cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Developing an Interactive Mobile Volunteered Geographic Information Platform to Integrate Environmental Big Data and Citizen Science in Urban Management

A significant technical gap exists between the large amount of complex scientific environmental big data and the limited accessibility to these datasets. Mobile platforms are increasingly becoming important channels through which citizens can receive and report information. Mobile devices can be used to report Volunteered Geographic Information (VGI), which can be useful data in environmental management. This paper evaluates the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats for the selected real cases: “Field Photo,” “CoCoRaHS,” “OakMapper,” “What’s Invasive!”, “Leafsnap,” “U.S. Green Infrastructure Reporter”, and “Nebraska Wetlands”. Based on these case studies, the results indicate that active, loyal and committed users are key to ensuring the success of citizen science projects. Online and off-line activities should be integrated to promote the effectiveness of public engagement in environmental management. It is an urgent need to transfer complex environmental big data to citizens’ daily mobile devices which will then allow them to participate in urban environmental management. A technology framework is provided to improve existing mobile-based environmental engagement initiatives.
Philosophical profile of the individual

Just as psychological profiles give us an idea on the type of personality of an individual; it can be argued that a philosophical profile can provide similar access to the embedded values of individuals; to delve more into their biases, assumptions and predispositions. Most attempts to define an individual and the way he/she sees reality and the way he/she seeks knowledge has been done through cognitive studies and rarely through different realms of philosophy, such as ontology and epistemology, which in such cases, have been analyzed separately. This paper presents a philosophical profile that considers ontology, epistemology and teleology to create a framework for assessing the individual philosophical perspective. This framework can be used to establish predispositions and possible ways an individual can choose to address problems.
Re-ranking via User Feedback: Georgetown University at TREC 2015 DD Track

Abstract : There are two principal components involved in a search process, the user and the search engine. In TREC DD, the user is modeled by a simulator, called jig. The jig and the search engine exchange many messages among themselves, including the relevant passages returned by the jig, user cost spent on examining the documents, etc. In this work, we dont apply any dynamic search algorithms to model these interactions. Instead, we produce a basic re-ranking baseline. Our algorithm starts at taking in an initial query from the simulator. During the search, we collect the relevance feedback from the simulator and use them to re-rank the initial retrieval results. Our algorithm terminates itself automatically when it senses that the user has gained enough information about the search topic or that no further relevant documents can be retrieved for the user.
Manifold regularization based approximate value iteration for learning control

In this paper, we develop a model-free and data efficient batch reinforcement learning algorithm for learning control of continuous state-space and discounted-reward Markov decision processes. This algorithm is an approximate value iteration which uses the manifold regularization method to learn feature representations for Q-value function approximation. The learned features can preserve the intrinsic geometry of the state space by learning on collected samples, and thus can improve the quality of the final value function estimate and the learned policy. The effectiveness and efficiency of the proposed scheme is evaluated on a benchmark control task, i.e., the inverted pendulum balancing problem.
Acetylated tubulin and risk of nodal metastases in squamous cell carcinoma of the head and neck (SCCHN).

5560 Background: We previously established that AT expression predicts for response to chemotherapy in SCCHN (Saba et al, AACR 2010 meeting abstr 3744). We wanted to further examine the relation of...
Tumor in the Back

For tumors located in the back that are close to the vertebral spine, a longitudinal, vertical, paraspinal elliptical incision (which includes a biopsy incision) is preferable, particularly when the tumor mass is longitudinally disposed (Fig. 18.1). (A T incision consisting of a vertical and horizontal component may occasionally be required.) The medial flap is raised to beyond the spinous processes. Laterally, the flap is raised to well beyond the palpable extent of the tumor. The deep fascia is incised (Fig. 18.2). Superiorly and laterally, the trapezius muscle is encountered as the first layer and is divided. Depending on the location of the tumor in the inferior part of the wound, the latissimus dorsi is exposed and divided around the tumor (Fig. 18.3). Medially, the aponeurotic layer next to the supraspinous ligament is divided in the plane between the spinous processes and the sacrospinalis muscle (Fig. 18.4). With further dissection, the sacrospinalis muscle is separated from the spinous processes to the surface of the lamina. The rhomboid muscles at the level medial to the scapula are divided (Fig. 18.5). Dissection on the surface of the intercostal muscles and ribs then is carried out to some extent, in order to evaluate the proximity of the tumor to the fascia covering the intercostal muscles. If there is any evidence of fixation of the tumor to the rib surface laterally, the involved ribs are divided and the pleura is entered. To assess the situation, a 2-cm segment of each divided rib is removed, allowing digital exploration of the inner side of the chest wall (Fig. 18.6). The sacrospinalis muscle is divided both above and below the tumor. The involved ribs, which have already been divided laterally, are disarticulated medially and the specimen is removed (Fig. 18.7).
Low Yield of Cerebral Angiography in Adequately Occluded Aneurysms After Flow Diversion.

