cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Enhancing cluster application performance via smarter scheduling and stronger SOAP

Current systems for managing workload on clusters of workstations, particularly those available for Linux-based (Beowulf) clusters, are typically based on traditional process-based, coarse-grained parallel and distributed programming. The DESPOT project is building a sophisticated resource-monitoring and scheduling system for computational, storage and network resources. In this paper we present our enhanced scheduling algorithm within DESPOT, our architecture for low-overhead, fine-grained resource-monitoring tools for per-process network and other resource usage. This algorithm takes into account network, CPU, and memory demands to go beyond simple load balancing for better performance. We also present our architecture for enhancing inter-process communication using the SOAP protocol through the application of multi-level caching. We present experimental results on a small Beowulf cluster showing scheduling performance gains of up to 40%, using the multi-facetted DESPOT algorithm over the MOSIX load-balancing implementation, and SOAP performance gains of up to 600%.
Defining the Human Microbiome

Rapidly developing sequencing methods and analytical techniques are enhancing our ability to understand the human microbiome, and, indeed, how the microbiome and its constituents are defined. This review highlights recent research that expands our ability to understand the human microbiome on different spatial and temporal scales, including daily time series datasets spanning months. Furthermore, emerging concepts related to defining operational taxonomic units, diversity indices, core versus transient microbiomes, and the possibility of enterotypes are discussed. Additional advances in sequencing technology and in our understanding of the microbiome will provide exciting prospects for exploiting the microbiota for personalized medicine.
How common are rare taxa in long-term benthic macroinvertebrate surveys?

AbstractThe term rare has spatial and temporal, as well as conservation and management, connotations when applied to ecological surveys. We examined the frequency of temporal occurrence of benthic macroinvertebrates in 19- to 20-y survey collections from 4 sites and 7- to 8-y survey collections from 6 sites in northern California streams. We found that a large proportion of taxa (17–33%) were rare (occurred in only 1 y) in all of the sites examined, regardless of season, and that density increased with increasing temporal commonness. Taxa that could be identified only to higher taxonomic levels, i.e., unresolved taxa, were an additional component (0–7%) of the rare species encountered. The biological traits of the rare and common taxa generally provided explanations for the cause of rarity or commonness, e.g., common taxa tended to have short life cycles with multiple generations per year and rare taxa had low dispersal capabilities. The results of our study clearly demonstrate that temporally rare taxa a...
Stable and Accurate Network Coordinates

Network coordinates provide a scalable way to estimate latencies among large numbers of hosts. While there are several algorithms for producing coordinates, none account for the fact that nodes observe a stream of distinct observations that may vary by as much as three orders-ofmagnitude. With such variable data, coordinate systems are prone to high error and instability in live deployments. In addition, dynamics such as triangle violations can lead to coordinate oscillations, producing further instability and making it difficult for applications to know when their coordinates have truly changed. Because simulation results demonstrate that network coordinates are capable of providing low cost and sufficiently accurate answers to common queries, it is vital that we develop the ability to obtain similar results in practice. We propose two filters which combined to improve network coordinate accuracy by 54% and coordinate stability by 96% when run on a real, largescale network.
Trends in the use of prescription antibiotics: NHANES 1999–2012

OBJECTIVES The objectives of this study were: to examine trends in the use of prescription antibiotics overall and by population subgroups between 1999 and 2012; and to examine trends in the use of categories of antibiotics and individual antibiotics. METHODS Use of antibiotics was examined among 71 444 participants in the nationally representative National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES; 1999-2012). Use of an antibiotic in the past 30 days was the main outcome variable. Analyses of trends were conducted overall and separately by population subgroups (i.e. age, sex, race/Hispanic origin, health insurance status and respiratory conditions) across four time periods (1999-2002, 2003-06, 2007-10 and 2011-12). RESULTS The percentage of the US population that used a prescription antibiotic in the past 30 days significantly declined from 6.1% in 1999-2002 to 4.1% in 2011-12 (P < 0.001). Declines were also identified for five age groups (0-1 year, 6-11 years, 12-17 years, 18-39 years and 40-59 years), both sexes, non-Hispanic white and non-Hispanic black persons, persons with and without insurance and among those who currently had asthma. Significant declines were also observed for three categories of antibiotics (penicillins, cephalosporins and macrolide derivatives). Of the most common antibiotics prescribed, only amoxicillin use decreased significantly. CONCLUSIONS Overall, there was a significant decline in the use of antibiotics between 1999-2002 and 2011-12. Due to concerns about antimicrobial resistance, it is important to continue monitoring the use of antibiotics.
Patterns and Trends of Newly Diagnosed HIV Infections Among Adults and Adolescents in Correctional and Noncorrectional Facilities, United States, 2008–2011

