so much because it could answer the criticisms but because it was believed that it had to be right, there being no reasonable alternative.
Carbon sequestration in riparian forests: A global synthesis and meta-analysis

Restoration of deforested and degraded landscapes is a globally recognized strategy to sequester carbon, improve ecological integrity, conserve biodiversity, and provide additional benefits to human health and well-being. Investment in riparian forest restoration has received relatively little attention, in part due to their relatively small spatial extent. Yet, riparian forest restoration may be a particularly valuable strategy because riparian forests have the potential for rapid carbon sequestration, are hotspots of biodiversity, and provide numerous valuable ecosystem services. To inform this strategy, we conducted a global synthesis and meta-analysis to identify general patterns of carbon stock accumulation in riparian forests. We compiled riparian biomass and soil carbon stock data from 117 publications, reports, and unpublished data sets. We then modeled the change in carbon stock as a function of vegetation age, considering effects of climate and whether or not the riparian forest had been actively planted. On average, our models predicted that the establishment of riparian forest will more than triple the baseline, unforested soil carbon stock, and that riparian forests hold on average 68-158 Mg C/ha in biomass at maturity, with the highest values in relatively warm and wet climates. We also found that actively planting riparian forest substantially jump-starts the biomass carbon accumulation, with initial growth rates more than double those of naturally regenerating riparian forest. Our results demonstrate that carbon sequestration should be considered a strong co-benefit of riparian restoration, and that increasing the pace and scale of riparian forest restoration may be a valuable investment providing both immediate carbon sequestration value and long-term ecosystem service returns.
Cognitive Bias in Clinicians’ Communication about Human Papillomavirus Vaccination

National guidelines recommend human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccination for all 11-12-year-olds, but uptake among United States adolescents remains low. A major barrier to greater uptake is the lack of effective recommendations for HPV vaccine from clinicians. One potential influence on clinicians' recommendations for HPV vaccine that has been relatively unexplored is that of cognitive biases, or errors in judgement that result from 'mental shortcuts' used to make decisions under uncertainty. Therefore, we analyzed qualitative data from interviews with 32 pediatric clinicians using a framework of nine cognitive biases relevant to HPV vaccination: omission bias, ambiguity aversion, present bias, availability bias, optimism bias, naturalness bias, protected values, anchoring bias, and confirmation bias. We used a directed content analysis approach to iteratively code and analyze all transcripts in the dataset. We found evidence for several cognitive biases that were related to weaker recommendations for HPV vaccine. Commonly identified biases included anchoring bias (perception that vaccination unnecessary due to age/pubertal status); present bias (perception of burdens related to discussing vaccination), and optimism bias (belief that patient at low risk for HPV acquisition). We found less frequent evidence for ambiguity aversion (perception of missing information regarding vaccination) and omission bias (deferring vaccination). Other biases were identified infrequently or not at all. Our findings suggest that several cognitive biases may be an influence on clinicians' communication about HPV vaccine. Raising awareness of cognitive biases related to making HPV vaccine recommendations could help to strengthen the recommendations that clinicians provide.
Agroforestry: Practices and Systems

Agroforestry represents the modern approach to harnessing the sustainability attributes and production benefits of the time-tested practices of growing trees and crops, sometimes with animals, in interacting combinations. The traditional practices that have received scientific attention and improvements include tree intercropping, homegardens, shaded perennial cash crops, silvopasture, windbreaks, and tree woodlots for land rehabilitation and fallow regeneration. Improvement and utilization of multipurpose trees that produce food, fodder, timber, and fuelwood and their integration in agroforestry farming systems offer sustainable solutions to several serious land-management issues such as food security, environmental protection, and climate-change mitigation, in both developing countries and the industrialized world.
Assessing Immigrant Generational Status from Names: Evidence for Experiments Examining Racial/Ethnic and Immigrant Discrimination

