cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Characterization of Aerodynamically Stabilized Flames Using Simultaneous Analysis of Planar and Line-of-Sight Images

High swirl flows are frequently used to create recirculating flow regions for flame stabilization. Aerodynamically stabilized flames anchor in the flow interior, not at welldefined separating shear layer locations, and are subject to significant variations in spatial location. The conditions under which high swirl flows with vortex breakdown enable (or do not enable) aerodynamically stabilized flames are not well understood, and are the focus of this study. This paper presents analysis from 10 kHz, simultaneous stereo Planar Image Velocimetry (sPIV), OH radical Planar Laser Induced Fluorescence (PLIF) and OH* chemiluminescence data. Conditioned frames in which the flame’s most upstream point was captured in the OH-PLIF plane were used to determine the coordinates, local flow velocity and full, three-dimensional, hydrodynamic strain component of flame stretch at the dynamically evolving flame stabilization point. Key observations from these data about the location/conditions at the stabilization point are: (1) the mean hydrodynamic strain rate at the flame stabilization point is positive and 3.3 times higher than the corresponding laminar flame extinction stretch rate calculated from detailed kinetics, (2) it is, on average, positioned in a region of reverse flow, (3) there is no correlation between instantaneous stretch rate and local flow velocity, and (4) there is no correlation between the instantaneous radial and axial location of the stabilization point.
Aminophylline poisoning; report of a case with complete pathologic and toxicologic findings.

The clinical syndrome of aminophylline poisoning varies with the route of administration and with the age of the patient. In adults who are given the drug intravenously, toxicity is related to the immediate cardiovascular effects.' 10 In children, the most common routes of administration are by means of rectal suppository or tablet, and the associated clinical manifestations are primarily related to the gastrointestinal tract and central nervous system. Many instances of aminophylline poisoning in children have been caused by an overdose contained in rectal suppositories.-''' " Only 2 cases caused by oral ingestion of the drug have been reported, however, and, in 1 of these, it was demonstrated that the action of aminophylline had been potentiated by ephedrine. The pathologic findings in aminophylline poisoning have been described in only a few instances,-'' and the authors are not aware of a previous report with toxicologic findings in tissues. The purpose in this paper is to report one case of excessive ingestion of aminophylline in which complete anatomic and toxicologic studies were done.
Brief Report: Cognitive Control of Social and Nonsocial Visual Attention in Autism

Prosaccade and antisaccade errors in the context of social and nonsocial stimuli were investigated in youth with autism spectrum disorder (ASD; n = 19) a matched control sample (n = 19), and a small sample of youth with obsessive compulsive disorder (n = 9). Groups did not differ in error rates in the prosaccade condition for any stimulus category. In the antisaccade condition, the ASD group demonstrated more errors than the control group for nonsocial stimuli related to circumscribed interests, but not for other nonsocial stimuli or for social stimuli. Additionally, antisaccade error rates were predictive of core ASD symptom severity. Results indicate that the cognitive control of visual attention in ASD is impaired specifically in the context of nonsocial stimuli related to circumscribed interests.
VO 2 -Based MEMS Mirrors

This paper reports the integration of vanadium dioxide (VO2) thin films in a microelectromechanical systems (MEMS) mirror device, where the actuation is mainly due to the solid-solid phase transition of VO2. The fabrication process described in this paper provides the details that will enable the integration of VO2 thin films at any step during the fabrication of rather complex MEMS devices. The present VO2-based MEMS mirror device is operated electro-thermally through integrated resistive heaters, and its behavior is characterized across the phase transition of VO2, which occurs at a temperature of ~68 °C and spans about 10 °C. The maximum vertical displacement of the mirror platform is 75 $\mu {\mathrm {m}}$ and it occurs for an input voltage of 1.1 V. This translates to an average power consumption of 6.5 mW per mirror actuator and a total power consumption of 26.1 mW for the entire device. The studies included in this paper are key for future device improvements and further development of MEMS mirror actuation technology, which could include the use of the hysteresis of VO2 for programming tilting angles in MEMS mirrors. [2016-0016]
Should Early Mobilization Be Routine in Mechanically Ventilated Patients

ICU-acquired weakness is a major complication of critical illness requiring mechanical ventilation. Early mobilization has been shown to decrease the negative consequences of ICU-acquired weakness. However, early mobilization might entail risks to the patient. Additional staffing needs might have a negative financial impact. This review examines whether early mobilization should be routinely performed in mechanically ventilated patients.
Potent neutralization of primary human immunodeficiency virus clade C isolates with a synergistic combination of human monoclonal antibodies raised against clade B.

