cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
A Memory Centric Kernel Framework for Accelerating Short-Range, Interactive Particle Simulation

To maximize the performance of emerging multi- and many-core accelerators such as the IBM Cell B.E. and the NVIDIA GPU, a Memory Centric Kernel Framework (MCKF) was developed. MCKF allows a user to decompose the physical space of an application based on the available fast memory in the accelerators. In this way, reducing the communication cost in accessing data can maximize the extraordinary computing power of the accelerators. MCKF is both generic and flexible because it encapsulates hardware-specific characteristics. It has been implemented and tested for short-range inter-active particle simulation on IBM Cell B.E. blades.
Assessing patient-centered care: one approach to health disparities education.

BACKGROUND Patient-centered care has been described as one approach to cultural competency education that could reduce racial and ethnic health disparities by preparing providers to deliver care that is respectful and responsive to the preferences of each patient. In order to evaluate the effectiveness of a curriculum in teaching patient-centered care (PCC) behaviors to medical students, we drew on the work of Kleinman, Eisenberg, and Good to develop a scale that could be embedded across cases in an objective structured clinical examination (OSCE).
Global metaanalysis of the nonlinear response of soil nitrous oxide (N2O) emissions to fertilizer nitrogen

Nitrous oxide (N2O) is a potent greenhouse gas (GHG) that also depletes stratospheric ozone. Nitrogen (N) fertilizer rate is the best single predictor of N2O emissions from agricultural soils, which are responsible for ∼ 50% of the total global anthropogenic flux, but it is a relatively imprecise estimator. Accumulating evidence suggests that the emission response to increasing N input is exponential rather than linear, as assumed by Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change methodologies. We performed a metaanalysis to test the generalizability of this pattern. From 78 published studies (233 site-years) with at least three N-input levels, we calculated N2O emission factors (EFs) for each nonzero input level as a percentage of N input converted to N2O emissions. We found that the N2O response to N inputs grew significantly faster than linear for synthetic fertilizers and for most crop types. N-fixing crops had a higher rate of change in EF (ΔEF) than others. A higher ΔEF was also evident in soils with carbon >1.5% and soils with pH <7, and where fertilizer was applied only once annually. Our results suggest a general trend of exponentially increasing N2O emissions as N inputs increase to exceed crop needs. Use of this knowledge in GHG inventories should improve assessments of fertilizer-derived N2O emissions, help address disparities in the global N2O budget, and refine the accuracy of N2O mitigation protocols. In low-input systems typical of sub-Saharan Africa, for example, modest N additions will have little impact on estimated N2O emissions, whereas equivalent additions (or reductions) in excessively fertilized systems will have a disproportionately major impact.
Optimal control of multi-input SMA actuator arrays using graph theory

Shape memory alloy (SMA) actuators are compact and have high force-to-weight ratios, making them strong candidates to actuate robots, exoskeletons, and prosthetics. To optimize speed and energy consumption, SMA actuators have been embedded in an N×N vascular network that can deliver electric and thermofluidic energy to the each actuator. The scalable architecture of the vascular network allows for 2N control devices (valves, transistors) to be shared amongst N2 actuators, so that as the number of actuators increases, the number of required control devices scales at a smaller rate. This Network Array Architecture (NAA) allows for each actuator to be controlled individually or in discrete subarrays. However, not all combinations of actuators can be activated simultaneously; therefore in general, a sequence of control commands will be need to be executed in order to achieve the desired actuation. By treating each actuator as having a binary state, the combined states of the actuator array can be represented by graph theory, where states are nodes and the transitions between states are graph edges. By properly weighting the costs of the transitions, graph search techniques can be used to find optimal sets of control commands for desired state changes. This paper formulates the control of NAA actuators systems as a graph theory problem, and characterizes the ability of search algorithms to optimize a weighted combination of speed and energy usage, while minimizing computational cost.
A STUDY OF A GRAM‐POSITIVE COCCUS RESPONSIBLE FOR ROPINESS AND VISCOSITY IN MALT WORT

SUMMARY: A Gram-positive coccus with the properties typical of pediococci produced a ropy, viscous growth in malt wort. Nutritional studies in the media of Dunn et al. (1947) showed pantothenic acid to be required by the organism but growth occurred in the complete medium only when a trace of malt wort was present. Seven other vitamins tested were not necessary for growth. In a medium consisting of mineral salts, glucose and alcoholic extracts of peptone and yeast autolysate the organism grew well and the viscosity of the medium increased. Higher viscosities were attained when the buffering capacity of the medium was increased either by raising the concentrations of the alcoholic extracts or by adding sodium acetate. The material responsible for the viscosity was produced in small amounts only and appeared to be a mucopolysaccharide. The only sugar obtained on hydrolysis of this material was glucose. Fructose, maltose, sucrose and raffinose were all fermented by the organism but only in media containing maltose was the increase in viscosity comparable with that attained in a glucose-containing medium.
Commutative Singular f-Rings

