cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Providing Dental Care Coverage to Uninsured Older US Adults Who Do Not Use Dental Care May Not Result in Usage Rates Similar to Those With Prior Coverage and Use

Article Title and Bibliographic Information Dental care coverage and use: modeling limitations and opportunities. Manski RJ, Moeller JF, Chen H. Am J Public Health 2014;104(2):e80-7. Reviewer Marko Vujicic, PhD Purpose/Question This study sought to explain why the effect of increasing dental care coverage among older US adults who lack coverage and do not use dental care may be less than expected. Source of Funding Supported by the National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research of the National Institutes of Health (grant R01DE021678) Type of Study/Design Panel study
Support marshaling for romantic relationships: Empirical validation of a support marshaling typology

Research has demonstrated that network support for a romantic relationship often plays a crucial role in the relationship's success. Despite this knowledge, it is not uncommon for romantic couples to encounter network opposition for their relationship, and little research has evaluated what the romantic partners do in this situation. Using “social contextual theory” as its foundation (M. R. Parks, 2007, 2011), this study evaluates a previously proposed typology (J. P. Crowley, 2012) explicating the variety of strategies an individual can use to marshal support for his or her romantic relationship. In addition, the study examines different variables that can influence an individual's decision to use certain support marshaling strategies. Future applications of the typology and its implications are also explored.
Pollen extraction from insects

Numerous insect species feed on the pollen, nectar and other plant exudates that are associated with flowers. As a result of this feeding activity, pollen becomes attached to the insects. Analysis of this pollen can reveal what insects eat, their dispersal patterns in and around cropping systems and their role in pollination. However, finding pollen on and/or in an insect depends on the technique used to recover pollen from the insect. Six different techniques are described in detail that have been used to recover pollen from a variety of insects including pests such as boll weevils, Mexican corn rootworms and corn earworm moths. These techniques can be use to recover pollen from internal insect tissues (gut, alimentary canal, crop, etc.), external tissues (proboscis, legs, eyes, etc.) or both. By using the most appropriate technique, better pollen recovery can be made and thus better data obtained.
Increasing native diversity of cheatgrass-dominated rangeland through assisted succession

Increasing attention, resources and efforts are being focused on the conversion of weedy dominated rangelands back to perennial plant communities that resemble predisturbance communities in form, function and composition. A study was conducted in 1998 and replicated again in 1999 to determine whether native plants could be established through “assisted succession” manipulating a cheatgrass-dominated area to perennial plant domination, then to native or near-native diversity. Cheatgrass dominated rangeland that had been successfully revegetated with crested wheatgrass (Agropyron cristatum [L.] Gaertner) was seeded with native species. Another area dominated by cheatgrass, but without crested wheatgrass, was also seeded. Four seedbed preparation methods were investigated: tilling, harrowing, application of a herbicide, and no treatment. Four different seeding methods were used in the 2 areas and 4 seedbed preparation techniques: drilling, broadcasting, a broadcast-cover method, and no seed. Seeding was done in February, and data were collected in mid-summer each year. Native grasses and shrubs emerged in greater numbers on treatments established on the crested wheatgrass matrix than on those established on the cheatgrass matrix. Perhaps in general, but especially in years with normal or below average precipitation, the assisted succession approach proved successful for restoration of native sagebrush-grassland steppe from cheatgrass range.
Style Over Substance Reconsidered: Intrusive Intervention and At-Risk Students with Learning Disabilities

In two recent publications, we reported that the academic intervention process, not the specific intervention content, was responsible for a short-and long-term influx in at-risk student performanc...
Iron oxide nanoparticle hyperthermia and radiation cancer treatment

It is established that heat can enhance the effect of radiation cancer treatment. Due to the ability to localize thermal energy using nanoparticle hyperthermia, as opposed to other, less targeted, hyperthermia modalities, it appears such enhancement could be accomplished without complications normally associated with systemic or regional hyperthermia. This study employs non-curative (suboptimal), doses of heat and radiation, in an effort to determine the therapeutic enhancement potential for IONP hyperthermia and radiation. Methods: MTG-B murine breast adenocarcinoma cell are inoculated into the right flanks of female CH3/HEJ mice and grown to volumes of 150mm3+ /- 40 mm3. A single dose of 15 Gy (6 MeV) radiation was uniformly delivered to the tumor. A pre-defined thermal dose is delivered by direct injection of iron oxide nanoparticles into the tumor. By adjusting the field strength of the 160 KHz alternating magnetic field (AMF) an intra-tumoral temperature between 41.5 and 43 degrees Celsius was maintained for 10min. The alternating magnetic field was delivered by a water-cooled 36mm diameter square copper tube induction coil operating at 160 kHz with variable magnet field strengths up to 450 Oe . The primary endpoint of the study is the number of days required for the tumor to achieve a volume 3 fold greater than the volume at the time of treatment (tumor regrowth delay). Results: Preliminary results suggest the addition of a modest IONP hyperthermia to 15 Gy radiation achieved an approximate 50% increase in tumor regrowth delay as compared to a 15 Gy radiation treatment alone. The therapeutic effects of IONP heat and radiation combined were considered additive, however in mice that demonstrated complete response (no tumor present after 30 days), the effect was considered superadditive or synergistic. Although this data is very encouraging from a multimodality cancer therapy standpoint, additional temporal and dose related information is clearly necessary to optimize the therapy.
Meeting Move Applauded

