cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
The Adjunctive Use of Vancomycin Powder Appears Safe and May Reduce the Incidence of Surgical-Site Infections After Deep Brain Stimulation Surgery.

Background Postoperative surgical-site infections (SSIs) are a common complication after deep brain stimulation (DBS) surgery, occurring at a quoted rate of approximately 1%−9%. Intraoperative vancomycin powder has demonstrated efficacy in reducing SSIs after cranial and spinal surgery; however, its use during DBS surgery has yet to be established. In this study, we describe the senior author's experience with the use of intraoperative vancomycin powder to prevent SSIs after DBS surgery. Methods We retrospectively examined the incidence of SSI in 297 patients who underwent DBS surgery at the Mount Sinai Health System from September 2012 to December 2015. All patients underwent a uniform perioperative antiseptic protocol, including thorough skin cleansing, intravenous anticephalosporin antibiotics, copious irrigation, and the application of topical vancomycin powder (1 g) before skin closure. Patient information was obtained through a review of electronic medical records. Primary outcome was the incidence of SSI, which was defined per the standards of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and confirmed with wound cultures. Results Four patients developed clinical signs and symptoms of SSI (1.3%); all were men with Parkinson disease. The primary organism responsible was Staphylococcus aureus (75%). Two patients presented with neurostimulator infections, and 2 presented with parietal connector-site infections between 2 months and 1 year after initial surgery. No patients in our series developed topical or systemic reactions attributable to the use of vancomycin powder. Conclusions In our experience, vancomycin powder has demonstrated safety and efficacy as an adjunct medication for infection prophylaxis after DBS surgery. Further prospective studies with larger patient cohorts are warranted.
Innovative Marketing Education

(2006). Innovative Marketing Education. Marketing Education Review: Vol. 16, No. 3, pp. 14-14.
Measuring pain phenomena after spinal cord injury: Development and psychometric properties of the SCI-QOL Pain Interference and Pain Behavior assessment tools

Objective: To develop modern patient-reported outcome measures that assess pain interference and pain behavior after spinal cord injury (SCI).Design: Grounded-theory based qualitative item development; large-scale item calibration field-testing; confirmatory factor analyses; graded response model item response theory analyses; statistical linking techniques to transform scores to the Patient Reported Outcome Measurement Information System (PROMIS) metric.Setting: Five SCI Model Systems centers and one Department of Veterans Affairs medical center in the United States.Participants: Adults with traumatic SCI.Interventions: N/A.Outcome Measures: Spinal Cord Injury - Quality of Life (SCI-QOL) Pain Interference item bank, SCI-QOL Pain Interference short form, and SCI-QOL Pain Behavior scale.Results: Seven hundred fifty-seven individuals with traumatic SCI completed 58 items addressing various aspects of pain. Items were then separated by whether they assessed pain interference or pain behavior, and poorly func...
Use of Nonlinear Acoustic Measurements for Estimation of Fracture Performance of Aged Asphalt Mixtures

This study evaluated the oxidative aging of asphalt mixtures by both nondestructive and fracture performance tests and investigated the possibility of estimating the low-temperature fracture properties of aged mixtures by using a nonlinear ultrasonic approach. Asphalt mixture samples, oven aged for 12, 24, 28, 32, and 36 h at 135°C, were compacted, made into test specimens, and evaluated by using a noncollinear wave-mixing approach. In addition, the embrittlement temperature and fracture energy of the replicate samples were assessed by using the acoustic emission test and the disk-shaped compact tension test. Comparison of results from the three testing methods clearly showed similar trends. This finding suggests that the fracture properties of mixtures can be estimated by using the noncollinear ultrasonic wave-mixing approach, which is a nondestructive method which does not require core extraction in the field.
Predictive set point modulation technique to enhance the dynamic response of a power system

This paper presents a new prediction approach for the set point automatic adjustment with correction enabled (SPAACE) algorithm. SPAACE is an autonomous supplementary controller that works between the primary and secondary controllers of a device and modifies its reference set point to mitigate the possible transients. Power system generally operates close to its operational limits and transients can cause a device to violate its maximum allowable limits. To control a device to operate under different operating conditions, SPAACE improves the set point tracking of a controllable device in a system. In this paper, to further improve the performance of SPAACE, Lagrange polynomial prediction method is introduced. Moreover, the sensitivity of the response of SPAACE with linear and exponential prediction approaches to a step change in the reference value of the control input signal is studied. Several case studies are presented to evaluate the performance of the proposed strategies.
The Impact of Toxicities on First Year Outcomes after Ex-Vivo CD34+ Selected Allogeneic Hematopoietic Cell Transplantation in Adults with Hematologic Malignancies.