This paper examines commutative f-rings A with identity 1, for which 1 is a singular element; (i.e., such that 0 ≤ s ≤ 1 implies that s ∧ (1 — s) = 0.) One of the main results is that for such f-rings the following are equivalent: (a) A is semihereditary; (b) A is a Prufer ring; (c) the weak dimension of A does not exceed 1; (d) every subring B of the maximum ring of quotients QA which contains A is flat over A; (e) the lattice of all ideals of A is distributive. In the final section singular f-rings which are I-rings are discussed. It is shown that C(X, ℤ) is an I-ring precisely when X is an extremally disconnected almost P-space.
Intensity-modulated radiotherapy with concurrent chemotherapy for previously irradiated, recurrent head and neck cancer

Purpose Primary treatment fails in >70% of locally advanced head and neck cancer patients. Salvage therapy has a 30–40% response rate, but few long-term survivors. Intensity-modulated radiotherapy (IMRT) has recently emerged as a new modality for salvage therapy. This retrospective study evaluated our experience using every-other-week IMRT with concurrent chemotherapy. Methods and Materials Between 2001 and 2006, 41 patients underwent IMRT as repeat RT with concurrent chemotherapy. All but 6 patients received 60 Gy at 2 Gy/fraction. RT was delivered on an alternating week schedule. Results With a median follow-up time of 14 months, the overall response rate was 75.6%, with a complete response and partial response rate of 58.5% and 17.1%, respectively. The Kaplan-Meier estimate of overall survival, disease-free survival, and progression-free survival at 24 months was 48.7%, 48.1%, and 38%, respectively. Patients who underwent surgery as a part of their salvage therapy had a mean estimated survival of 30.9 months compared with 22.8 months for patients who received only chemoradiotherapy (p = 0.126). Grade 3 or 4 acute toxicities occurred in 31.7% of patients, but all had resolved within 2 months of therapy completion. No deaths occurred during treatment, except for 1 patient, who died shortly after discontinuing treatment early because of previously undiagnosed metastatic disease; 6 patients had long-term complications. Conclusions Concurrent chemotherapy with repeat radiotherapy with IMRT given every other week appears to be both well tolerated and feasible in patients treated with previous radiotherapy for recurrent head and neck cancer. IMRT represents a reasonable modality for reducing treatment-related toxicities in a repeat RT setting.
Adapting non-library facilities for periodical collections at Brookhaven National Laboratory

In order to cope with space limitations and rapidly growing periodicAl collections, Brookhaven National Laboratory Research Library undertook to investigate the use of various "recycled" non-library facilities to be used as a library annex. Several interim solutions are discussed and details of a low-cost use of industrial shelving in a former chapel/theatre are given. Advisory support from plant engineers and architects, as well as from a library user advisory committee, was shown to be essential in arriving at a viable and cost-effective solution to a serious space problem.
Scheuermann kyphosis: long-term follow-up.

Abstract Background context: There is considerable controversy as to the optimal treatment of Scheuermann kyphosis. Proposed modalities have included exercise, bracing and surgery. Purpose: The purpose of this study was to document the functional capacity and radiographic findings in adults who have been previously treated for Scheuermann kyphosis. Study design: A cohort study of all patients with Scheuermann kyphosis treated in a single institution using three different treatment modalities: exercise and observation, Milwaukee bracing and surgical fusion using the Harrington Compression System. Patient sample: Sixty-three patients were evaluated at a mean of 14 years after treatment (10 to 28 years). Outcome measures: Two different functional evaluation instruments were used. Radiographic evaluation was carried out in 38 patients (60%). Methods: Patient interviews were conducted using a specially designed questionnaire. Patients were then asked to undergo standing radiographs. Patients were divided into groups depending on the location of their kyphosis and the manner in which they had been treated. Standard statistical analysis was then carried out. Results: At time of follow-up evaluation there were no differences in marital status, general health, education level, work status, degree of pain and functional capacity between the various curve types, treatment modality and degree of curve. Patients treated by bracing or surgery did have improved self-image, which they attributed to their treatment. Patients with kyphotic curves exceeding 70 degrees at follow-up had an inferior functional result. At time of final follow-up there were no statistical differences in degree of kyphosis and mode of treatment. Conclusions: By carefully selecting the appropriate treatment for patients with Scheuermann kyphosis on the basis of the patient's age, spinal deformity and the severity of back pain, it is possible to achieve a similar functional result at long-term follow-up. Despite different treatment protocols, patients with Scheuermann kyphosis tend to achieve a similar functional result at long-term follow-up.
Systematically generated two-qubit anyon braids

Fibonacci anyons are non-Abelian particles for which braiding is universal for quantum computation. Reichardt has shown how to systematically generate nontrivial braids for three Fibonacci anyons which yield unitary operations with off-diagonal matrix elements that can be made arbitrarily small in a particular natural basis through a simple and efficient iterative procedure. This procedure does not require brute force search, the Solovay-Kitaev method, or any other numerical technique, but the phases of the resulting diagonal matrix elements cannot be directly controlled. We show that despite this lack of control the resulting braids can be used to systematically construct entangling gates for two qubits encoded by Fibonacci anyons.
Adjuvant Action of Bacterial Endotoxins on Antibody Formation

One of the most dramatic of the potentially beneficial actions of the endotoxins derived from gram-negative bacteria has been their capacity to elevate antibody levels to unrelated antigens in animals. This truly profound effect of the isolated lipopolysaccharide component (LPS) has been known for over 25 years (Johnson et al., 1956), and has found application in many experimental immunology laboratories throughout the world.
Ethernet is the answer; what is the question?

