cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Applications of Immunogenomics to Cancer

Cancer immunogenomics originally was framed by research supporting the hypothesis that cancer mutations generated novel peptides seen as "non-self" by the immune system. The search for these "neoantigens" has been facilitated by the combination of new sequencing technologies, specialized computational analyses, and HLA binding predictions that evaluate somatic alterations in a cancer genome and interpret their ability to produce an immune-stimulatory peptide. The resulting information can characterize a tumor's neoantigen load, its cadre of infiltrating immune cell types, the T or B cell receptor repertoire, and direct the design of a personalized therapeutic.
Qweak: A precision measurement of the proton’s weak charge

The Qweak experiment at Jefferson Lab will measure the parity-violating asymmetry in e-p elastic scattering at very low Q 2 using a longitudinally polarized electron beam and a liquid hydrogen target. The experiment will provide the first measure of the weak charge of the proton, Qw, to an accuracy of 4%. Qw is simply related to the weak mixing angle θ w, providing a precision test of the Standard Model. Since the value of sin2 θ w is approximately 1/4, the weak charge of the proton Q W P = 1 − 4 sin2 θ w is suppressed in the Standard Model, making it especially sensitive to the value of the mixing angle and also to possible new physics. The experiment employs an 85% polarized, 180 µA, 1.2 GeV electron beam, a 35 cm liquid hydrogen target; and a toroidal magnet to focus electrons scattered at 8° ± 2°, corresponding to Q 2 ∼ 0.03 (GeV/c)2. With these kinematics the systematic uncertainties from hadronic processes are strongly suppressed. To obtain the necessary statistics this 2200 hours experiment must run at an event rate of over 6 GHz. This requires current (integrating) mode detection of the scattered electrons, which will be achieved using synthetic quartz Cherenkov detectors. A tracking system will be used in a low-rate counting mode to determine the average Q 2 and the dilution factor of background events. The theoretical context of the experiment and the status of its design are discussed.
Java Programming: From The Ground Up

Java Programming, From The Ground Up, with its flexible organization, teaches Java in a way that is refreshing, fun, interesting and still has all the appropriate programming pieces for students to learn. The motivation behind this writing is to bring a logical, readable, entertaining approach to keep your students involved. Each chapter has a Bigger Picture section at the end of the chapter to provide a variety of interesting related topics in computer science. The writing style is conversational and not overly technical so it addresses programming concepts appropriately. Because of the flexibile organization of the text, it can be used for a one or two semester introductory Java programming class, as well as using Java as a second language. The text contains a large variety of carefully designed exercises that are more effective than the competition. Table of contents Part I: The Fundamental Tools1. An Introduction to Computers and Java2. Expressions and Data Types3. Variables and Assignment4. Selection and Decision: if Statements 5. Repetition 6. Methods 7. Arrays and Lists: One Name for Many Data 8. Recursion Part II: Principles of Object Oriented Programming9. Objects and Classes I: Encapsulation, Strings, and Things10. Objects and Classes II: Writing Your Own Classes11. Designing With Classes and Objects12. Inheritance13. PolymorphismPart III: More Java Classes14. More Java Classes: The Wrapper Classes and Exceptions15. Stream I/O and Random Access Files 16. Data Structures and Generics17. The Java Collections FrameworkPart IV: Basic Graphics, GUIs, and Java’s Event-Driven Model18. Graphics: AWT and Swing19. Event Driven Programming20. A Case Study: Video Poker RevisitedAppendix A: Java KeywordsAppendix B: The ASCII Character SetAppendix C: Operator PrecedenceAppendix D: JavadocAppendix E: Package
Choir spacing vs choir formation: Long-term average spectra comparisons

Choral methods books have long advised that repositioning choir singers solely according to voice part sung (i.e., choir formation) alters choral sound quality. To date, acoustical studies of choir formation have found no significant mean differences in long-term average spectra (LTAS) attributable to this strategy. Other investigations have indicated that changing the spatial distance between choir singers (i.e., choir spacing) yields significant LTAS differences. As yet, however, no study has compared the LTAS of choir spacing and choir formation conditions using the same choir. This paper reports experiments comparing LTAS of performances acquired from two microphone positions (conductor position, audience position) by three choirs of varied voicing (TTBB, SSAA, and SATB) singing in contrasting inter-singer spacing conditions (close, lateral, circumambient, and uneven) and voice-part formations (block sectional, mixed). Although recording venues and sung literature varied, each of the three choirs exhibited a pattern of significant mean timbral differences according to singer spacing conditions, but not according to formation conditions. Results were discussed in terms of the logics informing the spacing and formation approaches to modifying choir sound and implications for choral practice.
A rule-based tool for science traceability of Mars exploration mission architectures

