cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
2.15 – Ecophysiological Studies of Hormone–Behavior Relations in Birds: Future Challenges in a Changing World

Ecophysiological studies of birds provide ecological context for mechanisms of hormone–behavior interactions. This in turn reveals new insight on evolution and diversity of cell and molecular mechanisms underlying adaptation and acclimation to the environment. These new insights are particularly relevant to understanding how organisms in general cope with a changing world and the increasing frequency of extreme events. Focus is on the interactions of predictive life cycles and hormone–behavior interactions as well as how these are integrated with coping mechanisms for perturbations of the environment.
Response to anti-PD1 therapy with nivolumab in metastatic sarcomas

Manipulation of immune checkpoints such as CTLA4 or PD-1 with targeted antibodies has recently emerged as an effective anticancer strategy in multiple malignancies. Sarcomas are a heterogeneous group of diseases in need of more effective treatments. Different subtypes of soft tissue and bone sarcomas have been shown to express PD-1 ligand. We retrospectively analyzed a cohort of patients (pts) with relapsed metastatic/unresectable sarcomas, who were treated with nivolumab provided under a patient assistance program from the manufacturer. Pts underwent CT or PET/CT imaging at baseline and after at least four doses of nivolumab; RECIST 1.1 criteria were used for response assessment. Twenty-eight pts with soft tissue (STS, N = 24) or bone sarcoma (N = 4), received IV nivolumab 3 mg/kg every 2 weeks from July 2015. Median age was 57 (24–78), male:female ratio was 14:14; the median number of nivolumab cycles was eight. Eighteen pts concomitantly received pazopanib at 400–800 mg daily. The most common side effect was grade 1–2 LFT elevations; grade 3–4 toxicity occurred in five patients (colitis, LFT elevations, pneumonitis). Twenty-four pts received at least four cycles. We observed three partial responses: one dedifferentiated chondrosarcoma, one epithelioid sarcoma and one maxillary osteosarcoma (last two patients on pazopanib); nine patients had stable disease including three leiomyosarcomas; 12 patients had progression of disease including 4 leiomyosarcoma. Clinical benefit (response + stability) was observed in 50% of the evaluable patients. These data provide a rationale for further exploring the efficacy of nivolumab and other checkpoint inhibitors in soft tissue and bone sarcoma.
The influence of 21-gene recurrence score assay on chemotherapy use in a population-based sample of breast cancer patients

Purpose To quantify the influence of RS assay on changing chemotherapy plans in a general practice setting using causal inference methods.
Persistent VZV Ganglionitis May Be the Cause of Postherpetic Neuralgia

The cause of postherpetic neuralgia (PHN) is unknown. Besides PHN, two other qualitatively identical closely related forms of radicular pain without rash are associated with VZV infection. The first is prolonged radicular pain preceding zoster rash (preherpetic neuralgia). The second is chronic radicular pain associated with VZV infection without rash (zoster sine herpete). These collective clinical conditions alone suggest that PHN results from a smoldering VZV ganglionitis. There have been only two instances in which ganglia from PHN patients before death, corresponding to the area of pain during life, were analyzed pathologically. In both, an inflammatory response in ganglia of these subjects raised the possibility of prolonged viral infection. This chapter details cases of PHN in which VZV DNA and proteins were detected in the blood of many patients with PHN. Also, cases of zoster sine herpete that were studied virologically provide evidence of a productive VZV ganglionitis. Finally, a favorable response to antiviral treatment of patients with zoster sine herpete and some with PHN provides evidence that PHN is caused by chronic active VZV infection in ganglia. Because only a few studies have used antiviral therapy to treat PHN with conflicting results, larger, double-blinded studies, which give antiviral therapy intravenously, are needed.
Paleontological Notes on Hexaplex (Hexaplex) Engonatus (Conrad): Errata and Corrigenda and on the Fauna of the Chipola Formation- II Chicoreus (Siratus) Juliagardnerae, New Name for Murex Gardnerae Vokes Non Dall, With Observations on the Species

Paleontological notes on Hexaplex (Hexaplex) Engonatus (Conrad): Errata and Corrigenda and on the Fauna of the Chipola Formation- II Chicoreus (Siratus) Juliagardnerae, New Name for Murex Gardnerae Vokes Non Dall, With Observations on the Species.
Outcomes of hospitalized patients undergoing emergency general surgery remote from admission

