cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Analysis of Social Dynamics on FDA Panels Using Social Networks Extracted from Meeting Transcripts

The social elements of technical decision-making are not well understood, particular among expert committees. This is largely due to a lack of methodology for directly studying such interactions in real-world situations. This paper presents a method for the analysis of transcripts of expert committee meetings, with an eye towards understanding the process by which information is communicated in order to reach a decision. In particular, we focus on medical device advisory panels in the US Food and Drug Administration. The method is based upon natural language processing tools, and is designed to extract social networks from these transcripts, which are representative of the flow of information and communication on the panel. Application of this method to a set of 37 meetings from the FDA's Circulatory Systems Devices Panel shows the presence of numerous effects. Prominent among these is the propensity for panel members from similar medical specialties to use similar language. Furthermore, panel members who use similar language have the propensity to vote similarly. We find that these propensities are correlated – i.e., as panel members' language converges by medical specialty, panel members' votes also tend to converge. This suggests that voting behavior is mediated by membership in a medical specialty and supports the notion that voting outcome is, to some extent, dependent on an interpretation of the data associated with training.
Implementing and testing a nonlinear model predictive tracking controller for aerial pursuit/evasion games on a fixed wing aircraft

Flight test and simulation results are presented for a nonlinear model predictive tracking controller (NMPC) used in pursuit and evasion maneuvers in three dimensions on a fixed wing unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) for the purposes of pursuit/evasion games (PEGs) against a piloted F-15 aircraft. These controllers are shown to be effective for both asymmetric and symmetric PEGs. While the capability of UAVs to perform autonomously has not yet been demonstrated, this is an important step to enable at least limited autonomy in such aircraft to operate with temporary loss of remote control, or when confronted with an adversary or obstacles for which remote control is insufficient. Such capabilities have been under development in the software enabled control (SEC) program and were recently tested in the capstone demonstration of that program.
Anomalous Left Coronary Artery from Pulmonary Artery Report of 11 Cases; Review of Indications for and Results of Surgery

Anomalous origin of the left coronary artery from the pulmonary artery has been noted in 11 patients at Children's Hospital of the District of Columbia from 1946 to 1969. Four of our cases plus 40 in the literature have been reported with complete catheterization data. These 44 infants and children can be divided into three groups (A, B, and C) according to the magnitude of the shunt at pulmonary artery level. The type of treatment in infants and children with anomalous left coronary artery and increased oxygen saturation in the pulmonary artery at the time of catheterization (group A) appears to be immaterial, as all have survived. Mortality rates in patients with left-to-right shunts not large enough to be detected by oxygen studies (group B) indicate no significant difference in those treated medically or surgically; hence, if possible, surgery should be delayed in this group until after 1 to 2 years of age when surgical mortality is negligible. In patients with filling of the left coronary artery from...
Experiments and demonstrations at EMC 2012

Each year, our members come to the annual Symposium braced for a new and stimulating experience. Every year since Andy Drozd inaugurated the events in 1992, the Hardware Experiments and Demonstrations as well as the Computer Modeling and Simulations sessions continue to be a Symposium signature event. These sessions collectively provide attendees the opportunity to not only observe an exciting, educational, and thought provoking series of experiments and demonstrations provided by some of the Society's best and brightest practitioners, but to also directly interact with the presenters themselves. As a result, folks are able to gain a deeper understanding of fundamental theory and its application, as well as learn of new applications, all of which can be adopted to make better EMC engineers. This past year in Pittsburgh was no different. Teammates Sam Connor and Bob Scully were able to recruit skilled presenters for seven hardware experiments and four computer software demonstrations. Symposium attendees who made their way to the back of the exhibit hall to observe and participate were well-rewarded over the three days of exhibits with multiple concurrently running presentations from which to choose.
Analysis of the thermodynamic compatibility of poly(vinyl chloride) and nitrile rubbers from inverse gas chromatography

The solubility parameter method was applied to an analysis of the solution thermodynamic data of several solutes (probes) in polymers obtained by inverse gas chromatography. Experimental data previously reported by different authors were analyzed. The polymers used as the stationary phases were poly(vinyl chloride) (PVC), two nitrile rubbers (NBRs), and PVC/NBR blends. From the retention volumes of the probes, the Flory–Huggins interaction parameters at infinite dilution were calculated. The interaction parameters, in turn, were related to the solubility parameters of the solutes and stationary phases. With a series of probes, the solubility parameters of PVC and NBRs were determined. Differences existed between the experimental values of the size-corrected free energies of solutions and the values calculated with solubility parameters. The differences were generally negative values. When these differences obtained from two NBR rubbers were plotted versus PVC, a correlation was found. Methods for obtaining the interaction parameters of polymer blends were examined. A modified plotting method gave a linear line and an interaction parameter between two polymers consistent with the results of the solubility parameters. © 2003 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci 89: 1242–1249, 2003
Developmental changes in mathematically precocious young children: Longitudinal and gender effects