One approach used by NASA when evaluating a science mission architecture is to develop a Science Traceability Matrix (STM), which presents a flow-down of mission objectives into science objectives, measurement objectives, and measurement and instrument requirements. Recently, the science traceability and alignment framework (STAF) was proposed as an improvement over the STM. One limitation of both approaches used for traceability purposes is that they must be manually completed by experts and thus cannot be used to compare many alternatives as done in trade space exploration. This can be addressed to some extent using formal modeling languages such as SysML and model-based systems engineering (MBSE) tools, which can automatically construct tables showing traceability between requirements. However, despite the presence of parametric diagrams, it is still challenging to quantify how changes in the system architecture affect requirement satisfaction. Here, the authors present a knowledge-based tool that can address both needs: given a system architecture, it can generate traceability hierarchies similar to the ones in STM and STAF while also providing a quantitative assessment of requirement satisfaction. This executable STM is implemented as a rule-based system that uses a database of measurement requirements for a given mission. Upon execution, the tool provides not only a score but also a rationale for full or degraded satisfaction of the mission requirements. As an example, the three Mars mission architectures proposed in the Decadal Survey were evaluated. Traceability to the objectives established by the Decadal Survey along with the science value achieved by each concept and the rationale for why the missions cannot satisfy certain measurements were generated.
Central Nervous System Assessment in Nonhuman Primates: Behavioral Assessment, Neurological (Electroencephalography, Nerve Conduction), Abuse Liability, and Cognitive Assessment

This chapter focuses on assessment of primate central nervous system functioning. Both behavioral and electrophysiological events can be captured in primates with diverse approaches. Primates are ideal candidates for preclinical assessment because they are genetically most similar to humans and have highly specialized and integrated behavioral capabilities. Both electrophysiological recording of electroencephalography and nerve conduction translate directly into human clinical techniques that are used in the clinic for assessment and tracking of neurotoxicity effects.
On the Emerging Coexistence of Edge, Fog and Cloud Computing paradigms in Real-Time Internets-of-EveryThings which operate in the Big-Squared Data space

This report motivates the roles of Cloud computing, Edge computing, and the hierarchically distributed cooperative Fog computing, for the real-time analysis of big-data in Internets-of-Everything (IoEs). IoEs are enhanced Internets of Things (IoTs) which integrate people, process, data and heterogeneous “Things”: compute, storage, and sensor/actuator hardware. The ubiquitousness of IoE devices, the ever-increasing amount of big data in IoEs, and the need for real-time computing in IoEs have motivated the problem of distributed data storage and analysis. With trillions (big-data scale) of IoE devices on the verge of being deployed in tomorrow's ever-connected and autonomous society, and with the expected big-data generated by each such IoE device (typically image data of the order of tens and hundreds of gigabytes per day), we are rapidly approaching Big-Squared data dimensions. The power consumption of traditional cloud data centers are already about 70% of all power generated, and it will increase exponentially if Cloud computing is the only solution for tomorrow's IoEs. Moreover, the big-squared data from merging IoEs will create network and compute level bottlenecks that will be impractical from a realtime standpoint, especially in case of rapid mobility in IoEs. Hence, the need for distributed hierarchical Fog computing and associated data management. We survey key features of emerging IoEs, the existing big-data computing and storage frameworks, and point out their capabilities and deficiencies. Finally, we discuss the design and implementation of our Fog computing architecture.
Evaluation of peer teaching and deliberate practice to teach veterinary surgery.

OBJECTIVE To assess the impact of peer teaching and deliberate practice on surgical skills acquisition and retention in first- and second-year veterinary students. STUDY DESIGN Randomized, prospective, comparative study. SAMPLE POPULATION Eighteen first-year and 25 second-year students from 1 college of veterinary medicine who had previously demonstrated proficiency in basic surgical skills. METHODS Forty-three participants were divided into 3 groups: the test group (group A, n = 15), who participated in a structured peer-assisted learning program using deliberate practice; the time-practice control group (group B, n = 15), who participated in an unstructured peer-supported environment; and the assessment-only control group (group C, n = 13), who participated in the assessments. Participants performed a subcutaneous mass removal on a cadaver model and were assessed via a global rating system. Three assessment points were evaluated: pretraining, immediate posttraining, and retention. RESULTS The number of participants who achieved acceptable or excellent grand total scores in group A increased after training. Among all participants, 22% in group A, 35% in group B, and 38% in group C did not achieve an acceptable total score at the retention assessment. CONCLUSION The study population improved in skill level and retention through the use of standardized video and peer instruction with attention to effective learning strategies, particularly deliberate practice. CLINICAL SIGNIFICANCE Use and enhancement of the format introduced in this study could augment veterinary surgical education.
A CubeSat Train for Radar Sounding and Imaging of Antarctic Ice Sheet

