cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Improved Prediction of Long-Term, Other Cause Mortality in Men With Prostate Cancer

Purpose: Comorbidity assessment is essential to triage of care for men with prostate cancer. We identified long-term risks of other cause mortality associated with comorbidities in the Charlson index and applied these to the creation of a prostate cancer specific comorbidity index.Materials and Methods: We sampled 1,598 cases of prostate cancer diagnosed in 1997 to 2004 at the Greater Los Angeles and Long Beach Veterans Affairs Medical Centers. We used Cox proportional hazards modeling to determine the risks of other cause mortality associated with comorbidities and used these hazard ratios to re-weight the Charlson index. We then compared the ability of each index to predict other cause mortality.Results: Cox modeling showed that moderate to severe liver disease, metastatic solid tumor, lymphoma and leukemia carried the highest risk (HR greater than 5) for other cause mortality, followed by moderate to severe chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, moderate to severe renal disease, dementia, hemiplegia an...
The Influence of Website Characteristics on a Consumer's Urge to Buy Impulsively

With the proliferation of e-commerce, there is growing evidence that online impulse buying is occurring, yet relatively few researchers have studied this phenomenon. This paper reports on two studies that examine how variations in a website influence online impulse buying. The results reveal some relevant insights about this phenomenon. Specifically, although many participants had the urge to buy impulsively, regardless of website quality, this behavior's likelihood and magnitude was directly influenced by varying the quality of task-relevant and mood-relevant cues. Task-relevant cues include characteristics, such as navigability, that help in the attainment of the online consumer's shopping goal. Conversely, mood-relevant cues refer to the characteristics, such as visual appeal, that affect the degree to which a user enjoys browsing a website but that do not directly support a particular shopping goal. The implications of the results for both future research and the design of human-computer interfaces are discussed.
Electron spectrum in intense-field photoionization

The spectrum of photoelectrons emitted in the multiphoton ionization of an atom by an intense laser field is calculated with a nonperturbative theory developed several years ago. All the qualitative intensity phenomena recently observed are properly predicted. These include above-threshold ionization peaks; loss of lowest-order peaks as intensity increases; the most probable process not necessarily being the lowest order; and major qualitative differences between effects caused by linearly versus circularly polarized light. The results are dominated by the field parameters, with details of the atom having less importance. Detailed circular–linear polarization comparisons are made.
Synchrony does not promote grouping in temporally structured displays.

It has been proposed that the human visual system can use temporal synchrony to bind image regions into unified objects1,2,3, as proposed in some neural models4. Here we present experimental results from a new dynamic stimulus suggesting that previous evidence for this hypothesis can be explained with the well-established mechanisms of early visual processing, thus obviating the need to posit new synchrony-sensitive grouping mechanisms (see also ref. 5 for a critique of the binding by neural synchrony hypothesis).
Delayed assessment of serum lactate in sepsis is associated with an increased mortality rate.

Lactate assessment early in the resuscitation of sepsis has been recommended as a diagnostic biomarker. An abnormal lactate, independent of blood pressure, is an indication for aggressive fluid resuscitation and its normalization is a recommended endpoint of resuscitation. The objective of this study was to evaluate the effect of the timing of lactate assessment on patient outcomes in sepsis.
Terabit/s-class 24-channel bidirectional optical transceiver module based on TSV Si carrier for board-level interconnects

We report here on the design, fabrication and characterization of highly-integrated 3-D Optochips consisting of a Si carrier platform with 4 flip-chip attached components: two 24-channel 850-nm optoelectronic (OE) arrays (VCSELs and photodiodes) and two 24-channel CMOS ICs (receivers and laser drivers). The Si carrier incorporates three copper wiring levels for interconnection between the CMOS ICs and the OE arrays, and a dense array of electrical through-silicon-vias (TSVs) for the off-carrier dc and high-speed electrical connections. In addition, to allow optical transmission through the silicon carrier, 150-μm diameter “optical vias” (holes) are etched through the carrier at the locations of the optoelectronic array elements. The ICs and OEs are designed for 10–15 Gb/s operation to provide 48-channel modules with bidirectional aggregate bandwidths of 240 to 360 Gb/s. Optochips based on TSV Si carriers with flip-chip bonded ICs and OEs have been assembled using AuSn solder. DC characterization verified electrically and optically operative Optochips with 24 VCSELs and 24 photodiodes (PDs). Assembly of the Optochips to a high-speed, high-density organic carrier to form the full optical modules has also been developed and demonstrated. The Si carrier TSV technology is key to enabling the bonding of the Optochip to the organic carrier using a C4 solder process. Initial high-speed characterization of the complete module showed receiver channels operating at 12.5 Gb/s and transmitter channels operating up to 15 Gb/s. This is the first demonstration of Terabus optical modules with dense 24 TX + 24 RX transceiver Optochips based on TSV Si carriers.
Traditional And Non-Traditional Determinants Of Foreign Direct Investment In Developing Countries

