cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Patient Preferences for the Treatment of Basal Cell Carcinoma: A Mapping Review of Discrete Choice Experiments.

Background Treatment options for skin cancer differ in several attributes including efficacy, convenience, cost, scarring, and side effects. Discrete choice experiments (DCEs) provide insight into how patients value the attributes of their treatment options. Objective To review published DCE data on skin cancer treatment. Methods PubMed database was systematically searched using predefined keyword combinations for articles pertaining to skin cancer treatment and DCEs through October 2017. Three hundred seventy unique article titles were evaluated, and titles that did not mention skin cancer treatment were excluded leaving 44 studies. Abstracts of 44 studies were examined, and studies that used DCEs to query preference for skin cancer treatment were included in this mapping review. Results Six articles that used DCEs to query patient preference for skin cancer treatment were reviewed. All DCE studies identified focused on basal cell carcinoma. Conclusion Discrete choice experiments are a rigorous method of eliciting patient preference for skin cancer surgery. Recurrence was the most important attribute in 4 of the 6 studies reviewed. Appearance was the most important attribute in 1 study and the second most important in 3 studies. Comparisons between studies are limited by the heterogeneity of the treatment attributes and levels included in DCEs.
Science Process Skills

There are many suggestions for what science process skills students should learn and experience, but the most important set of recommendations came in 1967 when a group of science educators and scientists at the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) studied scientists at work and developed a list of skills that were widely used by all scientists.
Actigraphy: The Ambulatory Measurement of Physical Activity

Measurement is as fundamental to modern sport as it is to science. The outcomes of Olympic trials and competitions are sometimes determined by tenths or hundredths of a second. Athletic training typically entails performance measurement in order to guide and enhance training methods. Better performance is often its own reward – that is, observing improvements may strongly motivate competitive athletes.
Introduction to Finite Differences Methods

In this lecture, I discuss the practical aspects of designing Finite Difference methods for Hamilton–Jacobi–Bellman equations of parabolic type arising in quantitative finance. The approach is based on the very powerful and simple framework developed by Barles– Souganidis [4], see the review of the previous chapter. The key property here is the monotonicity which guarantees that the scheme satisfies the same ellipticity condition as the HJB operator. I will provide a number of examples of monotone schemes in these notes. In practice, pure finite difference schemes are only useful in 1, 2, or at most 3 spatial dimensions. One of their merits is to be quite simple and easy to implement. Also, as shown in the previous chapter, they can also be combined with Monte Carlo methods to solve nonlinear parabolic PDEs.
Norton Versus Callicott on Interpreting Aldo Leopold: A Jamesian View

Since Bryan Norton first advocated an American pragmatist reading of Aldo Leopold’s work in 1988, he has been debating with J. Baird Callicott over interpretation of Leopold’s development of the land ethic. In this chapter I give an overview of this debate, defending the general outlines of Norton’s position by bringing in new interpretative work of my own. I argue firstly that Norton is correct to see a Jamesian pragmatist influence on Leopold, but maintain that this is best read as deriving from William James’ own work rather than from the secondary source, Arthur Twining Hadley, and that Norton may have exaggerated the immediacy and strength of the influence. Secondly, I demonstrate how strands of evidence suggest that Leopold read James, and that elements of James’ thought chimed with Leopold’s own perspective sufficiently to support Norton’s claim of a pragmatist influence. Thirdly, I show that aspects of Callicott’s interpretation of Leopold do not exclude a pragmatist reading, and argue that Callicott has misunderstood Jamesian pragmatism in ways that undermine his case. Finally, I suggest that Jamesian pragmatic naturalism has far more radical potential than Callicott allows, and that the wider framing of the debate within the environmental philosophy community as setting pragmatist managerialism against radical ethical innovation has itself been misleading. I conclude that Norton is correct to argue that the American pragmatist tradition is a powerful positive contributor to environmental philosophy and policy, provided that the breadth of pragmatic naturalism itself is sufficiently recognized across the board.
Capacity of the Gaussian Arbitrarily-Varying Channel with List Decoding

This paper considers list-decoding for the Gaussian arbitrarily-varying channel under the average probability of error criterion, where both the legitimate transmission and the state (or adversarial signal) are power limited. For list size L, the capacity is equivalent to the capacity of a standard Gaussian with the noise power raised by the adversary power, if the ratio of the adversary power to the transmitter power is less than L; otherwise, the capacity is zero. The converse proof involves showing that with enough power, an adversary can confuse the decoder by transmitting a superposition of several codewords while satisfying its power constraint with positive probability. The achievability proof uses a novel variant of the Csiszar-Narayan method for the arbitrarily-varying channel.
Endometriosis With Cystic Degeneration: A Rare Disease of Males.