Abstract Factors that impact first-year morbidity and mortality in adults undergoing myeloablative allogeneic hematopoietic cell transplantation with ex vivo CD34+ selection have not been previously reported. We assessed all toxicities ≥ grade 3 from the start of conditioning to date of death, relapse, or last contact in 200 patients during the first year after transplantation, identifying 1885 individual toxicities among 17 organ-based toxicity groups. The most prevalent toxicities in the first year were of infectious, metabolic, hematologic, oral/gastrointestinal, hepatic, cardiac, and pulmonary etiologies. Renal complications were minimal. Grades II to IV and III and IV acute GVHD at day 100 were 11.5% and 3%, respectively. In separate multivariate models, cardiovascular, hematologic, hepatic, neurologic, pulmonary, and renal toxicities negatively impacted nonrelapse mortality (NRM) and overall survival during the first year. A higher-than-targeted busulfan level, patient cytomegalovirus seropositivity, and an Hematopoietic Cell Transplantation–Specific Comorbidity Index of ≥3 were associated with increased risk of NRM and all-cause death. Ex vivo CD34+ selection had a favorable 1-year OS of 75% and NRM of 17% and a low incidence of sinusoidal obstruction syndrome. These data establish a benchmark to focus efforts in reducing toxicity burden while improving patient outcomes.
Superconducting and normal state properties of Ag1−xSn1 + xSe2−y

Abstract The occurrence of superconductivity in a new ternary non-transition element compound with the cubic NaCl structure is reported. The composition of this compound is Ag1−xSn1 + xSe2−y, with a maximum homogeneity range given by −0.02 ⩽x⩽0.24 and 0 ⩽ y ≲0.1. The superconducting transition temperature (Tc) ranges from a minimum of 4.5 K for x = −0.02, y = 0 to a maximum of 6.9 K for x = 0.24,y = 0. These Tc's are higher than previously observed in nontransition element NaCl structure compounds. Electrical resistivity data show a positive temperature coefficient, and room temperature magnetic susceptibility measurements reveal a rapidly increasing density of states at the Fermi level with increasing x. Two ionic models for calculating the carrier concentration of Ag1−xSn1 + xSe2−y are discussed, and a third model based on the band picture is proposed. The composition dependence of the magnetic susceptibility was used to test the validity of each of the models.
A sub-μW CMOS temperature to frequency sensor for implantable devices

In this paper, an low power CMOS temperature sensor for implantable applications is implemented in a 0.18 μm CMOS process. Sensors for implantable devices must have sub-μW power consumption to avoid tissue overheating. Thus, this temperature sensor employs subthreshold MOS transistors as the sensing element to reduce power consumption and enable minimum supply voltage. Temperature is converted to frequency using a pW voltage reference. The sensor core operates under 0.5 V, with total power dissipation of 290 nW and achieves temperature measurement of changes smaller than 0.5 °C for a range from 0 ° C to 50 °C.
Complications of double free flap and free flap combined with locoregional flap in head and neck reconstruction: A systematic review

Background The purpose of this clinical review was to assess the feasibility of reconstructing complex head and neck defects with 2 or more free flaps simultaneously. Methods A total of 38 articles were reviewed. The patient population included those who received 2 or more free flaps or a single free flap plus a locoregional flap. The primary outcome assessed was rate of complications. Results Among double flaps, the minor complication rate was 6.96% and the major complication rate was 20.0%. In comparison, the free flap plus locoregional flap group had higher rates of minor and major complications of 30.4% and 29.5%, respectively. The median operating time was 660 minutes for double flaps and 602 minutes for free flap plus locoregional flap (P = .828). Conclusion Compared to the single free flap plus locoregional flap, double free flaps are relatively reliable without increasing surgical complications or decreasing flap survival, while only modestly increasing operating times.
Larval Life History of Lithobates sphenocephalus (Southern Leopard Frog) in Southeast Louisiana

Most field-based life-history studies of amphibians only monitor the first occurrence of major life stages, missing important details of the intervening periods. To help fill this gap, we surveyed the larval growth of Lithobates sphenocephalus (Southern Leopard Frog) at a breeding site in Hammond, Tangipahoa Parish, LA. We repeatedly sampled an ephemeral pool for Southern Leopard Frog tadpoles shortly after oviposition through metamorphosis. We first observed eggs on 21 January 2016. From 29 January 2016 through the following 99–117 d, tadpoles grew an average of 0.163 mm/day in body length before completing metamorphosis between 6 and 23 May. These values are similar to previous literature estimates for the Southern Leopard Frog, but provide novel information on the timing and rates of changes in size and ontogenetic stage, and their interrelationship.
Trends and Disparities in Diet Quality Among US Adults by Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program Participation Status