To the Editor: I was in the clinic this morning when I overheard a conversation between a client and his therapist about the availability of physical therapy positions. He was commenting on the difficulty he had in finding employment as an engineer, while she could “go anywhere” and find a job. To paraphrase his comments, he remarked, “As long as the yuppies are out there trying to regain lost youth, you will have massive job opportunities.” I went into my office and sat down, feeling very discouraged about this image of our profession. Working through the papers on my desk, I came to the April 1991 issue of the Journal. I picked it up and read your editorial concerning the 1992 APTA Combined Sections Meeting move from Arizona. I had followed in PT Bulletin the APTA decision and the backlash from members. I felt uplifted after reading your editorial.… [ ARTICLE][1] [1]: /lookup/volpage/71/270?iss=4
Role of P-glycoprotein in mediating rivastigmine effect on amyloid-β brain load and related pathology in Alzheimer's disease mouse model

Recently, we showed that rivastigmine decreased amyloid-β (Aβ) brain load in aged rats by enhancing its clearance across the blood-brain barrier (BBB) via upregulation of P-glycoprotein (P-gp) and low-density lipoprotein receptor-related protein 1 (LRP1). Here, we extend our previous work to clarify P-gp role in mediating rivastigmine effect on Aβ brain levels and neuroprotection in a mouse model of Alzheimer's disease (AD) that expresses different levels of P-gp. APPSWE mice were bred with mdr1a/b knockout mice to produce littermates that were divided into three groups; APP(+)/mdr1(+/+), APP(+)/mdr1(+/-) and APP(+)/mdr1(-/-). Animals received rivastigmine treatment (0.3mg/kg/day) or vehicle for 8weeks using Alzet osmotic mini-pumps. ELISA analysis of brain homogenates for Aβ showed rivastigmine treatment to significantly decrease Aβ brain load in APP(+)/mdr1(+/+) by 25% and in APP(+)/mdr1(+/-) mice by 21% compared to their vehicle treated littermates, but not in APP(+)/mdr1(-/-) mice. In addition, rivastigmine reduced GFAP immunostaining of astrocytes by 50% and IL-1β brain level by 43% in APP(+)/mdr1(+/+) mice, however its effect was less pronounced in P-gp knockout mice. Moreover, rivastigmine demonstrated a P-gp expression dependent neuroprotective effect that was highest in APP(+)/mdr1(+/+)>APP(+)/mdr1(+/-)>APP(+)/mdr1(-/-) as determined by expression of synaptic markers PSD-95 and SNAP-25 using Western blot analysis. Collectively, our results suggest that P-gp plays important role in mediating rivastigmine non-cholinergic beneficial effects, including Aβ brain load reduction, neuroprotective and anti-inflammatory effects in the AD mouse models.
Either sufentanil or fentanyl, in addition to intrathecal bupivacaine, provide satisfactory early labour analgesia

Purpose The study was aimed primarily at comparing the duration of analgesia produced by intrathecal fentanyl 25μg with sufentanil 5 μg when added to bupivacaine 1.25 mg as the initial component of the combined spinal epidural (CSE) technique in early labour.
Collecting Bibliographic References: A Bibliometric Analysis of CiteULike's Collection as Grounds for In-Depth Interviews

CiteULike helps users manage and share bibliographic references on the Web. This study is based on a bibliometric analysis of these references. The findings will lead to email-based interviews with researchers recruited from CiteULike. The goal is to further our knowledge of the needs and practices of researchers and to explore implications for academic libraries. CiteULike aide les usagers a gerer et a partager des references bibliographiques sur le Web. Cette etude se base sur une analyse bibliometrique de ces references. Les resultats meneront a des entrevues par courrier electronique avec des chercheurs, recrutes au moyen de CiteULike. L’objectif est d’accroitre notre connaissance des besoins et des pratiques des chercheurs et d’en explorer l’implication pour les bibliotheques universitaires.
Advances in monoliths and related porous materials for microfluidics

In recent years, the use of monolithic porous polymers has seen significant growth. These materials present a highly useful support for various analytical and biochemical applications. Since their introduction, various approaches have been introduced to produce monoliths in a broad range of materials. Simple preparation has enabled their easy implementation in microchannels, extending the range of applications where microfluidics can be successfully utilized. This review summarizes progress regarding monoliths and related porous materials in the field of microfluidics between 2010 and 2015. Recent developments in monolith preparation, solid-phase extraction, separations, and catalysis are critically discussed. Finally, a brief overview of the use of these porous materials for analysis of subcellular and larger structures is given.
A randomized Controlled Trial on the Relationship Between Prenatal Anxiety And Adverse Pregnancy Outcomes