Background Emergency general surgery during hospitalization has not been well characterized. We examined emergency operations remote from admission to identify predictors of postoperative 30-day mortality, postoperative duration of stay >30 days, and complications. Methods Patients >18 years in The American College of Surgeons National Surgical Quality Improvement Program (2011–2014) who had 1 of 7 emergency operations between hospital day 3–18 were included. Patients with operations >95th percentile after admission (>18 days; n = 581) were excluded. Exploratory laparotomy only (with no secondary procedure) represented either nontherapeutic or decompressive laparotomy. Multivariable logistic regression was used to identify predictors of study outcomes. Results Of 10,093 patients with emergency operations, most were elderly (median 66 years old [interquartile ratio: 53–77 years]), white, and female. Postoperative 30-day mortality was 12.6% (n = 1,275). Almost half the cohort (40.1%) had a complication. A small subset (6.8%) had postoperative duration of stay >30 days. Postoperative mortality after exploratory laparotomy only was particularly high (>40%). In multivariable analysis, an operation on hospital day 11–18 compared with day 3–6 was associated with death (odds ratio 1.6 [1.3–2.0]), postoperative duration of stay >30 days (odds ratio 2.0 [1.6–2.6]), and complications (odds ratio 1.5 [1.3–1.8]). Exploratory laparotomy only also was associated with death (odds ratio 5.4 [2.8–10.4]). Conclusion Emergency general surgery performed during a hospitalization is associated with high morbidity and mortality. A longer hospital course before an emergency operation is a predictor of poor outcomes, as is undergoing exploratory laparotomy only.
Interleukin33 deficiency causes tau abnormality and neurodegeneration with Alzheimer-like symptoms in aged mice.

Late-onset Alzheimer’s disease (AD) remains a medical mystery. Recent studies have linked it to impaired repair of aged neurons. Potential involvement of interleukin33 (IL33) in AD has been reported. Here we show that IL33, which was expressed by up to 75% astrocytes in the aged brains, was critical for repair of aged neurons. Mice lacking Il33 gene (Il33−/−) developed AD-like disease after 60–80 weeks, which was characterized by tau abnormality and a heavy loss of neurons/neurites in the cerebral cortex and hippocampus accompanied with cognition/memory impairment. We detected an abrupt aging surge in the cortical and hippocampal neurons at middle age (40 weeks). To counter the aging surge, wild-type mice rapidly upregulated repair of DNA double-strand breaks (DSBs) and autophagic clearance of cellular wastes in these neurons. Il33−/− mice failed to do so, but instead went on to develop rapid accumulation of abnormal tau, massive DSBs and abnormal autophagic vacuoles in these neurons. Thus, uncontrolled neuronal aging surge at middle age due to lack of IL33 resulted in neurodegeneration and late-onset AD-like symptome in Il33−/− mice. Our study also suggests that the aging surge is a time to search for biomarkers for early diagnosis of AD before massive neuron loss.
Non-overlapping domain decomposition algorithm based on modified transmission conditions for the Helmholtz equation

Abstract A square-root based transmission conditions domain decomposition method was recently introduced for the Helmholtz equation. It produces an effective algorithm where the convergence is independent of the wavenumber and the mesh discretization. We modify here these conditions in order to guarantee well-posedness of local problems and further improve the efficiency of the whole method. Numerical results, in particular in the three dimensional case, show significant reduction of the computational time needed in the iterative procedure while preserving the iteration number when compared with the original algorithm.
tPA and anger management for macrophages.

In this issue of Blood, Mantuano et al in the Gonias laboratory elucidate a novel, protease-independent signaling pathway by which tissue plasminogen activator (tPA) negatively regulates the innate immune response of macrophages and neutralizes lipopolysaccharide (LPS) toxicity in vivo.1
Sediment delivery and nutrient export as indicators of soil sustainability in an Iowa agricultural watershed

Soil erosion is an ongoing global agricultural crisis. Quantifying and tracking soil erosion and sediment export from agricultural watersheds is a key component for evaluating long-term sustainability. Our study used Revised Universal Soil Loss Equation soil erosion estimates and concentration of total suspended solids in-stream (determined through relationships with in-stream turbidity measurements) to estimate sediment delivery to an Eastern Iowa stream from a 780-ha watershed in 2015. Furthermore, we quantified soil organic carbon (SOC) and nitrogen (N) storage within the plow layer of our study area and used our estimated soil loss values to determine particulate nutrient export to the stream. These values were compared to in-stream nutrient sensor data in order to quantify the proportion of N in-stream coming from soil erosion compared to other sources. Results indicate that soil erosion in 2015 was approximately 7.5 Mg ha−1. Sediment export to the stream was determined to be 279 kg ha−1 and the sediment delivery ratio was estimated to be 3.7%. SOC and N stocks were 40 and 2.5 Mg ha−1, respectively. Approximately 0.01% of total SOC and N were lost from the plow layer in 2015. This study identifies long-term risks to watershed sustainability and water quality associated with soil erosion which directs watershed managers towards Best Management Practices that may more effectively reduce export of soil and nutrients while increasing the sustainability of an essential agricultural industry.
Diversity, Equality and Rights

Despite the numerous national (Equality Act 2010) and international (UNCRPD) laws that have been created over the decades to protect the rights of children and adults with impairments, studies have shown that disabled people do not yet enjoy full citizenship rights and are still perceived as not having equal worth as their non-disabled counterparts. This suggests that despite the paradigmatic shift in our understanding of disability as a social construct, individuals with impairments are still perceived as the “inferior other” and thus have often lived at the “margins of personhood” (Kittay 2005, p. 67 in Mojdeh Bayat 2015). The rhetoric of equality of rights in the UK and elsewhere does not appear to have translated into the acceptance and celebration of differences neither has it changed peoples’ perceptions of disabled persons. Rather, the characterisation of disabled people as scroungers in the media and within welfare policies demonstrated through the incessant assessing of disabled people for disability benefits seems to have to increase the negative views and treatment of children and adults with impairment.
Biological control of boxwood blight by Pseudomonas protegens recovered from recycling irrigation systems

