cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Muslim Immigrants in the Early 20th Century America: Some Have Forsaken, While Others Preserved Their Identity

This article explores the challenges that immigrant Muslims faced in pre-1965 America in their efforts to find acceptance within the American host society. To understand this phenomenon I have used the ethnographic methods of research and collecting data focusing on a Palestinian Muslim family (Abukhdeir) who came to America in 1910 and settled in Provo, Utah as Kader family and adopted Mormonism. As such, this article demonstrates that the identity crisis of early generation Muslim immigrants resulted in the following consequences: (1) Who assimilated to the prevailing American melting pot culture of mainstream society, including converting to American religions; (2) Who did not assimilate, rather escaped the pressure of assimilation by returning to their home countries and resettled there without coming back to live in America; and (3) Who both assimilated and preserved their Islamic identities, as they were the children of returnees, which coincided with the wake of multiculturalism in America in the late 1960s. These grown-up children of the returnees then shared the new process of assimilation into the multicultural America, replacing melting pot culture, and affiliated with the fastest growing Muslim communities. Artikel ini membahas tantangan yang dihadapi imigran Muslim di Amerika pra-1965 untuk diterima oleh masyarakat Amerika. Untuk memahami fenomena ini, penelitian ini menggunakan metode etnografi dan mengumpulkan data yang berfokus pada keluarga Muslim Palestina, Abukhdeir, yang datang ke Amerika pada tahun 1910 dan menetap di Provo, Utah sebagai keluarga Kader lalu mengadopsi Mormonisme. Artikel ini menunjukkan bahwa krisis identitas imigran Muslim generasi awal menghasilkan konsekuensi berikut: (1) Berasimilasi dengan budaya Amerika, yang berlaku di masyarakat mayoritas, termasuk beralih ke agama-agama Amerika; (2) Tidak berasimilasi, keluar dari tekanan asimilasi dengan kembali ke negara asal mereka dan bermukim di sana tanpa harus tinggal di Amerika; dan (3) Berasimilasi dan mempertahankan identitas Islam, sebagai keturunan dari para imigran yang kembali, bersamaan dengan menguatnya multikulturalisme di Amerika pada akhir 1960an. Keturunan dari para imigran yang kembali ini kemudian membentuk proses asimilasi baru dalam budaya multikultural Amerika, menggantikan budaya peleburan “melting pot”, dan berafiliasi dengan komunitas Muslim yang berkembang dengan cepat.
From General to Special Metaphysics of Nature

In his Metaphysical Foundations of Natural Science, Kant presents the “pure part” of natural science – that is, the a priori principles holding of matter. This special metaphysics of matter is, Kant claims, grounded on the general metaphysics of nature described in the System of Principles of his first Critique. This chapter develops a comprehensive account of Kant’s framework for natural science that touches on interpretive issues that arise in the transition from general to special metaphysics and that outlines his dynamics and its limitations.
Λ c → N form factors from lattice QCD and phenomenology of Λ c → n ℓ + ν ℓ and Λ c → p μ + μ − decays

National Science Foundation [PHY-1520996, ACI-1053575]; RHIC Physics Fellow Program of the RIKEN BNL Research Center; National Energy Research Scientific Computing Center, a DOE Office of Science User Facility; Office of Science of the U.S. Department of Energy [DE-AC02-05CH11231]
Radiative double copy for Einstein-Yang-Mills theory

Recently, a double-copy formalism was used to calculate gravitational radiation from classical Yang-Mills radiation solutions. This work shows that the Yang-Mills theory coupled to a biadjoint scalar field admits a radiative double copy that agrees with solutions in the Einstein-Yang-Mills theory at the lowest finite order. Within this context, the trace-reversed metric ${\overline{h}}^{\ensuremath{\mu}\ensuremath{\nu}}$ is a natural double copy of the gauge boson ${A}^{\ensuremath{\mu}a}$. This work provides additional evidence that solutions in gauge and gravity theories are related, even though their respective Lagrangians and nonlinear equations of motion appear to be different.
Neuropsychological predictors of performance-based measures of functional capacity and social skills in individuals with severe mental illness.

Neuropsychological abilities may underlie successful performance of everyday functioning and social skills. We aimed to determine the strongest neuropsychological predictors of performance-based functional capacity and social skills performance across the spectrum of severe mental illness (SMI). Unemployed outpatients with SMI (schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, or major depression; n = 151) were administered neuropsychological (expanded MATRICS Consensus Cognitive Battery), functional capacity (UCSD Performance-Based Skills Assessment-Brief; UPSA-B), and social skills (Social Skills Performance Assessment; SSPA) assessments. Bivariate correlations between neuropsychological performance and UPSA-B and SSPA total scores showed that most neuropsychological tests were significantly associated with each performance-based measure. Forward entry stepwise regression analyses were conducted entering education, diagnosis, symptom severity, and neuropsychological performance as predictors of functional capacity and social skills. Diagnosis, working memory, sustained attention, and category and letter fluency emerged as significant predictors of functional capacity, in a model that explained 43% of the variance. Negative symptoms, sustained attention, and letter fluency were significant predictors of social skill performance, in a model explaining 35% of the variance. Functional capacity is positively associated with neuropsychological functioning, but diagnosis remains strongly influential, with mood disorder participants outperforming those with psychosis. Social skill performance appears to be positively associated with sustained attention and verbal fluency regardless of diagnosis; however, negative symptom severity strongly predicts social skills performance. Improving neuropsychological functioning may improve psychosocial functioning in people with SMI.
Nanoscale excitonic photovoltaic mechanism in ferroelectric BiFeO3 thin films