Objective To explore the relationship between prenatal anxiety and adverse pregnancy outcomes and to find an effective intervention method to decrease the occurence of prenatal anxiety.Methods A randomized controlled trial was employed in 200 pregnant women with prenatal anxiety,who were selected from all the pregnant women in our hospital from January to December in 2008.The pregnant women with prenatal anxiety were randomly divided into intervention group and control group,the intervention group were treated with positive psychological guidance and the control group were treated as normal pregnant women.All the cases were followed and the pregnant outcomes were recorded.Results The newborn infant weight,the Apgar score at 1 min and 5 min in intervention group were all significantly higher than those of control group(P0.05).Meanwhile,the anxiety degree before delivery,blood loss after delivery,the proportion of abdominal delivery and preterm in intervention group were all significantly lower than those of control group(P0.05).Conclusion Prenatal anxiety may have adverse effect on the pregnancy outcome,and the positive psychological guidance may be helpful for relieving the pregnant women from prenatal anxiety.
The Growth of Royal Power

At the end of World War II the people of Iran possessed a government beset by problems. The collapse of the Pishevari regime at Tabriz and the Kurdish Republic of Mahabad re-established central government control. But it exacerbated domestic difficulties-relations between the restored areas and Tehran, between the tribes and the army. There also was a struggle for power between Prime Minister Qavam and the young shah. Over all, so far as knowledgeable Iranians were concerned, hung the menace of the shah. Two American ambassadors did their best to confront Iranian problems or at least to handle them in a way that was in the American national interest, considering other problems besetting the United States and its allies at that time. And all the while the young shah of Iran was playing his own game, enlarging his power, seeking to dominate the politics of his country — in some respects with the best intentions, attempting to forward the Iranian national interest, in other ways looking very narrowly, even egotistically, upon his country’s confusions and trying to dominate them because he enjoyed domination.
The New Public Health

When Dr Albert Schweitzer accepted the 1952 Nobel Prize for Peace, he delivered his Nobel speech entitled ‘The Problem of Peace’, considered one of the greatest speeches ever given. At the time, the world had just passed through the Second World War and witnessed unfathomable cruelty, bigotry and injustice. In his speech, Schweitzer described the state of humankind that he believed allowed for so much suffering and declared that because of our command of science and technology ‘Man has become superman.’1 He stated, however, that ‘superman’ suffers from a fatal flaw—the failure to rise to ‘superman’ reason. This failure prevents us from applying our knowledge to useful ends, rather than to those that cause harm. As a result, that knowledge and power become a danger to us rather than an asset. In order to overcome our fatal flaw, Schweitzer challenged humankind to embrace its ethical spirit, which ‘does not assume its true proportions until it embraces not only man but every living being’. He was primarily speaking of war, technological advancements in warfare and the pathway to peace, but his sentiments apply equally well to our health and our treatment of animals.
Global university rankings and the mediatization of higher education, by Michelle Stack, Hampshire, Palgrave Macmillan UK, 2016, 149 pp., £63.00 (hardback), ISBN 9781137475947

Despite being critical of global university rankings (GURs), many universities use rankings to inform strategic decision-making, benchmarking and their marketing efforts (European University Associ...
Diverse delivery methods and strong psychological benefits: A review of online formative assessment

This article is a review of literature on online formative assessment (OFA). It includes a narrative summary that synthesizes the research on the diverse delivery methods of OFA, as well as the empirical literature regarding the strong psychological benefits and limitations. Online formative assessment can be delivered using many traditional assessment methods. These assessments can be delivered using a variety of programs and software. The benefits of using OFAs include both gains in achievement scores and the development of essential complex cognitive processes, such as self-regulation. While attention is paid to both K–12 and higher education settings, this article highlights how OFA has been used distinctly in each. This paper has high utility for both academics and practitioners.
Peer Victimization and Unhealthy Weight Control Behaviors—the Role of Intersecting Identities among New York City Youth

We investigated the intersection of sexual minority, gender, and Hispanic identities, and their interaction with peer victimization in predicting unhealthy weight control behaviors (UWCB) among New York City (NYC) youths. Using logistic regression with data from the 2011 NYC Youth Risk Behavior Survey, we examined the association of sexual identity, gender, ethnicity, and peer victimization (dating violence, bullying at school, electronic bullying) in predicting UWCB. Sexual minority youths, dating violence victims, and youths bullied at school had 1.97, 3.32, and 1.74 times higher odds of UWCB than their counterparts, respectively (P < 0.001). The three-way interaction terms between (i) dating violence, gender, and sexual identity and (ii) electronic bullying, gender, and sexual identity were statistically significant. The effect of dating violence on unhealthy weight control practices was strongest among sexual minority males (OR = 4.9), and the effect of electronic bullying on unhealthy weight control practices was strongest among non-sexual minority males (OR = 2.9). Sexual minority and gender identities interact with peer victimization in predicting unhealthy weight control practices among NYC youths. To limit the prevalence and effect of dating violence and electronic bullying among youths, interventions should consider that an individual’s experiences are based on multiple identities that can be linked to more than one ground of discrimination.
Presidential Politics and Judicial Review