Abstract Boxwood blight caused by Calonectria pseudonaviculata (Cps) is an emerging disease in the United States. It has caused significant loss to the ornamental nursery and landscape industries. In this study, 1547 bacterial strains recovered from recycling irrigation systems were evaluated in vitro and in planta for their biological control efficacy against Cps. Three most potent stains 13A3, 14D5, and 34B6 identified all belonged to Pseudomonas protegens. Strains 13A3 and 14D5 reduced Cps mycelial growth by 95 to 100% in two sets of in vitro experiments including a 48-well plate assay and a dual culture assay. Strain 34B6 also reduced Cps growth by 93% in the 48-well plate assay and 66 to 72% in dual culture plates. In planta, strain 14D5 reduced Cps infection by more than 50%, while strains 13D3 and 34B6 by 40 to 46%. Pseudomonas protegens strains produced antifungal secondary metabolites that reduced Cps growth and infection. Other possible modes of action against boxwood blight are discussed.
An Update on the Management of Neonatal Brachial Plexus Palsy-Replacing Old Paradigms: A Review.

Importance Neonatal brachial plexus palsy (NBPP) can result in persistent deficits for those who develop it. Advances in surgical technique have resulted in the availability of safe, reliable options for treatment. Prevailing paradigms include, “all neonatal brachial plexus palsy recovers,” “wait a year to see if recovery occurs,” and “don’t move the arm.” Practicing by these principles places these patients at a disadvantage. Thus, the importance of this review is to provide an update on the management of NBPP to replace old beliefs with new paradigms. Observations Changes within denervated muscle begin at the moment of injury, but without reinnervation become irreversible 18 to 24 months following denervation. These time-sensitive, irreversible changes are the scientific basis for the recommendations herein for the early management of NBPP and put into question the old paradigms. Early referral has become increasingly important because improved outcomes can be achieved using new management algorithms that allow surgery to be offered to patients unlikely to recover sufficiently with conservative management. Mounting evidence supports improved outcomes for appropriately selected patients with surgical management compared with natural history. Primary nerve surgery options now include nerve graft repair and nerve transfer. Specific indications continue to be elucidated, but both techniques offer a significant chance of restoration of function. Conclusions and Relevance Mounting data support both the safety and effectiveness of surgery for patients with persistent NBPP. Despite this support, primary nerve surgery for NBPP continues to be underused. Surgery is but one part of the multidisciplinary care of NBPP. Early referral and implementation of multidisciplinary strategies give these children the best chance of functional recovery. Primary care physicians, nerve surgeons, physiatrists, and occupational and physical therapists must partner to continue to modify current treatment paradigms to provide improved quality care to neonates and children affected by NBPP.
Development of cone-wedge-ring-expansion test to evaluate the tensile HOOP properties of nuclear fuel cladding

Abstract We report the development of a cone wedge ring expansion test method to determine the tensile hoop properties of irradiated nuclear fuel cladding in a hot cell. A closed-form solution was developed to explicitly relate the hoop stress σ θ to the axial piston loading using the scale factor χ and the shear stress correction factor α, where the χ and α factors are used to convert the applied piston load and the radial dilatation of the ring into the tensile hoop stress-strain curve. The applicability of this new test method was demonstrated by successfully evaluating ring specimens of Zr-4 alloy to failure. The ring specimens deformed uniformly in the axial and circumferential directions until onset of necking. The χ and α factors were successfully determined by using a finite-element stress analysis that benchmarked with applied test load and total work to account for frictional forces and the associated energies dissipation between the different sliding components of the testing system. The tensile hoop strength values obtained using the proposed cone-wedge-ring-expansion test method were 10% higher than values obtained from the tensile evaluation of the cladding material along the axial direction. The variability in results was found to be within the range reported in the literature.
Modelling the Expert Training Developer

This paper presents the results of a study of problem solving in the domain of design and development of technical training. The study was conducted in two phases: phase 1, consisted of a structured interview of four “experts” in the field of training development, and phase 2 validated the Cognitive Model developed in the first phase. The results of Phase I will be presented in this paper.
The Power of Positivistic Thinking

