cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
A new test generation method for sequential circuits

A novel test generation method for synchronous sequential circuits is proposed. Among the new ideas employed are: (1) efficiently maintaining path information using an extended value system in forward time processing, and (2) efficiently enumerating cubes for state justification in backward time processing. Experimental results show that the proposed method is effective in generating high coverage tests for sequential circuits. >
Mumps Virus-Specific Antibody Titers from Pre-Vaccine Era Sera: Comparison of the Plaque Reduction Neutralization Assay and Enzyme Immunoassays

Mumps virus-neutralizing antibodies are believed to be the most predictable surrogate marker of protective immunity. However, assays used to detect neutralizing antibodies, such as the plaque reduction neutralization (PRN) assay, are labor- and time-intensive and consequently are often supplanted by the more rapid and inexpensive enzyme immunoassay (EIA) technique. For virus infections for which international antibody standards exist and are bridged to clinical studies of protection (e.g., measles and rubella), the EIA has been successfully used to determine immune surrogate endpoints, yet no such international reference exists for mumps serology. Since both virus-neutralizing and nonneutralizing antibodies are measured in the EIA, in the absence of a mumps serological standard, the EIA may be prone to yielding false-positive results when utilized for assessing surrogate markers of protective immunity. Moreover, since mumps virus-specific antibody titers are generally low in comparison to antibody levels induced by other viruses and EIA procedures often employ relatively high serum dilution factors, the EIA may be prone to yielding false-negative results. To examine these issues, a PRN assay and two commercially available EIA kits were used to evaluate wild-type mumps virus serological responses in human serum samples from the pre-mumps vaccine era. Our results indicate that the PRN assay is a more sensitive and specific method of measuring serological responses to wild-type mumps virus.
Moving-horizon control of discrete-time infinite dimensional systems

The authors consider an infinite-dimensional system whose evolution is described by a difference equation and introduce the idea of a moving-horizon controller to stabilize this system. It is shown that, under conditions similar to the ones needed in proving the existence of infinite-horizon linear quadratic regulators, the moving-horizon controller will also be stabilizing. >
The Begims of the Mystic Feast: Turco-Mongol Tradition in the Mughal Harem

The founders of India's Mughal Empire were the last surviving remnants of the Timurid-Mongol ruling elite, descendants of Timur and Chingis Khan, for whom the traditions and institutions of Central Asia were universally recognized and potent symbols of cultural prowess and legitimacy. These ideas and understandings were not abandoned in the dynasty's displacement and reestablishment in India. Among them remained a distinctly Timurid understanding of the rights and roles of elite women—not only with regard to their artistic production or patronage but also, in marked contrast to their contemporaries the Ottomans and Safavids, the power offered to young, even childless, royal women and their active participation in dynastic survival and political success. In generations of Mughal rule on the Subcontinent, the comfortable cultural accommodation of independent elite women was a vital component of the Timurid cultural and social legacy, inherited and carefully maintained at the royal courts of India.
PCOAT: positional correlation analysis using multiple methods

Summary: PCOAT (Positional COrrelation Analysis Tool) is a program to perform positional correlation analysis for protein multiple sequence alignment in order to identify structurally or functionally important interactions between positions in a protein family. We implement different statistical methods to detect highly correlated position pairs, amino acid pairs, individual positions and networks of correlated positions, and utilize multiple sequence weighting and sampling methods to eliminate background correlations caused by phylogeny and stochastic events. Our program runs relatively fast and is suitable for analyzing alignments containing large number of sequences. Availability: ftp://iole.swmed.edu/pub/PCOAT/ Supplementary information: The PCOAT ftp site contains a detailed description of the program, and the results of PCOAT analysis on C2H2 alignment and ACT domain alignment.
Use of contrast agents in ultrasound

By using Albunex, a recently developed ultrasound contrast agent, a clear Doppler ultrasound signal, and a B-mode image of the flow stream has been obtained. For the Doppler signal, a Hokanson Doppler unit with 5 MHz transducer was used, and for the image of the flow stream, a GE imager with 7.5 Mhz transducer was used. In this experiment, a straight 1:1000 dilution for Albunex (Molecular Biosystems Inc., San Diego, CA) was prepared. For the flow stream, a 1 mm groove in a plexiglass phantom was prepared. The Doppler signal, and the image obtained show a clear distinction between contrast agents and water. Therefore, by using an ultrasound contrast agent, flow and flow direction can be visualized using a conventional B-mode imager. >
Vertically rippled flat coil configuration for SMES

A novel vertically rippled flat coil design concept for superconductive magnetic energy storage (SMES) is presented. The coil consists of two or more horizontal layers that are rippled in the vertical direction. The thermal strains of the coil are accommodated by vertical bending and the magnetic forces are taken up by radial bending. The coil is very stiff in the radial direction to transfer magnetic forces to the external warm structure, which causes very small structure bending stresses and results in essentially a strain-free conductor during operation. The vertically rippled coil is very flexible in the vertical direction and accommodates large thermal strains occurring during a cool-down or warm-up process with only small stresses. The impact of this concept upon the SMES design is discussed. >
A Noncommutative representation of classical dynamics. Connections with field quantization