This paper extends previous studies on the determinants of Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) by looking at both traditional and non-traditional factors that influence the amount of FDI flowing to developing countries. Emphasis is placed on the role of non-traditional qualitative factors. Data from 1998 and 2000 for fifty-five developing countries are employed to estimate an empirical model of FDI. Results indicate that FDI is significantly affected by several qualitative factors such as the level of economic freedom, level of corruption, and the level of international trade regulations adopted in the host country. These findings support the need for increased considera- tion of cultural and institutional factors in attempting to better estimate and understand the devel- opment process.
Computerized patient-reported symptom assessment in radiotherapy: a pilot randomized, controlled trial

Computer-based, patient-reported symptom survey tools have been described for patients undergoing chemotherapy. We hypothesized that patients undergoing radiotherapy might also benefit, so we developed a computer application to acquire symptom ratings from patients and generate summaries for use at point of care office visits and conducted a randomized, controlled pilot trial to test its feasibility. Subjects were randomized prior to beginning radiotherapy. Both control and intervention group subjects completed the computerized symptom assessment, but only for the intervention group were printed symptom summaries made available before each weekly office visit. Metrics compared included the Global Distress Index (GDI), concordance of patient-reported symptoms and symptoms discussed by the physician and numbers of new and/or adjusted symptom management medications prescribed. One hundred twelve patients completed the study: 54 in the control and 58 in the intervention arms. There were no differences in GDI over time between the control and intervention groups. In the intervention group, more patient-reported symptoms were actually discussed in radiotherapy office visits: 46/202 vs. 19/230. A sensitivity analysis to account for within-subjects correlation yielded 23.2 vs. 10.3 % (p = 0.03). Medications were started or adjusted at 15.4 % (43/280) of control visits compared to 20.4 % (65/319) of intervention visits (p = 0.07). This computer application is easy to use and makes extensive patient-reported outcome data available at the point of care. Although no differences were seen in symptom trajectory, patients who had printed symptom summaries had improved communication during office visits and a trend towards a more active symptom management during radiotherapy.
Associations between genetic variants and the effect of letrozole and exemestane on bone mass and bone turnover

Adjuvant therapy for hormone receptor (HR) positive postmenopausal breast cancer patients includes aromatase inhibitors (AI). While both the non-steroidal AI letrozole and the steroidal AI exemestane decrease serum estrogen concentrations, there is evidence that exemestane may be less detrimental to bone. We hypothesized that single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNP) predict effects of AIs on bone turnover. Early stage HR-positive breast cancer patients were enrolled in a randomized trial of exemestane versus letrozole. Effects of AI on bone mineral density (BMD) and bone turnover markers (BTM), and associations between SNPs in 24 candidate genes and changes in BMD or BTM were determined. Of the 503 enrolled patients, paired BMD data were available for 123 and 101 patients treated with letrozole and exemestane, respectively, and paired BTM data were available for 175 and 173 patients, respectively. The mean change in lumbar spine BMD was significantly greater for letrozole-treated (-3.2 %) compared to exemestane-treated patients (-1.0 %) (p = 0.0016). Urine N-telopeptide was significantly increased in patients treated with exemestane (p = 0.001) but not letrozole. Two SNPs (rs4870061 and rs9322335) in ESR1 and one SNP (rs10140457) in ESR2 were associated with decreased BMD in letrozole-treated patients. In the exemestane-treated patients, SNPs in ESR1 (Rs2813543) and CYP19A1 (Rs6493497) were associated with decreased bone density. Exemestane had a less negative impact on bone density compared to letrozole, and the effects of AI therapy on bone may be impacted by genetic variants in the ER pathway.
Linear Decision Rules for Economic Stabilization and Growth: Comment

(1) D = (y _ y*)2 + 9g( G*)2 where Y is national income; G is the instrumental variable, government spending; Y* and G* are planned values of Y and G; and g is the weight attached to squared deviations from planned values of government spending. Wood2 has criticized the use of the squared deviation of Y in equation (1) on the grounds that it gives equal weight to undershooting and overshooting planned income; while he believes that "higher real income always increases economic welfare, given deviations of realized from desired government expenditures." 8 Wood has proposed, therefore, that the social welfare function should be defined by (2) U= Y-g(G-G*)2 instead of equation (1). Wood appears to have assumed tnat the relation between income and welfare is a monotonic one. This writer would question that assumption. It need not be the case that an increase in income is always desirable especially if the increased income is connected with decreased leisure.4 Even economists may sometimes wish that they could have more time to think instead of more income. In addition, it is the contention of this writer that Wood's criticism loses much of its significance for economic planning problems when equations like (1) and (2) are considered not just as representations of "aggregate social welfare" but as products of attempts to solve actual planning problems and to develop practicable decision rules. It should be noted that most planning problems are highly complex. Planners often do not have substantial information about the parameter values and the nature of the relations among the system variables.5 Given the present state of planning techniques,
Poly(aminoether)-gold nanorod assemblies for shRNA plasmid-induced gene silencing.

