cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Sentence level discourse parsing using syntactic and lexical information

We introduce two probabilistic models that can be used to identify elementary discourse units and build sentence-level discourse parse trees. The models use syntactic and lexical features. A discourse parsing algorithm that implements these models derives discourse parse trees with an error reduction of 18.8% over a state-of-the-art decision-based discourse parser. A set of empirical evaluations shows that our discourse parsing model is sophisticated enough to yield discourse trees at an accuracy level that matches near-human levels of performance.
Climate-linked Mechanisms Driving Spatial and Temporal Variation in Eelgrass (Zostera marina L.) Growth and Assemblage Structure in Pacific Northwest Estuaries, U.S.A.

ABSTRACT Thom, R.; Southard, S., and Borde, A., 2014. Climate-linked mechanisms driving spatial and temporal variations in eelgrass (Zostera marina L.) growth and assemblage structure in Pacific Northwest estuaries, USA. Using laboratory experiments on temperature and leaf metabolism, and field data sets from Washington, between 1991 and 2013, we developed lines of evidence showing that variations in water temperature, mean sea level, and desiccation stress appear to drive spatial and temporal variations in eelgrass (Zostera marina). Variations in the Oceanic Nino Index (ONI) and mean sea level (MSL), especially during the strong 1997–2001 El Nino-La Nina event, corresponded with variations in leaf growth rate of an intertidal population. Field studies suggested that this variation was associated with both desiccation period and temperature. Subtidal eelgrass shoot density recorded annually over a 10-year period was lowest during the warm and cool extremes of sea surface temperature. These periods corresp...
Parent resuscitation preferences for young people with severe developmental disabilities.

Objective To determine the relationship of providing explanatory information regarding resuscitation to DNR status for parents and guardians of young people who reside in a pediatric skilled nursing facility. Design Retrospective, quasi-experimental study of policy change, with each individual serving as his or her own control. Interval comparisons were made between resuscitation choices before and after information was provided to families. For those who were originally in the full resuscitation group, comparisons were also made between those who changed to DNR and those who did not. Setting Pediatric skilled nursing facility in Massachusetts. Participants Sixty individuals with severe mental retardation and complex medical problems, between the ages of approximately 2 and 32 years. Measurements Review of records regarding resuscitation choices and changes, with each person serving as his or her own control. Both univariate and multivariate analyses were performed on individuals who were in the full resuscitation group at the initiation of the study to determine distinguishing characteristics between those who remained in that group from those who changed to DNR. Results The families of 11 (18%) of 60 patients had requested DNR orders prior to requirement of written preference for resuscitation or DNR in the event of cardiopulmonary arrest. After provision of informative material, there was an increase to 26 patients (43%) who were designated DNR ( P P = .053). Conclusion When families are provided with explanatory information regarding resuscitation in a nonacute, pediatric skilled nursing home setting, there is a significant increase in request for DNR.
A three-layer 3D silicon system using through-Si vertical optical interconnections and Si CMOS hybrid building blocks

We present for the first time a three-dimensional (3D) Si CMOS interconnection system consisting of three layers of optically interconnected hybrid integrated Si CMOS transceivers. The transceivers were fabricated using 0.8-/spl mu/m digital Si CMOS foundry circuits and were integrated with long wavelength InP-based emitters and detectors for through-Si vertical optical interconnections. The optical transmitter operated with a digital input and optical output with operation speeds up to 155 Mb/s. The optical receiver operated with an external optical input and a digital output up to 155 Mb/s. The transceivers were stacked to form 3D through-Si vertical optical interconnections and a fabricated three layer stack demonstrated optical interconnections between the three layers with operational speed of 1 Mb/s and bit-error rate of 10/sup -9/.
Thermal noise as a spectroscopic tool to determine transport properties

The utilization of thermal fluctuations or Johnson/Nyquist noise as a spectroscopic method to determine transport properties in conductors or semiconductors is developed. The autocorrelation function is obtained from power spectral density measurements thus enabling electronic transport property calculation through the Green–Kubo formalism. This experimental approach is distinct from traditional numerical methods such as molecular dynamics simulations, which have been used to extract the autocorrelation function and directly related physics only. This work reports multi-transport property measurements consisting of the electronic relaxation time, resistivity, mobility, diffusion coefficient, electronic contribution to thermal conductivity and Lorenz number from experimental data. Double validation of the experiment was accomplished through the use of a standard reference material and a standard measurement method, i.e. four-probe collinear resistivity technique. Thermal noise measurements resulted in a 1....
Numerical and Analytical Modeling of Aligned Short Fiber Composites including Imperfect Interfaces