Einstein’s program of classical field theory for physics has not been proven unrealizable. However, Bell has shown that a theory of this type could not be consistent with all of the predictions of quantum mechanics. It is reasonable to assume that fields in a theory of the Einstein type could be described as classical dynamical systems. We begin by formulating conditions for an operator representation in Hilbert space of the phase functions of a finite classical system. It is proved that such a representation cannot be commutative. The Weyl representation fulfills the required conditions: in Appendix A it is shown to map the quadratically integrable phase functions isometrically into the Hilbert-Schmidt operators. It follows that the image 77 of the phase probability density is a statistical operator in the sense of von Neumann, though not generally nonnegative definite. The Weyl representation is then formally extended to infinite classical systems and applied to interacting relativistic tensor wave fields (spinor fields, not being single valued, present difficulties). With the choiceħ =π−1, this representation satisfies the requirements of canonical quantization. The Hamiltonian operator and operators for the usual field quantities are the same as in quantum field theory. However, an additional field interaction term appears, modifying von Neumann’s equation for the time dependence ofU. Essential divergence difficulties should not arise, since no divergences occur in classical field theory. This representation of classical field theory is amenable, in just the same way as quantum field theory, to a configuration space representation and a corresponding particle interpretation. These aspects will be discussed in a later publication.
Palmitate Effect on the Trasmembrane Domain of IRE1α Protein

The Inositol-requiring kinase 1α protein (IRE1α) is a transmembrane protein kinase essential for the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) unfolded protein response that promotes cell survival by reducing the levels of misfolded protein. IRE1α consists of an N-terminal luminal domain, a single-pass transmembrane spanning segment and a cytosolic region which contains a kinase domain and an endoribonuclease (RNase) domain. Under conditions of ER stress, the transmembrane protein IRE1α oligomerizes to activate its cytoplasmic kinase and RNase domains. Recently, we showed that palmitate is involved in ER stress by increasing the kinase and RNase activities of IRE1α in human hepatocellular carcinoma (HepG2) cells. From our previous studies of palmitate in the membrane, palmitate aligns with the lipids. It is expected that palmitate will assume a similar conformation with the transmembrane (TM) domain, however, it is unclear whether palmitate binds directly to the TM domain or indirectly alter the structure of the bilayer surrounding the TM domain, thereby leading to enhanced association between the TM domains.We combined experiments with molecular dynamic (MD) simulations to investigate the properties of the TM domain, the role of palmitate on IRE1α dimerization and to elucidate potential interactions between palmitate and TM domain. Since structural information of the TM domain of IRE1α is not available, we experimentally determined whether the predicted TM domain forms α-helical secondary structure in DOPC liposome using circular dichroism. In support of the MD simulations, we assessed whether palmitate enhances TM dimerization in DOPC micelles using Forster resonance-energy transfer. Further mutation study of the TM domain provided information of how palmitate is involved in modulating the cellular activity of IRE1α mediated by the TM domain. Finally, the computational and experimental studies provided new insight into the role of palmitate on IRE1α activity during ER stress.
Improving robot path planning efficiency with probabilistic virtual environment models

Probabilistic multiresolution occupancy grid modeling has recently been developed to map both 2D and 3D cluttered spaces. These models can be used to provide an enhanced representation of the cluttering state of space in a robot workspace. As a result, they reveal to be promising tools to improve classical potential field based robot path planning strategies. These approaches rely on a combination of repulsive and attractive potential fields to attract the robot toward a given goal while ensuring safe distance from the obstacles. This paper proposes an new approach to directly compute repulsive and attractive potential fields from the probabilistic occupancy models without the need for distance tables or wave propagation. Experimentation revealed that multiresolution probabilistic models encoded as quadtrees or octrees significantly reduce processing time and speed up robot operation.
Myths in organisational action research: reflections on a study of computer-supported process redesign groups

A metodologia de pesquisa conhecida como action research" (AR) tem sido apresentada como tendo potencial para eliminar limitacoes associadas com o isolamento academico inerente a metodos de pesquisa positivistas, e de aproximar empresas, sociedade e pesquisadores em projetos de pesquisa conjuntos. Entretanto, desde a sua insercao apos a Segunda Guerra Mundial, AR tem sido associada a uma serie de mitos. Nesse artigo nos identificamos e discutimos, com base em nossa experiencia como pesquisador e bibliografia disponivel, quatro desses mitos i (1) Que AR e oposta, em termos metodologicos, ao positivismo; (2)Que, para que preconceitos teoricos nao int1uenciem os resultados da pesquisa, o pesquisador deve iniciar um projeto de AR sem nenhuma base teorica i (3) Que AR e um metodo de pesquisa exclusivamente qualitativo; (4) que AR, por nao usar intensa¬mente metodos estatisticos de analise de dados, e um metodologia facil de ser seguida. A nossa argumentacao contra esses mitos e ilustrada atraves de um projeto de AR conduzido em dois estagios envolvendo tres organizacoes.
Human Category Learning: Implications for Backpropagation Models

