cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Hemispheric Lateralization and Programming Ability

The purpose of the present study was to assess one cognitive style dimension, hemispheric lateralization, and its relationship to programming performance. A total of sixty subjects from four different undergraduate classes in COBOL programming participated in the study. The results indicated that laterality preference did not appear to be significantly related to performance on programming tasks. Varying the mode of instruction also did not have a differential effect on programming performance. Exploration of other measures of hemispheric lateralization and assessment of other cognitive models of programming ability are recommended.
Correlation between Polymorphism of -590C/T in IL-4 Gene Promoter and Plasma Ig E Levels in Asthma Children

Objective: To investigate the correlation between the single nucleotide polymorphisms( SNP) of-590 C /T in the promoter region of IL-4 gene and asthma children in Guiyang,and to study the impact of this polymorphism on total plasma Ig E( TIg E) levels. Methods: Polymerase chain reaction-restriction fragment length polymorphism( PCR-RFLP) was used to detect-590 C / T polymorphism of 250 children with asthma in Guiyang and 200 healthy children. The TIg E levels were determined by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay( ELISA). The TIg E levels were compared among children with different-590 C / T genotypes. Results: There were three genotypes in-590 C locus of IL-4 gene: CC,CT and TT,significant differences were found in genotypic frequency between the two groups( χ2=13. 395,P 0. 01). The C allele frequencies and the T allele frequencies had significant differences between the two groups( χ2= 16. 384,P 0. 01). Compared with CC and CT genotypes in this locus,the risk of developing asthma of TT carrier was significantly higher( OR = 1. 78,95% CI = l. 22 ~2. 60),and mutant T allele increased the risk of developing asthma( χ2= 9. 851,P 0. 01; OR =1. 82,95% CI = 1. 36 ~ 2. 44). With the same genotype and locus,the TIg E levels of asthma children were higher than those of control( P 0. 05),and there were significant differences in TIg E levels between subjects with or without mutant T allele in asthma group( t = 1. 978,P 0. 05),but there was no significant difference in TIg E levels between subjects with or without mutant T allele in control group( t = 0. 249,P 0. 05). Conclusions: T allele in-590 C locus of IL-4 gene is associated with asthma,and mutant T allele is correlated with increasing of TIg E levels.
Analysis on the result of iodized salt surveillance and iodine deficiency disorders high risk surveillance of Mentougou district in Beijing in 2011

Objective To investigate the current iodine nutrient levels of the whole population of Mentougou district in Beijing in 2011.To provide the basis for prevention and control of iodine deficiency disorders(IDD).Methods According to the national project of IDD surveillance,investigation objects were selected by systematic sampling and simple random sampling.Salt iodine content was determined using direct titration method(GB/T 13025.7-1999) and the urinary iodine were determined by arsenic-Ce catalytic spectrophotometry(WS/T 107-2006) and the thyroid volume were examined by B-type of ultrasonic.Results The iodine content of 288 edible salt samples collected randomly from households was measured,with iodine median being 28.6mg/kg.The coverage rate of iodized salt was 96.18%,the qualified rate of iodized salt was 98.56%,and the consumption rate of qualified iodized salt was 94.79%.The iodine content of 249 from the children of 8 to 10 and 67 from reproductive age women of 18 to 40 of urinary specimen were tested,with the urine iodine median being 202.90 μg/L and 163.0 μg/L respectively.The thyroid volume of 250 children aged 8 to 10 years old were examined by B-type of ultrasonic,prevalence of goiter being 0.00%.Conclusions The iodine nutrient levels of children and reproductive age women of Mentougou district were in optimal levels;Strengthening the striking force of non-iodized salt in deep mountainous areas was necessary in the future in ordet,to improve the coverage rate of iodized salt of households.
A long-acting gonadotropin-releasing hormone agonist inhibits the growth of a human ovarian epithelial carcinoma (BG-1) heterotransplanted in the nude mouse

Human ovarian epithelial carcinoma (BG-1) was heterotransplanted in female nude athymic mice and growth was evaluated in intact, surgically castrated, and gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH) agonist (Lupron-SR)-treated mice. Tumor volume was represented as percent of tumor volume on day 0 and measured every other day from the administration of drug and/or the attainment of a minimum tumor volume of 0.5 cm3 on each side of the animal. Tumors in surgically castrated mice had significantly accelerated growth compared with control tumors grown in intact mice (1810 +/- 247.2 versus 1253.6 +/- 44.6%, respectively; P less than .05). Treatment with GnRH agonist significantly reduced tumor growth in intact mice at days 16, 18, and 20 compared with normal control tumors and placebo-treated tumors in intact mice (P less than .02). Gonadotropin levels in pooled serum of mice were reduced from normal levels with GnRH agonist treatment (control: mLH 16.9 +/- 2.2 ng/mL, mFSH 6.6 +/- 0.3 ng/mL; GnRH agonist-treated: mLH 9.3 +/- 1.8 ng/mL, mFSH 4.9 +/- 0.7 ng/mL; surgically castrated: mLH 32.2 +/- 2.7 ng/mL, mFSH 19.4 +/- 0.5 ng/mL). This human tumor model appears responsive to gonadotropins as evidenced by the ability of a GnRH agonist to inhibit growth of BG-1. These results suggest that GnRH agonist therapy may be a useful adjuvant in the treatment of human ovarian epithelial carcinoma.
Reflective writing as an assessment for student analysis and synthesis ability in a landscape design course.

