cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Effect of phenyl, allyl, and methyl isothiocyanate on Cyperus rotundus tubers under LDPE and VIF mulch

Abstract Cyperus rotundus (Purple nutsedge) is the most troublesome weed of vegetable crops in the US and a major limitation to the adoption of methyl bromide alternatives due to their ineffectiveness on this weed. Thus, other effective alternatives are needed. Greenhouse studies were conducted to determine the effect of phenyl, allyl, and methyl isothiocyanate (ITC) at two concentrations (1000 and 3000 nmol g −1 in dry soil) on C. rotundus tubers under low-density polyethylene (LDPE) and virtually impermeable film (VIF) mulch. ITC treated soil containing C. rotundus tubers was filled in glass jars and covered with LDPE or VIF mulch for 21 days, followed by nutsedge tuber viability evaluations. Efficacy of all three ITCs increased with increase in concentration from 1000 to 3000 nmol g −1 . All ITCs significantly reduced tuber viability, tuber dry weight, and shoot emergence, but methyl ITC was most effective followed by allyl ITC followed by phenyl ITC. Mulch type did not affect efficacy of allyl and methyl ITC, but phenyl ITC efficacy against C. rotundus was improved by using VIF mulch over LDPE mulch. Overall, methyl ITC at 3000 nmol g −1 was the most efficacious control option among three ITC tested regardless of mulch type.
Euler-Lagrange Optimal Control for Symmetric Projectiles

The linear theory model of a symmetric projectile is well suited to optimal control methods, especially the finite horizon linear optimal regulator. Using a nine–state linear model with gravity treated as an uncontrollable mode, necessary conditions for optimality are derived. These conditions are solved closed–form using a matrix exponential of the Hamiltonian matrix multiplied by distance to go in calibers. Control is thus found without a reference trajectory. A second method allowing system parameters to vary with time is developed and compared. The time–varying Riccati equation is solved recursively backward in time and control at the current state is found without a reference trajectory. Performance is demonstrated on linear and non–linear plant models using forward mounted canards.
Patient Historical Risk Factors Associated with Seizure Outcome After Surgery for Drug-Resistant Nonlesional Temporal Lobe Epilepsy

Objective To investigate the possible influence of risk factors on seizure outcome after surgery for drug-resistant nonlesional temporal lobe epilepsy (TLE). Methods This retrospective study recruited patients with drug-resistant nonlesional TLE who underwent epilepsy surgery at Jefferson Comprehensive Epilepsy Center and were followed for a minimum of 1 year. Patients had been prospectively registered in a database from 1991 to 2014. Postsurgical outcome was classified into 2 groups: seizure free or relapsed. The possible risk factors influencing long-term seizure outcome after surgery were investigated. Results Ninety-five patients (42 males and 53 females) were studied. Fifty-four (56.8%) patients were seizure free. Only a history of febrile seizure in childhood affected the risk of postoperative seizure recurrence (odds ratio, 0.22; 95% confidence interval, 0.06–0.83; P = 0.02). Gender, race, family history of epilepsy, history of status epilepticus, duration of disease before surgery, aura symptoms, IQ, and seizure type or frequency were not predictors of outcome. Conclusions Many patients with drug-resistant nonlesional TLE responded favorably to surgery. The only factor predictive of seizure outcome after surgery was a history of febrile seizure in childhood. It is critical to distinguish among different types of TLE when assessing outcome after surgery.
Modulation of the expression of major histocompatibility antigens on splenic hairy cells--differential effect upon in vitro treatment with alpha-2b-interferon, gamma-interferon, and interleukin-2.

The mechanism of action responsible for the beneficial effect of alpha- interferon (alpha-IFN) in patients with hairy cell leukemia (HCL) is still unknown. Direct antineoplastic and immunomodulating effects on both the host immune system and the hairy cells themselves have been implicated. To evaluate whether lymphokines have any regulatory effect on antigens of the major histocompatibility complex (MHC) on hairy cells and whether this corresponds to prognostic clinical parameters, we studied splenic hairy cells from ten previously untreated patients. The samples were incubated with recombinant human alpha-IFN, gamma-IFN (gamma-IFN), and interleukin-2 (IL-2). In an indirect staining procedure, cells were labeled with monoclonal antibodies (MoAb) to HLA ABC and HLA DR surface structures and subjected to cytofluorimetric analysis. Results concerning the expression of MHC class I and HLA DR antigens were mixed for incubation of hairy cells with gamma-IFN and IL- 2, whereas alpha-IFN had a distinct effect on HLA DR antigen expression. alpha-IFN strongly enhanced the intensity of staining with HLA DR MoAb in six patients, and it increased the percentage of MoAb- positive cells in five of these samples. In contrast, the staining intensity in samples from four patients was reduced considerably on alpha-IFN treatment. In this group, two samples showed a sharp alpha- IFN-induced decrease in the number of HLA DR MoAb-positive cells from originally high values, and in one sample the very low percentage of positive cells was unaffected by alpha-IFN exposure. These two groups of patients whose hairy cells displayed contrasting HLA DR expression on incubation with alpha-IFN in vitro, were found to differ in their subsequent clinical course.
Finding the safest one-dimensional path among obstacles for the acceleration constrained robot