Bob Metcalfe invented Ethernet in 1973 and in 1979 founded 3Com Corporation to provide it. 3Com grew into the billions during the 1990s, and in 2006 over a quarter billion new Ethernet switch ports were shipped worldwide. Bob received the National Medal of Technology from President Bush in 2005 for leadership in the invention, standardization, and commercialization of Ethernet. More recently in May 2007, he was inducted into the National Inventors Hall of Fame for his contributions to the "welfare of mankind" and his promotion of "science and the useful arts".
Quantification of functional motor cortex activity using time-resolved spatially localized NIR spectroscopy

We report the use of a home-made multi-channel time-correlated photon counting instrument, to monitor and quantify absorption changes in the contra-lateral primary motor cortex area occurring due to motor stimulation with voluntary finger tapping. The stimulation protocol is designed using an intensity modulated NIR instrument and optimized to quantify the maximum blood volume changes during activation.
Analog optical correlation of volume holograms for searching digital databases

The spatial- and wavelength-selective properties of the volume hologram make it possible to overlap multiple holograms within the same volume, yet access them independently. Information displayed on a spatial light modulator can be densely packed into a photosensitive material by recording the interference fringes between coherent reference and object beams [1] (Figure la).
Biofeedback in the treatment of epilepsy

This review traces the application of electroencephalographic (EEG) operant conditioning, or biofeedback, from animal research to its emergence as an alternative treatment for the major types of seizure disorder. Initial animal studies focusing on brain mechanisms that mediate learned behavioral inhibition revealed a uniquely correlated 12- to 15-Hz EEG rhythm localized to sensorimotor cortex. We labeled this the sensorimotor rhythm, or SMR. The similarity of the SMR to the known EEG spindle pattern during quiet sleep led to the novel idea of attempting to increase the SMR using EEG operant conditioning. The hypothesis was that this might produce a corresponding increase in sleep spindle activity, thus establishing a common EEG marker for the state of motor inhibition. Results supported this hypothesis but led also to the accidental discovery of an anticonvulsant effect on drug-induced seizures in cats and monkeys. Continuing animal studies identified a pattern of neurophysiologic responses correlated with the SMR in primary motor pathways. These and other findings were indicative of reduced motor excitability. Simultaneously, we undertook studies in human epileptic subjects that documented a significant reduction in seizure incidence and severity, together with EEG pattern normalization. This work expanded internationally, resulting in numerous well-controlled group and single-case studies summarized in recent meta-analyses. Exciting new findings in functional neuroimaging/EEG correlation studies provide a rational model for the basis of these clinical effects. In recognition of the diversity of clinical applications of EEG biofeedback and the complexity of seizure disorders, this review also details specific methods used in our EEG biofeedback program.
Effect of ultraviolet photoactivation of titanium on osseointegration in a rat model

Purpose The objective of this study was to determine whether ultraviolet (UV) light treatment of titanium implants could enhance osseointegration to sufficiently overcome the negative aspects of shorter implants in a rat femur model. Materials and methods Acid-etched miniature titanium implants with lengths of 2 mm (longer implants) and 1.2 mm (shorter implants) were prepared. Some of these implants were treated with UV light for 48 hours prior to surgery. The strength of osseointegration generated by these implants was evaluated using a biomechanical implant push-in test in a rat model. Peri-implant osteogenesis was examined by scanning electron microscopy for tissue morphology and energy dispersive x-ray spectroscopy for elemental composition. Results Push-in test values for the longer implants were 80% and 100% greater than those of the shorter implants at weeks 4 and 8 of healing, respectively. UV treatment of the shorter implants significantly increased their push-in value, resulting in a 100% higher value than untreated longer implants at week 2 and a push-in value that was equivalent to that of the untreated longer implants at weeks 4 and 8. Scanning electron micrographs and energy dispersive x-ray spectroscopic examinations after push-in testing revealed that the UV-treated implant surfaces were covered more extensively by bone or tissue remnants containing calcium and phosphorous than the untreated surfaces. The titanium surfaces were converted from hydrophobic to superhydrophilic status after UV treatment, although the cause-result relationship between the acquired superhydrophilicity and biologic effects remained unclear. Conclusions Within the limits of this investigation, UV light pretreatment substantially enhanced the osseointegration capacity of acid-etched titanium implants. The deficiencies of osseointegration in implants with a 40% shorter length were overcome by UV treatment in the rat model using miniature implants. These results need to be confirmed in other animal models and implants that more closely resemble human dental implants to determine the true clinical significance.
Se-Derivatized RNAs for X-ray Crystallography

