cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Bitstream relocation with local clock domains for partially reconfigurable FPGAs

Partial Reconfiguration (PR) of FPGAs presents many opportunities for application design flexibility, enabling tasks to dynamically swap in and out of the FPGA without entire system interruption. However, mapping a task to any available PR region (PRR) requires a unique partial bitstream for each PRR. This replication can introduce significant overheads in terms of bitstream storage and communication requirements. Previous research in partial bitstream relocation can alleviate these overheads by transforming a single partial bitstream to map to any available PRR. However, careful steps are necessary to ensure proper functionality of relocated partial bitstreams and may result in clock routing inefficiencies. These routing inefficiencies can be alleviated by using regional clock resources introduced in the Virtex-4 FPGAs to implement local clock domains. PRRs can internally drive local clock domains, enabling each PRR to vary its clock frequency with respect to a single global clock signal, as opposed to sending multiple global clock signals (one for each desired clock frequency) to each PRR. We introduce this novel local clock domain (LCD) concept, which provides enhanced PR design flexibility. However, integration of LCDs and partial bitstream relocation introduces new challenges. In this paper, we identify motivating application domains for this integration, analyze integration benefits, and provide a detailed integration methodology.
Anomalous subgraph detection via Sparse Principal Component Analysis

Network datasets have become ubiquitous in many fields of study in recent years. In this paper we investigate a problem with applicability to a wide variety of domains — detecting small, anomalous subgraphs in a background graph. We characterize the anomaly in a subgraph via the well-known notion of network modularity, and we show that the optimization problem formulation resulting from our setup is very similar to a recently introduced technique in statistics called Sparse Principal Component Analysis (Sparse PCA), which is an extension of the classical PCA algorithm. The exact version of our problem formulation is a hard combinatorial optimization problem, so we consider a recently introduced semidefinite programming relaxation of the Sparse PCA problem. We show via results on simulated data that the technique is very promising.
Single Cell Gene Expression Profiling: Multiplexed Expression Fluorescence in situ Hybridization: Application to the Analysis of Cultured Cells

Publisher Summary Most current methods of measuring gene expression rely on averaging many cellular responses or artificial amplification steps to reach a detectable threshold of signal. Columns are fashioned by removing the cotton from the top of one of these pipettes and using a portion of it to plug up the tip. To ease data processing and avoid manual manipulations that introduce bias, one requires coding the filtering and data analysis software in the JAVA programming language using the Java development kit and advanced imaging library from Sun Microsystems. Preparation of cell samples involves sterilizing a box of coverslips by boiling in 0.1 N HCl for 20 min. Rinsing and washing the coverslips in DDW several times. One needs to test hybridization before color coding and multiple transcript detection, which is accomplished using two bright dyes to show transcription sites. After this, assign each gene an arbitrary color code using combinations of dyes and test singly.
Activation of the Fibrillar Muscles in the Bumblebee During Warm-Up, Stabilization of Thoracic Temperature and Flight

1. Extracellular action potentials and thoracic temperatures (TTh) were simultaneously recorded from the fibrillar flight muscles of Bombus vosnesenskii queens during preflight warm-up, during stabilization of TTh in stationary bees, and during fixed flight. 2. In most stationary bees during warm-up and during the stabilization of TTh the rate of heat production, as calculated from thoracic temperature and passive rates of cooling, is directly related to the frequency of action potentials in the muscles. 3. The rate of heat production increases throughout warm-up primarily because of a greater spike frequency at higher TTh. 4. In stationary bees during the stabilization of TTh at different ambient temperatures (TA) the fibrillar muscles are activated by any in a continuous range of spike frequencies, rather than only by on-off responses. 5. Regulation of TTh in stationary bees may involve not only changes in the rate of heat production but also variations of heat transfer from the thorax to the abdomen. 6. During fixed flight the fibrillar muscles are usually activated at greater rates at the initiation of flight than later in flight, but the spike frequency and thus heat production are not varied in response to differences in TA and heating and cooling rates. 7. During fixed flight TTh is not regulated at specific set-points; TTh appears to vary passively in accordance with the physical laws of heating and cooling. 8. Differences in the TTh of bees in free and in fixed flight are discussed with regard to mechanisms of thermoregulation.
Towards Integrated Microsystems for Chemical Synthesis

Steps towards the realization of integrated chemical systems are presented with particular emphasis on multiphase reactions, chemical separation, process monitoring, and the integration of these components. Flow visualization techniques for multiphase flows and microfabrication enabled methods for characterizing mass transfer are described. Techniques that exploit surface tension effects are introduced for efficient separation of gas-liquid flows. Microsystems capable of creating and breaking high interfacial area emulsions are proposed for extraction of products. Integration of analytical tools is achieved in terms of on-chip integration of optical spectroscopy as well as in-line use of gas-chromatography and mass spectroscopy to microfluidic devices. Challenges in the integration of microfluidic, reaction, separation, and analytical units into a microchemical system are considered starting from experiences with a multireactor system for testing heterogeneous catalytic reactions.
Use of Noninvasive Ventilation to Facilitate Weaning fromMechanical Ventilation