We report an electrode-free photovoltaic experiment in epitaxial BiFeO3 thin films where the picosecond optical absorption arising from carrier dynamics and piezoelectric lattice distortion due to the photovoltaic field are correlated at nanoscale. The data strongly suggest that the photovoltaic effect in phase-pure BiFeO3 originates from diffusion of charge-neutral excitons and their subsequent dissociation localized at sample interfaces. This is in stark contrast to the belief that carrier separation is uniform within the sample due to the lack of center of symmetry in BiFeO3. This finding is important for formulating strategies in designing practical photovoltaic ferroelectric devices.
Swarming bacteria respond to increasing barriers to motility by increasing cell length and modifying colony structure

Organisms can alter morphology and behaviors in response to environmental stimuli such as mechanical forces exerted by surface conditions. The bacterium Proteus mirabilis responds to surface-based growth by enhancing cell length and degree of cell-cell interactions. Cells grow as approximately 2-micrometer rigid rods and independently swim in liquid. By contrast on hard agar surfaces, cells elongate up to 40-fold into snake-like cells that move as a collective group across the surface. Here we have elucidated that individual cell size and degree of cell-cell interactions increased across a continuous gradient that correlates with increasing agar density. We further demonstrate that interactions between the lipopolysaccharide (LPS) component of the outer membrane and the immediate local environment modified these responses by reducing agar-associated barriers to motility. Loss of LPS structures corresponded with increased cell elongation on any given surface. These micrometer-scale changes to cell shape and collective interactions corresponded with centimeter-scale changes in the overall visible structure of the swarm colony. It is well-appreciated in eukaryotes that mechanical forces impact cell shape and migration. Here we propose that bacteria can also dynamically respond to the mechanical forces of surface conditions by altering cell shape, individual motility, and collective migration.
Er3+ doped Y2O3 transparent ceramic for quantum memory applications

We study transparent ceramics made of erbium doped yttria, as a candidate material for quantum storage of photons in the telecom wavelength. Samples with different heat processing conditions are compared. Two different species of Er3+ ions with drastically different dephasing properties are identified. In general, samples processed at lower temperature show narrower inhomogeneous and homogeneous linewidths. We also demonstrate both type I and type II waveguide in the material using a femtosecond laser, with propagation loss of 0.22 dB/mm.
The Impact of Infertility on Daily Occupations and Roles.

Background Infertility impacts approximately 16% of couples in the United States-roughly five million individuals. Experiencing infertility takes a physical and psychological toll on the infertile individual, as well as his/her partner. The goal of the current study was to explore and provide better insight into how infertility affects the roles and daily occupations (Such as self-care and work related tasks) of females. This information can better assist health care providers in providing quality care to such clients. Methods 21 participants, females ranging in age from 20 to 46 years and experiencing infertility, participated in this qualitative, phenomenological research study. They partook in two telephone interviews aimed at exploring how infertility has impacted their roles and daily occupations. Inductive content data analysis was utilized to analyze the data. Results Findings resulted in three main themes. Quotes from participants were used to title the themes. They are "when you're dealing with infertility, every aspect of your life is impacted by it", "infertility impacted my areas of interest in life" and "infertility is very lonely". Conclusion Infertility has the potential to impact every area of a female's life. The emotional impact infertility may have on women, in addition to the physical and time constraints involved with pursuing fertility treatments, frequently resulted in decreased occupational engagement and fulfillment of roles as spouse or friend. Those experiencing infertility need more resources and support to navigate their journey.
Modeling the Bioactivation and Subsequent Reactivity of Drugs