Selenium derivatization of RNA is an important strategy for crystal structure determination and functional studies of noncoding RNAs and protein-RNA interactions. We describe here the synthesis of nucleoside 5'-(α-P-seleno)-triphosphate analogs (Se-NTPs) and their use in vitro transcription and purification of Se-derivatized RNA samples (phosphoroselenoate RNA, PSe-RNA).
Exact Solution of the Two-Band Density of States Problem

The band structure arising from the familiar two-band problem admits of an exact solution for the density of states function, which in turn may provide a useful check on its determination by numerical methods.
A machine learning approach to edge type inference in Internet AS graphs

The Internet AS topology can be represented by AS graphs where nodes represent ASes and edges represent business relationships between ASes. AS relationship can be broadly classified into two types: provider-to-customer (p2c) and peer-to-peer (p2p). In this paper we present a machine learning approach to edge type inference in AS graphs. Given an AS graph derived from publicly available data source, we use the Gentle AdaBoost machine learning algorithm to train a classifier that classifies the edge types (p2c and p2p) based on a set of node features. We use our method to train classifiers for three AS graphs derived from different data sources-a BGP graph, a traceroute graph, and an IRR graph. The three classifiers achieve 93.97%–97.73% accuracy when validated against ground truth and achieve 81.76%–95.66% accuracy when validated against CAIDA's AS relationship inference dataset. We merge the three individual graphs to obtain a combined graph and propose a method to compute edge types in the combined graph. We analyze the characteristics of the three individual graphs and the combined graph and show that combining the three individual graphs gives us a significantly more complete view of both the p2p and p2c ecosystems in the Internet.
The Myth of Protecting the Public Interest: The Case of the Missing Mandate in Federal Securities Laws

Protecting the public interest is at the core of federal securities laws. To protect the public interest is the mission of the Securities and Exchange Commission and its raison d’etre. At least, that is what the public is encouraged to believe.Protecting the public interest in Federal securities laws has been blindly accepted without questioning basic assumption that the purpose of securities laws is to protect the public interest. However, a recent analysis of the Securities and Exchange Act of 1934 (“’34 Act”) has shown that protecting the public interest in the ’34 Act is a myth and that it is not the public interest, or even investors’ interests, that the ’34 Act was primarily intended to protect, but the market interest.Contrary to popular belief protecting investors’ interests is not the primary purpose of the securities laws, and protecting investors’ interests is merely derivative of the primary purpose — protecting the market interest — and protecting the public interest is non-existent. As the Supreme Court has recently commented, “The magnitude of the federal interest in protecting the integrity and efficiency of the national securities market cannot be overstated.”Recognizing the true purpose of federal securities laws and the reasons for creating the Securities and Exchange Commission (“Commission” or “SEC”) provides a greater understanding of the policy underlying the decisions (including rule-making and enforcement actions) of the SEC. It changes the nature of discourse concerning the best type of regulatory regime.
The impact of proctored online exams on the educational experience.

Abstract Purpose This study explored new ways to maintain academic integrity for large enrollment, completely online courses. We examined the use of ProctorU as our proctoring strategy with the objectives to identify any implementation challenges and understand the impact of using an online proctor on the student experience. Methods In fall 2013, students were surveyed after each exam. Based on these preliminary findings, ProctorU-related questions were included in the course evaluation administered in spring 2014. A mixed-methods analysis plan was used to examine the results, including quantitative analysis and qualitative analysis of open-ended survey questions. Results In the fall 2013 surveys, 88.95% of students reported being satisfied with their experience using ProctorU. Of those who were unsatisfied, following three emerging themes were identified: took too long to setup, technical difficulties, and personnel issues with proctors. In the spring 2014 course evaluation data, the majority of students rated the experience "good" (57.53%), but a large number of those same students also commented on issues they encountered. Over half of the students indicated that the use of ProctorU would influence their future decision to take another online course, either negatively or positively. Conclusions The question of how to maintain academic integrity with online courses is still an ongoing question, but this project demonstrates that online proctoring does influence the educational experience in ways that must be considered when determining the risk and benefit balance of proctored and unproctored assessments.
Advertising and Word-of-Mouth Effects on Pre-launch Consumer Interest and Initial Sales of Experience Products

This study examines how consumers' interest in a new experience product develops as a result of advertising and word-of-mouth activities during the pre-launch period. The empirical settings are the U.S. motion picture and video game industries. The focal variables include weekly ad spend, blog volume, online search volume during pre-launch periods, opening-week sales, and product characteristics. We treat pre-launch search volume of keywords as a measure of pre-launch consumer interest in the related product. To identify probable persistent effects among the pre-launch time-series variables, we apply a vector autoregressive modeling approach. We find that blog postings have permanent, trend-setting effects on pre-launch consumer interest in a new product, while advertising has only temporary effects. In the U.S. motion picture industry, the four-week cumulative elasticity of pre-launch consumer interest is 0.187 to advertising and 0.635 to blog postings. In the U.S. video game industry, the elasticities are 0.093 and 1.306, respectively. We also find long-run co-evolution between blog and search volume, which suggests that consumers' interest in the upcoming product cannot grow without bounds for a given level of blog volume.
Antecedents and correlates of blood concentrations of neurotrophic growth factors in very preterm newborns.