Evidence of racial and ethnic discrimination stems mostly from experiments in the U.S., Europe, and elsewhere that use names to signal race/ethnicity. Although recent work has examined individual racial perceptions of names in the U.S., no research has examined how names might convey immigrant generational status – an important signal for discrimination experiments across the world. I conduct a survey experiment that presents respondents with a series of first and last names to examine perceptions of immigrant generational status in the U.S. In total, 1,659 respondents provide information on 56 different names. I find that when presented with both traditional first and last Hispanic, Indian, or Chinese names, respondents most often believe that person was not born in the U.S. When presented with traditional white or Anglo first names combined with Hispanic or Asian last names, respondents most often believe that person was born in the U.S. but their parents were not. Individual names provide some variation within these results and some groups have stronger results than others. These findings have important implications for discrimination experiments in the U.S. and open the door for future research to distinguish between discrimination based on race/ethnicity and discrimination based on immigration status.
Optimal Control of Free Boundary of a Stefan Problem for Metallurgical Length Maintenance in Continuous Steel Casting

An optimal control approach for minimizing metallurgical length deviation during casting speed increase under constraints on the secondary cooling flow rates for continuous steel casting process is proposed. The process is described as a single-phase Stefan problem. The temperature and the shell growth are controlled by the steel surface heat flux generated by the cooling sprays. A cost function reflecting the error in tracking of a reference shell thickness is chosen, and the control objective is formulated as the minimization of this cost function under the spray rate constraints. Finding the control law satisfying this objective is formulated as a two-step procedure. First, an analytical setting for the cost function minimization is established through deriving the corresponding direct, adjoint, and sensitivity systems. Then, a computational procedure for solving this analytical setting, which finds the actual control law, is given. A numerical example presents the application of the method proposed. The results are then extended to a 2D model, with the corresponding numerical example provided.
Stop Sacrificing Children to Moloch

Erik Gilbert extends his extensive expertise on the assessment and evidence cultures in higher education here with a creative metaphor, a fable. He invites us to consider the Biblical God Moloch, and how through assessment obsession we’re participating in an archaic and illogical practice as inhumane as sacrificing children.
Evaluation of Muscular Forces That Can be Applied to Flight Controls

Excessive pilot flight-control forces have been identified as a causal factor in aircraft accidents, incidents, and anomalous events. However, the regulatory design requirements for fixed-wing and ...
Learning functionals via LSTM neural networks for predicting vessel dynamics in extreme sea states.

Predicting motions of vessels in extreme sea states represents one of the most challenging problems in naval hydrodynamics. It involves computing complex nonlinear wave-body interactions, hence taxing heavily computational resources. Here, we put forward a new simulation paradigm by training recurrent type neural networks (RNNs) that take as input the stochastic wave elevation at a certain sea state and output the main vessel motions, e.g., pitch, heave and roll. We first compare the performance of standard RNNs versus GRU and LSTM neural networks (NNs) and show that LSTM NNs lead to the best performance. We then examine the testing error of two representative vessels, a catamaran in sea state 1 and a battleship in sea state 8. We demonstrate that good accuracy is achieved for both cases in predicting the vessel motions for unseen wave elevations. We train the NNs with expensive CFD simulations offline, but upon training, the prediction of the vessel dynamics online can be obtained at a fraction of a second. This work is motivated by the universal approximation theorem for functionals [1], and it is the first implementation of such theory to realistic engineering problems.
A Concise, Enantioselective Approach for the Synthesis of Yohimbine Alkaloids

We report a concise, enantioselective synthesis of the yohimbine alkaloids (-)-rauwolscine and (-)-alloyohimbane. The key transformation involves a highly enantio- and diastereoselective NHC-catalyzed dimerization and an amidation/N-acyliminium ion cyclization sequence to furnish four of the five requisite rings and three of the five stereocenters in two operations. This route also provides efficient access to all four diastereomeric arrangements of the core stereotriad of the yohimbine alkaloids from a common intermediate. This platform approach in combination with the ability to access both enantiomers from the carbene-catalyzed reaction is a powerful strategy that can produce a wide range of complex alkaloids and related structures for future biomedical investigations.
Coronary Artery Target Selection and Survival After Bilateral Internal Thoracic Artery Grafting