Importance Unhealthful diet is a top contributor to chronic diseases in the United States. There are growing concerns about disparities in diet among US adults, especially for those who participate in the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), the largest federal food assistance program. It remains unclear how these disparities may have changed over time. Objective To assess whether disparities in key food groups and nutrients according to participation and eligibility for SNAP have persisted, improved, or worsened over time among US adults. Design, Setting, and Participants This survey study examined a nationally representative sample of 38 696 adults aged 20 years or older: 6162 SNAP participants, 6692 income-eligible nonparticipants, and 25 842 higher-income individuals from 8 cycles of the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (1999-2014). Data analysis was conducted between January 1, 2017, and December 31, 2017. Exposures Survey-weighted, energy-adjusted diet by SNAP participation status. Main Outcomes and Measures Mean diet scores and proportions of US adults meeting poor, intermediate, or ideal diet scores based on the American Heart Association (AHA) 2020 Strategic Impact Goals for diet, including 8 components (fruits and vegetables; whole grains; fish and shellfish; sugar-sweetened beverages; sodium; nuts, seeds, and legumes; processed meats; and saturated fat). Results The survey included 38 696 respondents (20 062 female [51.9%]; 18 386 non-Hispanic white [69.8%]; mean [SD] age, 46.8 [14.8] years). Participants of SNAP were younger (mean [SD] age, 41.4 [15.6] years) than income-eligible nonparticipants (mean [SD] age, 44.9 [19.6] years) or higher-income individuals (mean [SD] age, 47.8 [13.6] years); more likely to be female (3552 of 6162 [58.6%] vs 3504 of 6692 [54.8%] and 13 006 of 25 842 [50.4%], respectively); and less likely to be non-Hispanic white (2062 of 6162 [48.2%] vs 2594 of 6692 [56.0%] and 13 712 of 25 842 [75.8%], respectively). From surveys conducted in 2003 and 2004 to those conducted in 2013 and 2014, SNAP participants had less improvement in AHA diet scores than both income-eligible nonparticipants and higher-income individuals (change in mean score = 0.57 [95% CI, −2.18 to 0.33] vs 2.56 [95% CI, 0.36-4.76] and 3.84 [95% CI, 2.39-5.29], respectively;P = .04 for interaction). Disparities persisted for most foods and nutrients and worsened for processed meats, added sugars, and nuts and seeds. In 2013 to 2014, a higher proportion of SNAP participants had poor diet scores compared with income-eligible nonparticipants and higher-income individuals (461 of 950 [53.5%] vs 247 of 690 [38.0%] and 773 of 2797 [28.7%];P Conclusions and Relevance Dietary disparities persisted or worsened for most dietary components among US adults. Despite improvement in some dietary components, SNAP participants still do not meet the AHA goals for a healthful diet.
Revisión de la regulación de la respuesta inmune durante la infección por Mycobacterium tuberculosis

La tuberculosis (TB) continua siendo uno de los grandes problemas sanitarios a nivel mundial. Esta revision presenta algunos aspectos a destacar de la regulacion de la respuesta inmune enfocada a la infeccion por Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Mtb), con el objetivo de conocer mejor su relevancia dentro de esta enfermedad. La TB se manifiesta en dos formas principales: enfermedad activa e infeccion latente. Las celulas CD4+ juegan un papel muy importante dentro de la respuesta inmune frente a Mtb. La formacion de granulomas favorece la respuesta inmune al contener a la micobacteria y limitar el dano tisular al hospedero. Sin embargo, tambien le confiere al bacilo un nicho en el cual pueda sobrevivir. Las celulas T reguladoras (Treg) estan involucradas en procesos como las enfermedades inflamatorias cronicas, la evasion y respuesta inmunologica hacia tumores, la regulacion de respuestas alergicas y los procesos infecciosos. Los principales marcadores moleculares de las celulas Treg son CD4, CD25 y el factor transcripcional FoxP3. Diversos estudios demuestran que la accion de las celulas Treg en el contexto de la TB favorece la proliferacion y supervivencia del Mtb debido a que suprimen la respuesta efectora Th1. Ademas de la coinfeccion por VIH, varios factores pueden alterar la regulacion de la respuesta inmune y conferir mayor riesgo de desarrollar TB, entre ellos la edad, estado nutricional, virulencia del microorganismo, entre otros. La creacion de una vacuna capaz de prevenir eficazmente la infeccion por Mtb representaria un paso enorme hacia el control y eventual erradicacion de la TB.
Boiling In Saturated He II

In the present set of experiments, boiling regimes in saturated He II confined to a vertical rectangular (1 × 10 × 114 mm) channel are studied. These experiments are intended to model a cooling channel in a superconducting magnet. Measurements are made at temperatures of 1.7, 1.9, and 2.1 K at saturation pressure. The various regimes are achieved by changing the steady state heat input. Experimental results include high speed films taken of the helium near the heated surface and within the channel. From the films, the sequence of events for each boiling regime is described. This provides an insight into how one regime evolves to the next as the heat input is raised or lowered. Additional understanding is gained from temperature and pressure measurements of the system.
Conformal Radiation Therapy — A Physician’s Perspective

Radiation therapy (RT) is a predominantly local-regional modality in the treatment of cancer. The similarities between the roles of surgery and RT in oncology are many, with some very important differences. Surgery, like RT, is also a local-regional modality; the extent of surgery and RT are often limited by the potential morbidities they can induce in the surrounding organs or tissues, or the tissues of origin of the cancer. Technique and the individual physician’s experience are very important to both. As technical advances occur, both modalities have helped improve the outcome and decrease the morbidities associated with treatments; a knowledge of anatomy is very important in the practice of both disciplines. There are also some differences: Whereas surgery cannot eradicate unrecognized microscopic or subclinical disease in the surrounding tissues or at the tumor margins, RT can. The organ- and function-preservation potentials of RT are becoming more obvious in recent years. Also becoming apparent are the benefits of combined radiotherapy and chemotherapy treatments in their improved local-regional control in many sites compared with RT alone.
“Candy No Witch in Her Country”: What One Enslaved Woman’s Testimony During the Salem Witch Trials Can Tell Us About Early American Literature