Aim To identify the antecedents and very early correlates of low concentrations of neurotrophic growth factors in the blood of extremely preterm newborns during the first postnatal month.
Quality analysis of malaria blood smears of fever patients in Changzhou City in 2014

Objective To understand the quality of blood smears for Plasmodium detection in Changzhou City, so as to provide the technical support for malaria surveillance in the post-elimination period. Methods The blood smears of fever patients from each cities (districts) in Changzhou City in 2014, including more than 3% of the negatives and all the positives, were selected. The quality of the blood smear making, dyeing, cleanliness and results were reviewed by the experts from the municipal malaria microscopy station, and the data were analyzed statistically. Results Totally 996 negative blood smears were reviewed in 2014, with a review rate of 4.52%. The qualified rates of blood smear making, dyeing and cleanliness were 92.87%, 93.27% and 94.48%, respectively. A total of 34 positive blood smears were reviewed, and there were no false detections and leak detections. The qualified rates of blood smear making and dyeing were more than 90% in all the seven cities (districts). As for qualified rate of cleanliness, except the rate in Qishuyan District (81.36%), those in the other six cities (districts) were all above 90%. The qualified rates of blood smear making, dyeing and cleanliness were all more than 90% in first-class, second-class and third-class hospitals. The major quality defects of the blood smears were sediment, abnormal making and thick membrane shedding, and the proportions were 25.91%, 21.76% and 19.17%, respectively. Conclusions The quality of blood smears for Plasmodium detection in Changzhou City is satisfying. In the future, the training and supervision still should be strengthened to guarantee the capacity of microscopic examinations for Plasmodium detection in the surveillance of post-elimination period.
Characterizing and calibrating low-cost wearable ozone sensors in dynamic environments

The increased interest in utilizing wearable technologies for ubiquitous monitoring of human physiological, behavioral, and environmental parameters has come to force, including the rise of cost-effective, low-power gas sensors that enable personalized air quality monitoring in daily life. Despite the advances in system design of wearable gas sensor nodes, the characteristics of these sensors under real-world conditions have not been comprehensively examined, specifically the influences of environmental dynamics on sensor calibration and sensitivity. In this paper, we propose ozone sensor calibration algorithms that exploit dynamic relative humidity (RH) and temperature sensor measurements to enhance the quality of ozone measurement. The contributions of this study are 1) characterization of the influences of RH and temperature dynamics on low-cost metal oxide ozone sensors, and 2) calibration algorithms with considerations of sensor characteristics. Experimental results demonstrate the efficacy of the proposed methods in characterizing and calibrating the low-cost wearable ozone sensors.
Annihilated Property: Slavery and Reproduction after Abolition

ABSTRACTClassical political economy yoked work’s value-giving capacity to the subsistence of the laboring community. This article traces the deformation of political economy’s concept of reproduction in the post-1807 West Indies, where the abolition of the slave trade had destroyed the conditions of a value form rooted not in labor’s subsistence, but in the deterioration of the working body. Tracking a crisis of West Indian reproduction through abolitionist poetry, plantation literature, and legal debate, I show how the imagination of a post-slavery future demanded that the theory of value be divorced from concepts of natural fertility (of land, of human bodies). The locus of this division of nature and value was the racialized body of the West Indian slave. Close readings of James Montgomery’s abolitionist epic The West Indies and Matthew Lewis’s Journal of a West India Proprietor reveal how both liberal abolitionism and colonial racism gave form to emergent theories of political-economic surplus.
Scaling of High Repetition Rate Mode-Locked Tm-doped Fiber Lasers

Scaling of a compact linear soliton mode-locked Tm-doped fiber lasers with repetition rates of 531.9 MHz, 704.3 MHz, and 969.0 MHz with transform limited pulse durations down to 358 fs is demonstrated.
Analysis of the CIS-acting elements of coronavirus transcription

