cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
The Neglected Power of Elite Opinion Leadership to Produce Antipathy Toward the News Media: Evidence from a Survey Experiment

Today, most Americans dislike the news media as an institution. This has led to considerable debate about why people dislike the media and how their public standing could be improved. This paper contributes to this literature by using a survey experiment to test the effect of several different considerations on evaluations of the media. It finds, consistent with the broader literature on political persuasion, that elite partisan opinion leadership can powerfully shape these attitudes. Additionally, it finds that tabloid coverage creates antipathy toward the press regardless of predispositions and that horserace coverage has a negative effect on opinions among politically aware citizens on both sides of the political spectrum. Contrary to some claims in the literature, this study finds no detectable effect of news negativity.
Learning How to Mother: An Ethnographic Investigation of an Urban Breastfeeding Group

This investigation describes an urban La Leche League breastfeeding support group in western New York. In viewing the organization's origins as a per-petuative-rational nativistic movement (Linton 1943), the group demonstrates how some mothers are adapting to the effects of rapid social change, particularly on the mother-infant bond. Members of the group are transmitting a style of natural mothering based on complete breastfeeding by relying on intragenerational modeling (Mead 1978). The study follows a method of “well-grounded ethnography” (Gearing 1981); the result is a (behavioral) emic structural-functional analysis.
Active balancing system for electric vehicles with incorporated low voltage bus

Electric-drive vehicles, including hybrid (HEV), plug-in hybrid (PHEV) and electric vehicles (EV), require a high-voltage (HV) battery pack for propulsion, and a low-voltage (LV) dc bus for auxiliary loads. This paper presents an architecture that uses modular dc-dc bypass converters to perform active battery cell balancing and to supply current to auxiliary loads, eliminating the need for a separate HV-to-LV high step-down dc-dc converter. The modular architecture, which achieves continuous balancing of all cells, can be used with an arbitrary number of cells in series, requires no control communications between converters, and naturally shares the auxiliary load current according to the relative state-of-charge (SOC) and capacities of the battery cells. Design and control details are provided for low-voltage, low-power dual active bridge (DAB) power converters serving as bypass converter modules. Experimental results are presented for a system consisting of two series 3.6 Ah NMC battery cells and two DAB bypass converters, with combined outputs rated to supply a 12 V, 35 W auxiliary load.
Ordered Hypotheses for Multiple Treatments: A Significance Test for Linear Ranks

Abstract In many experiments the background evidence, theories, or conditions suggest an expected ordering among the treatment effects, yet in the analysis of variance such implicit hypotheses are typically neglected. A ranking statistic L is presented as test of a monotonic relationship among the treatment groups in the two-way analysis of variance. Used with accompanying table of L, it combines considerable power with computational ease, and assumes data of only ordinal strength. L is related to the test of the linear component of the treatment sum of squares in the parametric randomized-block design, to the product-moment correlation and regression, to the normal deviate test of Lyerly's average rho, and to Friedman's chi-square of ranks. Where either L or the Friedman test may be used, L is often more accurate and appropriate, and it has some advantages over other tests of trend and monotonicity.
Sexual Admissions: An Intersectional Analysis of Certifications and Residency at Willowbrook State School (1950–1985)

Willowbrook State School has a significant place in the history of disability rights movement in the United States, from being one of the largest long-term care facilities for children and adults with disabilities during the 1950s–1970s, to the public and contentious legal battle to shut it down due to atrocities. Yet, historical scholarship has yet to fully account for what happened there. In long-term care facilities, sexuality is typically observed, controlled, and exploited, but at Willowbrook, sexuality was also a reason for admission. What role did sex play in resident’s admission and residency? This archival analysis of resident records selected admissions where sexuality played a factor, and then examined the influence of gender, family, race, class, and most importantly, ability, on the certification of the youth and their stay at Willowbrook. The findings show that race played a significant role in the lives of youth placed at Willowbrook, as did their impoverished and troubled family backgrounds, and their ability (often indexed by IQ). A narrative analysis of resident stories identified five main admission narratives: the youth were placed at Willowbrook because they were sexually promiscuous or “perverted,” truant, unruly, or attending remedial education classes, the parents were unable to care for the youth, the youth was delinquent, or the youth was sexually vulnerable. Extensive evidence from case files in support of these themes supported an intersectional analysis of admissions to Willowbrook as ability, sexuality, race, class, and gender interact in sometimes simple and predictable—and other times complex and surprising—ways.
Laboratory Apparatus and Procedures for Preparing Test Specimens of Slurry Mixed Soils

A laboratory mixing apparatus used to prepare test specimens of columns of soil mixed with slurries consisting of clay, typically bentonite, and granular zero-valent iron (ZVI) is described. The slurries are injected and simultaneously mixed into the soil via a hollow-stem auger to mimic the process that occurs in the field associated with the remediation of source zones contaminated with chlorinated solvents (e.g., carbon tetrachloride and trichloroethylene) using large-diameter (e.g., 2.4 m or 8 ft) hollow-stem augers. The presentation includes descriptions of the testing apparatus and procedures for preparing the test columns, mixing the slurries into the base (host) soil, and determining the resulting vertical distributions in the physical properties (e.g., unit weight, water content, porosity, void ratio, clay content, ZVI content, and degree of saturation) of the post-mixed column specimens. Example results of the vertical distributions in physical properties as well as of treatability studies for base soils that were contaminated with chlorinated solvents are provided to illustrate the use of the laboratory apparatus and testing procedures.
Evaluation of Apholate and Tepa as Chemosterilants for the Fall Armyworm