OBJECTIVES We investigated the ability of several human neutralizing monoclonal antibodies (mAbs), originally raised against human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) clade B isolates, to neutralize primary clade C isolates as single agents and in combination. STUDY DESIGN/METHODS HIV clade C isolates from five different countries were tested for susceptibility to neutralization by anti-clade B mAbs in human peripheral blood mononuclear cells. Monoclonal antibody combinations were evaluated for possible synergy. RESULTS All 20 primary HIV clade C isolates could be neutralized 97.5% to 100% by a quadruple combination of mAbs IgG1b12, 2G12, 2F5, and 4E10. These mAbs recognized conserved epitopes and were highly synergistic, resulting in strong cross-clade neutralization. CONCLUSIONS In our previous experiment, a synergistic combination of human neutralizing mAbs protected all macaque neonates against oral challenge with a simian-human immunodeficiency virus encoding HIV env. Together, our data suggest that passive immunization with currently available anti-clade B mAbs could play a role in preventing HIV clade C transmission through breastfeeding.
Special Report: Predictive Value Derived from Likelihood Ratios: A Superior Technic to Interpret Quantitative Laboratory Results

The predictive value of a quantitative test value calculated from a likelihood ratio is compared with the predictive value of a positive result for computer-simulated laboratory data. A significant loss of information about the magnitude of a quantitative test value occurs when calculating the predictive value of a positive result. This is because of the selection of an arbitrary critical value that classifies the quantitative result as positive or negative. The likelihood ratio (the probability of having disease divided by the probability of not having disease for a given test result) and the prevalence of disease is used to calculate predictive values. Logistic regression is used to predict the likelihood ratio of a test value.
A retrospective study of two populations to test a simple rule for spirometry

Chronic lung disease is common and often under-diagnosed. To test a simple rule for conducting spirometry we reviewed spirograms from two populations, occupational medicine evaluations (OME) conducted by Saint Louis and Wake Forest Universities at 3 sites (n = 3260, mean age 64.14 years, 95 % CI 58.94–69.34, 97 % men) and conducted by Wake Forest University preop clinic (POC) at one site (n = 845, mean age 62.10 years, 95 % CI 50.46–73.74, 57 % men). This retrospective review of database information that the first author collected prospectively identified rates, types, sensitivity, specificity and positive and negative predictive value for lung function abnormalities and associated mortality rate found when conducting spirometry based on the 20/40 rule (≥20 years of smoking in those aged ≥ 40 years) in the OME population. To determine the reproducibility of the 20/40 rule for conducting spirometry, the rule was applied to the POC population. A lung function abnormality was found in 74 % of the OME population and 67 % of the POC population. Sensitivity of the rule was 85 % for an obstructive pattern and 77 % for any abnormality on spirometry. Positive and negative predictive values of the rule for a spirometric abnormality were 74 and 55 %, respectively. Patients with an obstructive pattern were at greater risk of coronary heart disease (odds ratio (OR) 1.39 [confidence interval (CI) 1.00–1.93] vs. normal) and death (hazard ratio (HR) 1.53, 95 % CI 1.20–1.84) than subjects with normal spirometry. Restricted spirometry patterns were also associated with greater risk of coronary disease (odds ratio (OR) 1.7 [CI 1.23–2.35]) and death (Hazard ratio 1.40, 95 % CI 1.08–1.72). Smokers (≥ 20 pack years) age ≥ 40 years are at an increased risk for lung function abnormalities and those abnormalities are associated with greater presence of coronary heart disease and increased all-cause mortality. Use of the 20/40 rule could provide a simple method to enhance selection of candidates for spirometry evaluation in the primary care setting.
A web service model for conducting research in image processing

This study is an online application development process, covering a range of computing science topics, including image processing, feature extract, statistical analysis and artificial intelligence, .NET programming, Matlab programming, web development, and database design and implementation. An online cattle meat quality assessment model is created. Users can contribute and share ultrasound scans of live cattle through the image database management system. Real-time meat quality assessment is performed on the server side using Matlab .NET components. The algorithms are based on linear regression analysis and neural networks. The algorithms yield high accuracies in predicting the intramuscular fat (IMF), which is an important indicator of cattle meat quality. By reading the meat qualify predication from this online approach, the farmers can know the values of the cattle and adjust the feeding method accordingly to maximize profit.
Knights of Faith

Abraham is the paradigmatic knight of faith, but for Johannes de Silentio he is not therefore the first and last knight of faith. In Chapter 2 I suggested that Abraham’s wife Sarah might also be a knight of faith. For Johannes, in fact, there may be many knights of faith. He says that he does not deny that every second person may be a knight of faith.1 Johannes not only may, but must, allow this possibility, given the character of faith presented in Fear and Trembling. Faith, finally, is a matter of an individual faith relationship between the religious individual and God, an individual relationship which, along with the requirements it imposes, may be invisible to others. Many, then, for all Johannes or anyone can tell, may be knights of faith by virtue of such an individual faith relationship to God. Every second person may have an individual calling, not visible to others, that he or she as a religious individual follows. Though knights of faith, many knights might seem quite ordinary morally, for they would appear to be following the ethical1. And, in fact, for much of their lives they might well act in accord with the ethical1, although the absolute requirements of their individual faith relationships may at any time lead these religious individuals, like Abraham, to veer off from the ethical1.
Fate of Xenobiotics in Foliar Pesticide Deposits

