cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
A Unified Approach to Derive Gradient Algorithms for Arbitrary Neural Network Structures

Deriving backpropagation algorithms for time-dependent neural network structures typically requires numerous chain rule expansions, diligent bookkeeping, and careful manipulation of terms. In this paper, we present a unified approach to derive such algorithms via a set of simple block diagram manipulation rules.
News Recommendations at scale at Bloomberg Media: Challenges and Approaches

In the past decade, news consumption through traditional channels such as print has been on the decline while online and digital news consumption has been steadily growing. Bloomberg, renowned for its products in the financial world, has a very strong presence in the news and media industry. Bloomberg Media, on an average, publishes 400-500 stories and videos per day and we have close to 30 million unique visitors on our websites and mobile applications every month consuming this content. At such a scale it is very important to recommend relevant information for a good user experience. Recommendations in the News and Media domain bring a unique set of challenges due to the dynamic nature of the data as well as unique consumption patterns. The biggest challenge with building recommendation systems in the News domain is the dynamic nature of the domain itself; new content is published every few minutes and majority of the content has a short shelf life, i.e., the news is not relevant to users after a certain time span and the time span is generally of the order of hours rather than days, making it important to deliver relevant content in a timely manner. Moreover, our users consume content differently based on time of day. For example, some users whose focus is market news and market data during the day consume more long form and generic articles and videos in the evening. User preferences, along with being cyclical in nature, tend to change over time, so algorithms need to adapt to the changing taste of the user. In addition, we need to ensure that the users do get their share of important/trending news and are not put into a filter bubble.In this talk, we will present some novel techniques we have applied to popular approaches in the field of Recommender Systems to be able to address the unique challenges which the news domain presents.
Sorting of biontolecules via microdevices

Micro and nano fabrication techniques have provided an unprecedented opportunity to create a designed world in which separation and fractionation technologies which normally occur on the macroscopic scale can be optimized by designing structures which utilize the basic physics of the process, or new processes can be realized by building structures which normally do not exist without external design. Since microfabrication is exceedingly sophisticated in its development, it is possible to design and construct highly creative microdevices which allow one to probe specific aspects of a biological objects. We give examples of uses of micro and nano fabrication which as opposed to simply shrinking the size of the vessels or tubes used in macroscopic lab environments, utilize our understanding the physics of the process to take advantage of fabrication technologies.
Visualization of Whole-Night Sleep EEG From 2-Channel Mobile Recording Device Reveals Distinct Deep Sleep Stages with Differential Electrodermal Activity.

Brain activity during sleep is powerful marker of overall health, but sleep lab testing is prohibitively expensive and only indicated for major sleep disorders. This report demonstrates that mobile 2-channel in-home electroencephalogram (EEG) recording devices provided sufficient information to detect and visualize sleep EEG. Displaying whole-night sleep EEG in a spectral display allowed for quick assessment of general sleep stability, cycle lengths, stage lengths, dominant frequencies, and other indices of sleep quality. By visualizing spectral data down to 0.1 Hz, a differentiation emerged between slow-wave sleep with dominant frequency between 0.1─1 Hz or 1─3 Hz, but rarely both. Thus, we present here the new designations, Hi and Lo Deep sleep, according to the frequency range with dominant power. Simultaneously recorded electrodermal activity (EDA) was primarily associated with Lo Deep and very rarely with Hi Deep or any other stage. Therefore, Hi and Lo Deep sleep appear to be physiologically distinct states that may serve unique functions during sleep. We developed an algorithm to classify 5 stages (Awake, Light, Hi Deep, Lo Deep, and REM) using a Hidden Markov Model, model fitting with the expectation-maximization algorithm, and estimation of the most likely sleep state sequence by the Viterbi algorithm. The resulting automatically generated sleep hypnogram can help clinicians interpret the spectral display and help researchers computationally quantify sleep stages across participants. In conclusion, this study demonstrates the feasibility of in-home sleep EEG collection, a rapid and informative sleep report format, and novel deep sleep designations accounting for spectral and physiological differences.
Mortality among black men in the USA

