cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Towards improving ℓ 1 optimization in compressed sensing

Recently, [3, 8] theoretically analyzed the success of a polynomial l 1 -optimization algorithm in solving an under-determined system of linear equations. In a large dimensional and statistical context [3, 8] proved that if the number of equations (measurements in the compressed sensing terminology) in the system is proportional to the length of the unknown vector then there is a sparsity (number of non-zero elements of the unknown vector) also proportional to the length of the unknown vector such that l 1 -optimization succeeds in solving the system. In this paper, we consider the same problem while additionally assuming that the locations of a fraction of non-zero elements are a priori known. We provide a performance analysis of a modified l 1 -optimization. As expected, the obtained recoverable sparsity proportionality constants improve on the equivalent ones that can be obtained if no information about the non-zero elements location is available. This effectively means that, for certain sparsity levels where l 1 -optimization is unsuccessful, instead of solving exactly an under-determined system of linear equations one may be interested in searching for approximate algorithms that only recover location of the fraction of the non-zero part of the unknown vector.
Establishing Causality Using Longitudinal Hierarchical Linear Modeling: An Illustration Predicting Achievement From Self-Control

The predictive validity of personality for important life outcomes is well established, but conventional longitudinal analyses cannot rule out the possibility that unmeasured third-variable confounds fully account for the observed relationships. Longitudinal hierarchical linear models (HLM) with time-varying covariates allow each subject to serve as his or her own control, thus eliminating between-individual confounds. HLM also allows the directionality of the causal relationship to be tested by reversing time-lagged predictor and outcome variables. We illustrate these techniques through a series of models that demonstrate that within-individual changes in self-control over time predict subsequent changes in GPA but not vice-versa. The evidence supporting a causal role for self-control was not moderated by IQ, gender, ethnicity, or income. Further analyses rule out one time-varying confound: self-esteem. The analytic approach taken in this study provides the strongest evidence to date for the causal role of self-control in determining achievement.
Delay time performance of multihop networks utilizing finite-length buffers

The impact of the buffer size of a terminal on network performance is presented. Most multihop radio network models investigated so far have assumed an infinite buffer in a terminal instead of finite capacity, which increases the probability of encountering full buffers in a practical system. The inability to receive a packet when buffers are full has an obvious impact on network performance. With the slotted ALOHA protocol used as an example, throughput and packet delay time are analyzed with buffer size as a parameter. The probability of a terminal having either a full or an empty buffer is analyzed by using a Markov chain model for the buffer states. Throughput and packet delay time versus transmission range (power) are then evaluated by using these probabilities. >
Anisotropic mechanical properties of ultra-incompressible, hard osmium diboride

Borides of high electron density metals such as Os show promise as hard materials. Arc-melting elemental osmium and boron under an argon atmosphere produced osmium diboride (OsB2). Both a Vickers diamond microindenter and a Berkovich nanoindenter were used to measure hardness. Vickers microindentation indicates that the hardness of OsB2 increases significantly with decreasing applied load. The average hardness reaches approximately 37 GPa as the applied load is lowered to 0.245 N. The hardness is found to be highly dependent on the crystallographic orientation. For the {010} grains, along the 〈100〉 direction, the average hardness is significantly higher than that in the orthogonal 〈001〉 direction. Cracks associated with pop-in events in the nanoindentation load–displacement curves are observed in the {010} grains. The measured Young’s modulus of OsB2 is 410 ± 35 GPa, which is comparable to that obtained from first-principles calculations.
Dimensions of object-based language design

The design space of object-based languages is characterized in terms of objects, classes, inheritance, data abstraction, strong typing, concurrency, and persistence. Language classes (paradigms) associated with interesting subsets of these features are identified and language design issues for selected paradigms are examined. Orthogonal dimensions that span the object-oriented design space are related to non-orthogonal features of real languages. The self-referential application of object-oriented methodology to the development of object-based language paradigms is demonstrated.Delegation is defined as a generalization of inheritance and design alternatives such as non-strict, multiple, and abstract inheritance are considered. Actors and prototypes are presented as examples of classless (delegation based) languages. Processes are classified by their degree of internal concurrency. The potential inconsistency of object-oriented sharing and distributed autonomy is discussed, suggesting that compromises between sharing and autonomy will be necessary in designing strongly typed object-oriented distributed database languages.
Effects of melatonin administration on the clinical course of adrenocortical disease in domestic ferrets

Objective—To evaluate the effect of oral administration of melatonin on clinical signs, tumor size, and serum steroid hormone concentrations in ferrets with adrenocortical disease. Design—Noncontrolled clinical trial. Animals—10 adult ferrets with clinical signs of adrenocortical disease (confirmed via serum steroid hormone concentration assessments). Procedures—Melatonin (0.5 mg) was administered orally to ferrets once daily for 1 year. At 4-month intervals, a complete physical examination; abdominal ultrasonographic examination (including adrenal gland measurement); CBC; serum biochemical analyses; and assessment of serum estradiol, androstenedione, and 17α-hydroxyprogesterone concentrations were performed. Serum prolactin and dehydroepiandrosterone sulfate concentrations were evaluated at the first, second, and last examinations, and serum cortisol concentration was evaluated at the first and last examinations. Results—Daily oral administration of melatonin greatly affected clinical signs of adrenocort...
Transcriptional activation of the telomerase hTERT gene by human papillomavirus type 16 E6 oncoprotein.