BACKGROUND Flow diversion has emerged as a highly effective treatment for intracranial aneurysms. OBJECTIVE To assess the yield of further angiographic follow-up in aneurysms that have achieved adequate occlusion after treatment with the Pipeline Embolization Device (PED; Medtronic Inc, Dublin, Ireland). METHODS This is a single-institution, retrospective study. Inclusion criteria were as follows: (1) patients with 1 or more aneurysms treated with PED, (2) available short-term ( 95%) occlusion on short-term follow-up DSA, and (4) available further angiographic follow-up (DSA, Magnetic Resonance Angiography (MRA), or Computed Tomography Angiography (CTA)). RESULTS A total of 146 patients were identified. Aneurysm size was 8.4 ± 5.1 mm on average. Mean angiographic follow-up time was 29.7 ± 12.2 mo. On short-term follow-up DSA images, 132 (90.4%) had complete aneurysm occlusion and 14 (9.6%) had near-complete occlusion. Four patients (3%) had further DSA follow-up alone, 30 patients (21%) had further DSA and MRA/CTA follow-up, and 112 patients (76%) had further MRA/CTA follow-up alone. On further angiographic follow-up (DSA, MRA, and/or CTA), no patient had a decrease in the degree of aneurysm occlusion (recurrence) or required retreatment. Of the 14 patients with near-complete occlusion on initial DSA images, 7 patients (50%) progressed to complete aneurysm occlusion on further angiographic follow-up. CONCLUSION This study did not find any diagnostic yield in repeating cerebral angiography in adequately occluded aneurysms with the PED. We do not recommend repeat angiographic follow-up once aneurysms have achieved complete occlusion with the PED unless clinically warranted.
Climate Variability, Climate Change and the Development Process in Sub-Saharan Africa

Climate variability seems to be replacing other aspects of climate (e.g., climate as a boundary condition) as the major concern of those involved in the practical aspects of economic development around the globe. In fact, all countries, regardless of the types of ecosystems they have, have been plagued by some aspect of climate variability; for some the problem occurs with variability in rainfall, for others with temperature, and still others with snowpack, evaporation rate, and so forth. These changes can occur slowly over time or they can occur abruptly. They can be prolonged in time or they can be of short duration.
Evolution Education in the American South: Lynn, Christopher D., Glaze, Amanda L., Evans, William A., and Reed, Laura K., eds. New York: Palgrave Macmillan, 2017. 333 pp. $119. ISBN 978-1-349-95138-3.

How do you teach evolution to people who are resistant? This question is central to biology education research in the United States, resulting in countless publications devoted to the dissection of...
Drug Abuse Prevention Curricula in Schools

Schools are the focus of most attempts to develop effective approaches to drug abuse prevention. In addition to their traditional educational mission, schools often assume responsibility for addressing a variety of social and health problems, such as health education that targets tobacco, alcohol, and drug abuse, as well as teenage pregnancy and aids. Although there is some debate about whether schools should provide such programming, particularly with renewed concerns about academic standards, schools offer the most efficient access to large numbers of children and adolescents. Moreover, many educators now recognize that certain problems, such as drug abuse, are a significant barrier to the achievement of educational objectives. The U.S. Department of Education, for example, has included “drug-free schools” as one of its goals for improving the quality of education. The first school-based approaches to drug abuse prevention were based on intuitive notions of how to prevent drug abuse. They included information dissemination, affective education, and alternatives programming. More recent approaches to prevention are grounded in psychological theories of human behavior and include social resistance skills training and competenceenhancement approaches. This chapter will first describe the traditional prevention approaches and then the newer psychosocial approaches. Finally, it will look at important issues regarding the development, implementation, evaluation, and dissemination of school-based drug abuse
STRUCTURES OF TISSUE CULTURE ADDUCTS FORMED FROM POLYAROMATIC HYDROCARBONS AND NUCLEIC ACIDS