Motion planning with dynamic constraints has been the interest of many researchers, and the past years have seen an extensive literature on studies of various problems in this area. Most existing works obtain algorithmic results, proposing polynomial/exponential algorithms for motion planning under different kinematic and dynamic conditions. Among them, [3] devises a polynomial-time approximation algorithm to compute time-optimal motion in two and three-dimensional space subject to kinematic/dynamic constraints. In [5], the reachability problem for an acceleration-constrained moving particle pursued by two particles in one-dimensional space is polynomially solved. For bounded-velocity, [7] provides an O(n log n) algorithm to solve the reachability problem in one-dimensional space, where the obstacles are assumed to be disjoint polygons in space-time and n is the total number of vertices of the polygons. A polynomial algorithm for the case of two-dimensional space is also discussed in [7]. Recently, an exact algorithm was developed to determine the time-optimal trajectory in two-dimensional space under kinematic and dynamic constraints [4]. So far, no polynomial algorithm is known for two or higher dimensional space except for approximation approaches.
Investigating reading appeal in user generated online book reviews: reading as a meaning making process

This study will investigate the potential of user generated book reviews (UGBRs) to illustrate how readers’ opinions about a book’s appeal are contextualized within personal and social attitudes toward reading. It will employ an expanded concept of ―appeal‖ from readers’ advisory literature that moves from a narrow focus on ―book appeal‖ to a focus on ―reading appeal,‖ or how a reader’s personal and social contexts affect their reading processes, motives, and justifications for reading. C.S. Peirce’s approach to semiotics is employed both as a means of illuminating the reading process and as an analytical framework. Preliminary results suggest that UGBRs might be useful to readers’ advisory services by both providing insight into the different sorts of appeal that reading holds to readers and by demonstrating how this reading appeal is constituted within different sub-groups.
Presença de Ernesto Nazareth em Marlos Nobre: a Nazarethiana op. 2

Resumo: Este artigo tem como objetivo apresentar os principais elementos da estetica composicional de Ernesto Nazareth presentes na obra Nazarethiana op.2 de Marlos Nobre por meio de analise musical tonal a partir de pesquisa bibliografica em bibliotecas e bases da Internet. Os resultados indicam que Nobre absorveu as principais caracteristicas composicionais de Nazareth (forma, estrutura melodica e harmonia) e as transferiu para a Nazarethiana op.2, conforme o seu entendimento, apresentando sutis diferencas quanto a estrutura formal da obra e desenvolvimento do material tematico das secoes, proporcionando-nos um rico material de acesso a linguagem de Nazareth.
Evaluation of the Antibotulinal Effectiveness of Nisin in Bacon

Nisin in combination with nitrite is an effective antibotulinal treatment for bacon. However, rather high levels of nisin (100 to 150 ppm) are required in combination with 120 ppm nitrite to provide a brief, 1-wk extension of shelf life for inoculated bacon incubated at 27°C. This limited antibotulinal effectiveness of nisin in bacon would have little practical value. The limited antibotulinal effectiveness of nisin in bacon was attributed to its insolubility in pickle solutions and its likely slow and incomplete diffusion from the pickle solutions into pork belly tissue.
A communicative approach to exploring the development of ethical team processes over time

This study contributes to our understanding of the social and communication processes that affect students' engagement in design work. We examine ethical considerations in a multidisciplinary design projects as students work through the challenges of team collaboration and struggle to integrate the ethical and technical aspects of engineering work. We use a mixed methods approach to investigate how design teams come to understand and create meanings for ethics in their projects, as well as the social mechanisms by which these students incorporate the diverse kinds of expertise of their team members throughout the course of their design work. In this work-in-progress paper, we will present preliminary results of an analyses of three data points across two semesters. This approach to ethics in engineering design can illuminate the social relations that influence design work and enable or hinder students to effectively recognize and incorporate ethics in their everyday work.
On the accuracy and scalability of intensive I/O workload replay

We introduce a replay tool that can be used to replay captured I/O workloads for performance evaluation of high-performance storage systems. We study several sources in the stock operating system that introduce the uncertainty of replaying a workload. Based on the remedies of these findings, we design and develop a new replay tool called hfplayer that can more accurately replay intensive block I/O workloads in a similar unscaled environment. However, to replay a given workload trace in a scaled environment, the dependency between I/O requests becomes crucial. Therefore, we propose a heuristic way of speculating I/O dependencies in a block I/O trace. Using the generated dependency graph, hfplayer is capable of replaying the I/O workload in a scaled environment. We evaluate hfplayer with a wide range of workloads using several accuracy metrics and find that it produces better accuracy when compared with two exiting available replay tools.
Biocultural citizenship and embodying exceptionalism: Biopolitics for sickle cell disease in Brazil