In spite of more than 50 years of airborne radar soundings of Antarctic ice by the international community, there are still large gaps in ice thickness data. We propose a CubeSat satellite mission for complete sounding and imaging of Antarctica with 50 CubeSats integrated with a VHF radar system to sound the ice and image the ice-bed. One of the major challenges in orbital sounding of ice is off-vertical surface clutter that masks weak ice-bed echoes. We must obtain fine resolution both in the along track and cross track directions to reduce surface clutter. We can obtain fine resolution in the along track direction by synthesizing a large aperture by taking advantage of the forward motion of a satellite. However, we need a large antenna-array to obtain fine resolution in the cross track direction. We propose a train of 50 CubeSats with optimized offset position to obtain a 500-m long aperture and also coherently combine data from multiple passes of the train to obtain a very large aperture of 1–2 km in the cross track direction. Our initial analysis shows that we can obtain measurements with horizontal resolution of about 200 m and vertical resolution of about 20 m. The CubeSat will carry a transmitter and receiver with peak transmit power of about 50 W. We will synchronize all transmitters and receivers with a Ka-band system that serves as a communication link between the earth and Cubesats to downlink data and as command and control for the CubeSats.
Identifying DSRC Channel Loss Factors of Urban Intersections Using RSS Datasets

Channel modeling is critical for evaluating various protocols designed for different network layers, as credibility of the corresponding evaluation largely depends on the accuracy of the propagation models. Dynamic vehicular network topology and propagation environment define the communication channel behavior. In this paper, we study the received signal strength (RSS) based channel characterization dataset collected from an urban intersection scenario for Dedicated Short Range Communication (DSRC) in the 5.9 GHz band. We conducted a large-scale RSS measurement campaign in one of the densest traffic environments in the US. The channel characterization data was collected using ten DSRC-enabled vehicles in an Orange County, CA intersection environment. Using the dataset, we study and identify the key aspects of the network topology and physical environment that collectively describe the channel behavior and determine realistic wireless propagation channel models for urban intersections. In particular, we show that the path losses are harsh between vehicles on perpendicular roads. Our results may prove to be instrumental in evaluating vehicleto- vehicle (V2V) safety applications.
Monoamine transporters: structure, intrinsic dynamics and allosteric regulation.

Monoamine transporters (MATs) regulate neurotransmission via the reuptake of dopamine, serotonin and norepinephrine from extra-neuronal regions and thus maintain neurotransmitter homeostasis. As targets of a wide range of compounds, including antidepressants, substances of abuse and drugs for neuropsychiatric and neurodegenerative disorders, their mechanism of action and their modulation by small molecules have long been of broad interest. Recent advances in the structural characterization of dopamine and serotonin transporters have opened the way for structure-based modeling and simulations, which, together with experimental data, now provide mechanistic understanding of their transport function and interactions. Here we review recent progress in the elucidation of the structural dynamics of MATs and their conformational landscape and transitions, as well as allosteric regulation mechanisms. Monoamine transporters (MATs) regulate neurotransmission via the reuptake of dopamine, serotonin and norepinephrine from the extra-neuronal space. This Review discusses recent advances in elucidating the structural dynamics and allosteric regulation of MATs.
1803 Post Morcellation Endometriosis: Is it Real?

Study Objective To describe the clinical characteristics of patients diagnosed with endometriosis following laparoscopic supracervical hysterectomy (LSH) with uncontained power morcellation. Design A systematic retrospective chart review was performed. The clinical presentation and histopathology were reviewed in each case for the incident and subsequent procedures. The menstrual phase at the time of LSH was determined from the pathology reports. Descriptive statistics were performed for the cohort. Setting N/A. Patients or Participants Patients who underwent LSH with uncontained power morcellation at Kaiser Permanente Southern California Medical Centers between 2006-2013. From a total of 47,010 hysterectomies, 5154 were LSH with uncontained power morcellation. We focused on the 261 LSH patients who then underwent a subsequent surgery. Interventions N/A. Measurements and Main Results The mean age and BMI of patients undergoing second surgery were 43.2 yrs. ± 0.8 and 29.4±0.7 respectively. Of the 261 patients who underwent subsequent surgery, a pathological diagnosis of endometriosis was confirmed in 58 patients: this was a new diagnosis in 93% (54/58). Patients with endometriosis were more likely to present with new onset pelvic pain and a mass (p Conclusion Morcellation seems to contribute to the development of endometriosis in some patients through an unknown mechanism. While uncontained power morcellation is no longer a common clinical scenario, it may still be necessary to consider that manual morcellation has potentially adverse consequences. Further study of the sequelae of non-power morcellation is warranted.
Using the frequency-difference autoproduct to passively range remote sources in the deep ocean

Signal processing techniques utilizing the nonlinear frequency-difference acoustic-field autoproduct have been applied in recent years to successfully localize remote sources in the shallow ocean [Worthmann et al., JASA 138, 3549–3562 (2015)] and in the deep ocean [Geroski and Dowling, JASA (to appear)] by switching the signal processing to below the signal band frequencies. The successful source localization results obtained here indicates the robustness of frequency differencing techniques to the problem of mismatch between measured and computed acoustic fields that plagues source localization algorithms based on correlating computed and measured field. The promising deep ocean results were obtained by analyzing PhilSea10 experimental acoustic recordings from a water-column spanning vertical array with 149 receivers and an approximate length of 5 km. Given that such an extensive receiving array is unlikely to be routinely available, an investigation was conducted to determine how reduced array aperture and transducer count influence source ranging results from frequency-differencing techniques for 100-Hz bandwidth signals having center frequencies from 170 and 260 Hz, and source to array ranges between 100 and 500 km. Ranging results from this study are presented for both simulated and measured in-band signals, and are calculated using single-digit Hz difference frequencies. [Sponsored by ONR.]
Spectral variational multiscale model for transient dynamics of phononic crystals and acoustic metamaterials