Abstract Background The importance of a coronary artery, based on the myocardial mass it perfuses, is well documented, but little is known about the importance of a vessel that has been bypassed and its effect on survival in the context of bilateral internal thoracic artery (BITA) grafting. Objectives This study determined the effect of a dominant left anterior descending (LAD) artery and important non-LAD targets on outcomes after BITA grafting. Methods From January 1972 to January 2011, of 6,127 patients who underwent BITA grafting, 2,551 received 1 ITA grafted to the LAD and had an evaluable coronary angiogram. A dominant LAD was defined as one that was wrapped around the left ventricular apex. Non-LAD targets were graded based on their terminal reach toward the apex: important: >75% (n = 1,698); and less important: ≤75% (n = 853). Mean follow-up was 14 ± 8.7 years. Multivariable analysis was performed to identify risk factors for time-related mortality. Results A dominant LAD was present more frequently in patients with less important additional targets (51% vs. 35%; p Conclusions In BITA grafting, bypassing multiple important targets to maximize myocardium supplied by ITAs improved long-term survival. In patients with a nondominant LAD, selecting an important target for the second ITA lowered operative mortality.
Artificial Intelligence for Optical Networks

Artificial Intelligence may provide solutions to problems previously not solvable using conventional techniques. In this paper, we discuss potential AI applications related to challenges in optical networks.
PD-L1, brain metastases, and survival among patients with metastatic non-small cell lung cancer treated with immune checkpoint inhibitors.

e21655Background: PD-L1 expression is predictive of response to treatment with PD-1/PD-L1 immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICI) among patients with metastatic non-small cell lung cancer (mNSCLC). Brai...
Impact diagnosis in stiffened structural panels using a deep learning approach

Low-velocity impact on a structure emanates an elastic wave that propagates through the structure carrying a wealth of information about the impact event. This propagating wave can be visualized th...
Electroactive Interface for Enabling Spectroelectrochemical Investigations in Evanescent-Wave Cavity-Ring-Down Spectroscopy

In this study, we report the development of an electrically active solid-liquid interface for the evanescent-wave cavity-ring-down spectroscopic (EW-CRDS) technique to enable spectroelectrochemical investigations of redox events. Because of a high-quality transparent conductive electrode film of indium tin oxide (ITO) coated on the interface of total internal reflection of the EW-CRDS platform, a cavity ring-down time of about 900 ns was obtained allowing spectroelectrochemical studies at solid-liquid interfaces. As a proof-of-concept on the capabilities of the developed platform, measurements were performed to address the effects of an applied electric potential to the adsorption behavior of the redox protein cytochrome c (Cyt-C) onto different interfaces, namely, bare-ITO, 3-aminopropyl triethoxysilane (APTES), and Cyt-C antibody. For each interface, the adsorption and desorption constants, the surface equilibrium constant, the Gibbs free energy of adsorption, and the surface coverage were optically measured by our electrically active EW-CRDS tool. Optical measurements at a set of constant discrete values of the applied electric potential were acquired for kinetic adsorption analysis. Cyclic voltammetry (CV) scans under synchronous optical readout were performed to study the effects of each molecular interface on the redox process of surface-adsorbed protein species. Overall, the experimental results demonstrate the ability of the electro-active EW-CRDS platform to unambiguously measure electrode-driven redox events of surface-confined molecular species at low submonolayer coverages and at a single diffraction-limited spot. Such capability is expected to open several opportunities for the EW-CRDS technique to investigate a variety of electrochemical phenomena at solid-liquid interfaces.
Ruggedness testing of liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry system components using microbiome-relevant methods and matrices