The environmental fate of pesticides and other xenobiotic materials initially within pesticide deposits on foliage has received little holistic study. Spencer et al. (1973) noted that there has been extensive research on volatilization from soils, but little has been directed at residues on foliage. Although other investigators note herbicide volatilization from foliage is the primary source of residues that cause downwind damage to susceptible crops (Thompson 1983), there is still little data and theoretical development of this topic. In a recent review of photodegradation of herbicides, the subject of photodegradation occurrence in deposits on leaf surfaces is not mentioned (Marcheterre et al. 1988). A recent review of the persistence of pesticides on foliage not only summarizes the many studies that have contributed information to this area, but also stresses that most studies of pesticides on foliage are highly empirical and do not define the mechanisms of residue dissipation (Willis and McDowell 1987).
Identity Styles and Religiosity: Examining the Role of Identity Commitment

ABSTRACTThis study observed the role of identity styles, identity commitment, and identity statuses in predicting religiosity in a sample of undergraduate students attending a Seventh-day Adventist university (N = 138). Two structural models were evaluated via path analysis. Results revealed two strong models for the prediction of religiosity. Identity styles explained 24% of the variance in religiosity, with the relationship mediated by identity commitment. Religious identity status explained 56% of the variance in religiosity, with the relationship not mediated by identity commitment. Implications of these interactions for understanding religious identity development are discussed.
Diversity in Online Learning Interaction and Participation

In this chapter, we focus on describing our research findings on cultural and age-related diversity in online learners’ performance and perceptions of student-student, student-instructor, and student-content interactions. These findings emerged from the data collected through a learning experience survey, interviewing, content analysis of online discussion transcripts, and analysis of online learning activity log files over two academic years. They highlight the role of technology-mediated learning interactions in framing learning and success for learners across cultures and intergenerational learners.
Im)precision and reservations

[T]he United States has attached to each of its ratifications a “package” of reservations, understandings and declarations (RUDs) … As a result of those qualifications of its adherence, U.S. ratification has been described as specious, meretricious, [and] hypocritical [and confirmation] that United States adherence remains essentially empty. (Henkin 1995b: 341, 346) This popularity [of the ICCPR and CEDAW] … has had a price: many of the ratifications have been accompanied by reservations that significantly reduce and in some cases effectively eliminate any obligations being assumed by the ratifying state. (Schabas 1997: 110) This chapter considers two additional forms of flexibility: imprecision in the language used to describe an agreement's substantive terms and reservations added to agreements that allow states to opt-out of certain provisions. The COIL sample displays great variation on both of these dimensions. In fact, the variation at first glance appears to be issue-area driven, with 32 percent of the human rights agreements having reservations attached to them at the time of entry into force as opposed to only 1 percent of the economics agreements. Moreover, only 2 percent of the economics sample can be characterized by very or somewhat vague language, whereas almost 40 percent of the human rights sample can. Do these descriptive statistics imply that human rights agreements are far less serious forms of international cooperation than are economics agreements, or even that human rights agreements are just scraps of paper or meaningless agreements, perhaps meant to placate an interest group, as some scholars like to argue? In this chapter, I challenge the quotes that open this chapter, both of which engage the issue area of human rights, by providing a theoretical explanation for imprecision and reservations based on the underlying cooperation problems and the number of states involved in the cooperative endeavor. In doing so, not only can these two flexibility devices be understood as rational choices by states whose goal is indeed to cooperate, but the issue area of human rights loses much if not all of its explanatory power. Put differently, the design of human rights agreements can be explained within COIL's general theoretical framework.
The value of the first trimester ultrasound in the era of cell free DNA screening

Objective To describe the clinically relevant findings detected by the first trimester ultrasound (FTU) and to determine the additional value of the FTU compared to cell free DNA (cfDNA) alone. Method Retrospective cohort study of patients undergoing a FTU at a maternal-fetal medicine referral practice. Fetal, gynecologic, and placental findings detected by ultrasound were analyzed with available cfDNA and diagnostic testing results. A subgroup analysis of positive ultrasound findings and cfDNA results was performed to assess the additional benefit of ultrasound evaluation in FT prenatal screening. Results There were 1906 FTU between October 1, 2013 and October 1, 2014. CfDNA results were available for 959 (50%) patients. FTU detected: 42 fetal (2.2%), 286 gynecologic (15.0%), and 317 placental (16.6%) findings. CfDNA results were discordant with invasive testing results in 8/61 cases (13%) and with ultrasound findings in 18/42 (42%) cases. There were six false positive and two false negative cfDNA results confirmed by diagnostic testing. Subgroup analysis revealed that cfDNA as the sole method of prenatal screening in the FT would miss 95% of the fetal findings detected with ultrasound. Conclusion The comprehensive FTU provides valuable clinical information about fetal and maternal anatomy that cannot be detected with cfDNA alone.
Wearable Sensing of Cardiac Timing Intervals From Cardiogenic Limb Vibration Signals