The E6 and E7 oncogenes of human papillomavirus type 16 (HPV-16) are sufficient for the immortalization of human genital keratinocytes in vitro. The products of these viral genes associate with p53 and pRb tumor suppressor proteins, respectively, and interfere with their normal growth-regulatory functions. The HPV-16 E6 protein has also been shown to increase the telomerase enzyme activity in primary epithelial cells by an unknown mechanism. We report here that a study using reverse transcription-PCR and RNase protection assays in transduced primary human foreskin keratinocytes (HFKs) shows that the E6 gene (but not the E7 gene) increases telomerase hTERT gene transcription coordinately with E6-induced telomerase activity. In these same cells, the E6 gene induces a 6.5-fold increase in the activity of a 1,165-bp 5′ promoter/regulatory region of the hTERT gene, and this induction is attributable to a minimal 251-bp sequence (−211 to +40). Furthermore, there is a 35-bp region (+5 to +40) within this minimal E6-responsive promoter that is responsible for 60% of E6 activity. Although the minimal hTERT promoter contains Myc-responsive E-box elements and recent studies have suggested a role for Myc protein in hTERT transcriptional control, we found no alterations in the abundance of either c-Myc or c-Mad in E6-transduced HFKs, suggesting that there are other or additional transcription factors critical for regulating hTERT expression.
A New Species of the Eliurus majori Complex (Rodentia: Muroidea: Nesomyidae) from South-central Madagascar, with Remarks on Emergent Species Groupings in the Genus Eliurus

Abstract A new species of Eliurus, E. danieli Nesomyidae: Nesomyinae, is described from the Parc National de l'Isalo in south-central Madagascar. Although geographically intermediate to eastern and western forms, diagnostic traits convincingly relate the new species to E. majori and E. penicillatus, forms distributed primarily in eastern humid forest; it is morphometrically most similar to E. penicillatus. In view of the increase in number of Eliurus species 11 now described, discussion is devoted to emerging species associations 5 are identified and to taxonomic and distributional problems introduced by the accumulation of larger series and new localities over the past decade.
Codename Geronimo: settler memory and the production of American statism

The article examines the use of the name ‘Geronimo’ as the codename that the US Defense Department gave to Osama Bin Laden in their successful mission to assassinate him. In engaging this critique ...
Application of a Novel Approach for Turbulence Model Initialization: Preliminary Results

Progress on the implementation of a novel approach to initialization for RANS simulations of interfacial instability induced turbulent mixing is demonstrated on various problems. The strategy consist of using an analytical model to compute the instability evolution from the quiescent state, and make use of its prediction to generate initial conditions for the turbulence model. Explicitly, an incompressible inviscid model for Rayleigh-Taylor and Richtmyer-Meshkov instabilities continuously updates the turbulence model variables values in the mixing layer, until the Reynolds number suggests that the flow has become turbulent. Implementation of this procedure is made in three steps: first, the instability model is run alone while the interface is evolved by the hydrocode hosting the turbulence model; second the turbulence model is started and the turbulence variables updated in accordance with the instability growth model predictions; finally, the Reynolds number suggests that the turbulent mixing regime is reached, causing the instability model to stop and the turbulence model to continue alone. The initialization methodology is tested on canonical Rayleigh-Taylor and Richtmyer-Meshkov problems, on the tilted rig test problem, and on the chevron problem. Overall, this new approach to turbulence model initialization show promising results.
Transplantation of Endothelial Cells to Mitigate Acute and Chronic Radiation Injury to Vital Organs

Current therapeutic approaches for treatment of exposure to radiation involve the use of antioxidants, chelating agents, recombinant growth factors and transplantation of stem cells (e.g., hematopoietic stem cell transplantation). However, exposure to high-dose radiation is associated with severe damage to the vasculature of vital organs, often leading to impaired healing, tissue necrosis, thrombosis and defective regeneration caused by aberrant fibrosis. It is very unlikely that infusion of protective chemicals will reverse severe damage to the vascular endothelial cells (ECs). The role of irradiated vasculature in mediating acute and chronic radiation syndromes has not been fully appreciated or well studied. New approaches are necessary to replace and reconstitute ECs in organs that are irreversibly damaged by radiation. We have set forth the novel concept that ECs provide paracrine signals, also known as angiocrine signals, which not only promote healing of irradiated tissue but also direct organ regeneration without provoking fibrosis. We have developed innovative technologies that enable manufacturing and banking of human GMP-grade ECs. These ECs can be transplanted intravenously to home to and engraft to injured tissues where they augment organ repair, while preventing maladaptive fibrosis. In the past, therapeutic transplantation of ECs was not possible due to a shortage of availability of suitable donor cell sources and preclinical models, a lack of understanding of the immune privilege of ECs, and inadequate methodologies for expansion and banking of engraftable ECs. Recent advances made by our group as well as other laboratories have breached the most significant of these obstacles with the development of technologies to manufacture clinical-scale quantities of GMP-grade and human ECs in culture, including genetically diverse reprogrammed human amniotic cells into vascular ECs (rAC-VECs) or human pluripotent stem cells into vascular ECs (iVECs). This approach provides a path to therapeutic EC transplantation that can be infused concomitantly or sequentially with hematopoietic stem cell transplantation more than 24 h after irradiation to support multi-organ regeneration, thereby improving immediate and long-term survival, while limiting long-term morbidity resulting from nonregenerative damage repair pathways.
Training Professionals Using Sequential Behavior Analysis