Objectives. We aimed to determine whether the patterns and trends of HIV infections newly diagnosed within correctional and noncorrectional facilities differ.Methods. We classified persons newly diagnosed with HIV infection in the United States between 2008 and 2011 (n = 181 710) by correctional and noncorrectional facilities where diagnoses were first made, and stratified by sex, age group, race/ethnicity, transmission category, and diagnosis year.Results. An estimated 9187 persons were newly diagnosed with HIV infection in 2008 to 2011 while incarcerated, representing approximately 5.1% of the 181 710 HIV infections diagnosed in the United States during this period. Of these incarcerated persons, 84% were male, 30% were aged 30 to 39 years, 59% were Black/African American, and 51% of the men had been exposed through male-to-male sexual contact. Yearly numbers of diagnoses declined by 9.9% in correctional versus 0.3% in noncorrectional facilities. The percentage with a late HIV diagnosis was significantl...
Boundary Element Analysis of Non-Linear Wave Forces on Buried Pipelines

In water depths up to 61m offshore pipelines are buried in excavated trenches to minimize their impact on the local environment and to reduce the possibility of accidental damage. For many practical reasons it is not unusual to have several pipelines buried in very close proximity to one another. A two-dimensional boundary element method which can be used to predict the seabed pressure field and the surface wave induced forces on a single buried pipe or any cluster configuration is presented. Of particular interest for design practice is the introduction of non-linear stream function wave theory into the formulation. A comparison of the boundary element model predictions with the analytical solution for a single buried pipeline, and a finite element model, which was validated using small scale laboratory tests is presented and discussed. The use of linear and non-linear ocean surface wave theories is examined and predictions of wave induced forces on several cluster configurations is presented. The two-dimensional boundary element approach is shown to be efficient and very suitable for this type of offshore application.
Flow in a Sharp Corner

The flow in a V-shaped open channel is studied in the Reynolds number regime where laminar and turbulent flow can coexist. The narrow corner produces a relatively thick laminar sublayer which permits the insertion of measuring apparatus for its study. This laminar sublayer and the associated transition region appear to show many of the same phenomena as the laminar sublayer on a flat surface. The flow can be divided into three rather distinct regions—laminar, transition, and turbulent—approximately along lines of equal velocity. The transition region is characterized by intermittent turbulence, especially near the turbulent limit. Some of the turbulent properties which characterize the transition and turbulent region are shown and the mechanism of instability is hypothesized.
Phases of He3 Monolayer Films Adsorbed on Grafoil

Monolayer films of helium atoms adsorbed on Grafoil (1) show a variety of different phases that have made their study attractive to both theorists and experimenters. Following the experimental discovery of a quantum gas phase by Bretz and Dash (2), the same authors found at higher densities a substrate ordered phase (3), and a He4 two dimensional (2D) solid phase (4). Only a few He3 coverages were investigated in the above experiments. A more detailed study of He3 was carried out by McLean (5) over a larger temperature range (.036K< T < 4.2K) but only over a limited density range (.25 < x < .62; x ≡ partial monolayer coverage). A full report on all the above experiments will be published shortly. (6)
Some Consequences of Bilateral Oligopoly and Vertical Integration in Bread Markets

This paper explores the relationship between changes in market structure and changes in market conduct and performance. It presents evidence as to whether grocery chains have through direct and indirect competition, improved the performance of food processing industries. In bread markets, they do not seem to have done so, at least with respect to selling costs. For bread prices, the evidence differs by region with Pacific markets showing the least improvement. Nationwide, private label bread price savings represent only a small part of the total competitive benefit consumers may reasonably expect in bread markets. The recent behavior of grocery chains in bread markets is not consistent with the broader public interest in effective price competition and efficient industrial organization. There is a need for further research into the competitive relationship between grocery chains and their supplier industries.
A Reduced-Form Model for Valuing Bonds with Make-Whole Call Provisions

AbstractWe develop a reduced-form valuation model for bonds with make-whole call provisions. Informed by the structural differences between callable bonds with fixed call prices and callable bonds with make-whole call provisions, we specify our reduced-form model so that the call spread depends inversely on the default intensity. Using a sample of make-whole callable bonds, we estimate the parameters of our model using the extended Kalman filter and compare the performance of our model with the performance of a well-known reduced-form model for fixed-price callable bonds.
A Large Dataset of Generalization Patterns in the Number Game

We present a dataset with 272,700 two-alternative forced choice responses in a simple numerical task modeled after Tenenbaum’s “number game” experiment [6]. Subjects were shown a set (e.g. {16, 12}) and asked what other numbers were likely to belong to that set (e.g. 1, 5, 2, 98). Their generalization patterns reflect both rule-like (e.g. ‘even numbers,’ ‘powers of two’) and distance-based (e.g. ‘numbers near 50’) generalization. This dataset is available for further analysis of these simple and intuitive inferences, developing of hands-on modeling instruction, and attempts to understand how probability and rules interact in human cognition.
FEVER OF UNKNOWN ORIGIN IN HIV/AIDS PATIENTS

Fevers of unknown origin (FUO) in HIV/AIDS patients are due to the same infectious causes that are common in this subset of compromised hosts but manifest clinically as prolonged fevers. In North America, the most common etiologies of FUO in HIV/AIDS are due to intracellular pathogens, i.e., disseminated Mycobacterium avium-intracellulare, Pneumocystis carinii pneumonia (PCP), fungi or cytomegalovirus. Worldwide, leishmaniasis and Mycobacterium tuberculosis are the most important. Infections presenting as FUOs in the HIV population occur only in the late stages of illness when the CD4 count is < 100.
Deep-tissue imaging with time-reversed light

In this talk I will describe several deep-tissue imaging strategies based on wavefront engineering and optical time reversal - with the goal to enable optical imaging in previously unreachable areas of the brain.
Effects on rat kidney slice function in vitro of proteins from the urines of patients with myelomatosis and nephrosis.

