cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Proton Tolerance of SiGe Precision Voltage References for Extreme Temperature Range Electronics

A comprehensive investigation of the effects of proton irradiation on the performance of SiGe BiCMOS precision voltage references intended for extreme environment operational conditions is presented. The voltage reference circuits were designed in two distinct SiGe BiCMOS technology platforms (first generation (50 GHz) and third generation (200 GHz)) in order to investigate the effect of technology scaling. The circuits were irradiated at both room temperature and at 77 K. Measurement results from the experiments indicate that the proton-induced changes in the SiGe bandgap references are minor, even down to cryogenic temperatures, clearly good news for the potential application of SiGe mixed-signal circuits in emerging extreme environments
Low-noise, high-efficiency optics design for ALMA receivers

The Atacama Large Millimeter Array (ALMA) will be a powerful new interferometer for millimeter and submillimeter astronomy on an excellent site in Chile. The design of the receiver optics plays a crucial role in the ultimate sensitivity of the ALMA instrument. We present the design concepts used in the development of the optical layout of the receivers. Properties of optical elements are reviewed, and the suitability of various types of optical components is discussed. Particular emphasis is placed on principles of high efficiency optical train designs. It is shown that the optical systems should be a simple as possible and that truncation losses have to be minimized. The areas which have the greatest uncertainty are the windows and IR filters where the tradeoffs between the radio frequency losses, IR blocking, pressure resistance and gas permeability have to be carefully evaluated. A sample design for the ALMA Band 3 (84-116 GHz) is given.
A genetic algorithm-based method for feature subset selection

As a commonly used technique in data preprocessing, feature selection selects a subset of informative attributes or variables to build models describing data. By removing redundant and irrelevant or noise features, feature selection can improve the predictive accuracy and the comprehensibility of the predictors or classifiers. Many feature selection algorithms with different selection criteria has been introduced by researchers. However, it is discovered that no single criterion is best for all applications. In this paper, we propose a framework based on a genetic algorithm (GA) for feature subset selection that combines various existing feature selection methods. The advantages of this approach include the ability to accommodate multiple feature selection criteria and find small subsets of features that perform well for a particular inductive learning algorithm of interest to build the classifier. We conducted experiments using three data sets and three existing feature selection methods. The experimental results demonstrate that our approach is a robust and effective approach to find subsets of features with higher classification accuracy and/or smaller size compared to each individual feature selection algorithm.
Cable Parameters for Homogenous Cable-Beam Models for Space Structures

In this paper, a method to determine the effective homogenous beam parameters for a stranded cable is presented. There is not yet a predictive model for quantifying the structural impact of cable harnesses on space flight structures, and towards this goal, the authors aim to predict cable damping and resonance behavior. Cables can be modeled as shear beams, but the shear beam model assumes a homogenous, isotropic material, which a stranded cable is not. Thus, the cable-beam model requires calculation of effectively homogenous properties, including density, area, bending stiffness, and modulus of rigidity to predict the natural frequencies of the cable. Through a combination of measurement and correction factors, upper and lower bounds for effective cable properties are calculated and shown to be effective in a cable-beam model for natural frequency prediction.
Zorbax Porous Silica Microsphere Columns for High-Performance Size Exclusion Chromatography

Publisher Summary This chapter discusses the Zorbax porous Silica microsphere (PSM) columns for high-performance size exclusion chromatography. Modern size exclusion chromatography (SEC) columns are packed with material other than polystyrene gels, such as porous silica particles or highly cross-linked styrene-divinylbenzene copolymers. Porous silica packings for high-performance size exclusion columns (HPSEC) have both, advantages and disadvantages. Zorbax PSM particles are made from small (80-2000 A) colloidal silica sol beads. The size of the Zorbax PSM particles is controlled by the polymerization process, and the pore size is determined by the size of the silica sol beads. The mechanism of separation is the same for Zorbax PSM columns as it is for other types of SEC columns. Running an HPSEC experiment with Zorbax PSM columns is similar to running an experiment with any other gel-permeation chromatography (GPC) or HPSEC column. The running of HPSEC experiment with Zorbax PSM is summarized in the chapter. HPSEC is commonly used to compare the molecular weight distribution of polymers. The pore size of the selected Zorbax gel filtration (GF) column provides resolution over the molecular size range of the proteins that are to be separated.
Spatio-Temporal Characterization of Ultrashort Surface Plasmon Polariton Pulses Propagating in Two-Dimensional Nanohole Arrays

We present excitation and direct imaging of femtosecond-scale surface plasmon polariton pulses, propagating along the surface of thin metallic film, perforated with a 2-D array of circular nanoholes. Temporal and spatial characterization of scattered surface fieled is performed using time-resolved spatial heterodyne detection.
Progression of Autonomic Dysfunction in Neurogenic Orthostatic Hypotension Patients