Importance Black men have the lowest life expectancy of all major ethnic-sex populations in the USA, yet no recent studies have comprehensively examined black male mortality. Objective The purpose of this study was to analyze recent mortality trends for black men, including black to white (B to W) disparities. Design The study design was national mortality surveillance for 2000 to 2014. Setting The setting was the USA. Population All black non-Hispanic males aged ≥15 years old in the USA, including institutionalized persons, were included. Exposure The 15 leading causes of death were analyzed. Main outcomes and measures Linear regression of log-transformed annual age-adjusted death rates was used to calculate average annual percent change (AAPC) in mortality. Black to white (B to W) disparity rate ratios (RR) and 95% confidence intervals (CI) were compared for 2000 and 2014. The most recent available social and economic profile data were obtained from the U.S. Census of Population. Results The top five causes of death for black men in 2014, with percentage of total deaths, were (1) heart disease (24.8%), (2) cancer (23.0%), (3) unintentional injuries (5.8%), (4) stroke (5.1%), and (5) homicide (4.3%). Significant mortality declines for 12 of the 15 leading causes occurred through 2014, with the strongest decline for HIV/AIDS (AAPC -8.0, 95% CI -8.8 to -7.1). Only Alzheimer's disease, ranked #15, significantly increased (AAPC +2.5, 95% CI +1.4 to +3.7). Significant black disadvantage persisted for 10 of the 15 leading causes in 2014, including homicide (RR = 10.43, 95% CI 9.98 to 10.89), HIV/AIDS (RR = 8.01, 95% CI 7.50 to 8.54), diabetes (RR = 1.88, 95% CI 1.82 to 1.93), and stroke (RR = 1.61, 95% CI 1.57 to 1.65). The B to W disparity did not improve for heart disease (RR 1.24 in 2000 vs. RR 1.23 in 2014), but did improve for cancer (RR 1.39 in 2000 vs. 1.20 in 2014). Death rates were significantly lower in black men for five causes, including unintentional injuries (RR = 0.83, 95% CI 0.80 to 0.84), chronic lower respiratory diseases (RR = 0.75, 95% CI 0.73 to 0.78), and suicide (RR = 0.37, 95% CI 0.35 to 0.39). Conclusions and relevance Total mortality significantly declined for black men from 2000 to 2014, and the overall B to W disparity narrowed to RR = 1.21 (95% CI 1.20 to 1.23) in 2014. However, significant black disadvantages relative to white men persisted for 10 leading causes of death.
Taking the Sting Out of Revenge Porn: Using Criminal Statutes to Safeguard Sexual Autonomy in the Digital Age

We live in a digital age. While increased channels of communication and worldwide access have their benefits, there are also risks and problems associated with a virtual platform that gives instant access to information. This Article centers on “revenge porn,” one problem associated with online communications that has drawn the attention of both the media and the legal community. Revenge porn is the practice of distributing nude or sexually explicit photos or videos of an individual without his or her consent. It is usually posted by a former lover in order to harm, humiliate, or otherwise seek revenge upon the subject of the material after the relationship has ended. This issue implicates principles of sexual autonomy, particularly for women: if we want to encourage sexual freedom, we must protect people from others’ abuse of that freedom. Legal actors are divided on how best to approach the revenge porn problem. Some advocate for civil action in order to compensate victims, while others believe that drafting new criminal laws and punishing offenders is the correct answer. Still others believe that no action is required at all, blaming the victims of revenge porn instead of the distributors. This Article addresses the legal possibilities, weighing their benefits and detractors in order to decide the proper solution for revenge porn in the U.S. It concludes that, while the criminal law is the appropriate forum for revenge porn litigation, new statues are both problematic and unnecessary. Instead of drafting targeted revenge porn legislation, police and prosecutors should pursue offenders utilizing existing laws, such as harassment, extortion, and cyber-stalking.
Triassic to Neogene evolution of the south-central Andean arc determined by detrital zircon U-Pb and Hf analysis of Neuquén Basin strata, central Argentina (34°S–40°S)

The Andes Mountains provide an ideal natural laboratory to analyze the relationship between the tectonic evolution of a subduction margin, basin morphology, and volcanic activity. Magmatic output rates in Cordilleran-style orogenic systems vary through time and are characterized by high-flux magmatic events alternating with periods of low or no activity. The Neuquen Basin (34°S–40°S) of south-central Argentina is in a retroarc position and provides a geological record of sedimentation in variable tectonic settings. Strata ranging in age from Middle Jurassic to Neogene were sampled and analyzed to determine their detrital zircon U-Pb age spectra and Hf isotopic composition. When all detrital zircon data are combined, results indicate that significant pulses in magmatic activity occurred from 190 to 145 Ma, and at 129 Ma, 110 Ma, 67 Ma, 52 Ma, 16 Ma, and 7 Ma. The eHf values were highly evolved when the arc initiated at 190 Ma and transitioned into intermediate and juvenile values between ca. 160 and 150 Ma. There was a large shift toward more juvenile Hf isotopic values at 16 Ma that is consistent with renewed extension in the backarc during the Neogene. Overall geochemical trends in the Neuquen Basin section of the Andean arc are different from those observed in the central (21°S–26°S) and southern Andean arc (41°S–46°S), suggesting a segmented margin with variable tectonic settings and arc processes controlling magmatic output and chemistry along strike.
Renal Cell Carcinoma: Clinical Presentation, Staging, and Prognostic Factors

Renal cell cancer (RCC) accounts for 2–3% of adult malignancies, and the incidence appears to be rising each year. Cigarette smoking, obesity, and hypertension are contributing risk factors, among others. Clear cell RCC is the most common histologic subtype and accounts for approximately 70% of RCC. A small minority (<5%) of RCC cases is considered hereditary. The majority of RCC is initiated by structural alterations in the Von Hippel–Lindau gene. Clinically, only 9% of kidney cancers present with the classic triad of hematuria, flank pain, and fever. About a third of the patients have advanced disease at diagnosis. It has been called one of the “great masqueraders” secondary to its paraneoplastic manifestations: up to 20% of patients present with such. The imaging gold standard for the diagnosis, staging, and surveillance of RCC is the computed tomography scan. Tumor stage and grade are the most important prognostic factors. This chapter highlights the clinical presentation of RCC in both localized and metastatic settings.
The human neutrophilic myelocyte. A correlated phase and electron microscopic study.

