cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Controlling Competitive Dynamics by Taking Strategic Initiative

Today the popular press as well as the academic literature is replete with discussions of the increased turbulence of competition. The surviving competitors in the wake of this past decade's turbulent times are highly competent, aggressive, and possess significant resources. The implication for corporate strategy is that any competitive advantage currently held will eventually be eroded by the actions of these competent, resourceful opponents. It is no longer a question of whether the current competitive advantage will be eroded but rather a question of when. As a result, the challenge for today's strategist is to constantly seek the "second act" even as the firm is benefiting from the current competitive advantage it should be laying the groundwork for the upcoming competitive advantage. This challenge is best depicted by Exhibit 1. From the time the firm decides to make some strategic move to secure the initiative to the time that this initiative has been achieved and some type of competitive advantage has been created, is called the launch period. It is critical to minimize this period of time. The longer it takes to get an initiative in place, the more likely it is competitors will spot the move and the more time they will have to develop a counterinitiative. Furthermore, the launch period is a period of investment rather than revenue generation. So the longer it takes, the more we have to discount the revenue streams that result from having secured the initiative. In today's high cost capital markets, projects with long launch periods and high early outlays seldom return a positive net present value.
International Human Rights Law Violations Before, During, and After Hurricane Katrina: An International Law Framework for Analysis

This paper examines the violations by the United States of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights with respect to the victims of Hurricane Katrina.
A randomized, prospective trial of postoperative somatostatin analogue in patients with neuroendocrine tumors of the pancreas.

BACKGROUND Pancreatic surgery is not uncommonly complicated by prolonged pancreatic drainage and fistula. Octreotide decreases pancreatic exocrine function and has been reported to improve closure of pancreatic and intestinal fistulae. This randomized, prospective trial was designed to evaluate the efficacy of postoperative octreotide in reducing pancreatic drainage and complications after resection of neuroendocrine tumors of the pancreas. METHODS Patients with neuroendocrine tumors of the pancreas were entered into the study and randomized after operation to receive octreotide 150 micrograms subcutaneously every 8 hours or saline solution subcutaneously every 8 hours in a double-blinded fashion. Daily pancreatic drainage, total drainage, number of days to drain removal, and complications were recorded. RESULTS Ten patients were given octreotide; eleven patients were given saline solution. The number of days to drain removal, daily drainage, and total drainage were not significantly different. Complications related to pancreatic drainage were not significantly different. CONCLUSIONS Octreotide is not indicated for the routine postoperative management of patients with neuroendocrine tumors of the pancreas.
THE FLASH OF A CENTURY — GEOLOGIC AND ENVIRONMENTAL CONCEPTS IN ALDO LEOPOLD'S “ODYSSEY”

Aldo Leopold's A Sand County Almanac and Sketches Here and There is a classic of 20th century environmental writing. Leopold's interests in natural history included significant awareness of soil and ecosystem processes while his knowledge of cultural history allowed him to understand the effects of till agriculture on the native prairie ecosystem. In one short essay, “Odyssey,” he shows his appreciation of the fundamental role of geology to important questions concerning ecosystem stability and agricultural sustainability. “Odyssey” discusses geologic and environmental concepts such as time and progress, soil conservation, recycling of nutrients, and the resilience of complex systems with a clarity and beauty that make it both thought provoking and a pleasure to read. The essay is applicable in a wide range of geoscience classes as teachers seek new ways to present scientific material and to incorporate social issues into their teaching.
Targeting Myeloma Stem Cells through Simultaneous Inhibition of Wnt and Hedgehog (Hh) Signaling Pathways

Abstract 615 Cancer stem cells (CSC) have been identified in a variety of tumor types, including multiple myeloma (MM). Different signaling pathways, such as Wnt, Hedgehog (Hh), Notch and Bmi, are up-regulated in CSC. MM stem cells (MMSC) are enriched in the side population and have increased aldehyde dehydrogenase 1 A1 (ALDH1A1) activity. They are non-cycling and resistant to drugs typically used to treat MM. In this study, MMSC were isolated from 10 MM cell lines (CD138− fraction) and 4 primary MM patients by selecting the CD19+ CD138− cells from bone marrows heavily involved with MM. We confirmed that the CD19+/CD138− cells were part of the malignant clone by comparing expression levels of spiked genes, such as MAF-B and Cyclin D3, in MMSC and CD138+ MM cells. We also verified that CD138− from MM cell lines and the primary CD138−CD19+ had stem cell characteristics by clonogenic in vitro assays and tumor formation in NOD/SCID mice. GEP and real-time PCR analyses indicated that RARa2 levels were significantly higher levels in MM cell line-derived and primary MMSC than in CD138+ bulk MM cells. We also showed that over-expression of RARα2 in low-expressing MM cell lines resulted in increased Wnt and Hh activity, as evidenced by higher levels of nuclear β-catenin, Cyclin D1, TCF4, LEF1, Smo and GLI1. Expression levels of these proteins were also higher in MMSC than in CD138+ MM cells. We subsequently evaluated the efficacy of inhibition of Wnt (CAY10404, a COX-2 inhibitor) and Hh (cyclopamine and itraconazole) signaling on MMSC in vitro and also in vivo using the 5TGM1 mouse model. These drugs given separately induced potent cell death and growth inhibition in MMSC. Quantitative PCR and western blot revealed that CAY10404 decreased nuclear β-catenin and Gli1 expression, while cyclopamine and itraconazole inhibited nuclear GLI1 expression. The efficacy of CAY10404 and cyclopamine was further evaluated in the 5TGM1 mouse model. The CD138− fraction of this cell line has many of the same characteristics as human CD138− MMSC. After injection of 0.5 M cells into the C57BL/KaLwRij mice through the tail vein and allowing growth for 1 week, CAY10404 (20mg/kg, I.P.) and cyclopamine (20mg/kg, I.P) were given separately three times per week. Interestingly, we observed that the mice injected with untreated CD138+ cells survived longer than untreated mice receiving CD138− cells (P Disclosures: No relevant conflicts of interest to declare.
Historical Context and Maturation