Previous studies in diabetic patients have confirmed use of prolonged QT intervals, corrected for HR by Bazett’ sF ormula (QTc) on electrocardiograms, as a surrogate marker for cardiac autonomic neuropathy. However, progressive changes ove r time have not been measured in patients with other etiologies of Autonomic Dysfunction and Neurogenic Orthostatic Hypotension (NOH). The goal of the present study was to characterize the change in autonomic function over time. We conducted a retrospective chart review of 25 NOH due to various etiologies [(PAF, AI, PD, MSA) (BMI = 25.62 ± 2.73 kg/m) (HR = 69.8 ± 8.2 bpm)] followed for 7.2 ± 5.4 yrs. pre-diagnosis and 5.5 ± 3.1 yrs. post-diagnosis. QTc ≥440 mm were considered prolonged. These values were standardized from the time of diagnosis for evaluation of changes. The rate of prolongation over time was measured by the slope (m) of linear regression analysis. Results: Prior to diagnosis, NOH displayed a modest rate of progressive QTc prolongation (m = 1.6197; r 2 =0 .29). Postdiagnosis, there was a 2.7-fold increase over time in the rate of QTc prolongation (m = 4.3334; r 2 = 0.50). Additionally, the percent of prolonged QTc intervals ≥ 440 mm increased from 8% pre-diagnosis to 68% post-diagnosis (P b 0.01). Conclusion: Our results suggest that autonomic dysfunction may be predicted at an earlier stage by progression of QTc prolongation, which then increases progressively post-diagnosis by 2.7-fold. A chronologic association may also exist between the extent of QTc prolongation and the duration of NOH. Thus, prolongation of QTc interval may represent the progressive loss of adrenergic neurons over time, which later predisposes NOH to cardiac arrhythmias and sudden death.
Comparing Raindrop Size and Velocity Measurement Accuracy Using Shadowgraphy, Disdrometery, and Pie Pan Measurement Techniques

Local raindrop size and velocity data measurements are often used to quantify hyetographs for rainfall events; the accuracy of the rainfall hyetograph is dependent on the accuracy of the raindrop size and velocity measurement technique. Different raindrop size and velocity measurement techniques were evaluated using simulated raindrops of relatively uniform size in the laboratory. The measurement techniques included a high-speed photography-based imaging system (shadowgraphy), an optical disdrometer, and a pie pan method (raindrop size only). The shadowgraphy system, which had a measurement uncertainty of 2.86 %, served as the comparative standard for the other measurement techniques. The disdrometer raindrop size measurements were relatively accurate except for raindrops passing near the lateral limits of the measurement sheet; the peripheral raindrops sizes were estimated to be 97 % smaller than their actual size. The pie pan method overestimated raindrop sizes by approximately 41 %. The disdrometer raindrop velocity data underestimated actual velocities. Of the techniques evaluated, the disdrometer represents the only practical field deployable method for quantifying rainfall data.
Systems immune monitoring in cancer therapy.

Treatments that successfully modulate anti-cancer immunity have significantly improved outcomes for advanced stage malignancies and sparked intense study of the cellular mechanisms governing therapy response and resistance. These responses are governed by an evolving milieu of cancer and immune cell subpopulations that can be a rich source of biomarkers and biological insight, but it is only recently that research tools have developed to comprehensively characterize this level of cellular complexity. Mass cytometry is particularly well suited to tracking cells in complex tissues because >35 measurements can be made on each of hundreds of thousands of cells per sample, allowing all cells detected in a sample to be characterized for cell type, signalling activity, and functional outcome. This review focuses on mass cytometry as an example of systems level characterization of cancer and immune cells in human tissues, including blood, bone marrow, lymph nodes, and primary tumours. This review also discusses the state of the art in single cell tumour immunology, including tissue collection, technical and biological quality controls, computational analysis, and integration of different experimental and clinical data types. Ex vivo analysis of human tumour cells complements both in vivo monitoring, which generally measures far fewer features or lacks single cell resolution, and laboratory models, which incur cell type losses, signalling alterations, and genomic changes during establishment. Mass cytometry is on the leading edge of a new generation of cytomic tools that work with small tissue samples, such as a fine needle aspirates or blood draws, to monitor changes in rare or unexpected cell subsets during cancer therapy. This approach holds great promise for dissecting cellular microenvironments, monitoring how treatments affect tissues, revealing cellular biomarkers and effector mechanisms, and creating new treatments that productively engage the immune system to fight cancer and other diseases.
The Nanoscale Basis of CO2 Trapping for Geologic Storage.

Carbon capture and storage (CCS) is likely to be a critical technology to achieve large reductions in global carbon emissions over the next century. Research on the subsurface storage of CO2 is aimed at reducing uncertainties in the efficacy of CO2 storage in sedimentary rock formations. Three key parameters that have a nanoscale basis and that contribute uncertainty to predictions of CO2 trapping are the vertical permeability kv of seals, the residual CO2 saturation Sg,r in reservoir rocks, and the reactive surface area ar of silicate minerals. This review summarizes recent progress and identifies outstanding research needs in these areas. Available data suggest that the permeability of shale and mudstone seals is heavily dependent on clay fraction and can be extremely low even in the presence of fractures. Investigations of residual CO2 trapping indicate that CO2-induced alteration in the wettability of mineral surfaces may significantly influence Sg,r. Ultimately, the rate and extent of CO2 conversion ...
Cinematography of Fireball Dynamics