Abstract In this manuscript, a spectral multiscale model is developed for transient elastic wave propagation in periodic composites. The basis of the multiscale approach is the variational multiscale enrichment method that permits analysis of wave propagation in the scale-inseparable condition, i.e., short wave propagation. A spectral coarse-scale representation is proposed to capture the salient transient wave phenomena, such as wave dispersion and band gaps that occur in the short wavelength regime. A material-phase-based model basis reduction strategy is devised at the fine scale to achieve computational efficiency. An important feature of the proposed method is that it does not rely on the classical assumption of separation of scales, which permits its application to a broad range of architectured composites including phononic crystals and acoustic metamaterials. Transient elastic wave propagation in two-dimensional periodic structures is investigated. The proposed multiscale approach is verified against direct numerical simulations. The accuracy and computational efficiency of the approach are demonstrated for both phononic crystals and acoustic metamaterials.
A text message intervention for quitting cigarette smoking among young adults experiencing homelessness: study protocol for a pilot randomized controlled trial.

Cigarette smoking is much more prevalent among young people experiencing homelessness than in the general population of adolescents and young adults. Although many young homeless smokers are motivated to quit, there are no empirically-evaluated smoking cessation programs for this population. It is important that any such program address the factors known to be associated with quitting-related outcomes among homeless young people, to provide ongoing support in a way that accommodates the mobility of this population, and does not rely on scarce service provider resources for its delivery. The objective of this project is to develop and pilot test a text messaging-based intervention (TMI), as an adjunct to brief cessation counseling and provision of nicotine patches, to help homeless young people who want to quit smoking. This pilot study will utilize a cluster cross-over randomized controlled design with up to 80 current smokers who desire to quit and are recruited from three drop-in centers serving young people experiencing homelessness in the Los Angeles area. All participants will be provided with a minimum standard of care: a 30-min group-based smoking cessation counseling session and free nicotine replacement. Half of these smokers will then also receive the TMI, as an adjunct to this standard care, which will provide 6 weeks of ongoing support for quitting. This support includes continued and more intensive education regarding nicotine dependence, quitting smoking, and relapse; does not require additional agency resources; can be available “on demand” to users; and includes features to personalize the quitting experience. This study will investigate whether receiving the TMI adjunct to standard smoking cessation care results in greater reductions in cigarette smoking compared to standard care alone over a 3-month period. This study has the potential to address an important gap in the clinical research literature on cigarette smoking cessation and provide empirical support for using a TMI to provide ongoing assistance and support for quitting among young smokers experiencing homelessness. Trial registration ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier NCT03874585. Registered March 14, 2019, https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/record/NCT03874585.
How Large is Too Large for the Rule of Law? Testimony Before the U.S. Senate Judiciary Committee, Hearing to Consider Proposals to Split the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals

Proposals to split the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit have been around since the 1950s. A serious proposal was made to split both the 5th and the 9th back in the 1970s; the 5th was in fact split (into the current 5th and the 11th), but the 9th Circuit remains as it was, by far the largest circuit court in the country, responsible for more than 40% of the nation's territorty and 1 in every 5 members of its population. The Circuit currently has 28 active judges authorized and nearly 50 actually sitting (including senior circuit judges). This testimony before the U.S. Senate Judiciary Committee contends that true collegiality - the kind that leads individual members of a court to seek correct decisions under the rule of law through the collaboration that comes with sitting together frequently on panels - is virtually impossible. Empirical studies, such as an important one by Judge Richard Posner, support this conclusion: The Ninth Circuit is summarily and/or unanimously reversed six times more frequently than the next most-reversed circuit. In other words, the Circuit has grown too large and must be split in order to protect the rule of law.
Multibit Tries Packet Classification with Deep Reinforcement Learning

High performance packet classification is a key component to support scalable network applications like firewalls, intrusion detection, and differentiated services. With ever increasing in the line-rate in core networks, it becomes a great challenge to design a scalable and high performance packet classification solution using hand-tuned heuristics approaches. In this paper, we present a scalable learning-based packet classification engine and its performance evaluation. By exploiting the sparsity of ruleset, our algorithm uses a few effective bits (EBs) to extract a large number of candidate rules with just a few of memory access. These effective bits are learned with deep reinforcement learning and they are used to create a bitmap to filter out the majority of rules which do not need to be full-matched to improve the online system performance. Moreover, our EBs learning-based selection method is independent of the ruleset, which can be applied to varying rulesets. Our multibit tries classification engine outperforms lookup time both in worst and average case by 55% and reduce memory footprint, compared to traditional decision tree without EBs.
CPU and memory efficient coherent mode decomposition for the partially coherent x-ray simulations