Finite element calculations were used to bound the modulus of aligned, short-fiber composites with randomly arranged fibers, including high fiber to matrix modulus ratios and high fiber aspect ratios. The bounds were narrow for low modulus ratio, but far apart for high ratio. These numerical experiments were used to evaluate prior numerical and analytical methods for modeling short-fiber composites. Prior numerical methods based on periodic boundary conditions were revealed as acceptable for low modulus ratio, but degenerate to lower bound modulus at high ratio. Numerical experiments were also compared to an Eshelby analysis and to an new, enhanced shear lag model. Both models could predict modulus for low modulus ratio, but also degenerated to lower bound modulus at high ratio. The new shear lag model accounts for stress transfer on fiber ends and includes imperfect interface effects; it was confirmed as accurate by comparison to finite element calculations.
High-efficiency guided-mode resonance filter

A high-efficiency guided-mode resonance reflection filter is reported. The device consists of a surface-relief photoresist grating and an underlying HfO (2) waveguide layer deposited on a fused-silica substrate. The spectral response measured with a dye-laser beam at normal incidence exhibited a peak reflectance of 98% at a wavelength of 860 nm with sideband reflectance below approximately 5% extending over the wavelength range provided by the dye (800-900 nm). At normal incidence the filter linewidth was 2.2 nm. High-efficiency double-peak resonances occurred at nonnormal incidence, with the spectral locations of the maxima vayring with the incidence angle. The filter response at various angles of incidence agreed well with the theoretically calculated reflectance curves.
Biological Aspects of Metal Enolates

1 Introduction 2 Metal Enolates in Biological Systems 3 Metalloenolates and Associated Enzymes Keywords: biological aspects of metal enolates; enol-containing natural products; enols and enolates in chemical reactions; metal enolates in biological systems; enol-containing biochemicals and pharmaceuticals and metal complexes; mimosine and analogues and Kojic acid and pyranones; metalloenolates and associated enzymes; ascorbic acid biosynthesis and biological roles
Cummings, Nicholas A. (b. 1924)

Nicholas A. Cummings (b. 1924) is a psychologist, an entrepreneur, an educator, and clinical innovator whose accomplishments championed the growth of clinical psychology. Creating a model of psychotherapy, focused intermittent psychotherapy throughout the life cycle, he moved psychotherapy into the Kaiser Permanente health care system as a routine benefit. He spearheaded the Hawaii Medicaid Project, demonstrating that appropriate psychotherapy improves health and reduces medical costs. An activist in the American Psychological Association (APA), Cummings chaired numerous committees and increased the APA's involvement in national policy making. He served as the 87th president of the APA. Cummings founded the California School of Professional Psychology (CSPP). He formed American Biodyne in the 1980s, serving millions of patients nationally. He established the Nicholas A. Cummings Behavioral Health Program at Arizona State University, the first to award a Doctor of Behavioral Health (DBH). He and his wife, Dorothy, currently pursue philanthropical interests through the Cummings Foundation for Behavioral Health. Keywords: American Managed Behavioral Healthcare Association; Erik Erikson; National Academies of Practice; National Council of Schools of Professional Psychology; addiction; anger; assessment; ethics; health; somaticzing patient
Twenty-One New Species of Leafhoppers in the Genus Erythrogonia (Hemiptera: Cicadellidae: Cicadellinae) from South America

ABSTRACT Twenty one new species are added to the leafhopper genus Erythrogonia from South America. Sixteen species, acuminata, ancora, anisa, apicalis, bidigitata, bispinata, clavata, elongata, expanda, gorgonica, grandis, lateralis, lobata, retosa, rotunda, and undulata, from Colombia; two species, guianae and rara, from French Guiana; two species, boliviana and dirhachis, from Bolivia; and one species, peruviana, from Peru. A list of species with new country records, and a key to the species of this genus is also included.
Design for manufacturing and reliability for nanometer SoCs (system-on-chips)

As the device dimension increases and chip sizes shrink, on-chip semiconductor process variation can no longer be ignored in the design and signoff static timing analysis of integrated circuits. Thus, we need to ensure not only conventional design closure but also manufacturing closure in nanometer regime. As it has been shown that manufacturing issues are strongly layout dependent, manufacturability aware layout optimization for manufacturing closure shall play a key role in the overall yield improvement. In this paper, we will discuss many manufacturability, variability, reliability, and power aware efforts in design stages for nanometer node SoCs (system-on-chips).
Mutually induced Radiation Impedance by finite Aperture multipole Sources

Multipole borehole acoustic source output and frequency content is strongly influenced by borehole fluid, tool and formation loading effects. An extra complication comes from the fact that multipole sources act in tandem and therefore the action on one source influences the loading on another and vice versa (Mutually induced impedance loading). In this paper we calculate the fluid loading forces on the constituent finite aperture (volume type) multipole sources and how they affect the effective multipole source signature in terms of resonance frequency and attenuation. A Numerical example will be presented where the individual multipole source constituents are driven by the well-known Tonpilz (Segmented piezoelectric bar) actuator. Results will be shown for the monopole, dipole and quadrupole excitation.
Interstitial Fibrosis, Left Ventricular Remodeling, and Myocardial Mechanical Behavior in a Population-Based Multiethnic Cohort The Multi-Ethnic Study of Atherosclerosis (MESA) Study