Young children with advanced mathematical skill (N = 276) were followed for two years, during kindergarten through 1st grade or 1st through 2nd grade. Children were randomly assigned to an interven...
The impact of group viewing on patterns of television program choice

This study addressed a discrepancy between theories of program choice and observed audience behavior. It found that expected patterns of choice are significantly enhanced when viewing groups are constant over time.
Augmented reality for forward-looking synthetic aperture radar

The U.S. Army Research Laboratory (ARL) has successfully designed and integrated an augmented reality system into our vehicle-based ultra wideband (UWB) forward-looking synthetic aperture radar (SAR). In this paper, we present the overall architecture of the system and results from our recent experiment.
Quantitative analysis of flow microfluorometric data from asynchronous and drug-treated cell populations

Abstract A new method for the mathematical analysis of data from flow microfluorometry is applied to data from cell populations growing exponentially or exposed to hydroxyurea or cyclic AMP. The analysis is not completely automatic, but requires interaction with the investigator. An algorithm for carrying out the analysis is described and illustrated with an example. Possible methods for simplifying the procedure are discussed. Studies with hydroxyurea-treated cells indicated that many cells were arrested in early S phase as well as in G 1 . Some of the drug treated cells, especially those exposed for 3 to 4 days, had abnormally low fluorescence intensities. Cells treated with cyclic AMP for 72 hr accumulated mainly in the G 1 and G 2 phases, but some remained in S. Relatively pure fractions of G 1 cells (but not G 2 ) were obtained by cyclic AMP treatment followed by sucrose gradient fractionation.
Convergence of the SMI algorithm in partially adaptive linearly constrained beamformers

A statistical analysis of the adaptive convergence behavior of linearly constrained beamformers is given assuming the sample covariance estimator is used to estimate the covariance matrix. The sensor data is assumed to be Gaussian distributed and independent from snapshot to snapshot. The mean squared error in the absence of the desired signal is shown to be a multiple of a chi-squared random variable. The presence of the desired signal results in an excess mean squared error which is Beta distributed and depends only on the signal power, number of snapshots, and number of adaptive degrees of freedom. The average excess mean squared error is directly proportional to the signal power and number of adaptive degrees of freedom and inversely proportional to the number of snapshots. These results provide clear motivation for partially adaptive beamforming. >
High power waveguide-fed reduced lateral wave antenna

This research focuses on the development of a high-power waveguide-fed microwave antenna that has a reduced level of lateral radiation (radiation that travels along the supporting ground plane, potentially causing serious coupling, interference, and diffraction problems). A particular design is proposed, and simulations of this design verify the reduced lateral radiation behavior of the antenna.
Command Shapers for Systems with Actuator Saturation

Command shapers are used to create inputs that move flexible systems without residual vibration. Originally developed for linear systems, command shapers use superposition of the inputs to cancel vibration and control the system response. Nonlinearities in the system degrade the performance of traditional command shapers. The presence of "hard" nonlinearities, such as actuator saturation, distort the desired commands before they reach the plant. Command shapers that avoid saturating the actuators, thus allowing the desired command to reach the plant in the original form, have been developed for a mass under PD control. These shapers are easier to compute than previously shown results. Simulations verify the efficacy of the new shapers.
Haplotype dimorphism in a SNP collection from Drosophila melanogaster.

A moderate resolution single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) map of the genome of Drosophila melanogaster that is designed for use in quantitative genetic mapping is described. Seventeen approximately 500 nucleotide gene sequences spaced at 10 to 20 centimorgan intervals were combined with 49 shorter sequence tag sites (STSs) at 5 to 10 centimorgan intervals to generate a map that should not leave any gaps greater than one half of a chromosome arm when any two wild type lines are compared. Of 20 markers with sufficient polymorphism to construct haplotype cladograms, 13 showed evidence for two divergent classes of haplotype. The possible mechanisms for and implications of the unexpected finding that two thirds of all short gene se- quences in D. melanogaster may be dimorphic are discussed, including the suggestion that admix- ture between two separate lineages may have been a major event in the history of the species. J. Exp. Zool. (Mol. Dev. Evol.) 288:63-75, 2000. © 2000 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
A Classification of the Structure of the Tropical Atmosphere and Related Energy Fluxes

Abstract Meteorological data from the tropics have been classified according to a scheme based on the rate of moist convection obtained indirectly from cloud photos. The degree of convection has been categorized into six modes ranging from severely depressed to severely enhanced. Simultaneous high-resolution measurements of tropospheric static energy, longwave radiation, and sensible and latent heat fluxes across the air-sea interface were categorized accordingly. The specific results clearly reveal many of the physical processes associated with the observed changes in the variables which are discussed. They also emphasize the complex interaction of the various processes and scales of motion, which suggests application of classification techniques in parameterization of variables.
Prenatal diagnosis of cloacal malformation

Persistent cloaca malformation is the most severe type of anorectal and urogenital malformation. Decisions concerning the surgical treatment for this condition are taken during the first hours of life and may determine the quality of life of these patients. Thus, prenatal diagnosis becomes important for a prompt and efficient management of the fetus and newborn, and accurate counseling of the parents regarding its consequences and the future of the baby. Careful evaluation by ultrasonography, and further in-depth analysis with MRI, allow prenatal detection of characteristic findings, which can lead to diagnose or at least suspect this condition. We reviewed our experience and the literature in order to highlight the most important clues that can guide the physician in the differential diagnosis.
A systematic review of Motivational Interviewing interventions in cancer patients and survivors.