The developmental changes in the neutrophilic myelocyte from normal human bone marrow have been analyzed by means of phase contrast and electron microscopy. This developmental stage is characterized principally by the elaboration of secondary (specific) granules. In addition, there is a modest decrease in cell size, a decrease in the number and mean size of primary (azurophil) granules, a decrease in the number of polysomes, free ribosomes and mitochondria, a depletion of rough endoplasmic reticulum, an increase in cytoplasmic glycogen, an increase in chromatin aggregations and a loss of nucleoli, and the formation of a markedly indented nucleus. The myelocyte stage has been subdivided into three arbitrary phases based upon morphological and functional characteristics which relate to the onset, active production and cessation of secondary granulogenesis.
Timing of Deglacial AMOC Variability from a High-resolution Seawater Cadmium Reconstruction

A new, high-resolution record of benthic seawater Cd (Cdw) was generated from a Florida Straits sediment core at 546 m water depth. The record provides additional evidence for Cdw below modern values in this channel during the Younger Dryas and Heinrich Stadial 1 - climatological periods associated with ice sheet melt. Lower Cdw values are interpreted as a weakening of the Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation (AMOC), reflecting a decreased northward transport of southern-sourced higher-nutrient intermediate waters by the surface return flow of AMOC. Comparison of this new Cdw record with previously published neodymium isotope and δ18O records from the same core shows synchronous transitions, further illustrating the connection between Cdw levels and AMOC strength in the Florida Straits. An increase in Cdw near 16 ka bolsters existing evidence for a resumption of upper branch AMOC strength approximately midway through Heinrich Stadial 1.
Cancer Incidence and Multilevel Measures of Residential Economic and Racial Segregation for Cancer Registries.

Background The handful of studies (<30) on cancer and residential segregation have focused on racial segregation, primarily at the city/town level. We tested a priori hypotheses about choice of measure and level by extending use of the Index of Concentration at the Extremes (ICE) to quantify both economic and racial residential segregation, singly and combined, and conducted analyses for the total population and stratified by race/ethnicity. Methods Outcomes comprised Massachusetts incidence rates (2010-2014) for invasive breast, cervical, and lung cancer, analyzed in relation to census tract and city/town ICE measures for income, race/ethnicity, race/ethnicity + income, and the federal poverty line. Multilevel Poisson regression modeled observed counts of incident cases. Results Both choice of metric and level mattered. As illustrated by cervical cancer, in models including both the census tract and city/town levels, the rate ratio for the worst to best quintile for the total population was greatest at the census tract level for the ICE for racialized economic segregation (3.0, 95% confidence interval [CI] = 2.1 to 4.3) and least for the poverty measure (1.9, 95% CI = 1.4 to 2.6), with null associations at the city/town level. In analogous models with both levels for lung cancer, however, for the non-Hispanic black and Hispanic populations, the rate ratios for, respectively, the ICE and poverty measures, were larger (and excluded 1) at the city/town compared with the census tract level. Conclusions Our study suggests that the ICE for racialized economic segregation, at multiple levels, can be used to improve monitoring and analysis of cancer inequities.
Effect of neuromonitor-guided titrated care on brain tissue hypoxia after opioid overdose cardiac arrest.

Abstract Introduction Brain tissue hypoxia may contribute to preventable secondary brain injury after cardiac arrest. We developed a porcine model of opioid overdose cardiac arrest and post-arrest care including invasive, multimodal neurological monitoring of regional brain physiology. We hypothesized brain tissue hypoxia is common with usual post-arrest care and can be prevented by modifying mean arterial pressure (MAP) and arterial oxygen concentration (PaO2). Methods We induced opioid overdose and cardiac arrest in sixteen swine, attempted resuscitation after 9 min of apnea, and randomized resuscitated animals to three alternating 6-h blocks of standard or titrated care. We invasively monitored physiological parameters including brain tissue oxygen (PbtO2). During standard care blocks, we maintained MAP > 65 mmHg and oxygen saturation 94–98%. During titrated care, we targeted PbtO2 > 20 mmHg. Results Overall, 10 animals (63%) achieved ROSC after a median of 12.4 min (range 10.8–21.5 min). PbtO2 was higher during titrated care than standard care blocks (unadjusted β = 0.60, 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.42–0.78, P Conclusions In this model of opioid overdose cardiac arrest, brain tissue hypoxia is common and treatable. Further work will elucidate best strategies and impact of titrated care on functional outcomes.
Prostaglandin (PTG) E and F receptors in the porcine corpus luteum; effect of tumor necrosis factor-α