Noninvasive positive-pressure ventilation (NIV), applied through various mask interfaces, improves outcomes in patients with acute respiratory failure secondary to acute exacerbation of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), acute cardiogenic pulmonary edema, and hypoxemic respiratory failure with pulmonary infiltrates in immunocompromised patients. NIV has also been used to prevent, or treat, respiratory failure in patients undergoing planned extubation from mechanical ventilation [1]. Randomized controlled trials suggest that NIV may not be effective when applied to a heterogeneous group of patients with extubation failure, although a case control study suggests this therapy may be effective for patients with COPD with extubation failure [2, 3]. Similarly, NIV seems not to prevent extubation failure (defined as the need for reintubation) when it is applied nonselectively to all extubated patients [4]. By contrast, NIV improves outcome (decreased reintubation, decreased pneumonia, shorter duration or mechanical ventilation and length of stay, improved survival) when it is used as preventive therapy in cohorts of patients deemed to be at high risk for extubation failure [5, 6]. With the exception of some patients in the Jiang study, NIV was used in these investigations only when a patient had successfully passed a spontaneous breathing trial (SBT), indicating that mechanical ventilatory support was no longer required. These studies raise the question of whether NIV can be used in the patient who is ready to initiate weaning but who is not yet able to tolerate an SBT. In other words, can NIV be used to facilitate weaning?
Coseismic Slip Gradient and Rupture Jumps on Parallel Strike-Slip Faults

Abstract Field observations of slip distribution along large strike‐slip faults and preliminary rupture model simulations reveal a possible correlation between slip gradient near a fault end and the ability of a rupture to jump over a structure stepover in a strike‐slip fault system. We simulate the dynamic rupture process on two parallel strike‐slip faults embedded in an elastic medium to investigate this correlation and compare model‐generated results with field‐measured data. We find that the slip gradients calculated over the final 1 km of a fault have a linear relationship with both the average stress drop on the fault and the largest width of the step that could be jumped by a propagating rupture. Our dynamic coulomb stress analyses show that the average stress drop on the first fault, which is proportional to the slip gradient in the final 1 km, determines the positive coulomb stress region at the end of the first fault, which in turn determines the largest jumpable step width. A larger stress drop results in a larger positive coulomb stress region around the first fault end, which allows the rupture to jump a wider stepover.
Lung tissue engineering

Lung tissue engineering is an emerging field focused on the development of lung replacement devices and tissue to treat patients with end stage lung disease. Microfluidic based lung assist devices have been developed that have biomimetically designed vascular networks that achieve physiologic blood flow. Gas exchange in these devices occurs across a thin respiratory membrane. Designed for intrathoracic implantation as a bridge to transplant or destination therapy, these lung assist devices will allow ambulation and hospital discharge for patients with end stage lung disease. Decellularized lungs subsequently recellularized with epithelial and endothelial cells have been implanted in small animal models with demonstration of initial gas exchange. Further development of these tissues and scaling to large animal models will validate this approach and may be an organ source for lung transplantation. Initial clinical success has been achieved with decellularized tracheal implants using autologous stem cells. Development of microfluidic lung models using similar architecture to the lung assist device technology allows study of lung biology and diseases with manipulation of lung cells and respiratory membrane strain.
Effect of Corn Row Spacing and of Plant Populations on Establishment and Control of the European Corn Borer

In 11 field tests at Ankeny, Iowa, with 1st- and 2nd-generation Ostrinia nubilalis (Hubner), field corn was grown in rows spaced 15, 20, 30, or 40 in. apart, and each spacing was provided with populations of 13,068, 17,242, or 26,136 plants per acre. Granular chemicals (diazinon in 1966 and DDT in 1967 and 1968) were applied with ground machinery at a rate of 1.00 lb active ingredient per acre for control of the corn borer. Neither the establishment nor the control of 1st- or 2nd-generation borers was significantly affected by row spacing or plant population. However, control tended to decrease as rows were grown closer together. Also, the amount of DDT in the leaves and whorls of samples from plants used to test 1st-generation borers did decrease significantly when the rows were closer together, and the same trend was evident in leaves from plots used to test the 2nd-generation borers. These results suggest as more feet or rows per acre of corn are grown, the higher the rate of insecticides necessary for contral of 1st- and 2nd-generation borers.
PharmaTrend as a management tool: Capturing workload data

Several methods of collecting workload data for use in PharmaTrend, a computerized pharmacy management information system, are described. Although the number of indicators produced by PharmaTrend is limited by the input of the user, the integrity of the indicators that are produced is not compromised; this allows the user to implement PharmaTrend on a limited scale, such as for workload only. Workload data that can be used in PharmaTrend are collected routinely by most pharmacies. Many activities are already recorded in logs and other noncomputerized sources. The aid of members of the pharmacy department and other departments may be enlisted in collecting these data. Self-reporting through time sheets and cards can also be used to obtain data on the distribution of work hours. Recording is simplified if employees are told to record only exceptions to their usual job responsibilities. The PharmaTrend manual contains detailed definitions of the workload categories, but simpler and more practical definitions may have to be used. A computer spreadsheet program should probably be used for compiling data if they are collected from several sources; this will facilitate entry into PharmaTrend. Simple methods are available for capturing workload data for input into the PharmaTrend program.
Fibrinogen mediates leukocyte-endothelium bridging in vivo at low shear forces