The process of making citizens is shaped by historical circumstances and by their levels of maturation (cognitive development and political sophistication). The chapter briefly describes five periods in modern American political history that embody distinct political cultures. These include the Great Depression and the New Deal, the post-World War II era, the turbulent 60s and early 70s, the Reagan years, and the years following the election of Bill Clinton to the present. Studies exploring the meaning, measurement, and consequences of levels of maturation found among American citizens are also reviewed.
Embedding Secure Coding Instruction into the IDE: Complementing Early and Intermediate CS Courses with ESIDE.

Many of the software security vulnerabilities that people face today can be remediated through secure coding practices. A critical step toward the practice of secure coding is ensuring that our com...
Parallel Multivariate Spatio-Temporal Clustering of Large Ecological Datasets on Hybrid Supercomputers

A proliferation of data from vast networks of remote sensing platforms (satellites, unmanned aircraft systems (UAS), airborne etc.), observational facilities (meteorological, eddy covariance etc.), state-of-the-art sensors, and simulation models offer unprecedented opportunities for scientific discovery. Unsupervised classification is a widely applied data mining approach to derive insights from such data. However, classification of very large data sets is a complex computational problem that requires efficient numerical algorithms and implementations on high performance computing (HPC) platforms. Additionally, increasing power, space, cooling and efficiency requirements has led to the deployment of hybrid supercomputing platforms with complex architectures and memory hierarchies like the Titan system at Oak Ridge National Laboratory. The advent of such accelerated computing architectures offers new challenges and opportunities for big data analytics in general and specifically, large scale cluster analysis in our case. Although there is an existing body of work on parallel cluster analysis, those approaches do not fully meet the needs imposed by the nature and size of our large data sets. Moreover, they had scaling limitations and were mostly limited to traditional distributed memory computing platforms. We present a parallel Multivariate Spatio-Temporal Clustering (MSTC) technique based on k-means cluster analysis that can target hybrid supercomputers like Titan. We developed a hybrid MPI, CUDA and OpenACC implementation that can utilize both CPU and GPU resources on computational nodes. We describe performance results on Titan that demonstrate the scalability and efficacy of our approach in processing large ecological data sets.
Next-generation in situ hybridization approaches to define and quantify HIV and SIV reservoirs in tissue microenvironments

The development of increasingly safe and effective antiretroviral treatments for human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) over the past several decades has led to vastly improved patient survival when treatment is available and affordable, an outcome that relies on uninterrupted adherence to combination antiretroviral therapy for life. Looking to the future, the discovery of an elusive ‘cure’ for HIV will necessitate highly sensitive methods for detecting, understanding, and eliminating viral reservoirs. Next-generation, in situ hybridization (ISH) approaches offer unique and complementary insights into viral reservoirs within their native tissue environments with a high degree of specificity and sensitivity. In this review, we will discuss how modern ISH techniques can be used, either alone or in conjunction with phenotypic characterization, to probe viral reservoir establishment and maintenance. In addition to focusing on how these techniques have already furthered our understanding of HIV reservoirs, we discuss potential avenues for how high-throughput, next-generation ISH may be applied. Finally, we will review how ISH could allow deeper phenotypic and contextual insights into HIV reservoir biology that should prove instrumental in moving the field closer to viral reservoir elimination needed for an ‘HIV cure’ to be realized.
Differences in Management Style Between Pediatric and Adult Rheumatologists: Comment on the Article by Van Mater et al.