Endometriosis in men is extremely rare with only a few cases reported in the English literature. Different theories have been proposed as to its origin. In this article, we describe the clinicopathologic features of 2 cases of endometriosis occurring in male patients. The patients' ages were 50 and 43 years, and sizes were 2 and 5.2 cm, respectively. No significant chemical or hormonal exposure was identified. Both patients presented with a testicular mass. Grossly, both lesions were cystic and contained hemorrhagic fluid. Microscopic examination revealed cysts and occasional glands lined by low columnar to cuboidal epithelium, surrounded by spindle cell stroma with abundant hemosiderin-laden macrophages reminiscent of endometrium. One case was predominantly intratesticular, with a minute focus of endometrial-type glands and spindled stroma within the tunica vaginalis. Focal chronic inflammation and epithelial denudation were present in both cases. The surrounding testicular and epididymal structures adjacent to the cystic mass were unremarkable. In summary, endometriosis is an extremely rare lesion in men. The presence of these lesions in both cases along the route of the Mullerian duct supports the theory that these lesions arise from embryonic remnants. Awareness of this entity is crucial for general pathologists to avoid wrong diagnosis and unnecessary management.
Transversus abdominis plane blocks with liposomal bupivacaine after open major hepatectomy is associated with reduced early patient-reported pain scores and opioid administration.

Abstract Background Opioid overprescription can contribute to suboptimal patient outcomes. Surgeon-performed transversus abdominis plane blocks appear to be associated with pain reduction. We compared the analgesic efficacy of surgeon-performed transversus abdominis plane blocks for major hepatectomy with or without concurrent neuraxial analgesia. Methods We performed a single-institution review, assessing surgeon-performed transversus abdominis plane blocks for major hepatectomy during 2013–2016. The primary outcome was patient-reported pain (11-point numeric pain-rating scale) and the secondary outcome was opioid consumption. Independent factors predictive of pain control were identified using logistic regression and reported as odds ratios with 95% confidence intervals. Results A total of 232 patients with a mean (± SD) age of 56.5 (±13.9) years; 51.7% were female. Operative duration, incision type, and American Society of Anesthesiologists score were similar between groups. The 24-hour pain score was decreased substantially in patients who received a transversus abdominis plane block compared with those who did not (3 [2–4] versus 5 [4–6], P = .001) and this decrease in pain sscore persisted at 48 hours (2 [1–2] versus 4 [4–5], P = .001). In patients who received a transversus abdominis plane block, there were decreasess in consumption of oral morphine equivalents at 24 hours (322 [± 18] versus 183 [± 15], P = .0001) and 48 hours (100 [± 11] versus 33 [± 9.4], P = .03) compared with those without transversus abdominis plane block respectively. Conclusion In patients receiving a transversus abdominis plane block, early patient opioid consumption was decreased and utilization was predictive for improved pain control. Routine transversus abdominis plane block administration should be considered during major hepatectomy as a step toward curbing systematic reliance on opioids for pain management. A prospective study on the utility of transversus abdominis plane block in hepatectomy is warranted.
Acoustics of Tatar vowels: Articulation and vowel-to-vowel coarticulation

Volga Tatar is a Turkic language spoken by 5 million people in Central Russia for which instrumental acoustic descriptions are lacking. This study uses formant analysis of acoustic recordings from 27 native speakers of Volga Tatar to describe the vowels of Tatar and evaluate the accuracy of previous impressionistic phonetic descriptions. In addition to describing the acoustic vowel space of Tatar, the study uses carefully chosen target words to evaluate vowel-to-vowel coarticulation in height and backness among the Tatar vowels /i, ae, ɑ/. Examining vowel-to-vowel coarticulation in Tatar is of particular theoretical interest due to the presence of vowel harmony in the language. While the majority of native Tatar words are subject to backness, and possibly rounding, harmony, a large class of disharmonic lexical items, mostly from borrowings, provides insight into the coexistence of long-distance phonological vowel assimilation (vowel harmony) and long-distance phonetic vowel assimilation (coarticulation) in the same language. Previous research (Banerjee, Dutta, & S., 2017; Beddor & Yavuz, 1995) suggests that vowel harmony may suppress coarticulation proceeding in the same direction. However, the current results indicate that direction of coarticulation in Tatar is mediated primarily by other factors, such as target and trigger vowel identity.Volga Tatar is a Turkic language spoken by 5 million people in Central Russia for which instrumental acoustic descriptions are lacking. This study uses formant analysis of acoustic recordings from 27 native speakers of Volga Tatar to describe the vowels of Tatar and evaluate the accuracy of previous impressionistic phonetic descriptions. In addition to describing the acoustic vowel space of Tatar, the study uses carefully chosen target words to evaluate vowel-to-vowel coarticulation in height and backness among the Tatar vowels /i, ae, ɑ/. Examining vowel-to-vowel coarticulation in Tatar is of particular theoretical interest due to the presence of vowel harmony in the language. While the majority of native Tatar words are subject to backness, and possibly rounding, harmony, a large class of disharmonic lexical items, mostly from borrowings, provides insight into the coexistence of long-distance phonological vowel assimilation (vowel harmony) and long-distance phonetic vowel assimilation (coarticulation) in...
Partial Shade Endurance Testing for Monolithic Photovoltaic Modules