Electrophilically reactive drug metabolites are implicated in many adverse drug reactions. In this mechanism-termed bioactivation-metabolic enzymes convert drugs into reactive metabolites that often conjugate to nucleophilic sites within biological macromolecules like proteins. Toxic metabolite-product adducts induce severe immune responses that can cause sometimes fatal disorders, most commonly in the form of liver injury, blood dyscrasia, or the dermatologic conditions toxic epidermal necrolysis and Stevens-Johnson syndrome. This study models four of the most common metabolic transformations that result in bioactivation: quinone formation, epoxidation, thiophene sulfur-oxidation, and nitroaromatic reduction, by synthesizing models of metabolism and reactivity. First, the metabolism models predict the formation probabilities of all possible metabolites among the pathways studied. Second, the exact structures of these metabolites are enumerated. Third, using these structures, the reactivity model predicts the reactivity of each metabolite. Finally, a feedfoward neural network converts the metabolism and reactivity predictions to a bioactivation prediction for each possible metabolite. These bioactivation predictions represent the joint probability that a metabolite forms and that this metabolite subsequently conjugates to protein or glutathione. Among molecules bioactivated by these pathways, we predicted the correct pathway with an AUC accuracy of 89.98%. Furthermore, the model predicts whether molecules will be bioactivated, distinguishing bioactivated and nonbioactivated molecules with 81.06% AUC. We applied this algorithm to withdrawn drugs. The known bioactivation pathways of alclofenac and benzbromarone were identified by the algorithm, and high probability bioactivation pathways not yet confirmed were identified for safrazine, zimelidine, and astemizole. This bioactivation model-the first of its kind that jointly considers both metabolism and reactivity-enables drug candidates to be quickly evaluated for a toxicity risk that often evades detection during preclinical trials. The XenoSite bioactivation model is available at http://swami.wustl.edu/xenosite/p/bioactivation.
In situ TensorView: In situ Visualization of Convolutional Neural Networks

Convolutional Neural Networks(CNNs) are complex systems trained to recognize images, texts and more. However, once trained, they are regarded as black-boxes that are not easy to analyze and understand. Visualizing the dynamics within such deep artificial neural networks can provide a better understanding of how they are learning and making predictions. In the field of scientific simulations, visualization tools like Paraview have long been utilized to provide insights. We present in situ TensorView to visualize the training and functioning of CNNs as if they are systems of scientific simulations. In situ TensorView is a loosely coupled in situ visualization open framework that provides multiple viewers with the ability to visualize and understand their networks. It leverages the capability of co-processing from Paraview to provide real-time visualization during training and predicting phases, and avoids heavy I/O overhead. Tensorview is easily coupled with Tensorflow, as it only requires the insertion of a few lines of code into a TensorFlow framework. In this work, we showcase visualizing LeNet-5 and VGG16 using in situ TensorView. With the insight provided by Tensorview, users can adjust network architectures, or compress pre-trained networks guided by visualization results.
Teaching Social Justice in Nonprofit Management Education: A Critical Pedagogy and Practical Strategies

Within higher education, there is mounting pressure for increased discussions of diversity, inclusion, and social justice. Although these topics are particularly relevant to nonprofit management ed...
Scripted parallels: the paradoxical audacity of Scandal’s Papa Pope as the “Black fantastic”

ABSTRACTI theorize Rowan “Eli” Pope’s performance of Black masculinity on Scandal as a portrayal of what Iton terms the “black fantastic” (Iton, 2008. In search of the Black fantastic: Politics and...
Patterns, Noise, and Beliefs

In “Real Patterns” Daniel Dennett developed an argument about the reality of beliefs on the basis of an analogy with patterns and noise. Here I develop Dennett’s analogy into an argument for descriptivism, the view that belief reports do no specify belief contents but merely describe what someone believes, and show that this view is also supported by empirical evidence. No description can do justice to the richness and specificity or “noisiness” of what someone believes, and the same belief can be described by different sentences or propositions (which is illustrated by Dennett’s analogy, some Gettier cases, and Frege’s puzzle), but in some contexts some of these competing descriptions are misleading or even false. Faithful (or truthful) description must be guided by a principle (or principles) related to the principle of charity: belief descriptions should not attribute irrationality to the believer or have other kinds of “deviant” implications.
Measuring benefits from spatially-explicit surface water quality improvements: The roles of distance, scope, scale, and size

Abstract Programs to improve water quality do not improve all water bodies equally. Evaluation of the benefits of such programs must account for where improvements occur and the relative magnitude of improvements that occur in different places. This study uses a choice experiment survey to explore how the value to a household of a surface water quality improvement varies as a function of (i) the distance between the household and the affected streams and rivers, (ii) the degree to which the quality of the water has been improved, (iii) how many stream and river miles have been improved, and (iv) the sizes of the affected streams and rivers. Results show evidence that value declines with distance in an approximately linear way, weak evidence that large rivers are worth more than small rivers, and no evidence that willingness-to-pay is nonlinear in either the degree of water quality improvement or the number of stream miles improved. These results indicate that it may be defensible in applied work to value small, spatially-explicit water quality improvement projects independently and then sum over projects.
The Origins of the “Southern Problem”

This chapter recounts the emergence of the political discourse of the “Southern Problem” during the Anglo-Egyptian Condominium. It notes that the Condominium government’s bifurcated administrative approach towards the Northern and Southern provinces of Sudan, and its uneven investment, sowed the seeds of inequality. It argues that limited resources alone did not account for the differential governing practices, instead, the British officials in the Condominium conceptualised the people of the South and those of the North as discrete and thus politically incompatible. They subsequently developed discourses that cast doubt on the political destiny of the Southern region, in which they considered disaffiliating the two, and adjoining the South to ‘Negroid’ African countries in British East Africa. British racial thought about Sudan survived its colonial occupation of the country, continuing into Independence.
Total and out-of-pocket costs for PARP inhibitors among insured ovarian cancer patients