In addition to preserving hemostasis, fibrinogen assembly on leukocytes mediates inflammatory responses and may aberrantly contribute to vascular injury. In this study, we used real-time intravital video microscopy in exposed rabbit mesentery to investigate the potential role of fibrinogen on leukocyte adherence mechanisms, in vivo. At physiologic concentrations of 0.15 to 0.5 mg/mL, human fibrinogen dose-dependently enhanced by threefold to fivefold the adhesion of chemoattractant-stimulated monocytic HL-60 cells to rabbit mesenteric endothelium, by acting as a bridging molecule between the two types. Fibrinogen-dependent intercellular bridging occurred in venules, but not in arterioles or capillaries (1), was optimal at reduced flow shear forces (range: 0.77 to 2.79 dyne/cm2) (2), and produced a firm attachment of monocytic cells to endothelium, rather than transient rolling (3). Consistent with this model, rabbit fibrinogen failed to support human leukocyte adhesion, while human fibrinogen enhanced monocytic cell attachment to rabbit endothelial cells in vitro, in a reaction indistinguishable from that observed with human endothelium. Antagonists of the recently described association of fibrinogen with intercellular adhesion molecule-1 (ICAM-1), including monoclonal antibodies (MoAbs) LB-2 or 2D5, or the fibrinogen gamma 3 peptide gamma Asn117-Ala133, blocked fibrinogen-dependent leukocyte-endothelium interaction in vitro or in vivo, respectively, while a control nonbinding antibody or the fibrinogen L10 peptide gamma Leu402-Val411 were ineffective. These data suggest that simultaneous assembly of fibrinogen on leukocytes and endothelial ICAM-1 provides a pathway of intercellular adhesion which may act in concert with beta 2 integrins to stabilize firm leukocyte attachment to endothelium, in vivo. Given the recognized role of fibrinogen as a major risk factor for atherosclerosis, this mechanism may directly contribute to thrombus formation and endothelial cell damage in vascular diseases.
TH-AB-BRB-01: Trajectory Modulated Arc Therapy: Application to Partial Breast Irradiation

Current state-of-the art digital C-arm medical linear accelerators are capable of delivering radiation treatments with high level of automation, which affords coordinated motions of gantry, couch, and multileaf collimator (MLC) with dose rate modulations. The new machine capacity has shown the potential to bring substantially improved radiation dosimetry and/or delivery efficiency to many challenging diseases. Combining an integrated beam orientation optimization algorithm with automated machine navigation, markedly improved dose conformity has been achieved using 4ρ therapy. Trajectory modulated radiation therapy (TMAT) can be used to deliver highly conformal dose to partial breast or to carve complex dose distribution for therapy involving extended volumes such as total marrow and total lymph node treatment. Dynamic electron arc radiotherapy (DEAR) not only overcomes the deficiencies of conventional electron therapy in dose conformity and homogeneity but also achieves so without patient-specific shields. The combination of MLC and couch tracking provides improved motion management of thoracic and abdominal tumors. A substantial body of work has been done in these technological advances for clinical translation. The proposed symposium will provide a timely review of these exciting opportunities. Learning Objectives: 1.Recognize the potential of using digitally controlled linacs for clinically significant improvements in delivered dose distributions for various treatment sites. 2.Identify existing approaches to treatment planning, optimization and delivery for treatment techniques utilizing the advanced functions of digital linacs and venues for further development and improvement. 3.Understand methods for testing and validating delivery system performance. 4.Identify tools available on current delivery systems for implementation and control for such treatments. 5.Obtain the update in clinical applications, trials and regulatory approval. K. Sheng, NIH U19AI067769, NIH R43CA183390, NIH R01CA188300, Varian Medical Systems V. Yu, Varian Medical Systems, AAPM Summer Undergraduate Fellowship, NSF graduate fellowship S. Nill, Elekta AB. Cancer Research UK under Programme C33589/A19727, NIHR Biomedical Research Centre at The Royal Marsden and The Institute of Cancer Research.
Education as Event: A Conversation with John D. Caputo

This interview with John D. Caputo conducted by T. Wilson Dickinson discusses the implications of the event for the philosophy of education. It addresses various aporias the event poses for academic standards, protocols of writing, teaching as formation or transformation, the post-secular, the new technologies, the old versus the new asceticism in the face of the environmental crisis.
The Mobile Phone Affinity Scale: Enhancement and Refinement