In this paper, we describe a new method to measure aortic valve opening (AVO) and aortic valve closing (AVC) from cardiogenic limb vibrations (i.e., wearable ballistocardiogram (BCG) signals). AVO and AVC were detected for each heartbeat with accelerometers on the upper arm (A), wrist (W), and knee (K) of 22 subjects following isometric exercise. Exercise-induced changes were recorded with impedance cardiography. The method, FilterBCG, detects peaks in distal vibrations after filtering with individually tuned bandpass filters. In agreement with recent studies, we did not find peaks at AVO and AVC in limb vibrations directly. Interestingly, distal vibrations filtered with FilterBCG yielded reliable peaks at AVO ( $r^{2} =0.95$ A, 0.94 W, 0.77 K) and AVC ( $r^{2} =0.92$ A, 0.89 W, 0.68 K). FilterBCG measures AVO and AVC accurately from arm, wrist, and knee vibrations, and it outperforms the standard R-J interval method.
Sex Differences in Predictors of Longitudinal Changes in Carotid Artery Stiffness The Multi-Ethnic Study of Atherosclerosis

Objective—To identify sex differences in predictors of longitudinal changes in carotid arterial stiffness in a multiethnic cohort. Approach and Results—Carotid artery distensibility coefficient (DC) and Young’s elastic modulus (YEM) were measured in 2650 Multi-Ethnic Study of Atherosclerosis participants (45–84 years old and free of cardiovascular disease) at baseline and after a mean of 9.4 years. Predictors of changes in DC and YEM for each sex were evaluated using multivariable linear regression models. The 1236 men (46.6%) were 60.0 (SD, 9.3) years: 40% were white, 22% black, 16% Chinese, and 22% Hispanic. The 1414 (53.4%) women were 59.8 (9.4) years old with a similar race distribution. Despite similar rates of change in DC and YEM, predictors of changes in distensibility markers differed by sex. In men, Chinese (P=0.002) and black (P=0.003) race/ethnicity, systolic blood pressure (P=0.012), and diabetes mellitus (P=0.05) were associated with more rapidly decreasing DC (accelerated stiffening). Start...
Impact of an Interactive Diagnostic Case Simulator on a Medical Student Radiology Rotation

OBJECTIVE. The objective of our study was to assess the short-term impact of adding an interactive simulator to a medical student radiology clerkship. We hypothesized that transitioning students from passive observers to active participants in the reading room would create an appealing and effective learning experience for the current generation of students. MATERIALS AND METHODS. An interactive workstation that provided diagnostic simulations of 84 cases selected to maximize exposure to important diagnoses in musculoskeletal (MSK) radiology was created. From February 2015 through July 2016, 83 students on the radiology elective rotated through MSK: 40 in the traditional observational role and 43 with the MSK simulator. At the end of the rotation, all students completed general radiology and MSK-based competency examinations. The students who used the interactive workstation completed a survey about their experience. RESULTS. MSK competency scores were significantly better for students who rotated with th...
Confidence interval estimation of the signal-to-noise ratio using ranked set sampling: a simulation study

In this paper, several confidence intervals for estimating the population Signal-to-Noise Ratio (SNR) are compared using simple random sampling (SRS) and ranked set sampling (RSS). A simulation study is conducted to compare the performance of the interval estimators using random data generated from normal distribution with specified population parameters so that the same values of SNR are obtained, with sample sizes n =15,25,50 . The criteria for performance comparison is based on coverage probability and interval width. From simulation study it is observed that the confidence intervals based on the RSS have the higher coverage probabilities and smaller or equal widths compared to the confidence intervals based on SRS.
Melanoma of the Foot Is Associated With Advanced Disease and Poorer Survival.

Abstract The purpose of the present study was to review the outcomes and assess the prognostic factors associated with foot melanoma. We hypothesized that primary melanoma of the foot would be more likely to present at an advanced stage and be associated with poorer outcomes. Both univariate and multivariate analyses were conducted to examine the relationships between patients' demographic, clinical, and pathologic characteristics and deaths within 5 years. Categorical data were summarized as frequencies and percentages and continuous variables as mean ± standard deviation. The primary outcome measure was overall survival. On univariate analysis, the significant prognostic variables found included Breslow thickness, ulceration, sentinel node positivity, and localized presentation on the toe. Age, sex, and race were not prognostically significant in this model. Multivariate Cox proportional hazards analysis resulted in a model of foot melanoma with ulceration and location on the toe as independent prognostic variables. The 5-year survival rate for melanoma of the toe was 50%. The results of the present study have shown that physicians should have a low threshold to biopsy suspicious lesions of the foot and ankle. Advanced disease and poorer survival were noted with toe melanoma. An ulcerative lesion of the foot was also associated with poorer survival.
Flow diverter treatment of cerebral blister aneurysms