Recently, an opportunity to perform a broad ruggedness assessment of our liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) system presented itself during the analytical planning phase of a large-scale human fecal microbiome study. The specific aim of this project was to study the microbial-mediated metabolism of a targeted set of bile acids/salts by mixed bacterial communities cultured from the feces of 12 healthy volunteers when grown in a custom growth medium and following exposure to different clinically-relevant antibiotics. The magnitude of this study offered a rare opportunity to significantly stress procedures and LC-MS/MS system components comprised in our bile acid/salt targeted metabolomics method. With this second specific aim in mind, we modified the sample analysis plan to include a series of figure-of-merit (FoM)-based tests that are commonly used in regulated bioanalytical labs to assess LC and MS system ruggedness for a specific assay - these FoM-based testing parameters were monitored continuously over the course of sample analysis and the results are presented in this report. In total, the assessment included 1206 sequential injections (180 calibration standards, 136 blank-internal standard samples, and 890 diluted medium samples) that took place over 8-days. Completion of the 8-days of non-stop sample analysis revealed no critical hardware or software failures, and the analysis of the FoM-based tests indicated no observable degradation of system performance over the number of samples and time tested. The FoM-based test metrics presented may be used as a template to assess the ruggedness of any LC-MS/MS-based targeted metabolomics workflow.
Invariance Checking Based Trojan Detection Method for Three-Dimensional Integrated Circuits

Recently literature indicates that stack based three-dimensional (3D) integration techniques may bring in new security vulnerabilities, such as new attack surfaces for hardware Trojan (HT) insertion. Compared to its two-dimensional counterpart (2DHTs), a 3D hardware Trojan (3DHT) could be stealthily distributed in multiple tiers in a single 3D chip. Although the comprehensive models for 3DHTs are available in recent work, there still lacks 3DHT detection and mitigation methods, especially run-time countermeasures against 3DHTs. This work proposes to leverage the 3D communication infrastructure, 3D network-on-chips (NoCs), to tackle the cross-tier hardware Trojans in stacked multi-tier chips. An invariance checking method is further proposed to detect the Trojans that induce malicious NoC packets or facilitate information leak. The proposed method is successfully deployed in NoC routers and achieves a Trojan detection rate of over 94%. The synthesis result of a hardened router at a 45nm technology node shows that the proposed invariance checking only increases the area by 6.49% and consumes 3.76% more dynamic power than an existing 3D router. The NoC protected with the proposed method is applied to the image authentication in a 3D system. The case study indicates that the proposed security measure reduces the correlation coefficient by up to 31% over the baseline.
Perceived skin tone discrimination and suicidal ideation Black Americans: Findings from the National Survey of American Life.

Abstract Background To examine the association between skin tone discrimination and lifetime suicidal ideation and suicide attempt among Black Americans. Methods We analyzed the National Survey of American Life (NSAL), which is a national probability sample of Black American adults residing in the general population of the United States. Using multivariable logistic regression, we examined the associations between skin tone discrimination (from Blacks and from whites) and suicidal ideation and suicide attempt, adjusting for sociodemographic characteristics. Results While respondents on average reported higher frequency of inter-group skin tone discrimination, only intra-group skin tone discrimination was significantly associated with greater odds of lifetime suicidal ideation [aOR: 1.21; 95% CI: 1.08-1.36] and suicide attempt [aOR: 1.22; 95% CI: 1.22; 95% CI: 1.04-1.44] adjusting for sociodemographic characteristics. Inter-group skin tone discrimination was not significantly related to suicidal ideation or suicide attempt. When stratifying by ethnicity, the effect of intra-group skin tone discrimination on suicidal ideation and attempt was stronger among Caribbean Black Americans than it was for African Americans. Limitations All measures in the sample were self-reported and thus vulnerable to recall bias. Conclusions Intra-group skin tone discrimination is a risk factor for suicidal ideation among Black Americans, and especially among Caribbean Black Americans.
Interferon-alpha for treating polycythemia vera yields improved myelofibrosis-free and overall survival.