Publisher Summary One of the main difficulties of implementing a discovery approach to behaviorally based instructional feedback strategies lies in having access to capable and user-friendly direct observation descriptive mapping tools. Currently, many computer-based instruments have been developed and implemented to support the use of sequential behavior analysis as well as to facilitate the ability to collect and analyze multiple measurement types of multiple ongoing behaviors and events. While collecting data to illustrate the sequential connections among multiple behaviors, it is first important to define measures so that they explicitly capture the sequential character of behavior and event interactions. To advocate using a sequential behavior approach in the field-based or deliberate practice education of undergraduate teacher-trainees, it is important to show empirical support for the educational method. If the training stops with demonstration, it is argued that teacher-trainees may not come to an understanding of the functional relationships between what a teacher does and how it affects pupil behaviors in particular instructional situations. If a teacher-trainee does not leave the training program with adequate understanding of the setting specific nature of teacher–pupil interactions, then long-term use of effective teaching practices may not be realized.
Message Framing and Physical Activity Promotion in Colorectal Cancer Survivors

Purpose/objectives To test effects of gain-framed versus loss-framed mailed brochures on increasing physical activity (PA) among colorectal cancer (CRC) survivors. . Design Randomized trial with repeated measures at baseline, 1 month, and 12 months postintervention. . Setting Mail recruitment from tumor registries. . Sample 148 inactive CRC survivors who had completed primary therapy. . Methods PA and constructs from the Theory of Planned Behavior (TPB) were assessed at baseline, 1 month, and 12 months. Participants were randomized to receive pamphlets describing PA benefits (gain framed) or disadvantages of not being physically active (loss framed). Baseline characteristics were compared using descriptive statistics. Repeated measures linear models were used to test PA changes. . Main research variables Minutes of PA and TPB constructs. . Findings Significant PA increases were observed in both study arms. Results did not differ by message frame. At one month, about 25% of previously inactive participants increased activity to national recommendations. Those who increased PA compared to those who did not had higher baseline scores on subjective norms, perceived behavioral control, and PA intentions. . Conclusions Independent of message framing, mailed brochures are highly effective in producing within-subject short- and long-term increases in PA. . Implications for nursing CRC survivors may increase short- and long-term levels of PA by receiving inexpensive print brochures.
Targeted Dance Program for Improved Mobility in Multiple Sclerosis

Multiple sclerosis (MS) is a disease of the central nervous system with impaired communication between the brain and the body. Walking impairment is prevalent in MS. There is no documented evidence for improving walking agility or smoothness of movements in exercise interventions for those with MS. We report the results of a classical ballet based targeted dance program on clinical measures of balance, posture, and ataxia as well as a quantitative measure of smoothness of gait. The results demonstrate statistically significant improvements in all measures.
Metabiosis and pH of Moldy Fresh Tomatoes.

Two hundred twenty eight locally grown, garden variety, moldy tomatoes were examined. The dominant molds were Alternaria , Fusarium and Cephalosporium . Geotrichum , Epicoccum and Mucor were seen in a small number of tomatoes. Seventy eight per cent of the tomatoes were infected with a single mold, and mixed infections were seen in 21% of tomatoes. The pH at the site of infection varied from 4.4 to 8.1, with pH less than 4.8 observed in only 21 moldy tomatoes. The pH of sound tissue increased as pH at the site of the lesion increased. Bacteria were seen in wet mounts from the site of the lesion of 26% of the tomatoes. Bacteria were cultured from an additional 38% of the tomatoes at the site of the lesion and from 13% of the juice cavities at the site across from the infection. Most bacteria were members of the acid tolerant genera Erwinia and Enterobacter . Members of the genera Pseudomonas , Flavobacterium and Alcaligenes were also isolated. Leuconostoc mesenteroides , rennin-proteolytic Streptococcus faecalis and yeasts were obtained in culture, but were not seen in wet mounts. Gram-negative bacteria were seen in two of 13, and recovered in culture from 6 of 13 severely bruised, non-molded tomatoes. The bacteria appear to be present in a metabiotic relationship in which the molds created a favorable pH for bacterial growth.
Neural Computation Theories of Learning