Gold nanorods (GNRs) have emerged as promising nanomaterials for biosensing, imaging, photothermal hyperthermia treatments, and therapeutic delivery for several diseases. We generated poly(aminoether)–GNR nanoassemblies using a layer-by-layer deposition approach based on the 1,4C–1,4Bis polymer from a library recently synthesized in our laboratory. Subtoxic concentrations of 1,4C–1,4Bis–GNR nanoassemblies were employed to deliver expression vectors that express shRNA (“shRNA plasmid”) against firefly luciferase gene to knock down expression of the protein constitutively expressed in prostate cancer cells. The role of hydrodynamic size and zeta potential in determining nanoassembly mediated luciferase silencing was investigated. Finally, the theranostic potential of 1,4C–1,4Bis–GNR nanoassemblies was demonstrated using live cell two-photon induced luminescence bioimaging. Our results indicate that poly(aminoether)–GNR nanoassemblies are a promising theranostic platform for delivery of therapeutic payloads ...
Temperature dependence of rate constants for Tb3+(5D3) cross relaxation in symmetric Tb3+ pairs in Tb-doped CsCdBr3, CsMgBr3, CsMgCl3

Microscopic rate constants for Tb(5D3) cross relaxation have been determined as a function of temperature in symmetrical Tb3+−Tb3+ pairs in CsCdBr3, CsMgBr3 and CsMgCl3. The temperature dependence ...
Hypertrophic cardiomyopathies: similar but not quite the same!

A 50-year-old man was referred for further evaluation of progressive exertional dyspnoea, after initial echocardiography had shown a late-peaking ‘dagger-shaped’ flow profile (peak gradient at rest 65 mmHg) in the left ventricular outflow tract (LVOT), compatible with hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM) ( Panel A ). Cardiovascular magnetic resonance revealed a basal septal thickness of 16 …
The Effect of Comparatively-Framed versus Similarity-Framed E-Cigarette and Snus Print Ads on Young Adults' Ad and Product Perceptions.

Objectives This study examined the effects of comparative-framing [C-F; ads highlighting differences between the advertised product and conventional cigarettes and/or smokeless tobacco products] versus similarity-framing (S-F; ads highlighting congruence with conventional cigarettes and/or smokeless tobacco products) in e-cigarette and snus ads on young adult smokers' and non-smokers' ad- and product-related perceptions. Methods One thousand fifty one (1,051) young adults (18-24 years; 76% women; 50% smokers) from existing consumer panels were recruited in a within-subjects quasi-experiment. Each participant viewed 4 online advertisements, varied by tobacco product type (e-cigarette or snus) and ad framing (C-F or S-F). The dependent measures for this study were ad-related (ad perceptions, ad credibility) and product-related perceptions (absolute and comparative risk perceptions, product appeal, and product use intentions). Results Former and current smokers rated C-F ads as more persuasive than S-F ads, as evidenced by favorable ad perceptions and high product use intentions. Former and current smokers also rated e-cigarette ads with more favorable ad perceptions, low absolute and comparative risk perceptions, high product appeal, and high product use intentions as compared to snus ads. However, the effect sizes of the significant differences are less than.2, indicating small magnitude of difference between the study variables. Conclusions Unless FDA regulates e-cig and snus advertising, there is a potential of decreasing risk perceptions and increasing use of e-cigs among young adults. Further research on implicit/explicit comparative claims in e-cigarettes and snus advertisements that encourage risk misperceptions is recommended.
Renal Ammonium Ion Production and Excretion

The maintenance of systemic acid-base balance within relatively narrow limits is essential for life. However, the development of metabolic acidosis, which is characterized by a significant decrease in plasma pH and bicarbonate ions, is a common clinical condition. Metabolic acidosis is caused by the overproduction of acid due to a high protein diet, increased catabolism of endogenous proteins during prolonged fasting, sepsis or cachexia, and various alterations in metabolism such as diabetic ketoacidosis, lactic acidosis, or genetically determined acidurias. It also results from loss of base due to excessive diarrhea or renal defects in bicarbonate reabsorption. The onset of metabolic acidosis triggers an essential adaptive response in the kidney that is characterized by a pronounced increase in catabolism of plasma glutamine and an increased synthesis of bicarbonate and ammonium ions that occur predominantly within the proximal convoluted tubule. These adaptations are sustained, in part, by increased expression of the genes that encode a basolateral glutamine transporter, the mitochondrial glutaminase and glutamate dehydrogenase, and the cytoplasmic phospho enol pyruvatecarboxykinase and by activation of the mitochondrial glutamine transporter, the apical Na + /H + exchanger, and the basolateral Na + -3HCO 3 – co-transporter. The resulting increases in the corresponding activities facilitate the basolateral uptake of glutamine, an increased reabsorption of bicarbonate ions, the increased synthesis of ammonium and bicarbonate ions, and their vectoral transport across the apical and basolateral membranes, respectively. Nearly 80% of the generated ammonium ions are subsequently reabsorbed within the medullary thick ascending limb to produce a high interstitial concentration of ammonium ions within the renal medulla. This gradient provides the driving force for the final transport of ammonium ions into the urine that occurs via specific ammonia channels located within the basolateral and apical membranes of the collecting ducts. All of these steps are finely regulated to ensure that the levels of renal ammonium ion production and excretion are appropriate to sustain normal acid–base balance.
Are We Good Enough