Mouse hepatitis virus (MHV), a coronavirus, is an enveloped virus containing a single-stranded, positive-sense RNA genome of approximately 31 kb (11, 13, 22). There are seven to eight species of virus-specific subgenomic mRNAs in MHV-infected cells. These subgenomic mRNAs comprise a 3’-coterminal nested-set (9, 14). In decreasing order of size, they are mRNAs 1 through 7 (9, 14). The 5’ end of the MHV genomic RNA contains a 72- to 77-nucleotide-long leader sequence (8, 10, 26). Within the 3’-region of the leader sequence there is a pentanucleotide sequence, UCUAA. This sequence repeats two to four times in different MHV strains (19). The MHV-specific genes are downstream from the leader, and each gene is separated by a special short stretch of sequence, the intergenic sequence. The intergenic sequences include the unique consensus sequence UCUAAAC or a sequence very similar sequence (25). All MHV mRNA species have a sequence identical to the 5’-end genomic leader sequence. These leader sequences are fused to the intergenic consensus sequence, which marks the start of each gene (8, 10, 25, 26). In most MHV genes the degree of intergenic sequence nucleotide homology with the leader sequence correlates with the amount of mRNA transcribed (25). This correlation is not observed in infectious bronchitis virus mRNA transcription (4). The site where the leader fuses with the mRNA is somewhere within the repeated pentanucleotide (UCUAA). The number of repeats in each given mRNA varies (19). The pentanucleotide repeats at the genomic leader sequence and at the intergenic region are identical, making identification of the fusion site of these two sequences difficult.
Diplomatic and Consular Relations

The Attorneys General have dealt with the broad aspects of diplomatic and consular relations, having rendered advice concerning the status of international agents, diplomatic immunities, consular privileges, and control of the foreign service. In addition, they have given numerous opinions on technical and administrative questions arising in the foreign service, but no attempt will be made to cover those opinions relating primarily to administrative details. 1
Assessment of Some Antirhinovirus Compounds in Tissue Culture and Against Experimental Challenge in Volunteers

Four unrelated antirhinovirus compounds were compared by a standard method in vitro and three of these were assessed for antiviral effect in volunteers.
Interfacial Properties of Polyelectrolyte-Surfactant Aggregates at Air/Water Interfaces.

The transport, equilibrium properties, and mechanics of stable, rodlike surfactant–polyelectrolyte aggregates, poly(cetyltrimethylammonium vinyl benzoate) or pCTVB, are characterized at air/water interfaces for bulk concentrations near and below the critical aggregation concentration. The surfactant drives the transport to air/water interfaces, while the polyelectrolyte provides elasticity to the coated interfaces and appears to remain adsorbed after the bulk solution is exchanged with water. The processing of interfaces is shown to allow the interfacial tension of the interface to be changed significantly while maintaining a high dilatational elasticity. The results of this work provide a tool to control interfacial properties through design of polyelectrolyte–surfactant complexes.
Microbial marauders: pancreatic microbiota and its impact on carcinogenesis

Over the past several decades the importance of the human microbiota, the collection of bacteria, viruses, fungi, protozoa, and archea that establish a commensal, symbiotic, and pathobiont relationship within every individual, in disease development and progression has been established (1-3).
EUS-Guided Gallbladder Drainage

High-risk non-surgical candidates with acute cholecystitis are traditionally treated with the placement of a percutaneous cholecystostomy tube. However, in recent years, transmural gallbladder drainage via an endoscopic ultrasound-guided approach (EUS-GBD) has emerged as a feasible and potential equally efficacious option that obviates the need for an external drainage catheter. Among expert endoscopists, technical and clinical success rates for EUS-GBD are greater than 90% with similar adverse event rates to percutaneous drainage. Early adopters of EUS-GBD used plastic or fully covered metal self-expandable metal biliary stents (FCSEMS), but more recently, the use of a lumen-apposing metal stent (LAMS) has become widespread due to ease of deployment and lower concern for biliary leakage. Furthermore, LAMS provides continued access to the gallbladder for cholecystoscopy or other advanced interventions such as stone removal. Nevertheless, EUS-GBD remains a relatively new procedure and optimal techniques and best practices are still being defined. As such, endoscopists have yet to reach consensus on issues such as optimal location of drainage (transgastric vs. transduodenal), ideal duration for stents to be left in, and whether patients should receive routine cholecystectomy after resolution of symptoms. Until prospective trials address these issues, EUS-GBD should only be reserved for carefully selected patients in tertiary care centers.
Attracting Attention: Discovery of IL-8/CXCL8 and the Birth of the Chemokine Field.

In the days when almost every biomedical science building has ubiquitous posters on the walls highlighting the various chemokines, their receptors, their alternative names, and the cell types they recruit, it is hard to imagine what it was like before these molecules were identified and understood.
An Integrated Approach to Measuring Sexual Orientation Disparities in Women's Access to Health Services: A National Health Interview Survey Application.