Backpropagation (Rumelhart et al., 1986) was proposed as a general learning algorithm for multi-layer perceptrons. This article demonstrates that a standard version of backprop fails to attend selectively to input dimensions in the same way as humans, suffers catastrophic forgetting of previously learned associations when novel exemplars are trained, and can be overly sensitive to linear category boundaries. Another connectionist model, ALCOVE (Kruschke 1990, 1992), does not suffer those failures. Previous researchers identified these problems; the present article reports quantitative fits of the models to new human learning data. ALCOVE can be functionally approximated by a network that uses linear-sigmoid hidden nodes, like standard backprop. It is argued that models of human category learning should incorporate quasi-local representations and dimensional attention learning, as well as error-driven learning, to address simultaneously all three phenomena.
Comparative Effectiveness for Survival and Renal Function of Partial and Radical Nephrectomy for Localized Renal Tumors: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

Purpose: The relative effectiveness of partial vs radical nephrectomy remains unclear in light of the recent phase 3 European Organization for the Research and Treatment of Cancer trial. We performed a systematic review and meta-analysis of partial vs radical nephrectomy for localized renal tumors, considering all cause and cancer specific mortality, and severe chronic kidney disease.Materials and Methods: Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials, MEDLINE®, EMBASE®, Scopus and Web of Science® were searched for sporadic renal tumors that were surgically treated with partial or radical nephrectomy. Generic inverse variance with fixed effects models were used to determine the pooled HR for each outcome.Results: Data from 21, 21 and 9 studies were pooled for all cause and cancer specific mortality, and severe chronic kidney disease, respectively. Overall 31,729 (77%) and 9,281 patients (23%) underwent radical and partial nephrectomy, respectively. According to pooled estimates partial nephrectomy correl...
Frequency doubling with KNbO 3 in an external cavity

Potassium niobate is employed in an external resonator to generate single-frequency tunable radiation near 430 nm. For excitation with 1.35 W of power from a cw titanium-sapphire laser, 0.65 W of blue light is produced. A simple model has been developed to account for thermal lensing in the nonlinear crystal.
Case report: hand-foot syndrome induced by the oral fluoropyrimidine S-1.

Hand–foot syndrome (HFS) is a relatively common side effect of fluorouracil (5-FU) chemotherapy that has also been associated with the oral fluoropyrimidine capecitabine. Interestingly, HFS is virtually unknown to result from treatment with UFT, a combination of tegafur and uracil. Tegafur is a prodrug of 5-FU and is a component of S-1, another oral fluoropyrimidine active in a variety of solid tumors. We know of only one previously described case of S-1-induced HFS and the case reported here is the first to provide full documentation of this occurrence. The pathophysiology of chemotherapy-induced HFS remains unknown and very little pathological information is available. Treatment consists of topical emollient therapy, although pyridoxine has occasionally been beneficial. The study of HFS may provide an important insight into the pharmacology of fluoropyrimidines and allow for effective preventive strategies for this side effect of chemotherapy.
The mystery behind the voice: a biography of Alfred Wolfsohn

Sheila Braggins (author of The Mystery Behind the Voice) and Roy Hart (founder of the Roy Hart Theatre) were pupils of Alfred Wolfsohn in London from 1947 until his death in 1962. It is from the wo...
Counting the Casualties of Telecom: The Adoption of Part 6 of the Telecommunications ACT 1997 (CTH):

The development of self-regulation and the role of the States with regard to the adoption of Part 6 of the Australian 'Telecommunications Act 1997' are discussed. It is suggested that the adoption of Part 6 was a result of the 'Casualties of Telecom' issue, where consumers distrusted Telecom's working methods and policies. The role of regulatory culture and adverse publicity in the development of self-regulation in Australia's telecommunications industry is discussed.
Aggressive venous thromboembolism prophylaxis reduces VTE events in vascular surgery patients.

OBJECTIVE Venous thromboembolism (VTE) is a potentially preventable complication following surgery. There is variation with regard to the most effective mode of prophylaxis. We sought to determine if an aggressive approach to VTE prophylaxis would reduce VTE rates on the inpatient vascular surgical service. METHODS Vascular inpatients from a single institution from July 2010 to March 2013 were included in the analysis. A protocol for VTE prophylaxis was implemented on the inpatient vascular surgical service in November 2011. This included subcutaneous (SQ) heparin initiation within 24 h of admission unless deemed inappropriate by the attending, as well as intermittent compression devices (ICD) and compression stockings (CS). The rate of VTE was compared prior to and following the intervention. Patients were compared using AHRQ comorbidity categories, APR-DRG severity of illness, insurance status, and principle procedure. T-tests were used to compare continuous variables and chi-square analysis used to compare categorical variables. RESULTS There were 1483 vascular patients in the pre-intervention group and 1652 patients in the post-intervention group. The rate of pharmacologic prophylaxis was 52.57% pre-intervention compared to 69.33% post-intervention (p < 0.001). The rate of pharmacologic or mechanical prophylaxis was 91.76% pre-intervention compared to 93.10% post-intervention (p = 0.54). The overall rate of VTE prior to the intervention was 1.49% compared to after intervention which was 0.38% (p = 0.033). The DVT rate prior to intervention was 1.09% vs 0.189% after intervention (p = 0.0214). The rate of pulmonary embolism trended towards a significant reduction with the intervention (0.681% vs 0.189%, p = 0.095). There were no statistically significant differences in patient groups based on gender, comorbidity category, severity of illness, or insurance type. CONCLUSIONS The overall rate of VTE was reduced by 75% after the initiation of a standard protocol for pharmacologic VTE prophylaxis. These findings justify an aggressive approach to VTE prophylaxis in vascular surgery patients.
Analysis of bacterial communities associated with the benthic amphipod Diporeia in the Laurentian Great Lakes Basin.