Background—Tagged cardiac magnetic resonance provides detailed information on regional myocardial function and mechanical behavior. T1 mapping by cardiac magnetic resonance allows noninvasive quant...
Successful treatment of Salmonella aortitis with endovascular aortic repair and antibiotic therapy

We report a case of a 77-year-old Asian man with a history significant for type II diabetes mellitus and chronic kidney disease who presented with abdominal pain, nausea, vomiting and a 20-pound weight loss of 3 weeks’ duration. Further evaluation revealed an infected mycotic aneurysm and distal abdominal aortitis as a result of Salmonella. This case demonstrates an interesting case of aortitis and a successful therapeutic approach.
Optimization on preparation of hypoglycemic peptides from apricot( Armeniaca sibirica) hydrolyzed by papain

The optimum preparation condition of hypoglycemic peptides from apricot( Armeniaca sibirica) hydrolyzed by papain was determined by the single factor and the response surface analysis.The results showed that the optimum hydrolysis conditions were as follows: pH7,temperature 50℃,solvent ratio 6,the enzyme amount 3%( w /w).The inhibition ratio to α- glucosidase was 14.22%,and the IC50value was 0.08g /mL.The peptides prepared under the achieved condition had a decent hypoglycemic effect.
Capability and mechanism of microbe action in polymer-flooding reservoir

A kind of polymer degrading microbe JHW-31 was selected from Daqing Oilfield.The microbe was inoculated and cultured in the culture medium confected with polymer and a little sucrose for 7 days under the condition of pH 7.2 and temperature 45℃.The viscosity reduction rate of the polymer reached 92.1%,and the molecular weight of the polymer decreased from 18×106 to 0.5×106.The gross of the polymer decreased a little bit.Nuclear magnetic resonance test result indicated that the content of the amide group in the polymer decreased from 74.6% to 60.8%,while the carboxylic acid group increased obviously.This kind of microbe could be confected with the surfactant microbe T11 and was compatible with the stratum water.The physical simulation indicated that the oil recovery increased by 5.4% when the microbe was used after polymer flooding.If the ASP flooding was used after microbe flooding,oil recovery could increase by 9.7%.In the heterogeneous core,this microbe can mobilize more remaining oil in the low-permeability zone and clean out the resorted polymer.
Pynchon's "Entropy": A Russian Connection

In 1923, Russian naval engineer Yevgeny Zamyatin published an essay which antagonized the Soviet government, an annoyance that increased greatly when Zamyatin's dystopian novel We, a satire on the Russian Revolution never yet published in the Soviet Union, appeared in Russian in Prague. The 1923 essay is titled lion Literature, Revolution, Entropy, and Other Matters. In it, Zamyatin argues against complacency in government and art and for a continuing revolution, for a continual changing of forms and for a continuous receptivity to new ideas, however distasteful. I think that Thomas Pynchon was aware of Zamyatin's essay when he wrote his own story "Entropy" in 1958-59, but I must create a Kekulean chain to establish the connection.
Ultrafast lasers in chemistry and biology

In this talk, the principles involved in some applications of ultrafast lasers in chemistry and biology are reviewed. The focus is on the elementary dynamics of atoms and molecules on the femtosecond (10−15 second) time scale. Current research is discussed, and opportunities for the future are explored.
The Climatic Environment as a Factor in Building Road and Airport Pavements

Climate is one of the basic considerations in designing and building road and airport pavements. Its influence is so general that a short paper can cover only a few phases of the complete subject. Therefore, this paper will attempt to discuss the subject matter under the following four headings: (1) A general statement regarding the climatic influence in the development of highway and airport needs. (2) Climate as it enters into the Michigan technique for pavement design; (this is often summed up in the statement “Traffic-wear controls surface design, and climate, together with its associated soil and drainage conditions, determine foundation design”). (3) Climate as a factor in construction operations; (this phase becomes important, especially in connection with the timing of operations and in the development of equipment). (4) Climate as a factor in the service life of a pavement and in the cost of its proper maintenance.
Surgery for Partial Epilepsy in Infancy

Focal resection of epileptic tissue was performed in five infants under one year of age with malignant partial seizures and deteriorating developmental status at Miami Children’s Hospital and the Comprehensive Epilepsy Center, Miami, FL.
A Case of Rectal Ureaplasma Infection and Implications for Testing in Young Men Who Have Sex with Men: The P18 Cohort Study

Ureaplasma is a significant cause of nongonococcal urethritis. This is a case of rectal Ureaplasma found on culture in a young man who has sex with men not previously reported in the literature. Nucleic acid amplification tests are now standard of care for sexually transmitted infection testing, but they do not test for Ureaplasma and, therefore, may be missing important infections. Ureaplasma could have important implications in urethritis and rectal HIV transmission among men who have sex with men engaging in condomless anal intercourse. Further study of Ureaplasma's role as a rectal pathogen may be warranted.
Parallelization methods for efficient simulation of high dimensional population balance models of granulation