According to the Arthritis Foundation there are more than 300,000 children in the US with juvenile arthritis and there are many more children with musculoskeletal conditions that could benefit from rheumatologic care. Yet there are only about 350 board certified pediatric rheumatologists in this country and 8 states do not have a single board certified practitioner. As a consequence over 75% of children with rheumatic disease are cared for by an adult certified rheumatologist. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.
Modeling the C++ Object Model, An Application of an Abstract Object Model

We are developing an abstract model to provide a framework for comparing the object models of various systems, ranging from object-oriented programming languages to distributed object architectures. Our purpose is to facilitate communication among researchers and developers, improve the general understanding of object systems, and suggest opportunities for technological convergence. This paper describes the application of the abstract object model to the C++ programming language. We give an overview of the abstract object model and illustrate its use in modeling C++ objects. Several modeling alternatives are discussed and evaluated, which reveal anomalies in the C++ language. We conclude by characterizing those aspects of the C++ object model that distinguish C++ from other object systems.
High-spin magnetic heavy-fermion states at ferromagnet/heavy-fermion interfaces

Abstract Using symmetry considerations and exact diagonalization techniques, we examine the heavy-fermion behavior in an eight-site periodic small-cluster t-t'-J model on the fcc lattice. An interpolation scheme is introduced to construct an interface structure. The ground-state properties and the heavy-fermion (correlation) behavior as the function of the interface coupling are studied. High-spin magnetic heavy-fermion states are identified at the ferromagnet/heavy-fermion interfaces. Implications of the calculated results are discussed.
A Novel Method to Eliminate Preservatives in Eye Drops.

Abstract Purpose: Multiuse eye drops must maintain sterility and typically accomplish this by added preservatives. However, preservatives often cause harmful side effects. A gauze barrier dressing ...
Entropic phase transformation in nanocrystalline high entropy oxides

High entropy oxide (HEO) materials display a reversible entropy-driven phase transformation that gives rise to a phase state consisting of the entropic single-phase and controllable volume fraction...
Cyberspace memes

This paper addresses the issues concerning the impact of music on cyberspace globalisation. It points out that Internet access is limited to only one per cent of the wealthiest human population. It also looks into the future of cyberspace music and predicts that most of the cyberspace activities are going to be unleashing one of many of humanity's predispositions – the predisposition to steal. Cyberspace represents a perfect medium for concealing a person's identity and for the masking of any of the responsibility that is expected from socially acceptable human behaviour. With these aspects in mind, the paper concentrates on the Internet's distribution of pirated software and the trading of MP3 files. The paper also focuses on commercial music whose economic impact on the development of music technology allows ‘academic musicians’ to appropriate most of the tools that otherwise would not have been developed for ‘academic’ use.
A Case Study on RNA-RNA Interaction Application Implementation using AlphaZ

Ribonucleic acid (RNA) is one of the three macromolecules found in mammalian systems. RNA-RNA Interactions (RRI) have found to aid in Cancer research and treatment. But, the problem with the applications that predict these interactions is that they have high computation (θ(N6)) and memory costs (θ(N4)).piRNA is one such RRI application. After careful investigation into piRNA, we found that the majority of the computations fit a well defined mathematical optimization framework called the polyhedral model. But, the automatic polyhedral optimization tools and the compilers fail to explore specific optimizations that are known to be within reach of the polyhedral model. This observation facilitated our interest in using a manual optimization tool, AlphaZ.This paper provides the observations made when implementing piRNA application using the domain specific language called Alpha. This implementation is the first attempt in writing a large real-world application using AlphaZ. For a novice developer, it took about two years to learn the tool, the algorithm and write a functionally correct implementation. We were not successful in applying the optimization techniques to the entire application. But, in our later study, we were able to represent the dominant computation with a surrogate kernel and improve its performance by 100 fold. In this paper, we present the challenges and recommendations for future application implementation using AlphaZ.
Effect of Dysphonia and Cognitive-Perceptual Listener Strategies on Speech Intelligibility.

ABSTRACT There is a high prevalence of dysphonia among professional voice users and the impact of the disordered voice on the speaker is well documented. However, there is minimal research on the impact of the disordered voice on the listener. Considering that professional voice users include teachers and air-traffic controllers, among others, it is imperative to determine the impact of a disordered voice on the listener. To address this, the objectives of the current study included: (1) determine whether there are differences in speech intelligibility between individuals with healthy voices and those with dysphonia; (2) understand whether cognitive-perceptual strategies increase speech intelligibility for dysphonic speakers; and (3) determine the relationship between subjective voice quality ratings and speech intelligibility. Sentence stimuli were recorded from 12 speakers with dysphonia and four age- and gender-matched typical, healthy speakers and presented to 129 healthy listeners divided into one of three strategy groups (ie, control, acknowledgement, and listener strategies). Four expert raters also completed a perceptual voice assessment using the Consensus Assessment Perceptual Evaluation of Voice for each speaker. Results indicated that dysphonic voices were significantly less intelligible than healthy voices (P ≤ 0 .001) and the use of cognitive-perceptual strategies provided to the listener did not significantly improve speech intelligibility scores (P = 0.602). Using the subjective voice quality ratings, regression analysis found that breathiness was able to predict 41% of the variance associated with number of errors (P = 0.008). Overall results of the study suggest that speakers with dysphonia demonstrate reduced speech intelligibility and that providing the listener with specific strategies may not result in improved intelligibility.
The Role of Service Quality in Durable Goods Retailing: A Conjoint Approach