The future of humanity is coming … to a bookstore or box office near you! It will bring violence, gore, death, destruction, mayhem, maybe a little sex, in other words, business as usual. By this portrayal, I describe here the post-humans envisioned by contemporary bioethicists. Haven’t heard of these new creatures? They’re long-lived, disease resistant, “better, stronger and faster” even than the bionic folk of television re-runs past and threaten — by definition — to end human life as we know it. Big deal? It is to cultists of both stripes, for whom no creation of fevered sci-fi imaginations is too extreme to eschew moral comment. As a discipline, bioethics is overrun with clones and cyborgs and chimera run amok. Fearsome as those creatures may be, they prove no match for the enhanced humans-cum-soulless-automata, who, defenders of the cult of life would have us believe, threaten to catapult us into a post-human future. Whatever their talents, after all, they would prove merely of human rather than of divine manufacture. Equally manufactured would prove any future persons designed to our specifications, whom the cult of rights would regard as products of our despotism. These future non-persons would mark an impressive feat: so advanced as to render us obsolete, and yet so degraded as to signal the destruction of human life as we know it.
Treating Dually Diagnosed Offenders in Rural Settings: Profile of the Middle Tennessee Rural Reentry Program

There has been a proliferation of offender reentry programs since the passage of the Second Chance Act in 2008, including an unprecedented expansion of treatment services into underserved rural areas. Review of Second Chance Act programming and observation of unmet mental health and substance abuse needs in justice settings contextualizes description of the Middle Tennessee Rural Reentry Program, a U.S. Bureau of Justice Assistance funded intervention. The program targeted 209 adult female and male higher risk offenders that were dually diagnosed with mental health and substance abuse disorders for evidence based cognitive behavioral change oriented therapeutic treatment. While offender outcome indicators (recidivism and relapse) suggested program impact, barriers to implementing, delivering, and evaluating reentry programming in rural areas were also identified and orient discussion around evidence based demonstration and replication.
Inverse participation ratios in the XX spin chain

We continue the study of the inverse participation ratios (IPRs) of the XXZ Heisenberg spin chain initiated by St\'ephan, Furukawa, Misguich, and Pasquier (2009) and continued by Misguich, Pasquier, and Luck (2016) by focusing on the case of the XX Heisenberg spin chain. For the ground state, St\'ephan et al. note that calculating the IPR is equivalent to Dyson's constant term ex-conjecture. We express the IPRs of excited states as an apparently new ``discrete'' Hall inner product. We analyze this inner product using the theory of symmetric functions (Jack polynomials, Schur polynomials, the standard Hall inner product, and ${\ensuremath{\omega}}_{q,t}$) to determine some exact expressions and asymptotics for IPRs. We show that IPRs can be indexed by partitions, and asymptotically the IPR of a partition is equal to that of the conjugate partition. We relate the IPRs to two other models from physics, namely, the circular symplectic ensemble of Dyson and the Dyson-Gaudin two-dimensional Coulomb lattice gas. Finally, we provide a description of the IPRs in terms of a signed count of diagonals of permutohedra.
Ultra conformal high aspect-ratio small-gap capacitive electrode formation technology for 3D micro shell resonators

We report a new fabrication technology to form capacitive sense/drive electrodes with large area and narrow, uniform, and controllable gaps around a three-dimensional (3D) micro shell resonator. The process utilizes electroplated photoresist (EP) to form a conformal sacrificial layer on the 3D shell and electroplated metal (EM) to grow drive/sense electrodes towards the resonator until they touch the sacrificial layer and stop. Once the sacrificial layer is removed, extremely well defined and uniform capacitive gaps are formed. EP provides many desirable features as a sacrificial layer, including uniform coverage, excellent electrical insulation and chemical stability, wide thickness range, low deposition temperature, and easy removal. This post-processing technique can be applied to a variety of 3D micro devices. We demonstrate a birdbath resonator gyroscope (BRG) with ∼7 μm gap and high mechanical quality factor (Q = 225,000). The development of this process is an important step toward the commercialization of high-performance 3D micro sensors and actuators.
The Ordinary and Extraordinary: Producing Migrant Inclusion and Exclusion in US Sanctuary Movements