The full structures of several products obtained upon incubating benzo[a]pyrene and 7,12-dimethylbenz[a]anthracene with various tissues are given. The general methodology in such structural studies, including two new general techniques employing Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy and circular dichroism/dissociation constants, is discussed.
A framework for representing tutorial discourse

We set forth general techniques for managing discourse in an intelligent tutor. These techniques are being implemented in a structure that dynamically reasons about the discourse, a student's response, and the tutor's move. The structure is flexible, domain-independent, and designed to be rebuilt - decision points and machine actions are modifiable through a visual editor. We discuss this formal reasoning structure and its application in an intelligent tutor.
Analytical Issues for Clinical Use of Cardiac Troponin

Guidelines jointly developed by the European Society of Cardiology and the American College of Cardiology have established cardiac troponin (T or I) as the biomarker of choice for the diagnosis of acute coronary syndromes (ACSs) and risk stratification of patients who present with ischemic symptoms suggestive of ACS. Despite these international guidelines, a number of analytic issues have slowed the acceptance and implementation of this test worldwide. Regarding precision, analytic sensitivity, and specificity, the performance of commercial assays is variable. Moreover, there is a lack of assay standardization for troponin I results among commercial assays. The release of a standard reference material should initiate the process of assay harmonization. It is important that clinicians be familiar with the analytic performance (i.e., level of 10% coefficient of variation) and appropriate cut points (99th percentile and/or evidence-based decision limits) for all troponin assays used (both laboratory-based and point of care) at their institution. In time, it is hoped that all troponin assays will be standardized and exhibit similar performance to each other, as is the case for the majority of other clinical laboratory analytes today.
The rat race of getting funded

In this creative writing piece, Dr. Thiel explores an alternate approach for the grant review process, ultimately concluding that the current pipeline is not inappropriately rigorous.
Early Contacts Between Russia and China

Having viewed the background and perspective of happenings in northern Asia in the seventeenth century, we now come to consider direct contacts between Russia and China. Although some Russians were in China during the Mongol period, details of these contacts are obscure and need not concern us here. It is interesting to note in passing, however, that Grand Duke Yaroslav attended the coronation of Grand Khan Kuyuk at Karakoram in 1246 where he died, apparently of poison,1, and that during the reign of the Yuan Emperor Wentsung (Tob Timur, 1329–1332) many Russians (O-lo-ssu) were brought to China as prisoners and were organized as an “ever-faithful Russian life-guard.” This unit was assigned land for its support north of Peking and was to present game, fish, etc. for the emperor’s table.2
Soft body armor time-dependent back face deformation (BFD) with ballistics gel backing

Abstract This paper presents a method for obtaining time dependent back face deformation (BFD) data for body armor during ballistic impact using a clear ballistics gelatin backing and high-speed cameras to capture the deformation profile. Using this method, baseline fabric characterization data was obtained for samples comprised of varying layers of 467 g/m 2 Kevlar K29 fabric impacted with 8.24 g steel ball projectile and backed with NATO standard 20% clear ballistics gelatin. For these tests, deformation depths were seen to increase with increasing impact energy and decreasing total areal density. A limited study of the various test parameters was performed by testing one additional fabric, projectile, and ballistics gelatin. From these comparisons, it was observed that 122 g/m 2 Kevlar KM2+ fabric performs better per weight than 467 g/m2 Kevlar K29 fabric in terms of BFD, 9 mm FMJ projectiles produce deeper BFDs than 12.7 mm steel ball projectiles, and backing a sample with FBI standard 10% ballistics gel increases the BFD considerably over NATO standard 20% ballistics gel.
Analysis of continuous and discrete Wigner approximations for spin dynamics

We compare the continuous and discrete truncated Wigner approximations of various spin models' dynamics to exact analytical and numerical solutions. We account for all components of spin-spin correlations on equal footing, facilitated by a recently introduced geometric correlation matrix visualization technique [R. Mukherjee {\em et al.}, Phys. Rev. A {\bf 97}, 043606 (2018)]. We find that at modestly short times, the dominant error in both approximations is to substantially suppress spin correlations along one direction.
A case report of an unruptured tectal AVM presenting with obstructive hydrocephalus that resolved upon spontaneous obliteration of the venous varix.

