cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Model-Based Evaluation of Distributed Intrusion Detection Protocols for Mobile Group Communication Systems

Under highly security vulnerable, resource-restricted, and dynamically changing mobile ad hoc environments, it is critical to be able to maximize the system lifetime while bounding the communication response time for mission-oriented mobile groups. In this paper, we analyze the tradeoff of security versus performance for distributed intrusion detection protocols employed in mobile group communication systems (GCSs). We investigate a distributed voting-based intrusion detection protocol for GCSs in multi-hop mobile ad hoc networks and examine the effect of intrusion detection on system survivability measured by the mean time to security failure (MTTSF) metric and efficiency measured by the communication cost metric. We identify optimal design settings under which the MTTSF metric can be best traded off for the communication cost metric or vice versa. We conduct extensive simulation to validate analytical results obtained. This work provides a general model-based evaluation framework for developing and analyzing intrusion detection protocols that can dynamically adapt to changing attacker strengths with the goal of system lifetime optimization and/or communication cost minimization.
Molecular and Biological Characterization of a Trackable Illinois Isolate of Barley yellow dwarf virus-PAV

In consecutive annual statewide surveys of the incidence of Barley yellow dwarf viruses (BYDVs) in Illinois wheat and oat fields, 27 BYDV-PAV-like isolates were identified. Using polymerase chain reaction (PCR), the coat protein regions of all 27 isolates were analyzed for restriction fragment length polymorphisms. The PCR products of two isolates, one from each year, had restriction fragment profiles after digestion with HaeIII that differed from the other isolates. The nucleotide sequences of the coat protein regions of a laboratory isolate, BYDV-PAV-IL (PAV-IL), two of the isolates with the common restriction profile, and the two isolates with polymorphic profiles were more than 98% identical. The relatively rare isolate identified during the first year was designated BYDV-PAV-DK1 (PAV-DK1) and further characterized biologically. PAV-DK1 and PAV-IL did not differ significantly in symptom expression, but did differ significantly in rates of transmission by two of the three biotypes of Rhopalosiphum padiexamined. Since PAV-DK1 does not occur in high levels in the state of Illinois, and its PCR products have a unique restriction enzyme profile, it has the potential to be used as a traceable isolate in field epidemiological experiments.
Peer victimisation: Strategies to decrease bullying in schools

In recent years, school nurses have become increasingly aware of the adverse effects of bullying in the primary and secondary school setting. Victims of bullying exhibit a wide range of both physical and psychological symptoms and report significantly more unexplained psychosomatic symptoms than those who are not bullied. It has been suggested that children who perceive a school climate as negative report a higher incidence of bullying than children in those schools with a positive school climate. Therefore, nurses in schools with a negative school climate may be significantly more likely to encounter students with unexplained psychosomatic symptoms than nurses in schools with a positive school climate. School nurses are in a unique position to help identify the victims and perpetrators. School nurses can play a major role in identifying, counseling and protecting the victims of bullying.
The Challenge of Treating Heart Failure: A Diverse Disease Affecting Diverse Populations

Heart failure affects nearly 6 million people in the United States alone, 1 and the prevalence has reached alarming proportions. It is estimated that approximately 2% of Americans have heart failure, and 35% of cardiovascular deaths are directly related to heart failure. 1 The costs for treating patients with heart failure now approach $32 billion annually. 2 Successful and significant advances have been made in the treatment strategies for heart failure. Pharmacologic therapy includes agents such as β-blockers, angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitors, angiotensin receptor blockers and aldosterone antagonists. Further advances in cardiac resynchronization therapy (CRT), cardiac transplantation, and mechanical circulatory support have provided additional options for patients with this debilitating and frequently fatal chronic illness. However, an important question is whether all patients are being afforded the same advantages of current treatment approaches. Are there groups of patients, as defined by sex, race, and ethnicity, being left behind?
Membrane potential and Ca2+ concentration dependence on pressure and vasoactive agents in arterial smooth muscle: A model

Arterial smooth muscle (SM) cells respond autonomously to changes in intravascular pressure, adjusting tension to maintain vessel diameter. The values of membrane potential (Vm) and sarcoplasmic Ca2+ concentration (Cain) within minutes of a change in pressure are the results of two opposing pathways, both of which use Ca2+ as a signal. This works because the two Ca2+-signaling pathways are confined to distinct microdomains in which the Ca2+ concentrations needed to activate key channels are transiently higher than Cain. A mathematical model of an isolated arterial SM cell is presented that incorporates the two types of microdomains. The first type consists of junctions between cisternae of the peripheral sarcoplasmic reticulum (SR), containing ryanodine receptors (RyRs), and the sarcolemma, containing voltage- and Ca2+-activated K+ (BK) channels. These junctional microdomains promote hyperpolarization, reduced Cain, and relaxation. The second type is postulated to form around stretch-activated nonspecific cation channels and neighboring Ca2+-activated Cl− channels, and promotes the opposite (depolarization, increased Cain, and contraction). The model includes three additional compartments: the sarcoplasm, the central SR lumen, and the peripheral SR lumen. It incorporates 37 protein components. In addition to pressure, the model accommodates inputs of α- and β-adrenergic agonists, ATP, 11,12-epoxyeicosatrienoic acid, and nitric oxide (NO). The parameters of the equations were adjusted to obtain a close fit to reported Vm and Cain as functions of pressure, which have been determined in cerebral arteries. The simulations were insensitive to ±10% changes in most of the parameters. The model also simulated the effects of inhibiting RyR, BK, or voltage-activated Ca2+ channels on Vm and Cain. Deletion of BK β1 subunits is known to increase arterial–SM tension. In the model, deletion of β1 raised Cain at all pressures, and these increases were reversed by NO.
Elixir: a system for synthesizing concurrent graph programs