This chapter gives an overview of basic learning rules and examples of learning algorithms used in neural network models and describes specific problems that can be solved by these algorithms. Hebb's hypothesis states that connection strengths between neurons are modified based on neural activities in the presynaptic and postsynaptic cells has served as the starting point for these models as well as studies of synaptic plasticity in biological neural systems. Neural network models assume that the strengths of connections are adjusted according to an algorithm that specifies how and under what conditions a learning rule or a combination of several different learning rules should be applied to adjust the network connections. Although early modeling studies focused mainly on traditional mechanisms for synaptic plasticity, such as long-term potentiation and long-term depression, relatively new forms of neural plasticity have been explored recently, such as homeostatic plasticity and plasticity of intrinsic neural excitability, that are being incorporated in network models. Models that combine several types of plasticity show promise in overcoming some of the limitations of earlier models.
Preventing Disability: The Influence Of Modifiable Risk Factors On State And National Disability Prevalence

Disability levels in the United States declined during the 1980s and 1990s, but these declines stalled more recently. Using data for 2013 from the Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System, we estimated the percentages of national and state disability that could be prevented through reductions in five modifiable health risk factors associated with disability: cigarette smoking, obesity, diabetes, high cholesterol, and hypertension. Taking into account risk-factor prevalence and the association between each risk factor and disability, we evaluated the fraction of disability preventable if risk factors were reduced under two scenarios: complete elimination of risk factors and reduction in all states to the lowest levels observed in states. If all five risk factors were eliminated, 53 percent of disability could be prevented nationally. The largest contributors were smoking (17 percent), obesity (16 percent), and hypertension (12 percent). If all states reduced risk-factor levels to the lowest observed leve...
Discrimination and Thresholding

There have been several references in the preceding chapters to the use of brightness discrimination to select pixels belonging to features of interest. This is a widely used method of converting a grey scale image to a binary (black and white) one, illustrated in Figure 5-1. Discrimination with threshold values is much more efficient than any edge following or region growing method (as discussed in the previous chapter) because it works on the entire image at once. Hence the time required is fixed, regardless of the complexity of the image, and very short. Also, the resulting binary image is a pixel-based representation of features of interest, and is easier for most measurement operations than the boundary representation that results from the location and identification of edges.
Scalability Bugs: When 100-Node Testing is Not Enough

We highlight the problem of scalability bugs, a new class of bugs that appear in "cloud-scale" distributed systems. Scalability bugs are latent bugs that are cluster-scale dependent, whose symptoms typically surface in large-scale deployments, but not in small or medium-scale deployments. The standard practice to test large distributed systems is to deploy them on a large number of machines ("real-scale testing"), which is difficult and expensive. New methods are needed to reduce developers' burdens in finding, reproducing, and debugging scalability bugs. We propose "scale check," an approach that helps developers find and replay scalability bugs at real scales, but do so only on one machine and still achieve a high accuracy (i.e., similar observed behaviors as if the nodes are deployed in real-scale testing).
Movement of small‐bodied fishes from Lake Michigan into Chicago Area Waterways: Insights from otolith chemistry

Summary The Chicago Area Waterways System (CAWS), an artificial connection between Lake Michigan (LMI) and the Illinois River watershed, has served as a conduit for invasive species and is a potential pathway for viral hemorrhagic septicemia (VHS) to spread from the Great Lakes into the Illinois River drainage. Although some fishes are known to have moved from LMI into the Illinois River via the CAWS, the rate of fish passage from the lake into the CAWS is unclear. Stable carbon isotopic signatures (δ13C) in otoliths differ between lake- and CAWS-resident fish and were used as a natural tag to identify individuals that may have moved into the CAWS from LMI. The objectives of this study were to (i) estimate relative frequency of individuals with otolith δ13C indicative of prior residency in LMI among small-bodied (<150 mm total length) VHS-susceptible fishes collected from several locations in the CAWS, and (ii) to assess differences in relative frequency of probable immigrants from LMI among CAWS locations that differ in distance from the lake. Thirty-six percent of small-bodied fishes collected from the CAWS were identified as potential immigrants based on otolith δ13C. The percentage of individuals that had otolith δ13C suggestive of prior residency in LMI was higher among fish collected from the Calumet River compared to the Chicago River and North Shore Channel and decreased with increasing distance from lock and dam structures at the three entrances to the CAWS from the lake. Movement of small-bodied fishes from LMI into the CAWS appears to be common and may represent a pathway for VHS-susceptible species to transport the virus into the CAWS and potentially beyond.
The Response of Spectral Tarsiers Toward Avian and Terrestrial Predators