Horticulture graduates entering the field of landscape design and installation must be able to integrate technical skills with practical applications. This requires higher-order thinking skills such as critical thinking, which can be practiced through various teaching and learning strategies in an undergraduate curriculum. The objective of this project was to develop a series of three reflective writing assignments in a landscape design course to help students improve their critical thinking skills of analysis and synthesis. Scores on an 18-point quiz question for 110 students enrolled in Beginning Garden Composition (HORT 380) from 2005 to 2009 were compared. The comparison was between 2 years when the reflective writing assignments were not part of the course and 3 years when the assignments were included in the course. Quiz scores increased significantly for the students who completed the reflective writing assignments (average of 16.2 out of 18) compared with students who did not complete the assignments as part of the course (average 10.2 out of 18).
On Three Differential Equations Associated with Chebyshev Polynomials of Degrees 3, 4 and 6

We shall study the differential equation $${y'^2} = {T_n}\left( y \right) - \left( {1 - 2{\mu ^2}} \right)$$ where μ 2 is a constant, T n (x) are the Chebyshev polynomials with n = 3, 4, 6. The solutions of the differential equations will be expressed explicitly in terms of the Weierstrass elliptic function which can be used to construct theories of elliptic functions based on 2 F 1(1/4, 3/4; 1; z), 2 F 1(1/3, 2/3; 1; z), 2 F 1(1/6, 5/6; 1; z) and provide a unified approach to a set of identities of Ramanujan involving these hypergeometric functions.
Nonrepudiation Protocols in Cloud Systems

A nonrepudiation protocol from a sender S to a set of potential receivers {R1, R2, ..., Rn} performs two functions. First, this protocol enables S to send to every potential receiver Ri a copy of file F along with a proof that can convince an unbiased judge that F was indeed sent by S to Ri. Second, this protocol also enables each Ri to receive from S a copy of file F and to send back to S a proof that can convince an unbiased judge that F was indeed received by Ri from S. When a nonrepudiation protocol from S to {R1, R2, ..., Rn} is implemented in a cloud system, the communications between S and the set of potential receivers {R1, R2, ..., Rn} are not carried out directly. Rather, these communications are carried out through a cloud C. In this paper, we present a nonrepudiation protocol that is implemented in a cloud system and show that this protocol is correct. We also show that this protocol has two clear advantages over nonrepudiation protocols that are not implemented in cloud systems.
Perspectives in Primary Care: Family Medicine in a Divided Nation.

On November 8, 2016, family physicians went to work across the United States caring for patients. Some patients wore caps emblazoned “Make America Great Again” and others had buttons declaring “I’m With Her.” As on any other day, the task was to care for each patient with respect and
Intraoperative Injection of Technetium-99m Sulfur Colloid for Sentinel Lymph Node Biopsy in Breast Cancer Patients: A Single Institution Experience.

Background. Most institutions require a patient undergoing sentinel lymph node biopsy to go through nuclear medicine prior to surgery to be injected with radioisotope. This study describes the long-term results using intraoperative injection of radioisotope. Methods. Since late 2002, all patients undergoing a sentinel lymph node biopsy at the Yale-New Haven Breast Center underwent intraoperative injection of technetium-99m sulfur colloid. Endpoints included number of sentinel and nonsentinel lymph nodes obtained and number of positive sentinel and nonsentinel lymph nodes. Results. At least one sentinel lymph node was obtained in 2,333 out of 2,338 cases of sentinel node biopsy for an identification rate of 99.8%. The median number of sentinel nodes found was 2 and the mean was 2.33 (range: 1–15). There were 512 cases (21.9%) in which a sentinel node was positive for metastatic carcinoma. Of the patients with a positive sentinel lymph node who underwent axillary dissection, there were 242 cases (54.2%) with no additional positive nonsentinel lymph nodes. Advantages of intraoperative injection included increased comfort for the patient and simplification of scheduling. There were no radiation related complications. Conclusion. Intraoperative injection of technetium-99m sulfur colloid is convenient, effective, safe, and comfortable for the patient.
Interdisciplinary Planning, Development, and Treatment

Interdisciplinary treatment planning in dentistry has become both more complicated and facilitated with the advent of dental implants. The use of dental implants allows the practitioner to make their therapies more predictable by removing biomechanical issues, minimizing the need for tooth preparation, minimizing the use of compromised teeth, and allowing for more simplified planning. This, along with the use of digital workflows, allows for more efficient therapies for our patients. This digital world can help in the proper planning for implant placement to be in harmony with all components of the stomatognathic system. Combining the tools available from both the analog and digital worlds is key to contemporary interdisciplinary treatment planning from the initial visit through the actual fabrication of the definitive prostheses.
Elleozhang and Weibo