1. The effects were investigated of non-dialysable substances obtained from urines of patients with nephrotic syndrome and those with myelomatosis (heavily laden with light chains) on renal function in a system in vitro. 2. The ability of the rat kidney slice to accumulate hippurate and tetraethylammonium (TEA), and to produce ammonia and glucose, was measured after incubation in urine proteins from ten patients with myelomatosis. All slice functions measured at protein concentrations of 10 mg/ml decreased significantly compared with control. Hippurate accumulation averaged 58%, TEA accumulation, 53%, ammoniagenesis, 59%, and gluconeogenesis, 57% of control. An inverse relationship between protein concentration and hippurate accumulation was noted. 3. Slices incubated in proteins from eight nephrotic patients showed no consistent decrease from control in hippurate accumulation (95%), TEA accumulation (103%), ammoniagenesis (91%) or gluconeogenesis (92%). 4. Since urinary proteins from patients with myelomatosis, unlike urinary proteins from the nephrotic patients, had a consistently deleterious effect on the function of renal slices, this suggests that proteins found in urines from myelomatous patients may play a role in the disturbance of proximal tubular function sometimes seen in this disorder.
Determination of nutrient components and principal component analysis of different varieties of rice

The nutrient and active components of eight varieties of rice were analyzed and principal component analysis was used for data analysis. The results show that chemical compositions of eight varieties of rice have some significant association. Red rice has a higher content of ash, iron, zinc, γ-aminobutyric acid and flavonoids. Red rice is an excellent source of γ-aminobutyric acid, and is also as active rice for development. The first principal component(PC1) reflects variety feature, and the second principal component(PC2) reflects origin feature. The nutrient and active components are related to both the origin and variety of rice.
Role of vacuolation in the death of gastric epithelial cells

The effect of vacuolation on survival of gastric epithelial cells was studied in rabbit gastric glands (RGG) incubated with ammonia and bafilomycin A1, a potent inhibitor of vacuolar ATPase activity. In ammonia, large vacuoles formed and cell survival was reduced to 47.2 +/- 3.4% at 6 h (59.5 +/- 3.8%, buffer). Bafilomycin A1 added at the start to RGG incubated with ammonia inhibited vacuole formation but did not improve cell survival (48.7 +/- 2.8% at 6 h). Bafilomycin A1 added 1-2 h after addition of ammonia reduced the size of vacuoles but did not alter cell survival. Cell survival was not affected by inhibiting protein synthesis. When incubated with ammonia, parietal cells dissociated from the gland and ruptured. After this, chief cells condensed and formed expensive blebs that contained fragmented nuclei. We conclude that 1)ammonia-induced vacuolation of gastric epithelial cells does not influence cell survival, 2) ammonia facilitates necrosis in parietal cells and apoptosis in chief cells, and 3) chief cell survival, in some manner, may be dependent on parietal cells.
“Henry's brilliant sister”: The Pivotal Role of Sophia Thoreau in Her Brother's Posthumous Publications

Abstract Ever since the publication of Henry Thoreau's four posthumous essay collections, bibliographers and biographers have credited Ralph Waldo Emerson, in the case of Excursions (1863), or William Ellery Channing, in the case of The Maine Woods (1864), Cape Cod (1865), and A Yankee in Canada (1866), with either editing the collections or co-editing them with Sophia Thoreau, Henry's younger sister. This essay provides evidence from letters, books, diaries, and articles, as well as from the essay manuscripts themselves, that Sophia Thoreau alone edited her brother's essay collections for publication after his death from tuberculosis in 1862. She alone also chose the editor for her brother's Journal before her death in 1876.
Allogeneic peripheral blood stem cell transplantation using normal patient-related pediatric donors.

Successful allogeneic peripheral blood progenitor cell (PBPC) transplantation has recently been reported by several transplant centers. This is a first report describing allogeneic PBPC transplantation in five patients using related pediatric donors between the ages of 4 and 13 years. Donors underwent 3 or 4 days of rhG-CSF treatment (6 micrograms/kg q 12 h) for stem cell peripheralization prior to PBPC collection, which was performed by continuous-flow apheresis on day 4 or 5. Venous access was exclusively by ante-cubital veins. A median of 2.2 times (range 1.4-3.6) the donor's total blood volume (TBV) was processed per procedure. In cases where the donor's TBV was 1000/microliters was between 10 and 16 days (four out of five evaluable patients), and platelets > 20000/microliters were reached between day 13 and 14 post-transplantation (three out of five evaluable patients). Two out of three evaluable patients developed grades one and three acute GVHD, and one out of three developed chronic GVHD. Two patients died of sepsis and VOD at day 10 and 19, respectively. Two adult patients are alive and in cytogenetic and molecular remission of CML at +339 and +227 days post-allotransplantation. One 3-year-old girl with hemophagocytic lymphohistiocytosis is in remission at +304 days post-transplantation. Using pediatric donors for allogeneic PBPC transplantation appears to be safe, yields a sufficient amount of progenitors for prompt engraftment, and results in clinical outcome similar to adult PBPC allotransplantation.
Intrinsic Versus Extrinsic Cancer Risk Factors and Aging