Algorithms in new application areas like machine learning and network analysis use "irregular" data structures such as graphs, trees and sets. Writing efficient parallel code in these problem domains is very challenging because it requires the programmer to make many choices: a given problem can usually be solved by several algorithms, each algorithm may have many implementations, and the best choice of algorithm and implementation can depend not only on the characteristics of the parallel platform but also on properties of the input data such as the structure of the graph. One solution is to permit the application programmer to experiment with different algorithms and implementations without writing every variant from scratch. Auto-tuning to find the best variant is a more ambitious solution. These solutions require a system for automatically producing efficient parallel implementations from high-level specifications. Elixir, the system described in this paper, is the first step towards this ambitious goal. Application programmers write specifications that consist of an operator, which describes the computations to be performed, and a schedule for performing these computations. Elixir uses sophisticated inference techniques to produce efficient parallel code from such specifications.We used Elixir to automatically generate many parallel implementations for three irregular problems: breadth-first search, single source shortest path, and betweenness-centrality computation. Our experiments show that the best generated variants can be competitive with handwritten code for these problems from other research groups; for some inputs, they even outperform the handwritten versions.
HYPERPRODUCTION OF DIHYDROFOLATE REDUCTASE IN DIPLOCOCCUS PNEUMONIAE AFTER MUTATION IN THE STRUCTURAL GENE. EVIDENCE FOR AN EFFECT AT THE LEVEL OF TRANSCRIPTION

Dihydrofolate reductase is markedly hyperproduced in strains of Diplococcus pneumoniae which bear any one of a unique group of sense to sense mutations (amer) in the corresponding structural gene. Increased enzyme levels mediated by the amer mutations are apparently the result of increased rates of de novo synthesis. The basis for these effects could be transcriptional, translational or could involve an increase in messenger RNA stability. Data revealing no difference in stability of the related mRNA in a variety of mutants and the wild-type strain appear to eliminate the last possibility. Other data support the idea of an effect on transcription. This includes the extreme sensitivity of amer mutation expression following genetic transformation, to inhibition by actinomycin D and rifampacin, and the presence in one extremely high level mutant (amer-3 with 120 times the wild-type enzyme content) of increased amounts of mRNA. The data are most compatible with the idea of a regulatory function for the dihydrofolate reductase protein in this organism.
Should 'Agricultural Laborers' Continue to Be Excluded from the National Labor Relations Act?

This Article proposes that Congress amend the National Labor Relations Act (NLRA) to remove its definitional exclusion of agricultural laborers as employees. When Congress created this exclusion in 1935, it gave this matter only passing thought while focusing on industrial employment. It justified this exclusion on the premise that collective bargaining would be too burdensome for the typical farm, which was small and family-run. This Article presents data showing that family farms are in steep decline, while "factory farms" are increasing. These large-scale farms are similar to industrial firms in their scale and organizational mode, and therefore, should not be exempted from the national collective bargaining law. In addition, this Article presents data showing that farm workers earn poor wages; moreover, data presented here show that wage increases for farm workers have consistently trailed gains for non-farm workers. Thus, this Article concludes that farm workers fit the profile of an employee that Congress intended to benefit from collective bargaining. This Article also shows that, in the absence of federal collective bargaining for farm workers, states have entered this regulatory field. The result is a conflicting array of laws. Conflict among the states is aggravated by the fact that many farm workers migrate across state borders for their work, and are therefore subjected to conflicting duties and rights. This Article's proposal to include farm workers under the NLRA would provide these laborers a voice in determining their pay and working conditions and would create more uniform policies for this important sector of the American economy. This proposal would protect agricultural employers, too. This Article presents data showing that two-thirds of all farm employment involves family members. Since the NLRA also excludes family employment from coverage, small family farms would continue to be shielded from the burdens of collective bargaining. In addition, under current policies, farm-worker boycotts are not subject to the NLRA's strict prohibitions against secondary boycotts; thus, inclusion of farm workers and their unions would insulate large agricultural employers from this potent economic weapon.
Beta, Size, and Stock Returns