This Article assesses the impact of judicial review on one of the nation’s foundational environmental statutes, the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA). Based on litigation spanning fifteen years, we find that the stringency of judicial review is driven by the interaction of judicial ideology and presidential politics. Our principal findings are two-fold: First, judicial ideology, here defined by political party affiliation, is most influential when NEPA’s environmental goals conflict with the politics of the presidential administration in power. Second, the influence of judicial ideology is mediated by the distribution of cases across federal circuits and the ideological balance of judges within them; specifically, the concentration of NEPA cases in the Ninth Circuit, where liberal appellate judges are in the majority. Under well-defined conditions, we find that judicial review is most demanding when the risk of statutory subversion is greatest — that is, when the politics of an administration conflict with the purpose of the governing statute. The normative and practical implications of these observations are illustrated by comparing NEPA with the expanding array of legal mandates that prescribe elaborate economic cost-benefit analyses. Most recently, the Trump Administration has issued a raft of executive orders and Congress is considering new legislation that augment the economic reviews required under existing laws and regulations. Understanding the interplay between presidential politics and judicial review provides new grounds for concern that, unlike NEPA, the pending statutes will seriously disrupt and delay agency decision-making processes. Further empirical study of judicial review under a range of statutes is needed to determine how broadly our findings apply to judicial review of agency action across the federal government.
Magic in the Ancient World

Magic in the Ancient World, Exhibition at Penn Museum of Archaeology and Anthropology, Philadelphia, 16 April–4 September 2017.Over the past decade, scholars of the ancient Mediterranean have shown...
High Baud Rate Signal Transmission with Coded Multi-dimensional Modulation

We discuss long haul transmission based on coded multi-dimensional modulation techniques and iterative soft output decoding schemes for high-baud rate signals. 120-GBaud 8D-16QAM with iterative decoding is shown to enable 1,000 km transmission reach expansion over conventional PDM-8QAM.
Nutrition and Carcinogenesis: Historical Highlights and Future Prospects

Gene therapy for cancer is on the horizon and gene prophylaxis is likely under specific circumstances. However, prevention, or at least a lowered risk of developing cancer is possible now. The knowledge to accomplish prevention is based primarily on laboratory research with experimental animals. The basic principles of carcinogenesis, nutrition, and intermediary metabolism do not differ in most cases between nonhuman animals and people. There is every reason to be certain that most of the facts established in laboratories are effective for the prevention of cancer in people.
Orders in Semilocal Matrix Rings

A ring R is semilocal if R/rad R is semisimple. [Since R/rad R is semiprime, by the W-A Theorem 8.8, this is equivalent to the requirement that R/rad R is right (or left) Artinian.] The main theorem in this chapter is the determination of right orders in semilocal matrix rings D n. A right order R of a ring S is a subring-1 such that $$S = \left\{ {a{f^{ - 1}}\left| {a \in {F_n}} \right.,f \in F} \right\}$$
Chaperone-Mediated Autophagy Promotes Beclin1 Degradation in Persistently Infected Hepatitis C Virus Cell Culture

Liver cirrhosis is an independent risk factor for hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). The mechanisms that contribute to HCC development in the cirrhotic microenvironment are unknown. We found that HCC grown in the highly stressed cirrhotic microenvironment undergoes autophagy switching from a protective state characterized by high macroautophagy with low chaperone-mediated autophagy (CMA) to an HCC-promoting state characterized by low macroautophagy with high CMA. This study examined how the stress response executes oncogenic cell programming through autophagy switching using hepatitis C virus cell culture. Protein kinase R–like endoplasmic reticulum kinase expression increased to high levels in hepatitis C virus culture. Protein kinase R–like endoplasmic reticulum kinase–dependent activation of nuclear factor erythroid 2–related factor (Nrf2) led to increased transcription of the cytoprotective genes: heat shock cognate 70 kDa protein and lysosome-associated membrane protein 2A (LAMP2A) and precipitated the induction of CMA. CMA selectively targeted beclin1 degradation, leading to accumulation of the autophagy flux protein p62 due to impaired autophagosome-endosome fusion. This impaired autophagosome-endosome fusion due to beclin1 degradation inhibited endocytosis and degradation of epidermal growth factor receptor. Silencing Nrf2 and LAMP2A reduced cell viability, suggesting that the stress response activates CMA as a compensatory mechanism of cell survival. We report a novel mechanism through which stress response triggers oncogenic Nrf2 signaling that promotes autophagy switching to favor cell survival.
IQOS labelling will mislead consumers.