Blood blister-like aneurysms (BBA) are small, friable, broad-based aneurysms that represent high risk for rerupture. Treatment of BBA is challenging, and may include surgical wrapping, clipping, multiple overlapping stents, and/or coiling. Flow diversion is a rapidly evolving treatment strategy for intracranial aneurysms, but the evidence for its use in cases of BBA is scarce. A retrospective review of flow-diverter-treated, ruptured BBA cases at our tertiary care institution was undertaken. Clinical, imaging, procedural, and mid-term follow-up data on the patients were collected. Eight patients underwent flow-diverter stent treatment for ruptured BBA. Median age at time of treatment was 49 years (interquartile range [IQR] 42–57) with five females (62.5%). The most common location of the BBA was the supraclinoid segment of the internal carotid artery. The median Hunt-Hess score was 2 (IQR 1.7–3.2). All patients were treated with dual anti-platelet therapy. Good clinical outcomes (modified Rankin score 0–2) were seen in 6/7 (85.7%) patients with available follow-up at 1 year. Complete occlusion of the aneurysm on latest angiogram (7) or MRI (1) was seen in 6/8 (75%) patients (at a median of 8 months). No patient had rerupture, retreatment, or recurrence of the aneurysm. Flow-diverter stents may be a feasible treatment option for BBAs. They offer high occlusion and low retreatment rates with good mid-term outcomes, but the long-term efficacy remains unknown. Also, dual anti-platelet therapy in the acute ruptured setting can be challenging.
Challenging and Preventing Policies That Prohibit Local Civil Rights Protections for Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, and Queer People.

Discrimination causes health inequities for stigmatized groups. Lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer (LGBTQ) individuals, in particular, are at significantly increased risk for disparate health outcomes when they reside in states that fail to extend equal protections to them or that actively deprive equal rights to them.Several states and the federal government have proposed or enacted laws that permit residents to discriminate against LGBTQ individuals. One such law, Arkansas’s Intrastate Commerce Improvement Act of 2015, preempts or prohibits local governments from enacting civil rights protections for LGBTQ individuals that are also lacking at the state level.State laws such as Arkansas’s undermine local control, damage the economy, and create injustices that harm LGBTQ people. I set forth 2 constitutional arguments to challenge such laws, and I provide information to help advocates support evidence-based policymaking and prevent the passage of similar laws in their states. (Am J Public Healt...
Remedies for Breach of Privacy: A Study of a Different Hedgehog

This article was written as stating and commenting on the American law of remedies in the tort law of privacy. It will appear in a book edited by Jason Varuhas and Nicole Moreham to be published in 2018 by Hart Publishing (UK). After examining the theoretical basis of American remedies law with its differences from, and similarities to, the theoretical foundations in other common law and civil law jurisdictions, the paper probes the remedies as shaped by the substantive interests of protection of property and the autonomy enhancing purposes of privacy protection. Each of the traditional categories of the tortious protection of privacy as fashioned by William Prosser touch free speech interests. To the extent that privacy protections trench on those free speech interests, as realized in the US Supreme Court’s aggressive first amendment jurisprudence, the remedies are thus quite idiosyncratic compared with remedies elsewhere. For example injunctive relief is crimped and damages are constricted. The remedial law must be understood against the first amendment to which every other interest bends its knees.
Advanced Materials for Energy Storage Devices (Review)

This review examines high performing energy storage devices for high-power applications including heavy electric vehicles, energy-efficient cargo ships and locomotives, aerospace and stationary grid system. Such devices require systematic design and fabrication of composite nanostructured carbon-based material and conductive polymers. Electrochemical capacitors based on nanostructured carbon can complement or replace batteries in electrical energy storage and harvesting applications, when high power delivery or uptake is needed. Composite device of pseudo-capacitive polymeric materials and nanostructured carbon with the latest generation of nanostructured lithium electrodes has brought the energy density of electrochemical capacitors closer to that of batteries without compromising its specific power density, high capacitance and lifetime cycling stability. Energy storage devices’ widespread applications in industrial, hybrid electric vehicles and commodity electronics could be facilitated through careful selection of electrolyte-electrode system. Good understanding of charging mechanism is key to improving device’s performance. Charging mechanism includes sequential ion desolations in pores smaller than the solvated ions through ion exchange or ion adsorption. This leads to higher capacitance for such storage devices. This has opened the door to designing advanced high-energy density devices with fast charging and discharging times using a variety of electrolytes and nanostructured carbon-polymer composite.
Secular Growth Changes

The pattern of growth and somatic development of children in a particular population proves not to be static, but changing with time. Some investigators discussed the possibility of such changes, called secular growth changes, as early as the beginning of the 19th century, before the phenomenon had actually been observed (Virey, 1816; Villerme, 1829). Secular growth shift comprises a combination of the following phenomena: (1) decrease or increase in age at which a particular height or weight is attained, particular characteristics of maturation are developed, and linear growth is stopped; (2) increase or decrease in adult height. Increased growth velocity, earlier maturation (probably at an increased height), earlier cessation of linear growth, and a greater adult stature are changes that usually are associated. When these changes prevail, the adjective used is “positive,” whereas the adjective for the reverse situation is “negative.”
Adaptable multi-phase rules over the infrequent class