Ella Zhang, a talented fashion designer, established an online presence through Taobao and WeChat in 2013. Over the following four years, she tested online advertising tools and honed her marketing to young urban women in China's first-tier cities, primarily by shifting to the Weibo platform. Through the end of 2016 and beginning of 2017, her sales continued to grow but her marketing expenses were high. The case poses multiple strategic decisions Ella must make to continue her business, ranging from budget to spend on video to raising outside capital. It highlights differences between U.S. and Chinese markets and, specifically, gives U.S. students an introduction to social media in the most populous country in the world. Excerpt UVA-M-0944 Jun. 16, 2017 ElleoZhang and Weibo Introducing ElleoZhang Ella Zhang, a talented fashion designer, sat in Marienbad Cafe in April 2017 debating how best to grow her business. Over the past five years, Zhang has grown her personal brand as a fashion designer and created a loyal customer base through social media. She considered herself an entrepreneur—she'd created a small business in which she designed, promoted, and distributed her own line. Many were more successful than her, but in the highly competitive fashion business, many others had tried and failed…and she was still succeeding. She was determined to continue building her business. She built her business on Taobao, but the platform had proven to be an expensive place to do business. Taobao was one of the first widely adopted e-commerce platforms in China on which people could sell their own products, and it had helped Zhang build her customer base. Through the end of 2016 and beginning of 2017, her sales continued to grow but her marketing expenses were high. Zhang paid Taobao more than CNY450 per post to rank higher in a keyword search result for a day. Using the site to manage her business in the expensive apparel category (more focused on middle-class consumers, with prices ranging from USD25 to USD120) had become too costly, so she stopped promoting herself there in early 2017. . . .
Information, timing, and display: A design-behavior framework for improving the effectiveness of eco-feedback

Abstract Eco-feedback is information about resource (energy, water, food) consumption provided back to consumer(s) with the goal of promoting more sustainable behavior. Effective eco-feedback relies upon an understanding of key eco-feedback design dimensions and how they relate to behavior change. This paper develops a conceptual framework that includes a typology of eco-feedback design dimensions and maps those dimensions on to the behavioral mechanisms of attention, learning, and motivation. To develop this framework, we synthesized, clarified, and expanded on previous discussions of eco-feedback design dimensions across multiple academic disciplines. Our analysis yielded three types of behaviorally-relevant eco-feedback design dimensions: information, timing, and display. Information dimensions include granularity, metrics, valence, and contextual information. Timing dimensions include latency, strategic timing, and frequency and duration. Display dimensions include medium, modality, style, location, audience, and response requirement. Each of these dimensions has implications for eco-feedback salience, precision, or meaning, qualities that correspond to the behavioral mechanisms of attention, motivation, and learning, respectively.
Bilirubin Albumin Binding and Unbound Unconjugated Hyperbilirubinemia in Premature Infants.

Objective To evaluate the associations between unbound bilirubin (UB) and total serum bilirubin (TSB), bilirubin:albumin molar ratio (BAMR), and bilirubin albumin binding affinity (Ka) as a function of gestational age (GA) in infants born at 24-33 weeks GA. Study design In a prospective observational study, TSB and UB were measured twice daily at least 8 hours apart during the first postnatal week. Serum albumin was measured to calculate BAMR on each day. The highest UB on each day, corresponding TSB, and serum albumin were used to calculate the Ka on each day. Results For the 166 infants studied, peak UB significantly correlated with concomitant Ka (r = −0.44, P = .001) but not with concomitant TSB or BAMR after adjusting for GA. On multiple regression analyses, there was a significant association of concomitant Ka (−0.06, 95% CI −0.08 to −0.04, P = .0001), but not concomitant TSB or BAMR with peak UB after controlling for GA, birth weight, race, and sex. GA group was a significant effect modifier for the association between Ka and peak UB (0.03, 95% CI 0.02-0.04, P Conclusions Peak UB was primarily associated with a decrease in binding affinity in infants ≤30 weeks GA. Interventions aimed at improving binding affinity may be important in decreasing the risk of bilirubin-induced neurotoxicity.
Specter and horizon: Critique in ethnographies of North American Christianity:

With reference to two different projects examining North American Christianities, this symposium contribution explores opportunities for critique when conducting fieldwork. Drawing from observations made by E. E. Evans-Pritchard, I suggest that critique is most productive when it uses the perspective and position of one’s interlocutors as its point of departure.
Secondary involvement of the gastrointestinal tract by renal cell carcinoma

Secondary involvement of the gastrointestinal (GI) tract by renal cell carcinoma is rare. We undertook a retrospective review of our institution's pathology records from January 2006 to July 2017 and identified eight cases of GI tract involvement by renal cell carcinoma. Sites of involvement included stomach, duodenum, jejunum, ileum, and cecum. Pertinent clinical information was obtained from electronic medical records. The interval from primary resection to identification of GI involvement was often prolonged, averaging 6 years, and mimicked primary GI tract malignancies, with presentations including GI bleeding, abdominal pain, and obstruction. One case presented asymptomatically on follow-up imaging. Histologic patterns of involvement varied from classic clear cell to purely sarcomatoid or complex unclassifiable morphology. Two patients with tumors exhibiting sarcomatoid morphology died within 2 years of primary resection and <1 year of GI involvement. The remaining patients survived a mean of 9 years (range, 5 to 22 years) at their last available follow-up.
New Alkyl N , N -Dialkyl-Substituted Amino Acetates as Transdermal Penetration Enhancers