Abstract In 2006, the committee that developed the National Health Policy for the Black Population (NHPBP) chose sickle cell disease as their “flag to demand health rights.” The drafting of this policy was official recognition from the Ministry of Health for racial differences of its citizens in order to address certain inequalities in the form of racial health reparations. Through an ethnographic study which consisted of participant observation, life-story and semi-structured interviews, and surveys in the urban centers of Rio de Janeiro, Sao Paulo, Salvador, Belo Horizonte, and Brasilia between November 2013 and November 2014, I introduce a new conceptual approach called biocultural citizenship. It is a flexible mode of enacting belonging that varies depending on disease status, skin color, social class, recognition of African lineage, and other identifiers. Using empirical evidence, this article explores how people living with sickle cell disease (SCD), civil society, and the Brazilian government—at state and federal levels—have contributed to the discourse on SCD as a “black” disease, despite a prevailing cultural ideology of racial mixture. Specifically, I demonstrate that the SCD movement strategically uses Blackness to make claims for health rights. Biocultural citizenship is dependent on the idea of biological and cultural difference that is coproduced by the State and Afro-Brazilian citizens. The use of biology to help legitimate cultural claims, especially in the Black Atlantic, contributes a new and distinct way to think about how race and skin color are used as tools of agency for diasporic communities.
Determining the Spatial Relationship of Membrane-Bound Aquaporin-4 Autoantibodies by STED Nanoscopy.

Determining the spatial relationship of individual proteins in dense assemblies remains a challenge for superresolution nanoscopy. The organization of aquaporin-4 (AQP4) into large plasma membrane assemblies provides an opportunity to image membrane-bound AQP4 antibodies (AQP4-IgG) and evaluate changes in their spatial distribution due to alterations in AQP4 isoform expression and AQP4-IgG epitope specificity. Using stimulated emission depletion nanoscopy, we imaged secondary antibody labeling of monoclonal AQP4-IgGs with differing epitope specificity bound to isolated tetramers (M1-AQP4) and large orthogonal arrays of AQP4 (M23-AQP4). Imaging secondary antibodies bound to M1-AQP4 allowed us to infer the size of individual AQP4-IgG binding events. This information was used to model the assembly of larger AQP4-IgG complexes on M23-AQP4 arrays. A scoring algorithm was generated from these models to characterize the spatial arrangement of bound AQP4-IgG antibodies, yielding multiple epitope-specific patterns of bound antibodies on M23-AQP4 arrays. Our results delineate an approach to infer spatial relationships within protein arrays using stimulated emission depletion nanoscopy, offering insight into how information on single antibody fluorescence events can be used to extract information from dense protein assemblies under a biologic context.
Neuroticism is associated with challenging experiences with psilocybin mushrooms.

Abstract Objectives Classic hallucinogens (e.g. psilocybin and LSD) have substantial effects on perception, cognition, and emotion that can often be psychologically challenging, however we know very little regarding the source of significant individual variability that has been observed in the frequency and intensity of challenging experiences (i.e. “bad trips”) with psychedelics. Previous clinical and observational literature suggests that there may be an association between neuroticism and challenging psychedelic experiences. Methods Data from two online surveys of challenging experiences with psilocybin were analyzed. Multivariate analysis was used to estimate the associations between total score and scores from seven sub-factors (fear, grief, physical distress, insanity, isolation, death, and paranoia) of the Challenging Experience Questionnaire (CEQ), and scale scores from the Ten Item Personality Inventory (TIPI) in Study 1 (N = 1993) and the Big Five Inventory (BFI) in Study 2 (N = 981). Results CEQ scores were negatively associated with emotional stability scores (the inverse of neuroticism) in Study 1 and positively associated with neuroticism scores in Study 2. Conclusions Neuroticism may contribute to the strength of challenging experiences with psychedelics in uncontrolled settings.
Abstract LB-208: CD47 blockade with temozolomide can enhance the therapy in glioblastoma