As historians have already noted, those of African descent were actively involved in constructing new identities in a new and often hostile American landscape. Often, their actions conflicted with larger social and political structures that sought to dehumanize and silence them as slaves and racialized others. This essay interrogates the ways in which their active engagement in the social, religious, political, and economic life of colonial America affected the literature produce in and about that region. What is the relationship between black Africans as material presences in colonial America and their representations in the early American literary archive? In the essay, Smith examines the court testimony of an enslaved black African woman to illuminate the ways in which multicultural contact shaped formation of the literature.
Use of Qtracker™ 655 to monitor the interaction of metastatic breast cancer cells with osteoblasts in co-culture

2805 Breast cancer metastasis to bone occurs frequently and results in the formation of painful osteolytic lesions. Bisphosphonates, drugs that inhibit osteoclasts, slow lesion progression; but pre-existing lesions do not heal, suggesting that breast cancer cells also prevent the osteoblasts (OB) from depositing bone. We have found that metastatic breast cancer cell (BCC) conditioned medium prevents MC3T3-E1 OB differentiation, while causing an increase in the production of inflammatory cytokines. We hypothesize that BCC contact with the OBs, not just the BCC conditioned medium, is important for the cancer cell-OB interaction. Recently, our laboratory has examined the co-culture of cancer cells with MC3T3-E1 OBs using GFP expressing metastatic breast cancer cells (MDA-MB-231-GFP). We found that BCCs attached to OBs within minutes and colonized the OBs regardless of their stage of differentiation. They also brought about an increase in inflammatory cytokines of the type known to recruit and activate osteoclasts. In addition, BCCs caused distinct morphological changes in more immature OBs. To more closely examine the physical interaction of metastatic BCCs with OBs, we are carryinng out transmission electron microscopy (TEM). However, the GFP fluorescence does not survive the fixation; and it is difficult to distinguish the cancer cells from the OBs. To overcome this problem, we labeled MDA-MB-231-GFP cells with Quantum dots (Qtracker 655™, Invitrogen-Molecular Probes, Qdots), which are photostable fluorophores (20nm in size), which allow for live cell imaging over time at 655nm (Red). In addition, because of their cadmium core, they are electron dense. We monitored Qdot labeled MDA- MB-231-GFP cells for up to 11 days in culture and saw no significant decrease in the intensity of the fluorescence or effects on cell viability. At one hour, Qdots were localized at the plasma membrane, but by 24 hours they were seen in perinuclear vacuoles, where they remained. By TEM, BCCs could be readily distinguished from the OBs through the presence of the Qdots. At the point of OB-cancer cell interaction, the OBs had a thickened membrane and protrusions containing microtubules. The collagen immediately surrounding the cancer cells was aligned differently from that further away. Moreover, the area adjacent to the leading edge of the cancer cell was devoid of collagen. These studies have shown that BCCs interact with OBs via direct cell-cell contact. Qdots are a useful tool that has allowed us to label and identify breast cancer cells in a co-culture system and will help to further define the interaction of BCCs with OBs. Huck Institute Innovation Group; The Penn State Cancer Institute, NFCR Center, US Army Medical Research and Materiel Command W81XWH-06-1-0432, Susan G. Koman Breast Cancer Foundation BCTR104406.
Ion counting demonstrates a high electrostatic potential of the nucleosome

Abstract The fundamental unit of chromatin is the nucleosome, which comprises of DNA wrapped around a histone protein octamer. The association of positively charged histone proteins with negatively charged DNA is intuitively thought to attenuate the electrostatic repulsion of DNA, resulting in a weakly charged nucleosome complex. In contrast, theoretical and computational studies suggest that the nucleosome retains a strong, negative electrostatic field. Despite their fundamental implications for chromatin organization and function, these opposing models have not been experimentally tested. Herein, we directly measure nucleosome electrostatics and find that while nucleosome formation reduces the complex charge by half, the nucleosome nevertheless maintains a strong negative electrostatic field. Further, our results show that the wrapping of DNA around a histone octamer increases the propensity of the DNA to make interactions with multivalent cations like Mg2+. These findings indicate that presentation of DNA on a nucleosome may more strongly attract positively-charged DNA binding proteins. Our studies highlight the importance of considering the polyelectrolyte nature of the nucleosome and its impact on processes ranging from factor binding to DNA compaction.
Unrealized Educational Expectations and Mental Health: Evidence from a Low-Income Country