Abstract Objective To evaluate total and out-of-pocket costs for poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase (PARP) inhibitors and differences based on insurance characteristics. Methods We identified ovarian cancer patients who were prescribed niraparib, olaparib, or rucaparib from the MarketScan (2014–2017) and Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER)-Medicare (2014–2016) databases. Drug costs were estimated for a 30-day supply. Descriptive statistics and Wilcoxon rank sum tests were performed. Results 590 commercially insured beneficiaries from MarketScan and 213 SEER-Medicare beneficiaries were prescribed PARP inhibitors for a median 112 days. For commercially insured beneficiaries, median total cost was $13,342 (IQR $12,022–$14,256). Median out-of-pocket cost was $44 (IQR $0–$120) and PARP inhibitors accounted for a median 90.8% of patients' total out-of-pocket drug spending. High-deductible health plan was not associated with higher out-of-pocket costs (N = 570; median $0 vs. $45, P = 0.87). For SEER-Medicare beneficiaries, median total cost was $12,798 (IQR $11,704–$13,180). Median out-of-pocket cost was $370 (IQR $2–$1234) and PARP inhibitors accounted for a median 99.0% of patients' total out-of-pocket drug spending. Out-of-pocket costs were lower for dual-eligible patients with supplemental Medicaid prescription coverage (N = 209; median $1 vs. $911, P Conclusions Although insurers are responsible for a large proportion of PARP inhibitor costs, out-of-pocket costs for PARP inhibitors account for a majority of patients' drug spending. SEER-Medicare beneficiaries had higher out-of-pocket costs than patients with commercial insurance, which was offset for those with supplemental Medicaid prescription coverage.
Patient-reported menstrual and obstetric outcomes following hysteroscopic adhesiolysis for Asherman syndrome.

Objective Review the menstrual and obstetric outcomes among Asherman syndrome patients when stratified by disease severity. Design Retrospective cohort study. Setting A community teaching hospital affiliated with a large academic medical center. Patients A total of 355 Asherman syndrome patients stratified by March classification who underwent hysteroscopic adhesiolysis. Interventions Telephone survey, analyzed with multivariable analysis. Main Outcome Measures Return of menstruation. Pregnancy, miscarriage, and live birth rate. Results A total of 355 patients underwent hysteroscopic adhesiolysis. Of these, 150 (42.3%) patients completed the telephone survey with a mean follow-up of 2.21 years. Additionally, 40.7% had mild, 52.7% had moderate, and 6.6% had severe disease. Furthermore, 25.3% of patients reported amenorrhea at presentation, with mild disease patients having the highest rate of returning menstruation (93.8%) following treatment. The cumulative pregnancy rate was 81.9%, and the cumulative live birth rate was 51.2%, with no statistical differences identified by the classification group. Conclusion Asherman syndrome disease severity predicted returning menstruation but not pregnancy or live birth rate.
Cancer Immunology and Immuno-Oncology (Innate vs. Adaptive Cell Immunity)

Tumorigenesis occurs due to both intrinsic cellular genetic changes and imbalances within the tumor microenvironment. This microenvironment is composed of a complex ecosystem of tumor cells, vasculature, extracellular matrix, stromal cells, and immune cells. With these cells, there is both immune activation and immune suppression that promote or inhibit tumor development. These interactions lead to a constant flux of remodeling within the tumor microenvironment that additionally promote or inhibits tumor metastasis. To promote or suppress either antitumorigenic or protumorigenic effects, it is important to understand the complex interactions of the tumor and its interactions with the immune system within the tumor microenvironment. This review article addresses the role of the immune system and its cellular components within the tumor microenvironment.
Coagulation Abnormalities in Light Chain Amyloidosis.

Abstract Objective To assess the prevalence of coagulation abnormalities in patients with systemic light chain (AL) amyloidosis and their association with disease-related characteristics, disease progression, and survival. Patients and Methods This is a retrospective study of patients with AL amyloidosis seen at Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minnesota, from January 1, 2006, to December 31, 2015. We studied the association between abnormal coagulation parameters and baseline characteristics and their association with survival outcomes. Results The study included 411 patients. Abnormalities at diagnosis included prolonged clotting times and coagulation factor deficiencies; prolonged prothrombin time (PT) and factor X (FX) deficiency were found in 19% (73 of 390) and 43% (177 of 411) of patients, respectively. The FX deficiency was associated with higher Mayo stage, involvement of more than 1 organ, liver and cardiac involvement, and greater than 10% bone marrow plasma cells. On univariate analysis, the risk for disease progression or death was higher in patients with abnormal values for PT and factor V, factor VII (FVII), FX, and factor XII compared with those with normal values. Prolonged PT and FVII and FX deficiencies were independent predictors of death after adjusting for Mayo stage and more than 1 organ involvement. Only 106 patients had repeat testing after treatment; no clear relationship was found between treatment response and changes in coagulation parameters. Conclusion Coagulation abnormalities occur in a significant proportion of patients with AL amyloidosis and are associated with advanced disease and inferior outcomes. Larger studies are needed to establish whether a relationship exists between treatment response and improvement in individual parameters.
Seizure Detection Using Power Spectral Density via Hyperdimensional Computing