A major dimension of distinctiveness in retailing is the trade-off between high levels of service and price competitiveness. The objective of this research was to examine the role of service quality in the marketing of a consumer durable, namely the automobile. To accomplish this, a set of both product-oriented and service-oriented cues was developed. The product cues included brand, country of origin and price, whereas the service cues were accessibility (distance to dealership) and dealership service quality. Service quality was operationalized via the two SERVQUAL dimensions of "reliability" and "empathy".
Deep learning modeling using normal mammograms for predicting breast cancer risk

PURPOSE To investigate two deep learning-based modeling schemes for predicting short-term risk of developing breast cancer using prior normal screening digital mammograms in a case-control setting. METHODS We conducted a retrospective Institutional Review Board-approved study on a case-control cohort of 226 patients (including 113 women diagnosed with breast cancer and 113 controls) who underwent general population breast cancer screening. For each patient, a prior normal (i.e., with negative or benign findings) digital mammogram examination [including mediolateral oblique (MLO) view and craniocaudal (CC) view two images] was collected. Thus, a total of 452 normal images (226 MLO view images and 226 CC view images) of this case-control cohort were analyzed to predict the outcome, i.e., developing breast cancer (cancer cases) or remaining breast cancer-free (controls) within the follow-up period. We implemented an end-to-end deep learning model and a GoogLeNet-LDA model and compared their effects in several experimental settings using two mammographic view images and inputting two different subregions of the images to the models. The proposed models were also compared to logistic regression modeling of mammographic breast density. Area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUC) was used as the model performance metric. RESULTS The highest AUC was 0.73 [95% Confidence Interval (CI): 0.68-0.78; GoogLeNet-LDA model on CC view] when using the whole-breast and was 0.72 (95% CI: 0.67-0.76; GoogLeNet-LDA model on MLO + CC view) when using the dense tissue, respectively, as the model input. The GoogleNet-LDA model significantly (all P < 0.05) outperformed the end-to-end GoogLeNet model in all experiments. CC view was consistently more predictive than MLO view in both deep learning models, regardless of the input subregions. Both models exhibited superior performance than the percent breast density (AUC = 0.54; 95% CI: 0.49-0.59). CONCLUSIONS The proposed deep learning modeling approach can predict short-term breast cancer risk using normal screening mammogram images. Larger studies are needed to further reveal the promise of deep learning in enhancing imaging-based breast cancer risk assessment.
Lentigo maligna melanoma in situ with neurotropism

Perineural invasion, or neurotropism, is defined by the presence of cancer cells either within the neuronal sheath or found along the nerves. In melanoma, it is most commonly associated with invasive desmoplastic melanoma, a melanoma that is most commonly associated with malignant melanoma in situ, lentigo maligna type. Initially, perineural invasion was included in the reported Breslow thickness; however, recent data suggest that it should not be included. In this report, we describe a case of malignant melanoma in situ, lentigo maligna type, with associated neurotropism in the absence of invasive component.
Whether and How Does Learning Curve Uncertainty Affect Early Mover Advantage

The existence of a learning curve, in which costs decline with cumulative experience, suggests that early entry (and production) provides learning opportunities that create competitive advantage by...
Removal of urban-use insecticides in a large-scale constructed wetland.

Abstract Water treatment and reuse initiatives are essential to combat declining water supplies in a changing climate, especially in arid and semi-arid regions. Pollution of water resources intensifies the search for strategies to provide water for potable and non-potable reuse that mitigates detrimental ecological and human health effects. Fipronil and synthetic pyrethroids are common urban-use insecticides that exert aquatic toxicity at trace levels and have been often found in urban surface streams. In this study, samples were collected from the 182 ha Prado Wetlands in Southern California for seven months to assess the occurrence of fipronil and its degradation products as well as pyrethroids (bifenthrin and cyfluthrin) in water, sediment, and plants in a 4.45 ha vegetated surface flow constructed wetland (CW). Concentration-based removal values and changes in mass flux were calculated to determine the efficacy of CW treatment. Observed water concentrations were further used to calculate toxic units for the invertebrates Hyalella azteca and Chironomus dilutus. Pesticide concentrations in water, sediment, and plant samples consistently decreased during passage through the CW at all time points. Removal values for fipronil desulfinyl, fipronil sulfide, fipronil, fipronil sulfone, bifenthrin, and cyfluthrin were 100%, 99.7–100%, 57.8–88.1%, 75.6–100%, 74.7–100%, and 36.6–82.2%, respectively, and there was a general net deposition of pesticides into CW compartments. Toxic unit values decreased in every instance for both aquatic invertebrates. Settling of contaminated particles, adsorption to sediment, plant uptake or adsorption, and subsequent degradation contributed to the effective removal of these urban-use insecticides, which highlights the potential of CWs for protecting urban water quality.
Defining the lineage of thermogenic perivascular adipose tissue

