cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Eradication Strategies for Chronic Hepatitis B Infection

Chronic hepatitis B infection affects >300 million people worldwide and is a leading cause of liver failure and cancer. Current approaches to treatment for chronic hepatitis B involve suppression of hepatitis B virus (HBV) DNA with the use of nucleoside analogues. Chronic suppressive therapy rarely results in a "functional cure" or absence of detectable HBV DNA in plasma and loss of detectable hepatitis B surface antigen after cessation of therapy. The major obstacles to achieving a functional cure are the presence of covalently closed circular DNA and ineffective/exhaustive immune system. This review focuses on novel approaches to target viral life cycle and host immunity to achieve a functional cure.
WE-AB-207B-01: Dose Tolerance for SBRT/SABR

Purpose: Stereotactic body radiation therapy (SBRT) / stereotactic ablative body radiotherapy (SABR) is gaining popularity, but quantitative dose tolerance has still been lacking. To improve this, the April 2016 issue of Seminars in Radiation Oncology will have normal tissue complication probability (NTCP) models for 10 critical structures: optic pathway, cochlea, oral mucosa, esophagus, chestwall, aorta, bronchi, duodenum, small bowel, and spinal cord. Methods: The project included more than 1500 treatments in 1–5 fractions using CyberKnife, Gamma Knife, or LINAC, with 60 authors from 15 institutions. NTCP models were constructed from the 97 grade 2–3 complications, predominantly scored using the common terminology criteria for adverse events (CTCAEv4). Dose volume histogram (DVH) data from each institutional dataset was loaded into the DVH Evaluator software (DiversiLabs, LLC, Huntingdon Valley, Pa) for modeling. The current state of the literature for the critical structures was depicted using DVH Risk Maps: comparative graphs of dose tolerance limits that can include estimated risk levels, reported complications, DVH data for study patients, as well as high- and low-risk dose tolerance limits. Results: For relatively acceptable toxicity like grade 1–3 rib fractures and chestwall pain, the high-risk limits have 50% risk and the low-risk limits have 5% risk. Emami et al (IJROBP 1991 May 15;21(1):109–22) used 50% and 5% risk levels for all structures, whereas this effort used clinically acceptable ranges for each: in structures like aorta or spinal cord where complications must be avoided, the high- and low-risk limits have about 3% and 1% risk, respectively, in this issue of Seminars. These statistically based guidelines can help ensure plan quality for each patient. Conclusion: NTCP for SBRT is now becoming available. Hypofractionated dose tolerance can be dramatically different than extrapolations of conventional fractionation so NTCP analysis of the SBRT/SBRT data is important to ensure safe clinical practice. Dr. Grimm, designed and holds intellectual property rights to the DVH Evaluator software tool which is an FDA-cleared product in commercial use, and was used to analyze the data.
Super-resolution Imaging of Live Bacteria Cells Using a Genetically Directed, Highly Photostable Fluoromodule.

The rapid development in fluorescence microscopy and imaging techniques has greatly benefited our understanding of the mechanisms governing cellular processes at the molecular level. In particular, super-resolution microscopy methods overcome the diffraction limit to observe nanoscale cellular structures with unprecedented detail, and single-molecule tracking provides precise dynamic information about the motions of labeled proteins and oligonucleotides. Enhanced photostability of fluorescent labels (i.e., maximum emitted photons before photobleaching) is a critical requirement for achieving the ultimate spatio-temporal resolution with either method. While super-resolution imaging has greatly benefited from highly photostable fluorophores, a shortage of photostable fluorescent labels for bacteria has limited its use in these small but relevant organisms. In this study, we report the use of a highly photostable fluoromodule, dL5, to genetically label proteins in the Gram-negative bacterium Caulobacter cres...
Transnational Civil Society and the Democratization of Global Governance

The introduction of this book outlined two schools of thought regarding TCS. One suggested that TCS would remedy the democratic deficits present in global governance institutions like the World Bank. The other challenged the capacity of TCS to democratize global governance and even suggested that TCS might worsen existing imbalances in power between the citizens of poor and rich nations. Data on TCS engagement with the World Bank support and challenge some of the contentions of each school. The data present a new picture of TCS and its role in global governance and suggest new directions for further research. This chapter begins with a discussion of this book’s findings and directions for future research, analyzes the consequences of these findings for our understanding of TCS’s potential to democratize global governance, and then explores ways in which TCS’s influence can be shaped and channeled to enhance its democratizing effects.
Rostyslav Mel'nykiv. Literaturni 1920-ti: Postati (Narysy, obrazky, etiudy)

Rostyslav Mel'nykiv . Literaturni 1920-ti: Postati (Narysy, obrazky, etiudy) [The Literary 1920s: Figures (Sketches, Portraits, and Essays)]. Kharkiv: Maidan, 2013. 256 pp. 43 pp. of photographs. Index. Cloth.
The electron palace