Hyperdimensional (HD) computing holds promise for classifying two groups of data. This paper explores seizure detection from electroencephalogram (EEG) from subjects with epilepsy using HD computing based on power spectral density (PSD) features. Publicly available intra-cranial EEG (iEEG) data collected from 4 dogs and 8 human patients in the Kaggle seizure detection contest are used in this paper. This paper explores two methods for classification. First, few ranked PSD features from small number of channels from a prior classification are used in the context of HD classification. Second, all PSD features extracted from all channels are used as features for HD classification. It is shown that for about half the subjects small number features outperform all features in the context of HD classification, and for the other half, all features outperform small number of features. HD classification achieves above 95% accuracy for six of the 12 subjects, and between 85-95% accuracy for 4 subjects. For two subjects, the classification accuracy using HD computing is not as good as classical approaches such as support vector machine classifiers.
Dynamic capabilities, social capital, and rent appropriation: ties that split pies

Who reaps the fruits of a dynamic capability? We argue that while social capital is essential for the acquisition, integration, and release of resources at the core of a dynamic capability, actors can also use social capital for personal gain. Thus, social capital may be a key to understanding both rent generation and rent appropriation. Even when causal ambiguity obscures individual contributions, they may use their social capital to establish credible claims on the rent. Specifically, employees who occupy structural holes, span organizational boundaries, or who are highly central may be most able to appropriate rent because their social capital grants credibility to their claims. Rent that is appropriated in this way may be unobservable in performance measures that fail to distinguish normal compensation from rent. We contribute by identifying the specific role of social capital in a dynamic capability and linking social capital to rent appropriation patterns. Copyright © 2003 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Patient and Provider Feedback for Radiology Reports: Implementation of a Quality Improvement Project in a Multi-Institutional Setting.

Abstract Background Radiology does not routinely solicit feedback on radiology reports. The aim of the study is to report the feasibility and initial results of a multi-institutional quality improvement project implementing patient and provider feedback for radiology reports. Methods A HIPAA-compliant, institutional review board–waived quality improvement effort at two institutions obtaining patient and provider feedback for radiology reports was implemented from January 2018 to May 2020. Intervention A two-question survey (quantitative review and open text box feedback) was embedded into the electronic health records for patients and providers. Text-based feedback was evaluated, and patterns of feedback were categorized: thoroughness of reports, error in reports, timeliness of reports, access to reports, desire for patient summary, and desire for key images. We performed the χ2 test for categorical variables. P Results Of 367 responses, patients provided 219 of 367 (60%), and providers provided 148 of 367 (40%) of the feedback. A higher proportion of patients reported satisfaction with reports (76% versus 65%, P = .023) and provided more feedback compared with providers (71% versus 50%, P Conclusion Report-specific patient and provider feedback demonstrate the feasibility of embedding surveys into electronic medical records. Up to 9% of the feedback addressed an error in reports.
Differences in resident versus attending physician preoperative assessment of pediatric supracondylar humerus fractures

Purpose: The urgency of supracondylar humerus (SCH) fracture treatment is influenced by the preoperative evaluation, which is most often completed by a resident in academic centers. The purpose of this analysis was to determine the differences between orthopedic resident and attending physical and radiographic assessment of SCH fractures. Methods: Prospective data was collected from 210 patients with displaced SCH fractures evaluated in the emergency department of a tertiary care pediatric hospital. A …
Arginine, Agmatine, and Polyamines: Key Regulators of Conceptus Development in Mammals.

Arginine is a key amino acid in pregnant females as it is the precursor for nitric oxide (NO) via nitric oxide synthase and for polyamines (putrescine, spermidine, and spermine) by either arginase II and ornithine decarboxylase to putrescine or via arginine decarboxylase to agmatine and agmatine to putrescine via agmatinase. Polyamines are critical for placental growth and vascularization. Polyamines stabilize DNA and mRNA for gene transcription and mRNA translation, stimulate proliferation of trophectoderm, and formation of multinucleated trophectoderm cells that give rise to giant cells in the placentae of species such as mice. Polyamines activate MTOR cell signaling to stimulate protein synthesis and they are important for motility through modification of beta-catenin phosphorylation, integrin signaling via focal adhesion kinases, cytoskeletal organization, and invasiveness or superficial implantation of blastocysts. Physiological levels of arginine, agmatine, and polyamines are critical to the secretion of interferon tau for pregnancy recognition in ruminants. Arginine, polyamines, and agmatine are very abundant in fetal fluids, fetal blood, and tissues of the conceptus during gestation. The polyamines are thus available to influence a multitude of events including activation of development of blastocysts, implantation, placentation, fetal growth, and development required for the successful establishment and maintenance of pregnancy in mammals.
Stereodivergent Attached-Ring Synthesis via Non-Covalent Interactions: A Short Formal Synthesis of Merrilactone A.