New alcohol derivatives of N,N-disubstituted amino acids with a low toxicity have been synthesized and evaluated for their transdermal penetration enhancing effects on the transport of indomethacin from petrolatum ointments across shed skin of black rat snake (Elaphe obsoleta). The derivatives show excellent penetration enhancement of indomethacin, as high as 3.8 times that of Azone, with decyl N,N-dimethylamino acetate as the lead compound in the series. The release of indomethacin from an ointment containing 1% indomethacin, 5% dodecyl N,N-dimethylamino acetate, and 94% petrolatum was 3.15 µg/min1/2/cm2. Saturation studies performed by incorporating varying concentrations of indomethacin, from 0.1 to 10%, into the ointments and determination of the fluxes of indomethacin demonstrated that the saturated concentration of indomethacin in petrolatum base was approximately 1%. Penetration fluxes of indomethacin (1%) through snake skin increased linearly as the concentration of dodecyl N,N-dimethylamino acetate increased from 2.5 to 15%. Experiments involving the pretreatment of the snake skins with dodecyl N,N-dimethylamino acetate indicated that pre-treatment of the skin increased the skin permeability significantly. Electron micrograph studies on the snake skin treated with dodecyl N,N-dimethylamino acetate show clearly that the enhancer interacted with both the lipid-rich layer (mesos phase) and the keratin-rich layers (both alpha and beta phases).
Embracing cultural geography: an army imperative

As an instrument of national strategy, the United States Army has served the American people well for more than two centuries. Its fundamental mission has always been to ‘fight and win America's Wars’. As we have moved from the bi-polar nature of world dynamics to that of the new global neighborhood, the American Army has seen an increase in missions related to peacekeeping, disaster relief, and humanitarian actions. From a geography perspective, the Army must operate in numerous countries simultaneously. To succeed, the Army must go beyond physical accomplishments: it must interact and communicate with nations at a level of shared understanding and enthusiasm of each others culture. The American soldier must understand the cultural nature of geography as well as the physical. The hypothesis of this paper is: There is an urgent need for the men and women of the Unites States Army to have a firm conviction that people of other cultures have beliefs, value systems, and customs that result in behaviors and perceptions that may be vastly different than ours. . .and that those differences are legitimate. Beginning with mistakes made during the Vietnam war, the authors give examples, current as well as past, of cultural illiteracy on the part of the military. The role of the Army in the new world order is then addressed with emphasis on the types of missions to be expected in the 21st Century. The authors point out that significant efforts to grasp customs of foreign countries to which Army units are deployed have been made during recent years; however, much remains to be accomplished. The solution to a lack of cultural awareness is given in the form of improvements to the Army military education system. An overview of the current training environment, with its strengths and weaknesses, is provided as a precursor to recommendations for future training. A multitiered education system is proposed in which cultural awareness education is provided at all levels of authority, from the basic training recruit to senior officers. Given that programs of instruction are already full, it will take a combination of command emphasis and innovation to accomplish the goal of inculcating cultural awareness in the American Army. The paper concludes with the position that the only way the Army can accomplish its changed global missions is by first winning its own war against cultural illiteracy.
Chemotherapy for Node-Negative Breast Cancer

The role of adjuvant cytotoxic therapy in lymph node-negative disease remains an ongoing debate in breast cancer management. The data base for this discussion has been greatly strengthened in recent years by the publication of several large overviews of adjuvant systemic breast cancer therapy, the most recent of which analyzes results from randomized studies of 75 000 women (Early Breast Cancer Trialists’ Collaborative Group 1992). In this chapter we present some of the issues related to these new data in an effort to help individual physicians assess for themselves the current status of adjuvant chemotherapy for node- negative premenopausal breast cancer patients.
Clinical Implications of Cognitive Complexity in Critical Care

The evolution of critical care medicine and the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) has been a major advance in the success of modern medicine. Critical care medicine is a subspecialty that provides intensive life-sustaining monitoring and therapies for patients with life-threatening conditions in a very specialized setting. Each year, more than five million patients are admitted to the 5,000 ICUs in the United States [1], and the cost to sustain this care exceeds $90 billion annually [2]. Critical care is very dynamic, fast-paced, and complex in content and delivery, and optimal critical care is provided round-the-clock by a highly specialized, multi-disciplinary team. The provision of critical care has improved outcomes such as mortality and has prolonged and saved countless lives since its inception.
Time to Revisit Sumantra Ghoshal's Legacy: One AI Algorithm at a Time

What is the role of a corporation? Is shareholder value maximization the prime goal of a corporation? Sumantra Ghoshal raised a very fundamental question “We also know that the value a company crea...
Toward a Public Policy Agenda for Regional Science: Planning Versus Measuring Impacts

Much of Walter Isard’s lifelong devotion to advancing the emerging disciplines of regional science and peace science focused on a better understanding of the forces shaping the social and economic development of geographic regions and the role that analysis can play formulating public policy. This paper explores generally the use of regional science tools applied to public policy questions in two fundamentally different ways: (1) to fashion steps directed at the most desirable outcome, however desirable is defined—an explicit planning objective or (2) to articulate the consequences of possible alternative courses of action—a perhaps more modest impact analysis objective. The paper illustrates the circumstances suggesting one approach versus the other with an example involving the use of optimization tools and input–output analysis.
Making OpenMP Ready for C++ Executors.