Abstract The porcine corpus luteum (CL) is NOT sensitive to the luteolytic effects of PGF-2α until days 12–13 of cycle. The control of “luteolytic sensitivity” (LS) of the pig CL to PGF-2α is unknown, but it is temporally associated with macrophage infiltration into the CL. Since macrophages are the predominant source of TNF-α in the porcine CL, in other studies we examined the effects of TNF-α on porcine luteal cells in culture and showed that TNF-α induces LS in vitro. In Experiment 1 of this study possible mechanisms involved in the control of LS were examined, and involved measurement of the protein levels of PTGER2/EP-2, and PTGER3/EP-3 in porcine CL collected before (days 7–10), versus after (day 13), the onset of the LS. In Experiment 2, an examination of potential mechanisms involved in the control of LS by TNF-α, was carried out in which the effects of TNF-α on mRNA and protein expression of EP-2, EP-3 and FP in cultured luteal cells, were examined. The results of Experiment 1 showed that PTGER-3/EP-3 (but not PTGER-2/EP-2) levels decreased in porcine CLs after (day 13) compared to before (day 7–10) LS. In Experiment 2, the data obtained showed that TNF-α decreased PTGER-3/EP-3 and increased PTGFR/FP protein (in EARLY stage CL). In conclusion, these studies suggest a role for PTGER-3/EP-3 in the acquisition of LS, and support the hypothesis that TNF-α from CL macrophages plays a critical role in the control of LS in the porcine CL, by increasing PTGFR/FP, and decreasing PTGER-3/EP-3 protein.
A Risk Ratio Approach to Multivariable Analysis of Survival in Longitudinal Studies of Wildlife Populations

Increasingly, biologists, and biometricians are employing Cox’s proportional hazards model to analyze survival data from radiotelemetric studies of wildlife populations. However, none of the recently published investigations have taken full advantage of the mathematical relationships that underlie the model, or of the simple, but effective interpretation of complex associations that can be derived from them. In this paper we introduce the concept of the risk ratio (RR), a measure of association between death and a putative predictor variable, that has a long history of application in epidemiology. We then derive the proportional hazards model as a multivariable function of hazard ratios from which we compute interval estimates of RR for a variety of independent predictors (dichotomous, polytomous, and continuous). We show that each RR can be interpreted as a measure of the change in the probability of death, associated with a discrete change in the level of a predictor, when all other predictors are held constant. These ideas are extended to allow for the interpretation of confounding and/or the effects of staggered entry of animals into the study. We illustrate this approach by the analysis of a data set from a recent radiotelemetric field study.
Can the Income Tax Be Saved? The Promise and Pitfalls of Unitary Formulary Apportionment

Most developed nations raise a substantial portion of their revenues through the imposition of corporate and individual income taxes. But recent economic developments, and particularly the increasing globalization of capital markets, has made enforcement of national income taxes increasingly difficult. A primary cause of these difficulties lies in countries' failure to devise effective methods of taxing the domestic income of foreign corporations. All too often, such income ends up taxed no where. Not surprisingly and all too successfully, taxpayers strive to arrange their affairs so that their income becomes such no where income. It is hard to see how the corporate, and perhaps even the individual income tax can survive as an effective revenue raising device unless and until countries devise an effective method of taxing the domestic income of foreign corporations. Increasingly, academics and EU bureaucrats have come to believe that the solution to the problem of nontaxation of international income lies in replacing the current arm's length, separate entity based taxing regimes, which rely on transfer prices and source rules to determine the amount of income earned by and taxed in the hands of domestic operating entities, with unitary formulary taxing regimes similar to those used by some states of the United States. This paper examines the prospects for success of formulary taxing regimes by looking at the experiences of the States of the United State, which have operated such regimes, as well as the experience of the United States, in its operation of the subpart F regime. It concludes that many taxpayers will avoid the reach of unitary formulary tax systems by rearranging their business practices, thus reducing the gains expected from the adoption of unitary formulary tax regimes.
A Rare Presentation of Neuromyelitis Optica Spectrum Disorder (NMOSD) with Headache and Abnormal Imaging (P2.344)