Brown adipose tissue can expend large amounts of energy, and therefore increasing its size or activity is a promising therapeutic approach to combat metabolic disease. In humans, major deposits of brown fat cells are found intimately associated with large blood vessels, corresponding to perivascular adipose tissue (PVAT). However, the cellular origins of PVAT are poorly understood. Here, we determine the identity of perivascular adipocyte progenitors in mice and humans. In mice, thoracic PVAT develops from a fibroblastic lineage, consisting of progenitor cells (Pdgfra+, Ly6a+ and Pparg-) and preadipocytes (Pdgfra+, Ly6a+ and Pparg+), which share transcriptional similarity with analogous cell types in white adipose tissue. Interestingly, the aortic adventitia of adult animals contains a population of adipogenic smooth muscle cells (Myh11+, Pdgfra- and Pparg+) that contribute to perivascular adipocyte formation. Similarly, human PVAT contains presumptive fibroblastic and smooth muscle-like adipocyte progenitor cells, as revealed by single-nucleus RNA sequencing. Together, these studies define distinct populations of progenitor cells for thermogenic PVAT, providing a foundation for developing strategies to augment brown fat activity.
The incidence and outcomes of renal replacement therapy in patients with severe COVID-19 infection requiring mechanical ventilation

Rationale: Acute Kidney Injury (AKI) is common in critically ill patients. Patients in the intensive care unit (ICU) who develop AKI and multi organ failure face a high mortality rate and in those progressing to renal replacement therapy (RRT) mortality rates may exceed 50%. Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is a global pandemic caused by severe acute respiratory distress syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). Severe COVID-19 often results in multi system involvement and may particularly affect the kidneys. The incidence of AKI in this setting is unclear and has varied widely in reports based on population evaluated. There is limited data on the incidence and outcomes of severe AKI necessitating RRT in COVID-19 patients who progress to respiratory failure requiring mechanical ventilation (MV). We conducted a retrospective study in order to determine the incidence and outcomes associated with need for RRT in patients with COVID-19 that progressed to need MV. Methods: We reviewed the records of all COVID-19 patients who were intubated for respiratory failure in our hospital between March and May 2020. Our primary endpoint was the incidence of RRT while outcomes in these subjects (e.g. hospital mortality, length of stay and recovery of renal function) served as secondary endpoints. We examined the relationship between our endpoints and baseline demographics, pre-existing co-morbidities, severity of illness identified by vasopressor requirement, PaO2/FiO2 ratio, plateau pressure, fluid balance in the first three days, and treatment with full strength anticoagulation and/or tocilizumab. Results: Our final cohort consisted of 135 patients of which 46 (34.0%) required RRT. Patients who required RRT had similar baseline characteristics to those who did not. Patients treated with RRT had a higher fluid balance in the first 72 hours (+4761 vs +3076, p=0.040). The mortality rate was higher in those requiring RRT (69.6% vs 39.3%, p=0.001), while the median ICU and hospital stay was lower in this subgroup. Amongst hospital survivors evaluated by the end of our study, 43.0% continued to require RRT, 7.0% no longer required RRT but still had some degree of renal dysfunction, and 50.0% had complete recovery of renal function. Conclusion: There is high incidence of AKI in patients with COVID-19 who require MV and one third of these patients develop renal failure requiring RRT. The mortality in these patients is high and exceeds that reported in patients with Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome from other causes who need RRT. Complete renal function recovery often occurs in survivors.
A segmented forearm model of hand pronation-supination approximates joint moments for real time applications**Research supported by National Institute of General Medical Sciences and the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development.

Musculoskeletal modeling is a new computational tool to reverse engineer human control systems, which require efficient algorithms running in real-time. Human hand pronation-supination movement is accomplished by movement of the radius and ulna bones relative to each other via the complex proximal and distal radioulnar joints, each with multiple degrees of freedom (DOFs). Here, we report two simplified models of this complex kinematic transformation implemented as a part of a 20 DOF model of the hand and forearm. The pronation/supination DOF was implemented as a single rotation joint either within the forearm segment or separating proximal and distal parts of the forearm segment. Torques produced by the inverse dynamic simulations with anatomical architecture of the forearm (OpenSim model) were used as the “gold standard” in the comparison of two simple models. Joint placement was iteratively optimized to achieve the closest representation of torques during realistic hand movements. The model with a split forearm segment performed better than the model with a solid forearm segment in simulating pronation/supination torques. We conclude that simplifying pronation/supination DOF as a single-axis rotation between arm segments is a viable strategy to reduce the complexity of multi-DOF dynamic simulations.
Plasma Adiponectin and Blood Pressure Progression in African Americans: The Jackson Heart Study