For at least the last 20 years, many have tried to create a general resource management system to support interoperability across various concurrent libraries. The previous strategies all suffered from additional toolchain requirements, and/or a usage of a shared programing model that assumed it owned/controlled access to all resources available to the program. None of these techniques have achieved wide spread adoption. The ubiquity of OpenMP coupled with C++ developing a standard way to describe many different concurrent paradigms (C++23 executors) would allow OpenMP to assume the role of a general resource manager without requiring user code written directly in OpenMP. With a few added features such as the ability to use otherwise idle threads to execute tasks and to specify a task “width”, many interesting concurrent frameworks could be developed in native OpenMP and achieve high performance. Further, one could create concrete C++ OpenMP executors that enable support for general C++ executor based codes, which would allow Fortran, C, and C++ codes to use the same underlying concurrent framework when expressed as native OpenMP or using language specific features. Effectively, OpenMP would become the de facto solution for a problem that has long plagued the HPC community.
Correlates and Potential Confounds of Cannabis Withdrawal Among High-Risk Adolescents.

Objective:The current study used a sample of high-risk adolescents to examine cannabis withdrawal correlates, including assessments of other drug withdrawal and affective lability that may confound...
Survey of NCHDs in Ireland to assess their views and opinions in relation to participation in health research and the impact of new Irish data protection regulations.

Since August 2018, Irish health research is regulated by the European General Data Protection Act (GDPR) 2016 with the (Irish) Data Protection Act and Health Research Regulations (HRR) 2018. The Irish application of GDPR has been criticised by consultants and academics as overly restrictive; however, Non-consultant Hospital Doctor’s (NCHD’s) perspectives have not been explored. This project aimed to collect the views of NCHDs in Ireland in relation to health research and the impact of GDPR and HRR. Internationally barriers to engagement with health research have been identified; however, to our knowledge, no previous studies have been conducted in Ireland. Agreeable Irish specialty colleges and faculties distributed an online survey to their NCHDs. Social media platforms were also used to promote the survey. All data collected was anonymised. A total of 192 NCHDs completed the survey; respondents included doctors from 13 specialties, with representation from each NCHD grade. Ninety-nine percent had previously participated in research, and 87% acknowledged the importance for doctors to be involved in research. Forty-four percent of NCHDs stated they would consider travelling abroad to complete research. Eighty-six percent agreed training relating to the new regulations would be useful; however, only 25% had received training. Our results confirm that NCHDs in Ireland are enthusiastic about engaging in research. The majority acknowledge the value of research in career development. Engaging in research abroad could be further explored as a factor impacting emigration. Our findings show that NCHDs in Ireland are concerned about the impact of GDPR and HRR and are seeking further training.
GaN power switches on the rise: Demonstrated benefits and unrealized potentials

As a wide bandgap semiconductor with high breakdown field, GaN is expected to outperform the incumbent Si technology for power switching applications. Advances in GaN epitaxial growth, device technology, and circuit implementations have resulted in high-performing power switches based on the GaN high electron mobility transistor (HEMT) structure. Demonstrated system benefits have validated the real value of GaN power switching technology. However, the full potential of GaN power switching technology is still far from being exploited. Various factors, including the size of electrodes and wiring, non-optimal E-field shaping, and substrate capacitive coupling, are limiting the performance of GaN HEMT power switches. Emerging device structures, such as, vertical transistors and multichannel superjunction transistors, have the potential to overcome some of those limitations, thereby bringing the performance benefits of the GaN power switching technology to a new level. Understanding the underlying physics is important to the success of the emerging device structures.
Academic caring pedagogy, presence, and Communitas in nursing education during the COVID-19 pandemic.

ABSTRACT Background Strong faculty academic human caring presence is paramount during the exponential use of asynchronous, remote learning during the COVID-19 pandemic. Purpose The purpose of this article is to provide a holistic, theoretical foundation for evidence informed-caring pedagogical practices. Methods Watson's (2008; 2018) Unitary Caring Science theoretical approach offers one pedagogical caring framework for advancing teaching-learning in the digital age. Discussion Examples to humanize the virtual classroom and remote or online teaching include narrative, theory-guided pedagogical approaches, such as creation of caring spaces and other modalities to transcend physical distancing and nurture Communitas (caring community) among of faculty and students. Conclusion A theory-guided, holistic caring pedagogical approach supports the needs of both faculty and nursing students.
TUNERCAR: A Superoptimization Toolchain for Autonomous Racing