The method of the Coherent Mode Decomposition (CMD) is applied to numerical wave propagation calculations for partially-coherent X-rays, using the Fourier optics and compatible methods. Its CPU and memory efficiency is discussed in various cases of the wavefront at the source and the beam waist. With the absence of the quadratic phase terms, the required sampling density of the electric fields is effectively reduced. The problem size is thus moderate and the method is feasible to be implemented on a single-node CPU server. In other cases, the same argument holds with proper treatments of the quadratic phase terms. Tests on CMD and the modes propagation are done for the case of the Coherent Hard X-ray beamline of the National Synchrotron Light Source II, using the Synchrotron Radiation Workshop software. We observe a few hundred or less dominant decomposed modes that resemble the electric fields converge to the wavefront intensity at a high accuracy of over 99%.
Tachycardie préopératoire prononcée, inexpliquée, prodrome ďévénements cardiaques sérieux : une série de trois cas

Objectif Une tachycardie preoperatoire prononcee et inexpliquee peut etre tout un defi pour ľanesthesiologiste. La relation entre la tachycardie peroperatoire persistante et la morbidite perioperatoire est incontestable, mais les donnees sont incompletes pour expliquer la tachycardie preoperatoire. Ľobjectif principal de la serie de cas est de stimuler la recherche et la discussion sur le sujet de sorte que des lignes directrices soient elaborees pour guider la conduite a tenir.
European Tempus TATU Project as the Basis for the IT/OT Maritime Engineers Education and Retraining

In maritime field Industry 4.0, IIoT, Shipping 4.0, and other concepts are being implemented actively. Digital transformation, creation of unmanned, autonomous, remote-controlled ships, is planned and partly successfully realized in UCSD, OES, MUNIN, AAWA, SVAN, MASS, DIMEC, and DIVC projects. Computer systems and PLCs are used for technical realization of mentioned tasks. So, it’s necessary to study programming of automated PLCs-based technical systems and their interaction. In 2013–2017 NU“OMA” participated in European Tempus TATU project. Obtained equipment allows to study Profibus, PROFINET, EtherCAT, wireless data transfer technologies, CODESYS, and PC Worx IDEs for PLCs-based automation systems development. Also at present time, it’s necessary to study industrial cyber security aspects much deeper. So, the main goal is integration of studying of interaction of IDEs software for automation systems development, different types of hardware, network technologies, transferring data analysis, cyber security aspects, corresponding approaches, devices, and software tools.
Impact of the cystic neural tube defects on fetal motor function in prenatal myelomeningocele repairs: a retrospective cohort study

OBJECTIVE To determine the impact of the lesion type (cystic [myelomeningocele] or flat [myeloschisis]) on the fetal motor function (MF) in cases candidates for prenatal open neural tube defect (ONTD) repair. METHODS Retrospective cohort study of patients with ONTD who underwent prenatal repair at a single institution between 2011 and 2019. The lesion type and the measurements of the length and width of the lesions to calculate the surface of the ellipsoid lesion were performed using MR scans. Prenatal MF of the lower extremities was evaluated by ultrasound following a metameric distribution at the time of referral. Intact MF was defined as the observation of plantar flexion of the ankle. Logistic regression was performed to determine the predictive value of the type of lesion for having an intact MF at the time of referral. RESULTS 103 patients were included at 22.9 (19-25.4) weeks; 65% had cystic and 35% had flat lesions. At the time of referral, there was a higher proportion of cases with an intact MF in the presence of flat lesions (34/36; 94.4%) as compared to cystic lesion (48/67; 71.6%, p < 0.01). When adjusting for gestational age and anatomical level of the lesion, flat ONTD were 3.1 times more likely to be associated by intact motor function (CI%95 [2.1-4.6], p < 0.01) at the time of referral. CONCLUSION Cystic ONTD are more likely to be associated with impaired MF at mid-gestation in candidates for prenatal ONTD repair.
Commercial Fishing as an Occupational Determinant of Opioid Overdoses and Deaths of Despair in Two Massachusetts Fishing Ports, 2000-2014.

The opioid epidemic has had disproportionate effects across various sectors of the population, differentially impacting various occupations. Commercial fishing has among the highest rates of occupa...
Overcoming Obstructions via Bandwidth-Limited Multi-Agent Spatial Handshaking

In this paper, we address bandwidth-limited and obstruction-prone collaborative perception, specifically in the context of multi-agent semantic segmentation. This setting presents several key challenges, including processing and exchanging unregistered robotic swarm imagery. To be successful, solutions must effectively leverage multiple non-static and intermittently-overlapping RGB perspectives, while heeding bandwidth constraints and overcoming unwanted foreground obstructions. As such, we propose an end-to-end learn-able Multi-Agent Spatial Handshaking network (MASH) to process, compress, and propagate visual information across a robotic swarm. Our distributed communication module operates directly (and exclusively) on raw image data, without additional input requirements such as pose, depth, or warping data. We demonstrate superior performance of our model compared against several baselines in a photo-realistic multi-robot AirSim environment, especially in the presence of image occlusions. Our method achieves an absolute 11% IoU improvement over strong baselines.
School-age adopted children's early responses to remote schooling during COVID-19