Abstract Cerebral arteriovenous malformations (AVMs) are complicated lesions representing a wide spectrum of pathology. They are frequently associated arterial aneurysms and venous varices, the latter of which carry a particularly high risk of rupture. AVM rupture commonly results in hydrocephalus, but there are a rare number of cases in which hydrocephalus develops as a result of an unruptured AVM. An elderly woman with a benign medical history presented to an outside hospital with 5 days of progressively worsening headaches that she described as retroorbital, dull, and lateralizing to the right. Workup at an outside hospital with a brain magnetic resonance image (MRI) and a head computed tomography angiogram (CTA) revealed concern for a tectal AVM with an associated venous varix abutting the tectal plate. Four weeks later, her headaches and diplopia had significantly improved. A diagnostic cerebral angiogram revealed that venous varix had decreased in size and a subsequent CTA showed interval improvement of her hydrocephalus. By the following month, her clinical signs and symptoms had completely resolved. Resolution of the patient’s symptoms clearly correlated with multiple radiographic findings, and therefore it seems reasonable to assume that expansion of the varix was the inciting event that lead to the development of her symptoms. Although this case reflects an exceptional series of events, it helps emphasize the point that a shunt or a ventriculostomy may not be necessary in a patient presenting with hydrocephalus from an unruptured AVM.
Multiplexed detection of lanthanides using laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy: a survey of data analysis techniques

Laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy (LIBS) is a technique developed in the last few decades for simultaneous multi-element characterization of various materials. Multiplexed detection of analytes is particularly useful in the realm of food contaminant detection, where the contaminant can be one or a combination of adulterants. Paper-based assays are an emerging platform for food-contaminant detection. However, most paper-based assays do not perform multiplexed detection. For food contaminant outbreak prevention and remediation, rapid multiplexed detection could make a difference in response speed. This study applies LIBS to the concept of multi-analyte detection on paper-based bioassays. In the envisioned bioassay, a variety of analytes are labeled with unique lanthanides, a technique common to the well-established field of mass cytometry. The presence of single or multiple lanthanide labels indicates the presence of single or multiple types of contaminants. We aim to implement LIBS for multiplexed detection of lanthanide labels. To investigate data analysis approaches for multi-lanthanide detection, we evaluate univariate data analysis and spectral unmixing approaches on samples containing combinations of europium, dysprosium, gadolinium, praseodymium, and neodymium. We find that the intense signal generated by Eu, matrix effects, selfabsorption, and spectral overlap affect the outcome of the results. Future studies will continue the investigation to identify the most appropriate approach.
Who Is a Better Donor for Recipients of Allogeneic Hematopoietic Cell Transplantation: A Young HLA-Mismatched Haploidentical Relative or an Older Fully HLA-Matched Sibling or Unrelated Donor?