Predation pressure has an overwhelming influence on the behavior of nonhuman primates (Cheney & Wrangham, 1986; Isbell, 1994; Hill & Dunbar, 1998; Janson, 1998; Stanford, 1998; Treves, 1998; Wright, 1998; Bearder et al., 2002). In response to this powerful selective pressure, primates have evolved a variety of adaptations to thwart predators including concealment, vigilance, flight, alarm calls, group living, and polyspecific associations (Caine, 1984; Cheney & Wrangham, 1986; Cords, 1990; Ferrari & Ferrari, 1990; Baldellou & Henzi, 1992; Cowlishaw, 1994; Lima, 1995; Gould, 1996; Iwamoto et al., 1996; Bshary & Noe, 1997; Treves, 1998; Bearder et al., 2002). The anti-predator strategy used by a prey often depends on the particular circumstances of a threatening situation (Ydenberg 1986; Welton et al., 2003). In other words, to avoid unnecessary and costly responses, prey animals assess the degree of risk and tailor their responses accordingly (Lima & Dill, 1990; Janson, 1998; Wright, 1999; Henni, 2005). In particular, predators or situations that are unlikely to be successful in their attack can be responded to differently than can predators or situations that are likely to be successful (Welton et al., 2003).
Efficacy of Glucose or Amino Acid-Based Commercial Beverages in Meeting Oral Rehydration Therapy Goals After Acute Hypertonic and Isotonic Dehydration

BACKGROUND The efficacy of different commercial beverage compositions for meeting oral rehydration therapy (ORT) goals in the treatment of acute dehydration in healthy humans has not been systematically tested. The objective of the study was to compare fluid retention, plasma volume (PV), and interstitial fluid (ISF) volume restoration when using 1 popular glucose-based and 1 novel amino acid-based (AA) commercial ORT beverage following experimental hypertonic or isotonic dehydration. METHODS Twenty-six healthy adults (21 males, 5 females) underwent either a controlled bout of hypertonic (n = 13) or isotonic (n = 13) dehydration (3%-4% body mass) via eccrine or renal body water and electrolyte losses induced using exercise-heat stress (EHS) or Lasix administration (LAS), respectively. Rehydration was achieved over 90 minutes by matching fluid intake to water losses (1:1) using a sports drink (SP) or AA commercial ORT beverage. Fluid retention (water and electrolytes), PV, and ISF volume changes were tracked for 180 minutes. RESULTS AA produced significantly (P <0.05) greater fluid retention (75% vs 57%), ISF volume restoration, and tended (P = 0.06) to produce greater PV restoration in trial EHS. In trial LAS, neither beverage exceeded 65% retention, but AA replaced electrolytes and preserved ISF volume better than SP (P <0.05). CONCLUSION The results of this study demonstrate superior rehydration when using AA compared with SP for both hypertonic and isotonic dehydration.
Tunnel Roof Stability in Soft Rock with Tension Cutoff

Underground structures are exposed to stability issues associated with roof collapse, both during their construction and operation. A major source of uncertainties in tunnels’ roof stability come from the behavior of rock or soil. The Hoek-Brown yield criterion is typically used in analyses when tunnels are constructed in rocks, but in soils and soft rocks the Mohr-Coulomb criterion is more often utilized. However, the tensile strength following from the Mohr-Coulomb criterion may be unrealistic. For that reason, a tension cutoff is proposed, which truncates the yield surface in tensile regime. An analysis of tunnel roof stability in geomaterial with tension cutoff is described in this paper. The kinematic approach of limit analysis is used. Introducing tensile strength cutoff produces nonlinearity in the strength envelope, promoting a multiplicity of admissible roof failure patterns. Stability numbers for an unsupported roof are calculated and support stress is derived that assures stability.
Models for low-dimensional thermoelectricity

SUMMARY Enhanced thermoelectric performance, expressed in terms of the thermoelectric figure of merit (ZT), has been predicted theoretically for low-dimensional electronic systems under appropriate experimental conditions. Enhanced ZT has been observed experimentally within 2D quantum wells of PbTe, and good agreement between theory and experiment has been obtained. The advantages of low-dimensional systems for thermoelectric applications are described, and prospects for further enhancement of ZT are discussed.
An early detection tool in Eclipse to support secure coding practices

Developing secure software in a world where companies like Anthem Blue Cross, Twitter, Facebook, and target have had massive amounts of data stolen by hackers is as challenging as it is important. Insecure coding practices are major contributors to software security vulnerabilities. Even though several static analysis tools are available that can search for and identify security holes in software applications, this process usually runs too late and any remediation will be more costly after large portions of the software have been built. The early detection tools that do exist are closed source and utilise proprietary software vulnerability rule sets. What is missing is an open-source secure coding enforcement tool utilising well-documented rules that software developers can use to predict potential pitfalls, learn from their mistakes and aid in the construction of secure programs as they build them. To address the need, we have designed a new tool called secure coding assistant for the Eclipse development environment that semi-automates several secure coding rules set forth by the CERT division at Carnegie Mellon University. The tool detects violations of the CERT rules for the Java programming language but it is easily extensible to other languages supported by Eclipse. It is an open-source tool with an emphasis on educating software developers in secure coding practices. The tool and a tool demo is disseminated via github at http://benw408701.github.io/SecureCodingAssistant/.
Voices from the Field: A Qualitative Exploration of Community Partners’ Definitions of Service-Learning