Interferon-alpha (rIFNα) is the only disease-modifying treatment for polycythemia vera (PV), but whether or not it prolongs survival is unknown. This large single center retrospective study of 470 PV patients compares the myelofibrosis-free survival (MFS) and overall survival (OS) with rIFNα to two other primary treatments, hydroxyurea (HU) and phlebotomy-only (PHL-O). The median age at diagnosis was 54 years (range 20-94) and the median follow-up was 10 years (range 0-45). Two hundred and twenty-nine patients were women (49%) and 208 were high-risk (44%). The primary treatment was rIFNα in 93 (20%), HU in 189 (40%), PHL-O in 133 (28%) and other cytoreductive drugs in 55 (12%). The treatment groups differed by ELN risk score (p < 0.001). In low-risk patients, 20-year MFS for rIFNα, HU, and PHL-O was 84%, 65% and 55% respectively (p < 0.001) and 20-year OS was 100%, 85% and 80% respectively (p = 0.44). In high-risk patients, 20-year MFS for rIFNα, HU, and PHL-O was 89%, 41% and 36% respectively (p = 0.19) and 20-year OS was 66%, 40%, 14% respectively (p = 0.016). In multivariable analysis, longer time on rIFNα was associated with a lower risk of myelofibrosis (HR: 0.91, p < 0.001) and lower mortality (HR: 0.94, p = 0.012). In conclusion, this study supports treatment of PV with rIFNα to prevent myelofibrosis and potentially prolong survival.
Proton Therapy for Head and Neck Cancer: A 12-Year, Single-Institution Experience.

Purpose To characterize our experience and the disease control and toxicity of proton therapy (PT) for patients with head and neck cancer (HNC). Patients and methods Clinical outcomes for patients with HNC treated with PT at our institution were prospectively collected in 2 institutional review board-approved prospective studies. Descriptive statistics were used to summarize patient characteristics and outcomes. Overall survival, local-regional control, and disease-free survival were estimated by the Kaplan-Meier method. Treatment-related toxicities were recorded according to the Common Terminology Criteria for Adverse Events (version 4.03) scale. Results The cohort consisted of 573 patients treated from February 2006 to June 2018. Median patient age was 61 years. Oropharynx (33.3%; n = 191), paranasal sinus (11%; n = 63), and periorbital tissues (11%; n = 62) were the most common primary sites. Patients with T3/T4 or recurrent disease comprised 46% (n = 262) of the cohort. The intent of PT was definitive in 53% (n = 303), postoperative in 37% (n = 211), and reirradiation in 10% (n = 59). Median dose was 66 Gy (radiobiological equivalent). Regarding systemic therapy, 43% had received concurrent (n = 244), 3% induction (n = 19), and 15% (n = 86) had both. At a median follow-up of 2.4 years, 88 patients (15%) had died and 127 (22%) developed disease recurrence. The overall survival, local-regional control, and disease-free survival at 2 and 5 years were, respectively, 87% and 75%, 87% and 78%, and 74% and 63%. Maximum toxicity (acute or late) was grade 3 in 293 patients (51%), grade 2 in 234 patients (41%), and grade 1 in 31 patients (5%). There were 381 acute grade 3 and 190 late grade 3 unique toxicities across 212 (37%) and 150 (26%) patients, respectively. There were 3 late-grade 4 events across 2 patients (0.3%), 2 (0.3%) acute-grade 5, and no (0%) late-grade 5 events. Conclusions The overall results from this prospective study of our initial decade of experience with PT for HNC show favorable disease control and toxicity outcomes in a multidisease-site cohort and provide a reference benchmark for future comparison and study.
Impact of smoking on weight loss outcomes after bariatric surgery: a literature review.