Background: Existing instruments that assess individuals’ relationships with mobile phones tend to focus on negative constructs such as addiction or dependence, and appear to assume that high mobile phone use reflects pathology. Mobile phones can be beneficial for health behavior change, disease management, work productivity, and social connections, so there is a need for an instrument that provides a more balanced assessment of the various aspects of individuals’ relationships with mobile phones. Objective: The purpose of this research was to develop, revise, and validate the Mobile Phone Affinity Scale, a multi-scale instrument designed to assess key factors associated with mobile phone use. Methods: Participants (N=1058, mean age 33) were recruited from Amazon Mechanical Turk between March and April of 2016 to complete a survey that assessed participants’ mobile phone attitudes and use, anxious and depressive symptoms, and resilience. Results: Confirmatory factor analysis supported a 6-factor model. The final measure consisted of 24 items, with 4 items on each of 6 factors: Connectedness, Productivity, Empowerment, Anxious Attachment, Addiction, and Continuous Use. The subscales demonstrated strong internal consistency (Cronbach alpha range=0.76-0.88, mean 0.83), and high item factor loadings (range=0.57-0.87, mean 0.75). Tests for validity further demonstrated support for the individual subscales. Conclusions: Mobile phone affinity may have an important impact in the development and effectiveness of mobile health interventions, and continued research is needed to assess its predictive ability in health behavior change interventions delivered via mobile phones. [JMIR Mhealth Uhealth 2016;4(4):e134]
Contrast use in relation to the arterial access site for percutaneous coronary intervention: A comprehensive meta-analysis of randomized trials.

Contrast use in relation to the arterial access site for percutaneous coronary intervention: A comprehensive meta-analysis of randomized trials
A simple model for the evolution of melt pond coverage on permeable Arctic sea ice

Abstract. As the melt season progresses, sea ice in the Arctic often becomes permeable enough to allow for nearly complete drainage of meltwater that has collected on the ice surface. Melt ponds that remain after drainage are hydraulically connected to the ocean and correspond to regions of sea ice whose surface is below sea level. We present a simple model for the evolution of melt pond coverage on such permeable sea ice floes in which we allow for spatially varying ice melt rates and assume the whole floe is in hydrostatic balance. The model is represented by two simple ordinary differential equations, where the rate of change of pond coverage depends on the pond coverage. All the physical parameters of the system are summarized by four strengths that control the relative importance of the terms in the equations. The model both fits observations and allows us to understand the behavior of melt ponds in a way that is often not possible with more complex models. Examples of insights we can gain from the model are that (1) the pond growth rate is more sensitive to changes in bare sea ice albedo than changes in pond albedo, (2) ponds grow slower on smoother ice, and (3) ponds respond strongest to freeboard sinking on first-year ice and sidewall melting on multiyear ice. We also show that under a global warming scenario, pond coverage would increase, decreasing the overall ice albedo and leading to ice thinning that is likely comparable to thinning due to direct forcing. Since melt pond coverage is one of the key parameters controlling the albedo of sea ice, understanding the mechanisms that control the distribution of pond coverage will help improve large-scale model parameterizations and sea ice forecasts in a warming climate.
β-Resorcylic Acid, a Phytophenolic Compound, Reduces Campylobacter jejuni in Postharvest Poultry

Human Campylobacter infections, a leading foodborne illness globally, has been linked with the high prevalence of this bacterium on raw retail chicken products. Reduction of Campylobacter counts on poultry products would greatly reduce the risk of subsequent infections in humans. To this end, this study investigated the potential of the phytophenolic compound β-resorcylic acid (BR) to reduce Campylobacter counts on postharvest poultry (chicken skin or meat). Four trials in total, two each on thigh skin or breast meat, were conducted in which chicken skin or meat samples (2 ± 0.1 g; 10 samples per treatment) were inoculated with 50 μL (∼106 CFU per sample) of a cocktail of four wild strains of C. jejuni. After 30 min of attachment, inoculated samples were dipped in a 0, 0.5, 1, or 2% BR solution for 30 s immediately followed by vigorously vortexing the samples in Butterfield's phosphate diluent and plating the supernatant for Campylobacter enumeration. In addition, the effect of BR on the color of skin and meat samples was studied. Moreover, the change in the expression of survival and virulence genes of C. jejuni exposed to BR was evaluated. Data were analyzed by the PROC MIXED procedure of SAS (P 0.05). Real-time PCR results revealed that BR treatment down-regulated expression of select genes coding for motility (motA, motB) and attachment (cadF, ciaB) in the majority of C. jejuni strains. Stress response genes (sodB, katA) were upregulated in C. jejuni S-8 (P < 0.05). Overall, our results suggest that BR could be effectively used as antimicrobial dip treatment during poultry processing for reducing Campylobacter on chicken carcasses.
Teams in transition: An integrative review and synthesis of research on team task transitions and propositions for future research☆

Abstract Scholars have long sought to understand the factors that influence team functioning and effectiveness. However, we know relatively little about the performance ramifications of transitions between tasks, especially when the transitions are punctuated and brief and the tasks are highly varied. To address this gap in our understanding, we review and integrate several streams of research in the literature on small groups and teams that have implications to team task transitions. From our synthesis, we offer a broad framework and propositions regarding the nature and effects of team task transitions. We conclude with a brief discussion of implications to research and practice.
Aspiration as a Function of Age, Sex, Liquid Type, Bolus Volume, and Bolus Delivery Across the Healthy Adult Life Span:

Objectives:The purpose of this investigation was to examine, via flexible endoscopic evaluation of swallowing (FEES), factors that affect penetration and aspiration during swallowing across the adu...
The Transcriptional Program of Regeneration in the Giant Single Cell, Stentor coeruleus

The giant ciliate Stentor coeruleus is a classical model system for studying regeneration and morphogenesis at the level of a single cell. Stentor are polarized cells with a complex subcellular architecture. The anterior of the cell is marked by a complex polarized array of cilia, known as the oral apparatus. This feeding organelle can be induced to shed and regenerate in a series of reproducible morphological steps, previously shown to require transcription. We used RNAseq to assay the dynamic changes in the Stentor transcriptome during regeneration with high temporal resolution, allowing us to identify five distinct waves of gene expression. We show that the oral apparatus is a model for organelle regeneration, as well as for centriole assembly and ciliogenesis, as many conserved genes involved in these processes are induced. Additionally, we find genes involved in signaling, cell cycle regulation, transcription, and RNA binding to be expressed at distinct stages of organelle regeneration, suggesting that the morphological steps of regeneration are driven by a complex regulatory system.
Demographics of Gay and Lesbian Partnerships and Families

The field of sociology has long suffered from a lack of focus on issues of sexuality. With this history, it is perhaps to be expected that the field of demography would not yet have placed the demography of sexuality into its mainstream. While sexual orientation has been introduced into the field of demography, it was primarily through its connections to sexual behavior (rather than identity or desire) and, in turn, reproduction. It is noteworthy that so little demographic work has been done in the broad area of sexuality, given its tie to fertility outcomes. More recent research exploring demographics of sexuality shows that sexuality affects demographic outcomes well beyond specific studies estimating the odds of contracting sexually transmitted infections. Sexuality results in differential outcomes on a number of issues that are fundamental to population study, including migration, fertility, morbidity, and other areas. We believe it is important, therefore, for demographers to consider the effects of sexuality on demographic factors, as well as how sexuality intersects with other demographic characteristics – such as gender – to shape outcomes. This chapter explores the role of one aspect of sexuality, sexual orientation, on family demography outcomes. In particular, we examine demographics of partnered relationships and marriages, as well as demographics surrounding parenthood of LGBT-identified individuals and provide a foundation for integrating studies of gender and sexuality when considering family outcomes.
Economic Growth: Theory

Growth theory offers two explanations for growth. One stresses the supply of productive ideas and says, roughly, that the growth of living standards depends on the growth of science. The other explanation invokes incentives: growth could begin only when hard work and business enterprise were free of interference. The first branch of theory is well developed; it is the second that now challenges the growth economist to explain not just growth, but the evolution of the policies and institutions that shape our incentives.
US Geographical Variation in Rates of Shoulder and Knee Arthroscopy and Association With Orthopedist Density

Importance Although rates of arthroscopy have substantially increased, recent data question its comparative effectiveness. Objectives To assess time trends and geographical variations among several US states in arthroscopy rates and to assess the association of orthopedist density with arthroscopy rates. Design, Setting, and Participants In this cross-sectional study, procedure rates were calculated for knee arthroscopy, shoulder arthroscopy, and arthroscopic rotator cuff repair using data from the State Ambulatory Surgery and Services Databases for 2006 to 2016 (as available) for the states of California, Colorado, Florida, Iowa, Kentucky, Maryland, Maine, Michigan, Minnesota, North Carolina, Nebraska, New Jersey, Nevada, New York, Oregon, Utah, Vermont, and Wisconsin. Data were analyzed from June 2017 to October 2019. Main Outcomes and Measures Rates of knee arthroscopy, shoulder arthroscopy, and arthroscopic rotator cuff repair. Results The combined data sets included 4 856 385 records with 2 530 840 female patients (47%); mean (SD) patient age was 49.13 (16.34) years. Rates per 100 000 persons showed large geographical variations for knee arthroscopy (from 63.31 [95% CI, 5.92-198.95] to 721.72 [95% CI, 633.41-806.20]), shoulder arthroscopy (from 53.02 [95% CI, 2.80-164.36] to 438.25 [95% CI, 399.00-476.78]), and arthroscopic rotator cuff repair (from 11.94 [95% CI, 1.30-56.98] to 185.35 [95% CI, 143.84-226.20]) across US states and years. There were significant downward time trends in knee arthroscopy rates in California, Florida, Iowa, Maryland, Michigan, Nebraska, and New Jersey and upward trends for arthroscopic rotator cuff repair in Colorado, Florida, Kentucky, Maine, and North Carolina. Orthopedist density was not associated with knee arthroscopy rates (slope = 3.07; 95% CI, −9.88 to 16.03;P = .54), shoulder arthroscopy rates (slope = 2.74; 95% CI, −6.53 to 12.01;P = .47), or rates of arthroscopic rotator cuff repair (slope = 1.15; 95% CI, −2.77 to 5.05;P = .49). Conclusions and Relevance There is large geographical variation in arthroscopy rates despite the questionable comparative effectiveness of these procedures. The reasons for increasing rates of rotator cuff surgery should be further examined.
Multimodal Recruitment for an Internet-Based Pilot Study of Ovulation and Menstruation (OM) Health