We relate the cross-section of stock returns to firm size, beta, and total risk. We find that as extreme monthly security returns are censored from the data, the significance level decreases rapidly for the size variable and increases for beta and total risk. An analysis of up and down-markets reaffirms our findings. Consequently, average returns relate positively with beta, negatively with total risk, and not at all with firm size. We infer that investors willingly accept a lower average return on high total risk investments as the trade-off for buying a chance at an extreme positive return.
Managing γ 5 in Dimensional Regularization II: the Trace with more γ 5 's

In the present paper we evaluate the anomaly for the abelian axial current in a non abelian chiral gauge theory, by using dimensional regularization. This amount to formulate a procedure for managing traces with more than one γ5. The suggested procedure obeys Lorentz covariance and cyclicity, at variance with previous approaches (e.g. the celebrated ’t Hooft and Veltman’s where Lorentz is violated). The result of the present paper is a further step forward in the program initiated by a previous work on the traces involving a single γ5. The final goal is an unconstrained definition of γ5 in dimensional regularization. Here, in the evaluation of the anomaly, we profit of the axial current conservation equation, when radiative corrections are neglected. This kind of tool is not always exploited in field theories with γ5, e.g. in the use of dimensional regularization of infrared and collinear divergences.
Brittleness in the design of cooperative problem-solving systems: the effects on user performance

One of the critical problems in the design and use of advanced decision-support systems is their potential "brittleness". This brittleness can arise because of the inability of the designer to anticipate and design for all of the scenarios that could arise during the use of the system. The typical "safety valve" to deal with this problem is to keep a person "in the loop", requiring that person to apply his/her expertise in making the final decision on what actions to take. This paper provides empirical data on how the role of the decision support system can have a major impact on the effectiveness of this design strategy. Using flight planning for commercial airlines as a testbed, three alternative designs for a graphical flight planning tool were evaluated, using 27 dispatchers and 30 pilots as subjects. The results show that the presentation of a suggestion or recommendation by the computer early in the person's own problem evaluation can have a significant impact on that person's decision processes, influencing situation assessment and the evaluation of alternative solutions.
Differential degassing of H2O, Cl, F, and S: Potential effects on lunar apatite

Recent SIMS analysis of water, F, and Cl in lunar apatite suggests significantly higher volatile abundances in lunar magmas than previously considered. However, apatite is commonly a late-crystallizing mineral and its volatile content may reflect late-stage open-system processes that have perturbed the magmatic volatile content and obscured direct information regarding the volatile contents of the parental magmas and magmatic source region. Degassing during magma ascent has the potential to perturb not only the absolute but also the relative magmatic volatile abundances. A set of evacuated silica tube degassing experiments were conducted that simulate ascent of high-Al basalt 14053 with 0.5 wt% Cl, 0.5 wt% F, 0.3 wt% S, and 2.2 wt% (and 2.5 wt%) water (in addition to dissolved C-O-H species) from 100 km to within ~20 m of the surface followed by degassing (at an f O 2 of ~QIF). Extensive degassing occurred within 6 h during which 99–100% of the initial water, 89–84% of the initial Cl, 60–61% of the initial F, and 94–92% of the initial S was lost. During degassing, the relative volatile contents showed a strong decrease in water content and an increase in F:Cl ratio. In reflection of the changes in melt volatile contents, apatites crystallizing from the degassed melt would have much lower OH contents and higher F:Cl ratio than apatites crystallized from the non-degassed melt. These results confirm the possibility of significant underestimation of primary magma volatile contents, especially water and Cl, through use of apatite volatile contents and the assumption of simple increases in volatile abundance during magma differentiation.
394 IS DRUG/ALCOHOL USE ASSOCIATED WITH HIGHER RATES OF SEXUAL ACTIVITY IN TEENS?

Purpose Previous research has shown that frequent alcohol and drug use is associated with sexual intercourse at an earlier age, frequency of sex, and unprotected sex in teens. The goal of the current study was to examine if teens who report having had sex are more likely to also report using alcohol/drugs than teens who have not had sex. Methods This study was part of a larger randomized control study to increase Chlamydia screening in adolescents. Two N. California Kaiser Permanente pediatric clinics participated in the current study. Self-report surveys were administered to all 14-18 year old adolescents seen for urgent care visits. The survey was anonymous, voluntary, and brief with 12 questions in total (age, gender, ethnicity, sexual activity). Questions regarding the teen9s sexual activity, lifetime and 30-day use of drugs and alcohol were worded similarly to those on the national Youth Risk Behavior Survey. A research assistant approached teens after their urgent care visit, received verbal consent, and gave the survey to the teen; the teen completed the survey, dropped in a 1-way collection box, and received a coupon for an ice cream as a thank you for participation. Human Use Committees approved this study. Results A total of 81 teens completed the survey (48 F and 33 M). The response rate was 85%. The sample was ethnically diverse and was composed of 31% Latino/a, 19% mixed ethnicity, 17% Asian, 15% Pacific Islander, and 11% Caucasian. The mean age was 15.5 years for males and 15.6 years for females. Self-reported sexual activity rates were 25% for females and 36% for males. Teens who report ever having sex are also more likely to report having used alcohol (lifetime and 30-day) than those who did not (p = .001). Teens who report ever having sex are also more likely to report having used drugs (lifetime and 30-day) than those who did not (p = .001). No significant gender differences were found. Conclusions Teens who reported using alcohol (30-day and lifetime) also reported being sexually active. This is consistent with prior research showing that adolescent risk-taking behaviors cluster together. Since we have found that nearly two-thirds of teens who visit their pediatric provider in any given year do so in the context of an urgent care visit, more research is needed to identify strategies to assess adolescent health risks in the context of urgent care visits.
A Software App for Radiotherapy with In-situ Dose-painting using high Z nanoparticles