Decision trees are a classification model that allow rule generation. Depending upon the type of decision tree model, rules may have one to hundreds of conditions and with repeating data attributes over different conditional values causing the rules to be difficult to understand. To achieve more understandable rules, the number of nodes can be minimized to control the depth of the tree and, therefore, the number of conditions in the rules. Further, the study described in this paper seeks to optimize the decision tree for the generation of rules specific to the infrequent class which presents another challenge since the infrequent class may have few instances in the dataset. Rules that are generated using either decision trees or class association mining generally come from the major class of the dataset. These two mining techniques, decision trees and association mining, are utilized together through ensemble learning in an adaptable manner so that they expand and contract to accommodate the characteristics of the dataset. The ensemble learning occurs in phases: a partially generated or minimized decision tree mining phase, and association mining phase, to increase the probability of finding infrequent class rules. The ensemble learning technique developed in this study is found to generate understandable rules with increased coverage and confidence for the infrequent class with balanced or unbalanced datasets.
Merkel Cell Carcinoma: Updates on Pathogenesis, Diagnosis, and Management

To describe updates on the pathogenesis, diagnosis, and management of Merkel cell carcinoma (MCC). Sequencing studies revealed that MCCs have either a low mutational burden and integrated Merkel cell polyomavirus (MCPyV), or they have a high number of ultraviolet-associated somatic mutations and no MCPyV. Clinically, prognosis was better for stage III MCC of unknown primary than known primary. Similarly, lack of immunosuppression conferred better prognosis. The immunogenicity of MCC was reflected in high response rates to PD-1/PD-L1 checkpoint inhibitors. MCC is a rare but aggressive neuroendocrine skin cancer associated with advanced age and immunosuppression. Approximately 80% of MCCs are MCPyV driven, whereas MCPyV-negative tumors have mutations in genes such as p53 and RB1. MCC is highly immunogenic, and recently, the anti-PD-L1 antibody avelumab was approved to treat metastatic MCC. Here, we summarized features of the pathogenesis, diagnosis, and management of MCC.
Sexual Minorities’ Gender Norm Conformity and Sexual Satisfaction: The Mediating Effects of Sexual Communication, Internalized Stigma, and Sexual Narcissism

Objective: Sexual satisfaction has implications for well-being and may be related to gender norms. This study was conducted to understand the relationship between U.S. sexual minority (SM) individu...
Using an Embedded Mixed Methods Design to Assess and Improve Intervention Acceptability of an Equity-Focused Intervention: A Methodological Demonstration:

Educators have shown reluctance to implement interventions aimed at improving racial equity in school disciplinary practice. Mixed methods were applied to assess and improve the acceptability of a ...
Size-Dependent Sensitivity of Aquatic Insects to Metals

Laboratory assessments of aqueous metal toxicity generally demonstrate aquatic insects tolerate relatively high concentrations of metals in aqueous exposures; however, mesocosm experiments and fiel...
Elucidating the corrosion-related degradation mechanisms of a Ti-6Al-4V dental implant.

Abstract Objective The Ti-6Al-4V (TAV) alloy is commercially used as a dental implant material. This work seeks to elucidates the origins of degradation of Ti-6Al-4V (TAV) implant alloys that result in peri-implant bone loss. Methods: In this work, a combination of microstructure, surface, and solution analyses was utilized to study the corrosion mechanism of the TAV alloy in oral environments. The corrosion of TAV alloys in the F--enriched environment of a crevice was evaluated through nanoscale surface analysis. And, the findings were further rationalized via electrochemical means. Results Our results suggest the bone loss was caused by crevice corrosion and the consequential release of by-products, and the crevice corrosion was potentially induced by the buildup of corrosive species such as fluorides, which are common additives in dental products. In turn, the corrosion properties of the TAV alloy were evaluated in fluoride enriched environments. Nanoscale analysis of corroded surfaces, carried out using vertical scanning interferometry (VSI) showed that the corrosion susceptibility of the constituent phases dictates the corrosion product species. In specific, the aluminum-rich α phase preferentially dissolves under potential-free conditions and promotes the formation of insoluble Al-Ti oxides. Notably, under conditions of applied potential, oxidative dissolution of the vanadium-rich β phase is favored, and the vanadium release is promoted. Significance These findings elucidate the origins of degradation of TAV-implants that result in the release of corrosion by-products into the local biological environment. More important, they offer guidelines for materials design and improvement to prevent this nature of degradation of dental implants.
Partial Recovery of Ejection Fraction with Neurohormonal Blockade Improves Long-Term Event Free Survival for Patients with Continuous Flow LVAD