Abstract Background Multimodal recruitment strategies are a novel way to increase diversity of research populations. However, these methods have not been previously applied to understanding the prevalence of menstrual disorders such as polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS). Methods We conducted the Ovulation and Menstruation Health (OM) Pilot Study using an online survey platform to recruit 200 women from a clinical population, a community fair, and the Internet. Results We recruited 438 women over 29 weeks between September 2017 and March 2018. After consent and eligibility determination, 345 enrolled, 278 started, and 247 completed the survey. Survey initiation and (completion) by recruitment location were 43 (28) from the clinic, 61(60) from a community fair, and 174 (159) from the internet. Among all participants, the mean (SD) age was 27 (6) years, body mass index was 26 kg/m2 (7), 79.7% had a college degree or higher, and 14.6% reported a physician diagnosis of PCOS. Race/ethnic distribution was 64.7% White, 11.8% Black, 7.7% Hispanic; and 5.9% Asian; 9.9% reported more than one race/ethnicity. The highest enrollment of Black race/ethnicity was in clinic (40.5%) compared to 1.6% in the community fair, and 8.3% using the internet. Survey completion rates were highest among those recruited from the internet (91.4%) and community fairs (98.4%), compared to in-clinic (65.1%). Conclusion Multimodal recruitment achieved target recruitment in a short time period, and established a racially diverse cohort to study ovulation and menstruation health. There was greater enrollment and completion rates among those recruited via the internet and community-fair. Key Message The Ovulation and Menstruation Health Pilot Study: Designed to determine the population prevalence of PCOS using a survey instrument and pictorial tool to ascertain menstrual cycle characteristics and androgen excess, and serve as a platform for a future longitudinal cohort study. Enrolled participants from diverse backgrounds using an online adaptable platform for multimodal recruitment. Mode of recruitment was associated with race/ethnic diversity and completion of survey.
The Speaker of the House and Presidential Succession: An Argument and Addendum

Is Nancy Pelosi, as Speaker of the House of Representatives, properly and constitutionally second in line for the presidency? The question has urgent new relevance in light of President Donald Trump’s recent infection with the coronavirus and the related spread of infections in the top levels of his administration. If a double vacancy occurred due to the death or incapacity of both Trump and Vice-President Mike Pence, who would be next in line? The Presidential Succession Act, passed by Congress 73 years ago, says that Speaker Pelosi would take over as Acting President. But an essay by Professor Jack Goldsmith of Harvard Law School (co-authored with Ben Miller-Gootnick) claims there is “a powerful (though not airtight) argument” that placing top congressional leaders like Pelosi in the line of succession violates the Constitution. Goldsmith, like many others, relies heavily on a 1995 law review article by Professors Akhil Reed Amar and Vikram David Amar. This paper responds to the Goldsmith and Amar articles. It contends that the argument touted by Goldsmith and the Amars is not only “not airtight,” it is not even persuasive. It is stunningly weak. Any challenge to Pelosi in the event of a double-vacancy crisis would be a dangerous and reckless usurpation. The paper argues, in particular (in the addendum expanding on the Jurist essay), that careful readings of the Article VI Oath and Religious Test Clauses, and of Section 3 of the 14th Amendment, powerfully support this interpretation of the Constitution and boomerang devastatingly against the argument set forth in the 1995 Amar article. The paper also notes intriguing evidence (addendum, pp. 6-8) that impeachment may have been originally understood to be available for members of Congress.
Do Audit Firms Care about Media Coverage? An Investigation of Audit Firm Response to News Coverage

We examine how auditors respond to news coverage of their firm and evaluate the extent to which national news outlets function as a watchdog over audit firms. We find that when media coverage includes issues specific to audit conduct (i.e., restatements, adverse internal control opinions, or fraud), audit firms respond by increasing audit attention (increased fees, reporting delay, and late filings). We find this effect is amplified among clients with issues similar to those discussed in the media. Additionally, audit firms respond to high levels of audit related news at peer firms, suggesting firms try to preemptively manage their reputation even when not under direct media scrutiny. Finally, we find no evidence that firms increase attention following non-negative audit related news coverage. Collectively, our evidence suggests that the news media functions as an effective informal oversight mechanism of audit firms by driving increased auditor attention and improved audit quality.
Are Pilot Experiments Random? Social Connections and Policy Expansion in China

This paper provides new evidence of how political regimes and social connections determine participation in pilot experiments. Using data from China’s national pilot experiments of New Rural Pension Scheme (NRPS), we show that county-level charac- teristics and political regime have explanation power in the early stage of county pilot decision. Local party secretaries connected to Central Committee (CC) members, a po- litical body that comprises the top leaders of the Communist Party, are discouraged to enroll. In contrast, counties that are send-down movement destinations of CC members during Cultural Revolution (1966-1976) are more likely to enroll. We also find counties with lower cost, higher benefits, and more government revenue are more likely to enroll. Local government leaders may face trade-off between economic performance and social welfare, and connected officials have more incentives to allocate resources in economic growth rather than social welfare. These findings are characterized by a theoretical model that describes how connections change local leaders’ allocation of government resources under a multitask problem
Barriers to the Use of Clinical Decision Support for the Evaluation of Pulmonary Embolism: Qualitative Interview Study.