This article analyzes the Sanctuary Movement for Central Americans and the New Sanctuary Movement , two United States faith-based social movements, to think through the ways in which these pro-immigrant efforts paradoxically render migrants figuratively mute and often excluded from conceptualizations of the nation and its inhabitants even as they advocate for legal inclusion. We examine this tension of inclusion and exclusion through the frequent representation of migrants’ histories and Christianity as extraordinary in the Sanctuary Movement for Central Americans, and migrants’ lives as ordinary in the New Sanctuary Movement. We identify two key processes by which this framing of migrants as extraordinary or ordinary limits the enactment of full social, political, and economic inclusion: (a) public support is principally granted to certain stories, religions, identities, and experiences; and (b) migrants are consistently positioned, and often celebrated, by sanctuary activists as “others.” The discourses of migrants as extraordinary or ordinary effectively generate broad involvement of faith communities in sanctuary work. Yet, as we argue, this framing comes with the cost of limiting activist support only to particular groups of migrants, flattening the performances of migrant identities, and positioning migrants as perpetually exterior to the US. Reliance on discourses of the extraordinary and ordinary, therefore, can truncate opportunities for making legible a range of migration experiences and extending belonging to all migrants, outcomes that arise in contrast to the purported inclusionary goals of the faith-based sanctuary social movements.
Parallel interactive retrieval of item and associative information from event memory

Memory contains information about individual events (items) and combinations of events (associations). Despite the fundamental importance of this distinction, it remains unclear exactly how these two kinds of information are stored and whether different processes are used to retrieve them. We use both model-independent qualitative properties of response dynamics and quantitative modeling of individuals to address these issues. Item and associative information are not independent and they are retrieved concurrently via interacting processes. During retrieval, matching item and associative information mutually facilitate one another to yield an amplified holistic signal. Modeling of individuals suggests that this kind of facilitation between item and associative retrieval is a ubiquitous feature of human memory.
The Importance of Mindfulness Training for Teachers.

After discussing informal feedback from a district workshop for teachers of the gifted on the practice of mindfulness, the authors asked the question: Does research support the shared reactions of ...
Discovery-Method Teaching in Graph Theory

Abstract A variety of recent reports have recommended sweeping changes in content and method of teaching mathematics. While many of these reports have been geared to precollege mathematics, their implementation will require changes in the way teachers are prepared in college as well as adaptation to new abilities and attitudes that should be evident in students entering colleges in the future. Graph Theory is an area of mathematics that is particularly well-suited to non-traditional methods of teaching. It is also one of the topics recommended for inclusion in high school mathematics courses. This presentation will include information from two reports from the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics and the Mathematical Sciences Education Board, along with ideas for incorporating discovery-method learning into Graph Theory classes.
Efficient fuzzy extractor implementations for PUF based authentication

A strong security management of digital system should take all phases of lifecycle into consideration as the adversary can simply take advantage of the weakest link to compromise the systems, regardless of software, network, or hardware. As hardware devices are becoming more and more distributed and unsupervised, hardware security has emerged as an important challenge for cybersecurity. Various techniques have been developed recently to protect systems against malicious attacks from the hardware perspective. One promising hardware security primitive that can be used for authentication or identification is the physical unclonable function (PUF), which extracts chip-unique signatures from manufacturing process variations. However, as environmental variations could affect the characteristics of digital circuits, a PUF can hardly reproduce a consistent response. In the literature, error-correcting codes and fuzzy extractors are often used to correct the PUF errors before using the generated signature for authentication. This paper proposes novel architectures that incorporate different degrees of error-tolerance into PUF response correction to improve the efficiency of PUF-based authentication. One proposed fuzzy extractor implementation improves the reliability by eliminating high-entropy PUF response bits. An alternative method is to input low-entropy bits for authentication directly, while bypassing the error-correcting block. The security can be enhanced by employing this architecture, as the probability of a random guess that could pass the authentication is reduced, while the percentage of correctable keys only decreases slightly.
Post-fire water-quality response in the western United States

Wildfires are increasing in size and severity in forested landscapes across the Western United States. Not only do fires alter land surfaces, but they also affect the surface water quality in downstream systems. Previous studies of individual fires have observed an increase in various forms of nutrients, ions, sediments and metals in stream water for different post-fire time periods. In this research, data were compiled for over 24 000 fires across the western United States to evaluate post-fire water-quality response. The database included millions of water-quality data points downstream of these fires, and was synthesised along with geophysical data from each burned watershed. Data from 159 fires in 153 burned watersheds were used to identify common water-quality response during the first 5 years after a fire. Within this large dataset, a subset of seven fires was examined further to identify trends in water-quality response. Change-point analysis was used to identify moments in the post-fire water-quality data where significant shifts in analyte concentrations occurred. Evaluating individual fires revealed strong initial increases or decreases in concentrations, depending on the analyte, that are masked when averaged over 5 years. Evidence from this analysis shows significant increases in nutrient flux (different forms of nitrogen and phosphorus), major-ion flux and metal concentrations are the most common changes in stream water quality within the first 5 years after fire. Dissolved constituents of ions and metals tended to decrease in concentration 5 years after fire whereas particulate matter concentration continued to increase. Assembling this unique and extensive dataset provided the opportunity to determine the most common post-fire water-quality changes in the large and diverse Western USA. Results from this study could inform studies in other parts of the world, will help parameterise and validate post-fire water-quality models, and assist communities affected by wildfire to anticipate changes to their water quality.
Continuous wireless link rates for internet of things