Bacterial communities play important roles in the biological functioning of crustaceans, yet little is known about their diversity, structure, and dynamics. This study was conducted to investigate the bacterial communities associated with the benthic amphipod Diporeia, an important component in the Great Lakes foodweb that has been declining over the past 3 decades. In this study, the combination of 16S rRNA gene sequencing and terminal restriction fragment length polymorphism revealed a total of 175 and 138 terminal restriction fragments (T-RFs) in Diporeia samples following treatment with the endonucleases HhaI and MspI, respectively. Relatively abundant and prevalent T-RFs were affiliated with the genera Flavobacterium and Pseudomonas and the class Betaproteobacteria. T-RFs affiliated with the order Rickettsiales were also detected. A significant difference in T-RF presence and abundance (P = 0.035) was detected among profiles generated for Diporeia collected from 4 sites in Lake Michigan. Comparison o...
Document Integrate Theory and the Development of Document Centers

Document integration is the trend of document and archive work under the background of IT application, digitalization and networking. This paper has discussed the basis of document integration theory, expounded the management models, and discussed the relation between document integration theory and the development of document centers. Based on the theory of document life cycle, the paper has analyzed document integration and document centers, and pointed out that it is very necessary and practical to be engaged in document integration reform and establish document centers.
Performance of Free Light Chain Assays in Clinical Practice.

The quantitative assay for free light chains (FLC) is a recently introduced commercial product (FREELITE TM , The Binding Site, Ltd.) that has been reported to be sensitive and specific for detecting and monitoring free light chain diseases such as primary systemic amyloidosis (AL), light chain deposition disease (LCDD), non-secretory multiple myeloma (NSMM), and LCMM (light chain multiple myeloma). We have prospectively evaluated the test performance in clinical practice. Results : In 2003, our Clinical Laboratory received samples for FLC assays from 1020 Mayo Clinic patients. The majority of these patients (88%) had plasma cell disorders (PCD). All 120 patients who did not have PCD had normal K/L FLC ratios. Among these, 52 had non-AL amyloidosis: localized amyloid (23), hereditary (16), senile (6), secondary (3), and amyloid of unknown type (4). The 68 other patients who did not have a PCD were being tested because of peripheral neuropathy, rule out AL, anemia, proteinuria, lymphoproliferative disease, and a number of other indications with small numbers of patients (n=13). Among the monoclonal gammopathy patients were 330 with MM, 269 AL, 115 MGUS, 72 SMM, 22 plasmacytomas, 20 NSMM, 9 macroglobulinemia, 7 LCDD, and a variety of other diagnoses with smaller numbers of patients. The sensitivity of the K/L FLC ratio was 100% in LCDD (7/7) and 70% in NSMM (14/20). The 6 NSMM patients with normal K/L FLC ratios had all been treated with SCT and 5 of the 6 had achieved hematologic remission by bone marrow plasma cells. Among the 110 AL patients who had not been previously treated and who had a FLC assay performed within 120 days of diagnosis, the sensitivity of the K/L FLC ratio was 92% compared to 71% for serum IFE and 84% for urine IFE. Using all 3 assays, there was 99.1% (109/110) sensitivity for detecting monoclonal light chain in AL. Conclusion : The performance of the FLC assay in this prospective analysis matches the results from published retrospective validation studies.
Delayed Repercussions of Blunt Trauma: Isolated Muscular Ventricular Septal Defect

• Large isolated ventricular septal defect resulting from blunt trauma can be associated with high morbidity and mortality.
WeChat as a Semipublic Alternative Sphere: Exploring the Use of WeChat Among Chinese Older Adults

In China, the emergence of WeChat—a comprehensive mobile application—has introduced millions of older adults to the digital world. This study conceptualizes the use of WeChat among Chinese older adults from the theoretical framework of alternative media. Based on four focus group discussions in Shanghai, China, with 35 individuals aged 50 years or older, the study found that WeChat exposes many Chinese older adults—for the first time—to a large amount of controversial information and viewpoints that are critical of the official discourse; it also enables some of them to participate in civic life online. The research also reveals a number of constraints such as Internet censorship and WeChat’s profit-driven environment, which to a large extent limit the potential of the mobile application to facilitate alternative communication among this group of people.
Peritoneal carcinomatosis: limits of diagnosis and the case for liquid biopsy.