Please permit me a few introductory personal remarks. Your expectations will be fulfilled. True to stereotype I shall of course talk about positivism. But let me reassure you immediately. Had it not been for the attractive title (which I owe to a suggestion by my friend Calvin Rollins), I might have chosen an alternative such as ‘The Pernicious Proclivities of Positivistic Perversion and Prohibitionism’! The power of positivistic thinking is, as I see it, severely limited: I shall be emphatic on the need for incisive revisions and ample liberalizations. As the older members of our association may well remember, I was an ardent propagandist for the outlook of logical positivism in the early thirties. Somewhat like Alfred Ayer in England, I was an enfant terrible (and consequently a bete noire) on the American philosophical scene. I had arrived, in the autumn of 1930, deeply imbued with the spirit of the Vienna Circle. Along with my father figures, Schlick, Carnap, and the early Wittgenstein, I had come to think of ours as a ‘philosophy to end all philosophies’. In other words, I behaved myself like a philosophical prohibitionist. However, this iconoclastic phase soon gave way to a more moderate, widely appreciative, and constructive outlook. To my dismay I had come to realize that Occam’s razor mobilizes the castration complex of the metaphysicians. Yet, having stereotyped myself (in the notorious fanfare article written in colloboration with A. E. Blumberg and published in the Journal of Philosophy in the spring of 1931), as a ‘logical positivist’, the label has stuck to me ever since. As early as 1935, however, I abandoned the label (at least as far as I was concerned) and availed myself of the alias ‘logical empiricist’.
Chapter 12 – GUIDON: the epistemology of an expert system

Publisher Summary William Clancey undertook the task of building a tutorial system on top of MYCIN for his doctoral dissertation. This chapter discusses three phases of the project, including GUIDON, NEOMYCIN, and GUIDON2. The project gave rise to a fascinating inquiry into epistemological questions related to knowledge communication. This inquiry, which continues today, has produced some of the most spectacular demonstrations of the field's ability to bring to light fundamental AI research issues. GUIDON is a tutor built on top of MYCIN, with the following goals: (1) assessing the pedagogical usefulness of MYCIN'S knowledge base, (2) uncovering the additional knowledge a tutoring system would require, and (3) attempting to express tutorial strategies in domain-independent terms. Although its existing rules are used differently in tutoring, MYCIN itself is not modified for this first version of GUIDON. The rule base and the consulting facilities serve as a core, which is extended with new capabilities and other augmentations to produce an active tutor. The pedagogical presentation strategy adopted for GUIDON's presentation is the following case method: a mixed-initiative dialogue concentrates on successive specific cases so as to convey MYCIN'S knowledge to students in a realistic problem-solving context.
SysML: On System and Algorithm Co-design for Practical Machine Learning

The rise of Big Data and AI computing has led to new demands for Machine Learning systems to learn complex models with millions to billions of parameters that promise adequate capacity to digest massive datasets and offer powerful and real-time predictive analytics thereupon. In this talk, I discuss a recent trend toward building new distributed frameworks for AI at massive scale known as "system and ML algorithm co-design", or SysML -- system designs are tailored to the unique properties of ML algorithms, and algorithms are re-designed to better fit into the system architecture. I show how one can explore the underlying statistical and algorithmic characteristics unique to ML programs but not typical in traditional computer programs in designing the system architecture to achieve significant, universal, and theoretically sound power-up of ML program across the board. I also present a briefly introduction of the Petuum system based on such interdisciplinary innovations, which intends to dramatically improve adoption of AI solutions by lowering the barrier of entry to AI technologies via Automatic Machine Learning through Petuum. I show how, through automatable, product-grade, hardware-agnostic, standardized building blocks that can be assembled and customized, AI users can liberate themselves from the demanding experience of algorithm programming and system tuning, and easily experiment with different AI methods, parameters, and speed/resource trade-offs by themselves or automatically. To put this in a broader context, recent discussions about AI in both research community, and the general public have been championing a novelistic view of AI, that AI can mimic, surpass, threaten, or even destroy mankind. And such discussions are fueled by mainly recent advances in deep learning experimentations and applications, which are however often plagued by its craftiness, un-interpretability, and poor generalizability. I will discuss a different view of AI as a rigorous engineering discipline and as a commodity, where standardization, modularity, repeatability, reusability, and transparency are commonly expected, just as in civil engineering where builders apply principles and techniques from all sciences to build reliable constructions. I will discuss how such a view sets different focus, approach, metric, and expectation for AI research and engineering, which we practiced in our SysML work.
The Impact of Dietary Yeast Fermentation Product Derived from Saccharomyces cerevisiae on Semen Quality and Semen Microbiota of Aged White Leghorn roosters

SUMMARY The objective of this study was to determine the effects of feeding different levels of yeast fermentation product (YFP) on rooster semen quality and semen microbiota (yeast and bacteria). A commercially available YFP was included at either 0%, 0.5%, or 1.0% of the diet. Individually caged White Leghorn roosters (n = 63), 60 wk of age, were equally divided among the 3 diets. Feed intake and individual semen samples were obtained weekly (8 wk). Semen samples were analyzed for the sperm quality index (SQI), semen volume, sperm concentration, and sperm viability. Biweekly, body weight and body weight gain were determined, and semen samples were serially diluted and spread plated to detect yeast as well as total aerobic bacteria. Dietary YFP did not impact feed intake, body weight, or body weight gain. However, as the dietary levels of YFP increased, SQI linearly decreased but bacteria per billion sperm and yeast per billion sperm linearly increased. Additionally, yeast per billion sperm was positively correlated with bacteria per billion sperm. The decrease in SQI may be a result of the increase in bacteria per billion sperm and yeast per billion sperm with supplementation of YFP, because the SQI was negatively correlated with bacteria per billion sperm and yeast per billion sperm. These data suggest the increased number of bacteria and yeast per sperm resulted from supplementation and is detrimental to semen quality.
Cost Comparisons for Infield, Above Ground Container and Pot-in-Pot Production Systems