A strategy to control the diastereoselectivity of bond formation at a prochiral attached-ring bridgehead is reported. An unusual stereodivergent Michael reaction relies on basic vs. Lewis acidic conditions and non-covalent interactions to control re- vs. si- facial selectivity en route to fully-substituted attached-rings. This divergency reflects differential engagement of one rotational isomer of the attached-ring system. The successful synthesis of an erythro subtarget diastereomer ultimately leads to a short formal synthesis of merrilactone A.
The Impact of Conventional Dietary Intake Data Coding Methods on Snacks Typically Consumed by Socioeconomically Diverse African American and White Urban Population: A Comparison of Coding Methods

This study assessed the significance of implementing combination codes generated by USDA's Automated Multiple Pass Method and the impact on the assessment of snacking using the Healthy Aging in Neighborhoods of Diversity across the Life Span (HANDLS) study. African American and White participants (n=2177) completed two 24-hour dietary recalls. All self-reported snacks were assigned a food group code, while snacks eaten in combination (e.g. cereal with milk) were additionally assigned a combination code and associated with a food group based on primary component (e.g. cereal). Combination codes produced significant variation in snack lists by race, providing a better depiction of snacking patterns.
Quantitation of one aspect of karyotype instability associated with neoplastic transformation in Chinese hamster cells.

Publisher Summary This chapter discusses the quantitation of one aspect of karyotype instability associated with neoplastic transformation in Chinese hamster cells. Karyotype instability is an important event in neoplastic transformation; it often precedes other in vitro transformation events, such as morphological changes, growth in soft agar, and growth in 1% serum. The analysis of karyotype instability is limited by the resolution of a light microscope to the detection of single band changes. The analysis of single band changes is further limited by (1) variability in banding clarity; (2) inability to quantify the frequency of occurrence and the amount of material involved; (3) the heterogeneity and replication fidelity of a single band; and (4) the kinetics of appearance and disappearance of such an event. Flow karyotype analysis, when combined with banding procedures, provides the quantitation and statistical accuracy needed to overcome these limitations.
Split-Cell Exponential Characteristic Transport Method for Unstructured Tetrahedral Meshes

The nonlinear, exponential characteristic (EC) method is extended to unstructured meshes of tetrahedral cells in three-dimensional Cartesian coordinates. The split-cell approach developed for the l...
aCGHViewer: A Generic Visualization Tool For aCGH data

Array-Comparative Genomic Hybridization (aCGH) is a powerful high throughput technology for detecting chromosomal copy number aberrations (CNAs) in cancer, aiming at identifying related critical genes from the affected genomic regions. However, advancing from a dataset with thousands of tabular lines to a few candidate genes can be an onerous and time-consuming process. To expedite the aCGH data analysis process, we have developed a user-friendly aCGH data viewer (aCGHViewer) as a conduit between the aCGH data tables and a genome browser. The data from a given aCGH analysis are displayed in a genomic view comprised of individual chromosome panels which can be rapidly scanned for interesting features. A chromosome panel containing a feature of interest can be selected to launch a detail window for that single chromosome. Selecting a data point of interest in the detail window launches a query to the UCSC or NCBI genome browser to allow the user to explore the gene content in the chromosomal region. Additionally, aCGHViewer can display aCGH and expression array data concurrently to visually correlate the two. aCGHViewer is a stand alone Java visualization application that should be used in conjunction with separate statistical programs. It operates on all major computer platforms and is freely available at http://falcon.roswellpark.org/aCGHview/.
Binary search algorithms with interference cancellation RFID systems

In a RFID system, readers need to acquire ID information stored in tags via the wireless channel. The binary search algorithm is used to coordinate the transmissions from multiple tags to one reader. In this paper, we propose a new approach to use interference cancellation in the binary search algorithm, which achieves time saving of around 50% to read all tags' IDs. In addition, for algorithms with and without interference cancellation, we analyze the reliability of ID detection and obtain analytical results of the average probability of success for ID detection
Second malignancies in patients with neuroblastoma: the effects of risk-based therapy.

Background To investigate the incidence of second malignant neoplasms (SMN) for patients with neuroblastoma, we analyzed patients from the SEER database according to three treatment eras (Era 1: 1973–1989, Era 2: 1990–1996, and Era 3: 1997–2006) corresponding to the introduction of multi-agent chemotherapy, risk-based treatment, and stem cell transplant. Procedures The SEER database was mined for all patients with neuroblastoma or ganglioneuroblastoma. Cumulative incidence of SMN was calculated with death as a competing risk. A poisson regression model was used to estimate incidence rate ratios and 95% confidence intervals to compare the rates of SMN between patients in different Eras. Results The analytic cohort included 2,801 patients. Thirty-four patients developed a SMN, accounting for 1.2% of all patients. Of the patients who developed a SMN, 47.1% received radiation for their primary neuroblastoma. Fourteen of the SMN were carcinomas, and 10 were hematologic malignancies, with six cases of acute myelogenous leukemia. There was no difference in the incidence of SMN in Era 1 compared to Era 3 (P = 0.48). The cumulative incidence of SMN at 30 years for high-risk patients was 10.44% (95% CI 3.98–20.52%) compared to 3.57% (95% CI 1.87–6.12%) for non-high-risk patients (P < 0.001). Conclusions This study showed no increase in the incidence of SMNs for children treated in the most recent treatment era as compared to earlier Eras. However, as the risk for developing SMN does not plateau, the number of SMNs will likely continue to rise in the cohort of patients treated after 1996. Comprehensive follow-up care for these survivors will be important. Pediatr Blood Cancer 2015;62:128–133. © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Neurobiology: The topography of memory