It was one of those unplanned and random walks that brought me to an electronics megastore one day recently during a busy sale season. Although I needed nothing in particular, I wandered inside to check out the latest electronic gadgetry. The store was crowded with hundreds of shoppers ready to use their credit cards to get a slice of electronic joy. Like most people, I found myself drooling over the rich parade of amazing gadgets at unbelievable bargain prices.
Expanding vulnerability assessment for public lands: The social complement to ecological approaches

In recent years, federal land management agencies in the United States have been tasked to consider climate change vulnerability and adaptation in their planning. Ecological vulnerability approaches have been the dominant framework, but these approaches have significant limitations for fully understanding vulnerability in complex social-ecological systems in and around multiple-use public lands. In this paper, we describe the context of United States federal public lands management with an emphasis on the Bureau of Land Management to highlight this unique decision-making context. We then assess the strengths and weaknesses of an ecological vulnerability approach for informing decision-making. Next, we review social vulnerability methods in the context of public lands to demonstrate what these approaches can contribute to our understanding of vulnerability, as well as their strengths and weaknesses. Finally, we suggest some key design principles for integrated social-ecological vulnerability assessments considering the context of public lands management, the limits of ecological vulnerability assessment, and existing approaches to social vulnerability assessment. We argue for the necessity of including social vulnerability in a more integrated social-ecological approach in order to better inform climate change adaptation.
Defense and Escape

Escape from predation requires interference with a predator's ability to detect or identify an individual as prey or the successful escape of a potential prey once detected. In a heuristic sense, the evolution of escape mechanisms seems obvious. As predator escape is important in the life history of amphibians, reptiles, and animals in general, development of detailed theory on interactions between predator and prey has lagged behind the theory in other areas such as optimal foraging. In nature, predator escape is much more complex because the diversity and abundance of predators is not constant in space or time, and the complement of potential predators changes depending on the life history stage of the prey and numerous other factors. Most amphibians and reptiles employ several different predator-escape mechanisms, often using different ones during different life history stages. Moreover, prey identification can be visual, olfactory, tactile, or a combination of these cues. Preys have evolved many fascinating mechanisms to deceive predators into misidentifying them and consequently leaving them alone, the most striking of which is aposematic coloration of potentially harmful preys and mimicry by palatable preys.
Three-Dimensional Imaging from Tomograms

In many three-dimensional (3D) imaging applications the 3D scene is represented by a 3D array of volume elements (or voxels for short). An example is computerized tomography which provides us with values assigned to voxels which are abutting parallelepipeds filling a portion of 3D space occupied by a human body. Organs can be distinguished from their immediate surrounding if the densities of voxels just inside the organ are different from those of adjacent voxels just outside the organ.
"MOR" engineering of antibodies in ALL.

In this issue of Blood , Schewe and colleagues identify a novel Fc-engineered CD19 antibody with significant activity in a xenograft model of patient-derived mixed lineage leukemia ( MLL )–rearranged acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL). 1
Differences, or lack thereof, in wheat and maize yields under three low-warming scenarios

The availability of climate model experiments under three alternative scenarios stabilizing at warming targets inspired by the COP21 agreements (a 1.5 °C not exceed, a 1.5 °C with overshoot and a 2.0 °C) makes it possible to assess future expected changes in global yields for two staple crops, wheat and maize. In this study an empirical model of the relation between crop yield anomalies and temperature and precipitation changes, with or without the inclusion of CO2 fertilization effects, is used to produce ensembles of time series of yield outcomes on a yearly basis over the course of the 21st century, for each scenario. The 21st century is divided into 10 year windows starting from 2020, within which the statistical significance and the magnitude of the differences in yield changes between pairs of scenarios are assessed, thus evaluating if and when benefits of mitigations appear, and how substantial they are. Additionally, a metric of extreme heat tailored to the individual crops (number of days during the growing season above a crop-specific threshold) is used to measure exposure to harmful temperatures under the different scenarios. If CO2 effects are not included, statistically significant differences in yields of both crops appear as early as the 2030s but the magnitude of the differences remains below 3% of the historical baseline in all cases until the second part of the century. In the later decades of the 21st century, differences remain small and eventually stop being statistically significant between the two scenarios stabilizing at 1.5 °C, while differences between these two lower scenarios and the 2.0 °C scenario grow to about 4%. The inclusion of CO2 effects erases all significant benefits of mitigation for wheat, while the significance of differences is maintained for maize yields between the higher and the two lower scenarios, albeit with smaller benefits in magnitude. Changes in extremes are significant within each of the scenarios but the differences between any pair of them, even by the end of the century are only on the order of a few days per growing season, and these small changes appear limited to a few localized areas of the growing regions. These results seem to suggest that for globally averaged yields of these two grains the lower targets put forward by the Paris agreement does not change substantially the expected impacts on yields that are caused by warming temperatures under the pre-existing 2.0 °C target.
A multimodal investigation of impulsivity as a moderator of the relation between momentary elevations in negative internal states and subsequent dietary lapses.