Abstract A relatively new production system, Pot-in-Pot (PNP), offers many of the advantages of in-field (IF) and above-ground container (AGC) nursery production methods. Our objective was to compa...
Physical activity intensity, self-regulation, and school readiness indicators in young children

This study examined whether associations exist between PA intensity, self-regulation, and indicators of school readiness, a proxy for academic achievement, in young children. Thirty young children ...
Prevalence of Thymic Parathyroids in Primary Hyperparathyroidism During Radioguided Parathyroidectomy.

Background:Radioguided surgery has been an effective tool for identifying hyperfunctioning parathyroid glands during routine parathyroidectomy for hyperparathyroidism. The purpose of this study was...
Measurement of High Harmonic Pulse Durations Via Laser Assisted X-Ray Photoionization

Ultrashort x-ray pulses are powerful diagnostic tools, combining the temporal resolution typically reserved for optical (laser) pulses with atomic scale spatial resolution which, in principle, can be achieved using high energy electromagnetic radiation. Progress in the development of femtosecond x-ray sources has been hindered by an inability to measure x-ray pulses of femtosecond duration. Streak cameras are typically used to measure ultrashort x-ray pulses, however the ~1 ps resolution limit of these instruments abates their usefulness in the femtosecond regime. We report use of a visible/x-ray cross correlation technique, based on laser assisted x-ray photoionization, to measure 50 fs soft x-ray pulses. The technique permits direct measurements on the duration of femtosecond high order harmonic radiation. We find that harmonic pulse durations are determined by the spatial and temporal profile of the generating laser pulse.
Overcoming the challenges of cancer drug resistance through bacterial-mediated therapy

Despite tremendous efforts to fight cancer, it remains a major public health problem and a leading cause of death worldwide. With increased knowledge of cancer pathways and improved technological platforms, precision therapeutics that specifically target aberrant cancer pathways have improved patient outcomes. Nevertheless, a primary cause of unsuccessful cancer therapy remains cancer drug resistance. In this review, we summarize the broad classes of resistance to cancer therapy, particularly pharmacokinetics, the tumor microenvironment, and drug resistance mechanisms. Furthermore, we describe how bacterial-mediated cancer therapy, a bygone mode of treatment, has been revitalized by synthetic biology and is uniquely suited to address the primary resistance mechanisms that confound traditional therapies. Through genetic engineering, we discuss how bacteria can be potent anticancer agents given their tumor targeting potential, anti-tumor activity, safety, and coordinated delivery of anti-cancer drugs.
Oxygen supply limits the heat tolerance of locusts during the first instar only

Abstract Extreme heat directly limits an organism’s survival and reproduction, but scientists cannot agree on what causes organisms to lose function or die during heating. According to the theory of oxygen- and capacity-limitation of thermal tolerance, heat stress occurs when a warming organism’s demand for oxygen exceeds its supply, triggering a widespread drop in ATP concentration. This model predicts that an organism’s heat tolerance should decrease under hypoxia, yet most terrestrial organisms tolerate the same amount of warming across a wide range of oxygen concentrations. This point is especially true for adult insects, who deliver oxygen through highly efficient respiratory systems. However, oxygen limitation at high temperatures may be more common during immature life stages, which have less developed respiratory systems. To test this hypothesis, we measured the effects of heat and hypoxia on the survival of locusts (Schistocerca cancellata) throughout development. We demonstrate that the heat tolerance of locusts depends on oxygen supply during the first instar but not during later instars. This finding provides further support for the idea that oxygen limitation of thermal tolerance depends on respiratory performance, especially during immature life stages.
Do we image God on-line? The opportunities and challenges for authentic relationships in cyberspace

Genesis 1 states that we are created in the image of God. While Biblical scholars have taken a performative approach, viewing God's image in our actions, systematic theologians have viewed God's im...
X-Ray Flow Visualization in Multiphase Flows

The use of X-ray flow visualization has brought a powerful new tool to the study of multiphase flows. Penetrating radiation can probe the spatial concentration of the different phases without the r...
Posted: No Phishing

Any engineering approach to cybersecurity must recognize that many breaches are the result of human behavior, rather that sophisticated malware. Effective cybersecurity defenses require a systematic engineering approach that recognizes the organizational, cultural and psychological barriers to effectively dealing with this problem. The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) defines “phishing” as, “the use of fraudulent emails and copy-cat websites to trick you into revealing valuable personal information such as account numbers for banking, securities, mortgage, or credit accounts, your social security numbers, and the login IDs and passwords you use when accessing online financial service providers.” Once this information is fraudulently obtained, it may be used to steal your identity, money, or both. A review of the literature reveals an alarming lack of attention to the prevalent threat of low-technology, or low-complexity phishing attacks. Accordingly, here is a primer on the prominent exploit known as phishing, illustration of several cases, and the necessity for organizational and societal education of data users as to appropriate computer hygiene.
A Pilot Study on the Effect of the Flipped Classroom Model on Pre-Calculus Performance:

A more effective math education has never been more pressing than in today’s world. However, it is no mystery that students continue to struggle with basic mathematics concepts, let alone more adva...
Finding outlier light-curves in catalogs of periodic variable stars

We present a methodology to discover outliers in catalogs of periodic light-curves. We use cross-correlation as measure of ``similarity'' between two individual light-curves and then classify light-curves with lowest average ``similarity'' as outliers. We performed the analysis on catalogs of variable stars of known type from the MACHO and OGLE projects and established that our method correctly identifies light-curves that do not belong to those catalogs as outliers. We show how our method can scale to large datasets that will be available in the near future such as those anticipated from Pan-STARRS and LSST.
Classical Sampling Series of Band Limited Functions: Oversampling and Non-existence

Growth conditions are given on the samples f(n), n = 0, ±1, ±2,…, of an entire function f(z) of exponential type less than π that imply that the corresponding cardinal sine series converges. These conditions are the least restrictive of their kind that are possible. Furthermore, an example is provided of an entire function f(z) of exponential type π that is bounded on the real axis and whose corresponding cardinal sine series fails to converge.
How to manage children who aspirate and fail conventional treatments

Abstract Dysphagia is a growing problem among premature and medically complicated infants and children. In 2020, Lawlor et al. published a comprehensive review of the diagnosis and management of children with dysphagia. We wanted to expand on this review by describing what happens to children whose dysphagia does not improve by routine management. Our introduction describes what we know about pediatric dysphagia, and what questions families ask us (and we ask ourselves) when children do not respond to conventional medical treatments. We then describe three cases of dysphagia as diagnostic dilemmas and highlight the importance of a multi-disciplinary approach to manage these children and answering these questions. We incorporate clinical reasoning from our own aerodigestive team (otolaryngology, pediatric pulmonary and pediatric gastro enterology) as well as from experts in pediatric general surgery and neurosurgery to describe our approach to diagnosing and managing these children.
Spatiotemporal Analysis of Overall Health in the United States Between 2010 and 2018.

Background Although many previous studies have documented spatial heterogeneity in health outcomes across the United States at different geographic scales, spatiotemporal analyses to understand overall health are scant. Methodology We used the County Health Rankings (CHR) data to analyze the three types of health outcomes, viz., overall health, length of life, and quality of life for 2010-2018 in the contiguous United States employing hierarchal Bayesian methods. Composite scores were created to proxy these outcomes utilizing predefined weights of several variables as recommended by CHR. Our methods assumed a convolution of spatially structured and unstructured errors to model the overall spatial error. Spatial effects were modeled using conditional autoregressive distribution. Results The substantial disparity in these health outcomes was evident, with counties having poorer health outcomes mostly concentrated in the southeastern United States. Models that incorporated county-level demographic and socioeconomic characteristics partially explained the observed spatial heterogeneity in health outcomes. Interestingly, there was no time effect in any of the outcomes suggesting a perpetuation of health disparity over the years. Conclusions County-specific health policy interventions that take into account the contextual factors might be beneficial in improving population health and breaking the perpetuation of health disparity.
Composition of Incipient Passivating Layers on Heat-Rejecting Aluminum in Carboxylate- and Silicate-Inhibited Coolants: Correlation with ASTM D 4340 Weight Losses

X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy identified compositional differences between passivating layers initially formed in carboxylated coolants, in silicated coolants, and in a mixture thereof on well-controlled 319 aluminum surfaces under heat-rejecting conditions. The layer formed in silicated coolant was primarily silica, while that in carboxylated coolant was primarily hydrated alumina. Competition between inhibitor packages when carboxylated coolant was contaminated from the start with low levels of silicated coolant produced films which were not simply patchwise mixtures of the pure-coolant film types. The surface analytical results aid the interpretation of subtle differences in weight losses under the ASTM Standard Test Method for Corrosion of Cast Aluminum Alloys in Engine Coolants Under Heat-Rejecting Conditions (D 4340) in carboxylated versus silicated coolants that became more pronounced when testing was carried out at a vehicle-like 50% coolant concentration. Results from time-resolved D4340 measurements and from a two-step cleaning procedure further contribute towards proper evaluation of D4340 weight losses in the different coolant types.
Robotic Technologies for the Future Force - The ART STO

Abstract : The Army has a need to integrate robotic technologies, leveraged from both Army and commercial sector developments, into an FCS Armed Robotic Vehicle (ARV) class chassis. The US Army's ARV Robotic Technologies (ART) Science and Technology Objective (STO) will develop a surrogate platform that will be used as a technology demonstrator for such robotic technologies. The ART STO will develop, integrate and demonstrate the technology required to advance the maneuver technologies (i.e., perception, mobility, tactical behaviors) and increase the survivability of unmanned platforms for the future force. The ART STO will focus on reducing the soldiers burden by providing an increase in vehicle autonomy coinciding with a decrease in the total number user interventions required to control the unmanned assets.
Tetracycline for Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever

To the Editor.— In a recent editorial, Abramson and Givner addressed the problem of using tetracycline in young children for therapy of presumed Rocky Mountain spotted fever (RMSF), due to the potential risk of tooth discoloration.1 The risk appears to depend on the specific agent used (doxycycline causes less staining than do other tetracyclines, possibly because of its lower binding to calcium) and the degree of exposure to tetracycline.2 Unfortunately, current therapeutic recommendations do not provide clear guidelines on the optimal dosage required to treat RMSF.
Distance/motion-based segmentation under heavy background noise

Typical segmentation algorithms are challenged by background noise and the variation of object sizes and object positions in video frames. In this paper, we propose a new object segmentation method based on both motion and distance information to increase segmentation reliability and to suppress background noise. Two new concepts are described in this paper. First proposed is a new distance-based background detection algorithm to remove the impact of noisy background without using reference frames. The second proposed is a new depth/motion-based segmentation that can accurately capture objects of different sizes. The algorithm introduced successfully increases the accuracy and reliability of object segmentation and motion detection.
Symptom profiles in children with advanced cancer: Patient, family caregiver, and oncologist ratings

BACKGROUND Systematic symptom assessment is not routinely performed in pediatric oncology. The objectives of the current study were to characterize the symptoms of pediatric oncology outpatients and evaluate agreement between patient and proxy reports and the association between children's ratings and oncologists' treatment recommendations. METHODS Two versions of the pediatric Memorial Symptom Assessment Scale (pMSAS) were translated into Spanish. An age-appropriate and language-appropriate pMSAS was administered independently before visits to the oncologist to patients and family caregivers (caregivers) and after visits to consenting oncologists. Statistical analysis included Spearman correlation coefficients and weighted kappa values. RESULTS English and Spanish results were similar and were combined. A total of 60 children and their caregivers completed the pMSAS. The children had a median age of 10 years (range, 7-18 years); approximately 62% were male and 33% were Spanish-speaking. Fourteen oncologists completed the pMSAS for 25 patients. Nine patients (15%) had no symptoms and 38 patients (63%) reported ≥2 symptoms. The most common symptoms were fatigue (12 patients; 40%) and itch (9 patients; 30%) for the younger children and pain (15 patients; 50%) and lack of energy (13 patients; 45%) among the older children. Total and subscale score agreement varied by proxy type and subscale, ranging from fair to good for most comparisons. Agreement for individual symptoms between the patient and proxy ranged from a kappa of −0.30 (95% confidence interval, −0.43 to −0.01) to 0.91 (95% confidence interval, 0.75 to 1.00). Three of 51 symptomatic patients (6%) had treatment recommendations documented in the electronic health record. CONCLUSIONS Symptoms are common and cross several functional domains. Proxy and child reports are often not congruent, possibly explaining apparent undertreatment among this group of patients. Cancer 2015. © 2015 American Cancer Society.
“I Wanted to See if We Could Make it Work”: Perspectives on Inclusive Childcare

Increasingly, young children with disabilities are included in natural learning environments such as home- and center-based childcare settings. Childcare providers are asked to adapt their practices and make accommodations to include these children. In this qualitative study, six childcare providers who provide inclusive childcare in a Midwest city were interviewed. They discussed factors that contribute to their ability to provide inclusive childcare. The authors analyzed the data according to grounded theory methodology. They identified the following main contributing factors: (a) the providers' commitment, (b) finding the balance between resources and needs, (c) problem-solving with parents, (d) access to emotional support and technical assistance, and (e) access to other supports. The authors discuss commonalties and divergences between home-based and center-based programs and implications for future practices.
Comment on “a new approach to the question of the fifth force”

Abstract We show that, contrary to a recent suggestion, a photon redshift result at the 10 -4 level would not provide a constraint on a possible “fifth force” that is competitive with existing results from experiments using massive test bodies.
Deformation‐Induced Changes in Hydraulic Head During Ground‐Water Withdrawal

Ground-water withdrawal from a confined or semiconfined aquifer causes three-dimensional deformation in the pumped aquifer and in adjacent layers (overlying and underlying aquifers and aquitards). In response to the deformation, hydraulic head in the adjacent layers could rise or fall almost immediately after the start of pumping. This deformation-induced effect is analyzed by a linear poroelasticity model using properties typical of unconsolidated sedimentary materials. Model simulations suggest that an adjacent layer undergoes horizontal compression and vertical extension when pumping begins. Hydraulic head initially drops in a region near the well and close to the pumped aquifer, but rises outside this region. Magnitude of head change varies from a few centimeters to more than 10 centimeters. Factors that influence the development of deformation-induced effects includes matrix rigidity (shear modulus), the arrangement of aquifer and aquitards, their thicknesses, and proximity to land surface. Induced rise in hydraulic head is prominent in an aquitard that extends from land surface to a shallow pumped aquifer. Induced drop in hydraulic head is likely observed close to the well in an aquifer that is separated from the pumped aquifer by a relatively thin aquitard. Induced effects might last for hours in an aquifer, but could persist for many days in an aquitard. Induced effects are eventually dissipated by fluid flow from regions of higher head to regions of lower head, and by propagation of drawdown from the pumped aquifer into adjacent layers.
The Core Self-Evaluation Scale: Further Construct Validation Evidence