The association between smoking and surgical complications after bariatric surgery has been well-established. However, given that this patient population is inherently weight-concerned, understanding the effects of tobacco use on postoperative weight loss is essential to guiding clinicians in counseling patients. We aimed to summarize the current literature examining the effects of preoperative and postoperative smoking, as well as changes in smoking status, on bariatric surgery weight loss outcomes. Ovid MEDLINE, PubMed, and SCOPUS databases were queried to identify relevant published studies. Overall, 20 studies were included. Preoperative and postoperative smoking rates varied widely across studies, as did requirements for smoking cessation prior to bariatric surgery. Reported preoperative smoking prevalence ranged from 1 to 62%, and postoperative smoking prevalence ranged from 6 to 43%. The majority of studies which examined preoperative and/or postoperative smoking habits found no association between smoking habits and postoperative weight loss outcomes. A minority of studies found relatively small differences in postoperative weight loss between smokers and nonsmokers; these often became nonsignificant with longer follow-up. No studies found significant associations between changes in smoking status and weight loss outcomes. While smoking has been associated with weight loss in the general population, most current evidence demonstrates that smoking habits are not associated with weight loss outcomes after bariatric surgery. However, due to the heterogeneity in study design and analysis, no definitive conclusions can be made, and more robust studies are needed to investigate any relationship between smoking and long-term weight loss outcomes. Given the established increased risk of surgical complications and mortality in smokers, smoking cessation should be encouraged.
Phase II Clinical Trial Evaluating Complete Metastasis Ablation After Progression on Checkpoint Inhibition.

Purpose/objective(s) Retrospective and prospective studies in patients with oligometastatic non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC) suggested clinical benefit after complete metastatic ablation (CMA). So far, no studies have addressed the toxicity and efficacy of CMA to oligometastatic lesions in patients that progressed during immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) therapy. Here, we report results of a single arm- radiotherapy (RT) to oligometastatic lesions from our ongoing phase II trial (NCT02710253). Materials/methods This study enrolled patients that progressed within 6 months of ICI therapy and developed oligo-metastases. Treatment intervention allowed for any dose and fractions of RT per the treating physician to all metastatic sites, with irradiation for up to 6 sites. Primary endpoints of this study are time to new lesion development, and disease control rate (DCR) by RECIST 1.1. Secondary endpoints are toxicity, progression-free survival (PFS), overall survival (OS) and absolute lymphocyte counts (ALC). Results Of the 30 patients initially enrolled in this study, 26 patients (N = 21 NSCLC; N = 5 melanoma) were included in the analysis as they had completed imaging follow-up. A total of 64 lesions were irradiated with a mean of 2.5 lesions per patient. Most frequent location of irradiated was lung (n = 45), followed by adrenal (n = 7), liver (n = 4), bone (n = 4) and others (n = 4); 50% of patients received SBRT. At a median follow-up time of 23.0 months (range, 5.0-44.7 months), 12 patients had no new lesions, while 14 patients developed new lesions in lung (50%), bone (25%), brain (21%). Median time to new lesion development was 14.6 months. DCR was 77% (complete response 19%, partial response 19%, stable disease 38%); median PFS was 10.1 months and median OS was not reached. No toxicities greater than grade 2 was observed. Pre-RT ALC is an independent risk factor for time to new lesion development (P = 0.006, HR = 0.1, 95% CI, 0.02-0.51). Patients without new lesion development had significantly higher baseline ALC (P = 0.011) and more ALC after RT at 1 month (P = 0.025), 3 months (P = 0.006), 6 months (P = 0.002) and 12 months (P = 0.045) compared to patients with new lesions. Other factors including age, gender, SBRT, baseline tumor size, performance status and tumor histology did not affect the time to new lesion development. Conclusion In patients with oligometastatic lesions that progressed on ICI, CMA may be a valid treatment option that generates clinical benefits. By eradicating gross sites of disease by converting area sites into in-situ vaccines, T cells are able to access microscopic metastasis. Larger randomized trials are indicated to further define the role of CMA for ICIs resistance.
Was Leibniz Entitled to Possible Worlds