Background Little is known on the association of plasma adiponectin with blood pressure (BP) changes in African Americans (AAs). We evaluated the associations between plasma adiponectin and BP progression among AAs. Methods We analyzed data from 1184 participants without hypertension at baseline (2000-2004) with ≥1 follow-up visits in the Jackson Heart Study. We used robust Poisson regression to generate risk ratios (RR) for BP progression (an increase by ≥1 BP stage) and incident hypertension. Results Over a median of 7 years, 71 % progressed to higher BP stage and 65% developed hypertension. We found evidence of interaction by sex (P-interaction=0.088). Compared to those in the lowest quartile (Q1), male participants in the highest adiponectin quartile (Q4) had reduced risks of BP progression (Risk Ratio [RR] 0.76 [95% CI 0.60-0.96]) and incident hypertension (RR 0.74 [95% CI 0.56-0.97]). After accounting for body mass index, this relation persisted among obese men (RR for the highest (vs. lowest) adiponectin quartile: 0.59 (95% CI 0.36-0.97) for incident hypertension, and 0.69 (95% CI 0.45-1.06) for BP progression). Among women, adiponectin was not associated with BP outcomes (RR [95% CI] for Q4 vs Q1: 1.03 [0.86-1.23], and 1.01[0.83-1.23] for BP progression and incident hypertension respectively). Our findings were consistent across both the ACC/AHA and JNC-7 BP categories. Conclusions In a large, community-based sample of African Americans, higher adiponectin concentrations were associated with lower risks of BP progression and incident hypertension in men, but no significant association was observed in women.
Sensitivity and robustness of end-to-end data-driven approach for building performance optimization

This paper discusses an approach to optimizing the performance of an end-to-end data-driven control approach for building energy management. The proposed approach, designed for systems that exhibit non-stationary behavior, involves two primary components: (1) performance degradation detection, followed by (2) relearning a set of data-driven models of the system to update the controller policy using a reinforcement learning approach. The overall control framework involves a large hyperparameter space that has to be tuned for "optimal" performance. In this paper, we analyze the sensitivity and robustness to a small set of relevant hyperparameters that have a significant impact on the overall performance. We study the performance in terms of the accuracy of the derived data-driven models that support relearning and the speed of convergence of the reinforcement learning controller.
Toward Its Being Safe, Legal, and Rare

I was born in 1971 to an unwed mother, and so reading The Girls Who Went Away prompted the discovery that my mother might have been such a girl, one who went away?from me, forever, and I from her. My mother wouldn't have been sent away easily; she was a participant in radical politics and a burgeoning feminist who by the time I was born had lived apart from her parents for years. But thousands of women not so different from her were sent away, shunned, and hidden from view until they gave birth to babies who were taken away from them. Starting in the 1940s and lasting well into the 1970s, high schools throughout America had girls who went away. It was a gulag that didn't pile up bodies but did leave behind thousands of profoundly wounded women who are still among us. And yet, until now, the phenomenon has gone unmentioned in public dialogue. Through hundreds of interviews with women who gave up babies for adoption between 1945 and 1973, The Girls Who Went Away pro vides a revelatory account of the fifties, illuminating it as an anoma lous period beset by social contradictions. It airs a secret that still shapes our society, and it provides a window into what it would mean if the social agenda of the Christian right were to prevail. Convention has it that the sexual revolution started in the sixties
A Study of Children's Programming

Young children should have maximum access to interactive computation so that they can use the machine as a tool for mathematical thinking of the most general kind. And, if children are given an understanding of the theoretical capabilities of machine computation, they might use it for more effective study of their own thinking about the world. With these as goals, we produced an experimental course for teaching computer programming concepts to children who had no previous experience with a computer. This paper discusses the results of that experiment and what they suggest about how children react to different programming languages and problems, and programmable devices. We provide details of the curricula and remarks on the students' experiences.
3D-high resolution manometry of the esophagogastric junction.

Background The esophagogastric junction (EGJ) is a complex structure that challenges accurate manometric recording. This study aimed to define EGJ pressure morphology relative to the squamocolumnar junction (SCJ) during respiration with 3D-high resolution manometry (3D-HRM). Methods A 7.5-cm long 3D-HRM array with 96 independent solid-state pressure sensors (axial spacing 0.75 cm, radial spacing 45°) was used to record EGJ pressure in 15 normal subjects. Concurrent videofluoroscopy was used to localize the SCJ marked with an endoclip. Ex vivo experiments were done on the effect of bending the probe to match that seen fluoroscopically. Key Results 3D-high resolution manometry EGJ pressure recordings were dominated by an asymmetric pressure peak superimposed on the lower esophageal sphincter (LES) attributable to the crural diaphragm (CD). Median peak CD pressure at expiration and inspiration (51 and 119 mmHg, respectively) was much greater in 3D-HRM than evident in HRM with circumferential pressure averaging. Esophagogastric junction length, defined as the zone of circumferential pressure exceeding that of adjacent esophagus or stomach was also substantially shorter (2.4 cm) than evident in conventional HRM. No consistent circumferential EGJ pressure was evident distal to the SCJ in 3D-HRM recordings and ex vivo experiments suggested that the intra-gastric pressure peak seen contralateral to the CD related to bending the assembly rather than the sphincter per se. Conclusions & Inferences 3D-high resolution manometry demonstrated a profoundly asymmetric and vigorous CD component to EGJ pressure superimposed on the LES. Esophagogastric junction length was shorter than evident with conventional HRM and the distal margin of the EGJ sphincteric zone closely correlated with the SCJ.
Group spreading: A protocol for provably secure distributed name service