Abstract Objective To explore the use of Motivational Interviewing (MI) interventions among cancer patients and survivors, and determine aspects of intervention design that are common across successful MI interventions for this population. Methods We conducted a systematic review of studies addressing behavior change in cancer patients or survivors using Motivational Interviewing techniques. Studies were categorized into three groups based on behavioral outcome; lifestyle behaviors, psychosocial outcomes, and cancer-related symptom management. Results We included 15 studies in our analysis. Studies addressed behaviors such as diet, exercise, smoking cessation, cancer-related stress, and fatigue management. Counseling sessions varied in frequency and method of delivery, although telephone-based interventions were common. Trained oncology nurses often delivered MI sessions, and the majority of interventions included quality assessment to verify fidelity of MI techniques. Conclusion Solid evidence exists for the efficacy of MI to address lifestyle behaviors as well as the psychosocial needs of cancer patients and survivors. More research is needed on the use of MI for self-management of cancer-related symptoms. Practice implications Motivational Interviewing is a promising technique for addressing many types of behavior change in cancer patients or survivors. Intervention design must be sensitive to cancer type, phase of care, and complexity of desired behavior.
Educação Ambiental no Desenvolvimento Sustentável Municipal

A preocupacao ecologica alcancou varios espacos na sociedade, atingindo tambem as administracoes publicas, sendo uma resposta as pressoes exercidas por organizacoes internacionais, como tambem pela propria sociedade, cobrando o cumprimento das legislacoes, buscando desenvolver uma melhor qualidade ambiental e promover nas municipalidades reacoes que busquem respostas para essas exigencias porque durante decadas essa responsabilidade ambiental esteve centrada somente nas esferas governamentais federais e estaduais. Entretanto, em 1997, Conselho Nacional de Meio Ambiente (CONAMA), pela resolucao no 237/ 1997, institui a avaliacao dos impactos ambientais locais causados por empreendimentos para competencia dos municipios, que deve coordenar as acoes, desenvolvendo a educacao ambiental para a compreensao e respeito da comunidade com o meio ambiente, implantando normas que controlem a deterioracao ambiental, possibilitando a diminuicao de areas degradadas, assumindo assim a missao de estimular o desenvolvimento sustentavel local, com de equidade social, desenvolvimento economico e protecao ambiental.Palavras-chave: Desenvolvimento Sustentavel, Educacao Ambiental e Meio Ambiente.ABSTRACTThe eco-friendliness achieved several spaces in society, also reaching the government as a response to the pressures exerted by international organizations, but also by society itself, demanding compliance with the legislation, seeking to develop better environmental quality and promote the municipalities reactions that seek answers to these requirements because for decades that environmental responsibility was focused only on federal and state government levels. However, in 1997, the National Environmental Council (CONAMA), by Resolution No. 237/1997, establishing the evaluation of local environmental impacts of projects for competence of municipalities, which must coordinate actions, developing environmental education for understanding and community respect for the environment, implementing regulations to control environmental deterioration, enabling a reduction of degraded areas, thus taking the mission to stimulate local sustainable development with social equity, economic development and environmental protection.Keywords: Sustainable Development, Environmental Education and Environment.
A marrow chromosomal abnormality preceding clinical leukemia in Down's syndrome.

During a routine diagnostic cytogenetic study of the marrow of a child with Down’s syndrome, a minor line of cells with a complement of 50 chromosomes was discovered. The predominant cell in marrow and blood had 47 chromosomes with the standard trisomy in Group 21-22. Although anemia and thrombocytopenia were present, other diagnostic criteria of leukemia did not appear until several weeks later. It is proposed that careful cytogenetic studies combined with serial clinical evaluation may disclose important relationships between chromosomal mutation, aneuploid stemlines, and the production and evolution of neoplasms.
[Female climacteric: critical evaluation of treatment methods (proceedings)].