High speed cinematography of exploding gas—filled balloons has been used to study the dynamics of fireball formation, pressure equilibration, and torus formation. Balloons with diameters varying from one to ten meters have been filled with mixtures of propane or methane and oxygen, and detonated by an ordinary blasting cap placed in the center. Subsequent detonation and shock dynamics have been studied through recordings on 16mm color film by Fastax and Hycam cameras. Additional diagnostics were used to obtain measures of the turbulence within the rising fireball as the torus was formed. Typical photo sequences of the smaller shots show the effects on the formation of the torus by the reflected shock waves from the ground. The larger shots were made by using methane and oxygen fills and suspending the balloon high above the ground to avoid shock interaction. In these larger shots, the photo sequences exhibit true gas dynamic formation of a hot bubble followed by the creation of a persistent torus.
Abstract P5-05-03: Targeting hypoxia-induced cancer cell metabolism in breast cancer

Rational: Hypoxia contributes to high tumor grade in human breast cancer and is associated with resistance to radiation and chemotherapy. Hypoxia is generally encountered in perinecrotic regions throughout the heterogeneous tumor microenvironment and may be due to rapid tumor grow, insufficient neovascularization or as a result of antiangiogenic and chemoradiation therapies which cause acute vascular thrombosis. Cancer stem-like cells residing within these hypoxic zones compensate for the low concentration of oxygen through alterations in metabolism that favor aerobic glycolysis and de novo fatty acid synthesis. These metabolic derangements are known to enhance proliferation and survival, although the contributing molecular mechanisms are not fully understood. Here we evaluate a panel of FDA approved azole drugs for alternative use as glycolytic inhibitors with and without the fatty acid synthase (FASN) inhibitor, TBV-3166. TVB-3166 is currently in phase II clinical trials and is the first FASNi approved for human testing. METHODS: IC50 values of single or combined agents were determined by MTT under conditions of normoxia and hypoxia using sister plates of estrogen receptor positive or triple negative breast cancer cells, MCF-7, SKBR3 and MDA-MB-231. RESULTS: Because the combination of Itraconazole and TVB-3166 displayed a synergistic enhancement in cell death at a low nanomolar concentrations in MCF-7 cells, we next assessed the efficacy of these drugs in an in vivo xenograft model of breast cancer. Here, 3.6 million MCF-7 cells were implanted into the right flanks of (n=16) athymic nude mice, which were then randomized by tumor volume into 4 groups. Itraconazole and TVB-3166 were administered at 60 mg/kg daily by oral gavage as single agents or combined throughout the duration of the study. After three weeks, mice treated with combined inhibitors exhibited best response with a statistically significant decrease in tumor volume compared to the vehicle control group. CONCLUSION: Given the significant tumor response to the combination of metabolic inhibitors, further studies that evaluate the radiosensitizing effects under conditions of hypoxia are warranted. By targeting hypoxia-induced metabolic pathways during radiotherapy, we may enhance cancer stem-like cell death to dramatically improve patient outcome. Citation Format: Cavazos DA, Gruslova A, Garcia M, Brenner AJ. Targeting hypoxia-induced cancer cell metabolism in breast cancer. [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the Thirty-Eighth Annual CTRC-AACR San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium: 2015 Dec 8-12; San Antonio, TX. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2016;76(4 Suppl):Abstract nr P5-05-03.
Comparison of high rate batch and sequential GPS processing algorithms under dynamics

Uncorrelated samples of GPS carrier phase can be measured at a high rate in a tracking loop or via open-loop tracking. The high-rate carrier phase estimates from both approaches are expected to be equivalent to each other. However, the practical implementation of the tracking loop could cause a small difference in the measurement, which may become substantial when there is residual or transient error in the estimated carrier frequency.
Prevalence of Age-related Lens Opacities in a Population: The Beaver Dam Eye Study

Age-related lens opacities are common and are a frequent cause of loss of vision. The Beaver Dam Eye Study was designed to estimate the prevalence and severity of lens opacities in a rural community in the United States. Adults between the ages of 43 and 84 years, identified by private census, were examined and participated in the study (n = 4926). Photographs were taken of the lenses and were graded in masked fashion according to a standardized protocol. For nuclear sclerosis, more severe levels occurred more commonly in older age groups and in women. Overall, 17.3% had nuclear sclerosis more severe than level 3 in a 5-step scale of severity. Cortical opacities increased with increasing age and were more common in women. They were found in 16.3% of the population. Posterior subcapsular opacities occur in 6.0% of the population. There was a significant trend of greater prevalence at older ages, but no sex effect. The frequency of early cataract increased in both sexes through the age group 65 to 74 years, but declined in those 75 years of age and older. The frequency of late cataract increased consistently with age. Women were more severely affected than men. This study confirms that lens opacities are common in adults in the United States. These data are important for providing for social and health care needs. It is important to determine causes of cataracts in order to develop preventive programs.
The emergence of fast oscillations in a reduced primitive equation model and its implications for closure theories