Background Philip Morris International (PMI) continually expands and diversifies their nicotine product portfolio, which includes IQOS, a heated tobacco product. In December 2016, PMI filed a modified risk tobacco product (MRTP) application with the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA), seeking authorisation to market IQOS in USA with three claims of reduced harm: ‘switching completely from conventional cigarettes to the IQOS system…’ (1) ‘can reduce the risks of tobacco-related diseases;’ (2) ‘significantly reduce[s] your body’s exposure to harmful or potentially harmful chemicals;’ and (3) ‘presents less risk of harm than continuing to smoke cigarettes.’ Consumers may misunderstand what is meant by ‘switching completely9. Methods We critically reviewed study reports submitted to FDA by PMI in support of proposed marketing claims in its MRTP application for IQOS and focused on the statement that switching completely to IQOS reduces risk. Results We found deficiencies with evidence provided by PMI supporting their assertions that: current smokers will understand what is meant by the phrase ‘switching completely9; the proposed claims will not decrease smokers’ intentions to quit; and IQOS users will in fact ‘switch completely’ from smoking cigarettes to using IQOS. The studies and measurement instruments employed by PMI suffer from design flaws and their reporting of associated findings is misleading. Conclusion Consumers will not understand the condition of the claims—that they must quit using cigarettes completely to achieve the inferred health benefits of IQOS. Rather, they are likely to misunderstand the unsupported claims of reduced risks to mean IQOS are harm-free.
Frequency and associated risk factors of non-fatal overdose reported by pregnant women with opioid use disorder

Little is known about opioid overdose or naloxone access among pregnant women. The objectives of this study were to determine the prevalence of non-fatal overdose, risk factors for overdose, and naloxone access among third trimester women in treatment for opioid use disorder. We collected baseline data from a case management parental-support intervention study. To explore the association of variables with past year overdose, we used Wilcoxon rank-sum test, Chi square or Fisher’s exact tests. Among 99 participants, 14% (95% CI 7–21%) reported past year overdose and 67% (95% CI 57–76%) had received overdose education and a naloxone kit. Younger age was the only variable associated with past year overdose. In this sample, past year non-fatal overdose was common, younger age was a risk factor, and most participants had received a naloxone kit. Further work is needed to understand whether younger age is a risk factor in the general population of pregnant women with opioid use disorder and to identify other potential risk factors for overdose in this population.
Movement or moment? Lessons from the pro-immigrant movement in the United States and contemporary challenges

This introduction to the special issue takes stock of the current state of the pro-immigrant movement in the United States. It begins by reflecting back on the massive demonstrations for immigrant ...
A Deep Learning Approach for Volterra Kernel Extraction for Time Domain Simulation of Weakly Nonlinear Circuits

Volterra kernels are well known to be the multidimensional extension of the impulse response of a linear time invariant (LTI) system. It can be used to accurately model weakly nonlinear, specifically, polynomial nonlinearity systems. It has been used in the past for white-box model order reduction (MOR) to model frequency-domain performance metric quantities such as distortion in power amplifiers (PA). In this paper, we train a neural network from time-domain response of high-speed link buffers to extract multiple high-order kernels at once. Once the kernels are extracted, they can fully characterize the dynamics of the buffers of interest. Using the kernels, we demonstrate that time-domain response is straight-forward to obtain using super-, or multi-dimensional convolution. Previous work has used a shallow feed-forward neural network to train the system by using Gaussian noise as the identification signal. This is not convenient for the method to be compatible with existing computer-aided design tools. In this work, we directly use a pseudo random bit sequence (PRBS) to train the network. The proposed technique is more challenging because the PRBS has flat regions which have highly rich frequency spectrum and requires longer memory length, but allows the method to be compatible with existing simulation programs. We investigate different topologies including feed-forward neural network and recurrent neural network. Comparisons between training phase, inference phase, convergence are presented using different neural network topologies. The paper presents a numerical example using a 28Gbps data rate PAM4 transceiver to validate the proposed method against traditional simulation methods such as IBIS or SPICE level simulation for comparison in speed and accuracy. Using Volterra kernels promises a novel way to perform accurate nonlinear circuit simulation in the LTI system framework which is already well known and well developed. It can be conveniently incorporated into existing EDA frameworks.
All MOCVD grown Al0.7Ga0.3N/Al0.5Ga0.5N HFET: An approach to make ohmic contacts to Al-rich AlGaN channel transistors

Abstract We report a gate recessed Al0.7Ga0.3N/Al0.5Ga0.5N heterostructure field effect transistor (HFET) with a graded contact cap layer grown by metal organic chemical vapor deposition (MOCVD) on AlN/Sapphire substrate. A low specific contact resistivity ρc of 2.1 × 10−5 Ω·cm2 is demonstrated with current injection from the top of the Al0.7Ga0.3N barrier to the Al0.5Ga0.5N channel. The device with a gate length of 160 nm exhibits a drain current density at gate shorted to source (ID,SS) of 420 mA/mm, a cutoff frequency fT of 20 GHz, and a maximum oscillation frequency (fmax) of 40 GHz. The same device has a three terminal off-state gate-to-drain breakdown voltage of 170 V, corresponding to an average breakdown field (FBR) of 2.8 MV/cm between the gate and drain, due to drain induced barrier lowering effect. Devices with a gate length of 1 µm demonstrate a gate to drain breakdown voltage of 195 V or an average breakdown field of 3.9 MV/cm. This work provides a way to make ohmic contacts to Al-rich AlGaN channel heterojunction transistors for high power and high frequency applications.
Board-Shareholder Engagement Practices: Findings from a Survey of Sec-Registered Companies