Objective: To describe an atypical case of NMOSD presenting with headache and transient abnormalities on MRI of the brain. Background: NMOSD is an inflammatory demyelinating condition affecting the central nervous system that encompasses a range of neurological symptoms. Several MRI abnormalities in the brain have been described but findings involving abnormal hyperintense signal within the sulci of the brain have not been reported before in the English literature. Design/Methods: We report a novel patient presentation with atypical findings ultimately diagnosed with NMOSD according to the IPND 2015 Diagnostic Criteria. A review of the literature was conducted using PubMed. Results: A 29 year old African-American female presented with new onset headache, right eye blurry vision, and episodic clumsiness with posturing of the left hand. Her exam revealed pain with movement of right eye, left facial droop, and brisk deep tendon reflexes. Brain MRI showed FLAIR signal abnormality in the sulci of the right frontal, parietal and temporal lobes. CSF revealed lymphocytic pleocytosis. MRI thoracic spine exhibited a centrally located, longitudinally extensive lesion consistent with myelitis. Ophthalmologic evaluation initially was unremarkable, but she subsequently developed left optic neuritis. Extensive workup ruled out other causes of her neurological deficits and though serum AQP4-IgG was negative, the patient fulfilled diagnostic criteria for NMOSD and was started on immunomodulatory therapy with improvement of her neurological deficits. Conclusions: This a rare presentation of NMOSD with headache and atypical findings in the MRI of brain. This case demonstrates that novel presentations for this disease continue to be reported. We suggest NMOSD be considered earlier in the evaluation of patients presenting with new onset headache and atypical findings on MRI to facilitate early diagnosis and treatment of NMOSD. Disclosure: Dr. Perez Parra has nothing to disclose. Dr. Song has nothing to disclose. Dr. Waseem has nothing to disclose. Dr. Pachner has received personal compensation from Biogen, Novartis, Pfizer Sanofi-Aventis, Genzyme, and EMD-Serono.
Mental health in vietnam and the move to incorporate social work: A mixed methods study of staff perceptions and expectations

ABSTRACTIn 2010, Vietnam established social work as a profession. As part of their strategic plan, the government aims to incorporate social work into existing hospitals and health care facilities in the country, including psychiatric hospitals and mental health care centers. This paper, based upon survey and focus group data from 194 people working in three major mental health facilities in Hanoi, explores direct care staffs’ perceptions of this historic incorporation of social work, with a particular eye to the benefits and challenges of the transition. Results show most staff members thought social workers would provide great support to the many unmet needs of their largely underserved and impoverished patients. They also viewed social workers as a potential resource to the treatment team by reducing work overload. Existing staff, however, were less attuned to the clinical functions of social workers in mental health settings, often equating social work with community development and social movements. ...
The L-arginine transporter, solute carrier 7a2, promotes intestinal tumorigenesis independently of NO production by the inducible NO synthase

4687 The role of the L-arginine/nitric oxide (NO) pathway in intestinal tumorigenesis remains controversial despite numerous studies. The L-arginine transporter solute carrier 7a2 (Slc7a2), also known as the cationic amino acid transporter-2 (CAT-2) supplies L-arginine for NO production by the inducible NO synthase (iNOS) in macrophages and is coordinately up-regulated with iNOS in models of inflammatory disease. We have determined the effects of Slc7a2 and iNOS gene ablation on intestinal tumorigenesis in the Apc (Min/+) model of familial adenomatous polyposis coli. Min/+Slc7a2-/- mice developed significantly fewer intestinal polyps that were smaller in size than wild type controls (Min/+Wt). By contrast, the loss of iNOS resulted in a significant increase in the number and size of Min/+iNOS-/- intestinal polyps. Realtime PCR revealed a 15-20 fold higher level of iNOS expression in normal small intestine of Min/+ mice compared with polyps in the same region and a lack of coordinate regulation between iNOS and Slc7a2. Loss of Slc7a2 reduced iNOS expression to approximately half the normal levels. Expression of iNOS was very low in both normal colon and colon polyps, suggesting that NO production by infiltrating macrophages present in all genotypes, is not a feature of Min/+ intestinal tumorigenesis. Intestinal polyps showed a slight increase in Slc7a2 expression compared with normal tissues. Neither Slc7a2 nor iNOS deficiency impacted COX-2 or arginase I expression, both of which were low in normal intestine and high in intestinal polyps. Our results indicate that Slc7a2 can modulate iNOS expression in intestinal epithelium and suggest that cationic amino acid transport is involved in the promotion of Min/+ tumorigenesis via NO-independent mechanisms. Thus, Slc7a2 and iNOS are not linked in NO production in the intestinal epithelium. The antineoplastic properties of NO production by iNOS in the Min/+ model may be related to its importance in protecting the gut from microbial pathogens, thereby reducing inflammation. These results may help to explain why NO-donating nonsteroidal antiinflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) are more effective than traditional NSAIDS in preventing colorectal cancer.
Mistaken Identities, Discrimination, and Sikh Parents’ Ethnoreligious Socialization Strategies

Using the bioecological framework, this chapter will address the ethnoreligious identity development among Sikh youth, including the decisions to keep or let go the outward identity markers of Sikhism, the learning of core values of Sikhism, and the development of bicultural competence. The chapter will also address the contexts of development such as Sikh parents, grandparents, US schools, discrimination, Sikh community, extended family members in the United States, community religious organization, broader Islamophobic environment, mistaken identities as a result of this environment, and remote cultural socialization through overseas extended family members. The contexts of ethnoreligious identity will be examined by using risk and resilience framework. Demographic variables such as parental education, occupation, and gender of parents and children will also be included in the discussion.
The Woman Citizen: A Study of How News Narratives Adapt to a Changing Social Environment