Abstract Suboptimal outcomes from behavioral weight loss (BWL) treatments are partially attributable to accumulated instances of non-adherence to dietary prescriptions (i.e., dietary lapses). Results identifying negative internal triggers for dietary lapses are inconsistent, potentially due to individual differences that impact how individuals respond to cues. Impulsivity is one factor that likely influences reactivity to internal states. We examined three dimensions of impulsivity (delay discounting, inhibitory control, and negative urgency) as moderators of the relation between affective and physical states and subsequent dietary lapses at the beginning of BWL. Overweight/obese adults (n = 189) completed behavioral and self-reported measures of impulsivity at baseline of BWL and an ecological momentary assessment (EMA) protocol across the first two weeks of treatment to report on affective/physical states and instances of dietary lapses. Results indicated that baseline negative urgency, but not delay discounting or inhibitory control, was positively associated with overall lapse risk. Moderation analyses indicated that poorer inhibitory control strengthened the relation between momentary increases in stress and subsequent dietary lapse, and higher negative urgency strengthened the relation between increases in loneliness and dietary lapse. Negative urgency also moderated the impact of momentary hunger on subsequent dietary lapse risk in an unexpected direction, such that higher negative urgency weakened the relation between hunger and subsequent lapse. Results lend partial and tentative support for the moderating role of impulsivity on the relation between internal states and lapse likelihood. With replication, the development and testing of personalized treatment components based on baseline impulsivity level may be warranted.
Using poly(l-lactic acid) and poly(ɛ-caprolactone) blends to fabricate self-expanding, watertight and biodegradable surgical patches for potential fetoscopic myelomeningocele repair.

Our study focuses on the development and characterization of a self-expanding, watertight and biodegradable patch for fetoscopic myelomeningocele (MMC) prenatal repair. We fabricated poly(l-lactic acid) (PLA) and poly(ɛ-caprolactone) (PCL) blend films by solution casting. Formulation c with average glass transition temperature of 37.6 ± 1.2°C was chosen for temporospatial recovery. Favorable results from surface studies reflected homogeneous dispersion of polymers in the blend. The cytotoxicity was studied in human foreskin fibroblasts. The blend film was cytocompatible, evidenced by matching percentage of live cells in exposed and control solutions. Subsequently, liquid water permeability experiments confirmed watertight nature of films. Finally, in vitro degradation was investigated in phosphate buffered saline (PBS) and amniotic fluid (AF) separately for 16 weeks. Similar weight loss (n = 6, p = 0.912) and significantly different (n = 3, p = 0.025) surface roughness was observed in PBS and AF, respectively, at 16 weeks. Functional group analysis displayed increasing carbonyl and hydroxyl bonds in PBS and AF, respectively, over time, indicating progression of hydrolytic degradation. Favorable characterization results provide strong evidence to employ PLA-PCL blend films as surgical patches in fetoscopic MMC repair. Designed patch serves as standalone system to successfully tackle impending hurdles of MMC repair and proves to be a superior alternative compared to existing patches. © 2018 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Biomed Mater Res Part B: Appl Biomater, 107B: 295-305, 2019.
The Impact of High-Speed Broadband Availability on Real Estate Values: Evidence from United States Property Markets

This working paper presents a proof-of-concept study to show the possible impact of fiber-based broadband service availability on real estate values. The research goal is to find out whether people are willing to pay more for real estate located in areas where fiber is available than for a property that does not offer this amenity. Using information from the National Broadband Map and county assessors’ data for residential single-family houses from three Metropolitan Statistical Areas in the State of New York, we apply a hedonic pricing model to test the hypothesis. Early results suggest that fiber availability may indeed have a positive impact on real constant-quality house prices. Initial findings also urge additional research efforts to test the impact more thoroughly and to address issues due to potential endogeneity.
Measurements of Acoustic Properties of Hard-Pack Snow

Three experiments were conducted to assess acoustic properties of hard-pack snow. One test involved transmission of acoustic signals in the frequency range 100-20 000 Hz through natural snow-pack in order to measure signal loss of a point acoustic source. At all frequencies the relatively high-energy input signal decays rapidly by energy dissipation, with nominal diffusion occurring at large distances from the source. Signal persistence is greatest in the frequency range 100-200 Hz, In a second test, acoustic bursts in snow columns under deformation were recorded. Spectrum analysis in the frequency range 500-14000 Hz reveals dominance of signal amplitudes at frequencies between 1 000 and 10 000 Hz. This dominance is attributed to the strong attenuation properties of snow and suggests the use of waveguide or collector techniques to monitor natural acoustic emissions in snow-pack. In a third test several waveguide geometries and materials were evaluated for their acoustic signal interception and transmission characteristics. In general, metallic waveguides show the least attenuation of the configurations tested.
Acute promyelocytic leukemia with additional chromosomal abnormalities and absence of Auer rods.