In monolithically integrated photovoltaic (PV) modules, including CdTe, CIGS, and a-Si modules, some shadows can cause permanent damage under some operating conditions. This damage reduces efficiency and causes shunts that are visible to the eye and in luminescence imaging. Although these shadows are sometimes forbidden by product documentation, we have observed this type of damage in utility-scale PV systems. Existing standards ensure that qualified modules are safe to use after they are damaged by shadows. But no standard test exists to quantify the loss of efficiency that can result from this damage. In this work we describe new, accelerated tests to quantify the power loss that occurs due to shadows from human bodies and narrow objects, such as tools, placed nearby or directly touching modules. The tests are designed to be easy to conduct uniformly across products and laboratories. The tests can be performed outdoors and last only a few minutes. In our trials on commercial products, these tests resulted in 2%–27% permanent loss in power at standard test conditions (STC). The relative loss was several times larger when measured at lower irradiance. The tests we describe can be used to differentiate products, to direct the development of technological solutions to shadow sensitivity at the cell and module levels, and to establish the need for system-level and administrative solutions to the occurrence of shadows. Similar tests will be the basis of a new International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC) technical specification (TS) 63140.
P-025 Off-hour presentation and outcomes in patients with large vessel occlusion after endovascular therapy: a matched case-control study

Background Patients who are admitted during off-hours (nights and weekends) are thought to have worse outcomes. This might be explained by delayed times to treatment. We sought to determine the effect of off-hour presentation on processes of care and outcomes at a comprehensive stroke center. Methods We reviewed our prospectively collected endovascular database at a tertiary care academic institution between Sep 2010-Dec 2016. All patients that underwent endovascular therapy for large vessel occlusion acute ischemic stroke were included and categorized into two groups: those arriving during regular hours (weekday 7 AM–7 PM) or off-hours. The 2 groups were then matched for age, baseline NIHSS and glucose levels using a weighted Euclidian distance method. Baseline, procedural, and radiological characteristics, as well as outcome parameters were compared. Results 926 (463 pairs) patients were included. Patients presenting off-hours had higher rates of hypertension (78.2% vs 66.7%, p Conclusions Our study shows that patients presenting off-hours have similar picture to puncture times and clinical outcomes as those presenting during regular hours. Disclosures J. Grossberg: 1; C; Georgia Research Alliance. 4; C; NTI. M. Bouslama: None. D. Haussen: None. M. Frankel: None. R. Nogueira: None.
Zooplankton abundance and transport in a tropical White-water river

Zooplankton abundance and transport were studied in the Apure River of western Venuzuela over a 15-month period. Much of the lower portion of the drainage basin, which is an extensive savanna of low relief, is subject to seasonal flooding. Although more than 50 zooplankton species were recorded during the study, nine rotifer species accounted for more than 90% of total density (mean, 138 individuals · L-1). Copepods were represented primarily by Mesocyclops decipiens. Most cladocerans were planktonic, but cladocerans were not abundant. Crustaceans comprised 46% of annual mean zooplankton biomass (1.9 μgC·L-1) but only 2% of zooplankton numbers. The annual transport of zooplankton biomass from the watershed was 29 300 kgC. Zooplankton abundance showed a strong, inverse relationship to discharge. Secondary branches (canos) of the braided channel appeared to be the primary source areas, but populations of some species also reproduced in the main channel at low water. As the river began to rise, canos were flushed and thus abruptly ceased to serve as source areas. Zooplankton transport fell sharply and remained low until the river inundated the floodplain. Secondary production in the floodplain was exported to the river as long as a connection existed. After drainage ceased from the floodplain, transport fell to very low levels until canos again became suitable habitat. Seasonal fluctuations in river level regulate the development of source areas suitable for zooplankton growth and control the export of plankton from the source areas. Plankton in the running waters reproduce only at low water.
‘Ideal victims’ in capital penalty hearings: an assessment of victim impact evidence and sentencing outcomes

Critics have argued that victim impact evidence (VIE) may enhance sentencing biases by encouraging judges and juries to treat some types of victims as worthier than others. Yet, research to date ha...
Nonlinear flutter and limit-cycle oscillations of damaged highly flexible composite wings