Abstract This narrative analysis of the suffragist journal the Woman Citizen, published from 1917 to 1927, addresses the challenges social activists face when reframing progressive narratives. This article provides insight into the press as a site for identity; considers how a magazine positions itself to effect social advances; and explores the hurdles for a reform magazine to survive when the landscape changes, as it did for women with the ratification of the Nineteenth Amendment in 1920, and with the end of the first wave of feminism circa 1930. To ascertain if the editorial strategy and content of the journal shifted to absorb the ramifications of suffrage, the study examined each issue published, comprising some 6,300 articles. This study found that, although the journal adapted by fostering more dynamic narratives of women's new place, it continued themes prevalent over the previous forty years, and depended on narrative framings characteristic of the suffragist movement—motherhood, altruism, equali...
Educational goals, assessment preferences and approaches to learning of MBA and MPA students in Singapore

This study seeks to examine the educational goals, learning approach, and assessment preferences among part-time Master of Business Administration (MBA) and Master of Professional Accounting (MPA) students in Singapore. The quantitative study uses a questionnaire that employs a revised two-factor study process questionnaire (R-SPQ-2F) to identify students’ approach to learning, and the adapted Assessment Preference Inventory (API) to examine students’ preferences to different assessment types and tasks. The sample comprises 101 students (55 MBA and 46 MPA students) from various age groups, of which 57 are male students. The results of this study showed that educational goals relating to career advancement/enhancement and improved knowledge and skills were the key motivational factors that lead students to pursue postgraduate studies. When it comes to approaches to learning, students generally reported adopting a deep learning approach. This approach to learning was also evident in the assessment preference where they preferred assessments that required problem solving and application of materials learnt during the course. Among the five assessment types, respondents have a strong preference for individual assignments and showed least preference for exams. However, there was no significant difference in the preference for any of the assessment items/format among gender and age groups. The findings in this study can inform curriculum redesign for both programmes to suit the needs of existing students and also to increase their appeal to prospective students. The respondents’ views on their learning approach and assessment preferences allow instructors and module leaders to rethink the teaching pedagogy and current assessment structure that favour assignments in order to improve students’ learning experience.
Mechanistic Insights into Electroreductive C–C Coupling between CO and Acetaldehyde into Multicarbon Products

Production of valuable multicarbon (C3+) products through the electrochemical CO2 and CO reduction reactions (CO2RR and CORR) is desirable; however, mechanistic understanding that enables C–C coupl...
A Helpful Tool in Diagnosing Stroke Mimics: Arterial Spin Labeled Perfusion Magnetic Resonance Imaging.

Abstract Background Prompt and effective management of acute ischemic stroke in the emergency setting requires a high level of suspicion and accurate diagnosis. Conversely, identifying stroke mimics can be challenging, given the similarity of their clinical symptomatology, the necessary rapid assessment and triage, and the overall frenetic pace inherent in the goal of rapid thrombolysis (“time is brain”). Case Report We describe a case that involves an elderly patient with acute hemiplegia and dysarthria. Given these concerning symptoms, and multiple preexisting cerebrovascular risk factors (including paroxysmal atrial fibrillation), a “stroke alert” was issued. Imaging was negative for infarct and she was ultimately diagnosed with hemiplegic migraine based on her symptoms and impressive findings on a novel magnetic resonance sequence called arterial spin labeled (ASL) perfusion. Why Should an Emergency Physician Be Aware of This? Identifying a nonischemic etiology in a presumed stroke patient, while often difficult, can obviate unnecessary treatment, improve patient care, and promote appropriate resource allocation. As imaging and treatment of cerebrovascular disease advances, the optimization of multidisciplinary care should incorporate neuroradiologists informing and availing their clinical colleagues of applications of an ever-expanding imaging armamentarium. This case is an excellent example of both a common challenging stroke mimic and the potential benefits of ASL perfusion imaging in refining and expediting accurate diagnosis. In addition, it serves as a more general introduction to the particular strengths of this noninvasive, noncontrast magnetic resonance technique, which can be employed to assess varied emergent neuropathology.
Measurement and visualization of strains and cracks in CFRP post-tensioned fiber reinforced concrete beams using distributed fiber optic sensors

Abstract This paper presents a method to measure and visualize strains and cracks in high-performance fiber-reinforced concrete using distributed fiber optic sensors based on optical frequency domain reflectometry. Two beams were prepared using high-performance concrete with two types of fibers and post-tensioned with carbon-fiber-reinforced polymer (CFRP) tendons. The beams were instrumented with distributed sensors which were installed using two methods compatible with realistic construction. The beams were tested under four-point bending until failure. The distributed sensors measured strain distributions over the length of the beams in real time. The strain distributions are analyzed to detect, locate, trace, quantify, and visualize cracks during the processes of their initiation and propagation. The crack widths measured from the distributed sensors as well as a crack microscope are in a good agreement. This study is expected to promote distributed sensing technology for monitoring and control of construction and operation automation in new and existing structures.
Regulation of the Photon Spectrum on Growth and Nutritional Attributes of Baby-Leaf Lettuce at Harvest and during Postharvest Storage.

