cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Review: Cities and the Shaping of Memory in the Ancient Near East by Ömür Harmanşah

Omur Harmansah Cities and the Shaping of Memory in the Ancient Near East Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2013, 372 pp., 9 maps and 51 b/w illus. $99, ISBN 9781107027947 The urban and architectural traditions of Syro-Anatolia, the region of southeastern Turkey and northern Syria, are the focus of Omur Harmansah’s Cities and the Shaping of Memory in the Ancient Near East . As the “world’s desire” in preclassical antiquity, this is the area where the great conquests of the founders of the Hittite Kingdom were directed, through which the Hittite state became acquainted with ancient Mesopotamian lore, and where Assyria had also turned its face on its westward expansion. Syro-Anatolia is a region of deep-seated traditions of city building that reach back to the third millennium BCE; it is the geographic area to which Hittite culture had shifted from its Anatolian heartland by the end of the Late Bronze Age (ca. 1550–1200 BCE), and where it remained throughout the Early Iron Age (ca. 1200–850 BCE). It was also the region most coveted by the Assyrian kings, from their forays in the Middle Assyrian period (ca. 1350–1000 BCE) down to its annexation in the eighth century BCE; here they hunted elephants and ostriches, symbolically washed their weapons in the Mediterranean Sea, and exploited the much-prized ivory-carving workshops and viticulture that both flourished in the area. The Egyptian Empire had also aspired toward Syria, with the Thutmoside conquests of the fifteenth century BCE reaching the river Orontes, where famously the Battle of Kadesh was fought in the thirteenth century BCE. As the alleged location of the Cedar Forest of the Babylonian Epic of Gilgamesh , it was a region of mythical grandeur, admired for its position as a commercial crossroads and for the high levels of culture and civilization attained by its often singular civic polities. Cities and the Shaping of Memory in the Ancient Near East is a much-needed and welcome project, investigating through the lens of archaeology the built …
A Comparison of Honey and Sweetened Condensed Milk as Reinforcers

A multiple fixed-interval 1-min. schedule of reinforcement was used to evaluate response rates maintained by various concentrations of honey as compared to 50% concentrations of sweetened condensed milk in groups of rats. The response rates generally increased on the lever associated with honey as the honey concentration increased. These rates varied from substantially less to substantially more than that controlled by milk. The response rates on the lever associated with sweetened condensed milk remained fairly stable, the only clear exception being in the group that compared the milk solution to 0% honey (water). In that case, the milk solution controlled almost twice âs many responses as in the remaining comparisons. The lever associated with the schedule which controlled the higher response rate when it was in effect also controlled the greater number of errors, or responses when that schedule was not in effect. It was pointed out that honey could be considered as a replacement for sweetened condensed milk as a reinforcer, since honey is a similarly manipulable reinforcer and has the additional advantage that it does not spoil as easily as sweetened condensed milk.
Determining Optimal Features for Predicting Type IV Secretion System Effector Proteins for Coxiella burnetii

Type IV secretion systems (T4SS) are constructed from multiple protein complexes that exist in some types of bacterial pathogens and are responsible for delivering type IV effector proteins into host cells. Effectors target eukaryotic cells and try to manipulate host cell processes and the immune system of the host. Some work has been done to validate effectors experimentally, and recently a few scoring and machine learning-based methods have been developed to predict effectors from whole genome sequences. However, different types of features have been suggested to be effective. In this work, we gathered the features proposed in pre-vious reports and calculated their values for a dataset of effectors and non-effectors of Coxiella burnetii. Then we ranked the features based on their importance in classifying effectors and non-effectors to determine the set of optimal features. Finally, a Support Vector Machine model was developed to test the optimal features by comparing them to a set of features proposed in a previous study. The outcome of the comparison supports the effectiveness of our optimal features.
Hypnosis for Hot Flashes and Associated Symptomsin Women with Breast Cancer.

Women with breast cancer experience a host of physical and psychological symptoms, including hot flashes, sleep difficulties, anxiety, and depression. Therefore, treatment for women with breast cancer should target these symptoms and be individualized to patients’ specific presentations. The current article reviews the common symptoms associated with breast cancer in women, then examines clinical hypnosis as a treatment for addressing these symptoms and improving the quality of life of women with breast cancer. Clinical hypnosis is an effective, nonpharmaceutical treatment for hot flashes and addressing many symptoms typically experienced by breast cancer patients. A case example is provided to illustrate the use of clinical hypnosis for the treatment of hot flashes with a patient with breast cancer.
FUSION: An Online Method for Multistream Classification