Es kann gesagt werden, das die Therapie mit Ostrogenen auch uber langere Zeit, bedeutende Vorteile fur die Frau in den Wechseljahren mit sich bringt. Diese umfassen vor allem: Freiheit von subjektiven Beschwerden, eine Wiederherstellung oder Verbesserung der seelischen Verfassung sowie der psychischen und korperlichen Leistungsfahigkeit, die Verhinderung oder Beseitigung atrophisierenden Veranderungen im Urogenitalsystem, die Besserung der Funktion und des Aussehens der Haut, schlieslich die Verhutung der Postmenopausenosteoporose. Bei Berucksichtigung einer vernunftigen Praparatewahl, einer adaquaten Dosierung, eines Gestagenzusatzes und bei Kenntnis der moglichen Risikofaktoren und bei Einhaltung regelmasiger Vorsorgeuntersuchungen, durfte die Gefahr nachteiliger Wirkungen durch Ostrogene ganz weitgehend auszuschliesen sein. Dies entspricht jedenfalls der langjahrigen Erfahrung der Therapeuten und das war das Resumee des Weltkongresses uber die Menopause in La Grande Motte. Abschliesend wird die Empfehlung fur eine Therapie des Postmenopausensyndroms mit Ostrogenen in der Tabelle 3 wiedergegeben.
Enhancing PrEP Access for Black and Latino Men Who Have Sex With Men.

OBJECTIVE Implementation of HIV pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) programs for populations with highest incidence is critical to reducing new infections in the United States. Black and Latino men who have sex with men (BLMSM) are disproportionately burdened by HIV. We examined differences in perceived barriers and facilitators to PrEP access for BLMSM compared with other men who have sex with men (MSM). METHOD MSM who met the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention criteria for PrEP (n = 491) completed measures of barriers and facilitators to PrEP at the systems, provider, and individual levels. Multivariate analyses examined differences by race/ethnicity, adjusting for other sociodemographic factors. RESULTS Compared with other MSM, BLMSM (56% of the sample) were more likely to have public insurance and to access health care via public clinics [adjusted odds ratio(aOR) 3.2, P < 0.001; aOR 2.4, P < 0.01]. BLMSM were more likely to regard having to talk to their doctor about their sex life as a barrier to PrEP (aOR 3.7, P < 0.001) and were less likely to endorse agency in medical decision making (aOR 0.58, P < 0.001). BLMSM were more likely to report PrEP stigma (aOR 2.3, P < 0.001) and concerns regarding PrEP efficacy (aOR 1.6, P < 0.05). BLMSM were more likely to consider access to free sexual health care (aOR 2.1, P < 0.01) and additional supportive services, eg, counseling (aOR 3.1, P < 0.001) or text-based support (aOR 2.9, P < 0.001) to be significant facilitators of PrEP use. CONCLUSIONS Findings suggest specific points of multilevel intervention to increase PrEP access for BLMSM and increase representation of BLMSM along the PrEP continuum of care.
Not Your Father's, or Mother's, Rodent: Moving Beyond B6

In this issue of Neuron, Sittig et al. (2016) present research that calls into question the way laboratory mice are used to address questions in basic science and experimental medicine. This research demonstrates strong interactions between mutant alleles and genetic background.
Biochemical Effects of Exercise on a Fasciocutaneous Flap in a Rat Model

ImportanceAn overwhelming amount of data suggest that cardiovascular exercise has a positive effect on the mind and body, although the precise mechanism is not always clear. ObjectiveTo assess the ...
Re-appraisal of the Bakken Shale play: Accounting for historic and future oil prices and applying fiscal rates of North Dakota, Montana and Saskatchewan

Abstract The ascent of the Bakken shale play as a major U.S. oil producer became threatened by the 2014–2016 oil price fall. This benchmark study assesses and compares the economic performance of typical Bakken wells across three different fiscal regimes: North Dakota (ND) and Montana (MT) in the U.S., and the Canadian province of Saskatchewan (SK). Decline curve analysis and discounted cash flow analysis are applied to evaluate and re-appraise both the productivity and economic performance (internal rate of return, IRR) of typical Bakken wells in each region. For wells of similar estimated ultimate recovery (EUR), the fiscal regime of Montana (IRR 27%) is slightly more advantageous than North Dakota's (IRR 24%). If wells can be identified in SK akin to ND's reference well of 555 Mbbls EUR, the Canadian province provides the most attractive after tax return (180%). However, type curves for Bakken wells in SK and MT analyzed in our study typically have EURs at only 14% and 37% of the ND reference well (EUR∼555 Mbbls) and IRRs adjusted for EUR in MT and SK are negative in both regions at the historic reference price of $80/bbl. A sensitivity analysis using oil prices ranging between $20–100/bbl accounts for any of the price levels seen in the 2014–2016 price fall, and can be projected forward. The evaluation of single well economics and sensitivity to oil price changes and drilling and completion cost is subsequently expanded with a representative firm approach considering certain asset development options with multiple wells in each of the three Bakken jurisdictions (ND, MT, SK).
Suitability of Thirteen Different Host Species for Elm Leaf Beetle, Xanthogaleruca luteola (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae)