The photon flux density (PFD) and spectrum regulate the growth, quality attributes, and postharvest physiology of leafy vegetables grown indoors. However, limited information is available on how a photon spectrum enriched with a broad range of different wavebands regulates these factors. To determine this, we grew baby-leaf lettuce ‘Rouxai’ under a PFD of 200 µmol m−2 s−1 provided by warm-white (WW; control) light-emitting diodes (LEDs) supplemented with either 30 µmol m−2 s−1 of ultraviolet-A (+UV30) or 50 µmol m−2 s−1 of blue (+B50), green (+G50), red (+R50), or WW (+WW50) light. We then quantified growth attributes and accumulated secondary metabolites at harvest and during storage in darkness at 5 °C. Additional +G50 light increased shoot fresh and dry weight by 53% and 59% compared to the control. Relative chlorophyll concentration increased under +UV30, +G50, and especially +B50. At harvest, +B50 increased total phenolic content (TPC) by 25% and anthocyanin content (TAC) by 2.0-fold. Additionally, +G50 increased antiradical activity (DPPH) by 29%. After each day of storage, TPC decreased by 2.9 to 7.1% and DPPH by 3.0 to 6.2%, while TAC degradation was less pronounced. Principal component analysis indicated a distinct effect of +G50 on the lettuce at harvest. However, concentrations of metabolites before and during storage were usually greatest under the +B50 and +R50 treatments.
Leveraging Timing Side-Channel Information and Machine Learning for IoT Security

In the recent era, adoption of IoT technology can be seen in nearly every other field. However, with its fast growth rate, the IoT brings several advanced security challenges. To alleviate these problems, we propose an inventive framework that could be introduced into the IoT package to gather side-channel information (execution timing) for inconsistency and attack location. We observed that when there is an attack on the IoT device, the applications running on the device will take more time to execute as the resources such as memory, I/O, CPU will get exhausted. Execution time collected from IoT devices under normal and attack mode will be converted to digital signals, from which features will be extracted and used to build a fingerprint. The support vector machine technique will be adopted to help identify the operating status of the IoT device.
ROMAX: Certifiably Robust Deep Multiagent Reinforcement Learning via Convex Relaxation.

In a multirobot system, a number of cyber-physical attacks (e.g., communication hijack, observation perturbations) can challenge the robustness of agents. This robustness issue worsens in multiagent reinforcement learning because there exists the non-stationarity of the environment caused by simultaneously learning agents whose changing policies affect the transition and reward functions. In this paper, we propose a minimax MARL approach to infer the worst-case policy update of other agents. As the minimax formulation is computationally intractable to solve, we apply the convex relaxation of neural networks to solve the inner minimization problem. Such convex relaxation enables robustness in interacting with peer agents that may have significantly different behaviors and also achieves a certified bound of the original optimization problem. We evaluate our approach on multiple mixed cooperative-competitive tasks and show that our method outperforms the previous state of the art approaches on this topic.
Dynamic Partitioning in Different Distributed-Memory Environments

In this paper we present a detailed analysis of dynamic partitioning in different distributed-memory parallel environments based on experimental and analytical methods. We develop an experimental test-bed for the IBM SP2 and a network of workstations, and we apply a general analytic model of dynamic partitioning. This experimental and analytical framework is then used to explore a number of fundamental performance issues and tradeoffs concerning dynamic partitioning in different distributed-memory computing environments. Our results demonstrate and quantify how the performance benefits of dynamic partitioning are heavily dependent upon several system variables, including workload characteristics, system architecture, and system load.
REMI-induced mutants ofMycosphaerella zeae-maydislacking the polyketide PM-toxin are deficient in pathogenesis to corn

Abstract The polyketide PM-toxin, produced by Mycosphaerella zeae-maydis , is specifically active against corn containing Texas male sterile (T) cytoplasm, as is the fungus itself. To determine if PM-toxin is required for disease development, Tox − mutants were generated using the restriction enzyme-mediated integration (REMI) strategy, which is designed to tag the mutations it creates. As a mutagenic procedure, REMI was highly efficient, yielding five stable PM-toxin-deficient mutants among 504 transformants recovered. All Tox − mutants lost the ability to cause disease on T-cytoplasm corn, establishing a role for PM-toxin in pathogenesis. Examination of genomic DNAs from the Tox − mutants revealed one that carried the transformation vector at multiple insertion sites and two that had no apparent ORFs at single vector insertion sites; three sustained deletions.
Effect of boron deficiency on the growth and carbohydrate metabolism of cotton

A growth chamber study was conducted to characterise cotton plant growth, dry matter accumulation, leaf photosynthesis and non-structural carbohydrate concentration during development of boron (B) deficiency at the early growth stage prior to squaring. When B deficiency symptoms consisting of dark bands on the petioles were first detected from B deficient plants about 3 weeks after B removal, the growth and physiology had already been affected significantly. Boron deficiency during the early growth of cotton increased leaf chlorophyll content, decreased leaf stomatal conductance and net photosynthetic rate, and reduced non-structural carbohydrate export from the leaf to the fruit. Plant growth and dry matter accumulation were also depressed by B deficiency, resulting in increased fruit abscission and a change in dry matter partitioning after squaring. Application of B in deficient areas will ameliorate possible growth problems and improve lint yield.
Export challenges and potential strategies