Background Clinicians often disregard potentially beneficial clinical decision support (CDS). Objective In this study, we sought to explore the psychological and behavioral barriers to the use of a CDS tool. Methods We conducted a qualitative study involving emergency medicine physicians and physician assistants. A semistructured interview guide was created based on the Capability, Opportunity, and Motivation-Behavior model. Interviews focused on the barriers to the use of a CDS tool built based on Wells' criteria for pulmonary embolism to assist clinicians in establishing pretest probability of pulmonary embolism before imaging. Results Interviews were conducted with 12 clinicians. Six barriers were identified, including (1) Bayesian reasoning, (2) fear of missing a pulmonary embolism, (3) time pressure or cognitive load, (4) gestalt includes Wells' criteria, (5) missed risk factors, and (6) social pressure. Conclusions Clinicians highlighted several important psychological and behavioral barriers to CDS use. Addressing these barriers will be paramount in developing CDS that can meet its potential to transform clinical care.
Cultivating Whiteness: How White Supremacy Continues to Matter in Qualitative Research:

This paper posits the concept of cultivating whiteness as not only a characteristic of neoliberal society, but also as a potential problem in qualitative research. Building off of the neoliberal co...
Michigan Study of Pile Driving Hammers

Performance characteristics of pile driving hammers were investigated in the Michigan tests, 1961 to 1964. Comparisons were made of light and heavy models of three representative diesels and a standard steam or air hammer. Energy transmitted to the pile (ENTHRU) was measured in terms of force, acceleration, and displacement on 88 electronically instrumented H-Beam and pipe piles. Tests were made at three sites selected to represent the range of Michigan soil conditions that were evaluated quantitatively by standard borings and laboratory tests. Following comprehensive statistical analyses of results, comparative performance was formulated in terms of number of blows required to drive typical piles selected intervals of depth and the speed with which this penetration ocurred under comparable driving conditions. In general, the results indicate that hammers should be selected for specific driving conditions under which they perform best.
Neuronal plasticity in normal aging and deficient plasticity in Alzheimer's disease: a proposed intercellular signal cascade.

Publisher Summary This chapter examines the evidence for the hypothesis of neuronal plasticity in the normally aging brain and its decrease in Alzheimer's disease (AD) and suggests a cascade of intercellular signals, which may lead to plastic responses of surviving neurons to the death of their neighbors in normally aging brain and which may be affected by AD. The chapter focuses on dendrites as markers of neuronal plasticity, and also considers GAP-43 as a marker of plasticity of the axonal compartment of the neuropil. GAP-43 is associated with plastic responses to injury of the nervous system. Recent data from laboratory indicate that GAP-43 message is reduced in frontal association cortex with increasing age. When AD cases are selected from equivalent age ranges, the level of GAP-43 message in this region of AD brain is not appreciably altered from normal. Whether this reduced GAP-43 in normal aging is entirely attributable to age-related neuron loss remains to be determined.
Trigonelline Concentration in Field-Grown Soybean in Response to Irrigation

Trigonelline (TRG) is a conjugate of nicotinic acid, and is postulated to function as a compatible solute in response to salinity- and water deficit-stresses. TRG concentrations and several agronomic characteristics were measured under irrigated field and non-irrigated field conditions within 18 soybean (Glycine max) genotypes using leaves taken from different growth stages (vegetative, flowering and pod development). Under irrigation, relative water content (RWC) ranged from 90.0 to 99.6 %. Under non-irrigation, RWC ranged from 86.3 to 97.5 %. TRG concentration ranged from 364 to 555 μg g−1(d.m.) under irrigation, and from 404 to 570 μg g−1(d.m.) under non-irrigation. TRG concentrations increased in the majority of genotypes (15 of 18) under non-irrigation even though RWC did not significantly differ in many genotypes between treatments. TRG decreased as plants progressed to pod development and seed filling. Mean seed yield under non-irrigated conditions declined 55 % relative to the irrigated controls. TRG concentrations among all genotypes were significantly correlated with seed yield.
Modeling the trends in valence-band electron tunneling in NMOSFETs with ultrathin SiO 2 and SiO 2 /Ta 2 O 5 dielectrics with oxide scaling