// James R.W. McMullen 1 , Matthew Selleck 2 , Nathan R. Wall 1 and Maheswari Senthil 2 1 Department of Basic Sciences, Center for Health Disparities & Molecular Medicine, Division of Biochemistry, Loma Linda University Medical Center, Loma Linda, CA, USA 2 Department of Surgery, Division of Surgical Oncology, Loma Linda University Medical Center, Loma Linda, CA, USA Correspondence to: Nathan R. Wall, email: // Maheswari Senthil, email: // Keywords : peritoneal carcinomatosis, liquid biopsy, biomarker, exosomes Received : January 21, 2017 Accepted : March 15, 2017 Published : March 22, 2017 Abstract Peritoneal Carcinomatosis (PC) is a late stage manifestation of several gastrointestinal malignancies including appendiceal, colorectal, and gastric cancer. In PC, tumors metastasize to and deposit on the peritoneal surface and often leave patients with only palliative treatment options. For colorectal PC, median survival is approximately five months, and palliative systemic therapy is able to extend this to approximately 12 months. However, cytoreductive surgery with hyperthermic intraperitoneal chemotherapy (CRS/HIPEC) with a curative intent is possible in some patients with limited tumor burden. In well-selected patients undergoing complete cytoreduction, median survival has been reported as high as 63 month. Identifying patients earlier who are either at risk for, or who have recently developed PC may provide them with additional treatment options such as CRS/HIPEC. PC is diagnosed late by imaging findings or often times during an invasive procedures such as laparoscopy or laparotomy. In order to improve the outcomes of PC patients, a minimally invasive, accurate, and specific PC screening method needs to be developed. By utilizing circulating PC biomarkers in the serum of patients, a “liquid biopsy,” may be able to be generated to allow a tailored treatment plan and early intervention. Exosomes, stable patient-derived nanovesicles present in blood, urine, and many other bodily fluids, show promise as a tool for the evaluation of labile biomarkers. If liquid biopsies can be perfected in PC, manifestations of this cancer may be more effectively treated, thus offering improved survival.
IL6 Receptor Blockade Enhances Chemotherapy Efficacy in Pancreatic Ductal Adenocarcinoma

Inflammation mediated by activation of JAK/STAT signaling is a major cause of chemotherapy resistance in cancer. We studied the impact of selectively blocking the IL6 receptor (IL6R) as a strategy to inhibit IL6-induced STAT activation and to overcome chemoresistance in pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC). To do this, STAT activation was investigated in tumors arising spontaneously in LSL-KrasG12D/+;LSL-Trp53R172H/+;Pdx-1Cre (KPC) mice. Plasma from patients with PDAC was assessed for its ability to activate STAT3/SOCS3 in human monocytes using immunofluorescence microscopy and quantitative gene expression assays. KPC mice and syngeneic mice (wild type and IL6-/-) implanted with KPC-derived cell lines were treated with an IL6R-blocking antibody (anti-IL6R). The impact of treatment on tumor growth in KPC mice and mice with KPC-derived tumor implants was monitored using ultrasonography and calipers, respectively. Tumors were analyzed by IHC to detect changes in STAT activation, tumor viability, and proliferation. We found that STAT3 was the most activated STAT protein in PDAC tumors from KPC mice. Plasma from patients with advanced PDAC stimulated STAT3/SOCS3 activation in human monocytes. In mice, anti-IL6R antibodies targeted Ly6Chi monocytes, inhibited STAT3 activation in tumor cells, and decreased tumor cell proliferation in vivo IL6R blockade in combination with chemotherapy induced tumor cell apoptosis, tumor regressions, and improved overall survival. Overall, we show that IL6 signaling drives STAT3 activation in tumor cells and mediates chemoresistance in PDAC. Thus, disrupting IL6 signaling using anti-IL6R antibodies holds promise for improving chemotherapy efficacy in PDAC. Mol Cancer Ther; 16(9); 1898-908. ©2017 AACR.
First takeoff of a flying microrobot with no moving parts

The preponderance of research into flying microrobots has focused on biomimetic flight mechanisms. In this work, we demonstrate an insect-scale robot capable of vertical takeoff using electrohydrodynamic thrust, a mechanism with no natural analogue. The 10mg, 1.8cm by 1.8cm “ionocraft” operates at about 2400 volts and has a thrust to weight ratio of approximately 10. Feasibility of using individually addressable thrusters in a quadcoptor-esque manner for attitude control is demonstrated qualitatively. A combination of design choices in the microfabricated silicon electrodes and a machine-fabricated external fixture allow for reproducible hand-assembly of the microrobot.
Obesity and CRP

I commend the authors for this very important study.1 There has been an association between obesity and C-reactive protein (CRP) levels. USA has …
Giant aneurysmal benign fibrous histiocytoma (dermatofibroma).

Aneurysmal benign fibrous histiocytomas are variants of dermatofibromas. These benign blood-filled lesions can mimic malignancies due to their rapid and recurrent growth. Our patient is a 42-year-old Caucasian female with a past medical history of morbid obesity, diabetes, and hypertension, who presented with a mass on her left shoulder for 5 years' duration. The mass oozed occasionally and would appear to regress but then recur replaced with progressively larger masses. Upon inspection, the patient had a large pedunculated exophytic mass with vascularity. The mass was surgically removed under general anesthesia via wide local excision. Grossly, the excised skin was purple-tinged with an underlying fungating solid mass measuring 8.5 cm. Serial sections revealed a hemorrhagic, spongy, and granular cut surface. Histologically, the epidermis was hyperplastic, with underlying hyaline collagen bundles. The remainder of the mass was chronically inflamed and composed of spindled histiocytes, hemosiderin-laden macrophages, and blood-filled spaces lacking an endothelial lining. There was focal pleomorphism but no significant atypia. Immunohistochemical stains were strongly positive for vimentin and negative for CD31, CD34, and desmin. The overall architecture and immunophenotype are consistent with the diagnosis of aneurysmal benign fibrous histiocytoma.
The Dynamics of Communities