Glioblastoma is the most common primary tumor of the CNS in adults, representing approximately 50% of all gliomas and 15% of primary brain tumors. The current standard of care for GBM is safe maximal surgical resection followed by radiotherapy and concurrent Temozolomide (TMZ), but median survival continues to be 15–16 months. Temozolomide is a second-generation DNA alkylating agent that induces thymine mispairing during DNA replication resulting in tumor cell G2/M phase arrest and autophagy, a standard care of therapy against GBM. While the success of TMZ in clinical trials showed great promise for its overall efficacy, emerging TMZ resistance make us to think more for the combination therapy. CD47, a tumor cell surface marker, plays as “don9t eat me signal” through binding its receptor SIRPα on macrophages and the antibody against CD47, which blocks interactions of CD47 with SIRPα, has been shown to lead to tumor destruction. Furthermore, CD47 is a prognostic marker as its expression predisposes cancer patients to a poorer survival outcome. This has significant clinical implications since approximately more than 80% of patients with the most GBMs, overexpress CD47. Overexpression of CD47 is also associated with a decreased probability of survival in clinical cohorts of GBM. Our work and that of others demonstrate that CD47 blockade enables tumor cell phagocytosis by antigen presenting cells (APC), establishing this molecule as a viable therapeutic target in GBM. We additionally investigated the combinatorial effect of CD47 blockade with temozolomide. DNA alkylating agents induce sporadic tumor cell necrosis associated with the extracellular release of damage associated molecular patterns (DAMPs) such as calreticulin, a pro-phagocytic protein whose interaction with low density lipoprotein receptor-related protein 1 (LRP1) facilitates recognition by professional antigen-presenting cells (APCs) and acts as a critical molecular component in promoting immunogenic cell. Our results showed that tumor cell treatment with temozolomide induces plasma membrane expression of calreticulin. Combination therapy resulted in amplified tumor cell phagocytosis and antigen presentation by APC. In addition, preclinical assessment of combination therapy in a syngeneic murine model of GBM resulted in significantly improved survival, characterized by increased intra-tumor penetration of APC cells. These results suggest that the combination of CD47 blockade with temozolomide may enhance tumor immunogenicity, and can improve clinical outcomes demonstrated by mono-therapeutic approaches with conventional chemotherapy. Citation Format: Yaqing Qie, Christina Von Roemeling, Yuanxin Chen, Kevin Shih, Xiujie Liu, Wen Jiang, Joshua Knight, Charles Chan, Irving Weissman, Betty Kim. CD47 blockade with temozolomide can enhance the therapy in glioblastoma [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the American Association for Cancer Research Annual Meeting 2017; 2017 Apr 1-5; Washington, DC. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2017;77(13 Suppl):Abstract nr LB-208. doi:10.1158/1538-7445.AM2017-LB-208
A learned embedding space for EEG signal clustering

Despite the recent advances in medical data organization and structuring, electronic medical records (EMRs) can often contain unstructured raw data, temporally constrained measurements, multichannel signal data and image data all of which are often difficult to compare and contrast in large quantities due to their sizes and variation. We present a proof of concept system that can alleviate this by mapping EEG data to a relatively compressed n-dimensional space where the Euclidean distance between data points as similarity measure. We optimize a deep neural network mapping by using a triplet-based loss function. A system of this type could be used by medical professionals query and explore EEG data. To verify that this clustering method learns a meaningful representation of the data, we apply a KNN classifier to the output. We achieve a 58.6% classification accuracy operating on the neural network sourced embeddings on the six class TUH EEG Cohorts dataset provided by Temple University.
Performance variability on perceptual discrimination tasks in profoundly deaf adults with cochlear implants.

Abstract Objectives The purpose of this study was to evaluate performance on two challenging listening tasks, talker and regional accent discrimination, and to assess variables that could have affected the outcomes. Study design A prospective study using 35 adults with one cochlear implant (CI) or a CI and a contralateral hearing aid (bimodal hearing) was conducted. Adults completed talker and regional accent discrimination tasks. Methods Two-alternative forced-choice tasks were used to assess talker and accent discrimination in a group of adults who ranged in age from 30 years old to 81 years old. Results A large amount of performance variability was observed across listeners for both discrimination tasks. Three listeners successfully discriminated between talkers for both listening tasks, 14 participants successfully completed one discrimination task and 18 participants were not able to discriminate between talkers for either listening task. Some adults who used bimodal hearing benefitted from the addition of acoustic cues provided through a HA but for others the HA did not help with discrimination abilities. Acoustic speech feature analysis of the test signals indicated that both the talker speaking rate and the fundamental frequency (F0) helped with talker discrimination. For accent discrimination, findings suggested that access to more salient spectral cues was important for better discrimination performance. Conclusions The ability to perform challenging discrimination tasks successfully likely involves a number of complex interactions between auditory and non-auditory pre- and post-implant factors. To understand why some adults with CIs perform similarly to adults with normal hearing and others experience difficulty discriminating between talkers, further research will be required with larger populations of adults who use unilateral CIs, bilateral CIs and bimodal hearing.
Wearable technologies for hand joints monitoring for rehabilitation: A survey

Abstract Hand deformities often become a major obstacle in conducting everyday tasks for many people around the globe. Rehabilitation procedures are widely used for strengthening the hand muscles, which in turn leads to the restoration of functionality of the affected hand. This paper conducts a survey of various wearable technologies that can be used to accurately quantify the rehabilitation progress in terms of fingers' hand joint angles. Based on the data acquisition methods, these technologies can be mainly divided into six categories: 1) Flex sensor based; 2) Accelerometer based; 3) Vision based; 4) Hall-effect based; 5) Stretch sensor based; and 6) Magnetic sensor based. The main focus of some of the discussed technologies has been on various other domains, like gaming gloves, tele-manipulation etc., and thus their usage for rehabilitation of hand joints could be quite interesting. This paper analyzes the strengths and weaknesses of these wearable technologies along with some examples of their implementations. Based on our survey results, we propose a wearable glove for accurately measuring hand joint angles with enhanced features for better diagnosis and rehabilitation.
On imputation for planned missing data in context questionnaires using plausible values: a comparison of three designs