Shareholder engagement is increasingly being added to the job description of the corporate director. The phenomenon is the natural evolution of the changes to the corporate governance landscape that have occurred during the last two decades. First, there is the expansion of the board’s oversight responsibilities that resulted from the Sarbanes-Oxley and Dodd-Frank legislations. Second, there is the progress made by the shareholder rights movement, with investors’ claim for a more direct involvement in business decision-making. This Director Notes analyzes and documents emerging practices in the role of the board of directors in the corporate-shareholder engagement process. It is based on a 2018 survey of corporate secretaries, general counsel and investor relations officers at SEC-registered public companies conducted by The Conference Board and Rutgers University’s Center for Corporate Law and Governance (CCLG). It has long been customary for public companies to interact with their shareholders, on earnings calls and at annual general meetings (AGMs). These traditional forums of communications are periodically convened to apprise investors of financial results, material organizational decisions, and key strategic choices. However, they seldom actively involve shareholders’ main fiduciaries — the members of the board of directors.
Chapter 46 – Vitamin E

: There are several naturally occurring forms of vitamin E in plants. Vitamin E is passively absorbed in conjunction with other lipid-soluble vitamins by the intestinal tract, and subsequently packaged into chylomicrons. Vitamin E is the first and selenium the second line of defense against peroxidation of lipids contained in cell membranes. Tocopherols act as antioxidants by breaking free-radical chain reactions. Vitamin C helps to regenerate the active form of vitamin E. Vitamin E deficiency can result in erythrocyte fragility, muscular degeneration, steatitis, retinopathy, and reproductive failure. Vitamin E excess appears to be non-toxic.
Focused Updates: SGLT2 Inhibitors in Patients With Heart Failure and/or Chronic Kidney Disease:

Sodium-glucose cotransporter (SGLT2) inhibitors have demonstrated cardiovascular (CV) benefits in large-scale clinical trials of people who have type 2 diabetes and either established CV disease or multiple CV risk factors. These studies also indicated early signals in benefiting heart failure (HF) patients and those with chronic kidney diseases. This article reviews recent and future clinical studies that focus on evaluation of the use of SGLT2 inhibitors in HF management and renal protection.
An Examination of Systems Change Research in School Psychology

Systems change and systems level services have long been advocated as part of school psychology role expansion. However, it is unclear the extent to which the research has kept pace with the calls to increase systems change activities within school psychology practice. This article offers an examination of the research on systems change within the school psychology literature in terms of the types of articles published, journal outlets publishing systems change research, and the theories and frameworks that support these articles. The authors provide recommendations to further advance systems change literature and practice within school psychology.
Efficient Computation Techniques and Hardware Architectures for Unitary Transformations in Support of Quantum Algorithm Emulation

As the development of quantum computers progresses rapidly, continuous research efforts are ongoing for simulation and emulation of quantum algorithms on classical platforms. Software simulations require use of large-scale, costly, and resource-hungry supercomputers, while hardware emulators make use of fast Field-Programmable-Gate-Array (FPGA) accelerators, but are limited in accuracy and scalability. This work presents a cost-effective FPGA-based emulation platform that demonstrates improved scalability, accuracy, and throughput compared to existing FPGA-based emulators. In this work, speed and area trade-offs between different proposed emulation architectures and computation techniques are investigated. For example, stream-based computation is proposed that greatly reduces resource utilization, improves system scalability in terms of the number of emulated quantum bits, and allows for dynamically changing algorithm inputs. The proposed techniques assume that the unitary transformation of the quantum algorithm is known, and the matrix values can be pre-computed or generated dynamically. 32-bit floating-point precision is used for high accuracy and the architectures are fully pipelined to ensure high throughput. As case studies for emulation, the quantum Fourier transform and Grover’s search algorithms are investigated and quantum circuits for multi-pattern Grover’s search are also proposed. Experimental evaluation and analysis of the emulation architectures and computation techniques are provided for the investigated quantum algorithms. The emulation framework is prototyped on a high-performance reconfigurable computing (HPRC) system and the results show quantitative improvement over existing FPGA-based emulators.
Lake Meadows, Chicago, an experiment in early redevelopment

In the post-World War II era, faced with what were called blighted neighbourhoods around Chicago’s commercial core, the city’s leaders pioneered the programme known as urban redevelopment (the fore...
On Generalization of Adaptive Methods for Over-parameterized Linear Regression.