This chapter examines communities as a special type of corporate unit. The macrolevel environment of communities—patterns of institutional differentiation and stratification, ideologies and meta-ideologies, and mechanism of structural and cultural integration—is first examined in detail. Then mesolevel environments of other communities, organizations, groups, and categoric units are explored, with particular emphasis on categoric-unit distributions within and between communities. Next, microlevel environments of communities are outlined, again with emphasis on inequality among categoric units distributed in neighborhoods of communities. Internal community dynamics of growth and size, differentiation within and between communities, and boundary dynamics are delineated. The chapter closes with abstract principles on the dynamics of communities within macro- and microsociocultural environments, fields, and niches.
Expert Witness Qualifications and Testimony

Expert testimony continues to play an important role in the twenty-first century. However, an expert's scientific findings, no matter how important, have no real meaning in law until they are presented to the judge or jury. This article will first examine the admissibility of scientific evidence under the United States Supreme Court precedent and the Federal Rules of Evidence. The article will next address experts’ qualifications and how they project credibility and expertise, through those qualifications, to a judge or jury. Finally, the article will examine how jurors perceive expert witnesses, and how those perceptions have changed over time.
The combination of the opioid glycopeptide MMP-2200 and a NMDA receptor antagonist reduced l-DOPA-induced dyskinesia and MMP-2200 by itself reduced dopamine receptor 2-like agonist-induced dyskinesia

Dopamine (DA)-replacement therapy utilizing l-DOPA is the gold standard symptomatic treatment for Parkinson's disease (PD). A critical complication of this therapy is the development of l-DOPA-induced dyskinesia (LID). The endogenous opioid peptides, including enkephalins and dynorphin, are co-transmitters of dopaminergic, GABAergic, and glutamatergic transmission in the direct and indirect striatal output pathways disrupted in PD, and alterations in expression levels of these peptides and their precursors have been implicated in LID genesis and expression. We have previously shown that the opioid glycopeptide drug MMP-2200 (a.k.a. Lactomorphin), a glycosylated derivative of Leu-enkephalin mediates potent behavioral effects in two rodent models of striatal DA depletion. In this study, the mixed mu-delta agonist MMP-2200 was investigated in standard preclinical rodent models of PD and of LID to evaluate its effects on abnormal involuntary movements (AIMs). MMP-2200 showed antiparkinsonian activity, while increasing l-DOPA-induced limb, axial, and oral (LAO) AIMs by ∼10%, and had no effect on dopamine receptor 1 (D1R)-induced LAO AIMs. In contrast, it markedly reduced dopamine receptor 2 (D2R)-like-induced LAO AIMs. The locomotor AIMs were reduced by MMP-2200 in all three conditions. The N-methyl-d-aspartate receptor (NMDAR) antagonist MK-801 has previously been shown to be anti-dyskinetic, but only at doses that induce parkinsonism. When MMP-2200 was co-administered with MK-801, MK-801-induced pro-parkinsonian activity was suppressed, while a robust anti-dyskinetic effect remained. In summary, the opioid glycopeptide MMP-2200 reduced AIMs induced by a D2R-like agonist, and MMP-2200 modified the effect of MK-801 to result in a potent reduction of l-DOPA-induced AIMs without induction of parkinsonism.
Short- and Long-term Mortality Risk After Acute Pulmonary Embolism

Acute pulmonary embolism is a major cause of morbidity and mortality in the USA and throughout the world. This review will summarize recent developments in short- and long-term mortality risk assessment after an acute pulmonary embolism. Recent guidelines have emphasized risk stratification of acute PE patients on the basis of blood pressure, right ventricular size, and biomarker status. Ongoing work is testing various acute treatment strategies for improvement of symptom burden, length of stay, quality of life, and possibly mortality risk reduction. Long-term outcomes among subjects with acute PE are less well studied. Long-term mortality largely correlates with baseline co-morbidity burden, although there may be an association between acute PE severity and long-term outcomes. Acute PE risk stratification and treatment, as well as long-term follow-up of patients with acute PE, are rapidly developing areas and many promising innovations are underway.
Development of a new reduced order model for predicting the energy savings of multi-ECM permutations

Abstract Building performance simulation (BPS) enables users to predict the demand reductions achieved by energy conservation measures (ECMs). Identifying an optimal set of ECMs in combination is complex due to interaction effects. This creates a combinatorial problem where every ECM combination needs be simulated to identify the optimum with certainty. To avoid the computational burden of running separate simulations for each ECM combination, approximate approaches for predicting the joint effects of ECMs based on single ECM simulations have been proposed in literature: linear-addition and log-addition of savings. These reduced-order approaches are very rapid compared to BPS, but their accuracy is not well characterized. This paper compares ECM energy savings estimated by BPS with the linear and log-additive approaches and a new reduced-order approach: log-additive decomposition. An existing library of energy models and ECMs (Hamilton, et al., 2014) representing Philadelphia medium-sized office buildings is utilized to compare the performance of each approach not only to each other but also to BPS. Overall, log-additive decomposition performs well (prediction error ∼10%) followed by log-addition (prediction error ∼20% to 30%), which outperform linear addition (prediction error often exceeding 50%). Compared to BPS, the computational cost of each is 0.018%, 0.014%, and 0.004% respectively.
Políticas públicas de género: implementación de la Institucionalidad de Género en universidades de habla hispana