Abstract In order to solve high resolution PBMs to simulate real systems, with high accuracy and speed, a comprehensive and robust parallelization framework is needed. In this work, parallelization using just Message Passing Interface (MPI) and a more advanced method using a hybrid MPI + OpenMP (Open Multi-Processing) technique, have been applied to simulate high resolution PBMs on the computing clusters, SOEHPC and Stampede. We study the speed up and the scale up of these parallelization techniques for different system sizes and different computer architectures to come up with one of the fastest ways to solve a PBM to date. Parallel PBMs ran approximately 50–60 times faster, when using 128 cores, than the serial PBMs ran. In this work it is found that hybrid MPI + OMP methods which account for socket affinities led to the fastest PBM compute times and about 80% less memory than a purely MPI approach.
SDN Orchestration for Next Generation Inter-Networking: A Multipath Forwarding Approach

Increasing trend of peering at Internet exchange points (IXPs) provides a topological and network management advantage to the Internet service providers (ISPs) that is otherwise not possible through individual peering arrangements with their neighboring domains. ISPs keep analyzing potential advantages to peer at geographically diversified IXPs. Increasing degree of multihoming in ISPs requires extensive coordination among ISPs in different roles (access and transit), for mutual benefit. We propose a novel approach to build a conducive inter-networking ambiance for future data centric applications. Our approach exploits edge multiplicity of transit ISPs present across different IXPs to leverage a cross layer coordination between network stack at access ISP subscribers and the network infrastructure. Software defined networking provides a useful apparatus to control IXP fabric and also empowers our multipath forwarding strategy for an optimal network resource utilization in the inter-domain configuration. Contributions of this paper include the derivation of abstracted overlay graph from an IXP centric inter-domain connectivity model. This graph is used to provide multipath forwarding for increased reliability and throughput over abstracted graph. Adaptive cross layer coordination increases the efficiency of the proposed framework and provides an online mechanism of forwarding the traffic across the domains. We have observed as high as 54% increase in throughput using proposed scheme as compared with single path routing and forwarding strategy currently employed at the Internet backbone.
The Economic Consequences of SFAS 166/167 – Evidence from Banks

This study examines whether SFAS 166/167 eliminating the exclusion of consolidation for qualifying special purpose entities (QSPEs) impacted the cost of equity capital for a sample of banks. This exclusion previously allowed banks to avoid consolidation of many asset securitization transactions, and these types of transactions become increasingly prevalent during and after the financial crisis of the late 2000’s. We compare changes in the cost of equity capital for a treatment sample of firms that consolidated special purpose entities after implementation of SFAS 166/167 to changes in the cost of equity capital for a control group that reported no material impact from implementation of SFAS 166/167. We find that after SFAS 166/167, the cost of equity capital increased more for the group of firms consolidating previously unconsolidated SPE’s than for the firms that were relatively unaffected by the rule change. In sum, the results suggest that SFAS 166/167 resulted in an increased cost of equity capital as the consolidations of former QSPEs and expanded disclosures of VIEs as a consequence of the revised standards might convey new risks to the market, while SFAS 166/167 might improve the transparency of information regarding QSPEs.
A new method for CT dose estimation by determining patient water equivalent diameter from localizer radiographs: Geometric transformation and calibration methods using readily available phantoms.

Purpose Water equivalent diameter (Dw) reflects patient's attenuation and is a sound descriptor of patient size, and is used to determine size-specific dose estimator from a CT examination. Calculating Dw from CT localizer radiographs makes it possible to utilize Dw before actual scans and minimizes truncation errors due to limited reconstructed fields of view. One obstacle preventing the user community from implementing this useful tool is the necessity to calibrate localizer pixel values so as to represent water equivalent attenuation. We report a practical method to ease this calibration process. Methods Dw is calculated from water equivalent area (Aw) which is deduced from the average localizer pixel value (LPV) of the line(s) in the localizer radiograph that correspond(s) to the axial image. The calibration process is conducted to establish the relationship between Aw and LPV. Localizer and axial images were acquired from phantoms of different total attenuation. We developed a program that automates the geometrical association between axial images and localizer lines and manages the measurements of Dw and average pixel values. We tested the calibration method on three CT scanners: a GE CT750HD, a Siemens Definition AS, and a Toshiba Acquilion Prime80, for both posterior-anterior (PA) and lateral (LAT) localizer directions (for all CTs) and with different localizer filters (for the Toshiba CT). Results The computer program was able to correctly perform the geometrical association between corresponding axial images and localizer lines. Linear relationships between Aw and LPV were observed (with R2 all greater than 0.998) on all tested conditions, regardless of the direction and image filters used on the localizer radiographs. When comparing LAT and PA directions with the same image filter and for the same scanner, the slope values were close (maximum difference of 0.02 mm), and the intercept values showed larger deviations (maximum difference of 2.8 mm). Water equivalent diameter estimation on phantoms and patients demonstrated high accuracy of the calibration: percentage difference between Dw from axial images and localizers was below 2%. With five clinical chest examinations and five abdominal-pelvic examinations of varying patient sizes, the maximum percentage difference was approximately 5%. Conclusions Our study showed that Aw and LPV are highly correlated, providing enough evidence to allow for the Dw determination once the experimental calibration process is established.
What is the role of wedge resection for T1a lung cancer