Purpose The use of neurohormonal blockade (NHB) therapy with mechanical unloading via continuous-flow Left Ventricular Assist Device (cf-LVAD) has been shown to reverse cardiac remodeling and in some instances lead to successful explantation of the device. Despite the effects on LVEF among patients with cf-LVAD, long-term event free survival differences in those using NHB therapy has not been studied. Methods We undertook a single center retrospective cohort study of 189 cf-LVAD adult patients from 2008 to 2018 who had a minimum of 90 days of support. Patients were assessed at 6 months post-LVAD implantation and categorized as “High NHB” (n=101) if medical regimen included both beta-adrenergic and renin-angiotensin-aldosterone blockade and “Low NHB” (n=88) if they did not have both. LVEF was assessed at 12-months post LVAD implant and was stratified by median. Event-free survival was determined using Kaplan Meier methods with adverse event was defined as death, RV failure, GI bleed, pump thrombosis, or CVA that led to hospitalization. Results The High NHB cohort was younger (median age 55 vs. 62, p=0.002), was more likely to have NICM (71% vs. 47%, p=0.001), had lower INTERMACS score at time of implant (median score 3 vs. 2, p=0.037), and had greater LVEF improvement at 12 months (5% vs. -1.25%, p Conclusion The use of NHB therapy that includes both beta-adrenergic and renin-angiotensin-aldosterone blockade is associated with a reduction in adverse events in our population and was also associated with improvement of LVEF. Prospective studies are warranted to investigate if the strategy of maximizing NHB therapy, to both promote myocardial reverse remodeling and reduced morbidity after LVAD implant.
Surface roughness profile and its effect on coating adhesion and corrosion protection: A review

Abstract Specifications for coating many forms of infrastructure and equipment include abrasive cleaning, then measurement of the surface profile and adhesion on the assumption that they are linked to long term prevention of corrosion undercutting the coating. Studies find no quantitative connection between adhesion and corrosion protection, but many believe in a link. Although corrosion is a molecular phenomenon that starts at the interface, adhesion values are measured by a device attached to the coating at some distance from the interface, so it is difficult to directly connect corrosion with adhesion. Understanding how adhesion and the spread of corrosion under the coating are influenced by surface roughness entails surface metrology, fracture mechanics, surface energy and viscoelasticity. The impact of surface roughness cannot be not determined by a simple, or single, statistical parameter for variation in substrate height variation. Conventional “pull-off” adhesion testing does not characterize coating-metal interactions that might prevent water and electrolyte causing corrosion, they must be determined otherwise. The additional surface area created by the abrasion increases the number of adhesive interactions and the local slope of the surface engages Mode II loading that increases the force that the interface can support. Both these surface attributes may also slow the spread of corrosion across the interface. In order to prevent the diffusion of water and electrolyte across the interface, a coating should form well at the interface, be tough and as hydrophobic as realistically possible.
Integrating single-molecule FRET and biomolecular simulations to study diverse interactions between nucleic acids and proteins.

The conformations of biological macromolecules are intimately related to their cellular functions. Conveniently, the well-characterized dipole-dipole distance-dependence of Forster resonance energy transfer (FRET) makes it possible to measure and monitor the nanoscale spatial dimensions of these conformations using fluorescence spectroscopy. For this reason, FRET is often used in conjunction with single-molecule detection to study a wide range of conformationally dynamic biochemical processes. Written for those not yet familiar with the subject, this review aims to introduce biochemists to the methodology associated with single-molecule FRET, with a particular emphasis on how it can be combined with biomolecular simulations to study diverse interactions between nucleic acids and proteins. In the first section, we highlight several conceptual and practical considerations related to this integrative approach. In the second section, we review a few recent research efforts wherein various combinations of single-molecule FRET and biomolecular simulations were used to study the structural and dynamic properties of biochemical systems involving different types of nucleic acids (e.g., DNA and RNA) and proteins (e.g., folded and disordered).
Encrypted Distributed Lasso for Sparse Data Predictive Control.

The least squares problem with L1-regularized regressors, called Lasso, is a widely used approach in optimization problems where sparsity of the regressors is desired. This formulation is fundamental for many applications in signal processing, machine learning and control. As a motivating problem, we investigate a sparse data predictive control problem, run at a cloud service to control a system with unknown model, using L1-regularization to limit the behavior complexity. The input-output data collected for the system is privacy-sensitive, hence, we design a privacy-preserving solution using homomorphically encrypted data. The main challenges are the non-smoothness of the L1-norm, which is difficult to evaluate on encrypted data, as well as the iterative nature of the Lasso problem. We use a distributed ADMM formulation that enables us to exchange substantial local computation for little communication between multiple servers. We first give an encrypted multi-party protocol for solving the distributed Lasso problem, by approximating the non-smooth part with a Chebyshev polynomial, evaluating it on encrypted data, and using a more cost effective distributed bootstrapping operation. For the example of data predictive control, we prefer a non-homogeneous splitting of the data for better convergence. We give an encrypted multi-party protocol for this non-homogeneous splitting of the Lasso problem to a non-homogeneous set of servers: one powerful server and a few less powerful devices, added for security reasons. Finally, we provide numerical results for our proposed solutions.
Authorizing Religious Conversion in Administrative Courts: Law, Rights, and Secular Indeterminacy