In evaluating apholate and tepa as chemosterilants for the fall armyworm, Spodoptera frugiperda (J. E. Smith), pupae less than 24 or 48 hr old were exposed to apholate by dipping and to tepa by rotating the insects in the materials dissolved in an aqueous solution and a 10% solution of sucrose, respectively. Resulting adults, numbers of eggs laid, and hatch were all normal when compared with those from untreated pairings. Adults between zero and 96 hr old, continuously fed apholate dissolved in a 1% honey solution during the egg-laying period, were sterilized by 1 and 2 mg/ml. Male and female moths fed for 24 or 48 hr on an apholatehoney solution containing 0.5 and 1 mg/ml of apholate were mated to untreated males or females. Egg hatch was lowered after both treatments but not as much as after continuous feeding of the solution. Egg hatch of moths individually fed 1, 2, or 3 mg of apholate dissolved in 10% sucrose solution was markedly reduced but not completely eliminated. Tepa dissolved in a 10% sucrose solution produced complete sterility in males and females fed 62.5 and 250 μg/moth respectively. Females fed more than 62.5 μg/moth laid fewer eggs than the controls. Females fed 500 μg/ or more did not mate as frequently as those in the untreated control. Males fed 62.5 μg/moth competed effectively with untreated males for untreated females.
Silhouettes and Degenerate Loci of Quadratic Forms

(1962). Silhouettes and Degenerate Loci of Quadratic Forms. The American Mathematical Monthly: Vol. 69, No. 9, pp. 867-876.
The Secret War for the Middle East: The Influence of Axis and Allied Intelligence Operations during World War II. By Youssef Aboul-Enein and Basil Aboul-Enein. (Annapolis, MD: Naval Institute Press, 2013. Pp. xxiii, 263. $49.95.)

Naval Commander Youssef Aboul‐Enein and his younger brother, Basil, have written a book that deals with issues of special interest to US military leaders in the Middle East since the attacks of Sep...
Noninvasive determination of exercise cardiac function following Fontan operation.

The purpose of this investigation was to define mechanisms which increase cardiac output during exercise in patients without a functioning right ventricle. Radionuclide studies were performed at rest and during upright bicycle exercise on 16 patients following Fontan procedures and compared to studies in 10 normal children. The mean cardiac index of patients following Fontan procedures was 5.2 ± 2.0 L/min/m2 (standard deviation) at rest and increased to 9.4 ± 3.5 L/min/m2 during exercise (p
Language Policy and Planning

While the field of language policy and planning (LPP) has enjoyed a robust and diverse theoretical history, research methods have received less attention. However, we have entered a phase in the field when scholarship is more explicitly foregrounding how particular research methods can be leveraged to illuminate the multiple layers of LPP creation, interpretation, and appropriation. In this chapter, we review the conceptual and methodological development in LPP, focusing on four distinct eras of LPP research. We trace the trends and changes in LPP methodology beginning with the pioneers of the field, through a critical period that incorporated an emphasis on power, and ending with the “empirical turn,” which has been bolstered by increasingly sophisticated LPP-specific research methods. A common goal, we argue, is the interest in making connections between the “macro” and the “micro”—across diverse layers and levels, institutional contexts, and discursive scales—in an attempt to understand how language policies and plans impact social practices. At the same time, definitions of “language policy” have evolved, with research methods following their lead. We examine the challenges and controversies engendered by changing conceptualizations and argue that the field will continue to grow conceptually and methodologically, yield valuable insight into LPP processes around the world, and promote social justice and language diversity.
COMPARISON OF 3H-DIHYDROALPRENOLOL BINDING TO PUTATIVE β1 AND β2-ADRENERGIC RECEPTORS SITES IN THE CNS OF SEVERAL MAMMALIAN SPECIES

ABSTRACT The β-adrenergic receptor (β-AR) binding sites in the CNS of several mammalian species were characterized using [ 3 H]dihydroalprenolol (DHA). For most species, the cerebellum β-AR appear to have characteristics comparable to peripheral β 2 -AR, while in the cerebral cortex β 1 -AR predominate. The affinity of [ 3 H]DHA for the β-AR binding sites is relatively constant among the various species, but the number of receptor sites varies 20 fold.
An endovascular model of ischemic myopathy from peripheral arterial disease.