Abstract The problem of emergence of fast gravity-wave oscillations in rotating, stratified flow is reconsidered. Fast inertia-gravity oscillations have long been considered an impediment to initialization of weather forecasts, and the concept of a “slow manifold” evolution, with no fast oscillations, has been hypothesized. It is shown on a reduced Primitive Equation model introduced by Lorenz in 1980 that fast oscillations are absent over a finite interval in Rossby number but they can develop brutally once a critical Rossby number is crossed, in contradistinction with fast oscillations emerging according to an exponential smallness scenario such as reported in previous studies, including some others by Lorenz. The consequences of this dynamical transition on the closure problem based on slow variables is also discussed. In that respect, a novel variational perspective on the closure problem exploiting manifolds is introduced. This framework allows for a unification of previous concepts such as the slow manifold or other concepts of “fuzzy” manifold. It allows furthermore for a rigorous identification of an optimal limiting object for the averaging of fast oscillations, namely the optimal parameterizing manifold (PM). It is shown through detailed numerical computations and rigorous error estimates that the manifold underlying the nonlinear Balance Equations provides a very good approximation of this optimal PM even somewhat beyond the emergence of fast and energetic oscillations.
Laminar/turbulent airflow and microsphere deposition in a patient-specific airway geometry using an open-source solver

Using the open-source software OpenFOAM as the solver, airflow and microsphere transport have been simulated in a patient-specific lung-airway model. A suitable transitional turbulence model was validated and implemented to accurately simulate airflow fields, as the laryngeal jet occurring in the throat region may induce turbulence immediately downstream. Furthermore, a modified eddy interaction model with a generalised near-wall correction factor is presented that more accurately simulates the particle trajectories and subsequent deposition phenomena which are especially affected by near-wall velocity fluctuations. Particle depositions in the realistic lung-airway configuration are compared with those in an idealised upper airway model. The results indicate that for microsphere deposition in turbulent airflow regions, selection of an appropriate near-wall correction factor can reduce the problem of subject variability for different lung-airway configurations. Open-source solvers for lung-aerosol dynamics simulations, such as OpenFOAM, are predictive tools which are basically cost-free, flexible, largely user-friendly, and portable.
Signaling by the Granulocyte-Colony Stimulating Factor Receptor Involves Jak2-Dependent Phosphorylation of Gab2.

Abstract Granulocyte colony stimulating factor (G-CSF) is the major cytokine involved in neutrophil production. G-CSF has pleiotropic effects on myeloid cells, initially stimulating proliferation but later promoting differentiation. The specific signaling pathways that mediate the diverse effects of G-CSF remain incompletely understood. Recently, the scaffolding molecule Grb2-associated binder protein 2 (Gab2) was shown to play an important role in G-CSF induced myeloid differentiation (Zhu et al. Blood 2004). Ligand stimulation of the G-CSF receptor results in the rapid phosphorylation of Gab2, but the identity of the responsible kinases and the molecular events dependent on Gab2 phosphorylation remain unclear. Because Janus kinases (Jaks) play a central role in G-CSF signaling, we investigated the involvement of Jaks in G-CSF-stimulated Gab2 phosphorylation using the hematologic DT40 cell line stably transduced with the human G-CSF receptor (DT40GR). Antisense Jak1 and Jak2 constructs expressed in DT40GR cells each produced a marked reduction in their target Jak protein, but only antisense Jak2 reduced G-CSF-stimulated Gab2 phosphorylation. To determine whether Gab2 phosphorylation required Jak2 kinase activity, dominant negative Jak2 mutants lacking catalytic activity were expressed in the DT40GR cells. Expression of dominant negative Jak2 inhibited Gab2 phosphorylation in response to G-CSF. Similarly, treatment with the Jak2-selective kinase inhibitor AG490 markedly reduced G-CSF-dependent Gab2 phosphorylation. Co-immunoprecipitation studies further demonstrated a G-CSF- and Gab2 phosphorylation-dependent association of Jak2 with Gab2 in vivo, which was detectable by 30 seconds after G-CSF stimulation. To determine whether Gab2 was a direct substrate of Jak2, we performed in vitro phosphorylation studies using Gab2-GST fusion protein substrates. Jak2 immunoprecipitated from G-CSF-stimulated cells, but not from control cells, phosphorylated the Gab2 fusion protein. To identify potential Jak2 tyrosine phosphorylation sites in Gab2, we used site-directed mutagenesis to produce three Gab2 tyrosine mutants. Tyrosines 409, 452, and 476 were each replaced by phenylalanine (Y409F, Y452F, and Y476F). The Y452F and Y476F mutations of Gab2 each inhibited G-CSF-stimulated Jak2-dependent phosphorylation of Gab2, both in stably-transfected DT40GR cells and in transiently-transfected 293 cells also transduced with the G-CSF receptor. In contrast, G-CSF-stimulated Gab2 phosphorylation appeared unaffected by the Y409F mutation. We also evaluated downstream events in G-CSF signaling in cells expressing these Gab2 tyrosine- mutants. Akt and Erk phosphorylation following G-CSF stimulation was inhibited by both the Y452F and Y476F Gab2 mutations, but was unaffected by the Y409F mutation. These results suggest that Jak2 may mediate G-CSF differentiation signals through Stat-independent mechanisms.
Tyranny and administrative law