Purpose – This paper aims to examine the case of Canadian manufacturers involved in the Chinese market. In particular, it seeks to look at the challenges of entering a new export destination, including access to market intelligence. It also aims to analyze recent performance.Design/methodology/approach – A postal survey of Canadian manufacturers that examined the myriad challenges and strategies for manufacturers serves as the basis for this research.Findings – The findings show that, for these manufacturers, face‐to‐face contact is important in the Chinese market. The group of exporters, on average, was not as dependent on the US market. Perhaps most importantly, export success is not limited solely to larger manufacturers.Research limitations/implications – The small sample size and survey structure limited statistical analysis. Firm‐level interviews need to be conducted in order to examine unique export success strategies in this booming market.Practical implications – The findings show that in‐person ...
The Acyl Sulfonamide Antiproliferatives and Other Novel Antitumor Agents

Publisher Summary This chapter discusses antiproliferative agents that are identified through general cytotoxic screening methods such as Lilly's acyl sulfonamide antiproliferative compound (ASAP) and Sunesis' SNS-595. ASAP compounds are observed to stimulate apoptosis. Because the compounds showed cellular activity at the outset, rapid optimization of the ASAP compounds is possible. The compounds are soluble in weakly basic bicarbonate buffer because of the acidity of the amide proton and are found to be highly stable to metabolism in liver microsomes. Thus, the medicinal chemistry efforts could be focused on optimizing potency and understanding the structure–activity relationships of the molecules rather than addressing physicochemical properties, permeability, and metabolic instability. SNS-595 is a 1,8-disubstituted naphthyridine. Data suggests that it causes selective double-strand breaks during deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) synthesis. Many pathways exist to repair such damages; however, SNS-595 affects the DNA damage-sensing kinase (DNAPK) nonhomologous end-joining pathway. Even after the removal of SNS-595, cells could not repair the strand breaks, resulting ultimately in apoptosis. In the pre-clinical setting, toxicities are currently predicted by monitoring for weight loss (or death) in treated animals; however, the development of the Lilly ASAP series illustrates the use of counter-screening for selectivity versus normal fibroblasts.
Aeolian process effects on vegetation communities in an arid grassland ecosystem

Many arid grassland communities are changing from grass dominance to shrub dominance, but the mechanisms involved in this conversion process are not completely understood. Aeolian processes likely contribute to this conversion from grassland to shrubland. The purpose of this research is to provide information regarding how vegetation changes occur in an arid grassland as a result of aeolian sediment transport. The experimental design included three treatment blocks, each with a 25 × 50 m area where all grasses, semi-shrubs, and perennial forbs were hand removed, a 25 × 50 m control area with no manipulation of vegetation cover, and two 10 × 25 m plots immediately downwind of the grass-removal and control areas in the prevailing wind direction, 19° north of east, for measuring vegetation cover. Aeolian sediment flux, soil nutrients, and soil seed bank were monitored on each treatment area and downwind plot. Grass and shrub cover were measured on each grass-removal, control, and downwind plot along continuous line transects as well as on 5 × 10 m subplots within each downwind area over four years following grass removal. On grass-removal areas, sediment flux increased significantly, soil nutrients and seed bank were depleted, and Prosopis glandulosa shrub cover increased compared to controls. Additionally, differential changes for grass and shrub cover were observed for plots downwind of vegetation-removal and control areas. Grass cover on plots downwind of vegetation-removal areas decreased over time (2004–2007) despite above average rainfall throughout the period of observation, while grass cover increased downwind of control areas; P. glandulosa cover increased on plots downwind of vegetation-removal areas, while decreasing on plots downwind of control areas. The relationships between vegetation changes and aeolian sediment flux were significant and were best described by a logarithmic function, with decreases in grass cover and increases in shrub cover occurring with small increases in aeolian sediment flux.
Load Balancing in Structured P2P Networks

In this chapter we start by addressing the importance and necessity of load balancing in structured P2P networks, due to three main reasons. First, structured P2P networks assume uniform peer capacities while peer capacities are heterogeneous in deployed P2P networks. Second, resorting to pseudo-uniformity of the hash function used to generate node IDs and data item keys leads to imbalanced overlay address space and item distribution. Lastly, placement of data items cannot be randomized in some applications (e.g., range searching). We then present an overview of load aggregation and dissemination techniques that are required by many load balancing algorithms. Two techniques are discussed including tree structure-based approach and gossip-based approach. They make different tradeoffs between estimate/aggregate accuracy and failure resilience. To address the issue of load imbalance, three main solutions are described: virtual server-based approach, power of two choices, and address-space and item balancing. While different in their designs, they all aim to improve balance on the address space and data item distribution. As a case study, the chapter discusses a virtual server-based load balancing algorithm that strives to ensure fair load distribution among nodes and minimize load balancing cost in bandwidth. Finally, the chapter concludes with future research and a summary.