Traditional data stream classification assumes that data is generated from a single non-stationary process. On the contrary, multistream classification problem involves two independent non-stationary data generating processes. One of them is the source stream that continuously generates labeled data. The other one is the target stream that generates unlabeled test data from the same domain. The distribution represented by the source stream data is biased compared to that of the target stream. Moreover, these streams may have asynchronous concept drifts between them. The multistream classification problem is to predict the class labels of target stream instances by utilizing labeled data from the source stream. This kind of scenario is often observed in real-world applications due to scarcity of labeled data. The only existing approach for multistream classification uses separate drift detection on the streams for addressing the asynchronous concept drift problem. If a concept drift is detected in any of the streams, it uses an expensive batch technique for data shift adaptation. These add significant execution overhead, and limit its usability. In this paper, we propose an efficient solution for multistream classification by fusing drift detection into online data shift adaptation. We study the theoretical convergence rate and computational complexity of the proposed approach. Moreover, empirical results on benchmark data sets indicate significantly improved performance over the baseline methods.
Cytology and Survival in Acute Lymphatic Leukemia of Children

Mathe et al. (1971, 1972) have reported that children with acute lymphatic leukemia can be separated by a “technically simple classification” into four sub-types and that this classification correlates well with prognosis.
Quantitative and Qualitative Evaluation

This chapter presents the evaluation framework and the evaluation results of the Citation-based Plagiarism Detection (CbPD) approach. By evaluating the performance of CbPD for both known and currently unknown plagiarism cases, this chapter addresses Research Task 5. Employing the commonly used plagiarism evaluation frameworks to gauge the effectiveness of the CbPD approach in identifying disguised plagiarism proved challenging for several reasons: 1. No existing method is capable of detecting strongly disguised plagiarism forms for which the CbPD approach was designed. This makes a meaningful comparison to existing approaches difficult.
MELAS Syndrome: Mediated by Impaired Taurinomethyluridine Synthesis

Taurine (2-aminoethanesulfonate) is a ubiquitous β-amino acid found in a very high concentration in excitable tissue. One of its most important functions is its conjugation with uridine located in the wobble position of tRNALeu(UUR). Because the wobble modification stabilizes the UG base pairing, it facilitates the decoding of UUG codons. Consequently, taurine deficiency, which reduces the wobble modification, decreases the synthesis of proteins whose mRNA has a high UUG codon content. The synthesis of one such protein, ND6, plunges 60% after a 50% decline in taurine content. Because ND6 is a subunit of respiratory chain complex I, taurine depletion also leads to a decline in the activity of the electron transport chain. A similar sequence of events occurs in the mitochondrial disease, MELAS (mitochondrial myopathy, encephalopathy, lactic acidosis, and stroke-like episodes). The initial event in most MELAS patients is the appearance of one mutation in tRNALeu(UUR), which in turn blocks the taurinomethyl modification of the wobble nucleotide. As a result, the synthesis of ND6 and other UUG-dependent proteins falls. As respiratory function declines, the generation of ATP is compromised and in some cases the mitochondria begin to produce oxidants. Because mutations in tRNALeu(UUR) trigger multiple events, the identification of which event causes mitochondrial dysfunction has been challenging. The taurine-deficient model has aided in the identification of at least one pathological pathway that contributes to the development of the MELAS disorder.
ZEO, Inc.: Is the Market Ready for Wearables?

Zeo, Inc. was one of the pioneer companies in the quantified self-industry offering a digital solution for individuals suffering from sleep problems. The company was founded by three undergraduate ...
Generation of Organoids from Mouse Extrahepatic Bile Ducts

Cholangiopathies, which affect extrahepatic bile ducts (EHBDs), include biliary atresia, primary sclerosing cholangitis, and cholangiocarcinoma. They have no effective therapeutic options. Tools to study EHBD are very limited. Our purpose was to develop an organ-specific, versatile, adult stem cell-derived, preclinical cholangiocyte model that can be easily generated from wild type and genetically engineered mice. Thus, we report on the novel technique of developing an EHBD organoid (EHBDO) culture system from adult mouse EHBDs. The model is cost-efficient, able to be readily analyzed, and has multiple downstream applications. Specifically, we describe the methodology of mouse EHBD isolation and single cell dissociation, organoid culture initiation, propagation, and long-term maintenance and storage. This manuscript also describes EHBDO processing for immunohistochemistry, fluorescent microscopy, and mRNA abundance quantitation by real-time quantitative reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR). This protocol has significant advantages in addition to producing EHBD-specific organoids. The use of a conditioned medium from L-WRN cells significantly reduces the cost of this model. The use of mouse EHBDs provides almost unlimited tissue for culture generation, unlike human tissue. Generated mouse EHBDOs contain a pure population of epithelial cells with markers of endodermal progenitor and differentiated biliary cells. Cultured organoids maintain homogenous morphology through multiple passages and can be recovered after a long-term storage period in liquid nitrogen. The model allows for the study of biliary progenitor cell proliferation, can be manipulated pharmacologically, and may be generated from genetically engineered mice. Future studies are needed to optimize culture conditions in order to increase plating efficiency, evaluate functional cell maturity, and direct cell differentiation. Development of co-culture models and a more biologically neutral extracellular matrix are also desirable.
On Tipping Points and Nudges: Review of Cass Sunstein's How Change Happens