Tirania e o direito administrativo The Federalist Papers define “tyranny” as “[t]he accumulation of all powers, legislative, executive, and judiciary, in the same hands, whether of one, a few, or many.” This definition would seem to include the modern administrative agency, which exercises all three powers. To avoid tyrannical agencies and their illegitimate exercise of power, judges and academics look to administrative law. Its procedures and requirements, such as public comment, judicial review, agency reason-giving and deliberation, and executive oversight, saddle agencies with checks and balances and, therefore, legitimacy. Yet unease with the administrative state continues; indeed, it seems to be in a constant crisis of legitimacy, suggesting that administrative law’s quest for legitimacy has not succeeded. This Article argues that this crisis of legitimacy stems from the inherent conflict between the assumptions underlying those of administrative law and the Constitution. These sets of assumptions differ profoundly over political actors’ motivations and human nature, rationality in political and administrative decision-making, and the role of executive lawmaking in a democracy. This Article compares The Federalist Papers and administrative law and scholarship to uncover those differences. But this Article does not engage in an “originalist” critique of administrative law. Instead, it shows that administrative law’s crisis of legitimacy inevitably proceeds from its jarring discontinuity with deep assumptions underlying our constitutional structure. A obra O federalista define “tirania” como “a acumulacao de todos os poderes, legislativo, executivo e judiciario, nas mesmas maos, seja na de um, alguns ou varios”. Essa definicao pareceria incluir a agencia administrativa moderna, que exerce todos os tres poderes. Para evitar agencias tiranas e seu exercicio ilegitimo do poder, juizes e academicos procuram o direito administrativo. Seus procedimentos e requerimentos, como comentarios publicos, revisao judicial, agencia de razao e deliberacao e supervisao executiva, selam agencias com verificacoes e balancos e, portanto, legitimacao. Ainda assim, o desconforto com o Estado administrativo continua; inclusive, parece ser uma constante crise de legitimidade, sugerindo que a busca do direito administrativo por legitimidade nao prosperou. Este artigo argumenta que essa crise de legitimidade se origina do conflito inerente entre hipoteses subjacentes as do direito administrativo e a Constituicao. Esse conjunto de hipoteses difere profundamente das motivacoes de atores politicos e da natureza humana, da racionalidade na tomada de decisoes politicas e administrativas, e em toda a legislacao executiva na democracia. Este artigo compara a obra O federalista , as leis administrativas e a escolaridade para revelar aquelas diferencas. Mas este artigo nao se engaja em uma critica “original” do direito administrativo. Pelo contrario, mostra que a crise de legitimidade do direito administrativo inevitavelmente provem de chocante descontinuidade com premissas subjacentes a estrutura constitucional.
Model-Independent Predictions for Smooth Cosmic Acceleration Scenarios

Through likelihood analyses of both current and future data that constrain both the expansion history of the Universe and the clustering of matter fluctuations, we provide falsifiable predictions for three broad classes of models that explain the accelerated expansions of the Universe: $\mathrm{\ensuremath{\Lambda}}\mathrm{CDM}$, the quintessence scenario, and a more general class of smooth dark energy models that can cross the phantom barrier $w(z)=\ensuremath{-}1$. Our predictions are model independent in the sense that we do not rely on a specific parametrization, but we instead use a principal component (PC) basis function constructed a priori from a noise model of supernovae and cosmic microwave background observations. For the supernovae measurements, we consider two type of surveys: the current JLA and the upcoming WFIRST surveys. We show that WFIRST will be able to improve growth predictions in curved models significantly. The remaining degeneracy between spatial curvature and $w(z)$ could be overcome with improved measurements of ${\ensuremath{\sigma}}_{8}{\mathrm{\ensuremath{\Omega}}}_{m}^{1/2}$, a combination that controls the amplitude of the growth of structure. We also point out that a PC-based figure of merit reveals that the usual two-parameter description of $w(z)$ does not exhaust the information that can be extracted from current data (JLA) or future data (WFIRST).
Genetic and molecular basis of the microbial degradation of herbicides and pesticides