This paper extends a recent study by Kaplan and Su (J Educ Behav Stat 41: 51–80, 2016) examining the problem of matrix sampling of context questionnaire scales with respect to the generation of plausible values of cognitive outcomes in large-scale assessments. Following Weirich et al. (Nested multiple imputation in large-scale assessments. In: Large-scale assessments in education, 2. http://www.largescaleassessmentsineducation.com/content/2/1/9 , 2014) we examine single + multiple imputation and multiple + multiple imputation methods using predictive mean matching imputation under three different context questionnaire matrix sampling designs: a two-form design studied by Adams et al. (On the use of rotated context questionnaires in conjunction with multilevel item response models. In: Large-scale assessments in education. http://www.largescaleassessmentsineducation.com/content/1/1/5 , 2013), a three-form design implemented in PISA 2012, and a partially-balanced incomplete design studied by Kaplan and Su (J Educ Behav Stat 41: 51–80, 2016). Our results show that the choice of design has a larger impact on the reduction of bias than the choice of imputation method. Specifically, the three-form design used in PISA 2012 yields considerably less bias compared to the two-form design and the partially balanced incomplete design. We further show that the partially balanced incomplete block design produces less bias than the two-form design despite having the same amount of missing data. We discuss the results in terms of implications for the design of context questionnaires in large-scale assessments.
User Cost Derivation for Financial Firms

The user cost of a financial good is defined as the net effective cost of holding one unit of services per time period. In the context of a consumer decision model Diewert [1974b], Donovan [1978] and Barnett [1978, 1980, 1981, 1987] have derived user cost formulae for interest bearing and non-interest bearing monetary assets. These models are based on the theory of intertemporal consumer demand of Irving Fisher [1930], and formulated in discrete time. This chapter derives complete user costs for balance sheet items held by financial institutions in the context of an intertemporal producer decision model.
Water Dynamics in Polyacrylamide Hydrogels

Polymeric hydrogels have wide applications including electrophoresis, biocompatible materials, water superadsorbents, and contact lenses. The properties of hydrogels involve the poorly characterize...
BCG: Its Impact on Tuberculosis and Relevance to Autoimmune Disease

Abstract Bacille Calmette-Guerin (BCG) remains the most widely used vaccine in the world, given to infants and children to protect against tuberculosis (TB). Although all BCG has been derived from the same Pasteur strain a century ago, BCG vaccine strains genetically vary, although all BCG strains have lost a critical cluster of virulence genes found in M. tuberculosis and M. bovis. The variation in protective efficacy of BCG vaccines varies from 87% to 0% in different trials around the world, which remains a puzzle; the best explanation is prior exposure of populations to various environmental mycobacteria. BCG vaccines are also reported to nonspecifically protect against a number of diseases, including diabetes, superficial bladder cancer, multiple sclerosis, and all-cause mortality of children in developing countries. Possible mechanisms underlying protection in these conditions are discussed in this chapter.
Comments of Financial Regulation and Consumer Protection Scholars, and Former Regulators on CFPB's RFI Regarding Bureau Public Reporting Practices of Consumer Complaint Information (Docket No. CFPB-2018-0006)

This is a response to the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB)'s request for information regarding the CFPB's reporting practices of consumer complaint information. Publicly releasing information about consumer complaints is essential to the CFPB's primary purpose of ensuring that “markets for financial products and services are fair, transparent, and competitive.” The response primarily focuses on the benefits of the CFPB's public consumer complaint database. Making public a database with data from consumers’ complaints not only advances the CFPB's primary purpose, but it also advances the CFPB's statutory duty to release marketplace data “as is in the public interest.” Consumers, advocates, companies, academics, and policymakers benefit from the database because it fosters transparency and data analysis. Consumers use the database to learn about the companies and industries they do business with, while advocates, academics, and policymakers analyze trends and identify problems in the marketplace. The database also provides important feedback to companies about concerns consumers encounter with their products and services. The response also details the benefits of adding more data to the database, of continuing to publish reports based on complaint data, of publishing more tailored reports based on the complaint data, and of evaluating the design of the online interfaces through which consumers lodge complaints and access the database. These improvements will further enhance the operation of a fair, transparent, and efficient marketplace.
Early-Onset Neonatal Sepsis with Extended Spectrum Beta-Lactamase Producing Escherichia Coli in Infants Born to South and South East Asian Immigrants: A Case Series

Extended-spectrum β -lactamase (ESBL)-producing Enterobacteriaceae represent a major worldwide threat. We present three cases of early onset ESBL Escherichia coli sepsis in infants born to families from South and Southeast Asia to inform the practitioner community about this emerging threat. Infants with suspected sepsis, whose mother is from Asia or Southeast Asia, should be suspected of having an infection with an ESBL-producing organism, and practitioners should strongly consider adding a carbapenem to their usual initial antibiotic regimen.
Racial differences in placental pathology among very preterm births.