Over-parameterization and adaptive methods have played a crucial role in the success of deep learning in the last decade. The widespread use of over-parameterization has forced us to rethink generalization by bringing forth new phenomena, such as implicit regularization of optimization algorithms and double descent with training progression. A series of recent works have started to shed light on these areas in the quest to understand -- why do neural networks generalize well? The setting of over-parameterized linear regression has provided key insights into understanding this mysterious behavior of neural networks. In this paper, we aim to characterize the performance of adaptive methods in the over-parameterized linear regression setting. First, we focus on two sub-classes of adaptive methods depending on their generalization performance. For the first class of adaptive methods, the parameter vector remains in the span of the data and converges to the minimum norm solution like gradient descent (GD). On the other hand, for the second class of adaptive methods, the gradient rotation caused by the pre-conditioner matrix results in an in-span component of the parameter vector that converges to the minimum norm solution and the out-of-span component that saturates. Our experiments on over-parameterized linear regression and deep neural networks support this theory.
Ability to successfully image endometrium on transvaginal ultrasound in asymptomatic postmenopausal women

Objectives Women who experience postmenopausal bleeding (PMB) are considered to have endometrial cancer (EC) until proven otherwise. Initially, dilatation and curettage (D&C) was the gold standard of diagnosis. This was largely replaced by blind endometrial (EM) biopsy. However, recently, the relatively high false negative rate of such blind sampling in women with EC has become understood. Concomitantly, numerous studies indicate that an EM echo of ≤ 4 mm on transvaginal ultrasound (TV U/S) is a reliable enough test to exclude EC such that biopsy is not needed in initial cases of PMB. However, not all PM women will have anatomy that lends itself to a meaningful determination of EM thickness. This study was undertaken to evaluate the frequency of, and reasons for, an inability to adequately visualize an EM echo. Methods 472 consecutive asymptomatic PM women had TV U/S as part of routine gynecologic care. Their charts and TV U/S were reviewed, and, if adequate, EM thickness was recorded. If EM thickness was not adequately visualized the reason, as judged by the examiner, for inadequacy was recorded. Other demographics included years since menopause, body mass index (BMI), and current use of hormone therapy. Results Of the 472 women, 292 (61.9%) had an EM echo that was well visualized and reliably measured (mean 3.0 mm, range 1.0 -28.0). Thus, in 180 PM women (38.1%), a distinct measurable EM echo was unable to be adequately visualized. The reasons were: fibroids (n=95, or 20.1% of overall cohort), adenomyosis (n=35, or 7.4% of overall cohort), axial uterus (n=50, or 10.6% of cohort). Mean years since menopause was 14.0 in those visualized (range 1-50), and 14.1 in non-visualized (range 1-40) (N.S.). Mean BMI was 23.9 in those visualized (range 16-41) and 25.4 (range 18-40) in those non-visualized (p=.015). Conclusions TV U/S has become an accepted first step in the evaluation of PMB. However, in this cohort 39.8% of women had anatomic reasons for non-visualization of a reliable EM measurement including fibroids, adenomyosis, and axial uterus. There was no significant difference between groups based on years since menopause or current use of hormone therapy, but the mean BMI of the non-visualized group was significantly higher than those visualized. Clinicians should be cognizant of these potential limitations of TV U/S in the initial evaluation of women with PMB. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.
Accelerated Filing Deadlines, Internal Controls, and Financial Statement Quality: The Case of Originating Misstatements

We examine whether regulations requiring accelerated filing deadlines and internal control reporting and testing affect financial statement reliability. Unlike prior research, we examine whether these regulatory changes are associated with an increase in the likelihood that misstatements originate in the period following the respective change. If the implementation of these rules causes a misstatement, then the misstatement would most likely occur in the period immediately following the rule change. We provide evidence that accelerated filers (AFs) experience an increase in the likelihood of an originating misstatement following the acceleration of filing deadlines from 90 to 75 days. Large accelerated filers (LAFs), however, do not experience a similar increase following this acceleration or the subsequent acceleration from 75 to 60 days. After the implementation of the SOX Section 404 internal control requirements, we find that the likelihood of an originating misstatement declined for AFs but not for LAFs. Taken together, the findings suggest that, although AFs experienced an initial decrease in financial statement reliability, this decrease was temporary.
Antibody Attributes that Predict the Neutralization and Effector Function of Polyclonal Responses to SARS-CoV-2

While antibodies provide significant protection from SARS-CoV-2 infection and disease sequelae, the specific attributes of the humoral response that contribute to immunity are incompletely defined. In this study, we employ machine learning to relate characteristics of the polyclonal antibody response raised by natural infection to diverse antibody effector functions and neutralization potency with the goal of generating both accurate predictions of each activity based on antibody response profiles as well as insights into antibody mechanisms of action. To this end, antibody-mediated phagocytosis, cytotoxicity, complement deposition, and neutralization were accurately predicted from biophysical antibody profiles in both discovery and validation cohorts. These predictive models identified SARS-CoV-2-specific IgM as a key predictor of neutralization activity whose mechanistic relevance was supported experimentally by depletion. Validated models of how different aspects of the humoral response relate to antiviral antibody activities suggest desirable attributes to recapitulate by vaccination or other antibody-based interventions.
Low-Bandwidth and Compute-Bound RGB-D Planar Semantic SLAM.