During the last two decades, the knowledge base regarding the benefits and burdens for all stakeholders in service learning has expanded. However, service-learning research has neglected to address the foundation of the pedagogy, its definition, and stakeholders’ perspectives on the meaning of service learning. The current research addresses this deficiency through the use of focus group methodology to explore how community partners, specifically, define service learning. By recognizing the community voice, we hope to empower all those engaged in service-learning pedagogy to communicate understandings, experiences, and expectations to develop beneficial service-learning partnerships.
Patterns and Trends in Secchi Disk Depth over Three Decades in the Chesapeake Bay Estuarine Complex

Water clarity is an important ecosystem indicator of eutrophication in Chesapeake Bay and other coastal and estuarine systems across the globe. Although a variety of measures are available to quantify light availability in water, Secchi disk depths have been the most consistent and frequent measure employed in water monitoring programs. Because light availability is influenced by multiple variables, such as phytoplankton biomass, non-living suspended particles, and colored dissolved organic matter (CDOM), understanding the factors driving long-term variability and trends in water clarity is critical for targeting watershed management actions related to eutrophication. Thus, we conducted a comprehensive statistical analysis of spatial and temporal variations in Secchi disk depth and the key internal and external variables that influence its variability in Chesapeake Bay and its tidal tributaries over the past 30 years. Our results indicate that although watershed nutrient, sediment, and freshwater inputs did not correlate with Secchi depth on a monthly timescale outside of low-salinity regions near river outflows, water-column variables that represent the consequences of those inputs (CDOM, chlorophyll-a, and total suspended solids [TSS]) were strongly associated with Secchi depth variability. The inconsistency of these two findings may be explained by controls on chlorophyll-a and TSS that are not directly related to watershed input, such as grazing and resuspension, and by lags of several months between watershed inputs and the associated water-column concentrations. While salinity (a proxy for CDOM) was a dominant spatial covariate with Secchi depth bay-wide, TSS concentrations were strongly associated with temporal changes in Secchi depths in low-salinity regions and indicators of phytoplankton biomass were more important in mesohaline and polyhaline regions. These findings related to spatially dependent controls on Secchi depth enhance our understanding of long-term changes in estuarine light availability and suggest a region-specific response of Secchi depth to variables (TSS and chlorophyll-a) targeted by watershed restoration actions designed to limit nutrient and sediment inputs to Chesapeake Bay.
The effect of artificial intelligence on human labor: An ability-based approach

While artificial intelligence (AI) promises to spur economic growth, there is concern that this may come at the expense of human labor. We utilize data on advances in AI together with occupational ...
The Powerful Male Hero: A Content Analysis of Gender Representation in Posters for Children’s Animated Movies

Findings across a wide body of research suggest that media targeted at young audiences often portray characters according to stereotypical gender roles. Childhood is a particularly sensitive time in gender identity development, and logic from social cognitive theory suggests that repeatedly observing these stereotypes can have a lasting influence on young audiences’ worldview. Building on previous research investigating gender role displays in film content, and with the expectation that content creators use movie posters to convey a one-shot summary of films to audiences, we conducted a content analysis on the gendered power depictions of the main characters in movie posters of 152 popular U.S. animated children’s feature films produced over the last 80 years. Findings revealed that main characters were more likely to be male and that males were portrayed as more powerful. These results add to a growing, yet substantial, body of research illustrating the prevalence of stereotypical gender role portrayals across virtually every popular medium with which children come into contact. We discuss our results’ implications for potential short-term and long-term effects of exposure to films’ gender role stereotypes on young viewers’ real-life gender role expectations.
Effect of 90-Min Bikram Yoga on Basic Psychological Needs Among Practitioners in the Southwestern United States.

Background: In our modern society, physical activity is a lifestyle choice. Bikram Yoga is a low impact; moderate exercise and the understanding of motivation and adherence to the practice is unknown. This study aimed to evaluate the effect of 90 min Bikram Yoga practice on basic psychological needs of competence (the sense of skill mastery), autonomy (volitionally performing a task), and relatedness (a connection with others) as postulated in self-determination theory for motivation. Methods: The sample included Bikram Yoga practitioners in the Southwestern United States (n = 126) averaged between the age group of 35 and 64, predominately female, and highly educated. Responses to the Psychological Need Satisfaction in Exercise Scale were analyzed using multivariate analysis of variance. Results: Results showed a statistically significant effect of frequency of Yoga attendance on the satisfaction of basic psychological needs (i.e., competence, autonomy, and relatedness); (P = 0.025); specifically, Yoga practitioners who attended four or more classes per week had higher satisfaction levels of Basic Psychological Need for competence (P = 0.013) and relatedness (P = 0.034). A statistically significant effect of the level of experience on the satisfaction of basic psychological needs (i.e., competence, autonomy, and relatedness) (P = 0.014) found in experienced Bikram Yoga practitioners, specifically for competence (P = 0.013) and relatedness (P = 0.023) compared to novice counterparts. Conclusion: The study provides some evidence of an individual's motivation for a 90 min Bikram Yoga practice and possible adherence. Future investigation of Bikram Yoga practice adopting self-determination theory appears worthwhile.
Opiates prescribed for acute renal colic are associated with prolonged use.