Since 1995, lobar resection became the standard of care for medically fit patients with early stage lung cancer. This was based on the results of a single randomized trial comparing lobectomy and sublobar resection (SLR) in stage I lung cancer conducted by the lung cancer study group between 1982 and 1988. The conclusions of the study included a statistically significant tripling in loco-regional recurrence (LR) after limited resection but no difference between the two arms of the trial in systemic recurrence. Although both overall survival and cancer specific survival favored lobectomy, neither achieved statistical significance. Regardless, this landmark trial established lobectomy as the preferred oncological resection for early stage lung cancer. The practice of thoracic surgery has evolved significantly since the study period of the Lung Cancer Study Group, and this has led some surgeons to question its relevance to contemporary practice. The increased detection of smaller more precisely staged tumors combined with the rising segment of the population that is elderly with limited cardiopulmonary reserve has renewed interest in sub-lobar resection including wedge resection as either a definitive therapeutic strategy or as a compromise approach in patients with poor performance status. The interest in wedge resections is also to some extent further fueled by the emergence and increased utilization of competing technologies of local control such as stereotactic radiation or percutaneous and trans-bronchial ablative techniques. Although the results of the LCSG still cast a long shadow over the soundness of wedge resection as a cancer operation, much literature has been published in the subsequent years on this topic. We present in this review an overview of the conflicting data and offer our perspective on the role of wedge resection in early stage lung cancer.
Automatic tongue contour extraction in ultrasound images with convolutional neural networks

Ultrasound imaging of the tongue can provide detailed articulatory information addressing a variety of phonetic questions. However, using this method often requires the time-consuming process of manually labeling tongue contours in noisy images. This study presents a method for the automatic identification and extraction of tongue contours using convolutional neural networks, a machine learning algorithm that has been shown to be highly successful in many biomedical image segmentation tasks. We have adopted the U-net architecture (Ronneberger, Fischer, & Brox 2015, U-Net: Convolutional Networks for Biomedical Image Segmentation, DOI:10.1007/978-3-319-24574-428), which learns from human-annotated splines using multiple, repeated convolution and max-pooling layers in the network for feature extraction, as well as deconvolution layers for generating spatially precise predictions of the tongue contours. Trained using a preliminary dataset of 8881 human-labeled tongue images from three speakers, our model generates discrete tongue splines comparable to those identified by human annotators (Dice Similarity Coefficient = 0.71). Although work is ongoing, this neural network based method shows considerable promise for the post-processing of ultrasound images in phonetic research. [Work supported by NSF grant BCS-1348150 to P.S. Beddor and A.W. Coetzee.]Ultrasound imaging of the tongue can provide detailed articulatory information addressing a variety of phonetic questions. However, using this method often requires the time-consuming process of manually labeling tongue contours in noisy images. This study presents a method for the automatic identification and extraction of tongue contours using convolutional neural networks, a machine learning algorithm that has been shown to be highly successful in many biomedical image segmentation tasks. We have adopted the U-net architecture (Ronneberger, Fischer, & Brox 2015, U-Net: Convolutional Networks for Biomedical Image Segmentation, DOI:10.1007/978-3-319-24574-428), which learns from human-annotated splines using multiple, repeated convolution and max-pooling layers in the network for feature extraction, as well as deconvolution layers for generating spatially precise predictions of the tongue contours. Trained using a preliminary dataset of 8881 human-labeled tongue images from three speakers, our model gene...
An Exploration of Sexual Health Education Among Individuals with Skeletal Dysplasia (Dwarfism)

Using quantitative and qualitative measures, this study examined reports of sexual health education among 300 individuals with skeletal dysplasia (dwarfism). Many participants felt their sex educat...
The Chemistry of the Eremophilane and Related Sesquiterpenes

The terpenes constitute the largest family of substances of natural occurrence, being widely distributed in the plant kingdom and to a lesser extent in the animal kingdom. They are divisible according to the number of carbon atoms present into several groups, one of which is labeled sesqui-terpenes and is comprised of molecules containing fifteen carbon atoms. The sesquiterpenes are the largest group of terpenes, and are themselves subdivisible according to the arrangement of the carbon atoms in the molecular skeleton. In this chapter we shall be concerned with a subgroup having its carbon atoms arranged, in the main, in a bicyclic framework corresponding to a parent hydrocarbon formulated, for the moment without stereochemical implication, as (1) and named eremo-philane. These sesquiterpenes have been reviewed earlier (1, 2, 2a). We shall include with them a small group of closely-related sesquiterpenes having a carbon skeleton in which ring B in (1) has been contracted to a five-membered carbocycle, as in (2)
“The gerontology of suffering and its social remediation: a Buddhist perspective”

While suffering is often assumed to be an intractable aspect of growing old, gerontological work on older adults’ experiences of suffering remains limited, and there is a stated need for more conce...
Isolation and Staining of Mouse Skin Keratinocytes for Cell Cycle Specific Analysis of Cellular Protein Expression by Mass Cytometry