The purpose of this work is to develop a user friendly and free-to-download application software that can be employed for modeling Radiotherapy with In-situ Dosepainting (RAID) using high-Z nanoparticles (HZNPs). The RAID APP is software program written in Matlab (Mathworks, Natick, MA, USA) based on deterministic code developed to simulate the space-time intra-tumor HZNPs biodistribution within the tumor, and the corresponding dose enhancement in response to low dose rate (LDR) brachytherapy of I-125, Pd-102, Cs-131 and kilovoltage x-rays such as 50 keV and 100 keV. Through the graphical user interface (GUI) of the RAID APP, the user will be directed to different features to compute various parameters related to the dose enhancement and the biodistribution of NPs within high risk tumor sub-volumes. The software was developed as a tool for research purposes with potential for subsequent development to guide dose-painting treatment planning using radiosensitizers such as gold (Au) and platinum (Pt).
Cross Country Comparisons

In a recent paper, Hayes, Molina and Slottje (1988) examined the question of preference variation across North America. As the economy of the United States becomes a more open economy and less immune to fluctuations in international markets, the impact of relative price changes of foreign commodities on domestic economic well-being will be of increasing interest. Earlier studies have focused on the welfare impact of foreign price changes (cf Thursby (1981)). In this chapter, potential secondary utility effects of foreign prices are examined, the chapter follows Hayes, Molina and Slottje (1988).
Septin complexes assemble during a kinetic window of opportunity.

Septins are a family of cytoskeletal proteins that were discovered by Lee Hartwell and colleagues in the early 1970s in budding yeast based on their essential role in cytokinesis.1 Despite the fact...
Concentric and eccentric exercise, glycemic responses to a postexercise meal, and inflammation in women with high versus low waist circumference.

Carbohydrate ingestion and level of concentric versus eccentric muscle activity may alter exercise-induced health benefits for individuals who have high waist circumference as a metabolic risk fact...
Methods and Models of Optimization

Most engineering problems, including planning, control and design, have more than one solution. The theory of optimization provides a mathematical basis for the establishing the acceptability conditions that outline the class of acceptable solutions, for the definition of the criterion that provides the measure of goodness of every individual solution, and the optimization procedure (algorithm) that results in finding the optimal solution, i.e. the solution maximizing the value of the goodness criterion. These three components, the class of acceptable solutions, the criterion of goodness, and the optimization procedure are to be present in any definition of the optimization problem.
ULTRAWIDEFIELD AUTOFLUORESENCE IN ABCA4 STARGARDT DISEASE.

Purpose To report the ultrawidefield fundus autofluorescence (UWF-FAF) patterns in ABC4A Stargardt disease. Methods A retrospective cohort study of patients with a clinical diagnosis of Stargardt disease, confirmed ABCA4 genotype, and ultrawidefield fundus autofluorescence imaging using an Optos P200Tx. Four independent graders evaluated the images. Ultrawidefield fundus autofluorescence images were evaluated for the presence of posterior pole and peripheral findings, and were classified into one of three types (Type I: lesions confined to the macula with no peripheral findings; Type II: macular atrophy with flecks only in the periphery; Type III: macular atrophy and varying degrees of peripheral atrophy). Results Ultrawidefield fundus autofluorescence was performed on 58 eyes of 29 patients. Reviews of images revealed the presence of peripheral (outside the 55° view of standard nonwidefield FAF imaging) alterations on UWF-FAF in 76% of eyes. Overall, the UWF-FAF pattern was classified as Type I in 24% eyes (14/58), Type II in 24% (14/58), and Type III in 52% (30/58). The most common genetic mutations were c.2588G>C (6/29 patients, 20.7%), and c.5882G>A (5/29 patients, 17.2%). Conclusion Ultrawidefield fundus autofluorescence reveals peripheral changes in the majority of patients with Stargardt disease. Peripheral FAF changes may have implications for diagnosis, prognosis, and management of individual patients with Stargardt disease.
Tracking Reactive Water and Hydrogen-Bonding Networks in Photosynthetic Oxygen Evolution

ConspectusIn oxygenic photosynthesis, photosystem II (PSII) converts water to molecular oxygen through four photodriven oxidation events at a Mn4CaO5 cluster. A tyrosine, YZ (Y161 in the D1 polypeptide), transfers oxidizing equivalents from an oxidized, primary chlorophyll donor to the metal center. Calcium or its analogue, strontium, is required for activity. The Mn4CaO5 cluster and YZ are predicted to be hydrogen bonded in a water-containing network, which involves amide carbonyl groups, amino acid side chains, and water. This hydrogen-bonded network includes amino acid residues in intrinsic and extrinsic subunits. One of the extrinsic subunits, PsbO, is intrinsically disordered. This extensive (35 A) network may be essential in facilitating proton release from substrate water. While it is known that some proteins employ internal water molecules to catalyze reactions, there are relatively few methods that can be used to study the role of water. In this Account, we review spectroscopic evidence from our ...
The structure of the actin-smooth muscle myosin motor domain complex in the rigor state.