Thirteen different host species for elm leaf beetle, Xanthogaleruca luteola (Muller), were assayed to determine their relative suitability. Species examined were Ulmus parvifolia Jacq., U. thomasii Sarg., U. laevis Pall., U. wilsoniana Schneid., U. americana L., U. japonica Sarg., U. pumila L., U. rubra Muhl., U. laciniata Mayr., U. glabra Huds., U. carpinifolia Gledisch, Zelkova serrata Makino, and '204,' a hybrid of U. carpinifolia x U. parvifolia. Suitability was determined by feeding adults excised foliage from a tree and measuring mortality and fecundity during a two wk period. Significant differences in beetle mortality and fecundity occurred among hosts. In general, European elms were better hosts than American or Asiatic species. Suitability of a European x Asiatic hybrid fell between that of the parent species.
High-capacity battery cathode prelithiation to offset initial lithium loss

Loss of lithium in the initial cycles appreciably reduces the energy density of lithium-ion batteries. Anode prelithiation is a common approach to address the problem, although it faces the issues of high chemical reactivity and instability in ambient and battery processing conditions. Here we report a facile cathode prelithiation method that offers high prelithiation efficacy and good compatibility with existing lithium-ion battery technologies. We fabricate cathode additives consisting of nanoscale mixtures of transition metals and lithium oxide that are obtained by conversion reactions of metal oxide and lithium. These nanocomposites afford a high theoretical prelithiation capacity (typically up to 800 mAh g−1, 2,700 mAh cm−3) during charging. We demonstrate that in a full-cell configuration, the LiFePO4 electrode with a 4.8% Co/Li2O additive shows 11% higher overall capacity than that of the pristine LiFePO4 electrode. The use of the cathode additives provides an effective route to compensate the large initial lithium loss of high-capacity anode materials and improves the electrochemical performance of existing lithium-ion batteries. There is an intensive research effort in suppressing the first-cycle lithium loss in lithium-ion batteries. Now, a cathode prelithiation method with nanocomposites of conversion materials is demonstrated to compensate the initial lithium loss and improve the battery performance.
Keeping Tumors Out of the MAPK Fitness Zone

Greatest fitness of tumor cell subclones in patients undergoing MAPK-targeting therapies requires just-right levels of MAPK pathway signaling. New therapeutic approaches induce tumor cell death by intensifying MAPK signaling induced by inhibitor withdrawal in combination with DNA damage, or prevent selection of resistant clones with a steep fitness barrier imposed by triple combination of BRAF, MEK, and ERK inhibitors. Cancer Discov; 8(1); 20-3. ©2018 AACRSee related article by Hong et al., p. 74.
A robust holographic autofocusing criterion based on edge sparsity: comparison of Gini index and Tamura coefficient for holographic autofocusing based on the edge sparsity of the complex optical wavefront

The Sparsity of the Gradient (SoG) is a robust autofocusing criterion for holography, where the gradient modulus of the complex refocused hologram is calculated, on which a sparsity metric is applied. Here, we compare two different choices of sparsity metrics used in SoG, specifically, the Gini index (GI) and the Tamura coefficient (TC), for holographic autofocusing on dense/connected or sparse samples. We provide a theoretical analysis predicting that for uniformly distributed image data, TC and GI exhibit similar behavior, while for naturally sparse images containing few high-valued signal entries and many low-valued noisy background pixels, TC is more sensitive to distribution changes in the signal and more resistive to background noise. These predictions are also confirmed by experimental results using SoG-based holographic autofocusing on dense and connected samples (such as stained breast tissue sections) as well as highly sparse samples (such as isolated Giardia lamblia cysts). Through these experiments, we found that ToG and GoG offer almost identical autofocusing performance on dense and connected samples, whereas for naturally sparse samples, GoG should be calculated on a relatively small region of interest (ROI) closely surrounding the object, while ToG offers more flexibility in choosing a larger ROI containing more background pixels.
Intercropping forage sorghum with maize is a promising alternative to maize silage for biogas production

Abstract Maize (Zea mays L.) silage is the preferred feedstock choice for biogas production. However, other feedstocks or mixed feedstocks might have lower environmental impact than silage maize. The objectives of this study included: 1) to determine if forage sorghum [Sorghum bicolor (L.) Moench] and forage sorghum-maize intercropping can be a viable option to replace maize in forage and biogas production, and 2) to assess the environmental impact of systems involving maize and forage sorghum intercropping and comparing the impact of those, with conventional monocrop rotations. Replicated experiments were conducted in Carrington, Fargo, and Prosper, ND, in 2013 and in Fargo, ND in 2014. Maize for silage and grain and two forage sorghum cultivars (Brown Mid Rib (BMR) and non-BMR) were grown in monoculture and in intercropping. Treatments were a total of twelve; four monocultures, four inter-row intercropped maize-sorghum, and four within-row intercropped maize-sorghum. Results across environments indicated non-BMR forage sorghum monocultures produced similar or higher biomass yield compared with maize monocultures and maize-forage sorghum mixed cultures (inter-row and within-row). Biogas yield and forage quality produced by forage sorghum monocultures, and mixtures containing forage sorghum were similar to that of maize. Thus, forage sorghum can replace, at least in part, silage maize as feedstock for feed or biogas. Forage sorghum and forage sorghum-maize intercropping had lower environmental impact compared with maize in all categories evaluated. In conclusion, intercropping of forage sorghum with maize is a promising alternative to maize silage for forage or as feedstock for biogas production.
Novel roles of apoptotic caspases in tumor repopulation, epigenetic reprogramming, carcinogenesis, and beyond