The authors empirically examined two operationalizations of the core self-evaluation construct: (a) the Judge, Erez, Bono, and Thoresen 12-item scale and (b) a composite measure of self-esteem, self-efficacy, locus of control, and neuroticism.The study found that the composite scale relates more strongly than the shorter scale to performance, perceived job complexity, positive affectivity, personal trust, and belief in a just world. However, the short scale performed well and may be more practical in organizational research. The authors conclude that the 12-item measure is better used in research when participant time is limited and that a composite index is better when time is not a constraining factor in the data-collection process.
Human telomerase reverse transcriptase promoter-driven oncolytic adenovirus with E1B-19 kDa and E1B-55 kDa gene deletions.

Abstract We constructed an oncolytic adenovirus, Adeno-hTERT-E1A, with deletions of the viral E1B, E3A, and E3B regions and insertion of a human telomerase reverse transcriptase (hTERT) promoter-driven early viral 1A (E1A) cassette that confers high transcriptional activity in multiple human tumor cell lines. The oncolytic potential of Adeno-hTERT-E1A was characterized in comparison with that of the E1B-55kDa- and E3B-region-deleted oncolytic adenovirus ONYX-015. Tumor cells infected with Adeno-hTERT-E1A expressed dramatically higher levels of E1A oncoprotein, underwent enhanced lysis, and displayed an earlier and higher apoptotic index than cells infected with ONYX-015. Despite the increase in virus-induced apoptotic death, Adeno-hTERT-E1A replicated and produced functional progeny leading to viral spread, but with reduced efficiency compared with ONYX-015, in particular in A549 cells. Virus-induced E1A expression, host cell apoptosis, viral hexon protein production, and DNA synthesis were markedly reduc...
Techniques of fringe interpolation in moiré patterns: Further developments in the application of the intensity-displacement optical law are presented. Results show that an effective 1/70 subdivision of the fringe pitch has been achieved

The objective of this paper is to report further developments on the application of the displacement-light-intensity law to fractional-fringe-order determination.
The Hieropoioi On Kos

In the fifth and fourth centuries B.C. the hieropoioi were important religious officials in several Greek states, especially in Athens and Delos. The general nature of their title (eρ πoe - 'to do something holy') seems to have made the position of hieropoioi an extremely flexible office. At Athens the chief roles of these officials were as commissioners of sacrifice and managers of festivals 1 ). On Delos they became the chief religious magistrates of the state 2 ). The hieropoioi were important officials on Kos also, but there has never been a scholarly investigation of their role. Accordingly, it is the purpose of this paper to examine the Koan evidence carefully in order to discover what the duties of the hieropoioi were and what their relationship was to other officials and to Koan institutions. The topic naturally divides itself into three parts: the evidence, the relationship to other officials, and the relationship to institutions.
Effect of chromium on early stages of oxidation of Ni3Al alloys at 600°C

Initial oxide formation at 600°C in air on Ni3Al alloys with and without chromium additions was studied by TEM. Significant lateral nickel diffusion (apparently stress-induced) occurred in both alloys producing bands of nickel and nickel oxide-enriched hillocks. Chromium additions clearly alleviate dynamic embrittlement in Ni3Al; chromium additions were previously assumed to affect the oxidation process. Chromium additions significantly reduced the oxidation rate of the alloy. However, a continuous film of pure Cr2O3 had not yet formed after 45 sec oxidation. Grain boundaries preferentially oxidized to form Al2O3 or Cr2O3 and rejected nickel along both the surface and the grain boundary, deeper into the specimen. The dramatic effect of chromium on improving the ductility of Ni3Al when tested at high temperature in air is apparently a result of a process that occurs at or near the tip of a propagating crack that is both faster and on a finer scale than that studied here.
Solo status, stereotype threat, and performance expectancies: Their effects on women’s performance

Abstract Women working in male-dominated environments may find themselves to be the only woman present, and that negative stereotypes about women persist in the environment. This experiment tested women’s performance in solo status (SS: being the only woman present) and under stereotype threat (ST: when women are stereotyped as poor performers). White male and female participants (157) learned information, then tested on it in an opposite-gender (SS) or same-gender group (nonsolo). In addition, the information was described as being traditional math material (ST) or a type of math information impervious to gender stereotypes (no threat). Women performed more poorly in SS than nonsolos, and under ST than no threat. Experiencing both factors was more detrimental to women’s performance than experiencing one or the other. Men’s performance was the same across all conditions. Performance expectancies partially mediated the effect of SS, but not ST, on performance.
Stabilization of a class of singularly perturbed bilinear systems

The Lyapunoy stability of a form of singularly perturbed bilinear system is investigated. A theorem is proposed to show how to calculate the stabilizing controller for the whole system from a knowledge of the stability of the reduced-order model. A numerical example is given.