Abstract Myosin-based motility utilizes catalysis of ATP to drive the relative sliding of F-actin and myosin. The earliest detailed model based on cryo-electron microscopy (cryoEM) and X-ray crystallography postulated that higher actin affinity and lever arm movement were coupled to closure of a feature of the myosin head dubbed the actin-binding cleft. Several studies since then using crystallography of myosin-V and cryoEM structures of F-actin bound myosin-I, –II and –V have provided details of this model. The smooth muscle myosin II interaction with F-actin may differ from those for striated and non-muscle myosin II due in part to different lengths of important surface loops. Here we report a ∼6 A resolution reconstruction of F-actin decorated with the nucleotide-free recombinant smooth muscle myosin-II motor domain (MD) from images recorded using a direct electron detector. Resolution is highest for F-actin and the actin-myosin interface (3.5–4 A) and lowest (∼6–7 A) for those parts of the MD at the highest radius. Atomic models built into the F-actin density are quite comparable to those previously reported for rabbit muscle actin and show density from the bound ADP. The atomic model of the MD, is quite similar to a recently published structure of vertebrate non-muscle myosin II bound to F-actin and a crystal structure of nucleotide free myosin-V. Larger differences are observed when compared to the cryoEM structure of F-actin decorated with rabbit skeletal muscle myosin subfragment 1. The differences suggest less closure of the 50 kDa domain in the actin bound skeletal muscle myosin structure.
Solid-State Dewetting of Gold Aggregates/Islands on TiO2 Nanorod Structures Grown by Oblique Angle Deposition

A composite film made of a stable gold nanoparticle (NP) array with well-controlled separation and size atop a TiO2 nanorod film was fabricated via the oblique angle deposition (OAD) technique. The fabrication of the NP array is based on controlled, Rayleigh-instability-induced, solid-state dewetting of as-deposited gold aggregates on the TiO2 nanorods. It was found that the initial spacing between as-deposited gold aggregates along the vapor flux direction should be greater than the TiO2 interrod spacing created by 80° OAD to control dewetting and produce NP arrays. A numerical investigation of the process was conducted using a phase-field modeling approach. Simulation results showed that coalescence between neighboring gold aggregates is likely to have caused the uncontrolled dewetting in the 80° deposition, and this could be circumvented if the initial spacing between gold aggregates is larger than a critical value smin. We also found that TiO2 nanorod tips affect dewetting dynamics differently than pl...
Unified theory for stochastic modelling of hydroclimatic processes: Preserving marginal distributions, correlation structures, and intermittency

Abstract Hydroclimatic processes come in all “shapes and sizes”. They are characterized by different spatiotemporal correlation structures and probability distributions that can be continuous, mixed-type, discrete or even binary. Simulating such processes by reproducing precisely their marginal distribution and linear correlation structure, including features like intermittency, can greatly improve hydrological analysis and design. Traditionally, modelling schemes are case specific and typically attempt to preserve few statistical moments providing inadequate and potentially risky distribution approximations. Here, a single framework is proposed that unifies, extends, and improves a general-purpose modelling strategy, based on the assumption that any process can emerge by transforming a specific “parent” Gaussian process. A novel mathematical representation of this scheme, introducing parametric correlation transformation functions, enables straightforward estimation of the parent-Gaussian process yielding the target process after the marginal back transformation, while it provides a general description that supersedes previous specific parameterizations, offering a simple, fast and efficient simulation procedure for every stationary process at any spatiotemporal scale. This framework, also applicable for cyclostationary and multivariate modelling, is augmented with flexible parametric correlation structures that parsimoniously describe observed correlations. Real-world simulations of various hydroclimatic processes with different correlation structures and marginals, such as precipitation, river discharge, wind speed, humidity, extreme events per year, etc., as well as a multivariate example, highlight the flexibility, advantages, and complete generality of the method.
Radium-223 and atezolizumab in platinum refractory urothelial carcinoma with bone metastases: NCT03208712.