We report 4 acute promyelocytic leukemia cases that demonstrated karyotypic abnormalities in addition to the classic t(15;17) translocation and did not contain any Auer rods in leukemic blasts and dysplastic promyelocytes, either in the peripheral blood or in the bone marrow. Morphologically, 2 cases were characterized as the common or hypergranular type, and 2 were otherwise typical of the microgranular variant. Three patients had typical clinical and laboratory signs of disseminated intravascular coagulation. Immunophenotypic analysis of the blasts and dysplastic promyelocytes by dual-color flow cytometry revealed an immunoprofile consistent with acute promyelocytic leukemia. Cytogenetic analysis of the bone marrow revealed the following karyotypes: case 1, [47,XY,t(15;17)(q22;q12),+21]; case 2, [47,XY,t(15;17)(q22;q12),-16,+2 mar]; case 3, [47,XX,t(15;17)(q22;q12)ider(17)(q10),+8]; and case 4, [47,XY,der(5)t(5;?9)(p15;q12).t(15;17)(q22;q12]. Review of an additional 7 cases with t(15;17) as the sole cytogenetic abnormality revealed Auer rods in all cases. Our findings emphasize the importance of cytogenetics in evaluating acute myeloid leukemias. Acute promyelocytic leukemia without Auer rods, which may be morphologically confused with other types of leukemia (in particular, acute myeloblastic leukemia, type M2 or M5) or agranulocytosis with maturation arrest, appears to be associated with additional chromosomal abnormalities and possibly a poorer prognosis.
CAT AND HUMAN TASTE RESPONSES TO L-α-AMINO ACID SOLUTIONS

A quantitative comparison was made between human and cat taste responses to L-amino acid solutions. Neurophysiological measures from the cat (single unit recordings from the geniculate ganglion) were compared with psychophysical responses of humans. Amino acids elicit complex sensations from humans, although the sensations of sweet, bitter, and sour predominate. Of the three functional chemoresponsive neural groups identified in the cat geniculate ganglion, only groups I and II are discharged by amino acid solutions. Group I units are discharged by those amino acids that elicit a human sour sensation. Group II units are inhibited by the amino acids that elicit a strong bitter sensation and are excited by those tasting sweet or sweet-bitter. The neural and psychophysical responses to the amino acid solutions can be partly interpreted in terms of the chemical properties of the side chains, Group I stimuli and sour solutions contain amino acids with acidic side chains (where an acid is defined as a Bronsted acid), particularly those with hydrogen bond acceptor-donor complexes. Group II unit inhibition and bitterness are directly related to the hydrophobicity of the amino acid side chain, where hydrophobicity is calculated according to Tanford's hydrophobicity scale.
Characterization of Moisture Content in a Concrete Panel Using Synthetic Aperture Radar Images

AbstractMoisture content in concrete structures is commonly associated with many durability problems (e.g., steel corrosion and freeze-thaw) and can be used in structural health monitoring and nond...
Adjunctive perampanel for glioma-associated epilepsy.

Abstract Glioma-associated epilepsy is associated with excessive glutamate signaling. We hypothesized that perampanel, an amino-3-hydroxy-5-methyl-4-isoxazolepropionic acid (AMPA)-type glutamate receptor antagonist, would treat glioma-related epilepsy. We conducted a single-arm study of adjunctive perampanel for patients with focal-onset glioma-associated seizures. The most common related adverse events were fatigue and dizziness. Three out of 8 participants had self-reported seizure reduction and an additional 3 reported improved control. Of these 6, 5 had isocitrate dehydrogenase 1 mutant gliomas. We conclude that perampanel is safe for patients with glioma-related focal-onset epilepsy. Further study into the association between AMPA signaling, IDH1 status and seizures is warranted.
Stoichiometric and non-stoichiometric tungsten doping effect in bismuth vanadate based photoactive material for photoelectrochemical water splitting

Abstract In photoelectrochemical (PEC) water splitting, BiVO4 has attracted attention due to its favorable band gap but it suffers low PEC performance due to poor conductivity. The vast majority of publications on this system has examined doping of stoichiometric composition of tungsten (W) on this system to increase bulk and interfacial conductivity while managing the contaminant generation of crystallographic defects and recombination sites. In this paper, a deep investigation was carried out to examine the effect of non-stoichiometric W doping in BiVO4 system. Stoichiometric and non-stoichiometric W-doped monoclinic BiVO4 (i.e. Bi1-(x+δ)V1-xWx+δO4; BiV1-xWx+δO4 and BiV1-yWyO4; x = 0.008; y = 0.03 and δ = 0.005) were prepared using a facile dip coating technique. The stoichiometric composition contains charge balanced Bi, V and W atoms whereas non-stoichiometric compositions contain excess Bi and excess Bi and W. The non-stoichiometric composition BiV1-xWx+δO4 has shown better photoelectrochemical water splitting performance with respect to other compositions at 1.23 V vs RHE, under one sun illumination of electrode. The XRD and XPS results shows that non-stoichiometric doping with excess Bi or with excess Bi and W can possibly create an environment where V5+ ions are substitutional replaced by W6+ ions without generating other defects. But there was no significant difference in band gap of different compositional samples observed. Further electrochemical impedance technique was used to analyze change in bulk and surface charge mobility with W-doping in BiVO4. The electrochemical impedance analysis showed the presence of low interfacial resistance, lower charge transfer resistance and high charge donor/surface state density for non-stoichiometric composition BiV1-xWx+δO4 electrode. It is evident from and cyclic voltammetry that the addition of excess Bi and W from its stoichiometric quantity efficiently suppressed the formation of hole-electron pair recombination sites. The electrochemical analytical results lead us to believe that the particular non-stoichiometric composition of BiV1-xWx+δO4 can significantly lower trap sites and enhances kinetics of charge transfer, leading to the better photoelectrochemical water splitting performance.
Opinions on the Role of Telehealth in a Large Midwest Academic Health Center: A Case Study.