Abstract Introduction African American women are at higher risk for preterm birth compared to white women, but no placental pathology has characterized this disparity. The objective of this study was to examine the association of race with placental pathology among very preterm births. Methods We conducted an eight-year retrospective cohort study of very preterm infants born at ≤32 weeks at Northwestern Prentice Women's Hospital in Chicago, Illinois. Archived placental slides underwent standardized masked histopathologic review. Logistic regression was performed for placental pathology, adjusting for available relevant covariates and stratified by infant sex and gestational age. Results Placentas were available for 296 white and 224 African American mother-infant pairs among births at ≤32 weeks gestation. Compared to placentas from white births, the adjusted OR (aOR) for acute inflammation in placentas from African American births was 1.95 (95% CI 0.87–4.37), the aOR for chronic inflammation was 3.35 (1.49–7.54), the aOR for fetal vascular pathology was 0.82 (0.29–2.32), and the aOR for maternal vascular pathology was 1.01 (0.51–1.99). Stratified analysis showed associations between all placental pathologies and race among male births. Across gestational age groups ( Discussion. Race is associated with placental pathology, and in particular, with chronic inflammation among very preterm births. The effect is modified by infant sex and gestational age. Placental histopathology may be useful markers for understanding the biological processes that shape disparities in pregnancy outcomes.
Susceptibility of immature stages of a biocontrol agent, Cheilomenes sexmaculata, to imidacloprid and pyriproxyfen

Chemical control is one of the important strategies in agricultural pest management because of easy operation, availability and fast control of pests. On the other hand, the environment has been exposed to various types of pesticides and pollutants which are growing daily. The persistent effects of residual pesticides commonly used cause numerous problems for non-target organisms especially parasitoids and predators. In this research, the effects of pyriproxyfen and imidacloprid on Cheilomenes sexmaculata (F.) (Coleoptera: Coccinellidae) were studied. The eggs of the ladybird beetle were treated with each pesticide in three concentrations by dipping method. Maximum field recommended concentration (MFRC=50 mg/L), 2/1 MFRC (to simulate multiple treatments) and 1/2 MFRC (to test the sublethal effects) were used for pyriproxyfen and 1/1 MFRC (140 mg/L), 1/2 MFRC (70 mg/L) and 1/4 MFRC (35 mg/L) were used for imidacloprid. The highest mortality of the first instar larvae was observed in imidacloprid at MFRC and pyriproxyfen at 2/1 MFRC. Also, maximum influence on fertility was observed at 2/1 MFRC of pyriproxyfen and MFRC of imidacloprid with 55% and 44% reduction compared to the control, respectively. Moreover, pyriproxyfen caused significant retardation on larval development at concentrations higher than 1/2 MFRC. Both insecticides initiated a significant effects on adult eclosion compared to the control and the greatest influence was observed by imidacloprid at 1/1 MFRC with 89% reduction in adult eclosion. Although results revealed that imidacloprid has higher acute toxicity to C. sexmaculata, further results obtained from the analysis of on the life cycle parameters of C. sexmaculata also indicated that pyriproxyfen also had toxic effects on this predator.
SMART: STT-MRAM architecture for smart activation and sensing

STT-MRAM is a promising drop-in replacement for DRAM for main memory, because it can offer higher energy efficiency than DRAM with comparable latency. Implementing STT-MRAM similar to traditional DRAM memory, that is keeping the same policies while only replacing the technology, however, severely limits the goodness that this new technology can offer. STT-MRAM needs to employ current sense amps which require an order of magnitude more space and power than typical DRAM voltage sense amps. To manage the high cost of sense amps, STT-MRAM decouples bit-lines from sense amps and shares one sense amp across 16 to 128 bit-lines, exploiting the non-destructive nature of its read operation. This sense amp sharing reduces the size of row buffers and, as a result, incur more row-buffer misses (i.e., higher activation energy and lower performance). Other issues arise if STT-MRAM is required to be compatible with current DRAM interfaces and policies.To cost-effectively address these issues, we propose SMART, which, unlike DRAM and conventional STT-MRAM, proposes sensing bit-lines after receiving a column access command instead of a row activation command. This results in several benefits: larger pages, fewer sense amps, lower activation power, higher bank-level parallelism, shorter latency, fewer address pins, and more efficient repairing of defective columns than conventional STT-MRAM. Our evaluation shows that SMART consumes 11% (39%) lower energy while providing 9% (5%) higher performance than conventional STT-MRAM (DRAM) on average. In addition to these benefits, SMART is 6% smaller than conventional STT-MRAM.
Deblurring for spiral real-time MRI using convolutional neural networks.

Purpose To develop and evaluate a fast and effective method for deblurring spiral real-time MRI (RT-MRI) using convolutional neural networks. Methods We demonstrate a 3-layer residual convolutional neural networks to correct image domain off-resonance artifacts in speech production spiral RT-MRI without the knowledge of field maps. The architecture is motivated by the traditional deblurring approaches. Spatially varying off-resonance blur is synthetically generated by using discrete object approximation and field maps with data augmentation from a large database of 2D human speech production RT-MRI. The effect of off-resonance range, shift-invariance of blur, and readout durations on deblurring performance are investigated. The proposed method is validated using synthetic and real data with longer readouts, quantitatively using image quality metrics and qualitatively via visual inspection, and with a comparison to conventional deblurring methods. Results Deblurring performance was found superior to a current autocalibrated method for in vivo data and only slightly worse than an ideal reconstruction with perfect knowledge of the field map for synthetic test data. Convolutional neural networks deblurring made it possible to visualize articulator boundaries with readouts up to 8 ms at 1.5 T, which is 3-fold longer than the current standard practice. The computation time was 12.3 ± 2.2 ms per frame, enabling low-latency processing for RT-MRI applications. Conclusion Convolutional neural networks deblurring is a practical, efficient, and field map-free approach for the deblurring of spiral RT-MRI. In the context of speech production imaging, this can enable 1.7-fold improvement in scan efficiency and the use of spiral readouts at higher field strengths such as 3 T.
Next-Generation Marrow Stimulation Technology for Cartilage Repair: Basic Science to Clinical Application.