Apoptotic caspases have long been studied for their roles in programmed cell death and tumor suppression. With recent discoveries, however, it is becoming apparent these cell death executioners are involved in additional biological pathways beyond killing cells. In some cases, apoptotic cells secrete growth signals to stimulate proliferation of neighboring cells. This pathway functions to regenerate tissues in multiple organisms, but it also poses problems in tumor resistance to chemo- and radiotherapy. Additionally, it was found that activation of caspases does not irreversibly lead to cell death, contrary to the established paradigm. Sub-lethal activation of caspases is evident in cell differentiation and epigenetic reprogramming. Furthermore, evidence indicates spontaneous, unprovoked activation of caspases in many cancer cells, which plays pivotal roles in maintaining their tumorigenicity and metastasis. These unexpected findings challenge current cancer therapy approaches aimed at activation of the apoptotic pathway. At the same time, the newly discovered functions of caspases suggest new treatment approaches for cancer and other pathological conditions in the future.
Swimming of Planktonic Cyclops Species (Copepoda, Crustacea): Pattern, Movements and Their Control

The zooplankton of lakes and seas consists for the most part of copepods, some species grazing phytoplankton and some living as carnivores, hunting other copepods. Animals of the order Cyclopoida are between 0. 05 and 0. 3 cm long and show a very distinct jerky (hop and sink) swimming pattern, using an average of one powerstroke per second. This gives them a mean speed of 0. 1 to 0. 5 cm/sec so that their Reynolds number ranges from 1 to 50. Storch (1929) filmed the sequence of movements of the four ventrally situated pairs of legs during a powerstroke and found a 4-3-2-1 metachronical pattern. One stroke of all the legs together brings them back to the original position (ventral, front), supposedly leaving the animal with a forward velocity component. The decelerating phase of one hop has been used by Vlymen (1970) to calculate the drag for one copepod species, for which he found the energy expended in swimming to be only 0. 3% of the metabolic energy consumption. In order to avoid an encounter with a predator, Cyclops display an escape reaction, swimming up to 35 cm/sec for about one second. This translates to about 120 powerstrokes per second. In this speed range flapping of the abdomen is more effective (Re ~ 500), but requires more energy.
A QoS Framework for SDN-Based Networks

Nowadays, traditional networks are suffering from lack of information, easy management, and hard QoS guarantee. Recently, SDNs overcome these limitations. They provide network agility, programmability, and centralized network control. These features facilitate solving many of the security, performance, management and QoS issues. In this paper, we propose an SDN framework that leverages programmability and centralized control to provide a level of QoS. Knowing the state of the whole network helps optimizing the decision towards enhancing the network efficiency. The presented framework basically contains modules that provide monitoring, route determination, rule preparation, and configuration functionalities. The monitoring module analyzes ports utilization and probs the links delay. The route determination module relies on the shortest path algorithm, with or without QoS guarantee. Two QoS parameters, namely, port utilization and delay are considered in the monitoring and the route determination. The proposed framework is tested in a fat-tree topology with an OpenDayLight (ODL) controller. Experiments are conducted to prove the efficiency of the presented framework over the traditional standalone controller with the built-in features. Results showed that using the presented framework, with or without QoS reduces the overall average delay by 57%, jitter by 25% and packet loss by 67%. Moreover, the monitored port utilization was reduced by 30% on average.
Physicians And Prepaid Group Practices

ABSTRACT: Prepaid group practices (PGPs) are complex organizations that directly combine prepayment for health care with a comprehensive health care delivery system. PGPs' ability to manage their p...
Infant Attachment Insecurity and Baseline Physiological Activity and Physiological Reactivity to Interpersonal Stress: A Meta-Analytic Review

This meta-analytic review (k = 5-10; N = 258-895) examined links between attachment insecurity and physiological activity at baseline and in response to interpersonal stress elicited by separation-reunion procedures in the early life course (1-5 years). Insecurity was trivially, nonsignificantly associated with baseline physiological activity (heart rate [HR]: g = -.06; respiratory sinus arrhythmia [RSA]: g = -.06; cortisol: g = .01) and nonsignificantly associated with physiological reactivity to separation from parents (HR: g = -.001; RSA: g = .24). However, insecurity was moderately associated with heightened RSA (g = .26) and cortisol (g = .27) reactivity upon reunion with parents. Findings provide insight into the biobehavioral organization of attachment, suggesting that early insecurity is associated with heightened physiological reactivity to interpersonal stress. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
Chapter 34 The intertemporal approach to the current account