Abstract Objective Peripheral arterial disease (PAD) is a significant age-related medical condition with limited pharmacologic options. Severe PAD, termed critical limb ischemia, can lead to amputation. Skeletal muscle is the end organ most affected by PAD, leading to ischemic myopathy and debility of the patient. Currently, there are not any therapeutics to treat ischemic myopathy, and proposed biologic agents have not been optimized owing to a lack of preclinical models of PAD. Because a large animal model of ischemic myopathy may be useful in defining the optimal dosing and delivery regimens, the objective was to create and to characterize a swine model of ischemic myopathy that mimics patients with severe PAD. Methods Yorkshire swine (N = 8) underwent acute right hindlimb ischemia by endovascular occlusion of the external iliac artery. The effect of ischemia on limb function, perfusion, and degree of ischemic myopathy was quantified by weekly gait analysis, arteriography, hindlimb blood pressures, femoral artery duplex ultrasound scans, and histologic examination. Animals were terminated at 5 (n = 5) and 6 (n = 3) weeks postoperatively. Ossabaw swine (N = 8) fed a high-fat diet were used as a model of metabolic syndrome for comparison of arteriogenic recovery and validation of ischemic myopathy. Results There was persistent ischemia in the right hindlimb, and occlusion pressures were significantly depressed compared with the untreated left hindlimb out to 6 weeks (systolic blood pressure, 31 ± 21 vs 83 ± 15 mm Hg, respectively; P = .0007). The blood pressure reduction resulted in a significant increase of ischemic myopathy in the gastrocnemius muscle in the treated limb. Gait analysis revealed a functional deficit of the right hindlimb immediately after occlusion that improved rapidly during the first 2 weeks. Peak systolic velocity values in the right common femoral artery were severely diminished throughout the entire study ( P Conclusions This model uses endovascular technology to produce the first durable large animal model of ischemic myopathy. Acutely (first 2 weeks), this model is associated with impaired gait but no tissue loss. Chronically (2-6 weeks), this model delivers persistent ischemia, resulting in ischemic myopathy similar to that seen in PAD patients. This model may be of use for testing novel therapeutics including biologic therapies for promoting neovascularization and arteriogenesis.
Konzeptionelle und empirische Kontexte: Schulische Leseförderung, Professionelles Lehrerhandeln

Das folgende Kapitel stellt wissenschaftliche Arbeiten vor, die fur die Dateninterpretation als ‚sensibilisierende Konzepte’ besondere Bedeutung aufwiesen (vgl. Strauss/ Corbin 1996, 31ff). Dass Konzepte zu Leseforderung den fachdidaktischen Anknupfungspunkt meiner Untersuchung (Kap. 3.1) darstellen, stand bereits zu deren Beginn fest; schlieslich ist es ein Anliegen dieser Studie, einerseits die Unterschiede fachdidaktischer und lehrerseitiger Auffassungen von Leseforderung aufzuzeigen, andererseits herauszufinden, inwiefern lehrerseitiges Leseforderwissen sich von fachdidaktischen Wissensangeboten beruhrt zeigt.
Preservice Teachers' Articulated Noticing through Pedagogies of Practice.

Elementary preservice teachers at six universities engaged in a task that provided them opportunities to articulate their professional noticing within video representations, written decompositions, and animated approximations of practice. The preservice teachers’ written accounts indicated that a majority attended to students or student thinking; however, when asked to illustrate their noticing through animation, focus shifted to the classroom teacher. Findings indicate the extent to which preservice teachers articulated specific mathematics concepts within and across pedagogies of practice and highlight the critical importance for selecting and utilizing multiple types of tasks to better understand preservice teacher noticing. Implications for eliciting and supporting preservice teacher noticing are discussed.
Auditory Environment and Vocal Development in Birds

Bird voice, a seemingly esoteric topic for scientific inquiry, is known to exhibit some of the most interesting phenomena of behavioral development such as the effects of sensory exposure, deprivation, and isolation, inborn perceptual preference, and critical impressionable period. Sexual imprinting in birds shares some of these attributes (Immelman, 1972a,b). The development of response properties in the cat visual cortex is another example (Wiesel and Hubel, 1965; Barlow, 1975; see also Mitchell, this volume). The perception of speech sounds in human infants seems to show some similarities to song development in birds (Eimas, 1975; see also Strange and Jenkins, this volume). The study of developmental plasticity in avian vocalizations has been greatly facilitated both by the objective means of describing voice and by the ease with which auditory environment can be manipulated. The results suggest that bird song can be a useful model to obtain deeper insights into the general principles of behavioral development. The main aim of this chapter is to discuss the ontogeny of bird voice as it relates to these principles rather than to present a descriptive review of the field, which is already available (Konishi and Nottebohm, 1969; Marler and Mundinger, 1971).
Investigating the prognostic ability of health-related quality of life on survival: a prospective cohort study of adults with lung cancer.