Visual simultaneous location and mapping (SLAM) using RGB-D cameras has been a necessary capability for intelligent mobile robots. However, when using point-cloud map representations as most RGB-D SLAM systems do, limitations in onboard compute resources, and especially communication bandwidth can significantly limit the quantity of data processed and shared. This article proposes techniques that help address these challenges by mapping point clouds to parametric models in order to reduce computation and bandwidth load on agents. This contribution is coupled with a convolutional neural network (CNN) that extracts semantic information. Semantics provide guidance in object modeling which can reduce the geometric complexity of the environment. Pairing a parametric model with a semantic label allows agents to share the knowledge of the world with much less complexity, opening a door for multi-agent systems to perform complex tasking, and human–robot cooperation. This article takes the first step towards a generalized parametric model by limiting the geometric primitives to a planar surface and providing semantic labels when appropriate. Two novel compression algorithms for depth data and a method to independently fit planes to RGB-D data are provided, so that plane data can be used for real-time odometry estimation and mapping. Additionally, we extend maps with semantic information predicted from sparse geometries (planes) by a CNN. In experiments, the advantages of our approach in terms of computational and bandwidth resources savings are demonstrated and compared with other state-of-the-art SLAM systems.
Recreational users' perceptions of coastal water quality in Rhode Island (USA): Implications for policy development and management.

Abstract Stakeholders' understanding of water quality influences how they approach water policy problems and their support for potential solutions. This study explores how resource policy in the United States accounts for different water quality meanings held by recreational users. In-person surveys were conducted along the shoreline in Rhode Island (USA) to examine how recreational users make sense of coastal water quality. Findings indicate that recreational users' understanding of water quality is constructed from an array of environmental conditions (e.g., chl a, phosphates) and attitudinal factors (e.g., perceived problems associated with sewage, algae, or trash), and the meanings ascribed to water quality extend beyond the biophysical indicators typically employed by water resource managers. Potential management strategies based on these findings include expanding current definitions of water quality and monitoring a broader suite of factors, conducting research that captures nuanced meanings of water quality held by different users, and developing outreach programs that clarify the potential impacts of water quality components on human health and well-being.
Ultrasonographic Inferior Vena Cava Measurement is More Sensitive Than Vital Sign Abnormalities for Identifying Moderate and Severe Hemorrhage.

Abstract Background Ultrasound inferior vena cava (IVC) diameter has been shown to decrease in response to hemorrhage. IVC diameter cut points to identify moderate and severe blood loss have not been established. Objectives This study sought to find ultrasound IVC diameter cut points to identify moderate and severe hemorrhage and assess the performance of these cut points vs. vital sign abnormalities. Methods This is a secondary analysis of data from a study that described changes in vital signs and sonographic measurements of the IVC during a lower body negative pressure model of hemorrhage. Using receiver operator curve analyses, optimal cut points for identifying moderate and severe hemorrhage were identified. The ability of these cut points to identify hemorrhage in patients with no vital sign abnormalities was then assessed. Results In both long- and short-axis views, maximum and minimum IVC diameters (IVCmax and IVCmin) were significantly lower than baseline in severe blood loss. The optimal cut point for IVCmax in both axes was found to be ≤ 0.8 cm. This cut point is able to distinguish between no blood loss vs. moderate blood loss, and no blood loss vs. severe blood loss. The optimal cut point for IVCmin was variable between axes and blood loss severity. IVC diameter cut points obtained were able to identify hemorrhage in patients with no vital sign abnormalities. Conclusion An ultrasound IVCmax of ≤ 0.8 cm may be useful in identifying moderate and severe hemorrhage before vital sign abnormalities are evident.
Emerging M&S Application in Risk Management

There has been compelling signs of the great potential of building further synergy with academics, researchers, and industry practitioners from the areas of Modeling and Simulation (M&S) managing risk events. This paper provides an introduction to risk management and how M&S has permeated the risk management process. The trend has been to harness the advantages of M&S tools and techniques in terms of efficiency and effectiveness in managing risks. However, the more important contribution of M&s may be in how it provides a way for specialists in various disciplines or industries interact to manage risks that required multi-disciplinary approach.
Understanding Financial Statements

Financial accounting is the branch of accounting concerned with the preparation of financial statements. There are four primary financial statements: the Balance Sheet, Income Statement, Cash Flow Statement, and Statement of Retained Earnings. These reports are used collectively to assess the financial position of a business.
Injury to the Right Gastroepiploic Artery

The right gastroepiploic artery serves as the principal blood supply to the gastric conduit during esophagectomy. As such, careful preservation of this artery is critical for a successful patient outcome. In this chapter, we will review key anatomic considerations of the right gastroepiploic artery and discuss their physiologic implications during esophagectomy. Additionally, important strategies to anticipate and prevent injury to this vessel during dissection and mobilization of the gastric conduit will be outlined. Finally, we will discuss techniques the surgeon may consider for managing either an inadequate or injured right gastroepiploic artery should one occur.