The rapid expansion of schooling across low-income countries, combined with intensive governmental and nongovernmental efforts to promote education, has encouraged youth in these contexts to form exceptionally high educational expectations, despite immense structural barriers to achieving them. Consequently, many young people's educational expectations go unmet, driving concerns over the possible unintended consequences, including their elevated risk of mental health problems. At the same time, role transitions (e.g., marriage, parenthood) remain important elements of the transition to adulthood in many low-income countries, and may be a source of resilience-allowing youth to shift their identity away from education towards a new role. In this study, we explore the mental health implications of young women's unmet educational expectations, and the possible buffering impact of motherhood, in a low-income community in Malawi, in southeast Africa. Analyses of six years of longitudinal data show that young women's unmet expectations to continue school are associated with multiple indicators of mental health disadvantage across two points in time. In the short term, however, this is only true of young women who did not enter motherhood in the midst of their educational plans going unrealized: young women who became mothers-and thus achieved a key element of the transition to adulthood in this setting-experience fewer mental health disadvantages. The findings demonstrate the potential mental health consequences of young adults' expectations exceeding their outcomes while also highlighting a source of resilience.
Social Responsiveness and Objectification: The Moderating Roles of Serotonin Transporter and Serotonin Receptor 2A Genotypes in an Objectification Theory Model of Disordered Eating

Feminist scholars have called for gender researchers to consider gene-environment interactions for gender-imbalanced disorders (Salk and Hyde Psychology of Women Quarterly, 36, 395–411, 2012). Responding to these calls, the present study integrates objectification theory (Fredrickson and Roberts Psychology of Women Quarterly, 21, 173–206, 1997) and genetic research. In the tested model, objectification experiences are associated with disordered eating through body surveillance and body shame, and serotonin transporter (SLC6A4) genotypes (5-HTTLPR and rs25531), serotonin 2A receptor SNP genotypes (HTR2A rs6311), and the epistatic interaction between those genotypes function as moderators. U.S. undergraduate women (n = 526) completed self-reports of objectification, body surveillance, body shame, and disordered eating and donated buccal cells for genetic analyses. The association between objectification and disordered eating was mediated by body shame, but not body surveillance. The paths from objectification to both body surveillance and body shame were moderated by genotypes. The indirect effect of objectification on disordered eating through body shame was only present for SLC6A4 L′ and rs6311 G homozygotes. Our results are consistent with previous evidence that serotonin system genetic variation is associated with disordered eating risk. They provide evidence of a non-deterministic genetic effect that is context-dependent and subtle. These findings also reinforce efforts to develop personalized prevention and treatment approaches for eating disorders.
HUMAN GEOGRAPHY WITH OPEN GIS AS A TRANSFORMATIVE INTRODUCTORY HIGHER EDUCATION COURSE

Abstract. Curricula in human geography and GIS can integrate open-source GIS with critical human geography, moving beyond a curricular divide between critical human geography and technical GIS. This integration requires significant transformation of GIS curricula, requires students to simultaneously develop fundamental knowledge of both GIS and human geography to critically address spatial problems in society, and calls for transformation of GIS technology itself. The curriculum is transformed to teach GIS fundamentals experimentally through video tutorials and handouts, teach GIS problem-solving with error detection and debugging skills, teach human geography concepts by reading and replicating research papers, and apply critical human geography concepts and open-source GIS techniques to solve novel problems. Students develop skills in assessing error and uncertainty in GIS, applying GIS to solve human geography problems, and questioning the powerful interactions between politics, economics, and geospatial technologies. GIS technology is transformed as instructors develop software features to facilitate human geography inquiry for novice GIS students and students apply their new problem-solving skills to identify bugs and consider new GIS features.
RepOSGate: Open Science Gateways for Institutional Repositories

Most repository platforms used to operate Institutional Repositories fail at delivering a complete set of functionalities required by institutions and researchers to fully comply with Open Science publishing practices. This paper presents RepOSGate, a software that implements an overlay application capable of collecting metadata records from a repository and transparently deliver search, statistics, upload of Open Access versions functionalities over an enhanced version of the metadata collection, which include: links to datasets, Open Access versions of the artifacts, links to projects from several funders, subjects, citations, etc. The paper will also present two instantiations of RepOSGate, used to enhance the publication metadata collections of two CNR institutes: Institute of Information Science and Technologies (ISTI) and Institute of Marine Sciences (ISMAR).
PurpleDrop: A Digital Microfluidics-Based Platform for Hybrid Molecular-Electronics Applications

Molecular manipulation and analysis are the cornerstone of life sciences. With the recent advances in molecular data storage and computing, it has become an increasingly exciting and viable alternative for the post-CMOS scaling era. Widespread use of molecular manipulation/analysis and data storage/computing requires a scalable and low-cost platform for hybrid molecular-electronics systems. This enables us to build on the best of what molecular and electronics systems can offer. In this article, we present PurpleDrop, a full-stack digital microfluidic platform for hybrid molecular-electronic systems in multiple domains, and focus on DNA data storage as a use case. We describe its design principles and relevant aspects such as closed-loop operation with computer vision and capacitive sensing, on-board magnetic bead extraction, and polymerase chain reaction, among other primitives. Importantly, we emphasize the ability to express and execute protocols and computation that include molecular and computational components.
Spectrum Shaping to Avoid OFDM Interference to In-Band Radars in the U-NII Bands