TUNERCAR is a toolchain that jointly optimizes racing strategy, planning methods, control algorithms, and vehicle parameters for an autonomous racecar. In this paper, we detail the target hardware, software, simulators, and systems infrastructure for this toolchain. Our methodology employs a parallel implementation of CMA-ES which enables simulations to proceed 6 times faster than real-world rollouts. We show our approach can reduce the lap times in autonomous racing, given a fixed computational budget. For all tested tracks, our method provides the lowest lap time, and relative improvements in lap time between 7-21%. We demonstrate improvements over a naive random search method with equivalent computational budget of over 15 seconds/lap, and improvements over expert solutions of over 2 seconds/lap. We further compare the performance of our method against hand-tuned solutions submitted by over 30 international teams, comprised of graduate students working in the field of autonomous vehicles. Finally, we discuss the effectiveness of utilizing an online planning mechanism to reduce the reality gap between our simulation and actual tests.
Eduardo Alemán, Latin American Politics, CQ Press/Sage. First Edition, 2021. Paperback: 440 Pages, ISBN-10: 1506326617, $60.00

Introductory textbooks on the politics of any world region must achieve multiple objectives. The region’s historical experience should be reviewed to help explain the contemporary reality. The inst...
Dietary Fruit and Vegetable Supplementation Suppresses Diet-Induced Atherosclerosis in LDL Receptor Knockout Mice

BACKGROUND Epidemiologic studies suggest that fruit and vegetable (F&V) consumption is inversely associated with incidence of cardiovascular disease (CVD). However, evidence for causality is lacking, and the underlying mechanisms are not well understood. OBJECTIVES We aimed to determine whether there is a causal relation between consuming high levels of F&V and prevention of atherosclerosis, the hallmark of CVD pathogenesis. Furthermore, the underlying mechanisms were determined. METHODS Six-week-old male LDL receptor-knockout mice were randomly assigned to 3 diet groups (12 mice/group) for 20 wk: control (CON, 10% kcal fat, 0.20 g/kg cholesterol), atherogenic (Ath, 27% kcal fat, 0.55 g/kg cholesterol), and Ath supplemented with 15% F&V (Ath + FV) (equivalent to 8-9 servings/d in humans). F&V was added as a freeze-dried powder that was prepared from the 24 most commonly consumed F&Vs in the United States. Body weight, aortic atherosclerotic lesion area, hepatic steatosis area, serum lipid profile and proinflammatory cytokine TNF-α concentrations, gut microbiota, and liver TNF-α and fatty acid synthase (Fasn) mRNA concentrations were assessed. RESULTS F&V supplementation did not affect weight gain. Mice fed the Ath + FV diet had a smaller aortic atherosclerotic lesion area (71.7% less) and hepatic steatosis area (80.7% less) than those fed the Ath diet (both P < 0.001) independent of impact on weight, whereas no difference was found between Ath + FV and CON groups in these 2 pathologic markers. Furthermore, F&V supplementation prevented Ath diet-induced dyslipidemia (high concentrations of serum TG and VLDL cholesterol and lower concentrations of HDL cholesterol), reduced serum TNF-α concentration (by 21.5%), suppressed mRNA expression of liver TNF-α and Fasn, and ameliorated Ath-induced gut microbiota dysbiosis. CONCLUSIONS Our results indicate that consuming a large quantity and variety of F&Vs causally attenuates diet-induced atherosclerosis and hepatic steatosis in mice. These effects of F&Vs are associated with, and may be mediated through, improved atherogenic dyslipidemia, alleviated gut dysbiosis, and suppressed inflammation.
An experimental study on diversification in portfolio optimization

Abstract New diversification strategies, along with other naive strategies as 1/N portfolios, have been proposed in the literature as a method for overcoming concentration limitations of the mean–variance model. However, it is not clear whether these strategies outperform the classical mean–variance model in all scenarios. Motivated by these points, this manuscript contributes an experimental study in which 11 diversification and mean–variance strategies are compiled and compared with a complete repository of 10 portfolio time series problems with three different estimation windows (composing a total of 30 datasets) and then evaluated using four performance metrics. Additionally, a novel purely data-driven method for determining the optimal value of the hyper-parameter associated with each approach is also proposed. Unlike results previously found in the literature, the empirical results obtained in this study show that equally weighed models obtain the worst ranking in all evaluation metrics except for the stability index, which is hypothetically due to the hyper-parameter optimization raising the transaction cost debate.
Arthrex and the Politics of Patents

The Supreme Court’s decision in Arthrex is the latest in a growing set of decisions regarding administrative patent law. A close look at this entire series suggests that Arthrex is a culmination of a subtle shift in the Court’s approach to such cases. Where the Court once lauded the Patent Office’s expertise, the Court’s more recent decisions have emphasized flexibility and political accountability in patent decisionmaking. This development is both significant and salutary. For one, it marks the ongoing maturation of administrative patent law as one branch of administrative law, subject to the influences of the myriad administrative law values beyond expertise. This shift, moreover, is constructive, subjecting innovation- and access-governing principles to more democratic constraints.
How Asian American Female Teachers Experience Racial Microaggressions from Pre-service Preparation to Their Professional Careers