A study on nonlinear flutter of damaged high- wings is presented. Because an undamaged, high- wing is long and slender, it may be properly modeled as a 1D beam, using a geometrically exact beam formulation. However, structural damages in the form of cracks and delaminations are in fact 3D phenomena. Therefore, the area near a crack cannot be accurately modeled as a reduced-dimensional beam. However, finite element analysis of a wing structure modeled entirely as a 3D continuum is computationally expensive. To address this issue, a joined 3D/1D finite element approach has been proposed in which a small area surrounding the crack is regarded as a 3D continuum, and the rest of the wing structure is modeled as a reduced-dimensional 1D beam undergoing large displacements and rotations. The continuity conditions at the intersection between the 3D and 1D models are derived using the variational asymptotic method, by which the two parts are rigorously connected. Hence, the joined 3D/1D method provides a computationally inexpensive, yet accurate, analysis for slender wings. The structural model is then coupled with a reduced-order unsteady aerodynamic model to compute the aerodynamic forces and moments acting on the wing. The resulting nonlinear aeroelastic element is integrated into Abaqus, a commercial finite element computer code as a nonlinear user-defined element. Through nonlinear time-marching, using a generalized $$\alpha $$ method, limit-cycle oscillations associated with the free response of both undamaged and damaged wings undergoing large deformations are studied, and the differences are highlighted.
A complex measure for linear grammars

The signed real measure of regular languages, introduced and validated in recent literature, has been the driving force for quantitative analysis and synthesis of discrete-event supervisory (DES) control systems dealing with finite state automata (equivalently, regular languages). However, this approach relies on memoryless state-based tools for supervisory control synthesis and may become inadequate if the transitions in the plant dynamics cannot be captured by finitely many states. From this perspective, the measure of regular languages needs to be extended to that of non-regular languages, such as Petri nets or other higher level languages in the Chomsky hierarchy. Measures for non-regular languages has not apparently been reported in open literature and is an open area of research. This paper introduces a complex measure of linear context free grammars (LCFG) that belong to the class of non-regular languages. The proposed complex measure becomes equivalent to the signed real measure, reported in recent literature, if the LCFG is degenerated to a regular grammar.
Reducing opioid utilization after appendectomy: A lesson in implementation of a multidisciplinary quality improvement project.

Abstract Background Perioperative care after appendectomy may be the first exposure to opioids for many children. A quality improvement project was implemented to assess current practice of prescribing pain medications after a laparoscopic appendectomy to decrease unnecessary opioid use via simple, targeted steps. Methods Three measures were implemented in patients undergoing laparoscopic appendectomy for acute appendicitis: (1) ice packs to incision in postanesthesia care unit, (2) standard pain scores within 30 minutes of admission to ward postoperatively, and (3) standardized postoperative order set minimizing opioid utilization and limited number of opioids prescribed at discharge. Pre- and postimplementation data were compared with the primary outcome variable: opioid utilization during the postoperative period. Results There were no statistically significant differences in age or gender between the 814 preimplementation and 263 postimplementation patients. Postimplementation compliance is 66.9% for icepacks, 88% for pain scores, and 94.7% for postoperative order set. There were statistically significant decreases in intravenous and enteral opioids administered, number of opioid doses prescribed at discharge, and patients discharged with an opioid prescription. Conclusion By using a multidisciplinary assessment of current state, culture, and management of parental, patient, and nursing expectations, our institution was able to reduce overall opioid consumption.
Orchiopexy (Open and MIS Approaches)

This chapter describes orchiopexy as performed by the following surgical approaches: open techniques as well as laparoscopic procedures. We introduce the topic by outlining the indications, risks, alternatives, essential steps, needed equipment, and variations in technique for the procedure(s) in question. This is followed by template operative dictations, which provide the reader with sample operative reports, such as is found in a patient chart or electronic medical record.
Conexiones Globales y Locales en Entierros Coloniales en Nejapa, Oaxaca

En Majaltepec, un pueblo colonial en las montanas de la region de Nejapa, se encontraron ocho personas enterradas debajo del piso de una casa de la elite hecho de adobe; algunas con ofrendas de cuentas de vidrio y azabache, un cuchillo de metal, y un malacate de ceramica. Estos individuos fueron enterrados en diferentes momentos, cuyas edades oscilaban entre la infancia y de 15 a 21 anos de edad a la muerte. Las 448 cuentas, completas y fragmentadas, fueron hechas usando varias tecnicas, incluyendo el chapado de oro, que probablemente es originario de Espana, Francia y/o Venecia. Es factible que hayan llegado a la region de Nejapa a traves de clerigos dominicos encargados de evangelizar y extraer tributo de los pueblos indigenas locales en todo Mexico. La mayoria de las cuentas se encontraron como parte de una pieza (o piezas) de joyeria con un broche de cobre; algunas de las cuentas aun enhebradas con hilo de algodon. Aunque los residentes de Nejapa estaban vinculados a las redes de intercambio intercontinentales, ellos adaptaron desde una logica local los bienes extranjeros dentro y fuera de las practicas funerarias. El presente estudio ofrece una vision de las conexiones globales y locales mantenidas entre continentes incluyendo los cambios acelerados durante el periodo Colonial temprano.
Effective Data Versioning for Collaborative Data Analytics