Interference avoidance will be an essential feature of wireless communication systems in the future. Interference avoidance to narrowband users is particularly difficult with Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiplexing (OFDM) due to the side lobes of the subcarriers. Spectrum-nulling algorithms based on cancellation signals have been studied in the literature. In this letter, we describe a general technique to design spectrum nulls for arbitrary signal and canceler bases. Appropriately chosen nonorthogonal canceler bases can result in data rate- and energy-efficient design of spectrum nulls. We also describe an iterative algorithm to cancel the resulting inter-carrier interference at the receiver. Spectrum nulls that meet requirements for avoiding interference to weather radars in the 5 GHz band can be designed using this technique. Bit error rates have been evaluated using simulations.
Blastomycosis: Review of a Dimorphic Fungus in Central Pennsylvania

Abstract Blastomycosis is a serious, sometimes life-threatening systemic infection caused by the dimorphic fungus Blastomyces dermatitidis [ 1 , 2 ]. The fungus grows in the soil, where it forms a mycelium that penetrates the soil substratum, and 3 new species recently were identified. The differential diagnosis of blastomycosis includes pneumonia, tuberculosis, non-infectious pulmonary disease, and cancer. However, infections in pregnancy and immunocompromised patients do occur. Most commonly, blastomycosis presents as pulmonary infection and is commonly misdiagnosed. Laboratory identification relies on direct examination, fungal culture, and DNA detection methods, and because of its mild symptoms, diagnosis may be overlooked.
The effects of storms and a transient sandy veneer on the interannual planform evolution of a low-relief coastal cliff and shore platform at Sargent Beach, Texas, USA

Abstract. Coastal cliff erosion is alongshore-variable and episodic, with retreat rates that depend upon sediment as either tools of abrasion or protective cover. However, the feedbacks between coastal cliff planform morphology, retreat rate, and sediment cover are poorly quantified. This study investigates Sargent Beach, Texas, USA, at the annual to interannual scale to explore (1) the relationship between temporal and spatial variability in cliff retreat rate, roughness, and sinuosity and (2) the response of retreat rate and roughness to changes in sand and shell hash cover of the underlying mud substrate as well as the impact of major storms using field measurements of sediment cover, erosion, and aerial images to measure shore platform morphology and retreat. A storm event in 2009 increased the planform roughness and sinuosity of the coastal cliff at Sargent Beach. Following the storm, aerial-image-derived shorelines with annual resolution show a decrease in average alongshore erosion rates from 12 to 4 m yr−1 , coincident with a decrease in shoreline roughness and sinuosity (smoothing). Like the previous storm, a storm event in 2017 increased the planform roughness and sinuosity of the cliff. Over shorter timescales, monthly retreat of the sea cliff occurred only when the platform was sparsely covered with sediment cover on the shore platform, indicating that the tools and cover effects can significantly affect short-term erosion rates. The timescale to return to a smooth shoreline following a storm or roughening event, given a steady-state erosion rate, is approximately 24 years, with the long-term rate suggesting a maximum of ∼107 years until Sargent Beach breaches, compromising the Gulf Intracoastal Waterway (GIWW) under current conditions and assuming no future storms or intervention. The observed retreat rate varies, both spatially and temporally, with cliff face morphology, demonstrating the importance of multi-scale measurements and analysis for interpretation of coastal processes and patterns of cliff retreat.
A comparative study of two-sample tests for interval-censored data

Interval-censored data are ubiquitous in clinical studies where actual time-to-event is difficult to measure. A number of nonparametric tests have been proposed to conduct a two-sample test using i...
Kindergarten students’ mathematics knowledge at work: the mathematics for programming robot toys

The purpose of this study was to explore how kindergarten students (aged 5–6 years) engaged with mathematics as they learned programming with robot coding toys. We video-recorded 16 teaching sessio...
The potential for community solar in Connecticut: A geospatial analysis of solar canopy siting on parking lots

Abstract Local, state, and national governments across the world have set goals of transitioning their energy generation to 100% renewable sources. Connecticut is one example of a sub-national state that has set a target for a zero-carbon electric sector by 2040. Government reports released on how this statewide renewable energy transition will occur pay significant attention to utility-scale solar and rooftop solar, but do not mention solar canopies as a priority. Yet, solar canopies provide a promising approach to fostering decentralized community solar. This study develops a novel methodology for assessing the potential for solar canopies on a regional scale. The study uses geospatial approaches to assess all large parking lots in the state for the viability of solar canopies. By applying this methodology to the research setting of Connecticut, the study produces the first estimates of the potential electrical generation from solar canopies in any region and analyzes how solar canopies can contribute to energy justice. The analysis revealed that there are 8,416 sites across the state, capable of producing a total of 9,042 GWh of electricity, which is equivalent to 37.0% of current electricity use in Connecticut. The analysis compared findings to census tract-level demographic data across the state and investigated two case study cities to understand energy justice considerations related to solar canopy siting. This study demonstrates that solar canopies have significant potential as a component of Connecticut's energy portfolio and discusses policies that could foster their adoption. Finally, the study lays a foundation for future research on solar canopy potential by providing a methodology that is replicable across various geographical scales.
General Properties of Fungal Pathogens