Patients presenting with acute renal colic may be at risk of opiate abuse. We sought to analyze prescribing patterns and identify risk factors associated with prolonged opiate use during episodes of acute renal colic. Retrospective study of patients presenting with both a stone confirmed on imaging and an acute pain episode from 6/2017–2/2020. Opiate prescription data was obtained from a statewide prescribing database. Primary outcome was an opiate refill or new opiate prescription prior to resolution of the stone episode (either passage or surgery). Univariate and multivariate linear regression analysis was performed. A total of 271 patients met inclusion criteria. Mean age was 52 years and 48% had a history of nephrolithiasis. 180 (66%) patients filled a new opiate prescription during their acute stone episode. Thirty-eight (14%) patients had an existing opiate prescription within 3 months of their stone episode. Seventy-four (27%) patients refilled an opiate prescription prior to stone passage or surgery. Larger stone size, need for surgery, prolonged time to treatment, existing opiate prescription, new opiate prescription at presentation, and greater initial number of pills prescribed were associated with increased risk of requiring a refill prior to stone resolution. Patients prescribed new opiates for acute nephrolithiasis and those with an existing opioid prescription are likely to require refills before resolution of the stone episode. Larger stones that require surgery (not spontaneous passage) also increase the risk. Timely treatment of these patients and initial treatment with non-narcotics may reduce the risk of prolonged opiate use.
COVID-19 Testing, Personal Protective Equipment, and Staffing Strategies Vary at Obstetrics Centers across the Country.

The continued safety and preservation of the health care workforce is vital during the ongoing coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. Observational data show that appropriate personal protective equipment (PPE)—including masks and eyewear are paramount to slowing the spread.[1] Additionally, comprehensive screening strategies to help identify asymptomatic carriers will also protect the highest risk populations—including health care workers.[2] A recent systematic review of 16 cohort studies estimated that asymptomatic carriers accounted for approximately 40 to 45% of positive severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) polymerase chain reaction tests, and this number is expected to rise as screening becomes more accessible.[3] Sutton et al wrote in their commentary in the New England Journal of Medicine that the use of universal SARS-CoV-2 testing in all pregnant patients presenting for delivery revealed that most of the patients who were positive for SARS-CoV-2 at delivery were asymptomatic, and more than one in eight asymptomatic patients who were admitted to the labor and delivery unit were positive for SARS-CoV-2 during a period of increased community transmission.[2] In an effort to characterize COVID-19 safety practices and resources at academic and community hospital obstetric units across the United States, the Society for Maternal-Fetal Medicine (SMFM) administered a national survey to designated state liaisons regarding generalized testing and access to PPE in obstetrical units from April 7 to April 14, 2020. Results from the initial survey (“Survey I”) found wide variation in universal testing policies and PPE use in obstetrical units across the United States.[5] To determine how practices changed as rates across the country increased, SMFM re-administered the same survey from May 1, 2020 to May 22, 2020 (“Survey II”). Received: 10 September 2020Accepted: 11 September 2020Publication Date:26 September 2020 (online) © 2020. Thieme. All rights reserved. Thieme Medical Publishers333 Seventh Avenue, New York, NY 10001, USA.
Production and analysis of a mammalian septin hetero‐octamer complex

The septins are filament-forming proteins found in diverse eukaryotes from fungi to vertebrates, with roles in cytokinesis, shaping of membranes and modifying cytoskeletal organization. These GTPases assemble into rod-shaped soluble hetero-hexamers and hetero-octamers in mammals, which polymerize into filaments and higher order structures. While the cell biology and pathobiology of septins are advancing rapidly, mechanistic study of the mammalian septins is limited by a lack of recombinant hetero-octamer materials. We describe here the production and characterization of a recombinant mammalian septin hetero-octamer of defined stoichiometry, the SEPT2/SEPT6/SEPT7/SEPT3 complex. Using a fluorescent protein fusion to the complex, we observed filaments assembled from this complex. In addition, we used this novel tool to resolve recent questions regarding the organization of the soluble septin complex. Biochemical characterization of a SEPT3 truncation that disrupts SEPT3-SEPT3 interactions is consistent with SEPT3 occupying a central position in the complex while the SEPT2 subunits are at the ends of the rod-shaped octameric complexes. Consistent with SEPT2 being on the complex ends, we find that our purified SEPT2/SEPT6/SEPT7/SEPT3 hetero-octamer copolymerizes into mixed filaments with separately purified SEPT2/SEPT6/SEPT7 hetero-hexamer. We expect this new recombinant production approach to lay essential groundwork for future studies into mammalian septin mechanism and function. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.
High elevation rates of the Structured Inventory of Malingered Symptomatology (SIMS) in neuropsychological patients.