With the massive proliferation of datasets in a variety of sec-tors, data science teams in these sectors spend vast amounts of time collaboratively constructing, curating, and analyzing these datasets. Versions of datasets are routinely generated during this data science process, via various data processing operations like data transformation and cleaning, feature engineering and normalization, among others. However, no existing systems enable us to effectively store, track, and query these versioned datasets, leading to massive redundancy in versioned data storage and making true collaboration and sharing impossible. In my PhD thesis, we develop solutions for versioned data management for collaborative data analytics. In the first part of my dissertation, we extend a relational database to support versioning of structured data. Specifically, we build a system, OrpheusDB, on top of a relational database with a carefully designed data representation and an intelligent partitioning algorithm for fast version control operations. OrpheusDB inherits much of the same benefits of relational databases, while also compactly storing, keeping track of, and recreating versions on demand. However, OrpheusDB implicitly makes a few assumptions, namely that:(a) the SQL assumption: a SQL-like language is the best fit for querying data and versioning information;(b) the structural assumption: the data is in a relational for-mat with a regular structure;(c) the from-scratch assumption: users adopt OrpheusDB from the very beginning of their project and register each data version along with full meta-data in the system. In the second part of my dissertation, we remove each of these assumptions, one at a time. First, we remove the SQL assumption and propose a generalized query language for querying data along with versioning and provenance information. Second, we remove the structural assumption and develop solutions for compact storage and fast retrieval of arbitrary data representations [4]. Finally, we remove the "from-scratch" assumption, by developing techniques to infer lineage relationships among versions residing in an existing data repository.
Perioperative MVT-5873, a fully human monoclonal antibody against a CA 19-9 epitope, for operable CA 19-9 producing pancreatic cancers, cholangiocarcinomas, and metastatic colorectal cancers.

TPS4655Background: Operable hepatopancreatobiliary (HPB) cancers continue to pose significant challenges. Radical resections are rarely curative, and chemotherapy is able to reduce tumor recurrence...
Measuring exposures and their impacts: practical and analytical

Abstract The exposome requires the measurement of a vast array of chemicals in a wide range of media. From exposure assessment, biomonitoring, and the evaluation of biochemical molecules in human samples, it is also essential to move past the measuring of single molecules to the measurement on an omic scale. Shortly after the creation of the field of genomics, other investigators noted the utility of a comprehensive approach to their particular discipline. A means of examining the totality of protein expression, metabolites, lipids, etc., was viewed as an attractive and comprehensive way of study. What followed was an explosion of omic science. This chapter will examine how we measure exposures and their effects.
The Role of Organizational Slack and Human Capital in Managing Performance Shocks: How US Nursing Homes Buffered Hurricane Katrina

Public service organizations employ buffers to ward off disruptive performance shocks such as natural disasters, budget cuts, and uncertain events. Existing applications on buffering focus on how slack human resources are reallocated to high-risk areas during times of uncertainty to dampen the impact these events have on core organizational processes. Besides slack, the quality of human capital is also important. Skilled personnel have the technical acumen and expertise to help managers navigate through treacherous times and still deliver public services. Yet, existing work does not test the impact of these two buffers simultaneously. Using a panel dataset of nursing homes in Louisiana and Mississippi, I explore how personnel slack and human capital helped absorb the devastation of Hurricane Katrina. The findings suggest that human capital buffers the impact of Hurricane Katrina on health deficiencies and physical dependency. In contrast, slack capacity amplifies the impact of Katrina on health deficiencies.
Nonlinear age-structured population models with nonlocal diffusion and nonlocal boundary conditions

Abstract In this paper, we develop some basic theory for age-structured population models with nonlocal diffusion and nonlocal boundary conditions. We first apply the theory of integrated semigroups and non-densely defined operators to a linear equation, study the spectrum, and analyze the asymptotic behavior via asynchronous exponential growth. Then we consider a semilinear equation with nonlocal diffusion and nonlocal boundary condition, use the method of characteristic lines to find the resolvent of the infinitesimal generator and the variation of constant formula, apply Krasnoselskii's fixed point theorem to obtain the existence of nontrivial steady states, and establish the stability of steady states. Finally we generalize these results to a nonlinear equation with nonlocal diffusion and nonlocal boundary condition.
Behavioral and neurophysiological evidence suggests affective pain experience in octopus

Pain is a negative affective state arising from tissue damage or inflammation. Because pain is aversive and its relief is innately rewarding, animals may learn to avoid a context in which pain is experienced and prefer one where pain relief occurs. It is generally accepted that vertebrate animals experience pain; however, there is currently inconclusive evidence that the affective component of pain occurs in any invertebrate. Here, we show that octopuses, the most neurologically complex invertebrates, exhibit cognitive and spontaneous behaviors indicative of affective pain experience. In conditioned place preference assays, octopuses avoided contexts in which pain was experienced, preferred a location in which they experienced relief from pain, and showed no conditioned preference in the absence of pain. Injection site grooming occurred in all animals receiving acetic acid injections, but this was abolished by local anesthesia. Thus, octopuses are likely to experience the affective component of pain.
Sucrase-Isomaltase Deficiency: Hiding in Plain Sight?