In How Change Happens, Cass Sunstein explores the mechanisms through which social change can occur, the triggers that can cause it, and the pitfalls along the road to change. For Sunstein, small influences, which arise through what he has called “nudges,” can have large impacts, particularly where they indicate that support for existing norms has fallen. When this occurs, it can reveal hidden preferences that might have existed all along, but individuals were discouraged from making them public because of the existence of those norms. Once support for an existing norm begins to disappear, it can create a tipping point and then a “norm cascade”: when support for a new norm takes hold securely in society. In recent years, several works have appeared that have attempted to explain the sources of social change by looking at examples of successful campaigns and trying to divine the sources of such successes. Sunstein offers a different perspective. He provides more of a theoretical view on the sources of social change, not just identifying the levers that can bring it about but also some guidance on how to utilize them. It is a welcome addition to the scholarship on social change and stands as an elegant and insightful complement to some of the other, recent and more inductive scholarship on the subject. As a way to test Sunstein’s theory of social change, this review asks whether that theory can help explain recent developments, namely, the victory of the marriage equality campaign and the rise of a new and emboldened white nationalism in the wake of the election of Donald Trump to the U.S. presidency. As a review of these phenomena shows, Sunstein’s theory of change helps to provide insights into how such change came about, but, it also raises more questions. Indeed, questions still linger, like when is a nudge enough, can we identify what will make something “tip”? Nevertheless, Sunstein offers deep insights into the inner workings of social change and how norm entrepreneurs can understand not just how change happens but also how to bring it about.
Association of polybromo-associated BAF (PBAF) complex mutations with overall survival (OS) in cancer patients (pts) treated with checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs).

103Background: ICIs have shown benefit across several metastatic carcinomas, yet predictive biomarkers are still lacking. 20% of malignancies harbor alterations in ≥1gene that is part of PBAF compl...
Survival of Selected Pathogenic Bacteria in White Pickled Cheese Made With Lactic Acid Bacteria or Antimicrobials

Effect of lactic acid bacteria starter culture, nisin, hydrogen peroxide, or potassium sorbate on Listeria monocytogenes , Staphylococcus aureus , and Salmonella typhimurium in white pickled cheese made from pasteurized milk with 4% salt and preserved in 4% brine solution at 4°C for 60 d was studied. The starter culture inhibited all three pathogens while antimicrobials did not. Beyond day 50 in curd and day 30 in brine solution, L. monocytogenes was not detected by direct plating in cheese with added starter culture. S. aureus was not detected after day 30 in curd and day 20 in brine solution in the same cheese. S. typhimurium was not detected after day 30 in cheese curd and was not detected in brine solution at any time with lactic acid bacteria starter culture added. The pH of brine solution of starter treatment dropped below 4.7 in all experiments, while antimicrobial treatments all had a pH >5.5.
Impedance matching networks

This chapter discusses mainly impedance matching circuits that are used to match two different terminations. Among the several impedance matching techniques, the available implementation technology is what usually determines the possible matching technique that can be used. Lumped passive matching elements consisting of reactive components (i.e., inductors and capacitors) have become predominant, mainly, with the advent of highly integrated modules and SoCs. Impedance matching using distributed elements also has broad applications in monolithic microwave integrated circuits (MMICs). Matching networks in MICs serve two main purposes. The first is to provide maximum power delivery from a radio frequency (RF) source to a load. The second which has an opposite goal to the first is to limit the amount of power delivered to a system where an impedance mismatch circuit is used to cause power reflection and therefore provides a means of system protection from high power sources. In general, the least complex matching network offers a more reliable and less lossy design. With the different existing matching techniques that a designer can select from, it is feasible to choose a matching network that provides the proper compromise between impedance matching, harmonic attenuation, bandwidth, or network loss.
Human microbiome sequences in the light of the Nubeam

Abstract We present Nubeam (nucleotide be a matrix) as a novel reference-free approach to analyze short sequencing reads. Nubeam represents nucleotides by matrices, transforms a read into a product of matrices, and based on which assigns numbers to reads. Nubeam capitalizes on the non-commutative property of matrix multiplication, such that different reads are assigned different numbers, and similar reads similar numbers. A sample, which is a collection of reads, becomes a collection of numbers that form an empirical distribution. We demonstrate that the genetic difference between samples can be quantified by the distance between empirical distributions. Nubeam can account for GC bias and nucleotide quality, and is computationally efficient; the K-mer method is a special case of Nubeam, but without those benefits. As a reference-free approach, Nubeam avoids reference bias and mapping bias and can work with organisms without reference genomes. Thus, Nubeam is ideal to analyze datasets from metagenomic whole-genome sequencing, where the amount of unmapped reads is substantial. When applied to human microbiome sequencing, Nubeam recapitulated findings made by mapping-based methods, and shed lights on contributions of unmapped reads. In particular, body habitats dominate clustering of unmapped pseudo-samples; there are more outliers in skin whole samples than the skin mapped pseudo-samples; and analysis of unmapped reads suggested that the sequencing depth is far from sufficient for urogenital samples.
Spatio-temporal Anomaly Detection, Diagnostics, and Prediction of the Air-traffic Trajectory Deviation using the Convective Weather