The goal of this protocol is to detect and quantify protein expression changes in a cell cycle-dependent manner using single cells isolated from the epidermis of mouse skin. There are seven important steps: separation of the epidermis from the dermis, digestion of the epidermis, staining of the epidermal cell populations with cisplatin, sample barcoding, staining with metal tagged antibodies for cell cycle markers and proteins of interest, detection of metal-tagged antibodies by mass cytometry, and the analysis of expression in the various cell cycle phases. The advantage of this approach over histological methods is the potential to assay the expression pattern of >40 different markers in a single cell at different phases of the cell cycle. This approach also allows for the multivariate correlation analysis of protein expression that is more quantifiable than histological/imaging methods. The disadvantage of this protocol is that a suspension of single cells is needed, which results in the loss of location information provided by the staining of tissue sections. This approach may also require the inclusion of additional markers to identify different cell types in crude cell suspensions. The application of this protocol is evident in the analysis of hyperplastic skin disease models. Moreover, this protocol can be adapted for the analysis of specific sub-type of cells (e.g., stem cells) by the addition of lineage-specific antibodies. This protocol can also be adapted for the analysis of skin cells in other experimental species.
Violence Against Women and the Land: Maya Perspectives in 500 Years: Life in Resistance by Pamela Yates

Abstract 500 Years: Life in Resistance (2017) is the final installment in Pamela Yates's documentary saga about Guatemala. It covers the 2013–2014 trial of Efrain Rios Montt for genocide as well as...
Engaging IT Students through the NASA SUITS Design Challenge: An Experience Report

Engaging students is at times challenging, especially when course assignments revolve around tedious work that is not applicable beyond the classroom. One way to prepare students who are about to graduate is the Capstone course, which often focuses on real-life problems that require a solution. This paper is an experience report of the integration of the NASA SUITS (Spacesuit User Interface Technologies for Students) Design Challenge into an IT Capstone course. The success of this initiative prompted a revision of projects associated with several prerequisite courses, with the aim of engaging students early on into a complex project that spans over multiple technological domains.
Simultaneous depolymerization and fermentation of lignin into value-added products by the marine protist, Thraustochytrium striatum

Abstract Biodegradation of lignin has been focused on bacteria and fungi, but little information is available on lignin biotransformation with marine protists. In this paper, kraft pine lignin was used as a carbon source for a newly recognized and patented lignin degrader, Thraustochytrium striatum HB. The fermentation medium was optimized in terms of nitrogen source and trace elements. The results showed NH4Cl was the best nitrogen source to enhance lignin consumption from 3 (for yeast extract or peptone) to 17%, while the utilization of yeast extract or peptone was found to inhibit lignin consumption by T. striatum HB. The presence of trace elements and vitamins improved lignin utilization from 17 to 25% by inducing the production of lignolytic enzymes. Different lignin depolymerization methods, including laccase, fungal secretome and Fenton reagent were used to enhance lignin fermentation. In the presence of laccase, both cell growth and lignin consumption were improved, and it was found that different laccases had different working mechanisms. Enzymatic depolymerization resulted in 25–30% lignin degradation, slightly higher than that (22%) from Fenton reagent. NMR analysis indicated that the fungus-derived laccase primarily worked on the breakdown of inter-unit linkages in lignin molecules, while plant-derived laccase possibly attacked the aromatic ring structures. With the function of laccase, more low-molecular-weight lignin fragments can be generated, and laccase-catalyzing reaction would direct the equilibrium toward depolymerization by preventing repolymerization of small fragments. On the contrary, lignin peroxidase-dominant fungal secretome and Fenton reagent facilitated lignin degradation but not cell growth, possibly due to the generation of inhibitory compounds from lignin depolymerization by fungal secretome and Fenton reagent. The results from this research demonstrate that marine protists, such as T. striatum HB are a class of promising platform microorganisms for lignin valorization into valuable bioproducts.
SmileyCluster: supporting accessible machine learning in K-12 scientific discovery

There is an increasing need to prepare young learners to be Artificial Intelligence (AI) capable for the future workforce and everyday life. Machine Learning (ML), as an integral subfield of AI, has become the new engine that revolutionizes practices of knowledge discovery. Making ML experience accessible to young learners, however, remains challenging due to its high demand for mathematical and computational skills. This research focuses on designing novel learning environments that help demystify ML technologies for K-12 students, and also investigating new opportunities for maximizing ML accessibility through integration with scientific discovery in STEM education. We developed SmileyCluster - a hands-on and collaborative learning environment that utilizes glyph-based data visualization and superposition comparative visualization to assist learning an entry-level ML technology, namely k-means clustering. Findings from an initial case study with high school students in a pre-college summer program show that SmileyCluster leads to positive change in learning ML concepts, methods and sense-making of patterns. Findings of this study also shed light on understanding ML as a data-enabled approach to support evidence-based scientific discovery in K-12 STEM education.
Early Predictors of Referral for Special Services: Child-Based Measures versus Mother-Child Interaction.