Health-related quality of life (HRQOL) is an important predictor for overall survival (OS). To date, no studies compared associations between HRQOL assessed before and after a cancer diagnosis for OS. Our objectives were to (1) investigate associations between HRQOL changes and OS and (2) identify the best HRQOL assessment time point to predict OS. We used the Surveillance, Epidemiology and End Results linked with the Medicare Health Outcomes Survey data. Medicare Advantage beneficiaries with SEER-confirmed, incident lung cancer between 1998 and 2013 were included. We only included individuals who completed pre- and post-diagnosis assessments. HRQOL was captured using the Short-Form (SF-36) and Katz’s Activities of Daily Living (ADL). Cox Proportional Hazards models examined associations between HRQOL and OS, adjusting for potential confounders. AICs compared model fit. Five hundred thirty-five adults with mean age of 75 years at diagnosis were included. We observed 300 deaths. Poor HRQOL was associated with greater risk of death across HRQOL assessments. SF-36 before diagnosis, after diagnosis, and change over time had AHRs of 1.01–1.08, 1.10–1.20, and 1.06–1.12, respectively. Pre-diagnosis, post-diagnosis, and changes in ADLs had AHRs of 0.90–2.06, 1.72–2.56, and 1.66–2.21, respectively. Post-diagnosis HRQOL and HRQOL change models had the smallest AICs and largest AHRs, suggesting they were most associated with OS. This is the first study to compare the prognostic ability of pre-diagnosis, post-diagnosis, and HRQOL changes for OS. The prognostic value of HRQOL at distinct points in the cancer continuum underscores the importance of routine HRQOL monitoring as part of patient-centered cancer care.
Roles for Sphingolipids in Saccharomyces cerevisiae

Studies using Saccharomyces cerevisiae, the common baker’s or brewer’s yeast, have progressed over the past twenty years from knowing which sphingolipids are present in cells and a basic outline of how they are made to a complete or nearly complete directory of the genes that catalyze their anabolism and catabolism. In addition, cellular processes that depend upon sphingolipids have been identified including protein trafficking/exocytosis, endocytosis and actin cytoskeleton dynamics, membrane microdomains, calcium signaling, regulation of transcription and translation, cell cycle control, stress resistance, nutrient uptake and aging. These will be summarized here along with new data not previously reviewed. Advances in our knowledge of sphingolipids and their roles in yeast are impressive but molecular mechanisms remain elusive and are a primary challenge for further progress in understanding the specific functions of sphingolipids.
Hemiarthroplasty Versus Total Joint Arthroplasty for Hallux Rigidus: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis.

Background: When surgery is indicated for hallux rigidus, toe arthroplasty is an alternative procedure to arthrodesis for patients who wish to preserve toe range of motion. Our study investigated m...
Circle the Wagons: Circular RNAs Control Innate Immunity.

Circular RNAs are generated at low levels from many protein-coding genes. Liu et al. now reveal that many of these transcripts bind and inhibit the double-stranded RNA (dsRNA)-dependent kinase PKR. Upon viral infection, circular RNAs are globally degraded to release PKR, which becomes activated to aid in the immune response.
All-Cause and Cause-Specific Mortality Among Major League Baseball Players.

This study assesses the all-cause and cause-specific mortality rates among Major League Baseball players compared with the general US male population.
A Fully Convolutional Neural Network for Rapid Displacement Estimation in ARFI Imaging

Ultrasound elasticity imaging in soft tissue with acoustic radiation force requires extracting displacement information, typically on the order of several microns, from raw data. In this work, we implement a fully convolutional neural network for ultrasound displacement estimation. We present a novel method for generating ultrasound training data, in which virtual displacement volumes are created with a combination of randomly-seeded ellipsoids. Network performance was tested on the virtual displacement volumes as well as an experimental phantom dataset and human in vivo prostate data. In simulated and phantom data, the proposed neural network accurately reconstructed the ARFI displacements, performing similarly to a conventional phase-shift displacement estimation algorithm. Application of the trained network to in vivo prostate data enabled the visualization of the prostatic urethra and peripheral zone.
Whole-genome sequencing reveals resistome of highly drug-resistant retail meat and human Salmonella Dublin

Non-typhoidal Salmonella (NTS) are a significant source of foodborne illness worldwide, with disease symptoms most often presenting as self-limiting gastroenteritis; however, occasionally the infection spreads and becomes invasive, frequently requiring anti-microbial treatment. The cattle-adapted Dublin serovar of NTS has commonly been associated with invasive illness and anti-microbial resistance (AMR). Here, the enhanced resolution conferred by whole-genome sequencing was utilized to elucidate and compare the resistome and genetic relatedness of 14 multidrug-resistant (MDR) and one pan-susceptible S. Dublin, isolated primarily in Pennsylvania, from fresh retail meat (one isolate) and humans (14 isolates). Twelve different genetic AMR determinants, including both acquired and chromosomal, were identified. Furthermore, comparative plasmid analysis indicated that AMR was primarily conferred by a putative IncA/C2 plasmid. A single pan-susceptible S. Dublin isolate, collected from the same timeframe and geographical region as the MDR isolates, did not carry an IncA/C2 replicon sequence within its genome. Moreover, the pan-susceptible isolate was genetically distinct from its MDR counterparts, as it was separated by ≥267 single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs), whereas there was a ≤38 SNP distance between the MDR isolates. Collectively, this data set advances our understanding of the genetic basis of the highly drug-resistant nature of S. Dublin, a serovar with significant public health implications.
Binocular link smartphone system