La Institucionalidad de Genero se implementa por medio de diferentes mecanismos institucionales, como ministerios, oficinas, centros, organizaciones, encargados de la puesta en marcha efectiva de politicas publicas orientadas a disminuir las brechas de genero. Las universidades tambien han implementado estas politicas a traves de sus oficinas o unidades de genero correspondientes. En el contexto chileno, el 8.6% del total de universidades nacionales han tomado algun tipo de medida para hacer frente a los problemas de inequidad y solo la Universidad de Chile cuenta con una oficina establecida con mas de tres anos de trayectoria. Sin embargo, este porcentaje es bajo en comparacion con Espana, con un 54.2% y Argentina con un 22.7% de sus universidades que ejecutan explicitamente esta politica publica. En este contexto es que se investigo sobre la creacion e implementacion de Oficinas de Genero de universidades de habla hispana y se compararon las principales perspectivas de la estructura organizacional involucradas en este proceso.
Introduction to Performing Refusal/Refusing to Perform

This introduction outlines an aesthetic of refusal as it emerges from instances of racialized exhaustion. Described as an aesthetics of minoritarian inaction and non-reproductivity, refusal challen...
Kinetics of Fluorophore Formation in Bovine Serum Albumin–Gold Complexes

We revisit the prevailing hypothesis that the red fluorophore (λem = 640 nm) in the bovine serum albumin (BSA)–gold (Au) compound is a Au25 nanocluster. To examine the hypothesis, we investigated t...
Surf’s up: Deep-Diving Through Hurricane Katrina’s Unsearchable Digital Past

Almost since their inception, social media platforms have been valued as acritical resource for sharing news and information during times ofcrisis; as such, several strategies for archiving that information have been put into place. No such strategies had yet been put in place in the late 1990s and early 2000s, during the advent of web-based blog publishing, the precursor to today’s social media. The fact that much of this user-generated historical text is subject to random erosion has largely escaped notice. A qualitative analysis of the archives of more than 300 Gulf-coast-based blogs published before, during and after Hurricane Katrina suggests that an important part of that history has already been lost.
Learning speckle correlations for imaging through scattering (Conference Presentation)

Light scattering in complex media is a pervasive problem across many areas, such as deep tissue imaging, and imaging in degraded environment. Major progress has been made by using the transmission matrix (TM) framework that characterizes the “one-for-one” input-output relation of a fixed scattering medium as a linear shift-variant matrix. A major limitation of these existing approaches is their high susceptibility to model errors. The phase-sensitive TM is inherently intolerant to speckle decorrelations. Our goal here is to develop a highly scalable imaging through scattering framework by overcoming the existing limitations in susceptibility to speckle decorrelation and SBP. The proposed model is built on a deep learning (DL) frame- work. To satisfy the desired statistical properties, we do not train a convolutional neural network (CNN) to learn the TM of a single scattering medium. Instead, we build a CNN to learn a “one-for-all” mapping by training on several scattering media with different microstructures while having the same macroscopic parameter. Specifically, we show that our CNN model trained on a few diffusers can sufficiently support the statistical information of all diffusers having the same mean characteristics (e.g. ‘grits’). We then experimentally demonstrate that the CNN is able to “invert” speckles captured from entirely different diffusers to make high-quality object predictions. Our method significantly improves the system’s information throughput and adaptability as compared to existing approaches, by improving both the SBP and the robustness to speckle decorrelations.
Incentivizing the Reduction of Pollution at U.S. Dairies: Addressing Additionality When Multiple Environmental Credit Payments Are Combined

This article examines the intricacies of environmental credit generation from concentrated animal feeding operation (CAFO) farm systems. Livestock production generates large amounts of manure (solid and liquid waste) and consumes a high volume of water that producers must manage to control odors and reduce pollution. To mitigate environmental impacts such as nutrient releases and greenhouse gas emissions, anaerobic digesters (ADs) can be used in CAFOs to avoid certain nutrient releases and capture the methane (CH4) produced when manure is broken down anaero­bically. Policy incentives have increased the use of ADs to reduce waste volumes and produce biogas for energy or bioelectricity, but the overall digester adoption rate is still very low (U.S. Environmental Protection Agency [U.S. EPA], 2010; 2014). To cover the higher cost of AD adoption relative to other forms of waste management, farmers may supplement the revenues they generate from the conventional outputs of a livestock operation (e.g., milk or meat) by selling credits into environmental markets. One question that arises is whether a single operation can sell into multiple credit mar­kets by “stacking” credits—that is, receiving multiple separate environmental payments to finance the conversion to AD technology. The issue is that the use of stacked credits introduces the possibility that some of the stacked credits might be for benefits that are “non-additional” in that they do not produce incremental pollution reductions and thus are suspect for use in off­setting a buyer’s pollution. This article describes the stacking problem and explores possible solu­tions, such as temporal constraints on credit issuance and discounting credits to account for additionality problems. See the press release for this article.
Capsaicin inhibits the growth of breast cancer cells and decreases expression of EGFR and Her2/Neu.