The current study examined characteristics of the Structured Inventory of Malingered Symptomatology (SIMS) in a sample of 110 patients at an adult neuropsychology clinic. Subjects with especially h...
Non-Volatile Reconfigurable Silicon Photonics Based on Phase-Change Materials

The traditional ways of tuning a silicon photonic network are mainly based on the thermo-optic effect or the free carrier dispersion. The drawbacks of these methods are the volatile nature and the extremely small change in the complex refractive index (Δn<0.001). In order to achieve low energy consumption and smaller footprint for applications such as photonic memories, optical computing, programmable gate array, and optical neural network, it is essential that the two optical states of the system exhibit high optical contrast and remain non-volatile. Phase change materials (PCMs) such as Ge2Sb2Te5 provide an excellent solution, thanks to the drastic contrast in refractive index between two states which can be switched reversibly and in a non-volatile fashion. Here, we review the recent progress in the field of non-volatile reconfigurable silicon photonics based on PCMs. We start with a general introduction to the material properties of PCMs that have been exploited in integrated photonics and discuss their operating wavelengths. The various photonic switches that are built upon these PCMs are reviewed. Lastly, we review the recent applications of PCM-based photonic integrated circuits and discuss the potential future directions of this field.
Predicting Pathologic Lymph Node Positivity in cN0 Pharynx and Larynx Cancers in the Modern Imaging Era.

PURPOSE/OBJECTIVE(S) Neck dissection is a standard of care for pharynx and most larynx cancer patients undergoing surgery even with clinically node-negative (cN0) necks. This is based largely on historical series showing high rates of occult pathologic node-positivity (pN+) in cN0 patients. However, in the modern era with more sensitive imaging modalities, it is possible that certain patients with sufficiently low risk of pN+ could have elective neck dissection omitted, thereby reducing toxicity. MATERIALS/METHODS Patients with cN0 oropharynx, larynx (excluding T1-2 glottic), and hypopharynx cancers diagnosed from 2010-2015 and undergoing primary surgery were identified in the National Cancer Data Base. Multivariable logistic regression was performed to assess predictors of pN+. Predictive nomograms based on these predictors were generated. RESULTS 4117 cN0 patients met inclusion criteria, including 2033 larynx (L), 293 hypopharynx (HP), 503 HPV(-) oropharynx (OP), and 1288 HPV(+) OP patients. The overall rate of pN+ among cN0 patients was 29.4%. Probability of pN+ was > 25% for all anatomic subsites (L: 26.9%; HP: 27.6%: HPV(-) OP: 32.4%; HPV(+) OP: 32.7%). In multivariable logistic regression, the presence of lymphovascular invasion (LVI) was the strongest predictor of pN+ (odds ratio [OR] = 4.19, 95% confidence interval [CI] 3.56-4.93, P < 0.001). Histologic grade also strongly predicted pN+ (high- vs. low-grade: OR 2.58, 95% CI 1.88-3.59, P < 0.001; intermediate- vs. low-grade: OR 1.90, 95% CI 1.40-2.62, P < 0.001). However, increasing pT-classification was not associated with increased rate of LN positivity. A nomogram predicting the probability of pN+ for cN0 patients was created. Using this nomogram, < 2% of patients had an estimated pN+ risk below 10%, < 10% of patients had pN+ risk below 15%. CONCLUSION LVI and histologic grade are the strongest predictors of pN+ among patients with cN0 pharynx and larynx cancers. Even with modern imaging, pN+ rates are high for cN0 patients, and the benefits of neck dissection likely outweigh the risks in virtually all patients undergoing surgery.
Acute leukemia following treatment of malignant glioma

We report two patients with acute myeloid leukemia (AML) following therapy for malignant glioma; one was a young women treated heavily with alkylating agents for glioblastoma and the other a young man treated with high doses of procarbazine, lomustine, and vincristine (PCV) for anaplastic astrocytoma. We found 26 other examples of therapy related leukemia in adult and pediatric brain tumor patients. Including our two, there were 12 patients with malignant glioma; median interval from treatment to diagnosis of AML was 31 months. Nine adult malignant glioma patients all received nitrosoureas, some as the sole form of chemotherapy. No definite cases occurred after radiotherapy alone. Based upon analogy with other cancers, the cumulative dose of chemotherapy, especially alkylating agents, is the major risk factor for development of secondary AML. Agents implicated include carmustine (BCNU), lomustine (CCNU), and procarbazine. Conventional radiotherapy appears not to confer additional risk. Progressive macrocytosis, early dose reductions for thrombocytopenia, and refractory anemia may provide early diagnostic clues. Current glioma therapy is leukemogenic but the number of patients who survive the interval required to induce AML is small; nevertheless, the identification of chemosensitive types of glioma, and subgroups of patients who derive the most benefit from chemotherapy, may result in increasing numbers of patients at risk of long term complications. If regimens such as PCV continue to prove valuable in neurooncology the risk of leukemia will require integration into the clinical decision process. A search for more effective therapy with minimal mutagenicity remains critical.