TPS543Background: Immunologically, radiation increases tumor antigen release, cytotoxic CD8+ T cell infiltration while reducing myeloid derived suppressor cells (MDSCs), with distant abscopal responses occasionally reported. Radium-223 is a systemically administered bone-targeted alpha emitter that causes double-stranded DNA breaks and may induce similar immune effects. Anti-PD(L1) immune checkpoint inhibitor monotherapy with Atezolizumab demonstrates objective responses in metastatic urothelial cancer. In mouse models, radiotherapy and checkpoint immune inhibitor in combination synergistically reduce tumor growth. We hypothesized that the combination of Atezolizumab and Radium-223 in metastatic urothelial cancer pts with bone metastases would target bone metastases more effectively and yield higher response rates. Methods: Eligibility criteria for this single-site, phase 2 trial of Radium-223 in combination with Atezolizumab include diagnosis of advanced urothelial carcinoma with ≥1 bone metastasis, RECI...
Feeding, Foraging, and Predation

A critical task for all living organisms is to obtain from their environment the nutrients required for energy expenditures, growth, and reproduction, and, in the short term, to maintain by homeostatic processes the constancy of the internal milieu. These various needs are mediated by behavioral mechanisms such as appetite and hunger, which lead to food-seeking behavior. Particularly in the human, these mechanisms can go awry and this results in disturbances in the control of body weight, leading to obesity or starvation.
Physiological Chemistry of Non-Leguminous Symbioses

A general lack of familiarity of biochemists and microbiologists with non-cultivated plants coupled with interest in the leguminous symbioses, which were of obvious agronomic importance, has delayed study of the non-leguminous plants from the viewpoint of the physiology and biochemistry of nitrogen fixation, the physiological basis of the symbioses, and their ecological importance. Although the non-leguminous symbioses were discussed in the monograph of Fred et al., (1932), it was not until the pioneering work of Bond and his associates (much of this recently reviewed by Bond 1967a, 1968), that the attention of the scientific community was drawn to these diverse and important organisms. Other reviews have appeared (for example, Lange, 1966; Allen and Allen, 1957) but the emphasis has been on the biological aspects of the symbioses. In this review the emphasis will be related to the biochemistry of nitrogen fixation; however, due to a scarcity of data of a fundamentally biochemical nature, much biological information must be included to present a unified picture of the current state of our knowledge.
When do students learn?: investigating factors in introductory courses

This work investigates which introductory topics are the most difficult to teach and sheds some light on factors that improve student learning. Unlike past studies [1], this uses the results of a survey of instructors of introductory computer science courses (commonly called "CS1" and "CS2"). The survey asked about the instructional time spent and importance placed on a range on commonly taught concepts. For each concept, the survey also asked instructors to rate their students' level of mastery at the course's end. Using these data, we examined how closely correlated student learning was with the reported instructional time or importance placed on that concept. The levels of correlation were tested using two different metrics: Spearman's r, which determines if a monotonic correlation exists; and Pearson's r, which determines if there exists a linear correlation. We also investigated what percentage of the variation in students' abilities can be explained by differences in emphasis or instructional time (r2).
More on student modeling: toward domain-independent mechanisms

This chapter discusses research on student models carried out by Derek Sleeman and some of his students. Sleeman's investigation of the diagnostic task is very diverse. The general thrust of this work is to devise domain-independent mechanisms that provide frameworks for constructing tutoring systems. In ACE, the emphasis is on interactive diagnosis. Unlike WHY, which extracts information about the student's knowledge by asking questions, ACE merely follows the student's explanations to match statements to the trace of an internal problem solver. Although this attitude allows more freedom of expression, it is seen that ACE still requires a lot of cooperativeness on the part of the student. LMS, which reflects a move toward inferential diagnosis, is reminiscent of BUGGY in that its mal-rules are used very much as buggy subskills are. A student model is composed in a model-driven fashion as a combination of rules and mal-rules. The term mal-rule is often used as an alternative to the diagnostic notion of the bug.
Toroidal-Poloidal Partitioning of Lithospheric Plate Motions

A spherical harmonic expansion of tectonic plate motions on the Earth requires both poloidal and toroidal harmonics. Each spectrum decays fairly uniformly as l-2 (l is the spherical harmonic degree), and the toroidal-poloidal ratio of the degree power is between 0.5 and 1.0 for all degrees up to 128. Convection in a laterally homogeneous medium will excite only poloidal motions; hence the question of why the toroidal component of plate motion is so large. Numerical models of 3-D convection with surface plates show that the rheological heterogeneity represented by plate boundaries can account for the excitation of toroidal surface motions from an underlying poloidal convective flow. Plates also account for the l-2 decay of the spectra, which is a simple geometric consequence of the plate-like velocity field. Lateral viscosity variations can also account for the net rotation of the lithosphere in the hot spot reference frame; this requires order of magnitude lateral viscosity variations. The spectra of plate motions depends on the geometries of the plates as well as their relative motions. A Monte Carlo simulation of plate motions shows that the observed toroidal-poloidal ratio for all degrees is less than would be expected for most plate motions, given the existing geometry. Relatively simple numerical models of 3-D convection with surface plates evolve to a final steady state (when it exists) that minimizes the toroidal-poloidal ratio of plate motion. This suggests that the much more complex system of plates on the Earth may be similarly governed.
Chromatin Study In Situ: III. Differential Effects of Feulgen Hydrolysis