Publisher Summary A country's current-account balance over any time period is the increase in Residents' claims on foreign incomes or outputs, less the increase in similar foreign-owned claims on home income or output. Thus, in theory, the current account includes not only exports less imports (broadly defined to include all the income on and payouts on cross-border assets—dividends, interest payments, insurance premia and payments, etc.), but also net capital gains on existing foreign assets. F The intertemporal approach views the current-account balance as the outcome of forward-looking dynamic saving and investment decisions. This chapter surveys the theory and empirical work on the intertemporal approach to the current account as it has developed since the early 1980s. Recently, some researchers have studied dynamic stochastic international models with complete Arrow–Debreu forward markets for uncertain consumption. This particular offshoot of the intertemporal approach is the “complete-markets” model. The intertemporal approach to current-account analysis extends the absorption approach through its recognition that private saving and investment decisions, and sometimes even government decisions, result from forward-looking calculations based on the expectations of future productivity growth, government spending demands, real interest rates, and so on.
Perinatal Outcomes with Longer Second Stage of Labor: A Risk Analysis Comparing Expectant Management to Operative Intervention.

Objective The aim of this study is to assess the impact of a prolonged second stage of labor on maternal and neonatal outcomes by comparing women who had expectant management versus operative intervention beyond specified timeframes in the second stage of labor. Study Design Retrospective cohort including live singletons at ≥36 weeks who reached the second stage of labor. Expectant management (second stage >3, 2, 2, and 1 hour in nulliparas with an epidural, nulliparas without an epidural, multiparas with an epidural, and multiparas without an epidural, respectively) was compared with those who had an operative delivery (vaginal or cesarean) prior to these timeframes. The primary maternal outcome was a composite of postpartum hemorrhage, chorioamnionitis, operative complications, postpartum infections, and intensive care unit admission. The primary neonatal outcome was a composite of cord blood acidemia, 5-minute Apgar's score 1 day. Results Among 218 women, 115 (52.8%) had expectant management. Expectant management was associated with a significantly increased risk of the maternal composite (adjusted odds ratio [aOR]: 1.99, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.09–3.64) but not the neonatal composite (aOR: 1.54, 95% CI: 0.71–3.35). Conclusion Expectant management of a prolonged second stage was associated with a higher rate of adverse maternal outcomes, but the rate of adverse neonatal outcomes was not significantly increased.
An Exceedingly Rare Presentation of Severe Folate Deficiency-Induced Non-Immune Hemolytic Anemia.

Macrocytic anemia is usually associated with vitamin B12 or folate deficiency. However, folate deficiency was rarely reported as a cause of hemolytic anemia. We present a case of a young man with a history of alcohol abuse who initially presented with an acute on chronic abdominal pain and was found to have jaundice and scleral icterus. His liver enzymes were unremarkable, and his abdominal imaging did not reveal any acute pathology. However, he was found to have a severe non-immune hemolytic anemia secondary to folate deficiency.
Immigrant Health and Changes to the Public-Charge Rule: Family Physicians' Response

As the US federal government pursues immigration reform, changes to the federal public-charge rule have triggered confusion and concerns among patients who are immigrants. Although federal judges temporarily blocked implementation, a decision by the Supreme Court in January 2020 allowed the proposed changes to take effect. These policy changes have resulted in many legal immigrants and their family members becoming more reluctant to apply for health insurance, food, housing, and other benefits for which they are qualified. This article summarizes the changes and exclusions. Family physicians can effectively respond to patient and immigrant community concerns about these changes by providing outreach education, access to primary health care, and referrals to legal and social services.
Comparing deep learning and immunohistochemistry in determining the site of origin for well-differentiated neuroendocrine tumors

Background: Determining the site of origin for metastatic well-differentiated neuroendocrine tumors (WDNETs) is challenging, and immunohistochemical (IHC) profiles do not always lead to a definitive diagnosis. We sought to determine if a deep-learning convolutional neural network (CNN) could improve upon established IHC profiles in predicting the site of origin in a cohort of WDNETs from the common primary sites. Materials and Methods: Hematoxylin and eosin (H&E)-stained tissue microarrays (TMAs) were created using 215 WDNETs arising from the known primary sites. A CNN trained and tested on 60% (n = 130) and 40% (n = 85) of these cases, respectively. One hundred and seventy-nine cases had TMA tissue remaining for the IHC analysis. These cases were stained with IHC markers pPAX8, CDX2, SATB2, and thyroid transcription factor-1 (markers of pancreas/duodenum, ileum/jejunum/duodenum, colorectum/appendix, and lung WDNET sites of origin, respectively). The CNN diagnosis was deemed correct if it designated a majority or plurality of the tumor area as the known site of origin. The IHC diagnosis was deemed correct if the most specific marker for a particular site of origin met an H-score threshold determined by two pathologists. Results: When all cases were considered, the CNN correctly identified the site of origin at a lower rate compared to IHC (72% vs. 82%, respectively). Of the 85 cases in the CNN test set, 66 had sufficient TMA material for IHC stains, thus 66 cases were available for a direct case-by-case comparison of IHC versus CNN. The CNN correctly identified 70% of these cases, while IHC correctly identified 76%, a finding that was not statistically significant (P = 0.56). Conclusion: A CNN can identify WDNET site of origin at an accuracy rate close to the current gold standard IHC methods.
Objective Measures of Surgeon Nontechnical Skills in Surgery: A Scoping Review:

ObjectiveThe purpose of this study was to identify, synthesize, and discuss objective behavioral or physiological metrics of surgeons’ nontechnical skills (NTS) in the literature.BackgroundNTS, or ...
Abstract P664: Radon Exposure and Cerebrovascular Disease - A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Observational Studies in Occupational and General Populations

Background: Radon is the second leading cause of lung cancer and one of the top ten causes of cancer mortality in the United States. However, research findings examining the causal relationship bet...
MAFER: a Multi-resolution Approach to Facial Expression Recognition.

Emotions play a central role in the social life of every human being, and their study, which represents a multidisciplinary subject, embraces a great variety of research fields. Especially concerning the latter, the analysis of facial expressions represents a very active research area due to its relevance to human-computer interaction applications. In such a context, Facial Expression Recognition (FER) is the task of recognizing expressions on human faces. Typically, face images are acquired by cameras that have, by nature, different characteristics, such as the output resolution. It has been already shown in the literature that Deep Learning models applied to face recognition experience a degradation in their performance when tested against multi-resolution scenarios. Since the FER task involves analyzing face images that can be acquired with heterogeneous sources, thus involving images with different quality, it is plausible to expect that resolution plays an important role in such a case too. Stemming from such a hypothesis, we prove the benefits of multi-resolution training for models tasked with recognizing facial expressions. Hence, we propose a two-step learning procedure, named MAFER, to train DCNNs to empower them to generate robust predictions across a wide range of resolutions. A relevant feature of MAFER is that it is task-agnostic, i.e., it can be used complementarily to other objective-related techniques. To assess the effectiveness of the proposed approach, we performed an extensive experimental campaign on publicly available datasets: \fer{}, \raf{}, and \oulu{}. For a multi-resolution context, we observe that with our approach, learning models improve upon the current SotA while reporting comparable results in fix-resolution contexts. Finally, we analyze the performance of our models and observe the higher discrimination power of deep features generated from them.
The Relationship Between Self-Determination and English Language Acquisition: A Case Study of Human Determination, Self-Efficacy, & Success

Although technology can overcome decontextualized practices of language learning, learners’ success in independent language learning using the available technology depends on their motivation to carry out self-study. The Self-Determination Theory (SDT) suggests that some humans can remain zealous, motivated, and goal-oriented even when faced with challenges because of belief in their innate abilities. SDT explains such an individual’s confidence in their inherent growth tendencies and innate skills allows them to recognize, pursue, and grasp opportunities that help them meet their psychological needs for competence, connections, and autonomy. SDT extends to consider the mediating and moderating factors, such as educational, family, and community supports that can help individuals develop the levels of self-determination necessary to move beyond their current circumstances and improve their lives regardless of the obstacle they face along the way. Self-efficacy theory (SET) clarifies one’s beliefs of primary motivation to achieve an explicit goal. Within the roles of behavioral perspectives, self-determination, and motivation, educational psychology draws the relationships between cognition and mental physiology that contribute to human educational development. The purpose of this case study was to observe and describe the lived experiences of a Pakistani trash scavenger who rose to fame as an educator and world-famous motivational public speaker because of his personal beliefs and intrinsic motivation to become fluent in English. The study was relevant because it documents correlations between the psychological and sources of personal motivation and self-determination in the language acquisition process.
Brief Review of Low-Power GPU Techniques

This paper reviews and analyzes different low-power saving techniques in GPUs. The survey attempts to analyze and understand the architectural aspect of novel GPU design suggestions that researchers have come up with to provide cost-effective solutions for increasing GPU power numbers. These power-saving insights venture into the space of system-level low-power implementations, while others exploit the application-dependent optimizations, thereby making this study an interesting mix between architecture, application, and system-level implementations. This paper also focuses on underlining the impact of any power-saving feature in terms of area overhead and timing constraint latencies. This gives the reader a complete picture of the scope and challenges in the low-power GPU exploration space. The study is limited by time and hardware resources, and there is an excellent opportunity to quantify reviewed techniques and results to be compared against a common baseline.