ABSTRACT T cell replete HLA-mismatched haploidentical transplantation (HIDT) with post-transplant cyclophosphamide is increasingly becoming an acceptable treatment approach for patients lacking timely access to a suitably matched related donor transplant (MRDT) or matched unrelated donor transplant (MUDT). Multiple recent registry and single-center studies have shown comparable overall survival (OS) and disease-free survival (DFS) rates among HIDT, MRDT, and MUDT with a significantly lower risk of acute and chronic graft-versus-host disease (GVHD) among HIDT recipients. Candidates for allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT) often have access to multiple donor sources, and a relevant question is whether outcomes can be improved with a younger HLA-mismatched haploidentical donor (≤35 years) rather than an older matched related donor (≥35 years) or matched unrelated donor (≥35 years). We analyzed 406 consecutive allogenic HSCT recipients, with a median age of 54 years (range, 19 to 77), after a MRDT with a donor age of ≥35 years (n = 222), MUDT with a donor age of ≥35 years (n = 91), and HIDT with a donor age of ≤35 years (n = 93). Median follow-up time for survivors was 51.5 months. Compared with MRDT and MUDT, HIDT recipients had a similar median age at time of HSCT, hematopoietic cell transplant comorbidity index, disease risk index distribution, and donor recipient sex matching. The survival estimates and relapse incidence at 3 years post-HSCT were OS (64% for MRDT, 54% for MUDT, and 62% for HIDT), DFS (55% for MRDT, 44% for MUDT, and 58% for HIDT), Transplant related mortality (TRM) (19% for MRDT, 16% for MUDT, and 18% for HIDT), and relapse (26% for MRDT, 37% for MUDT, and 24% for HIDT). HIDT recipients had better 3-year relapse rates compared with MUDT recipients (24% versus 37%, P= .048), with similar DFS and OS in a univariate analysis. MRDT recipients had a better relapse rate (26% versus 37%, P = .042) compared with MUDT recipients. Recipients of HIDT also had significantly lower rates of moderate to severe chronic GVHD compared with MRDT and MUDT recipients (P = .01). Multivariable analysis showed no effect of donor on OS, DFS, relapse, and TRM. Recipients of HIDT from a young donor ≤35 years had similar OS, lower rates of chronic GVHD, and better chronic GVHD-free, relapse-free survival compared with patients undergoing transplantation with an MRD or a MUD donor ≥35 years. This study suggests that given a situation where a choice between a young haploidentical relative and an older matched unrelated donor is to be made, one can achieve similar survival with a haploidentical donor and significantly lower rates of chronic GVHD.
Behavioral and steroidogenic pharmacology of phenyl ring substituted etomidate analogs in rats

Cushing’s syndrome is an endocrine disorder characterized by the overproduction of adrenocortical steroids. Steroidogenesis enzyme inhibitors are the mainstays of pharmacological treatment. Unfortunately, they produce significant side effects. Among the most potent inhibitors is the general anesthetic etomidate whose GABAA receptor-mediated sedative-hypnotic actions restrict use. In this study, we defined the sedative-hypnotic and steroidogenesis inhibiting actions of etomidate and four phenyl-ring substituted etomidate analogs (dimethoxy-etomidate, isopropoxy-etomidate, naphthalene-etomidate, and naphthalene (2)-etomidate) that possess negligible GABAA receptor modulatory activities. In the first set of experiments, male Sprague-Dawley rats were assessed for loss of righting reflexes (LoRR) after receiving intravenous boluses of either etomidate (1 mg/kg) or an etomidate analog (40 mg/kg). In the second set of experiments, rats were assessed for LoRR and their abilities to produce adrenocortical and androgenic steroids after receiving 2-h infusions (0.5 mg kg− 1 min− 1) of either etomidate or an etomidate analog. All rats that received etomidate boluses or infusions had LoRR that persisted for minutes or hours, respectively. In contrast, no rat that received an etomidate analog had LoRR. Compared to rats in the vehicle control group, rats that received etomidate analog infusions had plasma corticosterone and aldosterone concentrations that were reduced by 80–84% and 68–94%, respectively. Rats that received etomidate infusions had plasma corticosterone and aldosterone concentrations that were also significantly reduced (by 92 and 96%, respectively). Rats that received etomidate or isopropoxy-etomidate had significant reductions (90 and 57%, respectively) in plasma testosterone concentrations whereas those that received naphthalene-etomidate had significant increases (1400%) in plasma dehydroepiandrosterone concentrations. Neither etomidate nor any etomidate analog significantly affected plasma androstenedione and dihydrotestosterone concentrations. Our studies demonstrate that the four phenyl-ring substituted etomidate analogs form a novel class of compounds that are devoid of sedative-hypnotic activities and suppress plasma concentrations of adrenocortical steroids but vary in their effects on plasma concentrations of androgenic steroids.
Community of Inquiry (CoI): A Framework for Social Work Distance Educators.