Traditionally, fungi, because they have cell walls and are usually non-motile and because they generate spores as a way of reproducing, were placed in the plant kingdom. In 1969 Whittaker devised a five-kingdom system establishing a separate kingdom for the fungi as well as for plants, animals, algae and protozoa, and bacteria (Hawksworth et al., 1983). Accordingly, in this chapter the fungi will be treated as members of a distinct kingdom. It is interesting to note that results from recent studies using biochemical, ultrastructural, and nucleotide and protein sequencing methods indicate that animals and fungi are actually sister groups, while plants belong to a different evolutionary lineage. In fact, animals and true fungi share several characteristics, such as the production and use of chitin, the use of glycogen rather than starch for food storage, and the use of common precursors and synthetic pathways that do not exist among members of the plant kingdom (Baldauf and Palmer, 1993).
Seasonal prevalence of potentially positive non-O157 Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli (STEC) bovine hides and carcasses in Costa Rica.

Abstract The prevalence of potentially positive Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli (STEC) bovine hides and carcasses in three abattoirs in Costa Rica was estimated. Two export facilities (A and B) and one non-export establishment (C) were visited during the dry and rainy seasons of 2013. Swabs of hides pre-eviscerated and treated (180–220 peroxyacetic acid spray) carcasses were tested for the potential presence of STEC serogroups O26, O45, O103, O111, O121, and O145. The prevalence on hides during the rainy season was 86.7, 96.7 and 96.7% for facilities A, B, and C, respectively. During the dry season, the prevalence on hides was significantly lower in plants A and B (40% and 26.7%, respectively), but was marginally associated with the season in plant C (76.7%, P = 0.0523). The prevalence of non-O157 STEC markers on treated carcasses was low (0 to 3.3%), suggesting that all plants were effective in minimizing the target non-O157 STEC in beef destined for export and for domestic consumption.
Introducing datasets for next generation geostationary imager compression studies

MODIS (MODerate-resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer) and other satellite data have been staged (http://cimss.ssec.wisc.edu/goes/abi/bitdepthcompression/) for use in ABI (Advanced Baseline Imager) data compression studies. The 16-channel ABI is the next generation imager on the GOES-R (Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellite) series. Most ABI bands can be simulated in this manner from MODIS observations. The advantage of using actual satellite observations is that the small-scale features are more realistic than those simulated from numerical models. High spatial resolution MODIS data have been spatially and radiometrically reformatted and posted for community use. This includes visible (VIS), near-infrared (IR) and IR bands. These images include weather/environmental phenomena, such as: fire and smoke, mountain waves, dust storms and clouds. There are several steps in these ABI simulations: select the original MODIS images for these various cases, select bands with similar central wavenumbers, de-stripe the IR bands, average to the ABI spatial resolution, subset over the area of interest, and correct for planned image bit depth. Sample METEOSAT-8 SEVIRI (Spinning Enhanced Visible and Infrared Imager) data, from EUMETSAT (EUropean organization for the exploitation of METeorological SATellites), have also been posted. There are 11 spectral bands for 3 sequential times for those interested in compression of full disk images. Finally, unaltered GOES-12 Imager Full Disk images have been staged. There are five spectral bands for both a night and day case. There has been no post-processing on these non-MODIS images. Each of these datasets has advantages and disadvantages in so far as they represent what will be obtained from the ABI.
Variants of a cloned synthetic lactose operator

Abstract Starting with one strand of the 40-bp synthetic operator (Sadler et al., 1978), we have constructed and cloned a 66-bp, palindromic DNA segment with the following sequence where the horizontal arrows indicate the locations of the two 21-bp “core≓ operator sequences in this segment and the vertical arrow designates the dyad axis of symmetry. Upon denaturation and rapid renaturation, each strand of this fragment forms a hairpin molecule still retaining an EcoRI cohesive end. Two hairpin molecules can be joined with T4 DNA ligase to form a duplex DNA molecule having no ends (dumbbell form A). Denaturation and rapid renaturation of dumbbell A yields a mixture of two dumbbell forms: dumbbell A which is a substrate for EcoKL, and a new form, dumbbell B, which is not a substrate. Each of the conformations of this DNA fragment have been purified and all are active in binding lactose repressor in vitro.
Multicompartment kinetic models for lead. I: Bone diffusion models for long-term retention

The long-term retention of lead in bone poses a number of difficulties for the usual multicompartment models. The use of diffusion models based on exchange of lead between blood in canaliculi and the crystalline bone of the osteon allows a linear compartmental approximation suitable for statistical estimation of kinetic parameters in peripheral compartments. The model is applied to lead retention by beagle dogs.
Intestinal microvascular adaptation to chronic portal hypertension in the rat

Abstract Microvascular pressures, diameters, and flow velocities were measured in the small intestine of rats with chronic stenosis of the portal vein. Ten days after portal vein stenosis, portal venous pressure increased (13.8 ± 0.4 mmHg vs. 7.3 ± 0.5 mmHg; p
Activity recognition in desktop environments