Abstract Purpose: The extent to which disparities affect all sexual minority women (SMW) versus specific subgroups of lesbian, bisexual, or other women remains unclear, in part due to inconsistent ...
Health risk of metal exposure via inhalation of cigarette sidestream smoke particulate matter

Cigarette sidestream smoke particulate matter (CSSP) is a major source of airborne metals in the indoor environment. However, the health impacts of inhalation of CSSP-bound metals are rarely studied. In this study, we quantify the amount of 37 metals discharged through CSSP from a leading Taiwan brand of cigarette, Long Life. We also estimate cancer and non-cancer risks due to inhalation of these metals and investigate possible modes of toxic action. Long Life CSSP exhibits a distinctive carcinogenic metal profile compared with Western brands. When released to a 60-m3 poorly ventilated room, Long Life CSSP metals increase the risk for cancer by a 9.26 or 20.90 in a million chance and the hazard quotient for non-cancer toxicity by 0.496 or 0.286 per cigarette depending on risk estimation system. Cd accounts for more than 90% and 80% of cancer and non-cancer risk, respectively. Long Life CSSP also contains considerable amounts of Al, Ba, and Fe. Metals are not responsible for CSSP-induced cytotoxicity, oxidative stress, and transactivation activity of AhR, Nrf2, and ERα. However, they diminish resveratrol-activated Nrf2 activity and downstream antioxidant gene expression in low-AhR-expressing lung cells. Our results suggest that chronic exposure to Long Life CSSP elevates Cd-associated cancer and non-cancer risks. Furthermore, exposure to Long Life CSSP metals may impair Nrf2-mediated antioxidant protection.
Pyrimidine deoxyribonucleoside phosphorylase. I. Substrate inhibition by thymine.

Abstract Thymidine phosphorylase (thymidine:orthophosphate deoxyribosyltranferase, EC 2.4.2.4) has been approximately 500-fold purified from adult rabbit liver and the kinetics of the conversion of thymine to thymidine, with deoxyribose- i -phosphate as deoxyribosyl donor, are presented. The reaction is subject to inhibition by high concentrations of thymine and this inhibition is modified by urea or low pH. The inhibition persists when the reaction is carried out in 0.5 M NaCl. The effect of both thymine and urea are immediately reversible, and the inhibition by thymine is non-competitive with respect to deoxyribose i -phosphate.
Throughput Optimal Decentralized Scheduling of Multihop Networks With End-to-End Deadline Constraints: Unreliable Links

We consider multihop networks serving multiple flows in which packets have hard deadlines. Packets not delivered to their destinations by their deadlines are of no value. The throughput of packets delivered within their deadlines is called the timely throughput. We address the design of packet scheduling, transmit power control, and routing policies that maximize any specified weighted average of the timely throughputs of the multiple flows. We determine a tractable linear program (LP) whose solution yields an optimal routing, scheduling, and power control policy, when nodes have average-power constraints. The optimal policy is fully decentralized, with decisions regarding any packet's transmission scheduling, transmit power level, and routing, based solely on the age and location of that packet. No knowledge of states of any other packets in the network is needed. This resolves a fundamental obstacle that arises whenever one attempts to optimally schedule networks. The number of variables in the LP is bounded by the product of the square of the number of nodes, the number of flows, the maximum relative deadline, and the number of transmit power levels. This solution is obtained from decomposition of the Lagrangian of the constrained Markov decision process describing the complete network state. Global coordination is achieved through a price for energy usage paid by a packet each time that its transmission is attempted at a node. It is fundamentally different from the decomposition of the fluid model used to derive the backpressure policy, which is throughput optimal when packets have no deadlines, where prices are related to queue lengths. If nodes instead have peak-power constraints, then a decentralized policy obtained by simple truncation is near optimal as link capacities increase in a proportional way.
Graphene Plasmonic Metasurface for Beam Forming and Gas Sensing

In this paper, we discuss application of tunable plasmon resonance in graphene for design of multi-purpose beam-forming metasurfaces without changing geometric features and dynamic label-free detection of trace gas at terahertz and mid-infrared frequencies.
Using cylindrical implosions to investigate hydrodynamic instabilities in convergent geometry

Hydrodynamic instabilities such as the Rayleigh–Taylor (RT) and Richtmyer–Meshkov instabilities disrupt inertial confinement fusion (ICF) implosions through the growth of 3D perturbations. Growth of these 3D imperfections at the interfaces of an ICF capsule during implosion lead to mixing between materials that is detrimental to performance. These instabilities have been studied extensively in planar geometry, but such experiments lack the effects of convergence in spherical implosions. While several studies have been performed in spherical geometry, these often lack a direct means to measure perturbation growth. Experiments in cylindrical geometry include convergence effects while maintaining direct diagnostic access. Although cylinders have less compression than spheres, they do provide an excellent platform to validate modeling for convergent geometries. The problem with previous cylindrical implosion experiments was that the convergence ratios were limited to ∼4. With the National Ignition Facility (NIF), larger cylindrical targets can be driven to convergences of 10–15 while maintaining a large enough final diameter to measure perturbation growth. This paper reviews the design process used to both benchmark radiation hydrodynamics codes and enable 1D post-processed simulations to explore design space to separate compression effects from acceleration/deceleration RT instability. Results from 1D simulations suggest that cylindrical implosions on the NIF can produce high-convergence experiments to validate RT instability growth for ICF implosions.
Clinical Updates in Primary Biliary Cholangitis: Trends, Epidemiology, Diagnostics, and New Therapeutic Approaches