Abstract Objective This mixed-methods exploratory study sought to address the experiences of 89 adoptive parents (heterosexual, lesbian, and gay) in the United States with school-age children in relation to the transition to remote schooling and their children's mental health during the early part of the COVID-19 pandemic. Background The transition to remote schooling and associated confinement during the COVID-19 pandemic presents challenges for families, particularly when children are struggling with mental health and learning challenges. Methods Data were collected via an online survey between May and June 2020. Before the pandemic, almost half of the children received special education services. Results Findings revealed that although a minority of children were doing well with remote schooling, the majority were struggling due to lack of motivation and an inability to work independently. Some parents voiced challenges with teacher communication and inconsistencies across classes and were overwhelmed by the demands of their new role as proctor/teacher. Some were dissatisfied with how children's school services had been implemented and noted difficulties with the online format of various services (e.g., therapy was less engaging). Regarding children's mental health, half of parents said it had stayed the same, one third said it had worsened, and the remainder said it had improved. The mental health of children adopted via foster care seemed to have benefited from the additional time spent at home. Yet most children were described as struggling in part due to social isolation and loss of routine, which manifested in a variety of ways, including anxiety, schoolwork avoidance, and boundary testing. Most parents tried to show patience, tolerance, and reassurance, but more than one third reported stress and frustration associated with not knowing how to best support their children. Conclusion The transition to remote schooling during COVID-19 may be especially challenging for adoptive families and other families whose children have higher levels of need. Implications Findings have implications for parents, teachers, school social workers and psychologists, and other professionals who work with children and families.
Heiße Quelle im Keller

Im Fruhling 2017 war ich in Island, um einen Dokumentarfilm uber Mikroben zu drehen. Wahrend der Dreharbeiten standen wir immer wieder neben sprudelnden, heisen, schweflig riechenden Geysiren, auf die ich zeigen sollte, wahrend ich vor der Kamera uber die Ursprunge des Lebens sprach. Einmal wurde ich sogar bei einem solchen Geysir vergessen, und mir blieb nichts anderes ubrig, als zu warten, bis man mich wieder abholte.
The Independent State Legislature Doctrine

The U.S. Constitution grants authority to both regulate congressional elections and determine the manner in which a state chooses its presidential electors specifically to the legislature of each state, rather than to the state as an entity. The independent state legislature doctrine teaches that, because a legislature derives its power over federal elections directly from the Constitution in this manner, that authority differs in certain important respects from the legislature’s general police powers that it exercises under the state constitution. Although the doctrine was applied on several occasions in the nineteenth century, it largely fell into desuetude in the years that followed. During the 2020 presidential election cycle, however, several Justices issued opinions demonstrating an interest in recognizing and enforcing the doctrine. This Article contends that the doctrine is best understood as a general principle that gives rise to a range of different potential corollaries, each of which is supported by somewhat differing lines of precedent, reasoning, historical practice, and prudential considerations. Each of these potential implications of the doctrine may be assessed separately from the others; the doctrine need not be accepted or repudiated wholesale. The fact that a court or commentator may accept or reject certain applications of the doctrine does not mean that other aspects, or the doctrine as a whole, must be similarly embraced or jettisoned. This Article unpacks the independent state legislature doctrine, exploring and offering a normative perspective on each of its possible corollaries.
Exploring Barriers to Code Status Discussions

It is imperative that Advanced Practice Registered Nurses (APRNs) have the skill set necessary to initiate code status discussions with people. The literature supports that healthcare providers tend to avoid the topic, for reasons that include feeling uncomfortable, not having enough time, and not wanting to take away hope. How do we break down these barriers to ensure that healthcare providers feel comfortable and prepared to have code status discussions? The purpose of this project was to explore perceived barriers encountered by the Advanced Practice Registered Nurse (APRN) student population. A survey was developed that included sections on comfort level with code status discussion, beliefs about DNR, barriers encountered in code status discussions, and two open ended questions. Findings revealed that participants overall were comfortable with having code status discussions, but were unfamiliar with the MOLST tool, a relatively new measure being used to facilitate code status discussions. Most participants believed that patients should always be informed about code status and should be asked if they would like to be a DNR. Numerous barriers were cited, the most common being unrealistic expectations and feeling uncomfortable addressing the issue of code status. More education, time and support, were cited as what would enable participants to have better conversations. Starting these discussions in the primary care office and then ensuring that this information is passed on could potentially improve outcomes. Advocating for policy changes at the institutional, state, and national levels is needed. Quality, patient-centered code status discussions are imperative in ensuring the patients are allowed to have good deaths. Table of
Optimization of Chemical Inhibition Conditions for NMD Studies in p53-Positive Cancer Cell Lines (LB234)