The areas of the brain responsible for early processing of sensory information have a systematic anatomical organization, allowing the topographies of the various sensory features to be mapped. Higher cortical processing centres were not thought to be organized in this way. But recordings made in monkeys using a unique electrode array reveal a functional organization for one of the highest cortical-processing areas in the brain — the hippocampus.
A Tobit Model of the Demand for Farmland

The market for farmland has often been a subject of interest to agricultural economists, as evidenced by numerous studies that have investigated factors determining rural land values (Aines; Reynolds and Timmons; Ruttan; Sco-field). Despite the wealth of literature concerned with land values, little is known about who owns and exercises entrepreneurial control over land resources in the U.S. Consequently, there is a lack of understanding concerning the decision to purchase farmland. Lewis has suggested that better understanding of landowner investment decisions is important in determining and implementing effective land-use policy. Also, Wunderlich has noted the importance of understanding land ownership with regard to land-use decisions. Long et al. (p. 44) have suggested that “if policies are to be designed to influence private landowners’ decisions, then it seems imperative that the factors affecting landowners’ decisions and the decision process be better understood.”
A comparison of ultrasonic backscatter measured in vivo and in vitro

Since ultrasonic backscatter is intimately related to the echogenicity of a biological tissue in an ultrasonic image, it has been studied by many investigators in vitro. In the present study, an effort has been made to determine whether in vitro data can be extrapolated to in vivo situations. Ultrasonic backscatter collected from exposed organs in vivo on dogs was compared with that collected from tissues immediately following excision and up to 8 hours thereafter. It is shown that the in vivo and in vitro data do not differ significantly if the organs are properly prepared and stored. >
Superconducting fluctuations in one-dimensional organic solids

Abstract It is suggested that the superconducting fluctuations observed by Coleman et al. just above the Peierls soft mode instability in psuedo one-dimensional organic solids is a reflection of Frohlich's one-dimensional model in which superconductivity arises from a coupling of the electrons with moving lattice waves rather than from a BCS type pairing.
On the increased efficiency in InGaN-based multiple quantum wells emitting at 530–590 nm with AlGaN interlayers

InGaN/AlGaN/GaN-based multiple quantum wells (MQWs) with AlGaN interlayers (ILs) are investigated, specifically to examine the fundamental mechanisms behind their increased radiative efficiency at wavelengths of 530-590 nm. The AlzGa1� z N( z � 0.38) IL is � 1-2 nm thick, and is grown after and at the same growth temperature as the � 3 nm thick InGaN quantum well (QW). This is followed by an increase in temperature for the growth of a � 10 nm thick GaN barrier layer. The insertion of the AlGaN IL within the MQW provides various benefits. First, the AlGaN IL allows for growth of the InxGa1 � xN QW well below typical growth temperatures to achieve higher x (up to� 0.25). Second, annealing the IL capped QW prior to the GaN barrier growth improves the AlGaN IL smoothness as determined by atomic force microscopy, improves the InGaN/AlGaN/GaN interface quality as determined from scanning transmission electron microscope images and x-ray diffraction, and increases the radiative efficiency by reducing non- radiative defects as determined by time-resolved photoluminescence measurements. Finally, the AlGaN IL increases the spontaneous and piezoelectric polarization induced electric fields acting on the InGaN QW, providing an additional red-shift to the emission wavelength as determined by Schrodinger-Poisson modeling and fitting to the experimental data. The relative impact of increased indium concentration and polarization fields on the radiative efficiency of MQWs with AlGaN ILs is explored along with implications to conventional longer wavelength emitters.
Modified microdilution antimicrobial susceptibility test for anaerobic bacteria

A modified microdilution antimicrobial susceptibility test is described for anaerobic bacteria. The microdilution procedure at 24 and 48 h of incubation was compared with agar dilution using Wilkins-Chalgren (WC) broth and agar respectively. Results showed a total of 12.2% minor and major discrepancies with the microdilution test at 24 h incubation and 7.8% at 48 h. If anaerobic isolates are to be tested for antimicrobial susceptibility, then the 24-h microdilution procedure is an acceptable alternative to agar dilution.
An Effect of Hydrostatic Compression on Defects in Energetic Materials: AB Initio Modeling Maija