The administration of religious difference in modern Egypt suggests more continuity in the state’s involvement in personal status affairs over the course of the twentieth and twenty-first centuries than is generally thought to exist. At the same time, the role that the administrative courts have played, on the one hand, in regulating formal religious identity and, on the other hand, in adjudicating conversion and apostasy has gone largely unaddressed. This article argues that constituting religious identity as an administrative category subject to judicial oversight was part of a larger constellation of political arrangements that reorganized relations among legal and bureaucratic institutions, religious authority, and state capacity in the modern period. By accounting for the enduring inconsistency with which the rule of law is deployed in religious status jurisprudence and the French legal influences that undergird this practice, the article illuminates how the administrative judiciary, a purportedly secular institution meant to curb an unwieldy bureaucracy, sustains rather than restricts sovereign state decisionism. The paradoxes of judicial discretion construct mutable boundaries between minority and majority religious populations that are central to the exercise of secular power.
Innervated adrenomedullary microphysiological system to model nicotine and opioid exposure

Abstract Transition to extrauterine life results in a surge of catecholamines necessary for increased cardiovascular, respiratory, and metabolic activity. Mechanisms mediating adrenomedullary catecholamine release are poorly understood. Important mechanistic insight is provided by newborns delivered by cesarean section or subjected to prenatal nicotine or opioid exposure, demonstrating impaired release of adrenomedullary catecholamines. To investigate mechanisms regulating adrenomedullary innervation, we developed compartmentalized 3D microphysiological systems (MPS) by exploiting GelPins, capillary pressure barriers between cell-laden hydrogels. The MPS comprises discrete cultures of adrenal chromaffin cells and preganglionic sympathetic neurons within a contiguous bioengineered microtissue. Using this model, we demonstrate that adrenal chromaffin innervation plays a critical role in hypoxia-mediated catecholamine release. Opioids and nicotine were shown to affect adrenal chromaffin cell response to a reduced oxygen environment, but neurogenic control mechanisms remained intact. GelPin containing MPS represent an inexpensive and highly adaptable approach to study innervated organ systems and improve drug screening platforms.
Experiments on Spatiotemporal Chaos

A variety of experiments on spatiotemporal chaos in two dimensions are summarized. Despite a decade of work, an adequate conceptual framework and set of methods for characterizing the phenomena have not yet emerged.
Application of Unsteady Laminar Triple-Deck Theory to Viscous-Inviscid Interactions from an Oscillating Flap in Supersonic Flow

The formal asymptotic triple-deck theory of unsteady free laminar viscousinviscid interactions for purely supersonic or subsonic inviscid flow has been developed in general by Ryzhov and Zhuk [401] as an extension of the steady flow theory due to Stewartson and Williams [232]. Their results for the leading approximation as Reynolds number Re → ∞ indicate that when the reduced frequency based on reference length L* and freestream velocity \( \omega *L*/U_\infty ^* < 0(\operatorname{Re} ^{{\raise0.7ex\hbox{$1$} \!\mathord{\left/ {\vphantom {1 4}}\right.\kern-\nulldelimiterspace} \!\lower0.7ex\hbox{$4$}}} ) \), the explicit unsteady effect remains only in the viscous lower-deck equations, the inviscid disturbance flow in the overlying middle (main) and outer decks being quasi-steady. Schneider [402] has also given a fundamental analysis of unsteady disturbances in purely supersonic outer flow for arbitrary amplitudes in which, unlike the aforementioned free-interaction case, the amplitude governs the streamwise interactive scale; he also found that the quasi-steady approximation fails near the wall.
Mothers of Conservatism: Women and the Postwar Right by Michelle Nickerson

Long before Sarah Palin’s call for Mama Grizzlies to engage in conservative politics, Michelle Nickerson’s book, Mothers of Conservatism: Women and the Postwar Right, reminds us that the women acti...
Processing enzyme ribonuclease E specifically cleaves RNA I. An inhibitor of primer formation in plasmid DNA synthesis

When the RNA processing enzyme RNAase E is inactivated in an Escherichia coli strain carrying derivatives of the colicin E1 plasmid, a small RNA, about 100 nucleotides long, accumulates. Structural analysis of this RNA showed that it is RNA I, the RNA that inhibits plasmid DNA synthesis. RNA I is a specific substrate for RNAase E and the cleavage takes place between the fifth and sixth nucleotides from the 5' end of the molecule. This is only the second natural RNA substrate that has been found, so far, for the RNA processing enzyme ribonuclease E, the other being a precursor for 5 S ribosomal RNA. It is remarkable that nine nucleotides around the cleavage sites are identical in both substrates: (Formula: see text). Therefore, we suggest that at least part of the interaction between RNAase E and its substrate is controlled by these nine nucleotides.
Abstract State Machines and Pure Mathematics

We discuss connections, similarities, and differences between the concepts and issues arising in the study of abstract state machines and those arising in pure mathematics, particularly in set theory and logic. Among the topics from pure mathematics are the foundational role of set theory, permutation models of set theory without the axiom of choice, and interpretations (between theories or vocabularies) regarded as transformations acting on structures.