Current US Army issued binoculars lack the digital capabilities of today’s electro-optic devices. By linking traditional optical binoculars with a smartphone, users can take advantage of the smartphone’s digital camera. Live images viewed through the binocular can be captured as an image or recorded as video in real time. Additional capabilities of the Smartphone can be utilized such as, digital zoom on top of the binoculars optical magnification, GPS for geo-tagging information, wireless communication for transmission of recorded data, etc. The linking of Commercial Off-The-Shelf (COTS) smartphones with optical based binoculars has shown enormous potential including persistent ISR capability. The paper discusses the demonstration, results and lessons learned of B-LINK-S applications.
When eliminating bias isn’t fair: Algorithmic reductionism and procedural justice in human resource decisions

Abstract The perceived fairness of decision-making procedures is a key concern for organizations, particularly when evaluating employees and determining personnel outcomes. Algorithms have created opportunities for increasing fairness by overcoming biases commonly displayed by human decision makers. However, while HR algorithms may remove human bias in decision making, we argue that those being evaluated may perceive the process as reductionistic, leading them to think that certain qualitative information or contextualization is not being taken into account. We argue that this can undermine their beliefs about the procedural fairness of using HR algorithms to evaluate performance by promoting the assumption that decisions made by algorithms are based on less accurate information than identical decisions made by humans. Results from four laboratory experiments (N = 798) and a large-scale randomized experiment in an organizational setting (N = 1654) confirm this hypothesis. Theoretical and practical implications for organizations using algorithms and data analytics are discussed.
Teaching NeuroImages: Spinal xanthomatosis: A misdiagnosed, treatable cause of progressive myelopathy.

A 57-year-old woman presented with a 20-year history of progressive lower extremity weakness, spasticity, and proprioception deficits. She was given a diagnosis of primary progressive multiple sclerosis at age 38. Her Achilles tendons were enlarged (figure 1). Brain MRI was normal. Spine MRI demonstrated T2-hyperintense signal involving the posterior and lateral columns (figure 2). Serum cholestanol level was elevated. CYP27A1 gene sequencing revealed 2 pathogenic variants, c.1183C>T(p.Arg395Cys) and c.410G>A(p.Arg137Gln), confirming the diagnosis of cerebrotendinous xanthomatosis (CTX). Spinal xanthomatosis is a rare variant of CTX presenting with progressive corticospinal and posterior column signs.1 Early treatment with chenodeoxycholic acid may improve outcomes.2
Meta-analyzing count events over varying durations using the piecewise Poisson model: The case for poststroke seizures.

Meta-analyzing count data can be challenging when follow-up time varies across studies. Simply pooling aggregate data over time-periods would result in biased estimates, which may erroneously inform clinical decision-making. In this study, we exploit the convolution property of the Poisson distribution to develop a likelihood for observed cumulative counts over varying follow-up periods, where different Poisson distributions are used to represent the data generating processes for the latent counts in pre-defined successive intervals of follow-up. We illustrate this approach using an example of poststroke seizures, a case in which risk may change over time, and mimic its survival duration with time-varying hazard. Data were extracted from observational studies (1997-2016) reporting poststroke seizures over a maximum of 10 years of follow-up. Three clinically meaningful follow-up time intervals were considered: 0 to 7 days, 8 to 365 days, and 1 to 10 years poststroke. External validation was performed using claims data. Results suggest the incidence rate of seizures was 0.0452 (95% confidence interval: 0.0429, 0.0475), 0.0001 (0, 0.016), and 0.0647 (0.0441, 0.0941) for the three time intervals, respectively, indicating that the risk of seizures changes over time poststroke. We found that the model performed well against the incidence rate of seizures among actual retrospective cohort from claims data. The piecewise Poisson model presents a flexible way to meta-analyze count data over time and mimic survival curves. The results of the piecewise Poisson model are readily interpretable and may spur meaningful clinical action. The method may also be applied to other diseases. HIGHLIGHTS: It is challenging to perform a meta-analysis when follow-up time varies across studies. Ideally, outcomes over different time-periods should be pooled with individual patient-level data (IPD). A new model was developed to meta-analyze count data over time using aggregate-level data from previous published studies. The piecewise Poisson model could be a useful tool to estimate time-vary hazards given available data, and mimic survival curves over time which would be readily interpretable.
Human Rights Under Siege

There is little debate that the human rights movement is experiencing unprecedented challenges. Here Philip Alston addresses how the movement needs to respond in order to survive. Firstly, he notes the importance of maintaining perspective, reminding us that the defence of human rights has never been easy. He also argues that we must recognise that this is a long-term effort and will not disappear after Trump leaves office and that, crucially, the movement needs to develop introspection and openness in order to adapt. He then sets out the five key issues that he believes the movement must address in the coming years: the populist threat to democracy; the role of civil society; inequality and exclusion; the undermining of international law and the fragility of international institutions. Finally, Alston suggests a number of strategies that human rights organisations need to adopt in order to respond to this new reality. He ends by saying all this must be done with a sense of great urgency. The time to act is now.
Leaf Venation and Morphology Help Explain Physiological Variation in Yucca brevifolia and Hesperoyucca whipplei Across Microhabitats in the Mojave Desert, CA.