Abstract Introduction: Varying terms such as telemedicine, telehealth, and e-Health have increasingly been incorporated into medical education and clinical practice. While there is some variability...
Under What Circumstances May the OAS Apply the Democracy Clause to a Member State

The three categories of events that should grant the activation of the democracy clause and, eventually, lead to the suspension of a member state from its participation in the various organs of the OAS are: (1) the forcible overthrow of a democratically constituted government; (2) the unconstitutional interruption of the democratic order; or (3) the unconstitutional alteration of the constitutional regime that seriously impairs the democratic order in a member state. Although both the Charter of the OAS and the Inter-American Democratic Charter fail to explicitly define the circumstances that qualify as a “forcible overthrow,” an “interruption of the democratic order,” or an “alteration that seriously impairs the democratic order,” academic studies by international law experts and scholars in the field of the inter-American system for the protection of democracy provide insight into specific events that fit within the scopes of these phrases. Drawing from these academic works, the events that can lead to the suspension of a government from the OAS can be divided into three subcategories within a continuous spectrum. On one end of this spectrum, we find the circumstances constituting those scenarios that can be classified as a “coup-d’etat;” next, we find the circumstances resembling coups, called “coup-like situations;” and thirdly, at the other end of the spectrum, we find the circumstances constituting gradual, sustained, or systematic "erosion" of the essential elements of democracy.
Experimental performance assessment of a 2.25 kWp Rooftop PV system installed in the desert environment: a case study of Ghardaia, Algeria

The outcomes of an experimental study performed on a single grid-connected photovoltaic plant on the roof of parking are disclosed in the present paper. The PV system is located in southern Algeria...
Effectiveness of contact tracing and quarantine on reducing COVID-19 transmission: a retrospective cohort study

Abstract Objectives Contact tracing and quarantine are common measures used in the management of infectious disease outbreaks. However, few studies have measured their impact on the control of the COVID-19 pandemic. This study aimed to assess the effectiveness of those measures on reducing transmission of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 in a community setting. Study design The study design is a retrospective cohort study. Methods A retrospective cohort study of COVID-19 cases notified in Eastern Porto from March 1st to April 30th, 2020 was performed. Intervention and control cohorts were defined based on whether cases were subjected to contact tracing and quarantine measures before the laboratory confirmation of disease. The number of secondary cases per index case and the proportion of cases with subsequent secondary cases were the primary outcomes. Secondary outcomes included the time from symptom onset to specimen collection and the number of close contacts. The analysis was stratified according to whether national lockdown measures had already been implemented. Results The intervention and control cohorts comprised 98 and 453 cases, respectively. No differences were observed concerning primary outcomes. The intervention group had a shorter time between symptom onset and specimen collection (median: 3 days, interquartile range [IQR]: 1–6, vs. median: 5 days, IQR: 2–7, P-value = 0.004) and fewer close contacts (median: 0, IQR: 0–2, vs. median: 2, IQR: 1–4, P-value Conclusion Local public health measures were effective in reducing the time between symptom onset and laboratory diagnosis and the number of close contacts per case. No effect was apparent on secondary case figures, suggesting that further measures may be required.
Communication: Regularizing binding energy distributions and thermodynamics of hydration: Theory and application to water modeled with classical and ab initio simulations

The high-energy tail of the distribution of solute-solvent interaction energies is poorly characterized for condensed systems, but this tail region is of principal interest in determining the excess free energy of the solute. We introduce external fields centered on the solute to modulate the short-range repulsive interaction between the solute and solvent. This regularizes the binding energy distribution and makes it easy to calculate the free energy of the solute with the field. Together with the work done to apply the field in the presence and absence of the solute, we calculate the excess chemical potential of the solute. We present the formal development of this idea and apply it to study liquid water.
Stromal Microenvironment Shapes the Intratumoral Architecture of Pancreatic Cancer

Single cell technologies have described heterogeneity across tissues, but the spatial distribution and forces that drive single cell phenotypes have not been well defined. Combining single cell RNA and protein analytics in pancreatic cancer (PDAC) model systems, we demonstrated the role of stromal fibroblasts in shaping PDAC single cell heterogeneity towards invasive (EMT) and proliferative (PRO) phenotypes. Using highcontent digital imaging of RNA in situ hybridization in 195 tumors, we observed these EMT and PRO subpopulations in 319,626 individual cancer cells. Interestingly, we found these EMT and PRO subpopulations form distinct tumor gland “units” associated with differences in stromal abundance and patient survival. This demonstrates the impact of the stroma in shaping tumor architecture by altering inherent patterns of tumor glands in human PDAC.
A Formal Model and Technique to Redistribute the Packet Filtering Load in Multiple Firewall Networks