With ahead-of-time aircraft management, we are able to reduce aircraft collision and improve air traffic capacity. However, there are various impact factors which will cause a large deviation between the actual flight and the original flight plan. Such uncertainty will result in an inappropriate decision for flight management. In order to solve this problem, most of the existing research attempt to build up a stochastic trajectory prediction model to capture the influence of the weather. However, the complexity of the weather information and various human factors make it hard to build up an accurate trajectory prediction framework. Our approach considers the problem of trajectory deviation as the "anomaly" and builds up an analytics pipeline for anomaly detection, anomaly diagnostics, and anomaly prediction. For anomaly detection, we propose to apply the CUSUM chart to detect the abnormal trajectory point which differs from the flight plan. For anomaly diagnostics, we would like to link the entire anomalous trajectory sequences with the convective weather data and identify the important weather impact factors base on XGBoost and time-series feature engineering. For anomaly prediction, we will build up a point-wise prediction framework based on the Hidden Markov Model and Convectional LSTM to predict the probability that the pilot would deviate from the flight plan. Finally, we demonstrate the significance of the proposed method using real flight data from JFK to LAX.
The Development of Modalism in Early Church History

A study of modalism in the second and third centuries is significant for at least three reasons: (1) It was one of two major ways in which early Christians articulated the distinctive Christian vie...
Synthesis and structures of alkaline earth metal salts of bis[(trifluoromethyl)sulfonyl]imide

Abstract A series of alkaline earth metal salts of the bis[(trifluoromethyl)sulfonyl]imide anion have been prepared and structurally characterized. The magnesium cation is fully hydrated with no direct interaction with the anion, although there is extensive hydrogen bonding involving coordinated and lattice water molecules and the anion. The calcium cation is heavily hydrated, but also directly interacts with two anions. As with the magnesium salt, hydrogen bonding plays a major role in determining the crystal packing. The strontium salt is anhydrous, and the eight-coordinate cation interacts directly with several anions to form a two-dimensional layered structure. The barium salt is a monohydrate, with a nine-coordinate cation. As with strontium, it also forms a layered structure. Despite the differences, all of the structures exhibit extensive fluorine segregation which results in the formation of hydrophilic and hydrophobic domains. In all but the magnesium salt, the anion is chelated to the metal and has a cisoid conformation with the trifluoroalkyl groups lying to the same side of the S N S plane. This is in keeping with our previous observations that the cisoid conformation is preferred when the anion is coordinated to a metal ion, while the transoid is preferred for noncoordinating cations.
Analysis of monitoring results of iodized salt and distribution characteristics of problem areas with non-iodized salt in Gansu province during 2001-2009

Objective To analyze monitoring results of iodized salt and distribution characteristics of problem areas with non-iodized salt in Gansu province during 2001 - 2009 and to provide a basis to develop countermeasures to iodine deficiency disorders. Methods According to the criterion of "The National Scheme of Iodized Salt Surveillance", two levels of monitoring were carried out on production and wholesale-level(during 2001 -2007) and household-level(during 2001 - 2009). Salt iodine was determined by direct titration method (GB/T13025.7-1999), and Sichuan salt or special salt was determined with an arbitration method. Criteria for qualified iodized salt was (35 ± 15)mg/kg(20 - 50 mg/kg), and for non-iodized salt was ＜ 5 mg/kg. Results During 2001 - 2007, a total of 4900 salt samples at production and wholesale-levels were examined, with a qualification rate of 97.80% (4792/4900). Non-iodized salt rates were all below 5% in Gansu province, consumption rate of qualified iodized salt was higher than 90% after 2003. During 2001 - 2009, cities(states) with non-iodized salt problems appeared 23 times, with Linxia accounting for 39.1%(9/23), Wuwei accounting for 21.7%(5/23). During 2001 -2009, counties(districts) with non-iodized salt problem appeared 123 times, including 68 times of ethnic minorities and state poverty counties, accounting for 55.3%(68/123). During 2001 - 2005 and 2006 - 2009, ethnic minorities and state poverty counties were accounting for 49.4%(44/89) and 70.6%(24/34) in counties with non-iodized salt problem. Conclusions The quality of iodized-salt at production and wholesale level is satisfactory in Gansu province, household consumption rate of qualified iodized salt have reached national standard for eliminating iodine deficiency disorders. But ethnic minorities and state poverty counties are main regions with non-iodized salt problem,these areas will be the key areas of prevention of iodine deficiency disorders in Gansu province in the future. Key words: Iodine; Salts; Data collection
In vitro evaluation of the metabolic enzymes and drug interaction potential of triapine