This study examined the extent to which global ratings of mother-child interaction assessed at 42 months and an estimate of child intelligence assessed at 64 months were related to referrals for sp...
Patient Satisfaction and Trust in Telemedicine During the COVID-19 Pandemic: Retrospective Observational Study.

Background: Los Angeles County is a hub for COVID-19 cases in the United States. Academic health centers rapidly deployed and leveraged telemedicine to permit uninterrupted care of patients. Telemedicine enjoys high patient satisfaction, yet little is known about the level of satisfaction during a crisis and to what extent patient- or visit-related factors and trust play when in-person visits are eliminated. Objective: The aim of this study is to examine correlates of patients’ satisfaction with a telemedicine visit. Methods: In this retrospective observational study conducted in our single-institution, urban, academic medical center in Los Angeles, internal medicine patients aged ≥18 years who completed a telemedicine visit between March 10th and April 17th, 2020, were invited for a survey (n=1624). Measures included patient demographics, degree of interpersonal trust in patient-physician relationships (using the Trust in Physician Scale), and visit-related concerns. Statistical analysis used descriptive statistics, Spearman rank-order correlation, and linear and ordinal logistic regression. Results: Of 1624 telemedicine visits conducted during this period, 368 (22.7%) patients participated in the survey. Across the study, respondents were very satisfied (173/365, 47.4%) or satisfied (n=129, 35.3%) with their telemedicine visit. Higher physician trust was associated with higher patient satisfaction (Spearman correlation r=0.51, P<.001). Visit-related factors with statistically significant correlation with Trust in Physician score were technical issues with the telemedicine visit (r=–0.16), concerns about privacy (r=–0.19), concerns about cost (r=–0.23), satisfaction with telemedicine convenience (r=0.41), and amount of time spent (r=0.47; all P<.01). Visit-related factors associated with patients’ satisfaction included fewer technical issues (P<.001), less concern about privacy (P<.001) or cost (P=.02), and successful face-to-face video (P<.001). The only patient variable with a significant positive association was income and level of trust in physician (r=0.18, P<.001). Younger age was associated with higher satisfaction with the telemedicine visit (P=.005). Conclusions: There have been calls for redesigning primary care after the COVID-19 pandemic and for the widespread adoption of telemedicine. Patients’ satisfaction with telemedicine during the COVID-19 pandemic is high. Their satisfaction is shaped by the degree of trust in physician and visit-related factors more so than patient factors. This has widespread implications for outpatient practices and further research into visit-related factors and the patient-provider connection over telemedicine is needed.
Modeling illegal logging in Brazil

Deforestation is a major threat to global environmental wellness, with illegal logging as one of the major causes. Recently, there has been increased effort to model environmental crime, with the goal of assisting law enforcement agencies in deterring these activities. We present a continuous model for illegal logging applicable to arbitrary domains. We model the practice of criminals under influence of law enforcement agencies using tools from multiobjective optimal control theory and consider non-instantaneous logging events and load-dependent travel velocity. We calibrate our model using real deforestation data from the Brazilian rainforest and demonstrate the importance of geographically targeted patrol strategies.
Crucial mutation in the exoribonuclease domain of nsp14 of PEDV leads to high genetic instability during viral replication

Background Coronavirus (CoV) nonstructural protein 14 (nsp14) has exoribonuclease (ExoN) activity, responsible for proofreading and contributing to replication fidelity. It has been reported that CoVs exhibit variable sensitivity to nsp14-ExoN deficiency. Betacoronavirus murine hepatitis virus (MHV) and severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS)-CoV were viable upon nsp14-ExoN deficiency. While betacoronavirus Middle East respiratory syndrome (MERS)-CoV and SARS-CoV-2 were non-viable with disabled nsp14-ExoN. In this study, we investigated the nsp14-ExoN deficiency of alphacoronavirus porcine epidemic diarrhea virus (PEDV) in viral pathogenesis using reverse genetics. Results Eight nsp14-ExoN deficient mutants, targeting the predicted active sites and the Zinc finger or mental-coordinating sites, of PEDV were designed. Only one mutant E191A with a mutation in the Mg2+-binding site was rescued using the infectious clone of PEDV PC22A strain (icPC22A). The passage no.1-3 (P1-3) of E191A grew to very low titers in Vero cells. To evaluate the pathogenesis of the E191A, 4 or 5-day-old gnotobiotic pigs were inoculated orally with 100 TCID50/pig of the E191A-P1, icPC22A, or mock. All mock pigs did not shed virus in feces or show clinical signs. All pigs inoculated with icPC22A shed high viral RNA levels, had severe diarrhea, and died by 6 days post-inoculation (dpi). In contrast, only 3 pigs (3/4, 75%) in the E191A-P1 group shed low levels of viral RNA and 2 pigs had moderate diarrhea at acute infection phase. At 22 dpi, each pig was challenged orally with 106 plaque forming unit of virulent icPC22A. All pigs in the mock group developed severe diarrhea and 2 of the 5 pigs died. Pigs in the E191A-P1 group had less severe diarrhea and no pigs died. Sanger sequencing analysis revealed that the viral genome in the fecal sample of one E191A-P1-inoculated pig and the P4 virus passaged in vitro lost the E191A mutation, suggesting the genetic instability of the E191A mutant. Conclusion The recombinant PEDV variants carrying mutations at the essential functional sites within nsp14-ExoN were either lethal or genetically unstable. Our finding further confirmed the critical role of nsp14-ExoN in CoV life cycle, suggesting that it may be a target for the design of universal anti-CoV drugs.
Who Benefits from Distributive Politics? How the Outcome One Studies Affects the Answer One Gets