Two recent stimulating publications have examined the causes of cancer, comparing ‘bad luck' versus environment as main risk factors for cancer incidence. However, bringing aging into the picture might question the entire debate.
Scaffolding c-Jun N-Terminal Kinase Cascades: Mechanistic Insights from the Reconstituted Arrestin-JNK Cascades

Although other subtypes appear to interact at least with some kinases in the ASK1-MKK4/7-JNK1/2/3 cascades, only arrestin-3 facilitates JNK activation in cells. While cell-based assays are suggestive, only the experiments with purified proteins can definitively show which protein-protein interactions are direct. Pure arrestin-3 was shown to facilitate the phosphorylation of JNK3 and other isoforms by MKK4 and MKK7. Biphasic dependence of the effect on arrestin-3 concentration showed that arrestin acts as a simple scaffold, bringing the kinases (MKKs ) and their substrates (JNKs ) into close proximity, rather than by activating MKKs or their substrate JNKs. Dissections of arrestin-3 elements involved allowed the identification of a surprisingly small 25-residue peptide that binds all relevant kinases and promotes JNK3 activation in cells.
Scene understanding for adaptive manipulation in robotized construction work

Abstract Unlike manufacturing robots, whose kinematics are pre-programmed based on robust metrology, tight tolerances, and rigid workpieces, construction robots operate under conditions of imperfect metrology, loose tolerances, and large workpiece uncertainties. Despite having access to a designed Building Information Model (BIM), construction robots must sense and model their actual environment, and adapt their kinematic plan to compensate for deviations from the expected. This research investigates methods to enable the autonomous sensing and modeling of construction objects so construction robots can ultimately adapt to unexpected circumstances and perform quality work. To that end, two construction component model fitting techniques are presented, namely the Clustering and Iterative Closest Point (CICP) construction component model fitting technique and the Generalized Resolution Correlative Scan Matching (GRCSM) construction component model fitting technique. The GRCSM construction component model fitting technique employs the presented GRCSM search algorithm, which is a modified version of the existing Multi-Resolution Correlative Scan Matching (MRCSM) search algorithm. Three experiments are presented to evaluate the ability of the CICP and GRCSM construction component model fitting techniques to model construction features. It was found that the CICP and GRCSM construction component model fitting techniques are capable of estimating the pose and geometry of arbitrarily shaped objects and construction joints, but are susceptible to modeling error. Despite their limitations, the CICP and GRCSM construction component model fitting techniques appear to be promising tools for the geometric estimation of construction features, especially for situations involving full automation, detailed construction work, incomplete sensor data, and complex object geometry.
Medical contraindications to estrogen and contraceptive use among women veterans.

Background Women Veterans have high rates of medical comorbidities and may be particularly vulnerable to adverse health outcomes associated with unintended pregnancy.
Interface Strain Induced Hydrophobic Facet Suppression in Cellulose Nanocomposite Embedded with Highly Oxidized Monolayer Graphene Oxide

In nature, cellulose is a unique lightweight biopolymer with outstanding mechanical and optical properties that is readily available. Rigorous investigations have been conducted to use cellulose as an ingredient in the advanced functional composite design. In this work, a hybrid film composed of homogeneous cellulose nanocrystals (CNC) and high oxidation graphene oxide (GO) is obtained by sufficient blending and vacuum filtration. For the first time through the X-ray diffraction (XRD) spectrum, the suppression of the originally ordered hydrophobic (200) facet of CNC is observed with increasing concentrations of GO. Further, the originally ordered hydrophilic (110)/(1-10) facets of CNC remain intact. Through systematic molecular dynamics simulations of a set of simplified CNC–GO sandwich structures, the mechanism behind this hydrophilic/hydrophobic facets manipulation is revealed. The strain induced by the hydrogen bonding between the CNC hydroxyl groups and the oxidation types on GO is the dominant reason to cause the suppression of the hydrophobic facet of CNC in CNC–GO hybrid film. This strain induced mechanism provides an understanding for intrinsically manipulating cellulose–matrix interface and potentially engineering the cellulose based nanocomposite material properties for future advanced materials development.
Dynamic Hedging, Expected Returns and Factor Timing

The asset pricing Euler equation identifies latent components of time-varying expected returns when conditioned on a Markov state. Using data from the Fama and French three- and five- factor models and momentum (UMD), we show a single statistic constructed from the latent expected return dynamics - the spectral gap - forecasts market returns with an out-of-sample R-squared of 10.8% annually. Moreover, replicating portfolios for the risk-factor forecasts - timing portfolios - generate returns with higher out-of-sample Sharpe ratios than the underlying mimicking portfolios. Exposure to unexpected returns to the market timing portfolio is priced, while the residual variation in the market is not. Gains from market, value (HML) and momentum timing policies are compensation for risk, while timing size (SMB) exploits un-priced common variation. The findings have implications for parametric models of asset returns.
Sidelying glenohumeral passive internal rotation range of motion values in a healthy collegiate population.