Knowledge workers are struggling in the information flood. There is a growing interest in intelligent desktop environments that help knowledge workers organize their daily life. Intelligent desktop environments allow the desktop user to define a set of “activities” that characterize the user’s desktop work. These environments then attempt to identify the current activity of the user in order to provide various kinds of assistance. TaskTracer [Dragunov et al., 2005] is one of these efforts. We classify activities into three levels: task as in TaskTracer, workflow, and operation. In this thesis, we concentrate on the two higher levels of activity – “task” and “workflow” – and we present an activity recognition solution for each of them. To recognize tasks, we employ various supervised learning algorithms. The first approach is based on batch training, which has a heavy requirement for CPU time and memory. It is also insensitive to user feedback, and it is likely to make repeated mistakes. To address these issues, we propose a novel online learning algorithm that is able to incorporate a richer set of features than our previous predictors. We prove an error bound for the algorithm and present experimental results that show improved accuracy and a 180-fold speedup on real user data. To recognize workflows, we first mine frequent workflow models from the TaskTracer event log. Discovering desktop workflows is difficult because they unfold over extended periods of time (days or weeks) and they are interleaved with many other workflows because of user multi-tasking. We describe an approach to discovering desktop workflows based on rich instrumentation of information flow actions such as copy/paste, SaveAs, file copy, attach file to email message, and save attachment. These actions allow us to construct a graph whose nodes are files, email messages, and web pages and whose edges are these information flow actions. A class of workflows that we call work procedures can be discovered by applying graph mining algorithms to find frequent subgraphs. After finding the workflow models, we create a Logical Hidden Markov Model (LHMM) for each mined model to represent the workflow in a form suitable for real-time recognition using the WARP relational inference algorithm [Natarajan et al., 2008].
Re-Anticoagulation after Warfarin-Related Intracerebral Hemorrhage in Patients with Mechanical Heart Valves: The Clinical Dilemma

A 53-year-old woman with a prosthetic heart valve developed a left occipital intracerebral hemorrhage (ICH) while on treatment with warfarin for thromboembolism prophylaxis. The international normalized ratio was 5.8. She presented with left occipital headache, right homonymous hemianopia, and fluent aphasia. The ICH expanded in the initial hours after onset but subsequently stabilized after treatment with vitamin K 1 , fresh frozen plasma, and recombinant activated factor VII. Her hospital course was stable, and the clinical deficits gradually resolved (aphasia) or improved (right homonymous hemianopia) after hospital discharge. She had the warfarin treatment restarted after 8 days from ICH onset, without subsequent complications. The available data and recommendations on the issue of restarting warfarin anticoagulation after an episode of intracranial bleeding are reviewed.
Promoting Lifelong Physical Activity in Children with Disabilities

(2008). Promoting Lifelong Physical Activity in Children with Disabilities. Journal of Physical Education, Recreation & Dance: Vol. 79, No. 4, pp. 4-54.
Non-invasive detection and classification of skin cancer from visual and cross-sectional images

This paper describes the various methods that are implemented to diagnose a sample of skin for malignancy. Skin cancer detection at the earliest stage possible is vital to increase the chance of survival of the affected patient. Imaging in this field happens to be at the cross-roads. Skin cancer imaging can be visual in nature (nevoscope imaging, electron microscope, naked eye) or non-visual (optical coherence tomography (OCT), Raman spectroscopy). ABCDs is a set of rules that are the first step that is applied to determine the nature of a mole. Although extensively used as front line methodology for malignancy in moles, it is not deterministic in nature. Each of the techniques described in this paper analyze the samples of the skin lesion under the scanner in a varied way. The samples of the skin lession can be either a visual depiction or in the form of a cross-section. We have after extensive experimentation arrived at two different ways to analyze the samples obtained as a result of the imaging. For the sample that we have obtained as a result of the nevoscope visual imaging, the power spectra appears to be the most discriminative and effective way of classification as against the use of discrete wavelet transformation in case of the cross-sections obtained from OCT. The aim is to ultimately build an automated system that has the capability to discriminating and classifying the skin samples into three main classes; namely, benign, precancerous and malignant independent of the scanning methodology.
EFTE: An interactive Delphi method

Abstract A new expert opinion technique is developed and applied to estimate the impact of information technologies on clerical work. EFTE stands for estimate, feedback, talk, estimate—the sequence of steps involved in this variant on the Delphi approach. EFTE offers advantages in obtaining expert opinions on complex tasks where social interaction poses little problem.
Almost optimal set covers in finite VC-dimension: (preliminary version)

We give a deterministic polynomial time method for finding a set cover in a set system (X,ℜ) of VC-dimension d such that the size of our cover is at most a factor of O(dlog(dc)) from the optimal size, c. For constant VC-dimension set systems, which are common in computational geometry, our method gives an O(logc) approximation factor. This improves the previous Θ(log |X|) bound of the greedy method and beats recent complexity-theoretic lower bounds for set covers (which don't make any assumptions about VC-dimension). We give several applications of our method to computational geometry, and we show that in some cases, such as those that arise in 3-d polytope approximation and 2-d disc covering, we can quickly find O(c)-sized covers.
Influence of Student Teaching on Perceived Teaching Competence.

A structured self-anchoring scale for perceptions of teaching effectiveness was administered to 46 student teachers and 46 cooperating teachers at the beginning and the end of student teaching (pre...