Abstract Gate oxide scaling in NMOSFETs causes electrons to tunnel from the conduction and valence bands of the silicon substrate in the direct-tunneling regime. In NMOSFETs, the tunneling of electrons from the substrate's valence band is a source of the substrate current I B and contributes to the gate current I G . Oxide thickness scaling leads to an increase in the substrate current I B and in the ratio I B I G of substrate to gate current. In this paper, we report the trends in the I B I G ratio due to oxide thickness scaling in ultrathin SiO 2 and SiO 2 Ta 2 O 5 composite gate dielectrics.
A Hybrid Evolutionary Learining System for Synthesizing Neural Network Pattern Recognition Systems

An approach is introduced for developing neural network pattern recognition systems using a hybrid evolutionary learning system for pattern recognition (HELPR) concept. A genetic algorithm is used to assemble detectors and pattern recognition systems while traditional weight training methods are used to determine weights. The results show that this novel approach develops simpler neural topologies than cascade correlation and can do so using very simple training metrics.
3D Medical Image Segmentation by Multiple-Surface Active Volume Models

In this paper, we propose Multiple-Surface Active Volume Models (MSAVM) to extract 3D objects from volumetric medical images. Being able to incorporate spatial constraints among multiple objects, MSAVM is more robust and accurate than the original Active Volume Models [1]. The main novelty in MSAVM is that it has two surface-distance based functions to adaptively adjust the weights of contribution from the image-based region information and from spatial constraints among multiple interacting surfaces. These two functions help MSAVM not only overcome local minima but also avoid leakage. Because of the implicit representation of AVM, the spatial information can be calculated based on the model's signed distance transform map with very low extra computational cost. The MSAVM thus has the efficiency of the original 3D AVM but produces more accurate results. 3D segmentation results, validation and comparison are presented for experiments on volumetric medical images.
Bovine apolipoproteins C: I. Isolation and spectroscopic investigations of the phospholipid binding properties

Seven low-molecular weight proteins of the C class of apolipoproteins have been isolated from bovine serum high density lipoprotein. Amino acid analysis has shown five of these to be equivalent to the apolipoproteins previously described (Lim, C.T. and Scanu, A.M. (1976) Artery 2, 483-496). A spectroscopic examination of these proteins in the presence of increasing amounts of L-alpha-dimyristoyl phosphatidylcholine single-bilayer vesicles indicates that all bovine apolipoproteins C exhibit changes in secondary and tertiary structure as shown by intrinsic fluorescence intensity, wavelength, and polarization changes, and increases in alpha-helical content as seen by circular dichroism. Evidence is presented to show that bovine apolipoproteins C, like all human apolipoproteins of the A and C classes, can cause phospholipid multilamellar liposomes to disrupt and/or rearrange into a smaller complex which scatters less light. This paper details the screening of the bovine apolipoproteins for their phospholipid binding properties, whereas the following paper will examine the nature of their complexes with phospholipid in more detail. Together, these papers represent the first investigation of protein-lipid interactions involving any nonhuman apolipoproteins C.
$sup 56$Fe(p,n$gamma$)$sup 56$Co COINCIDENCE EXPERIMENTS AT SEVERAL BEAM ENERGIES.

Levels of ${\mathrm{Co}}^{56}$ up to 2.6 MeV of excitation have been studied by ${\mathrm{Fe}}^{56}(p,n\ensuremath{\gamma})$ coincidence experiments. $\ensuremath{\gamma}$ rays were detected with a 40-${\mathrm{cm}}^{3}$ coaxial Ge(Li) detector. Neutrons were detected with a ${1000\ensuremath{-}\mathrm{c}\mathrm{m}}^{3}$ liquid scintillation counter. Pulse-shape discrimination was used to distinguish neutrons from the $\ensuremath{\gamma}$-ray contamination in the neutron detector. Energy and time-of-flight information was stored for each coincident event on magnetic tape with 1024\ifmmode\times\else\texttimes\fi{}256-channel resolution. Gated one-dimensional $\ensuremath{\gamma}$ spectra were also taken with 4096-channel resolution in order to obtain accurate energies (\ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{}0.5 keV). Proton beam energies of 7.7, 8.1, 8.5, 9.5, and 10 MeV were used to determine the approximate threshold for the appearance of the individual $\ensuremath{\gamma}$ rays. 21 ${\mathrm{Co}}^{56}$ $\ensuremath{\gamma}$ rays were identified. The decay scheme constructed is consistent with the known information on this nucleus and supports a number of spin assignments recently suggested by Schneider and Daehnick. The experimental procedure is discussed in some detail.
Optimally designed retail rates to incentivize demand response

Perhaps one of the most transformative aspects of smart grid realization is the inclusion of the demand side as an active participant in maintaining desired grid conditions. For decades, the demand side has been treated as passive and the traditional design of electricity markets, retail rates and distribution networks has reflected that view. The increasing penetration of smart grid devices, such as smart meters and smart appliances, provides an opportunity to maximize the value of an active demand side, in particular, the value of demand response (DR). In this paper, we explore optimally structured retail rates based on market conditions and local network conditions as a means of enabling consumer choice and incentivizing DR. We argue that the most effective means of encouraging an active demand side is to provide consumers with appropriate economic signals and sufficient choices.