The dynamic redistribution of filtering rules between firewalls, which are located in the same network, is a technical solution that can cope with temporary changes in the traffic load processed by the firewalls themselves. This paper presents a novel formal model for networks including multiple cascaded firewalls, that can be leveraged to enable the transfer of a set of rules from a firewall to its downstream neighbors when the changes in the input traffic profile suggest to do so. With respect to other solutions appeared in the literature a formal approach, besides providing unambiguous specifications and mathematical proofs of correctness, also enables the computation of theoretical bounds for the expected performance before the proposed scheme is actually deployed in the target network. The underlying mechanism, on which our approach is based, is the reduction of the average number of rules checked per packet in order to increase the packet processing rate. Our network model takes into account both the system topology and firewall characteristics. A suitable transformation algorithm is then introduced, which is able to preserve the security integrity of the network while moving rules between cascaded firewalls and allowing tangible performance improvements in terms of packets processing rate for a given traffic profile. Correctness of the proposed solution has been formally proven and validated by means of simulation. Performance figures have also been obtained by running the proposed algorithm in a laboratory experimental test-bed.
Transformation through Teen Camp: Marginalized Girls in India Recasting Themselves as Agents of Change:

Programs in the global south with international backing that help economically marginalized girls gain a sense of agency have been rightly criticized for ignoring structural barriers to girls’ prog...
Improving Distribution System Resiliency using Distributed Energy Resources

Due to the increased frequency of natural calamities, resilience in power distribution system has gained a lot of importance. It is crucial to ensure resilient operation after a natural disaster, as there are tremendous losses to the economy and society as a whole. In this paper, a novel way to improve the resiliency of the distribution system to extreme events is proposed using an advanced feeder restoration approach. In the proposed method, due to isolation of the distribution system from the main grid, the critical loads are majorly restored using distributed energy resources (DERs). To ensure resilient operation after a natural disaster, the proposed restoration framework aims at maximizing the availability of restored networks making restoration plan robust to post-restoration failures. This approach uses a graph-theoretic approach and formulates the restoration problem as a mixed-integer linear program (MILP), while satisfying the operational and connectivity constraints of a typical power distribution system. The framework is tested using IEEE 123-node feeder with 6 DERs supplying 12 critical loads. In order to replicate a realistic scenario, variability of DER generation and load demand is introduced. The simulation results validate the effectiveness of the proposed strategy in maximizing restoration availability, enabling maximum duration of load serving.
Coping with darkness: The adaptive response of marine picocyanobacteria to repeated light energy deprivation.

The picocyanobacteria Prochlorococcus and Synechococcus are found throughout the ocean's euphotic zone, where the daily light:dark cycle drives their physiology. Periodic deep mixing events can, however, move cells below this region, depriving them of light for extended periods of time. Here, we demonstrate that members of these genera can adapt to tolerate repeated periods of light energy deprivation. Strains kept in the dark for 3 d and then returned to the light initially required 18-26 d to resume growth, but after multiple rounds of dark exposure they began to regrow after only 1-2 d. This dark-tolerant phenotype was stable and heritable; some cultures retained the trait for over 132 generations even when grown in a standard 13:11 light:dark cycle. We found no genetic differences between the dark-tolerant and parental strains of Prochlorococcus NATL2A, indicating that an epigenetic change is likely responsible for the adaptation. To begin to explore this possibility, we asked whether DNA methylation-one potential mechanism mediating epigenetic inheritance in bacteria-occurs in Prochlorococcus. LC-MS/MS analysis showed that while DNA methylations, including 6 mA and 5 mC, are found in some other Prochlorococcus strains, there were no methylations detected in either the parental or dark-tolerant NATL2A strains. These findings suggest that Prochlorococcus utilizes a yet-to-be-determined epigenetic mechanism to adapt to the stress of extended light energy deprivation, and highlights phenotypic heterogeneity as an additional dimension of Prochlorococcus diversity.
Evaluation of the Federal Transit Administration’s Transit and Health Access Initiative: Case Highlights, Findings, and Recommendations:

FTA’s Transit and Health Access Initiative provided funding for demonstration projects to test promising, replicable public transportation healthcare access solutions that support the “triple aim” ...
The Pentecostal Gender Paradox: Pentecostalism and Intimate Partner Violence in Ghana

Pentecostalism is large, influential, and growing quickly in Ghana. This growth has been argued to benefit women due to the religion’s teachings on individualism and use of female leaders. However,...
The Spatial Language of Time: Metaphor, metonymy, and frames of reference