» Given the relatively high prevalence of full-thickness articular cartilage lesions, including in patients who are <40 years of age, and an inability to detect some of these lesions until the time of arthroscopy, there is value in performing a single-stage cartilage procedure such as marrow stimulation (MS). » While the positive outcomes of first-generation MS (namely microfracture) have been observed to drop off after 24 months in several studies, improvements have been seen when compared with preoperative conditions for lesions that are 2 to 3 cm2 in size, and MS is considered to be a procedure with technical simplicity, fairly short surgical times, and relatively low morbidity. A recent study showed that autologous chondrocyte implantation (ACI) and osteochondral allograft (OCA) transplantation remain viable treatment options for chondral defects of the knee in the setting of failed MS. » Basic science principles that have been elucidated in recent years include (1) the creation of vertical walls during defect preparation, (2) an increased depth of subchondral penetration, (3) a smaller awl diameter, and (4) an increased number of subchondral perforations, which are all thought to help resolve issues of access to the mesenchymal stromal cells (MSCs) and the subchondral bone structure/overgrowth issues. » Pioneering and evolving basic science and clinical studies have led to next-generation clinical applications, such as a hyaluronic acid-based scaffold (ongoing randomized controlled trial [RCT]), an atelocollagen-based gel (as described in a recently published RCT), a micronized allogeneic cartilage scaffold (as described in a recently completed prospective cohort study), and a biosynthetic hydrogel that is composed of polyethylene glycol (PEG) diacrylate and denatured fibrinogen (as described in an ongoing prospective study). » This review summarizes important points for defect preparation and the recent advances in MS techniques and identifies specific scaffolding augmentation strategies (e.g., mesenchymal augmentation and scaffold stimulation [MASS]) that have the capacity to advance cartilage regeneration in light of recent laboratory and clinical studies.
Arbitrary Nonlinear FM Waveform Construction and Ultra-Wideband Synthesis

In this work, we explore efficient ultra-wideband radar waveforms and signal processing techniques for achieving high performance radar systems in low-cost hardware. This paper describes the generation of nonlinear constant-amplitude frequency modulated (FM) waveforms with autocorrelation functions that resemble linear FM waveforms that are amplitude-apodized by an arbitrary window function. The principle of stationary phase is used to solve for a time-frequency curve that produces a waveform with a power spectral density (PSD) that is similar to a desired PSD but dependent only on waveform phase. This method is extended to nonlinear (NL) synthetic wideband waveforms (SWWs), wherein an ultra-wideband nonlinear waveform having arbitrary spectral weighting is synthesized from non-uniform stepped-frequency nonlinear frequency modulated (NLFM) sub-pulses. A novel reconstruction algorithm, Non-Uniform Frequency Stitching (NUFS) is presented for obtaining high range resolution performance from such non-uniform nonlinear SWW (NUNL-SWW) waveforms with minimal grating lobe contamination.
Risk Assessment and Investment Strategy of Fishery Company under Marine Environment Changes

The profit risk evaluation equation of fishing companies was determined, and the parameters involved were estimated by introducing the actual management data. Then based on the 10000 samples of fish migration, the profit change of fishing companies was simulated for each sample and the profit trend overtime was obtained by MATLAB software. Finally, the effective response to the fish migration for small fishing companies was discussed, together with effective response strategies. Without considering the policies and legal issues brought by the territorial sea, small fishing companies should transfer their ports to Iceland, which is closer to the fish. Based on simulation of effect of investment management strategy, 100.00% of companies can avoid bankruptcy. As for considering the policies and legal issues, small fishing companies should upgrade their fishing vessels to extend the shelf life of fish. After simulation, 62.68% of companies can avoid bankruptcy.
Cultural Proficiency: The Necessary Link to Family Engagement:

Although family engagement is crucial to student and community outcomes, schools often alienate families who are not part of the dominant culture. As a result, school leaders need to become cultura...
Concern or comfort with social comparisons matter in undergraduate physics courses: Joint consideration of situated expectancy-value theory, mindsets, and gender

Abstract Guided by situated expectancy-value and mindset theories, we investigated the mediating roles of students’ experiences of social comparisons (social comparison concern, comfort being oneself) in relations between mindsets, motivation (self-efficacy, task values, and cost), and achievement in undergraduate physics. Gender differences in these mediational pathways were examined. We recruited a large sample (N = 1,218) of students in undergraduate physics courses, administered surveys twice during a semester, and obtained final course grades from university records. Multiple-group structural equation modeling revealed (1) protective roles of a growth mindset in motivation and performance via comfort being oneself, (2) detrimental roles of a fixed mindset in the same outcomes via social comparison concern, and (3) significant gender differences in these relations, such that a growth mindset is less beneficial, while a fixed mindset is more harmful for women (vs. men). Results suggest that social comparison concern acts as a mechanism of a fixed mindset for undermining women’s motivation and performance in physics to a greater extent than men. Scholarly contributions and implications are discussed.
Gender Trouble Makers: Education and Empowerment in Nepal