Smears of synchronized HeLa S3 cells at 1, 3, 5, 8 and 12 hours after mitosis were Feulgen-stained with 1N HCl at 60° C for 15, 60 and 120 minutes. For each cell population the integrated optical density, nuclear perimeter and area, measured by using the image analyzer Quantimet 720-D on line with a PDP11/40 computer, show a striking differential dependence upon hydrolysis time. IOD frequency distributions of log-phase HeLa cells are statistically significant at the three hydrolysis times; specifically, both the coefficient of variation of “G1” peak and the fraction of cells with “G1 DNA content” increase with hydrolysis time. Laser flow microfluorimetric studies were also conducted on the same log-phase HeLa cells, Feulgen-stained with acriflavine, respectively at 1N HCl at 60°C for 5, 10, 20, 60, and 120 minutes; 4N HCl at 25°C for 15, 60 and 120 minutes and 5N HCl at 37°C for 15, 60 and 120 minutes. The decompositon of the DNA histograms yields dramatic increases of “G1” fractions, accompanied by increases of the coefficients of variation of the “G1” peaks, whenever the modal fluorescence per cell decreases as a result of variation in HC1 normality, temperature or time of hydrolysis. This differential hydrolysis dependence of the Feulgen reaction is compatible with the difference in chromatin supercoiling for cells in different phases and subphases of the cycle. Optimal hydrolysis conditions are outlined, stressing the limitations of utilization of Feulgen reactions for a quantative assay of DNA content and for FMF cell cycle analysis.
Multidisciplinary Cancer Care Model: A Positive Association Between Oncology Nurse Navigation and Improved Outcomes for Patients With Cancer

BACKGROUND Patients with cancer often experience prominent deficiencies in cancer care in the immediate period following initial cancer diagnosis. OBJECTIVES This article aims to determine whether the inclusion of a gastrointestinal (GI) oncology nurse navigator (ONN) on the multidisciplinary cancer care team is associated with improved quality of care for patients. METHODS This retrospective study compared randomly selected patients with GI cancer with and without an ONN. Two endpoints, the time from diagnosis to treatment and the average number of missed appointments, were evaluated through a review of healthcare records using the Epic electronic health records system. FINDINGS Patients with an ONN had a shorter time lapse between diagnosis and treatment commencement (p < 0.001). In this group, the average time spent between initial diagnosis and the start of treatment was 15.15 days, compared to 42.93 days for patients who were not part of the multidisciplinary cancer care model.
A compliant microstructured thermal interface material for dry and pluggable interfaces

Abstract Thermal interface materials (TIMs), such as thermal pastes and pads, can successfully enhance contact thermal conductance by filling the gaps caused by the surface nonflatness and roughness. However, there is still an unaddressed demand for TIMs which can be applied to pluggable or reworkable interfaces in electronic systems, such as in opto-electronic transceiver modules. Reducing the contact thermal resistances at these interfaces has become increasingly important as device power density increases. These applications require dry contact interfaces that can offer the required thermal conductance under a low pressure and endure repeated mechanical compression and shear. We present a compliant metallized finned zig zag micro-spring array, as a low-cost dry TIM, that allows conformal interface contact at low pressures (∼10–100 s of kPa) by effectively accommodating surface nonflatness at a rate of a few µm per kPa. Experimental characterization of the mechanical compliance and thermal resistance confirm that this dry TIM can achieve conformal thermal contact between nonflat mating surfaces under low pressures. The total insertion thermal resistance of this dry TIM, even when mating to nonflat surfaces, is comparable to that of a polished and flat metal-to-metal contact. Mechanical compression and shear cycling tests are performed to assess the durability.
Late detachment of Descemet's membrane after penetrating keratoplasty for pellucid marginal degeneration.

Abstract Purpose we report a case of late spontaneous large detachment of Descemet's membrane in recurrent pellucid marginal degeneration after penetrating keratoplasty. Observations a 73-year-old man presented to clinic with spontaneous detachment of his Descemet's membrane 30 years after penetrating keratoplasty for pellucid marginal degeneration. Efforts were made to bubble the membrane back into place without success. The patient then underwent endothelial keratoplasty with successful restoration of cornea clarity. Conclusions and importance this condition may cause diagnostic and treatment dilemmas if not properly identified and managed. In addition this case has information for both the use of scleral contact lens and the success of endothelial keratoplasty in an extremely steep cornea.
Does Managerial Risk Aversion Affect Earnings Management? Evidence from CEO Political Ideology