Leibniz has enjoyed a prominent place in the history of thought about possible worlds.1 1 shall argue that on the leading interpretation of Leibniz's account of contingency an ingenious interpretation with ample textual support possible worlds may be invoked by Leibniz only on pain of inconsistency. Leibnizian contingency, as reconstructed in detail by Robert C. Sleigh, Jr.,2 will be shown to preclude propositions with different truth-values in different possible worlds.
Enzymes involved in the metabolism of myo-inositol

Two different enzyme systems will be discussed which are involved in the metabolism of inositol: (1) the enzyme that cleaves inositol to d-glucuronic acid1, and (2) the enzyme system that catalyzes the biosynthesis of inositol monophosphatides2.
Electromagnetic Analysis and Design in Magnetic Resonance Imaging

This book presents a comprehensive treatment of electromagnetic analysis and design of three critical devices for an MRI system - the magnet, gradient coils, and radiofrequency (RF) coils. Electromagnetic Analysis and Design in Magnetic Resonance Imaging is unique in its detailed examination of the analysis and design of the hardware for an MRI system. It takes an engineering perspective to serve the many scientists and engineers in this rapidly expanding field.Chapters present:an introduction to MRIbasic concepts of electromagnetics, including Helmholtz and Maxwell coils, inductance calculation, and magnetic fields produced by special cylindrical and spherical surface currentsprinciples for the analysis and design of gradient coils, including discrete wires and the target field method analysis of RF coils based on the equivalent lumped-circuit model as well as an analysis based on the integral equation formulationsurvey of special purpose RF coilsanalytical and numerical methods for the analysis of electromagnetic fields in biological objectsWith the continued, active development of MRI instrumentation, Electromagnetic Analysis and Design in Magnetic Resonance Imaging presents an excellent, logically organized text - an indispensable resource for engineers, physicists, and graduate students working in the field of MRI.
Accessibility of isoleucyl transfer ribonucleic acid to solvent during recognition by isoleucyl transfer ribonucleic acid synthetase.

Abstract When Ile-tRNA (Escherichia coli) is previously equilibrated with 3H2O and then allowed to interact with isoleucyl-tRNA synthetase during gel filtration, it is seen that binding of Ile-tRNA to the enzyme, and release from it, has little or no effect on the kinetics of release of slowly exchanging hydrogens. This implies that neither the bound state nor the intermediates passed through to reach it are characterized by a tRNA which is stably unfolded and exposed to solvent.
Gel chromatography of glucose oligomers

Abstract The effects of solute concentration, column length, flow-rate and temperature upon the elution behavior of glucose oligomers are discussed. A linear relationship between peak height and concentration was established for polymers up to maltoheptaose. Resolution increased considerably by increasing column length. Elution behavior of the homologous series of glucose oligomers was flow and temperature dependent. Gel bed parameters and theoretical data as influenced by operational parameters are presented.
Studies of endogenous G-protein-mediated pathways in neurons by whole-cell electrophysiology.

This chapter focuses on the study and characterization of G-protein mediated pathways that modulate voltage-dependent calcium channels in neuronal primary cultures. By monitoring the calcium current, receptor-G protein signaling events can be studied at the single-cell level with a time resolution impossible to obtain by conventional biochemical methods. The electrophysiological recording approach also allows the study of cells with minimal disruption el: the molecular environment. This is important because regulation of receptor-mediated signals depends not only on receptor subtype but also on receptor density and cellular environment. Experiments performed in heterologous systems, where the receptor is overexpressed, isolate one receptor subtype in abundance but in a foreign environment, where it may couple to signaling molecules different from its preferred interaction sites in its native environment. The regulatory properties of the receptor might also be altered as the onset and kinetics of desensitization depend on the density of receptors and signaling molecules.