Purpose/Background: The sleeper stretch is a common intervention prescribed for individuals with decreased glenohumeral internal rotation. Passive glenohumeral internal rotation (GHIR) when quantified in sidelying has been suggested to be a more reliable measure as compared to measurments performed in supine with the humerus abducted to 90. Recently, the sidelying position has also been proposed as an evaluative measure to quantify GHIR. Minimal work however has described mean GHIR values in sidelying. Therefore, the objective of this study was to establish preliminary mean passive GHIR values in sidelying for a healthy, college-age population. Secondary purposes were to ascertain if mean values were affected by upper extremity dominance or sex. Methods: Using a standardized protocol, passive GHIR was measured using a digital inclinometer on the dominant and non-dominant shoulders of 60 healthy, college-age participants (32 female [20.66±1.15 years, 170.70±14.38 cm, 63.34±7.51 kg] and 28 male [21.50±1.40 years, 183.81±13.17 cm, 90.04±17.91 kg]). Results: The sidelying passive GHIR grand mean for all participants bilaterally was 50.4 ± 11.7. Mean passive GHIR values on the non-dominant side (52.7 ± 10.2) were greater than those on the dominant side (48.0 ± 12.5) (p = 0.002). There was no difference when GHIR values were compared by sex (p = 0.327) and a significant interaction between UE dominance and sex was not apparent (p = 0.693).
Clinical findings and survival time in dogs with advanced heart failure.

Background Dogs with advanced heart failure are a clinical challenge for veterinarians but there are no studies reporting clinical features and outcome of this population. Hypothesis/objectives To describe clinical findings and outcome of dogs with advanced heart failure caused by degenerative mitral valve disease (DMVD). Animals Fifty-four dogs with advanced heart failure because of DMVD. Methods For study purposes, advanced heart failure was defined as recurrence of congestive heart failure signs despite receiving the initially prescribed dose of pimobendan, angiotensin-converting-enzyme inhibitor (ACEI), and furosemide >4 mg/kg/day. Data were collected for the time of diagnosis of Stage C heart failure and time of diagnosis of advanced heart failure. Date of death was recorded. Results At the diagnosis of advanced heart failure, doses of pimobendan (n = 30), furosemide (n = 28), ACEI (n = 13), and spironolactone (n = 4) were increased, with ≥1 new medications added in most dogs. After initial diagnosis of advanced heart failure, 38 (70%) dogs had additional medications adjustments (median = 2 [range, 0-27]), with the final total medication number ranging from 2-10 (median = 5). Median survival time after diagnosis of advanced heart failure was 281 days (range, 3-885 days). Dogs receiving a furosemide dose >6.70 mg/kg/day had significantly longer median survival times (402 days [range, 3-885 days] versus 129 days [range 9-853 days]; P = .017). Conclusions and clinical importance Dogs with advanced heart failure can have relatively long survival times. Higher furosemide dose and non-hospitalization were associated with longer survival.
Telemental Health Approaches for Trauma Survivors

The past couple of decades have witnessed a veritable explosion of technology development and services with nearly ubiquitous uptake of innovative electronic products. In fact, today about 40 % of the earth’s population has access to the Internet, and there are almost as many mobile phone subscriptions as there are people on the planet (International Telecommunications Union [ITU] 2014). Virtually overnight, we have become reliant on these technologies for many of our everyday activities, such as finding information, shopping, banking, and staying connected to friends and family. Modes of communication have multiplied to include options such as no-cost web-based video calling, instant messaging at home or on the go, and asynchronous microblogging tools for connected self-reflection. The latest generation of mobile phones, called smartphones, offers capabilities and functions that only a few short years ago were unimaginable or only available on stationary computers. As these technologies continue to transform our everyday lives, their potential to address the tremendous unmet mental healthcare needs of trauma survivors is also beginning to be realized through innovative telemental health (TMH) approaches.
Behavioral Perspectives on Violent Behavior

In 1994, the most recent year for which we had official police statistics, 23,310 Americans were murdered, 102,100 were raped, 618, 820 were robbed, and 1,119,950 were assaulted by someone using a weapon (Federal Bureau of Investigation [FBI], 1995). These figures underestimate the extent of violent crime in America because many crimes are never reported to the police, particularly those involving intrafamily violence. Although the rate of violent crime in the United States has flattened or, for some crimes, even declined in the 1990s, most Americans continue to list the fear of violent crime as one of their most important concerns.
Experimental Research in Managerial Accounting