This study investigated how ten Asian American female classroom teachers experienced racial microaggressions (Ong et al. in J Couns Psychol 60(2):188–199, 2013; Sue et al. in Cult Divers Ethn Minor Psychol 13(1):72–81, 2007; Sue in Microaggressions in everyday life: race, gender, and sexual orientation. Wiley, Hoboken, 2010) from their initial-licensure preparation to professional careers as classroom teachers. The findings will focus on three major themes that exemplified how their experiences with racial microaggressions also intersected with gendered dynamics based on their identities as Asian American women: (a) making sense of institutional “cultures of Whiteness” (Lee in Up against whiteness: race, school and immigrant youth. Teachers College Press, New York, 2005, pp. 30–31), (b) encounters with racialized sexualization, (Lee and Vaught in J Negro Educ 72:457–466, 2003) and (c) specific examples where they were racialized as foreigners (Tuan in Forever foreigners or honorary whites? The Asian ethnic experience today. Rutgers University Press, New Brunswick, 1998) that also included incidents where Asian cultures were pathologized. Recommendations address implications for teacher-preparation programs and K-12 schools.
Marco Polo: Factotum, Auditor. Language and Political Culture in the Mongol World Empire

From its earliest reception, Marco Polo's “Description of the World” has been read as the record of a Venetian traveler's adventure in Asia, despite its author's claim to have spent two decades as an official of the Mongol state. This article provides a fresh assessment of Marco's narrative by placing his assertions in the context of recent scholarship on the political and cultural structures of the Mongol world empire. Where once the Mongols were only appreciated as military actors, who destroyed or crudely manipulated civil societies, a new picture has emerged of a polyglot, multiethnic system run in considerable part by outsiders like Marco. Viewing his work as part of a project of Mongol governance, we see better how cultural diversity and the exchange of information and skilled individuals was a major strength of the Mongol world system.
Runx2 in breast and prostate cancer cells: Roles in adhesion, invasion and tumor activity in bone

Proc Amer Assoc Cancer Res, Volume 47, 2006 3971 Runx2 is a transcription factor, regulating numerous target genes essential for processes required for bone formation; e.g. cell growth (p21), vascular invasion (VEGF), matrix synthesis (BSP, OCN, OPN) and turnover of bone tissue (MMP 9, MMP13). These Runx2 target genes are linked to invasion and metastatic properties of cancer cells. Runx2 is highly expressed in breast (MDA-MB-231) and prostate (PC3) metastatic cell lines, but only low levels are detected in non-metastatic cells (MCF-7; LnCaP). We have shown that bone lesions in SCID mice caused by MDA-MB-231 can be blocked by expression of functionally inactive Runx2 mutant proteins in these cells (Barnes et al, Cancer Res, 2004; Javed et al, Proc Natl Acad Sci, 2005). To characterize cancer cell properties in relation to Runx2, we examined mRNA levels of metastatic markers by quantitative RT-PCR analysis in PC-3 prostate cancer cells which express endogenous Runx2. Similar to findings in breast cancer cells, we now confirm in metastatic prostate cells that MMP9, MMP13, VEGF, OCN, OPN and survivin are expressed at 4-10 fold higher levels than in non-metastatic LnCaP prostate cells. Depletion of Runx2 by siRNA experiments in PC-3 cells shows downregulation of all MMPs and osteogenic markers. Importantly, overexpression of Runx2 correlates to increased expression of metastatic markers and cell invasion, while knockdown of Runx2 decreased cell invasion through matrigel. Based on these observations, a compelling question is how Runx2 is involved in mechanisms known to promote tumor cell interactions with bone. Microarray gene profiling comparing parental cells (expressing endogenous Runx2) and an MDA-MB-231 cell line expressing mutant Runx2 that prevented osteolysis in bone revealed that integrin expression levels (α3, β1 and β3) were deficient in the mutant Runx2 cells. Notably, β3 integrin is known to contribute to metastatic properties of cancer cells. We validated the microarray data by quantitative RT-PCR that inhibited Runx2 activity decreases expression of these integrins, while Runx2 overexpression in non-metastatic MCF-7 cells upregulates α3, β1 and β3 integrins and increases cell invasion. The adhesion properties of the cancer were also modified by Runx2 enforced expression or knock down. MDA-MB-231 and PC-3 cells were even less adhesive after Runx2 expression. MDA-MB-231 Runx2 mutant cell line or PC-3 cells treated with Runx2 siRNA resulted in increased adhesion on fibronectin coated plates compared to control cells. In conclusion, we have demonstrated that several integrins are newly identified targets of Runx2 gene regulation. We propose Runx2 is a key factor for transducing extracellular signals and regulating transcription of genes related to the tumorigenic properties of cells and the bone lesions induced by cancer cells in the skeleton.
Efficient simplified symbolic circuit analysis method and its error analysis