The genes for the degradation of chlorinated compounds normally used as herbicides or pesticides, such as various chlorinated benzoic acids, 2,4-dichlorophenoxyacetic acid, 2,4,5-trichlorophenoxyacetic acid, etc., are usually found to be clustered on various plasmids such as pJP4 and pAC27. The clustering of the degradative genes are allowed their cloning in broad host-range vectors, as well as the sequencing of parts of the gene cluster such as that involved in the degradation of 3-chlorobenzoic acid. The promoters involved in the efficient expression of these genes appear to be substantially different from those in Escherichia coil. Plasmid gene sequences of the 2,4,5-trichlorophenoxyacetate-degrading Pseudomonas cepacia AC1100 strain demonstrate substantial homology to a cluster of genes present on the 2,4-dichlorophenoxyacetate degradative plasmid pJP4. There is little AC1100 DNA homology to the chlorocatechol genes present on the 3-chlorobenzoate degradative plasmid pAC27. The homology to the 2,4-dichlorophenoxyacetate degradative plasmid pJP4 may therefore be attributed to other genes involved in the degradation of chlorophenoxyacetates. Transposon mutagenesis has shown that at least some of the 2,4,5-trichlorophenoxyacetate genes are chromosomal. A short chromosomal DNA sequence associated with a putative catabolic gene is repeated many times on both the chromosome and plasmid of strain AC1100. Such a repeated sequence may be important in the evolution of the degradative plasmids as well as in genetic rearrangements that often allow efficient degradation of novel substrates.
Theory of mind: The state of the art*

In this article, I reflect on theory of mind as a field (ToM), how it has developed over the years, and focally on the state of current research and theory. Having begun with preschoolers’ understa...
A 64-Year-Old Woman With an Incidental Pulmonary Nodule.

Case Presentation A 64-year-old Latin American woman was referred for evaluation of an incidental pulmonary nodule. She had originally presented to her primary care physician with complaints of abdominal pain warranting a CT scan of the abdomen, which revealed a right lower lobe pulmonary nodule. She denied any complaints of shortness of breath or cough. Review of systems was unremarkable and medical history was significant for hypertension only. She also denied primary or secondary tobacco exposure or any recreational drug abuse. Patient denied any recent travels and resided in Houston, Texas. There was no family history of malignancy or lung disease.
An Examination of Early Transfers to the ICU Based on a Physiologic Risk Score

Unplanned transfers of patients from general medical-surgical wards to the intensive care unit (ICU) can occur as a result of unexpected patient deterioration. Such patients tend to have higher mortality rates and longer lengths of stay than direct admissions to the ICU. As such, the medical community has invested substantial efforts in the development of patient risk scores with the intent to identify patients at risk of deterioration. In this work, we consider how one such risk score could be used to trigger proactive transfers to the ICU. We utilize a retrospective data set from 21 Kaiser Permanente Northern California hospitals to estimate the potential benefit of transferring patients to the ICU at various levels of patient risk of deterioration. To reduce the sensitivity of our findings to key identification and modeling assumptions, we use a combination of multivariate matching and instrumental variable approaches. Using our empirical results to calibrate a simulation model, we find that proactivel...
Research methodology search filters: are they effective for locating research for evidence-based veterinary medicine in PubMed?

Objective: The study examined the effectiveness of research methodology search filters developed by Haynes and colleagues and utilized by the Clinical Query feature of PubMed for locating literature for evidence-based veterinary medicine (EBVM). Methods: A manual review of articles published in 6 commonly read veterinary journals was conducted. Articles were classified by format (original study, review, general article, conference report, decision analysis, and case report) and purpose category (etiology, prognosis, diagnosis, and treatment). Search strategies listed in PubMed's Clinical Query feature were then tested and compared to the manually reviewed data to calculate sensitivity, specificity, and precision. Results: The author manually reviewed 914 articles to identify 702 original studies. Search #1 included terms determined to have the highest sensitivity and returned acceptable sensitivities over 75% for diagnosis and treatment. Search #2 included terms identified as providing the highest specificity and returned results with specificities over 75% for etiology, prognosis, and treatment. Discussion: The low precision for each search prompts the question: Are research methodology search filters practical for locating literature for the practice of EBVM? A study examining terms related to appropriate research methodologies for advanced clinical veterinary research is necessary to develop filters designed to locate literature for EBVM.
Recent Employment Trends Among Black Men and Their Policy Implications

African American males have one of the lowest rates of postsecondary educational attainment and the highest rate of incarceration of any group in the USA. This reality translates into Black males having the lowest labor force participation in the nation. While Black and Hispanic women have joined the labor market in increased numbers since the 1990s, Black males continue to have a 25–30 % gap in labor market participation compared to White men. Causes of these problems may include discrimination in the labor market and the decrease in available earnings for low-skilled individuals that dates back to the 1970s. Black men may further marginalize themselves from mainstream values and institutions, such as schooling and marriage, by engagement in criminal activity and decreased employment. One way to increase labor market participation among Black males is to expand programs that link high school-aged youth with postsecondary education or careers. Examples are Advancement Via Individual Determination (AVID), a college readiness program, and career Academies, which help low-income students move from high school to college or careers. Further, there should be increased assistance for ex-offenders and noncustodial parents, including developing transitional jobs, providing better reentry and fatherhood programs, and managing child support arrears more effectively.
An Operational Riverflow Prediction System in Helmand River, Afghanistan Using Artificial Neural Networks

This study uses historical flow record to establish an operational riverflow prediction model in Helmand River using artificial neural networks (ANNs). The tool developed for this research demonstrates that the ANN model produces results with a very short turn-around time and with good accuracy. This river system used for this demonstration is quite complex and contains uncertainties associated with the historical record. These uncertainties include downstream flow rates that are not always higher than the combined upper stream values and only one continuously operating stream gage in the headwaters. With these characteristics, improvements in the hydrologic predictions are achieved by using a best additional gage search and a two-layered ANN strategy. Despite the gains demonstrated in this research, better simulation accuracy can be achieved by constructing a new knowledge base using more recent information on the hydrologic/hydraulic condition changes that have occurred since the available period for 1979. Follow-on research can also include developing extrapolation procedures for desired project events outside the range of the historical data and predictive error correction analysis.
The use of cytological material in melanoma for programmed death ligand 1 immunostaining.