Papers in the burgeoning empirical literature on distributive politics often focus their analysis on the pattern of distribution of a single patronage good—for example, cash transfers, roads, education spending, electrification, or targeted grants. Yet because governments can favor constituencies through the targeting of multiple public and private goods, drawing general conclusions about distributive politics by investigating just one (or even a few) good(s) can be misleading. We demonstrate the severity of this problem by investigating a particular manifestation of distributive politics—ethnic favoritism—in a particular setting—Africa—and show that the conclusions one draws about who benefits from government allocation decisions can vary markedly depending on the outcome one happens to study. Our findings suggest the need for caution in making general claims about who benefits from distributive politics and raise questions about extant theoretical conclusions that are based on empirical work that focuses on a single distributive outcome. The findings also provide a foundation for a new research agenda aimed at identifying the reasons why political leaders choose to favor their supporters with some public and private goods rather than others.
Attention, Consciousness, and Linguistic Cooperation with AI

Contemporary debates on Artificial General Intelligence (AGI) center on what philosophers classify as descriptive issues. These issues concern the architecture and style of information processing r...
Free Press Vs. Fair Trials: Examining Publicity's Role in Trial Outcomes

Contents: Foreword. Preface. Introduction. What We Think We Know. Field Research. Pretrial Publicity and Media Theory: "General" Publicity Revisited. Conclusions. Appendix: Detailed Discussion of City-Level Data.
Quantifying Ubiquitin Signaling

Ubiquitin (UB)-driven signaling systems permeate biology, and are often integrated with other types of post-translational modifications (PTMs), including phosphorylation. Flux through such pathways is dictated by the fractional stoichiometry of distinct modifications and protein assemblies as well as the spatial organization of pathway components. Yet, we rarely understand the dynamics and stoichiometry of rate-limiting intermediates along a reaction trajectory. Here, we review how quantitative proteomic tools and enrichment strategies are being used to quantify UB-dependent signaling systems, and to integrate UB signaling with regulatory phosphorylation events, illustrated with the PINK1/PARKIN pathway. A key feature of ubiquitylation is that the identity of UB chain linkage types can control downstream processes. We also describe how proteomic and enzymological tools can be used to identify and quantify UB chain synthesis and linkage preferences. The emergence of sophisticated quantitative proteomic approaches will set a new standard for elucidating biochemical mechanisms of UB-driven signaling systems.
Essentially subnormal operators

An operator is essentially subnormal if its image in the Calkin algebra is subnormal. We shall characterize the essentially subnormal operators as those operators with an essentially normal extension. In fact, it is shown that an essentially subnormal operator has an extension of the form “Normal plus Compact”. The essential normal spectrum is defined and is used to characterize the essential isometries. It is shown that every essentially subnormal operator may be decomposed as the direct sum of a subnormal operator and some irreducible essentially subnormal operators. An essential version of Putnam’s Inequality is proven for these operators. Also, it is shown that essential normality is a similarity invariant within the class of essentially subnormal operators. The class of essentially hyponormal operators is also briefly discussed and several examples of essentially subnormal operators are given.
Collision broadening of transient absorption spectra: I. Hydroxyl linewidths in the (0,0) (A→ X) transition at low temperatures

Abstract The collision broadening cross sections of the OH (0, 0) (A → X) ultraviolet transition have been measured for 14 broadening gases at 293°K and for water vapor at 378°K. They were obtained by applying corrections for Doppler and instrumental broadening to direct width measurements of OH absorption lines in high resolution spectra. The OH was generated by flash photolysis of H2O2 or H2O in an excess of broadening gas. The assumption that the cross section is independent of the OH rotational quantum number J appears valid for all these gases except water, for which it was necessary to assume that the cross section is a decreasing function of J. The collision widths at 293°K and 580 torr range from a low of 0·04 cm-1 for helium to a high of 0·16 cm-1 for hydrogen. For water vapor at 378°K and 546 torr, the collision width varies from about 0·3 cm-1 for J = 1 2 ; to about 0·06 cm-1 for J = 7 1 2 ;. The collision widths, when extrapolated to flame temperatures, appear to agree with earlier measurements as well as can be expected. The cross sections obtained are generally larger than those derived from transport property measurements, but all are within a factor of two of the latter values.