Abstract We discuss the importance of conducting experimental research in managerial accounting and provide a framework for understanding and assessing the contributions of research in this area. We then use this framework to organize, integrate, and evaluate the existing experimental managerial accounting research. Based on our review and synthesis of the literature, we suggest avenues for future experimental research in managerial accounting.
Simulation in Plastic Surgery

The following chapter provides an overview of the several types of simulation being employed in plastic surgery education and medical practice. Modes of simulation range from inanimate two-dimensional models, to animal models, to fresh perfused human cadaver. Simulation models used in plastic surgery allow for practice of skin and soft tissue techniques, as well as detailed microsurgery. Advances over the years have allowed simulation to be useful not only in conceptual teaching but also in presurgical preparation. Simulation in plastic surgery continues to be explored as an assessment tool for medical trainees. The use of simulation in plastic surgery is still in its fairly early stages and will likely have vast implications in the future.
Reliable Clinical MLH1 Promoter Hypermethylation Assessment Using a High-Throughput Genome-Wide Methylation Array Platform.

Clinical testing for MLH1 promoter hypermethylation status is important in the workup of patients with MLH1-deficient colorectal and uterine carcinomas when evaluating patients for Lynch syndrome. Current assays use single gene–based methods to assess promoter hypermethylation. Herein, we describe the development and report the performance of a clinical assay for MLH1 promoter hypermethylation using the Infinium methylationEPIC (850k) bead-array platform. Using four cytosine-guanine dinucleotide (CpG) sites within the MLH1 gene promoter, a qualitative MLH1 promoter hypermethylation assay was developed and validated using 63 gastrointestinal and uterine carcinoma samples of known hypermethylation status based on a pyrosequencing reference test. The array-based method achieves clinically robust and reproducible results at an analytical sensitivity level of 8%. Of importance, the 850k array contains probes targeting >850,000 additional CpG sites across the genome, covering sites in most known genes as well as important enhancer regions provided by the Encyclopedia of DNA Elements and Functional Annotation of The Mammalian Genome projects. Thus, the testing modality presented may also be applied to determine the methylation status of other clinically relevant genes or regulatory regions, potentially providing a single laboratory testing workflow for all clinical methylation assays. Furthermore, the concomitant acquisition of genome-wide methylation information provides a workflow that seamlessly enables wider translational epigenetic research.
Addition of carboplatin to chemotherapy regimens for metastatic castrate-resistant prostate cancer in post-second generation hormone therapy setting: Does it improve treatment response and survival outcomes?

e17540Background: The clinical course in metastatic castrate-resistant prostate cancer (mCRPC) can be complicated when patients have disease progression after treatment with 2nd generation hormone ...
64Gb/s PAM4 and 160Gb/s 16QAM modulation reception using a low-voltage Si-Ge waveguide-integrated APD

We demonstrate waveguide-integrated silicon-germanium avalanche photodiodes with a maximum responsivity of 15.2 A/W at 16x avalanche gain, and 33 GHz bandwidth. Intensity-modulation-direct-detection (IMDD) and coherent channel reception test demonstrated the APD's performance with higher-order formats, allowing 32 Gbaud PAM-4 and 40 Gbaud 16QAM channel reception without any digital signal processing conventionally used for receiver impairments mitigation.
Iron mineralization and core dissociation in mammalian homopolymeric H-ferritin: Current understanding and future perspectives

Abstract Background The mechanism of iron oxidation and core formation in homopolymeric H-type ferritins has been extensively studied in-vitro, so has the reductive mobilization of iron from the inorganic iron(III) core. However, neither process is well-understood in-vivo despite recent scientific advances. Scope of review Here, we provide a summary of our current understanding of iron mineralization and iron core dissolution in homopolymeric H-type ferritins and highlight areas of interest and further studies that could answer some of the outstanding questions of iron metabolism. Major conclusions The overall iron oxidation mechanism in homopolymeric H-type ferritins from vertebrates (i.e. human H and frog M ferritins) is similar, despite nuances in the individual oxidation steps due to differences in the iron ligand environments inside the three fold channels, and at the dinuclear ferroxidase centers. Ferrous cations enter the protein shell through hydrophilic channels, followed by their rapid oxidization at di‑iron centers. Hydrogen peroxide produced during iron oxidation can react with additional iron(II) at ferroxidase centers, or at separate sites, or possibly on the surface of the mineral core. In-vitro ferritin iron mobilization can be achieved using a variety of reducing agents, but in-vivo iron retrieval may occur through a variety of processes, including proteolytic degradation, auxiliary iron mobilization mechanisms involving physiological reducing agents, and/or oxidoreductases. General significance This review provides important insights into the mechanisms of iron oxidation and mobilization in homopolymeric H-type ferritins, and different strategies in maintaining iron homeostasis.
Effect of Specimen Thickness on the Degradation of Mechanical Properties of Ferritic-Martensitic P91 Steel by Direct-fired Supercritical CO2 Power Cycle Environment