Primary biliary cholangitis, formerly known as primary biliary cirrhosis, is a chronic, autoimmune, and cholestatic disease ameliorating the biliary epithelial system causing fibrosis and end-stage liver disease, over time. Patients range from an asymptomatic phase early in the disease course, to symptoms of decompensated cirrhosis later in its course. This review focuses on the current consensus on the epidemiology, diagnosis, and management of patients with primary biliary cholangitis. We also discuss established medical management as well as novel and investigational therapeutics in the pipeline for management of PBC.
The Primitive Side of Prophesy: A Kleinian Look at Revitalization Movements

This paper integrates some of Anthony F. C. Wallace’s most important ideas about culture change with some of Melanie Klein’s best-known work on psychologically primitive (or early) mental states. T...
A Communist Theory of Writing: Virno, Lyotard, and a Rewriting of the General Intellect

This chapter rewrites the general intellect in order to formulate a communist theory of writing. Such a theory is not concerned with the content of writing, but rather the character of the act of rewriting, one that is patient and occurs along a general line between intellect and stupidity, speech and silence, and knowledge and thought. This theory emerges from several rewritings of the general intellect. The chapter begins with Jean-Francois Lyotard’s theory of rewriting—which distinguishes between rewriting as remembering and rewriting as working through—and introduces the role of digital technologies in rewriting. I then turn to Virno’s rewriting of the general intellect, which expands the concept beyond determinate capabilities and knowledges, yet at the same time compresses it into a fundamental and linguistic truth that lacks an antagonism to capital. In the remainder of the chapter, I rewrite the general intellect again, returning it to its indeterminacy by positing a general and postdigital (squiggly) line between intellect and its other.
Dynamic Hydrogels for Investigating Vascularization.

Extracellular matrix is known to regulate vascularization by a sequence of multiple factors including mechanical forces. In this issue of Cell Stem Cell, Wei et al. (2020) investigate the roles of matrix biomechanics on early stages of vasculogenesis by using hydrogels with tunable stiffness and stress relaxation.
Exploration of Pedagogical Interventions to Improve the Outcomes of Hispanics in AP Computer Science

A research project underway at Kean University is exploring pedagogical interventions aimed at improving the outcomes of English Language Learners in Advanced Placement Computer Science. English Language Learners are students who come from non-English speaking homes and backgrounds. With the increasing numbers of Hispanic students in many K-12 classrooms, Spanish is the language most often spoken by English Language Learners. Advanced Placement Computer Science teachers will utilize strategies from Sheltered Instruction, an educational model from English as a Second Language and Bilingual education, in their classrooms. The impact of this approach will be measured by comparing the exam scores of students in the classroom of participating teachers with the 2020 national and state Advanced Placement Computer Science exam scores. Research outcomes of the pedagogical interventions explored will be widely utilized for teaching Computer Science to all English Language Learners, including Hispanics.
Social-behavioral interventions for Asian and Hispanic American dementia caregivers: An integrative review

Abstract Persons with Alzheimer's disease and related dementias (ADRD) have complex care and social needs that are managed primarily by informal caregivers. Asian and Hispanic American caregivers of ADRD share disproportionately high caregiving burden and stress. Developing and implementing culturally and linguistically tailored interventions are particularly important to help improve the quality of life for these groups. The purpose of this review is to synthesize the existing evidence on social-behavioral interventions for Asian and Hispanic American caregivers of ADRD. Seventeen articles were identified and critically reviewed, which included a total of 16 interventions. Various outcomes were reported and the most prevalent outcomes were caregiver's depressive symptoms, caregiving burden, stress, caregiver's reactions (bothered or distressed) to care recipient's problematic behaviors, and social support. Most interventions showed their short-term effectiveness on the targeted outcomes while the long-term effects were insufficiently evidenced among some interventions. Future studies should focus on testing the long-term effect of caregiver's interventions and developing effective interventions especially for minority populations.
Wing flapping with minimum energy

For slow flapping motions it is found that the minimum energy loss occurs when the vortex wake moves as a rigid surface that rotates about the wing root - a condition analogous to that determined for a slow-turning propeller. The optimum circulation distribution determined by this condition differs from the elliptic distribution, showing a greater concentration of lift toward the tips. It appears that very high propulsive efficiencies are obtained by flapping.
Newer concepts in pancreatic disease.

Summary Several unusual forms of pancreatic disease are discussed in the light of their relationship to the better known pancreatic disorders. These unusual forms include hereditary pancreatitis with its apparent metabolic defect, acute and chronic pancreatitis without pain, carcinoma of the pancreas and its association with chronic pancreatitis, and finally, primary atrophy of the pancreas. It would seem fitting to conclude by paraphrasing one of the basic principles in the philosophy of medicine as held by Dr. Comfort: very few physicians are privileged to make great strides in medical research, but countless little opportunities await the daily painstaking observations of the careful clinician.
Quantum interference from a high-flux collinear PPKTP parametric downconverter

Summary form only given. We report a high-flux source of polarization-entangled photons using a type-II phase-matched periodically poled potassium titanyl phosphate (PPKTP) (KTiOPO/sub 4/) optical parametric downconverter.