The Spatial Language of Time presents a crosslinguistically valid state-of-the-art analysis of space-to-time metaphors, using data mostly from English and Wolof (Africa) but additionally from Japanese and other languages. Metaphors are analyzed in terms of their most direct motivation by basic human experiences (Grady 1997a; Lakoff & Johnson 1980). This motivation explains the crosslinguistic appearance of certain metaphors, but does not say anything about temporal metaphor systems that deviate from the types documented here. Indeed, we observe interesting culture- and language-specific metaphor phenomena. Refining earlier treatments of temporal metaphor and adapting to temporal experience Levinson’s (2003) idea of frames of reference, the author proposes a contrast between perspective-neutral and perspective-specific frames of reference in temporal metaphor that has important crosslinguistic ramifications for the temporal semantics of FRONT/BEHIND expressions. This book refines the cognitive-linguistic approach to temporal metaphor by analyzing the extensive temporal structure in what has been considered the source domain of space, and showing how temporal metaphors can be better understood by downplaying the space-time dichotomy and analyzing metaphor structure in terms of conceptual frames. This book is of interest to linguists, psychologists, anthropologists, philosophers, and others who may have wondered about relationships between space and time.
The application of alkaline lysis and pressure cycling technology in the differential extraction of DNA from sperm and epithelial cells recovered from cotton swabs.

This study reports the development of a two-step protocol using pressure cycling technology (PCT) and alkaline lysis for differential extraction of DNA from mixtures of sperm and vaginal epithelial cells recovered from cotton swabs. In controlled experiments, in which equal quantities of sperm and female epithelial cells were added to cotton swabs, 5 min of pressure pulsing in the presence of 0.4 M NaOH resulted in 104 ± 6 % recovery of female epithelial DNA present on the swab. Following the pressure treatment, exposing the swabs to a second 5-min alkaline treatment at 95 °C without pressure resulted in the selective recovery of 69 ± 6 % of the sperm DNA. The recovery of the vaginal epithelia and sperm DNA was optimized by examining the effect of sodium hydroxide concentration, incubation temperature, and time. Following the alkaline lysis steps, the samples were neutralized with 2 M Tris (pH 7.5) and purified with phenol-chloroform-isoamyl alcohol to permit downstream analysis. The total processing time to remove both fractions from the swab was less than 20 min. Short tandem repeat (STR) analysis of these fractions obtained from PCT treatment and alkaline lysis generated clean profiles of female epithelial DNA and male sperm DNA for 1:1 mixtures of female and male cells and predominant male profiles for mixtures up to 5:1 female to male cells. By reducing the time and increasing the recovery of DNA from cotton swabs, this new method presents a novel and potentially useful procedure for forensic differential extractions.
UNIQUE EQUILIBRIUM STATES

This note contains an exposition of some results on Choquet simplices which yield two theorems on the uniqueness of equilibrium states for certain abstract dynamical systems. The proof of the first theorem is relatively self — contained, making use of only one basic result about Choquet simplices (Edwards’ theorem) and the Krein — Smulian theorem from Banach space theory; the second theorem utilizes a slightly more technical consequence of Edwards’ theorem.
Imaging Whole Organs — Single cell [Ca2+]i measurements in the perfused liver

Cytosolic free calcium ([Ca2+]i) signaling mediates many of the cellular responses to extracellular stimuli, including hormones, growth factors and neurotransmitters. Over a decade ago, Woods et al.1 first demonstrated that hormones coupled to the activation of inositol lipid-specific phospholipase C cause discrete, periodic [Ca2+]i spikes or transients in isolated hepatocytes. Since then the basic control mechanisms governing the phosphoinositide-dependent Ca2+ signaling pathway, in nonexcitable cells, has been the focus of intense scrutiny. This work was recently reviewed by our laboratory and by others.2–4 Much less is known about the spatial and temporal regulation of single cell [Ca2+]i in the intact liver or any other intact organ. Single cell [Ca2+]i oscillations have been measured in some intact organs including: hepatocytes in isolated perfused liver,5–7 endothelial cells lining the microvessels of a perfused lung,8 omega neuron in a conscious cricket brain,9 and pyramidal neurons in anaesthetized rat brain.10 Additional insight into in vivo [Ca2+]i regulatory mechanisms have been uncovered in tissue preparations which maintain the functional unit of the intact organ such as, pyramidal neurons and gray matter astrocytes from hippocampal slices,11 vascular smooth muscle cells from rat tail artery segments,12 tracheal epithelial cells13–14 and pancreatic acini clusters.15–16
Forward–Backward Stochastic Differential Equations (SDEs)

In this article, we introduce the basic theory of forward–backward stochastic differential equations (FBSDEs), including both decoupled and coupled ones. In the Markovian case, FBSDEs are closely associated with parabolic partial differential equations (PDEs), via the so-called nonlinear Feynman–Kac formula. We also introduce several typical applications of FBSDEs, most notably in option pricing theory and in stochastic control. Keywords: forward–backward SDEs; backward SDEs; four-step scheme; nonlinear Feynman–Kac formula; option pricing and hedging; American option; stochastic maximum principle; stochastic differential game
Searching for the Source of the Fifth Force

We discuss the formalism for studying the constraints on a possible “fifth force” implied by existing data. It is shown that recent results from composition-dependent experiments are consistent with a new coupling, in which the fundamental charge is predominantly either nuclear isospin or baryon number. We also show, however, that neither of these solutions by itself can account for the geophysical results, but that a multicomponent model of the fifth force with two terms may be capable of accounting for the existing data.
Production of multicomponent thin films by rf cosputtering