OBJECTIVE Interest in immune therapies has exploded since the 2014 approval of first-generation programmed cell death 1 blocking antibodies for use in advanced melanoma. Clinical trials have focused primarily on histological material as the gold standard for evaluating programmed death ligand 1 (PD-L1) by immunoperoxidase (IPOX) studies. Studies validating the use of cytological specimens in the assessment of PD-L1 by IPOX staining are needed to optimise tissue utilisation in complementary diagnostic testing. METHODS Twenty-three melanoma surgical biopsies (SBx) with an IPOX stain for PD-L1 clone 28-8, and a corresponding cytological specimen from the same patient, adequate for PD-L1 evaluation, were selected. Cell-transfer cell blocks (CBs) and conventional CBs were used to perform PD-L1 testing. Tumour proportion scores (TPS) were generated and the results were correlated with the corresponding SBx. RESULTS Overall agreement (OA) using a ≥1% TPS cut-off for SBx compared to CB was 88.9%, positive percent agreement (PPA) was 87.5%, and negative percent agreement (NPA) was 100%, OA using a ≥5% TPS cut-off was 55.6%, PPA was 42.9%, and NPA was 100%. SBx compared to cell-transfer CB using a ≥1% TPS cut-off had an OA of 65.2%, a PPA of 55.6%, and a NPA of 100%, while a ≥5% TPS cut-off generated an OA of 52.2%, a PPA of 35.7%, and a NPA of 77.8%. CONCLUSION Our results demonstrate that cytological material, particularly conventional CB, is a viable alternative for evaluating PD-L1 in melanoma cases and suggest that a lower threshold (≥1%) may be beneficial when evaluating cytological material.
Dupilumab treatment for atopic dermatitis leading to unexpected treatment for alopecia universalis.

Atopic diseases, including atopic dermatitis and alopecia areata, are disease entities with much active research, as new biologic medications are emerging targeting each of these diseases. We report a case of a single biologic medication used to treat atopic dermatitis, leading to unexpected treatment for concurrent alopecia areata.
Polarization aberration analysis for the PICTURE-C exoplanetary coronagraph

The Planetary Imaging Concept Testbed Using a Recoverable Experiment - Coronagraph (PICTURE-C) mission will directly image debris disks and exozodiacal dust around nearby stars from a high-altitude balloon using a vector vortex coronagraph. One of the many starlight leakage sources that can degrade the performance of the coronagraph is polarization aberration induced by the reflective optical coatings. A polarization ray trace of the PICTURE-C telescope and coronagraph is combined with a physical optics wavefront propagation simulation to quantify the expected amount of coronagraph leakage due to polarization aberration. The simulations show the leakage is below the budgeted contrast of 1 × 10 − 8.
Adjunct Faculty Onboarding: Is Social Media a Solution?

In a pilot study of an affordable and low-maintenance social media solution for adjunct faculty socialization or onboarding at the community college, interested adjuncts were offered the opportunit...
Joint Power Allocation for Radar and Communication Co-Existence

Co-existence of radar and communication systems based on cooperative spectrum sharing is of significant interest in recent years. This letter proposes two joint power allocation schemes for radar and communication spectrum sharing, where both systems use the same bandwidth with cross interference between them. The proposed joint design maximizes a performance metric of one system while meeting a service constraint requirement for the other, i.e., throughput for the communication system or signal-to-interference-plus-noise ratio (SINR) for the radar. For both designs, we show that either the radar or the communication system needs to transmit at peak power to achieve the optimum solution, depending on the relation among the peak power constraint, channel conditions, and service constraints.
Reflections on technologies for studying children and media

There is a great opportunity for modern technologies to advance research on children and media. Noninvasive data collection and analysis of a large variety of behaviors and bodily functions are bec...
The Impetus Behind Choosing a Medical Specialty

Selecting a specialty is an important step in a medical student’s education, and many believe this decision is more difficult than the decision to attend medical school. With so many changes occurring in the medical system, including the increasing reliance on electronic medical records, the merger of the AOA and ACGME residency programs, and the increasing number of women entering the field, we conducted a study to determine the impetus today behind how individuals choose their medical specialty. To determine the most significant factor influencing an individual’s choice of specialty, we created a seven-question survey that was made available to students, residents, fellows, and attendings at one medical school and one community teaching hospital system. The results of the study showed that personal experience was the most influential reason amongst those surveyed for selecting a residency specialty (p < 0.05). One limitation of the study was that the majority of responders were students who had not yet matched into a residency. A future study could explore if, upon matching in residency, the students maintained their desire for the same specialty. Another limitation of the study was that we only surveyed individuals within one hospital system and therefore had a limited number of physicians, residents, fellows, and attendings. More hospitals should be contacted to obtain results from a greater number of practicing physicians.
Differential neuropeptide modulation of premotor and motor neurons in the lobster cardiac ganglion