Our review focuses on the various presentations, diagnosis, and treatment of sucrose–isomaltase deficiency (SID), previously thought to be limited to the pediatric population with severe malabsorptive symptoms. Although sucrase–isomaltase deficiency is presumed to be a rare disorder, it is likely under recognized and more prevalent than is currently known. Congenital sucrase–isomaltase deficiency usually manifests early in life, but the phenotype may vary depending on the mutation(s) present. SID is characterized by dysfunction of the brush border enzyme, sucrase–isomaltase, with a subsequent inability to successfully digest sucrose and starch. This disorder can be further characterized as either a genetic (genetic/congenital sucrase–isomaltase deficiency) or a secondary condition. Sucrase–isomaltase deficiency can result in various clinical symptoms, ranging from mild bloating/flatulence to severe osmotic diarrhea with malabsorption. SID has been associated with irritable bowel syndrome, and further research is needed to further characterize this relationship.
Activating Joy and Hope in Critical Literacies Instruction: Responding Pedagogically to Youth Skepticism in a YPAR Project:

In the face of persistent racial injustice, critical literacy approaches to instruction frequently involve investigating and altering unjust racialized power structures through critical action. How...
High contrast demonstrations of novel scalar vortex coronagraph designs at the high contrast spectroscopy testbed

For direct imaging of exoplanets, Scalar Vortex Coronagraphs (SVCs) are an attractive alternative to the popularly used Vector Vortex Coronagraphs (VVCs). This is primarily because they are able to induce the same phase ramp regardless of the incoming light's polarization state without compromising throughput while maintaining small inner working angle. We tested a set of stepped SVC staircase masks in the Exoplanet Technology Laboratory (ET Lab) at Caltech on the High-Contrast Spectroscopy Testbed (HCST). Here we present some preliminary findings of their starlight suppression ability, achieving raw contrasts on the order of 10^-5 for 7 to 9 λ/D. We also characterized their chromatic performance and performed wavefront control to achieve preliminary contrasts on the order of 10^-7 with EFC for 6 to 10 λ/D. These initial experimental results with SVCs have shown scalar vortex technology has a great potential for future exoplanet direct imaging missions.
Fe, fi, fo, fum, I smell the diet of a healthy human

Diet-induced changes in the microbiome can alter immune function and promote inflammation. In a new paper in Cell, Wastyk et al. report that intervention with diets high in fermented foods or plant-based fiber have the potential to increase microbial diversity and reduce markers of immune-mediated inflammation.
Large-scale Urban IoT Activity Data for DDoS Attack Emulation

As IoT deployments grow in scale for applications such as smart cities, they face increasing cyber-security threats. In particular, as evidenced by the famous Mirai incident and other ongoing threats, large-scale IoT device networks are particularly susceptible to being hijacked and used as botnets to launch distributed denial of service (DDoS) attacks. Real large-scale datasets are needed to train and evaluate the use of machine learning algorithms such as deep neural networks to detect and defend against such DDoS attacks. We present a dataset from an urban IoT deployment of 4060 nodes describing their spatio-temporal activity under benign conditions. We also provide a synthetic DDoS attack generator that injects attack activity into the dataset based on tunable parameters such as number of nodes attacked and duration of attack. We discuss some of the features of the dataset. We also demonstrate the utility of the dataset as well as our synthetic DDoS attack generator by using them for the training and evaluation of a simple multi-label feed-forward neural network that aims to identify which nodes are under attack and when.
Deformation in Multiple Tier Cylindrical Shells

In the construction of large storage tanks, circular cylindrical tiers of different thicknesses are frequently used. In some applications, a floating roof with an adjustable sealing ring is employed. Due to nonuniform settling of the tank's foundation, unsymmetrical radial displacements occur which may be larger than the adjustable sealing ring can accommodate. The purpose of this note is to investigate the nonsymmetrical radial deformation due to nonuniform settling of the tank's foundation.
Towards Justification of Heuristic Techniques for Processing Uncertainty

As we have mentioned in Chapter 1, some heuristic methods for processing uncertainty lack justification and are, therefore, less reliable. Usually, techniques for processing interval and probabilistic uncertainty are well-justified, but many techniques for processing expert (fuzzy) data still lack such a justification. In this chapter, we show how a practically efficient heuristic fuzzy technique for decision making under uncertainty can be formally justified.
‘The Warre of the Commons for the honour of King Charles’: the parliament-men and the reformation of the lord admiral in 1626*