Internet of Things has stringent requirements on the wireless network throughput for timely transmission of the big data being produced. In order to maximize the throughput over dynamic fluctuations of wireless channel quality, current wireless systems adapt the link rate to the instantaneous channel condition, but fail to fully utilize the channel capacity due to the discrete choices of available link rates and the gap between these rates. Instead, in this paper we present vMod, a lightweight and practical solution towards maximum wireless network throughput by redesigning the wireless link rates from discrete to continuous. The key idea of vMod is to modulate a fractional number of data bits into each symbol by employing the Variable-Length Code (VLC), which is able to statistically yield any link rate. We implemented vMod on software-defined radio platforms. Experiment results demonstrate that under highly dynamic wireless network conditions, vMod greatly improves the WiFi throughput by 30% over a single narrowband link, but incurs only negligible overhead.
Beach Recreation, Cultural Diversity and Attitudes toward Nature

Studies of recreation patterns have rarely focused on beach-going behavior and its determinants. This paper develops a conceptual model emphasizing relationships between beach-going, and individual...
Introduction to Precambrian Weathering and Paleosols

The influx of energy from the Sun probably has exceeded the outflow of heat from the interior of the Earth since shortly after accretion. The present influx of solar energy is about four orders of magnitude greater than the outflow of internal energy. Although the outflow of internal energy has been limited, the apparently continuous outflow of volatiles, including carbon dioxide, has resulted in intensive weathering throughout most of Earth history. The Precambrian represents 88 % of Earth history; weathering during this long era played a major role in shaping the Earth and in creating its present condition.
Extravascular secretion of t-PA by the intact superfused choroid.

Purpose. Demonstrate the continuous extravascular secretion of enzymatically active t-PA by the intact choroid. Methods. Enucleated rat eyes were dissected under microscopic control to prepare eyecups for superfusion in a small organ culture system. Individual preparations provided access to intact retinal, retinal pigment epithelial, or choroidal surfaces in situ. Cups were superfused with oxygenated Kreb's buffer (100 μl/minute) at 37°C and pH 7.4 while suspended in a microincubator. Released t-PA activity was measured by an amidolytic assay in 1-minute overflow samples and in cup media after flow interruptions. Results. Minimal basal secretion was detected in the overflow with the retina in place. Interruption of flow (10 minutes) produced a static accumulation of 0.10 ± 0.01 IU/ml. With the retinal pigment epithelium in place after retinal removal, t-PA release was moderately accelerated. Removal of the retinal pigment epithelium to expose the Bruch's-choroidal surface produced the greatest acceleration. The 10-minute static level was 0.48 + 0.13 IU/ml. Release from the scleral shell after choroid removal was negligible. An acute burst release of t-PA activity (1.3 ± 0.18 IU/ml) followed the infusion of bradykinin (5 to 20 μM) into choroidal cups. Conclusion. Choroid appears to be the dominant source of a continuously secreted t-PA in superfused rat eyecup organ cultures. This enzymatically active t-PA is able to pass through an apparently intact Bruch's membrane but is largely impeded by an intact retinal pigment epithelium. It is also possible that retinal pigment epithelium contains inhibitors that could reduce the released t-PA activity. The authors propose that this secretory function of the uveal tissue, which has thus far not been recognized, may be a principal mechanism for the regulation of intraocular fluid circulation and matrix remodeling by plasmin in vivo. Invest Ophthalmol Vis Sci. 1995 ;36 :1625-1632.
Highly Active C8-Acyl-ACP Thioesterase Variant Isolated by a Synthetic Selection Strategy.

Microbial metabolism is an attractive route for producing medium chain length fatty acids, e.g., octanoic acid, used in the oleochemical industry. One challenge to this strategy is the lack of enzymes that are both highly active in a microbial host and selective toward substrates with desired chain length. Of the many steps in fatty acid biosynthesis, the thioesterase is the most widely used enzyme for controlling chain length. Thioesterases hydrolyze the thioester bond between fatty acids and the acyl-carrier protein (ACP) or coenzyme A (CoA) cofactor. The functional role of thioesterases varies between organisms ( i.e., bacteria vs plant) and therefore so do the substrate specificities. As a result, microbial biocatalysts that utilize a heterologous thioesterase either produce high titers of fatty acids with mixed chain lengths or low titers of products with a narrow chain length distribution. To search for highly active enzymes that selectively hydrolyze octanoyl-ACP, we developed a genetic selection based on the lipoic acid requirement of Escherichia coli. We used the selection to identify variants in a randomly mutagenized library of the C8-specific Cuphea palustris FatB1 thioesterase. After optimizing expression of the thioesterase, E. coli cultures produced 1.7 g/L of octanoic acid with >90% specificity from a single chromosomal copy of this thioesterase. In vitro studies confirmed the mutant thioesterase possessed a 15-fold increase in kcat compared to its native sequence. The high level of specific activity allowed for low levels of expression while maintaining fatty acid titer. The low expression requirement will allow metabolic engineers to use more cellular resources to address other limitations in the pathway and maximize overall productivity.
Characteristics of breakthrough therapy designation requests (BTDRs) submitted to the Office of Hematology and Oncology Products (OHOP), FDA.