To investigate the metabolic pathways of triapine in primary cultures of human hepatocytes and human hepatic subcellular fractions; to investigate interactions of triapine with tenofovir and emtricitabine; and to evaluate triapine as a perpetrator of drug interactions. The results will better inform future clinical studies of triapine, a radiation sensitizer currently being studied in a phase III study. Triapine was incubated with human hepatocytes and subcellular fractions in the presence of a number of inhibitors of drug metabolizing enzymes. Triapine depletion was monitored by LC–MS/MS. Tenofovir and emtricitabine were co-incubated with triapine in primary cultures of human hepatocytes. Triapine was incubated with a CYP probe cocktail and human liver microsomes, followed by LC–MS/MS monitoring of CYP specific metabolite formation. Triapine was not metabolized by FMO, AO/XO, MAO-A/B, or NAT-1/2, but was metabolized by CYP450s. CYP1A2 accounted for most of the depletion of triapine. Tenofovir and emtricitabine did not alter triapine depletion. Triapine reduced CYP1A2 activity and increased CYP2C19 activity. CYP1A2 metabolism is the major metabolic pathway for triapine. Triapine may be evaluated in cancer patients in the setting of HIV with emtricitabine or tenofovir treatment. Confirmatory clinical trials may further define the in vivo triapine metabolic fate and quantify any drug–drug interactions.
Patterns of Laser Activation During Ureteroscopic Lithotripsy: Effects on Caliceal Fluid Temperature and Thermal Dose.

Introduction: Characterizing patterns of laser activation is important for assessing thermal dose during laser lithotripsy. The objective of this study was twofold: first, to quantify the range of ...
THE IMPLICATIONS OF GUNN-PETERSON TROUGHS IN THE He II Lyα FOREST

Many experts believe that the z ~ 3 He II Lyα forest will suffer from the same saturation issues as the z ~ 6 H I Lyα forest and, therefore, will not be a sensitive probe of He II reionization. However, there are several factors that make He II Lyα absorption more sensitive than H I Lyα. We show that observations of He II Lyα and Lyβ Gunn-Peterson troughs can provide a relatively model-independent constraint on the volume-averaged He II fraction of . This bound derives from first using the most underdense regions in the He II forest to constrain the local He II fraction and, then, assuming photoionization equilibrium with the maximum allowed photoionization rate to calculate the ionization state of nearby gas. It is possible to evade this constraint by a factor of ~2, but only if the He II were reionized recently. We argue that He II Lyα Gunn-Peterson troughs observed in the spectra of Q0302–003 and HE2347–4342 signify the presence of 10 comoving Mpc patches in which . This is a factor of 20 improvement over previous constraints from these spectra and 100 times stronger than the tightest constraint on the H I volume-filling fraction from the z > 6 H I Lyman forest.
Defining the learning curve in CT-guided navigated thoracoscopic vertebral body tethering.

Estimated blood loss (EBL), anesthesia time, operative time, and length of stay decreased over 67 navigated vertebral body tethering (VBT) surgeries performed in a 5-year period, indicating a steep learning curve. Retrospective review of prospectively collected data. There would be a significant improvement in the performance of VBT procedures over time at a single tertiary center in terms of perioperative and postoperative outcomes. Learning a new procedure for surgeons takes time, and previous studies have described improved efficiency as experience grows. VBT procedures are increasingly being performed in the US, but there is limited data regarding the learning curve specifically regarding the use of CT-guided navigation. We sought to assess the learning curve of VBT with respect to estimated blood loss, anesthesia time, operative time, length of stay, percent correction of the major curve at first follow-up. We further sought to characterize change in rates of 90-day complications. Pediatric scoliosis patients who underwent thoracic or lumbar CT-guided navigated VBT with a consistent surgical team at a single tertiary referral center between 2015 and 2020 were included. Student t-test was used to assess change in perioperative parameters over time, and also results between first and latest group of 20 patients were compared. 67 patients met inclusion criteria. Estimated blood loss (EBL), operative time, anesthesia time and length of stay significantly decreased over the 5-year study period. Specifically, on comparison of our first 20 patients with our last 20, the former had greater EBL (282 vs 116 ml, p = 0.0005; 8.5% vs 3.6%, p = 0.0024), operative time (4.8 h vs. 3.3 h, p < 0.001), anesthesia time (7.4 h vs. 5.7 h, p = 0.0001), and length of stay (3.7 days vs. 3.2 days, p = 0.019). We also found significant reduction in EBL, operative time, anesthesia time and LOS in patients who underwent VBT surgery after 2019. There was no significant change in the percent correction of the major Cobb angle at first erect imaging or 90-day complications over the 5-year study period or between the various cohorts. This series has demonstrated improvements in surgical efficiency for VBT including reduced EBL, operative time, anesthesia time and hospital stay over a 5-year period. This indicates improved surgical technique and outlines the significant learning curve for surgeons who wish to perform this procedure. Improved surgeon training programs and newer instrumentation may reduce this learning curve. 67 cases in a 5-year period, VBT procedures performed at a single center had significantly decreased EBL, anesthesia time, operative time, and length of stay, indicating a steep learning curve.
Phosphate removal using surface enriched hematite and tetra-n-butylammonium bromide incorporated polyacrylonitrile composite nanofibers