First-principle theoretical investigation of the basic defects such as a molecular vacancy, a vacancy dimer, an edge dislocation, and a micro-crack in organic explosive molecular crystals is presented. As an example we considered solid RDX (C3H6N6O6) which is well studied unstable solid. It was established that external hydrostatic pressure changes optical properties of defect-free RDX as well as of the crystal with defects narrowing the band gap. The lattice defects (especially dislocations) are identified with the so-called “hot spots.” The nature of local electronic states introduced in the band gap by the edge dislocation and formed mainly by molecular orbitals of N-NO2 group is analyzed. Favorable conditions for molecular dissociation due to electronic excitation are shown.
A Survey of Hardware Accelerators Used in Computer-Aided Design

Hardware accelerators, or special-purpose engines, have been used in computer-aided design applications for nearly 20 years. In this time, roughly 20 machines have been built and tested specifically for such purposes as simulation, design rule checking, placement, and routing. Their uses are increasing, and the machines are becoming commercially available. This survey describes not only the machines but also their problems and limitations. It also gives comparative data on speed-up techniques and performance. Examples include a simulation machine that achieves roughly a million-times speed-up over a conventional 1-MIP mainframe and a very low cost machine for design rule checking that provides a 100-times improvement. These and other examples clearly demonstrate the viability of special-purpose engines.
Quality Factors of Crystalline Semiconductor Nanocomposite Resonators

A nanocomposite can generally be regarded as a solid combining a bulk matrix and nano-scale phases. The phases can be nanoparticles, nanowires, nanoplatelets and etc. The addition of nanosized phases into the bulk matrix can lead to significantly different material properties compared to their macrocomposite counterparts. In this work, we investigate the characteristics of energy dissipation in nanocomposite resonators. By using classical molecular dynamics (MD), we calculate the quality factors of layered and fibrous crystalline semiconductor nanocomposite resonators. Key factors that determine the quality factor of the nanocomposite resonators are identified and analyzed.Copyright © 2011 by ASME
Assessing the accuracy of vendor-supplied accessibility documentation

Purpose – In an effort to ensure vendor compliance with Section 508, some libraries have begun requesting Voluntary Product Accessibility Templates (VPATs) or other documentation of accessibility compliance. The purpose of this paper is to assess the accuracy of vendor-supplied compliance documentation, and to identify common accessibility issues highlighted by the VPATs. A detailed discussion of vendor responses to each Section 508 checkpoint is provided in the Appendix. Design/methodology/approach – Researchers compared 17 VPATs with the results of an automated accessibility scan to identify inconsistencies and common problems. Findings – Vendors reported being fully compliant with 64 percent of the applicable VPAT items, and partially compliant with a further 24 percent. However, in 16 of 17 cases, there were discrepancies between the information on the VPAT and the results of the scan. Of the total 189 VPAT checkpoints the author scanned, 19.6 percent had errors (meaning the information on the VPAT wa...
Mitochondrial differentiation during spermiogenesis in the brown alga, Fucus distichus

Abstract Mitochondrial differentiation and development within Fucus sperm is characterized by a series of internal rearrangements and mass acquisitions relating to overall form and organelle disposition essential to the functional mode of these free-swimming cells in a hazardous environment. Among the more notable structural changes are: increase in the number of cristae, density changes of the matrix and cristae spaces, enhanced membrane staining, appearance and disappearance of inclusions, cristae alignment and reorientation and, of special interest, the formation of intracistal components (110 A diam.) within all cristae of mature sperm. The intracristal component appears to signal functional capacity for these cells, and its ubiquitous nature marks it for taxonomic importance for this group of algae as well. Collectively, these changes represent multiple transformations of the mitochondria in Fucus sperm cell development.
Structural and molecular micropatterning of dual hydrogel constructs for neural growth models using photochemical strategies

Chemotactic and haptotactic cues guide neurite growth toward appropriate targets by eliciting attractive or repulsive responses from the neurite growth cones. Here we present an integrated system allowing both structural and molecular micropatterning in dual hydrogel 3D tissue culture constructs for directing in vitro neuronal growth via structural, immobilized, and soluble guidance cues. These tissue culture constructs were fabricated into specifiable geometries using UV light reflected from a digital micromirror device acting as a dynamic photomask, resulting in dual hydrogel constructs consisting of a cell growth-restrictive polyethylene glycol (PEG) boundary with a cell growth-permissive interior of photolabile α-carboxy-2-nitrobenzyl cysteine agarose (CNBC-A). This CNBC-A was irradiated in discrete areas and subsequently tagged with maleimide-conjugated biomolecules. Fluorescent microscopy showed biomolecule binding only at the sites of irradiation in CNBC-A, and confocal microscopy confirmed 3D binding through the depth of the construct. Neurite outgrowth studies showed contained growth throughout CNBC-A. The diffusion rate of soluble fluorescein-bovine serum albumin through the dual hydrogel construct was controlled by PEG concentration and the distance between the protein source and the agarose interior; the timescale for a transient protein gradient changed with these parameters. These findings suggest the dual hydrogel system is a useful platform for manipulating a 3D in vitro microenvironment with patterned structural and molecular guidance cues for modeling neural growth and guidance.