We investigate whether managerial risk aversion, as measured by CEO political ideology, affects corporate decisions to undertake earnings management. Using a sample of 10,799 firm-year observations for S&P 1500 firms during the period from 1996 to 2008, we document that Republican CEOs, who tend to have a conservative ideology and be risk-averse, engage in less accrual-based earnings management but more real earnings management than Democratic CEOs. The impacts of managerial risk aversion on earnings management are incremental to the impacts of managerial incentive-based compensation and certain managerial attributes. Our main findings are robust to various sensitivity checks and to controls for potential endogeneity concerns. Importantly, we show that management control mechanisms (i.e., family ownership and CEO political ideology misalignment with subordinate executives in top management teams) can further constrain CEOs’ opportunistic earnings management behaviors. Taken together, our findings suggest that CEOs with strong political ideology have discretion to translate their personal risk attitude into earnings management decisions.
Volume-Cost Relationship in Neurosurgery: Analysis of 12,129,029 Admissions from the National Inpatient Sample

Background/Objective Several studies have documented improved outcomes at high-volume hospitals for neurosurgery. However, the relationship between neurosurgical volume and costs remains poorly understood. Methods Using neurosurgery-specific Diagnosis-Related Groups (DRG) codes, we identified adult neurosurgical admissions in the National Inpatient Sample from 2002 to 2014. We stratified hospitals by annual neurosurgical volume as high-volume (top 20%) or low-volume centers (bottom 80%). We performed survey-weighted regression analyses to examine the impact of case volume on inpatient costs. Results A total of 12,129,029 admissions underwent neurosurgery from 2002 to 2014, with 59.6% treated at high-volume hospitals. Patients at high-volume centers were more likely to have private insurance, higher risk of mortality scores, and higher DRG weight procedures than those at low-volume centers (P Conclusions High-volume hospitals provide more cost-effective neurosurgical care. Centralization of care at high-volume neurosurgical institutions may be a promising strategy to delivering higher-value care, achieving better outcomes at lower costs.
Abstract 299: Engineering Rodent TRPV1 to Mimic Chicken TRPV1 Reduces Capsaicin-induced Calcium Influx in H9C2 Cells

Background and Aim: Birds, unlike mammals, are resistant to the spicy hot sensation when consuming chili peppers. The inability for birds to sense the hot sensation is accredited to genetic diverge...
NBCe1-A is required for the renal ammonia and K+ response to hypokalemia

Hypokalemia increases ammonia excretion and decreases K+ excretion. The present study examined the role of the proximal tubule protein NBCe1-A in these responses. We studied mice with Na+-bicarbona...
Reduced Toxicity, Myeloablative Conditioning Regimen with Busulfan, Fludarabine, Anti-Thymocyte Globulin and 400 Cgy TBI in Pediatric Patients Undergoing Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplant for High-Risk Hematologic Malignancies

Introduction Myeloablative conditioning (MAC) regimens decrease the risk of relapse in pediatric patients undergoing hematopoietic stem cell transplant (HCT) but cause significant toxicities: transplant-related mortality (TRM) and late effects. Therefore, a MAC regimen that decreases toxicity has the potential to improve overall survival (OS). Busulfan (Bu), fludarabine (Flu), anti-thymocyte globulin (ATG) and 400 cGy of total body irradiation (TBI), a reduced toxicity, MAC regimen was used in pediatric patients. Objectives To evaluate the safety and toxicity of this regimen. Secondary objectives included determining OS at 2 and 5 years, and incidence of relapse and GVHD. Methods We prospectively evaluated 40 patients ≤21 years of age undergoing HCT for high-risk leukemias who received dose-adjusted Bu, Flu, ATG and TBI. Bu pharmacokinetics were measured after a test dose and regimen dose 1 to target AUC of 4000-5000 uMol*min/day. Results Patients were treated between October 2008 and June 2018 (Table 1). OS was 67% and 51% at 2 and 5 years post-HCT, respectively. OS at 2 and 5 years was 70% and 55% for patients with myeloid disease versus 56% and 37% for patients with lymphoid disease, respectively (p=0.18) (Figure 1). Relapse occurred in 11 (28%) at a median of 7 months. TRM was 8% and 13% at 100 days and 1 year post-HCT, respectively. All patients engrafted. >Grade II acute GVHD was seen in 9 (23%); chronic GVHD was seen in 16 (40%). There was no significant impact of age, disease type, donor source or type on HCT outcomes. Long-term toxicities noted were ovarian insufficiency in 8, and short stature, hypothyroidism and learning disabilities in 2 each. Evaluation of Bu AUCs and multivariate analyses are still ongoing. Conclusions Reduced toxicity, MAC regimen was well tolerated with a low incidence of TRM. This regimen shows a trend toward better efficacy in patients with myeloid disease, however larger studies are needed.
Nonlinear Optical Waveguide Devices

Most Optical Waveguide devices operate by controlling the reactive component of the susceptibility Re(χ), rather than the resistive component Im(χ). There is a good reason for this, at least at this stage of nonlinear-optical-material development. Any nonlinear loss component has associated with it a linear loss component which produces unavoidable absorption. More seriously, the loss is difficult to control precisely so it varies from device fabrication to device fabrication. Reactive components do not have loss, in principle, the wave need not experience attenuation. Further, fabrication errors in the construction of reactive waveguide devices can be usually compensated by bias adjustment, as we shall see in the course of these lectures.