Different microclimates can have significant impact on the physiology of succulents that inhabit arid environments such as the Mojave Desert (California). We investigated variation in leaf physiology, morphology and anatomy of two dominant Mojave Desert monocots, Yucca brevifolia (Joshua tree) and Hesperoyucca whipplei, growing along a soil water availability gradient. Stomatal conductance (gs) and leaf thickness were recorded in the field at three different sites (northwestern slope, southeastern slope, and alluvial fan) in March of 2019. We sampled leaves from three individuals per site per species and measured in the lab relative water content at the time of gs measurements, saturated water content, cuticular conductance, leaf morphological traits (leaf area and length, leaf mass per area, % loss of thickness in the field and in dried leaves), and leaf venation. We found species varied in their gs: while Y. brevifolia showed significantly higher gs in the alluvial fan than in the slopes, H. whipplei was highest in the south-eastern facing slope. The differences in gs did not relate to differences in leaf water content, but rather to variation in number of veins per mm2 in H. whipplei and leaf width in Y. brevifolia. Our results indicate that H. whipplei displays a higher water conservation strategy than Y. brevifolia. We discuss these differences and trends with water availability in relation to species’ plasticity in morphology and anatomy and the ecological consequences of differences in 3-dimensional venation architecture in these two species.
Conclusion and Future Directions

Pulse-based sputter deposition processes have received considerable interest during the past decade because of the benefits this technology has been observed to offer over more conventionally employed sinusoidal (AC and RF) based technologies. The aim of this monograph has been to offer a guide for those interested in employing pulse-based sputter deposition processes. These processes include pulsed sputter deposition and pulsed bias sputter deposition. A central issue when considering why pulse-based technologies can be more beneficial than AC or RF based technologies is the energy of the ionic flux extracted from the plasma to a powered electrode. The central conclusion to be taken from this monograph is the shape of the applied bias (the amplitude, the frequency, and the duty) plays a critical role in dictating the energy of the ions from the plasma.
Drone-Based StereoDIC: System Development, Experimental Validation and Infrastructure Application

Digital Image Correlation (DIC) is widely used for remote and non-destructive structural health evaluation of infrastructure. Current DIC applications are limited to relatively small areas of structures and require the use of stationary stereo vision camera systems that are not easy to transfer and deploy in remote areas. The enclosed work describes the development and validation of an Unmanned Aircraft System (UAS, commonly known as drone) with an onboard stereo-vision system capable of acquiring, storing and transmitting images for analysis to obtain full-field, three-dimensional displacement and strain measurements. The UAS equipped with a StereoDIC system has been developed and tested in the lab. The drone system, named DroneDIC, autonomously hovers in front of a prestressed railroad tie under pressure and DIC data are collected. A stationary DIC system is used in parallel to collect data for the railroad tie. We compare the data to validate the readings from the DroneDIC system. We present the analysis of the results obtained by both systems. Our study shows that the results we obtain from the DroneDIC system are similar to the ones gathered from the stationary DIC system. This work serves as a proof of concept for the successful integration of DIC and drone technologies into the DroneDIC system. DroneDIC combines the high accuracy inspection capabilities of traditional stationary DIC systems with the mobility offered by drone platforms. This is a major step towards autonomous DIC inspection in portions of a structure where access is difficult via conventional methods.
Strategies used to meet the challenges of mass COVID-19 vaccination by the pharmacy department in a large academic medical center.

Purpose Highly effective coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) vaccines have brought hope for ending the pandemic. Unprecedented mass vaccination started first among healthcare workers. The aim of this report is to describe key strategies undertaken by a large hospital pharmacy department to meet the challenges of preparing a large quantity of COVID-19 vaccine doses in a short period of time. Summary MedStar Washington Hospital Center (MWHC) was in the first group of hospitals in Washington, DC, to receive Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine in December 2020. The pharmacy department faced challenges including stringent vaccine storage requirements, a need for specific equipment and workflow, limited funding, and staffing constraints. The pharmacy department's senior leaders defined pharmacy responsibilities, budgeted for equipment, participated in vaccination center design, and instructed pharmacy informatics personnel. The vaccine coordinators were appointed to oversee all vaccination-related operations. An ultra-low temperature freezer was installed 2 weeks before arrival of the first shipment of vaccine. All pharmacy order entry tools and operating procedures were standardized, and staff training and schedules were finalized by December 15. The first dose of the vaccine was administered on December 16 at the vaccination center. Pharmacy staff members dispensed the vaccine doses and monitored patients. By January 6, 2021, MWHC had vaccinated 3,812 employees with their first vaccine dose, with an average of 228 doses administered daily. Conclusion Key strategies such as systemic coordination, early preparation, detailed planning, operating procedure development, and staff education and engagement proved successful in facilitating preparation of thousands of COVID-19 vaccine doses for hospital employees within a short period of time.
Visualizing Representations of Adversarially Perturbed Inputs.