e18236Background: Breakthrough therapy designation is an FDA program intended to expedite the development of drugs and biologics that provide preliminary clinical evidence of a substantial improvem...
Patent Ductus Arteriosus

The reported incidence of patent ductus arteriosus is about 1 per 1200–3500 live births or about 10% of all patients with congenital heart disease, with a ~2:1 female to male predominance. This chapter describes the anatomy and physiology of this disease, the primary modalities used for diagnosis, and the options and indications for surgical or percutaneous intervention in adult patients.
Early-grade reading support in rural South Africa: A language-centred technology approach

This article describes a short-term longitudinal study conducted in low-performing rural primary schools in South Africa. The authors were involved in developing a two-year multimedia reading programme for rural South African children in grades 1–3, and sought to assess key learning outcomes in existing school computer laboratories. The programme provided interactive local-language support in three local languages plus English, with content designed to be culturally appropriate and contextually relevant for the target group. The study tracked a total of 215 learners, some of whom used the programme once a week for its duration, while a control group did not. Findings revealed a positive and significant impact on local-language reading fluency and reading comprehension among the children who had used the instructional software. The outcome demonstrates nearly three-quarters of a year of additional reading growth compared to reading growth at control schools within the sample, as well as a twofold increase in reading comprehension in the treatment group. The study demonstrates that technology-based reading support can help rural learners in South Africa to make substantive gains so they can complete their schooling. The ability to accomplish a full cycle of primary school with well-developed reading skills has important implications for lifelong learning. The authors argue that guided and contextualised instructional software can lead to enhanced learning outcomes compared to unguided digital content or traditional teacher support alone.
Enhancing functional safety in FPGA-based motor drives

Motor control applications using small fast-spinning motors, and the advent of SiC and GaN switching transistors, are driving a need for compact drives with high-frequency control loop updates. FPGAs provide the necessary speed and flexibility for such control. Drives must also adhere to functional safety standards. This paper demonstrates how the functional safety of an FPGA-controlled drive can be analysed using an FMEDA and enhanced with diagnostic methods to achieve ISO 26262 ASIL B or IEC 61508 SIL 2.
Effects of Aging on the Damage Accumulation in SAC305 Lead Free Solders Subjected to Cyclic Loading

In this study, we have examined the effects of prior aging on damage accumulation occurring in SAC305 solder materials subjected to mechanical cycling (fatigue testing). Uniaxial samples have been prepared and polished so that the microstructural changes could be tracked after the initial aging, and then subsequently with mechanical cycling. In particular, we examined the microstructural changes that occurred in small fixed regions in the solder samples, rather than using several different regions. Regions of interest near the center of the sample were marked using small indents formed with a nanoindentation system. Samples were then subjected to aging at 125 °C for various durations to produce several different initial microstructures. Polarized light optical microscopy (OM) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) were used to investigate the aging induced microstructural changes in the regions of interest in the solder sample. After aging, the samples were then subjected to mechanical cycling. After various durations of cycling (e.g. 0, 10, 25, 50, 75, 100, 200, 300 cycles) that were below the fatigue life of the materials, the regions of interest were again examined using OM and SEM. Using the recorded images, the microstructural evolutions in the fixed regions were observed, and the effects of the initial aging on the results were determined. It was found that the number of IMC particles decreased while the average diameter of the particles increases significantly due to the initial aging. After the cyclic loading was performed on the sample, it was observed that the cycling induced damage consisted primarily of small intergranular cracks forming along the sub-grain boundaries within the $\beta$ -Sn dendrites. These cracks continued to grow in size as the cycling continued, resulting in a weakening of the dendrite structure, and eventually resulting in the formation of large transgranular cracks. The distribution and size of the intermetallic particles in the inter-dendritic regions were observed to remain essentially unchanged with the application of the mechanical cyclic load. Relative to the non-aged samples, there were significant differences observed in the rate and intensity of the micro crack growth occurring in the heavily aged samples that began with much coarser microstructures.
Systematic Review of Diagnosis of Clinically Suspected Scaphoid Fractures.