In this study, degradation of the mechanical properties of 9Cr ferritic-martensitic P91 steel by supercritical CO2 (sCO2) power cycle environment was investigated. P91 tensile specimens of 2.54 mm and 0.5 mm thicknesses were exposed to a simulated direct-fired sCO2 power cycle environment at 650 °C for 1000 hours. The exposed specimens were tensile stressed at room temperature and the resulting deformation behaviors were studied. While the thicker P91 had ductile failure with decreased ductility, the failure of the thinner P91 was completely brittle and at a significantly lower tensile stress. These results indicate that the mechanical properties of the thinner P91 were severely degraded by the exposure. Microstructural analyses reveal that the thinner P91 became carbon saturated. This resulted in breakaway oxidation, where fast growing iron-rich oxide layers consumed a significant portion of the specimen thickness. The thicker P91 also carburized during the exposure, however it did not become carbon saturated and growth of iron-rich oxide layers consumed a much smaller portion of the thickness. Hardness tests performed on specimen cross-sections showed increased hardness for both thicknesses. However, the increase was considerable for the thinner P91, where a thick oxide layer and extensive carbide formation in the alloy caused its brittle failure.
Early Effects of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Housing Market in the United States

I use daily data from fifty major cities to investigate the early effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on housing market in the United States. I find that starting from the second half of March, 2020, new home listings and pending home sales started to decrease. By mid-April, certain markets experienced more than 60% drop in new home listings and pending home sales relative to the same time period in the previous year. The collapse of the housing market is broad based, hitting all major cities, regardless of the intensity of virus spread or timing of the introduction of state level policies to combat the pandemic. The only exception is the closure of non-essential businesses at certain states, which is associated with up to a 9 percentage point decrease in new home listings.
Book Review, Emily Bazelon, Charged: The New Movement to Transform American Prosecution and End Mass Incarceration

The role of the prosecutor is currently undergoing a major shift in a steadily increasing number of counties across the United States. Until the past five years or so, prosecutors were generally expected to go after those who commit crime with relentless zeal, sparing little concern for the scale and harshness of our carceral system. But this has recently begun to change. Several dozen district attorneys (“DAs”) who plausibly describe themselves as reformers or, in many instances, as “progressive prosecutors” have now won elections by promising to shrink the vast footprint of America’s criminal justice system. That figure by itself might fail to impress considering that there are over 2300 elected DAs in the United States. The new crop of reform-oriented prosecutors punch above their weight, however, since many of them hold power in high-density urban centers like Brooklyn, Chicago, Philadelphia, and Boston. All told, “about 40 million Americans, more than 12 percent of the population, live[s] in a city or county with a D.A. who . . . could be considered a reformer.” What should we make of these reformist prosecutors, and how do they fit within the larger movement to transform American criminal justice? Emily Bazelon wrestles with these questions in her new book, Charged: The New Movement to Transform American Prosecution and End Mass Incarceration. Bazelon has reported on prosecutors and other criminal justice topics for years at The New York Times Magazine and, previously, Slate; she is also a lecturer in law and the Truman Capote Fellow at Yale Law School. Through an engaging mix of investigative journalism centered on two specific prosecutions and incisive analysis of broader national trends, Bazelon makes the case that American prosecutors have misused their immense power to punish far too many people much too harshly and, further, that prosecutors must now exercise that same power differently to help reverse mass incarceration. Even more ambitiously, Bazelon argues that electing prosecutors who are serious about decarceration represents “the most promising means of reform . . . on the political landscape.” Charged is an important, insightful book. To be clear, I am not entirely convinced by the strongest version of Bazelon’s thesis: namely, that prosecutorial power is the main culprit behind mass incarceration as well as our best hope for escaping from it. It seems to me that other stakeholders besides prosecutors—legislatures, courts, police, defendants and their lawyers, community leaders, and more—also have key roles to play, both as a general matter and in the two prosecutions that Bazelon puts under the microscope. But the abundant discretionary power wielded by prosecutors unquestionably matters a great deal. Charged invites much-needed reflection on how prosecutors should exercise that power through its trenchant critique of conventional prosecutors and its rich exploration of their reformist brethren.
Relevance Through a Feminist Lens

Evidence theorists have long recognized that relevance is contingent upon generalizing from social understandings or experience. Because knowledge and experience shape our understanding of relevance, assessing relevance naturally raises fundamental questions that are at the heart of feminist inquiry: Whose knowledge, and whose experience? The answers to these questions drive relevance determinations in ways that have been subject to feminist critique. At the same time, relevance’s social contingency holds the potential to validate alternative ways of knowing and to expand the process of arriving at truth. This chapter begins by exploring the contingent nature of the relevance inquiry from a feminist perspective. It then considers the practical importance of relevance in incorporating new baseline positions into legal judgment as a result of legal or non-legal change
Direct Experimental Characterization of a Bridged Bicyclic Glycosyl Dioxacarbenium Ion by 1 H and 13 C NMR Spectroscopy: Importance of Conformation on Participation by Distal Esters.