5540 Capsaicin is an active ingredient of chili peppers. We recently showed that capsaicin inhibited the growth of prostate cancer cells in vitro and in vivo. Here, we extended these studies and demonstrate that capsaicin has profound antiproliferative effects against breast cancer cells. Capsaicin inhibited the growth of estrogen receptor (ER)-positive (MCF-7, T47D, BT-474) and ER-negative (SK-BR-3, MDA-MB-231) breast cancer cell lines (ED50, 1x10-5 M - 5x10-5 M), due to an increase in apoptosis (from 5% in control cultures to 20% after 48 h treatment) as determined by annexin V staining. Expression of proteins involved in multiple signaling pathways that are important for breast cancer progression, were down-regulated by capsaicin. Specifically, expression of Akt, Her/Neu, and EGFR was decreased by incubation with capsaicin for 48 h in a dose-dependent manner (10-6 M to 2 x 10-4 M). Additionally, levels of these proteins were reduced to undetectable levels by 10-4 M capsaicin within 12 h of treatment. Decreases in expression of these proteins were not accompanied by decreases in their respective mRNA levels. In further experiments, reduced expression of EGFR caused by capsaicin in BT-474 cells led to diminished response to EGF. Phosphorylation of Erk in response to EGF was suppressed, and cells were less able to migrate towards the growth factor in Boyden chamber assays. Furthermore, capsaicin, when given orally, slowed by about 50% the growth of EGFR-positive MDA-MB-231 breast cancer cells grown as xenografts in nude mice. In summary, our data indicate that capsaicin is a novel regulator of EGFR and Her2 expression, and may provide therapeutic benefits for the management of ER+ and ER- breast cancers.
High-Power and High-Linearity Photodiodes at 1064 nm

Back-illuminated flip-chip-bonded InP/InGaAs modified uni-traveling-carrier photodiodes working at 1064 nm wavelength are demonstrated. The RF output powers of photodiodes with diameters of 10 μm and 20 μm are 15 dBm at 60 GHz and 21.7 dBm at 39 GHz, respectively. The measured third-order output intercept point (OIP3) shows a high linearity of 33 dBm at 40 GHz. A circuit analysis based on Z-parameter extraction indicates that voltage-dependent and photocurrent-dependent capacitance components are the primary nonlinear mechanisms.
Perceived Discrimination and Mental Distress Amid the COVID-19 Pandemic: Evidence From the Understanding America Study.

Introduction This study examines COVID-19–associated discrimination regardless of infection status. It evaluates the contribution of various risk factors (e.g., race/ethnicity and wearing a face mask) and the relationship with mental distress among U.S. adults in March and April 2020, when the pandemic escalated across the country. Methods Participants consisted of a probability-based, nationally representative sample of U.S. residents aged ≥18 years who completed COVID-19–related surveys online in March and April (n=3,665). Multivariable logistic regression was used to predict the probability of a person perceiving COVID-19–associated discrimination. Linear regression was used to analyze the association between discrimination and mental distress. Analyses were conducted in May 2020. Results Perception of COVID-19–associated discrimination increased from March (4%) to April (10%). Non-Hispanic Black (absolute risk from 0.09 to 0.15 across months) and Asians (absolute risk from 0.11 to 0.17) were more likely to perceive discrimination than other racial/ethnic groups (absolute risk from 0.03 to 0.11). Individuals who wore face masks (absolute risk from 0.11 to 0.14) also perceived more discrimination than those who did not (absolute risk from 0.04 to 0.11). Perceiving discrimination was subsequently associated with increased mental distress (from 0.77 to 1.01 points on the 4-item Patient Health Questionnaire score). Conclusions Perception of COVID-19–associated discrimination was relatively low but increased with time. Perceived discrimination was associated with race/ethnicity and wearing face masks and may contribute to greater mental distress during early stages of the pandemic. The long-term implications of this novel form of discrimination should be monitored.
Family members’ attitudes towards telling the patient with Alzheimer’s disease their diagnosis: a 20-year repeat study

This study was to evaluate changes in attitude over a 20-year period. Alzheimer diagnosis disclosure has evolved from being viewed as evoking a negative emotional response to being information that can positively facilitate proactive future life planning. Regarding AD disclosure, Irish family members historically valued paternalism and now place an increased value on patient autonomy. Exploring family members’ attitudes to an Alzheimer’s disease diagnosis compared to that of a study 20 years prior by Maguire et al. (BMJ 313:529–530, 1996). The survey was a replica of that completed 20 years prior in the same department by Maguire et al. (BMJ 313:529–530, 1996). With ethics approval and consent, family members were surveyed regarding their attitudes towards a dementia diagnosis. Completed by doctors with 100 consecutive respondents accompanying patients to scheduled memory clinic appointments. Themes were generated, results compiled and compared to the previous study. Respondents are now over four times more likely to favour disclosure over non-disclosure to a patient (chi-squared 68.142, p < 0.0001). A substantial decrease is evident in those listing fear of evoking a negative reaction. Accordingly, there is an increase in those referring to the benefits of disclosure. The emerged theme was that of autonomy versus paternalism, with attitude shift reflecting that patient privacy is an established patient right, taking precedence over paternalistic preferences.