We report on the treatment of p53-positive cancer cell lines with chemical inhibitors of transcription, translation and PI-3 kinase-like kinases (PIKKs). Our goal was to determine optimal concentrations of, and exposure times for, chemical inhibitor treatments. These experiments were prerequisite for our studies of the role nonsense-mediated mRNA decay (NMD) plays in p53 expression. Cultured p53-positive cancer cells were treated with varied concentrations of cycloheximide, caffeine, wortmannin, or actinomycin D to determine optimal concentrations. Cells were also treated with constant inhibitor concentrations in time-course experiments to determine optimal duration of exposure. Treated cell samples were divided equally for protein and total RNA isolation. Protein samples were subjected to SDS-PAGE and western analyses for p53 and beta-actin. RNA samples were used to synthesize cDNA, which was subjected to TaqMan quantitative RT-PCR (qRT-PCR) analysis for p53 and beta-actin. Western and qRT-PCR data are c...
Politics and Religion, Community and Modernity: David Underdown in the Historiography of English Puritanism

This essay argues for “political puritanism” as a unifying theme in Underdown's work, indebted to the ideas of Christopher Hill and Michael Walzer, among others, but original in its role in Underdown's narrative of England's political culture and political transformation during the Revolution of 1648/1649. This evolving idea of “political puritanism” also makes sense of Underdown's studies of “popular politics” following Pride's Purge (1971) and makes it possible to analyze a consistent interest in problems of political ideology, from his early work on royalism to his Ford Lectures on “national politics.” A concluding section briefly considers the implications of some important recent work for Underdown's historiographic achievement.
Calcifying epithelial odontogenic tumor (Pindborg tumor). Report of two cases.

Abstract The calcifying epithelial odontogenic tumor is a rare lesion which occurs chiefly in middle-aged Caucasians, with a slight predilection for men, and is found more commonly in the mandible than in the maxilla. Of the two cases reported here, one followed the usual pattern with respect to sex, age group, and location. The other, however, occurred in the maxilla of a teen-aged Negro girl.
The Movement of Small Particulate Matter in the Early Solar System and the Formation of Satellites

Satellites are a common feature in the solar system, and all planets on which satellite orbits would be stable possess them. (For Mercury the solar perturbation is too large, and the retrograde spin of Venus would cause satellites to spiral in to the planet through tidal friction.) An explanation of the formation of satellites must hence be one which makes the phenomenon exceedingly probable at some stage in the solar system formation processes, and very improbable processes like a capture cannot be the answer in most cases.
Rapid slice excitation without B 0 gradients using large array coils

In a large transmit planar pair phased array with the same power level in each channel, it is shown that controlling the phase shift between neighboring channels can yield different transmit slice thickness. Similarly, variation of the power level can move the slice less or further into the subject for imaging. The technique may be of particular interest as it allows curved slice excitation. These excitation patterns are achieved without complicated RF pulse sequences, i.e., without the use of multi-dimensional RF pulses. Simple simulations based on Biot-Savart law are used to predict the effect of the phase offset and power level variation. Planar and cylindrical formed planar pair coil arrays are both simulated and later built and tested using an MR scanner. The array is flexible and formed around the surface of objects under study, and the excitation is near the surface. Simulation results are compared with actual MRI images with good agreement. This technique is potentially useful for slice excitation in very rapid or ultra-short echo sequences.
La opción de-colonial: desprendimiento y apertura. Un manifiesto y un caso

L a opcion descolonial, en politica y epistemologia, fue la consecuencia immediata de la invasion imperial/colonial, primero en Anahuac y Tawantinsuyu y, a partir de mediados del siglo XVIII, en los distintos espacios del mundo Islamico (e.g, la India Hindu-Musulmana, por obra de los ingleses; el norte de Africa por obra de los Franceses). El Africa sub-Sahariana fue colonizada tambien en el siglo XIX, pero fue saqueada por la captura y trata de esclavos para las minas y plantaciones en America, desde el siglo XVI. Las comunidades Africanas en America no fueron colonizadas como las comunidades Indigenas; fueron propiamente esclavizadas. Muchos indigenas y africanos en America no quisieron ser gobernados ni por la corona ni por los duenos de las plantaciones. La disidencia se manifesto en distintos lugares de distintas maneras, algunas anti-imperiales/coloniales, otras de-coloniales. Waman Puma de Ayala, en los Andes, y Ottobah Cugoano, esclavizado y llevado al Caribe, luego liberto en Londres, escribieron sendos tratados politicos descoloniales, que fueron reconocidos como tales por la teoria y el pensamiento politico Eurocentrado (Aristoteles, Platon, Saint Thomas Aquina, Machiavelo, Hobbes, Locke, Rousseau, Montesquieu, etc.). Ambos ilustran la importancia de la geopolitica del conocimiento para proyectos futuros que no sigan atados y dependientes de los decires y teorias basadas en las experiencias de la historia Europea misma. Es decir, no en la historia del mundo escrita por europeos, las cuales responden a la sensibilida y experiencia Europea y no a la sensibilidad y experiencias de todo el mundo
Solid complexes of lithium perchlorate with cross‐linked polymers of α‐methacryloyl‐ω‐methoxypoly(oxyethylene)s. Conductivities and morphology