Abstract The nanosized iron oxides-based adsorbent has been widely used to alleviate water eutrophication. However, it is challenging to industrialize the application of nanosized iron oxides-based adsorbent due to their poor stability, difficult separation and recovery. Herein, hematite and tetra-n-butylammonium bromide incorporated polyacrylonitrile (PAN/Fe2O3/TBAB) composite nanofibers with a controlled diameter (i.e., 66 to 305 nm) and composition were systematically synthesized as an adsorbent for phosphate removal from water using surfactant-mediated electrospinning. During the electrospinning process, polar TBAB surfactant enhanced the migration of Fe2O3 nanoparticles toward the surface of nanofibers resulting in Fe2O3 nanoparticles/TBAB surface enriched nanofibers. The synthesized nanofiber membranes were used for phosphate removal, and their adsorption kinetics, adsorption mechanism, and reusability were investigated. Data showed that adsorption kinetic followed the pseudo-second-order model whereas the adsorption mechanism follows the Langmuir model. The phosphate removal was mainly derived from the chemisorption of surface-enriched α-Fe2O3 nanoparticles at acidic and circumneutral pH values, with a small contribution from anion exchange at TBAB sites. The maximum phosphate removal capacity was approx. 8.76 mg/g (i.e., 23.1 mg/g, P/active materials) at pH 3. Additionally, the synthesized nanofiber membrane also shows excellent reusability.
The legacies of systemic and internalized oppression: Experiences of microaggressions, imposter phenomenon, and stereotype threat on historically marginalized groups

Abstract Previous literature has described how people of historically marginalized groups (namely people of color, women, queer and transgender people, people living with disabilities, immigrants, and people of religious minority groups) are likely to internalize negative, oppressive feelings about their identities (David, 2014; David, Schroeder, & Femandez, 2019). For example, studies have found that many women and people of color (and women of color, in particular) experience what has been labeled as imposter phenomenon, or the notion that they are not intelligent or adequate enough, despite evidence that confirms their success or worth. Similarly, people of color and people from other historically marginalized groups are known to experience stereotype threat, or anxiety about performance or behaviors that could confirm biases about a social group they belong to. Finally, previous literature shows that people of historically marginalized groups navigate various types of microaggressions, or subtle or covert biased statements and behaviors that negatively impact their self-esteem, academic performance, mental health, and physical health. While the terms microaggressions, stereotype threat, and imposter phenomenon have been discussed thoroughly in academic literature, less is written about the connections between these concepts. Utilizing intersectionality theory, the current paper will propose an interactional model between these constructs and aims to describe how cumulative effects of microaggressions exacerbate and contribute to internalized oppression. Based on this model, this paper will also provide recommendations for future directions in psychological research and practice.
Systemic Assessment of Node Failures in HPC Production Platforms

Production HPC clusters endure failures reducing computational capability and resource availability. Despite the presence of various failure prediction schemes for large-scale computing systems, a comprehensive understanding of how nodes fail considering various components and layers of the system is required for sustained resilience. This work performs a holistic diagnosis of node failures using a measurement-driven approach on contemporary system logs that can help vendors and system administrators support exascale resilience.Our work shows that external environmental influence is not strongly correlated with node failures in terms of the root cause. Though hardware and software faults trigger failures, the underlying root cause often lies in the application malfunctioning causing the system to fail. Furthermore, lead time enhancements are feasible for nodes showing fail slow characteristics. This study excavates such helpful empirical observations, which could facilitate better failure handling in production systems.
A k-mer query tool for assessing population diversity in pangenomes

Inexpensive and fast genome sequencing has yielded multiple genome assemblies that, taken together, can be considered as a single pangenome model. However, applying conventional alignment-based sequence analysis to the assemblies of a pangenome is computationally expensive and largely redundant. Here, we present an alignment-free method that analyzes the relationship of any new sample relative to a given pangenome model using selected k-mer queries. We select a representative set of k-mers from the pangenome as probes and determine their frequencies in the raw short-read sequence data. The selection of probes is designed to cover every base of the pangenome, maximize sharing, and identify informative probes that discriminate between haplotypes. The k-mer frequencies are determined using an FM-index built over the raw sequence data of the new sample. Prior to the k-mer search, the probes are reordered to maximize the shared suffixes between succesive k-mers, thus reducing the overall run time compared to executing each search independently. We aggregate the forward and reverse k-mer probe counts, save them in the appropriate rows of a count matrix and remap them back to their locations in the pangenome. The resulting probe database serves as a valuable resource for representing population-scale sequence variations based on the pangenome model.
Intravoxel Incoherent Motion Magnetic Resonance Imaging in Skeletal Muscle: Review and Future Directions