Low-temperature NMR studies with a 4-C-methyl-4-O-benzoyl galactopyranosyl donor enable the observation and characterization of a bridged bicyclic dioxacarbenium ion arising from participation by a distal ester. Variable-temperature NMR studies reveal this bridged ion to decompose at temperatures above ≈-30 °C. In the absence of the methyl group, the formation of a bicyclic ion is not observed. It is concluded that participation by typical secondary distal esters in glycosylation reactions is disfavored in the ground state conformation of the ester from which it is stereoelectronically impossible. Methylation converts the secondary ester to a conformationally more labile tertiary ester, removes this barrier, and renders participation more favorable. Nevertheless, the minor changes in selectivity in model glycosylation reactions on going from the secondary to the tertiary esters at both low and room temperature argue against distal group participation being a major stereodirecting factor even for the tertiary system.
É possível conciliar educação com trabalho infantil

Na maioria dos paises, as leis sobre ensino obrigatorio e trabalho do menor refletem a ideia de que o estudo e a participacao economica da crianca sao incompativeis e que, portanto, as criancas em idade escolar devem ser obrigadas a frequentar a escola e proibidas de trabalhar. No entanto, uma politica diferente, que busca conciliar trabalho infantil com a educacao, de forma que as criancas possam acomodar ambos em sua vida, pode, em ultima analise, ser mais benefica a elas e a sociedade. O fato de haver, na pratica, varios modelos para se combinar educacao com trabalho sugere que essa politica pode ser implementada com sucesso.
Non-Reflecting SFBF Termination Inverting From TFSF Discontinuity Decomposition

This paper presents a scattering termination using a perfectly non-reflecting scattering-field boundary-field (SFBF) decomposition equivalent to the total field scattered field in principle. Unlike Dirichlet-to-Neumann mapping techniques, local space–time evaluation is achieved by invoking one-sided differential definition directly operating on Maxwell equations. Efficient bilateral implementation is also developed to avoid solving higher order paraxial difference equations. Numerical results show the SFBF has a better early-time and evanescent wave termination accuracy than the convolution perfectly matched layer.
Observations of the Mesoscale Magnetic Structure of Sunspots

Recent inferences of the mesoscale structure of spot magnetic fields based on high spectral resolution Stokes vector polarization profiles for both visual and infrared lines are reviewed and partly considered from the point of view of self-similarity. The Evershed flow is briefly examined with regard to the non-uniqueness of the inferred intrinsic flow field and its relation to the inclination of the penumbral magnetic field.
Chapter 12 Handedness and Its Relationship to Ability and Talent

Publisher Summary Handedness is the preference shown by children and adults for left versus right hand use in unimanual tasks. A variety of questionnaires have been developed to measure such preference, with the Edinburgh Handedness Inventory being the most famous and widely employed. Handedness is important in that it serves as a potential neuropsychological marker of underlying brain development and may also reflect the manner in which cognitive functions are localized to the left or right cerebral hemispheres. This proposed link between brain function and hand dominance raises a question of particular interest: namely, whether hand preference systematically relates to individual differences in intellectual abilities and/or talents. Lefthanders do less well than right-handers on the performance component of the Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale (WAIS) and slightly better than right-handers on the verbal component. The chapter considers several factors that may serve to moderate the relationship between handedness and intellectual ability. Of all the variables that moderate the relationship between hand dominance and ability, the strength of handedness and familial sinistrality (FS) have probably received the most attention. FS, in the most general sense, refers to individuals who have left-handed or ambidextrous relatives. It is found that moderately strong left- and right-handed subjects with a positive history of FS (FS +) had slightly lower WAIS IQ scores than left- and right-handers with no evidence of FS (FS -).
The global ocean imprint of ENSO

[1] The ENSO-related spatial patterns and global averages of ocean temperature, salinity, and steric height are estimated from over 7 years of Argo data, 2004–2011. Substantial extratropical variability is seen in all variables in addition to familiar tropical ENSO signals. Surface layer (0–100 dbar) and subsurface (100–500 dbar) temperature variations are both important in determining steric height and sea surface height patterns. For the two years prior to the 2009 El Nino, the upper 100 dbar of the ocean gained 3.3 × 1022 J yr−1 of heat, while the 100–500 dbar layer lost a similar amount. The ENSO-related vertical redistribution of globally-averaged heat content between surface and subsurface layers, occurring throughout the record, is due primarily to changes in the east-west tilting of the equatorial Pacific thermocline. The large temperature changes in the individual layers mask the smaller vertically-averaged temperature change, in which the ocean loses heat when the surface layer is anomalously warm and gains heat when the surface layer is cool.
Backpropagation algorithm in higher order neural network

The supervised backpropagation learning scheme is used to develop a training algorithm for multilayer higher-order neural networks (HONNs). By restructuring the basic HONN architecture, the traditional backpropagation algorithm can be extended to multilayer HONNs. The TC pattern recognition problem is used to compare the performances of various HONNs with different numbers of hidden layers, different numbers of processing elements, and different orders. Simulation results show that, in many causes, the HONN with the same number of training iterations worked better than the conventional first-order networks. >