Conductivite ionique de ces complexes en fonction de la teneur en sel du degre de reticulation et de la presence d'unites styreniques comme comonomere
Business games handbook

The article reviews the book “Business Games Handbook,” by Robert G. Graham and Clifford F. Gray.
Performance of a 340 GHz radar transceiver array for standoff security imaging

JPL has developed an eight-element radar transceiver array operating at 340 GHz with a 9% bandwidth. The array elements were fabricated using an unconventional stack of micromachined silicon wafers to house the transceiver's submillimeter-wave diode frequency multipliers and mixers. Here we report on the performance assessment of the array elements and present radar images that showcase its potential for enabling video-rate standoff security screening.
PROTEIN COMPOSITION OF AXONS and MYELIN FROM RAT and HUMAN PERIPHERAL NERVES

— Proteins of rat and human peripheral nerves were studied in whole nerve homogenates and in purified myelin and axonal preparations of peripheral nerve. Both myelin and axonal fractions were obtained from desheathed and minced nerve segments by flotation and sedimentation, respectively, in 0.85 m-sucrose following hypotonic treatment. The purity of myelin and axonal preparations was confirmed by electron microscopic examination of pelleted material. Nerve proteins were analyzed by sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis at pH 8.3 and 7.4. Major protein bands of fresh whole nerve homogenates corresponded to polypeptide bands of either the purified myelin or axon preparations. The most prominent electrophoretic band in peripheral nerve was identified as a myelin glycoprotein with molecular weight of 27,000. The major polypeptides of axon preparations had molecular weights of 200,000, 150,000, 69,000, 55,000 and 27,000. The latter two proteins were believed to represent tubulin and residual major myelin protein, respectively. The three largest axonal polypeptides were believed to be derived from neurofilaments, which represented the predominant organelle of the purified axons. Collagen was also seen in whole nerve homogenates and in purified axons but could be distinguished by its metachromatic staining with Coomassie blue.
Synthesis and in vivo antitumor efficacy of PEGylated poly(l-lysine) dendrimer-camptothecin conjugates.

Polymer conjugates of camptothecin (CPT) have been pursued as a solution to the difficulties present in treating cancers with CPT and its derivatives. Covalent attachment of CPT to a polymer can improve solubility, increase blood circulation time, enhance tumor uptake, and significantly improve efficacy of the drug. In this report, we describe a novel polymer conjugate of CPT using a core-functionalized, symmetrically PEGylated poly(l-lysine) (PLL) dendrimer. The PEGylated dendrimer consisted of a lysine dendrimer functionalized with aspartic acid, which was used as an attachment site for poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG) and CPT. The final conjugate had a molecular weight of 40 kDa and was loaded with 4−6 wt % CPT. Polymer-bound CPT was shown to have a long blood circulation half-life of 30.9 ± 8.8 h and a tumor uptake of 4.2 ± 2.3% of the injected dose/g of tissue, compared to free CPT in which less than 1% was retained in the blood after 30 min and had a tumor accumulation of 0.29 ± 0.04% of the injected dos...
Class F GaN power amplifiers for CubeSat communication links

The Aerospace Corporation (Aerospace) CubeSat program has designed a 10 Watt, inverse Class F Gallium Nitride (GaN) power amplifier currently installed and in use in CubeSat mobile ground stations. At 915 MHz and 2 dB compression, the amplifier has 17.0 dB of gain, 40.4 dBm output power, and 83.4% Power Added Efficiency (PAE). This amplifier was designed in Advanced Design System (ADS) with a vendor transistor model and optimized transmission line matching networks. A miniaturized lumped element version is currently being designed for implementation in future CubeSats. Such an amplifier will yield significant power savings and improved link margin for a system with very tight size, weight, and power (SWaP) restrictions.
Functional integral mean field expansions for nuclear many fermion systems

Abstract We present a careful analysis of the auxiliary field functional integral formalism for many fermion systems. We examine the limiting procedure used in construction of such integrals and show that a wide flexibility exists with respect to the choice of the one-body field representation upon which mean field expansions are made. We demonstrate the utility of this flexibility in the context of the evaluation of the grand canonical partition function. We examine the zero order. RPA and certain higher-order terms. The above-mentioned flexibility is reflected in the dependence of the results on a trial two-body interaction, different choices of which produce Hartree, Fock, HartreeFock or other forms of the mean field expansions. A standard variational procedure selects the Hartree-Fock as the optimal choice. With this choice we find certain corrections to previously reported RPA contribution for the Hartree mean field. We also indicate the relevance of our formulation for the recent applications of the functional integral mean field approach to nuclear dynamical problems.