This paper presents a method called Group Spreading that provides a scalable distributed name service that survives even massive Byzantine attacks. To accomplish this goal, this paper introduces a new methodology that essentially maintains a random distribution of all (honest and Byzantine) peers in an overlay network for any sequence of arrivals and departures of peers up to a certain rate, under a reasonable assumption that Byzantine peers are a sufficient minority. The random distribution allows to proactively protect the system from any adversarial attack within our model.
RESULTS OF A RESEARCH PREDICTING THE POSITION OF AN AIRCRAFT DURING APPROACH AND LANDING USING THE BESSEL FUNCTION

The article presents theoretical foundations of the position prediction functionality of a GPS receiver to be used by a pilot in the event of an instantaneous lack of position data occurring due to various reasons.
Poverty, Sprawl, and Restaurant Types Influence Body Mass Index of Residents in California Counties

Objectives. This article examines the relationships between structural poverty (the proportion of people in a county living at 130% of the federal poverty level [FPL]), urban sprawl, and three types of restaurants (grouped as fast food, chain full service, and independent full service) in explaining body mass index (BMI) of individuals. Methods. Relationships were tested with two-tiered hierarchical models. Individual-level data, including the outcome variable of calculated BMI, were from the 2005, 2006, and 2007 California Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance Survey (n14,205). County-level data (n33) were compiled from three sources. The 2000 U.S. Census provided the proportion of county residents living at 130% of FPL and county demographic descriptors. The sprawl index used came from the Smart Growth America Project. Fast-food, full-service chain, and full-service independently owned restaurants as proportions of the total retail food environment were constructed from a commercially available market research database from 2004. Results. In the analysis, county-level demographic characteristics lost significance and poverty had a consistent, robust association on BMI (p0.001). Sprawl demonstrated an additional, complementary association to county poverty (p0.001). Independent restaurants had a large, negative association to BMI (p0.001). The coefficients for chain and fast-food restaurants were large and positive (p0.001), indicating that as the proportion of these restaurants in a county increases, so does BMI. Conclusions. This study demonstrates the important role of county poverty and urban sprawl toward understanding environmental influences on BMI. Using three categories of restaurants demonstrates different associations of fullservice chain and independent restaurants, which are often combined in other research.
Development and Evaluation of a Guideline for Monitoring Propylene Glycol Toxicity in Pediatric Intensive Care Unit Patients Receiving Continuous Infusion Lorazepam.

OBJECTIVES: To develop and determine the safety of a guideline, by using osmol gap as an indicator of propylene glycol toxicity for pediatric patients receiving continuous infusion lorazepam. METHODS: From existing adult data, a guideline was developed for the use of continuous infusion lorazepam in pediatric critical care patients with recommendations for using osmol gap as an indicator of propylene glycol toxicity. A retrospective medical chart review was performed of patients receiving continuous infusion lorazepam from February 2012 to September 2012 for whom the guideline was used. RESULTS: Twenty-one patients received continuous infusion lorazepam for sedation in the pediatric intensive care unit during the 9-month study period for a total of 23 infusions. Eight patients (34.8%) had an osmol gap of ≥ 12 mOsm/kg during lorazepam infusion, and 7 patients (30.4%) did not have an elevated osmol gap at any point during the infusion. Two patients (8.6%) had clinical toxicity as indicated by elevated anion...
Developmental association of the beta-galactoside-binding protein galectin-1 with the nuclear matrix of rat calvarial osteoblasts

The protein composition of the nuclear matrix changes significantly as the osteoblast matures from a proliferating pre-osteoblast to an osteocyte embedded in a mineralized matrix. These matrix protein are the result of developmental stage-specific gene expression during osteoblast differentiation. To isolate nuclear matrix proteins unique to the bone phenotype we analyzed nuclear matrix preparations from cultures of rat calvarial osteoblasts by high resolution two-dimensional gel electrophoresis at two different stages: proliferation (day 3) and differentiation (day 18, mineralized). We characterized one protein (14 kDa; pI 5.0), that was detectable only in the nuclear matrix of differentiated osteoblasts. By mass spectrometry and microsequencing, this protein was identified as the beta -galactoside-binding protein galectin-1. Both immunofluorescence staining of nuclear matrix preparations with the galectin-1 antibody and western blot analysis of subcellular fractions confirmed that galectin-1 is only associated with the nuclear matrix in differentiated osteoblasts as the result of differential retention. Galectin-1 protein and mRNA are present throughout osteoblast differentiation. Galectin-1 is present in the cytoplasmic and nuclear fractions in both proliferating and differentiated osteoblasts. However, its only stable binding is to the nuclear matrix of the differentiated osteoblast; but, in proliferating osteoblasts, galectin-1 is not retained in the nuclear matrix. Taken together, our results suggest that developmental association of galectin-1 with the nuclear matrix reflects differential subnuclear binding of galectin-1 during osteoblast differentiation.
VII. Are lymphomas driven by epigenetic lesions