A combination of rf cosputtering, film temperature control and film bias control has been investigated in the Te-As and Te-As-Ge systems to determine the feasibility of obtaining films of many different com­ positions from a single main sputtering target. Each of the techniques proved to be effective in influencing the film composition. An initial deficiency of Te observed in the films was attributed to the relatively poorer Te sticking coefficient. Ge was the cosputtered element, and it contributed theoretically predicted amounts of material to the films up to the l8|-at% Ge level. Substrate temperature and substrate bias were seen to have a strong influence on the As/Te ratio of the films, and very little influence on the Ge content. The Te content of the films decreased for substrate temperatures between -150°C and 20°C, and then increased for temperatures between 20°C and 90°C. The temperature effect was caused by the change of the Te sticking coefficient with change in temperature. Application of an rf bias to the substrate caused a linear decline in the Te content of the films because Te preferentially resputtered from the film surface. This resputtering of Te confirms theoretical predictions. We found a simple linear relationship between the loss of Te in at% and the bias voltage.
The association between gastrostomy tube placement, poor post-operative outcomes, and hospital re-admissions in head and neck cancer patients.

Abstract Objectives Investigate the relationship of G-tube placement timing on post-operative outcomes. Participants 908 patients underwent resection of head and neck upper aerodigestive tract tumors between 2007 and 2013. Patient charts were retrospectively screened for patient demographics, pre-operative nutrition variables, co-morbid conditions, Tumor-Node-Metastasis staging, surgical treatment type, and timing of G-tube placement. Exclusionary criteria included death within the first three months of the resection and resections performed solely for nodal disease. Main Outcomes Post-surgical outcomes, including wound and medical complications, hospital re-admissions, length of inpatient hospital stay (LOS), intensive care unit (ICU) time. Results 793 surgeries were included: 8% of patients had G-tubes pre-operatively and 25% had G-tubes placed post-operatively. Patients with G-tubes (pre-operative or post-operative) were more likely to have complications and prolonged hospital care as compared to those without G-tubes (p Conclusions Though having enteral access in the form of a G-tube at any point suggests a more high risk patient, having a G-tube placed in the pre-operative period may protect against poor post-operative outcomes. Post-operative outcomes can be predicted based on patient characteristics available to the physician in the pre-operative period.
Fractures of the dens and risk of pseudarthrosis.

This study deals with 49 fractures of the dens treated at the Orthopedic Department of Athens University during the past 17 years. These fractures represent 14.2% of all cervical fractures treated during the same period at our department. Forty-one cases have been reviewed and analyzed, the average follow-up time being 10 years (1–16). Pseudarthrosis was found to be present in seven cases (17%), and its relationship to different factors was examined. The type of fracture and particularly the direction of the fracture line were found to be major factors leading to pseudarthrosis. Many other factors, such as displacement, traction, the stability obtained, the presence of associated injuries, and the time elapsed till treatment was started, as well as the age of the patients, seem to play — alone or in combination — important roles in the development of pseudarthrosis. These factors have been classified according to their importance and graded. With a total of 10 points or more a dens fracture is characterized as a fracture “at risk of pseudarthrosis”, i.e., a fracture with a higher possibility of developing a pseudarthrosis. This knowledge may contribute to proper and earlier management of such an injury.
Structural Basis for the Ubiquitin-Linkage Specificity and deISGylating Activity of SARS-CoV Papain-Like Protease

Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus (SARS-CoV) encodes a papain-like protease (PLpro) with both deubiquitinating (DUB) and deISGylating activities that are proposed to counteract the post-translational modification of signaling molecules that activate the innate immune response. Here we examine the structural basis for PLpro's ubiquitin chain and interferon stimulated gene 15 (ISG15) specificity. We present the X-ray crystal structure of PLpro in complex with ubiquitin-aldehyde and model the interaction of PLpro with other ubiquitin-chain and ISG15 substrates. We show that PLpro greatly prefers K48- to K63-linked ubiquitin chains, and ISG15-based substrates to those that are mono-ubiquitinated. We propose that PLpro's higher affinity for K48-linked ubiquitin chains and ISG15 stems from a bivalent mechanism of binding, where two ubiquitin-like domains prefer to bind in the palm domain of PLpro with the most distal ubiquitin domain interacting with a “ridge” region of the thumb domain. Mutagenesis of residues within this ridge region revealed that these mutants retain viral protease activity and the ability to catalyze hydrolysis of mono-ubiquitin. However, a select number of these mutants have a significantly reduced ability to hydrolyze the substrate ISG15-AMC, or be inhibited by K48-linked diubuiquitin. For these latter residues, we found that PLpro antagonism of the nuclear factor kappa-light-chain-enhancer of activated B-cells (NFκB) signaling pathway is abrogated. This identification of key and unique sites in PLpro required for recognition and processing of diubiquitin and ISG15 versus mono-ubiquitin and protease activity provides new insight into ubiquitin-chain and ISG15 recognition and highlights a role for PLpro DUB and deISGylase activity in antagonism of the innate immune response.