Throughout the body, muscle structure and function can be interrogated using a variety of noninvasive magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) methods. Recently, intravoxel incoherent motion (IVIM) MRI has gained momentum as a method to evaluate components of blood flow and tissue diffusion simultaneously. Much of the prior research has focused on highly vascularized organs, including the brain, kidney, and liver. Unique aspects of skeletal muscle, including the relatively low perfusion at rest and large dynamic range of perfusion between resting and maximal hyperemic states, may influence the acquisition, postprocessing, and interpretation of IVIM data. Here, we introduce several of those unique features of skeletal muscle; review existing studies of IVIM in skeletal muscle at rest, in response to exercise, and in disease states; and consider possible confounds that should be addressed for muscle-specific evaluations. Most studies used segmented nonlinear least squares fitting with a b-value threshold of 200 sec/mm2 to obtain IVIM parameters of perfusion fraction (f), pseudo-diffusion coefficient (D*), and diffusion coefficient (D). In healthy individuals, across all muscles, the average ± standard deviation of D was 1.46 ± 0.30 × 10-3 mm2 /sec, D* was 29.7 ± 38.1 × 10-3 mm2 /sec, and f was 11.1 ± 6.7%. Comparisons of reported IVIM parameters in muscles of the back, thigh, and leg of healthy individuals showed no significant difference between anatomic locations. Throughout the body, exercise elicited a positive change of all IVIM parameters. Future directions including advanced postprocessing models and potential sequence modifications are discussed. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: 2 TECHNICAL EFFICACY: Stage 2.
Analysis and Measurement of Changes in Normal and Disordered Speech and Language Behavior

Publisher Summary This chapter provides an analysis and measurement of changes in normal and disordered speech along with language behavior. A low-productive state exists in the field of speech-language pathology in the area of assessment of tutorial intervention strategies. Many of the studies that have been reported are weak and non-conclusive primarily because designs that were used involved traditional groups and inter-subject variances, which generally mask the true picture of differential effects of various treatments. Although transactional analysis has not been widely used in speech-language pathology, it is felt that it warrants mentioning as a potentially useful instrument for bringing about change in both adult-child and in adult-adult communicative patterns. This chapter provides a description of lacunae that exist in the study of methodology in speech and language, and partly as a general guide as to how research and clinical performances can interact in terms of analysis and measurement of behavior change data. It stimulates researchers to use more of a clinical approach to the analysis of behavior change and clinicians to use a more research-oriented approach to the appraisal of their treatment strategies
Cross-linking of nuclear antigens to DNA in HeLa cells.

Publisher Summary This chapter reports an investigation of protein–DNA cross-linking by ultra-violet (UV) and irradiation, as well as by 1,3-bis(chloroethyl)-l-nitrosoure (BCNU) and cisplatin, to identify and characterize these specific protein–DNA complexes. Two antisera were employed in these experiments, one to a 0.35 M NaCl extract of HeLa nuclei and another to the residual, 0.35 M NaC1-washed nuclei. Control and treated nuclei were dissociated in 2% sodium dodecyl sulfate and then subjected to extensive ultracentrifugation. The DNA pellets, after sonication, were electrophoresed on polyacrylamide gels in NaDodSO 4 . Electrophoretically separated proteins were transferred to nitrocellulose sheets and the individual antigens were visualized by incubation with appropriate antisera, followed by peroxidaseantiperoxidase staining. UV irradiation and exposure to cisplatin and, to a lesser extent, BCNU resulted in the cross-linking of a selected group of antigens to the DNA. Although several antigens were cross-linked by all the agents employed, others exhibited agent-specific cross-linking patterns. Cisplatin was most potent because it cross-linked almost all the protein antigens detectable by the antisera in untreated, undissociated nuclei. Moreover, there were distinct differences among cross-linked proteins detectable by the two antisera. This indicated that not only the tightly DNA-bound, but also more easily extracted protein antigens could be cross-linked to DNA. Thus, radiation and chemical crosslinking of antigenic proteins to DNA followed by their immunochemical detection can be used to probe chromatin structure and functions.
Photodetectors for Scintillator Proportionality Measurement

Photodetectors for Scintillator Proportionality Measurement *William W. Moses 1 , Woon-Seng Choong 1 , Giulia Hull 2 , Steve Payne 2 , Nerine Cherepy 2 , and John D. Valentine 2 Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory *This work is supported in part by the National Nuclear Security Administration, Office of Defense Nuclear Nonproliferation, Office of Nuclear Nonproliferation Research and Engineering (NA-22) of the U.S. Department of Energy under contract No. DE-AC02- 05CH11231, grant number NNSA LB06-316-PD05 / NN2001000, and in part under the auspices of the U.S. Department of Energy Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory under Contract DE-AC52-07NA27344 and by the Domestic Nuclear Detection Office of the Department of Homeland Security. Corresponding Author: William W. Moses (wwmoses@lbl.gov, ++1-510-486-4432, ++1- 510-486-4768 FAX) Abstract We evaluate photodetectors for use in a Compton Coincidence apparatus designed for measuring scintillator proportionality. There are many requirements placed on the photodetector in these systems, including active area, linearity, and the ability to accurately measure low light levels (which implies high quantum efficiency and high signal-to-noise ratio). Through a combination of measurement and Monte Carlo simulation, we evaluate a number of potential photodetectors, especially photomultiplier Page 1
How the COPPA, as Implemented, is Misinterpreted by the Public: A Research Perspective