1. Introduction: Gender and Education 2. Setting the Context: Nepal, Jiri, and Education 3. Telling the Story: An Overview of the Research Design 4. Social Construction of Gender in the Family and Community 5. Reinforcing Gender in Schools 6. Gender Trouble Makers: Individuals Resisting Gender Constraints 7. Conclusions: Gender, Education, and Empowerment 8. Epilogue: Reflections on the Process
Data storage modeling and management for multimedia information systems

In spite of the tremendous technological advances, there is a paramount hindrance to the full realization of real-time multimedia information processing. The bandwidths of the secondary storage devices have not improved relative to other technological advances. For real-time information retrieval and presentation, it is imperative that data, for a given medium, be retrievable at a given rate. For some media, these rates exceed the capability of current storage devices. As a result of these and other related problems in multimedia information processing, this research (1) captures the different storage allocation and retrieval requirements of various multimedia objects through a multimedia object model that incorporates different classifications of multimedia objects based on their I/O requirements, (2) presents some decomposition strategies necessary for generating the storage allocation units of multimedia objects in order to achieve their I/O requirements, (3) describes the necessary and sufficient conditions and criteria for an object's allocatability to a storage device, (4) presents efficient allocation criteria and techniques for a multimedia object storage and distribution, (5) describes the bipartite graph model for mapping objects to storage devices as a precondition for determining optimal allocation of objects, (6) presents the optimal matching of objects to storage devices via the bipartite graph using the Hungarian Method, (7) presents the techniques for exploiting the configuration of storage devices as means of achieving efficient multimedia object allocations, (8) develops the extensions of the allocation strategies discussed for object allocations in distributed computing environments, (9) presents simulation results based on the decomposition and allocation strategies developed t hat achieve the retrieval requirements of multimedia objects and also efficiently distribute the objects on the storage devices, (10) presents the designs of the storage and retrieval schemes for a multimedia object manager which are necessary for implementing the allocation strategies in a computing system, and (11) develops the design of the integrated data management system that describes the resolutions of the critical issues of distributed computing with respect to the multimedia object allocation strategies presented and also details the system functionalities and management interfaces and processes. This research develops a multimedia object model that classifies every multimedia object based on its I/O requirements; and using the decomposition techniques, and allocation parameters and criteria developed that take cognizance of the various characteristics of the objects, it shows that by optimizing the allocation of multimedia objects, we can achieve efficient object storage. The necessary storage and retrieval schemes are also developed that demonstrate the implementability of the proposed strategies. (Abstract shortened by UMI.)
Rapid Quantification of 3D Collagen Fiber Alignment and Fiber Intersection Correlations with High Sensitivity

Metastatic cancers aggressively reorganize collagen in their microenvironment. For example, radially orientated collagen fibers have been observed surrounding tumor cell clusters in vivo. The degree of fiber alignment, as a consequence of this remodeling, has often been difficult to quantify. In this paper, we present an easy to implement algorithm for accurate detection of collagen fiber orientation in a rapid pixel-wise manner. This algorithm quantifies the alignment of both computer generated and actual collagen fiber networks of varying degrees of alignment within 5°°. We also present an alternative easy method to calculate the alignment index directly from the standard deviation of fiber orientation. Using this quantitative method for determining collagen alignment, we demonstrate that the number of collagen fiber intersections has a negative correlation with the degree of fiber alignment. This decrease in intersections of aligned fibers could explain why cells move more rapidly along aligned fibers than unaligned fibers, as previously reported. Overall, our paper provides an easier, more quantitative and quicker way to quantify fiber orientation and alignment, and presents a platform in studying effects of matrix and cellular properties on fiber alignment in complex 3D environments.
Post-transplant Lymphoproliferative Disorder: Monomorphic T/NK-Cell, and Classical Hodgkin Lymphoma

Monomorphic T/natural killer (NK)–cell post-transplant lymphoproliferative disorder (PTLD) includes all cases of T- or NK-cell lineage that fulfill criteria for lymphoma. Approximately 10 % of PTLD cases are of T- or NK-cell lineage and therefore much less is known about these lesions, including pathogenesis and risk factors. Most cases of T/NK-cell PTLD are negative for Epstein–Barr virus (EBV) infection. Post-transplant status, decreased immune surveillance, and chronic antigenic stimulation are thought to facilitate T- or NK-cell proliferation resulting in polyclonal and then monoclonal proliferation, leading to PTLD. Approximately 20–30 % of cases of T/NK-cell PTLD are EBV+, and EBV infection correlates, in part, with histologic type. For example, virtually all cases of extranodal NK/T-cell lymphoma of nasal type arising after transplant are EBV+.