It has been shown that deep learning models are vulnerable to adversarial attacks. We seek to further understand the consequence of such attacks on the intermediate activations of neural networks. We present an evaluation metric, POP-N, which scores the effectiveness of projecting data to N dimensions under the context of visualizing representations of adversarially perturbed inputs. We conduct experiments on CIFAR-10 to compare the POP-2 score of several dimensionality reduction algorithms across various adversarial attacks. Finally, we utilize the 2D data corresponding to high POP-2 scores to generate example visualizations.
Chloroma of the Bladder: A Case Report of Leukemia Progression Presenting as Hematuria

Myeloid sarcoma (MS) is a rare extramedullary manifestation of acute myelogenous leukemia (AML). The mass is composed of primitive myeloid cells that can occur in a variety of organs, most commonly the skin, lymph nodes, GI tract, bone, breast, and CNS. Involvement of the genitourinary tract is rare. Consensus on treatment of MS has not been established, but management typically involves systemic therapy, such as chemotherapy or allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplant as well as palliative local therapies such as radiation or surgery. Outcomes of MS using novel AML therapies, such as BCL-2 inhibitors or IDH inhibitors, remain undescribed. We describe a rare case of a 70-year-old man presenting with MS of the urinary bladder complicating known secondary AML (RUNX1 and IDH2 mutated). Prior to development of bladder MS, the patient had received decitabine, enasidenib, and venetoclax. Following diagnosis, he was treated with cytarabine and venetoclax. To our knowledge, this is the first case of bladder MS treated with a BCL-2 inhibitor.
The Zebrafish as a Model of Host-Pathogen Interactions

The zebrafish as a model for host-pathogen interactions has now matured to the point that we can reflect on what it truly has to offer, where it is helpful, and how it complements other models. The genetic advantages of zebrafish are often considered the strongest. Forward genetic screens are relatively easy, again because of the large number of progeny derived and the speed with which they can be assessed. Morpholino technology makes for a rapid and relatively inexpensive tool for the study of gene function for up to 7 to 10 days of life. Macrophages are the first phagocytes, and indeed the first immune cells, to appear in zebrafish development (although the precise timing of neutrophil development is not certain). Although the kidney is the site of hematopoiesis in the adult fish, the predecessors of the stem cells responsible for definitive hematopoiesis first appear in a region of the trunk called the aorta-gonad-mesonephros (AGM) at about 24 hpf, whence they move to another temporary hematopoietic site in the ventral tail called the caudal hematopoietic tissue. Some studies of embryonic macrophages have taken advantage of neutral red accumulation in macrophages, but this dye is toxic within hours of administration. Melanomacrophages are a subset of macrophages found in fish, amphibians, and reptiles. They are most commonly found as a part of melanomacrophage centers (MMCs) in the spleen, liver, and sometimes kidney, but are also seen singly. The chapter highlights the work done thus far with the various pathogen species.
Wave propagation in a random medium with stratified background

We study the propagation of a wave in an arbitrarily stratified medium in the presence of small random irregularities. The technique of two-dimensional Fourier-Stieltjes spectral representation for the random field is used to formulate this problem. With high frequency wave propagation in mind, we applied the W.K.B. method to yield approximate expressions for structure (correlation) functions for the logarithmic amplitude and phase departure of the wave field. The results are compared with those derived for a random medium with homogeneous background. An example is given in which the effect on the amplitude and phase fluctuations due to the stratified background is explicitly computed.
Error-sensitive grading for model combination

Ensemble learning is a powerful learning approach that combines multiple classifiers to improve prediction accuracy. An important decision while using an ensemble of classifiers is to decide upon a way of combining the prediction of its base classifiers. In this paper, we introduce a novel grading-based algorithm for model combination, which uses cost-sensitive learning in building a meta-learner. This method distinguishes between the grading error of classifying an incorrect prediction as correct, and the other-way-round, and tries to assign appropriate costs to the two types of error in order to improve performance. We study issues in error-sensitive grading, and then with extensive experiments show the empirically effectiveness of this new method in comparison with representative meta-classification techniques.
Transcribing and Annotating Speech Corpora for Speech Recognition: A Three-Step Crowdsourcing Approach with Quality Control

Large speech corpora with word-level transcriptions annotated for noises and disfluent speech are necessary for training automatic speech recognisers. Crowdsourcing is a lower-cost, faster-turnaround, highly scalable alternative for expert transcription and annotation. In this paper, we showcase our three-step crowdsourcing approach motivated by the importance of accurate transcriptions and annotations.
Phase III Comparison of High-Dose Paclitaxel + Cisplatin + Granulocyte Colony-Stimulating Factor Versus Low-Dose Paclitaxel + Cisplatin in Advanced Head and Neck Cancer: Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group Study E1393