Keywords: B cell; lymphoma; epigenetic regulation; epigenetic modifier mutations; KMT2D; CBP; P300; EZH2; clinical treatment strategies
In praise of the talking woman: Gender and conversation in the nineteenth century

(1990). In praise of the talking woman: Gender and conversation in the nineteenth century. Nineteenth-Century Contexts: Vol. 14, No. 1, pp. 55-70.
Tissue engineering of annulus fibrosus using electrospun fibrous scaffolds with aligned polycaprolactone fibers

In tissue engineering, it is important to fabricate a three-dimensional scaffold that resemble the extracellular matrix (ECM) and topographical appearance of native tissue. The aim of this study is to test the hypothesis that varying microstructures of electrospun fibrous scaffolds by manipulating the relative degree of fiber alignment would influence the behaviors of porcine annulus fibrosus cells. Five types of electrospun fibrous scaffolds with polycaprolactone fibers having random or partially aligned arrangements have been prepared and investigated. The scaffold microstructures have been examined, and in vitro experiments have been carried out to assess cell-material interaction, cell proliferation, and ECM production. The results indicate that the scaffold with oriented fibers provides strong guidance to the cell orientation and ECM distribution. In addition, albeit the tensile moduli of electrospun fibrous scaffolds are lower than that of native tissue, they are comparable to those reported in literature; hence, the constructs cultured with optimized conditions including the scaffold material selection and dynamic mechanical conditioning would have the potential to possess the moduli closer to that of native tissue. © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Biomed Mater Res Part A, 2011.
Inhibition of growth of experimental human and hamster pancreatic cancers in vivo by a targeted cytotoxic bombesin analog.

Objectives Targeting anticancer agents to receptors for peptide hormones such as bombesin/gastrin-releasing peptide (GRP) on tumor cells increases the efficacy and lowers the toxicity of cancer therapy. We studied the expression of bombesin/GRP receptors in 6 experimental pancreatic cancers and evaluated tumor inhibition in vivo produced by targeted chemotherapy with the cytotoxic bombesin analog AN-215. Methods Nude mice with xenografts of Panc-1, CFPAC-1, Capan-1, Capan-2, MiaPaCa-2, and SW-1990 human ductal pancreatic cancers, as well as hamsters with nitrosamine-induced pancreatic cancers, were treated with AN-215 or its cytotoxic radical 2-pyrrolinodoxorubicin (AN-201) for 7 to 12 weeks. Tumor growth reduction and survival were analyzed, and cell proliferation rate and apoptosis were examined by histologic methods. Bombesin/GRP receptors on the tumors were studied by ligand-binding assays and their mRNA expression was studied by reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction. Results All tumors expressed mRNA for subtype 1 bombesin/GRP receptor, but MiaPaCa-2, and in one experiment, SW-1990 tumors did not show binding sites for bombesin. AN-215 powerfully inhibited the growth of all pancreatic cancers that expressed functional receptors for bombesin/GRP. AN-201 was less effective on most tumors and somewhat more toxic than AN-215. Conclusions Bombesin/GRP receptors are expressed on most ductal pancreatic carcinoma cell lines and can be used for targeted chemotherapy with the cytotoxic bombesin analog AN-215.
A non-inequality for differential operators in the L1 norm

The first question is mitural since the answer is yes if the L 1 norm is replaced by the Lp norm for t < p < oo and since this kind of inequality has proved useful in studying differential equations. The question for the L1 norm was originally raised by HENRI MOREL, who showed that a negative answer would give a distribution, T, which is not a measure but whose first order derivatives are of order 1, thus providing a counter-example to a question raised by LAURENT SCHWARTZ in his Theory of Distributions. This could be done by constructing an / such that ff a*/(x' Y) ldxdy is ay butff eV(*, dxdy and f f a,t(x, dxdy
Tectonic and sediment supply control of deep rift lake turbidite systems: Lake Baikal, Russia

Tectonically influenced half-graben morphology controls the amount and type of sediment supply and consequent type of late Quaternary turbidite systems developed in the active rift basins of Lake Baikal, Russia. Steep border fault slopes (footwall) on the northwest sides of half-graben basins provide a limited supply of coarser grained clastic material to multiple small fan deltas. These multiple sediment sources in turn laterally feed small ( 65 km) axially fed elongate mud-rich fans sourced by regional exterior drainage of the Selenga River that supplies large quantities of silt. Basin plain turbidites in the center of the linear basins and axial channels that are controlled by rift-parallel faults are fed from, and interfinger with, aprons and fans. The predictability of the turbidite systems in Lake Baikal provides the best example yet studied of how tectonics and sediment supply interact to control the development of a wide variety of coeval turbidite systems on a single basin floor.
Frenum position and vestibule depth in relation to gingival health

Abstract The effect of the location of the labial and buccal frenums on gingival disease has been discussed, particularly in relation to recession and chronic inflammation. A fairly common finding is a frenum attaching close to, or at, a receded labial gingival margin of an anterior tooth. The mechanisms by which this may prevent a return to gingival health are listed. A method of surgically correcting these interfering frenums and shallow vestibules is described and several case reports are cited.