A novel methodology for obtaining a simplified symbolic network function for analog circuits is presented. The algorithm is efficient since unnecessary symbolic terms are not generated. Computer implementations show that the proposed method reduces symbolic circuit analysis time and allows larger circuit to be analyzed when an error criterion is specified. Methods to determine the simplification error criterion based on either circuit function accuracy or circuit parameter tolerance are presented. >
UT Austin Villa: RoboCup 2015 3D Simulation League Competition and Technical Challenges Champions

The UT Austin Villa team, from the University of Texas at Austin, won the 2015 RoboCup 3D Simulation League, winning all 19 games that the team played. During the course of the competition the team scored 87 goals and conceded only 1. Additionally the team won the RoboCup 3D Simulation League technical challenge by winning each of a series of three league challenges: drop-in player, kick accuracy, and free challenge. This paper describes the changes and improvements made to the team between 2014 and 2015 that allowed it to win both the main competition and each of the league technical challenges.
Pharmacology of Nicotine

Nicotine has been consumed in the form of tobacco and other plants for many hundreds of years. The compulsive use of tobacco has been observed in nearly every culture into which tobacco has been introduced. About 25% of adult Americans smoke despite, in most cases, a desire to quit and common knowledge of the health hazards (Centers for Disease Control, 1987). Their failure to quit smoking is attributable in large part to the addictive properties of nicotine. Nicotine is also available as a pharmaceutical agent, marketed as chewing gum, transdermal delivery systems, nasal spray, and inhaler to help people stop smoking. This chapter examines the mechanisms of action and pharmacologic properties of nicotine in humans, the role of nicotine in determining cigarette-smoking behavior, and the use of nicotine as medication for diseases other than tobacco addiction. The reader is also referred to the 1987 Surgeon General’s Report, The Health Consequences of Cigarette Smoking: Addiction, for a detailed review of the pharmacology and toxicology of nicotine and its role in tobacco addiction (U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, 1988). Treatment of tobacco addiction, including the use of nicotine replacement medications, is discussed elsewhere in this volume.
Egg-laying and Hatching Postures and Habits of the American Lobster (Homarus americanus)

During egg-laying Homarus americanus rests ventral side upwards on the tips of its chelae and on the first two abdominal segments. The abdomen is curved, forming a pocket with a single opening between the telson and the bases of the fifth pereiopods. While hatching its eggs the animal supports itself on the tips of the walking legs and extends the abdomen upward at an angle of 20° to 45°. The swimmerets are waved violently.
Crossover in dynamics of polymeric liquids: Back toTll?

Light scattering spectra of two polymers, polyisobutylene (PIB) and polystyrene (PS), were analyzed in the broad frequency range at temperatures above the glass transition (Tg ). At high temperatures, the spectra followed the qualitative scenario suggested by mode-coupling theory (MCT) of the glass transition. The crossover temperature (Tc ) was defined to be approximately 1.35 Tg in PIB and approximately 1.15 Tg in PS. At lower temperatures (T < Tc ), the light scattering spectra deviated strongly from the idealized MCT scenario. Different signs of the dynamic transition around Tc are discussed. The difference between the suggested interpretation and an old idea of the liquid–liquid transition in polymeric liquids is stressed: we describe the transition as purely dynamic in nature. © 2000 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. J Polym Sci B: Polym Phys 38: 2785–2790, 2000
Influence of visual distractors on detectability of liver nodules on contrast-enhanced spiral computed tomography scans

Rationale and Objectives. The authors evaluated the ability of observers to identify simulated nodules placed electronically on normal contrast material-enhanced computed tomography (CT) scans of the liver to assess the effect of nodule size and polarity on detection and localization. Methods. Seven readers evaluated two sets of CT scans that contained 80 stimtfii each. The simulated nodules were either darker or brighter than the contrast-enhanced liver and were 5.6–8.0 mm in diameter. Readers were asked to find the most suspicious-looking nodule on each section and rate the likelihood that the chosen location actually contained a nodule. Results. The fraction of nodules found by each observer was substantially greater for dark nodules than for bright ones (0.679 ± 0.03 vs 0.345 .045, respectively [mean ± standard error]). This difference was consistent for all nodule sizes. Additional analyses (including receiver operating characteristic curves of conditional responses) suggested that the presence of bright blood vessels distracted the readers and decreased their ability to find bright nodules. Conclusion. Normal vascular structures on contrast-enhanced CT scans of the liver impair an observer's ability to detect bright liver nodules.
Study of Bolt Load Loss in Bolted Aluminum Joints

Bolted joints are used widely in mechanical design and represent a weak link in a system where loss of joint clamping force can lead to degraded product performance or human injury. To meet current market demands, designers require reliable material data and analysis tools for their industry specific materials. The viscoelastic response of bolted aluminum joints used in the small die-cast engine industry at elevated temperatures was studied. Bolt load-loss tests were performed using strain gages in situ. It was found that after a week at temperature, most bolts lost 100% of their initial prestress. Nonlinear constitutive equations utilizing parameters obtained from uniaxial creep and relaxation tests were used in a simple one-dimensional model to predict the bolt load loss. The model cannot predict the detailed response and overpredicts retained bolt stress for bolt holes that are not preconditioned. For preconditioned holes, the behavior is intermediate between creep and relaxation.