PURPOSE: To determine dose-response effects and the activity of paclitaxel combined with cisplatin in patients with incurable squamous cell carcinoma of the head and neck. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Two hundred ten patients with locally advanced, recurrent, or metastatic disease were randomly placed in either Arm A, paclitaxel 200 mg/m2 (24-hour infusion) + cisplatin 75mg/m2 + granulocyte colony-stimulating factor, or Arm B, paclitaxel 135 mg/m2 (24-hour infusion) + cisplatin 75 mg/m2. Cycles were repeated every 3 weeks until progression or a total of 12 cycles for complete responses. Primary outcomes were event-free and overall survival. RESULTS: No significant differences in outcomes were observed between the high- and low-dose paclitaxel regimens. The estimated median survival was 7.3 months (95% confidence interval, 6.0 to 8.6). The 1-year survival rate was 29%, and event-free survival was 4.0 months. The objective response rate (complete response plus partial response) was 35% for the high-dose patients a...
Extrinsic contribution to Gilbert damping in sputtered NiFe films by ferromagnetic resonance

Abstract We quantitatively determine the intrinsic and extrinsic contribution to frequency (Δfres) and field (ΔH) linewidths using Network Analyzer ferromagnetic resonance (NA-FMR) (using two different excitation cells) and conventional ferromagnetic resonance (FMR) techniques in sputtered thin permalloy (NiFe) films. There are some common features in these two FMR measurements, which allow us to get important information on damping mechanisms and structural magnetic qualities. The NA-FMR data show an increase in frequency linewidth (Δfres) as magnetic field (H) increases. A distinct change in the slope of this increase is noted for a field above 200 Oe. To explain this result, we consider available theories including the “two-magnon” model, and the “local-resonance” model. From a fitting of Δfres versus H data to the Arias-Mills’ two-magnon model results, we obtain the Gilbert damping parameters. The frequency variation of conventional FMR linewidth (ΔH) data also yields an effective value for the Gilbert damping ( α eff = 0.0128 ), in good agreement with the data from the Network Analyzer data (0.013±0.004). In addition to the theoretical analysis presented in this paper, we compare our experimental results from RF-excitation cell to the commonly used co-planer waveguide technique.
Protection of Freeze-Dried Escherichia coli by Trehalose upon Exposure to Environmental Conditions

Freeze-dried cultures of wild-type and genetically engineered strains of Escherichia coli lost their colony-forming ability upon exposure to air, visible light, and certain relative humidity levels. Both strains could be maximally protected from these lethal effects with 100 mM trehalose, a concentration calculated to just saturate the interphospholipid spaces in the cell membrane, thus preserving the liquid-crystalline structure. The trehalose protection was observed for at least 96 h. Trehalose increased viability as much as 2000-4000% over nontreated populations. In all cases, exposure to environmental conditions was more damaging to the genetically engineered strain.
Protein kinase C modulates calcium channels in isolated presynaptic nerve terminals of rat hippocampus.

Nerve terminals («synaptosomes») isolated from rat brain hippocampus were loaded with the fluorescent Ca 2+ indicator fura-2 and were subjected to depolarization with an elevated K + concentration in a stopped-flow spectrophotometer to measure the activity of voltage-gated Ca 2+ channels in the presynaptic membrane. Three components of Ca 2+ influx were seen, which were tentatively identified as two classes of voltage-dependent Ca 2+ channels with different inactivation kinetics (τ of ∼60 ms and 1 s, respectively) and Na + /Ca 2+ exchange working in the «reverse » mode. The activity of both classes of voltage-dependent Ca 2+ channels was slightly augmented by the phorbol ester phorbol 12-myristate 13-acetate (PMA), an activator of protein kinase C (PKC), but the effect of PNA was markedly enhanced by the protein phosphatase inhibitor okadaic acid (OKA). The PKC inhibitors calphostin C and dihydrosphingosine (DHS) caused a prompt decrease in voltage-dependent Ca 2+ channel activity, but the effect of DHS could be slowed by coaddition of OKA. These results suggest that the activity of presynaptic voltage-dependent Ca 2+ chan nels in the hippocampus is under a dynamic balance between PKC phosphorylation (leading to activation) and protein phosphatase dephosphorylation (leading to inactivation) and that both of these metabolic pathways are tonically active in the nerve terminals
Unbacked cylindrical metal foils of submicron thickness

Abstract Implosion experiments often utilize cylindrical thin metal foils. Previously these foils have been made either from flat sheets, with a seam where the edges joined, or in the form of a composite polymer/metal laminate, in which the plastic film acts as a supporting substrate. A method has been developed to produce unbacked cylindrical metal foils of submicron thicknesses. This process utilizes a temporary substrate consisting of a water-soluble polymer film as a base for the electron beam deposition of the metal layer. After formation of the metal foil, the polymer is removed by immersion of the assembly in water. Unbacked metal foil cylinders as thin as 0.17 μm with extremely smooth wrinkle-free surfaces have been produced by this technique.
An algorithm for solving linear algebraic equations using residue arithmetic I

This paper is in two parts. Part I contains a survey of the elementary theory of residue arithmetic and a description of an algorithm for solvingAx=b using single-modulus residue arithmetic. In Part II there is a description of the algorithm using more than one modulus. Part II also contains a discussion of how to select the moduli along with some numerical results. There is a sketch of this procedure in Newman [1]. However, the treatment here is complete and uses the notation of Szabo and Tanaka [2]. It lays the foundation for a subsequent paper which will extend these results.