Mr. Chairman, Members of the Senate Subcommittee, and Commissioners of the United States Federal Trade Commission: Thank you for focusing attention on the important issues of youth privacy and safety online. As researchers, we welcome the opportunity to provide input into these hearings regarding the Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA). We write as individuals, but we work together as the principal investigators of the Youth and Media Policy Working Group Initiative at Harvard’s Berkman Center for Internet and Society. The goal of our working group is to explore policy issues that fall into three substantive categories that emerge from youth media practices: 1) Risky Behaviors and Online Safety; 2) Privacy, Publicity, and Reputation; and 3) Information Dissemination, Youth-Created Content and Information Quality. Our work is intended to consider how research on the intersection of youth and technology can and should be used to inform policy. We seek to translate research from those who study youth media practices into terms responsive to the children’s privacy hearings. There is no doubt that protecting children’s privacy and safety is of utmost importance in our society. These issues are growing in importance with every passing year. We commend the authors of COPPA for being so deeply concerned about privacy and safety. As you consider the future of legislation and rule-making in this area, we urge you to consider the gap between the intentions of COPPA and how children and their parents perceive the implementation. It is this gap that we’d like to address in our submission. And it is our proposal that this Subcommittee consider how COPPA’s two P’s – of Privacy Protection – might be worked more effectively back into any revision of COPPA.
Knowledge and attitiudes of pregnant women and their providers towards recommendations for immunization during pregnancy

Abstract Objectives Tetanus, diphtheria and acellular pertussis (Tdap) and influenza vaccination is recommended during each pregnancy but uptake is suboptimal. We evaluated knowledge and acceptance of vaccination recommendations among pregnant women. Methods Prospective, convenience survey of pregnant women presenting for antenatal care at the Pavilion for Women, Texas Children's Hospital, Houston, and their healthcare providers. Results 796 of 825 (96.5%) of women and 63 of 87 (72.4%) providers completed surveys. Mean age of pregnant women was 30.2 (18–45) years. Self-identified race/ethnicity was 45% white, 26% Hispanic, 13% black, 12% Asian and 4% other. Most women had college degrees (84%) and private health insurance (83%). Mean gestation was 28.5 weeks with 4.8%, 37.8% and 57.4%, in the 1st, 2nd and 3rd trimesters, respectively. Women used various sources for pregnancy information (personal contacts, providers, print, audiovisual and online media) but 89.1% cited a provider as their most trusted source, predominantly (85.8%) their physician. 668 (84%) knew vaccines are recommended during pregnancy, specifically influenza (77%) and Tdap (61%) vaccines. 659 (83%) were willing to receive vaccines if recommended by their physician. Factors impacting vaccination decisions included safety for baby, safety for mother and sufficient information, scoring 4.7, 4.5 and 4.2, respectively, on a 5-point scale; less important were additional visit time (2.6), cost (1.9) or needle phobia (1). Women surveyed in the 3rd trimester showed greater acceptance than those earlier in gestation (87% vs 78%; P 0.003). Maternal education, ethnicity, insurance, multiple gestation or history of serious illness in a prior infant did not affect willingness to receive vaccines. Conclusions Pregnant women are willing to accept vaccination in pregnancy if recommended by their physician and if sufficient discussion of safety and rationale occurs. Strong physician recommendation, as reported for pediatric vaccination, is essential to optimizing uptake of vaccines during pregnancy.
A Review of “Wronged by Empire: Post-Imperial Ideology and Foreign Policy in India and China”

Manjari Chatterjee Miller's erudite and timely book, Wronged by Empire, argues persuasively that trauma theory can be used to understand and explain developing nation's foreign policy decision-maki...
The Ursa Major Molecular Clouds

The Ursa Major molecular cloud complex lies in the direction of an expanding HI shell known as the North Celestial Pole loop. The NCP loop, which is centered at (l, b) ∼ (138°,30°) and easily seen in IRAS 100 μm emission, is some 60 pc across and 150 pc distant (Meyerdierks et. al 1991). At 100 μm, the Ursa Major clouds appear in projection as “finger” (l ∼ 140,b ∼; 38) which “hangs down” towards the center of the loop and the plane of the Galaxy. Distance estimates to the molecular clouds (Penprase 1993) are consistent with that of the NCP loop, indicating that the clouds are physically associated with the loop.
On the Structure of the Square of a C0(1) Operator

We use the structure theory for C 0 operators to determine when the square of a C 0(1) operator is irreducible and when its lattices of invariant and hyperinvariant subspaces coincide.
Surgical Site Infection Control in the Critical Care Environment

Over the past 20 years there has been a significant change in the demographics of hospitalized patients, reflected in patients being admitted with more severe disease processes resulting in a higher risk for infection. This is especially true for surgical patients, many of whom require admission to the ICU and are the recipient of various lines, catheters and other intravascular devices. The number of surgical procedures performed annually in the United States approaches 30 million and based upon data derived from the CDC’s National Nosocomial Infection Surveillance (NNIS) program, surgical site infections (SSIs) are the third most frequently reported healthcare-associated infection (HAI) [1, 2]. Several studies suggest that surgical site infections are associated with both an increased length of stay (up to 7.3 days) and increased total hospital charges, which in the case of selected surgical pathogens such as methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) can result in excess charges amounting to several thousands of dollars [3, 4].