In 1979, Conrad Russell speculated that in order to forestall the impeachment of the duke of Buckingham in the parliament of 1626, several contemporaries attempted a ‘reformation of the duke’. Lack of solid evidence meant that Russell could make this no more than a suggestion. The recent discovery of a document, however, allows us to see the details of a projected reformation – and that Russell's intuition was indeed correct.
Calculation of CIE Color Specifications from Reflectance or Transmittance Spectra

Food color is arguably one of the most important determinants of acceptability, and is, therefore, an important specification for many food products. The development of compact and easy-to-use colorimeters has made the quantitative measurement of color a routine part of product development and quality assurance.
Atypical presentation of Henoch-Schonlein purpura: Case report and review of the literature

Abstract Rationale Henoch-Schonlein purpura (HSP) is a systemic vasculitis primarily affecting children, characterized by nonthrombocytopenic purpura and may include joint, gastrointestinal, or renal involvement. Clinical history and a characteristic rash of palpable purpura concentrated on the lower extremities and buttocks aid in the diagnosis. We report a case of HSP presenting with scalp edema and hemorrhagic vesiculobullous lesions and review of the literature. Methods A 4YO male presented with scalp edema and palpable purpuric lesions on his lower extremities and buttocks. He had an upper respiratory infection (URI) the previous week. Review of systems and exam were otherwise negative. Laboratory tests revealed normal white cell and platelet counts, sedimentation rate, complement, BUN/Cr, urinalysis, and a negative stool hemoccult. He was diagnosed with HSP. One month later he had a URI and knee swelling, followed by a hemorrhagic vesiculobullous eruption over his buttocks and lower extremities. Laboratory evaluation was again unremarkable. Literature review of the cutaneous manifestations in HSP was performed. Results Review of the literature revealed few case reports of either scalp edema or hemorrhagic vesiculobullous lesions in HSP. The documented incidence of vesiculobullous lesions in childhood HSP is only 2-4% (compared to 16% in adult cases). Scalp edema is also uncommon in children over 3YO with HSP. Our patient was 4YO with both features over the course of his illness. Conclusions Scalp edema and hemorrhagic vesiculobullous lesions are uncommon findings in childhood HSP and may be a source of diagnostic confusion. Physicians should recognize such signs as possible manifestations of HSP.
Counterpoint: Promoting Tribal Self-Determination in a Post-Oliphant World: An Alternative Road Map

This article considers a potential congressional "fix" for the U.S. Supreme Court's decision in Oliphant v. Suquamish Indian Tribe, 435 U.S. 191 (1978), where the Court held that Indian tribes do not have criminal jurisdiction over non-Indians. Rather than conditioning the repeal of Oliphant on making tribal courts adopt certain measures, a post-Oliphant discussion should begin with a consideration of tribal self-determination. As a result, this article posits that tribal sovereignty is an important consideration of any discussion of a congressional "fix" of the Oliphant decision.
Use of videotaping to evaluate pediatric resident performance of health supervision examinations of infants.

STUDY OBJECTIVES To demonstrate reliability of a method for evaluating pediatric resident performance of health supervision examinations of infants using real patients and to evaluate pediatric resident performance of health supervision examinations of infants before and after an educational intervention consisting of a 6-month ambulatory rotation combined with video-assisted review of resident performance of the examination. DESIGN Longitudinal cohort study in which all second-year residents were enrolled. Residents' preintervention (baseline) videotapes were compared with postintervention videotapes. Each resident served as his or her own control. SETTING University hospital pediatric resident continuity clinic. SUBJECTS Sixteen second-year pediatric residents who were participating in a required 6-month ambulatory rotation. METHOD AND MAIN RESULTS: Reliability study: Using a 51-item instrument derived from the American Academy of Pediatrics Guidelines for Health Supervision, trained raters blind to the sequence and dates of the videotaped health supervision examinations independently rated 44 resident encounters (a minimum of two raters per tape) and achieved good interrater reliability (kappa = 0.80). Intervention study: After a 6-month ambulatory rotation which included resident-faculty reviews of preintervention videotapes, residents showed a 14% mean improvement in performance scores for the examination (P < .05). CONCLUSIONS The results indicate that videotaped health supervision examinations using real patients can be reliably evaluated by observational techniques in a continuity practice. A 6-month ambulatory block rotation coupled with video-assisted interactive review of examinations is associated with measurable improvement in resident performance on the postintervention test.
Characterization of on-chip polycrystalline silicon photoconductors

Several optoelectronic approaches have been proposed for measuring the high-speed transient response of electronic devices and circuits [1]–[4]. Most of these approaches, however, cannot be used to perform on-chip measurements of silicon-integrated circuits because of process incompatibilities. This paper describes measurements and analysis of integrated polycrystalline-silicon photoconductors (PCEs) that have been developed to perform high-speed measurements on silicon substrates.
Does Where I Live Affect Whether I Apply? The Contextual Determinants of Applying for Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals

The Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals ( DACA) program provides temporary relief from deportation and legal work authorization for eligible undocumented youth in the United States. This study investigates the factors that help or hinder undocumented youth in applying for DACA. We focus on contexts of reception to understand the determinants of DACA applications, as studies of previous legalization programs indicate that the communities in which immigrants live help shape application decisions. Our analysis shows that more immigrant-serving organizations in a state translate into more applications, that DACA implementation rates are not statistically significantly lower in states with hostile policy climates, and that socioeconomic factors are most significantly related to DACA applications. In identifying the collective factors that influence applying to DACA, we demonstrate that the structural opportunities and barriers present in receiving locales shape undocumented youths' decisions to regularize their immigration status, which has significant implications for their resulting incorporation trajectories. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
Location choice and the internationalization sequence: Insights from Indian pharmaceutical companies

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to contribute to the literature on emerging multinationals by studying the internationalization strategies of two established companies in the Indian pharmaceutical industry: Ranbaxy and Wockhardt.Design/methodology/approach – The study utilizes a longitudinal case‐study approach to capture Ranbaxy's and Wockhardt's dynamic internationalization patterns. An extensive literature review using recently published works, government documents, and organizational reports was employed to give a clearer description of the two case companies.Findings – The internationalization patterns of Ranbaxy and Wockhardt suggest that the mainstream internationalization models are more effective in explaining exploitative learning in terms of utilizing the firm's existing knowledge stock in the early stages of internationalization, while the emerging internationalization models (e.g. the LLL framework and accelerated internationalization) are more effective in explaining exploratory learn...
Use of Proteinase Inhibitors in Clinical Practice

Drugs that are currently available for the treatment of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection, the nucleoside analogs, are limited in their usefulness both by the fact that they all act at the same site of virus replication and because of the development of drug resistance. One of the major areas of HIV research therefore has been the development of new drugs, with the proteinase inhibitors showing promise in clinical trials. Proteinase inhibitors act at a different stage in the virus life cycle and are relatively nontoxic. Saquinavir mesylate (Hoffmann-La Roche, Nutley, NJ) is the most extensively tested and appears to have activity, as assessed by immunologic and virologic methods in small trials and in one AIDS Clinical Trials Group study. Continuing research in phase 3 studies will help to clarify the most appropriate use for this drug.
MiBoard: creating a virtual environment from a physical environment

Increasing both user enjoyment and persistence, or engagement, is a challenge in ITS development The current study investigates engagement in ITSs through the implementation of games and game-based elements To investigate this possibility, we use both a physical version and a computerized version of the same educational board game We compare user experience and reading strategy data for the implementation of two games – iSTART: The Board Game and MiBoard We discuss game design implications for virtual environments and ITSs.
American Religion in 1776: A Statistical Portrait

While historians of American religion are aware that the original colonies did not exude universal piety, they have provided few statistics on colonial religion. Without these statistics it is difficult to describe colonial religion with precision, much less attempt to describe or explain changes since colonial times. In the following paper we provide a relatively detailed statistical portrait of American religion at the beginning of the Revolution. To construct data on colonial religion we draw from two essential sources. The first is the Carnegie Institution's project on colonial churches, as conducted by M. W Jernegan, and the second is Weis 's series of publications on colonial clergy. Not only do these data provide a more accurate account of religion by colony and denomination, they also serve as a benchmark for religious growth. Finally, we offer an initial look at the shifting fortunes of American denominations, 1776-1850.
New self-consistent green function treatment of the Kondo problem

Abstract A new self-consistent treatment of the so-called s-d exchange model is presented. The treatment is based on the Roth prescription for linearizing many body equations of motion.
Electron Microscope Observations of the Crystallization of Anodically Formed Tantalum and Niobium Oxide Films

Anodic oxide films ranging in thickness from about 200 to 1000Aa were formed on electropolished surfaces of tantalum and niobium by conventional techniques. The films were then stripped from the metal, given a variety of thermal treatments in vacuum, and examined directly in the electron microscope. Crystallization of the amorphous films was induced by high‐temperature annealing or in the microscope itself by increasing the beam intensity. The distinguishing features of each type of crystallization process are discussed and illustrated with appropriate micrographs.
The Autonomous Jewish Self

Questioners challenge the author with a Jewish version of the fallacy of misplaced confidence. Zionism was the great fruit of the fusion of the Western notion of social responsibility and the Jewish commitment to life. We consider it a premise of Jewish duty that we should help determine the course of our society and take political action for the State of Israel or Jews in peril. By adapting ourselves to America, the authors have created a Jewish style which shows signs of being a successor to other amalgams of Jewish life and a host culture. These and many other smaller triumphs exist because many Jews, against the advice of their leaders, believed that the spiritual survival of the Jewish community would never be assured by seeking to preserve Jewish life as isolated as possible from the newly opened up Western world. Keywords: Israel; Jewish version; social responsibility; Western world; Zionism