The American lobster, Homarus americanus, cardiac neuromuscular system is controlled by the cardiac ganglion (CG), a central pattern generator consisting of four premotor and five motor neurons. Here, we show that the premotor and motor neurons can establish independent bursting patterns when decoupled by a physical ligature. We also show that mRNA encoding myosuppressin, a cardioactive neuropeptide, is produced within the CG. We thus asked whether myosuppressin modulates the decoupled premotor and motor neurons, and if so, how this modulation might underlie the role(s) that these neurons play in myosuppressin's effects on ganglionic output. Although myosuppressin exerted dose-dependent effects on burst frequency and duration in both premotor and motor neurons in the intact CG, its effects on the ligatured ganglion were more complex, with different effects and thresholds on the two types of neurons. These data suggest that the motor neurons are more important in determining the changes in frequency of the CG elicited by low concentrations of myosuppressin, whereas the premotor neurons have a greater impact on changes elicited in burst duration. A single putative myosuppressin receptor (MSR-I) was previously described from the Homarus nervous system. We identified four additional putative MSRs (MSR-II-V) and investigated their individual distributions in the CG premotor and motor neurons using RT-PCR. Transcripts for only three receptors (MSR-II-IV) were amplified from the CG. Potential differential distributions of the receptors were observed between the premotor and motor neurons; these differences may contribute to the distinct physiological responses of the two neuron types to myosuppressin.NEW & NOTEWORTHY Premotor and motor neurons of the Homarus americanus cardiac ganglion (CG) are normally electrically and chemically coupled, and generate rhythmic bursting that drives cardiac contractions; we show that they can establish independent bursting patterns when physically decoupled by a ligature. The neuropeptide myosuppressin modulates different aspects of the bursting pattern in these neuron types to determine the overall modulation of the intact CG. Differential distribution of myosuppressin receptors may underlie the observed responses to myosuppressin.
The sexual economy of war: discipline and desire in the U.S. Army: by Andrew Byers, Ithaca, NY, Cornell University Press, 2019, 278 pp., $39.95 (hardback), ISBN: 978-1-5017-3644-5

The association between the American military and sexual vice dates as far back as the Revolutionary War, for the encampment of soldiers anywhere has invariably created a demand for prostitution. A...
Addressing School Bullying with a Multi-tiered System of Support Approach

School bullying undermines students’ participation and functioning and is within the scope of practice for school-based occupational therapists to address. The Multi-Tiered System of Support (MTSS)...
Learning Transferable 3D Adversarial Cloaks for Deep Trained Detectors.

This paper presents a novel patch-based adversarial attack pipeline that trains adversarial patches on 3D human meshes. We sample triangular faces on a reference human mesh, and create an adversarial texture atlas over those faces. The adversarial texture is transferred to human meshes in various poses, which are rendered onto a collection of real-world background images. Contrary to the traditional patch-based adversarial attacks, where prior work attempts to fool trained object detectors using appended adversarial patches, this new form of attack is mapped into the 3D object world and back-propagated to the texture atlas through differentiable rendering. As such, the adversarial patch is trained under deformation consistent with real-world materials. In addition, and unlike existing adversarial patches, our new 3D adversarial patch is shown to fool state-of-the-art deep object detectors robustly under varying views, potentially leading to an attacking scheme that is persistently strong in the physical world.
Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning Approaches For Aviation Cybersecurity: An Overview

Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Machine Learning (ML) applications are currently found across all engineering domains, including cybersecurity engineering. This paper presents an overview of the AI-systems and technologies that can greatly benefit the security domain and its potential solutions for the aviation industry: anomaly detection for avionics, securing data link communications, and security certification, among others.As showcased in the "National Strategy for Aviation Security" report in December 2018 and the U.S. Government Accountability Office report "Aviation Cybersecurity" in October 2020, there is a need for resilient cybersecurity practices and approaches to address the current issues that aviation faces today. Designing and implementing solutions to address these issues without exploring the feasibility of harnessing AI-powered cybersecurity tools would overlook the potential advantages these technologies can offer.Therefore, this paper aims to provide a roadmap to adapt well-known ML-cybersecurity approaches to aviation security engineering and airworthiness: (i) autonomous and semi-autonomous cybersecurity for autonomous flight operations security, (ii) game theory models for adversarial and uncertainty modeling, (iii) human-AI interfaces for airport security monitoring and decision-making assistance, (iv) predictive analytics for anomaly detection for avionics and e-enabled aircraft, and (v) AI-based reasoning trustworthiness for software reliability and security certification. This paper also presents the challenges of including AI-cybersecurity in the aviation ecosystem to ground the proposed solutions within an accepted set of industry regulations, such as design verification for AI/ML algorithms and certification specifications for AI/ML solutions for manufacturers and agencies.