Background Scaphoid fracture accounts for approximately 15% of acute wrist fractures. Clinical examination and plain X-rays are commonly used to diagnose the fracture, but this approach may miss up to 16% of fractures in the absence of clear-cut lucent lines on plain radiographs. As such, additional imaging may be required. It is not clear which imaging modality is the best. The goal of this study is to summarize the current literature on scaphoid fractures to evaluate the sensitivity, specificity, and accuracy of four different imaging modalities. Case Description A systematic-review and meta-analysis was performed. The search term “scaphoid fracture” was used and all prospective articles investigating magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), computed tomography (CT), bone scintigraphy, and ultrasound were included. In total, 2,808 abstracts were reviewed. Of these, 42 articles investigating 51 different diagnostic tools in 2,507 patients were included. Literature Review The mean age was 34.1 ± 5.7 years, and the overall incidence of scaphoid fractures missed on X-ray and diagnosed on advanced imaging was 21.8%. MRI had the highest sensitivity and specificity for diagnosing scaphoid fractures, which were 94.2 and 97.7%, respectively, followed by CT scan with a sensitivity and specificity at 81.5 and 96.0%, respectively. The sensitivity and specificity of ultrasound were 81.5 and 77.4%, respectively. Significant differences between MRI, bone scintigraphy, CT, and ultrasound were identified. Clinical Relevance MRI has higher sensitivity and specificity than CT scan, bone scintigraphy, or ultrasound. Level of Evidence This is a Level II systematic review.
Bootstrapping a Neural Morphological Analyzer for St. Lawrence Island Yupik from a Finite-State Transducer

Morphological analysis is a critical enabling technology for polysynthetic languages. We present a neural morphological analyzer for case-inflected nouns in St. Lawrence Island Yupik, an endangered polysynthetic language in the Inuit-Yupik language family, treating morphological analysis as a recurrent neural sequence-to-sequence task. By utilizing an existing finite-state morphological analyzer to create training data, we improve analysis coverage on attested Yupik word types from approximately 75% for the existing finite-state analyzer to 100% for the neural analyzer. At the same time, we achieve a substantially higher level of accuracy on a held-out testing set, from 78.9% accuracy for the finite-state analyzer to 92.2% accuracy for our neural analyzer.
Electrokinetic mixing in electrode-embedded multiwell plates to improve the diffusion limited kinetics of biosensing platforms.

Abstract Rapid and accurate biosensing with low concentrations of the analytes is usually challenged by the diffusion limited reaction kinetics. Thus, as a remedy, long incubation times or excess amounts of the reagents are employed to ensure the reactions to go to completion. Therefore, mixing becomes both a serious problem and necessity to overcome that diffusion limitation and homogenize the samples, especially for the biochemical reactions that take place in multiwell plates. Because the current mixing platforms such as shakers/vortexers, sonicators, magnetic stirrers and acoustic mixers have disadvantages including, but not limited to, being invasive/harfmul to the samples, causing the samples to splash out or stick to the walls of the wells and allowing foreign compartments to enter the solutions in the wells. Here we propose a noninvasive and safer (considering the risk of sample loss) technology that provides electrokinetic-mixing (EKM) of the reagents placed in electrode-embedded multiwell plates where the incubation times, or in other words, the time required for the desired molecules to meet in stationary solutions, can be reduced substantially. In order to demonstrate the power of this innovation, in this specific case, a simple Forster resonance energy transfer (FRET) based quenching bioplatform was adopted, where a molecular beacon DNA (MB) modified with sulfhydryl (–SH) and fluorescein (FITC) dye at opposite terminals was incubated with 10 nm sized gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) in the wells of an electrode-embedded multiwell plate, in which a printed circuit board (PCB) was attached at the bottom to control the liquid flows by EKM. When the MB binds to AuNPs through thiolate chemistry in the solution, FITC dye comes in close proximity to the AuNP surface and the emission is quenched via FRET principle. Thus, this quenching percentage over time was our comparison parameter for the mixing and no mixing cases to demonstrate the impact of mixing on the quenching kinetics. This reaction was conducted with different concentrations of AuNPs to observe the impact of mixing on MB quenching kinetics when the concentrations of the AuNPs were increased. Total quenching efficiency could go up to 90% in the presence of the AuNPs and it took about 60 min to reach stability. When the EKM was involved, fluorescence quenching time for the MBs could be reduced by up to 4.1 times. Thus, it was demonstrated that this technology may improve the kinetics of the diffusion limited biological reactions take place in multiwell plates substantially so that it may be adopted in various different sensing platforms for rapid measurements.
Incidence of cystoid macular oedema with intracameral cephalosporin or vancomycin in cataract surgery.

Purpose: To compare the incidence of pseudophakic cystoid macular oedema (CME) in patients who receive intracameral cephalosporin versus intracameral vancomycin during cataract surgery.Methods: A r...
COVID-19 / Coronavirus Outbreak: Donning and Doffing Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) for Healthcare Providers

Appropriate personal protective equipment (PPE) should be worn when screening patients for COVID19. The PPE package must include: Gown, Gloves, Respirator or medical mask Eye protection The following protocol describes the proper procedures for donning and doffing PPE.