The Community of Inquiry (CoI) framework, a research-based seminal work, provides a structure for integrating a collaborative constructivist approach in course design, implementation, and evaluatio...
Singing to the Lyre in Renaissance Italy: Memory, Performance, and Oral Poetry

A primary mode for the creation and dissemination of poetry in Renaissance Italy was the oral practice of singing and improvising verse to the accompaniment of a stringed instrument. Singing to the Lyre is the first comprehensive study of this ubiquitous practice, which was cultivated by performers ranging from popes, princes, and many artists, to professionals of both mercantile and humanist background. Common to all was a strong degree of mixed orality based on a synergy between writing and the oral operations of memory, improvisation, and performance. As a cultural practice deeply rooted in language and supported by ancient precedent, cantare ad lyram (singing to the lyre) is also a reflection of Renaissance cultural priorities, including the status of vernacular poetry, the study and practice of rhetoric, the oral foundations of humanist education, and the performative culture of the courts reflected in theatrical presentations and Castiglione's Il cortegiano.
Identification of regulatory crosstalks between RKIP and BRCA1 tumor suppressors in healthy tissues and cancer (breast and ovarian): Therapeutic implications

Abstract Proto-oncogenes and tumor suppressors mediate the complex molecular signaling web involved in the maintenance and control of cell growth, proliferation, and epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition, and disruptions in these pathways can often lead to cancer. To date, several tumor suppressor gene products have been characterized and their dysregulations have been associated in the pathogenesis of various human cancers. More than one tumor suppressor gene product may be expressed in the same cell, and their activities may be independent or overlapping. In addition, the regulation of tumor suppressors' expressions may be the result of crosstalks among several signaling pathways. We, therefore, have initiated a study to determine the presence or absence of a regulatory network via crosstalks of two tumor suppressor gene products expressed in normal human breast tissues and human breast carcinomas: the Raf-1 kinase inhibitor protein (RKIP) and the Breast Cancer Type 1 susceptibility protein (BRCA1). Based on their underlying common functions, we have hypothesized that the expression of these two tumor suppressors is regulated by various crosstalk-mediated signaling pathways. RKIP is a metastasis suppressor frequently expressed in normal tissues, but absent in many human cancers; it has been reported to be involved in the regulation of tumor cell proliferation and viability, invasion and metastasis, and resistance to chemo-immuno therapeutic drugs. BRCA1 is a tumor suppressor protein involved in the repair of damaged DNA, and it is frequently mutated or under-expressed in breast and ovarian cancers. To test our hypothesis, we have analyzed the reported scientific literature to extrapolate the coordinate regulatory and effector mechanisms shared between RKIP and BRCA1. Noteworthy, a broad library of studies has been published on these two proteins individually, but at present there were no reports about the potential interactions that may co-exist between the pathways that regulate RKIP and BRCA1 expressions. Interestingly, our research analyses revealed the presence of five pathways that established each crosstalk that regulate RKIP and BRCA1 expressions. These pathways with crosstalks consist of (1) signaling modules involving p53, (2) regulations of Snail and Slug, (3) beta-catenin expression, (4) Myc regulation, and (5) activation of JAK/STAT. Our delineation of these crosstalks suggested that some tumor suppressor functions in the tumor cell may be interdependent and, further, indicated the potential therapeutic targeting of one crosstalk that will also affect other related tumor suppressor gene products, thus, consequently, resulting in the enhancement of the therapeutic intervention. Our findings herein also point out to the potential of new areas of research investigations to better understand the ontogeny of tumor suppressors, their regulation in cancers, and their therapeutic implications.
Mineral dissolution and precipitation induced by hydraulic fracturing of a mudstone and a tight sandstone in the Powder River Basin, Wyoming, USA

Abstract Water-based hydraulic fracturing requires high-pressure injection of large quantities of water mixed with chemicals into the subsurface, where fluids contact mineral surfaces. Chemical imbalance between minerals and the injected fluids provides the potential for chemical reactions that may induce physical alterations to the rock. We investigate mineral reactivity during in situ water-rock interaction between unconventional reservoir rocks and hydraulic fracturing fluid. We characterized two unconventional reservoir rocks, a calcareous mudstone (B Bench of the Niobrara Formation) and a calcite-cemented sandstone (Wall Creek Member of the Frontier Formation) of the Powder River Basin, Wyoming, USA, and developed, analyzed, and quantified the aqueous geochemistry of a hydraulic fracturing fluid (HFF). These datasets informed the design of numerical simulations that predict mineral-HFF interactions at in situ conditions over a 31-day timeframe. The two unconventional reservoir rocks have similar mineral assemblages, albeit in different proportions, which leads to similar dissolution/precipitation reactions. Calcite, feldspar, and authigenic clay minerals begin to dissolve, and secondary calcite, anhydrite, and illite form. Calcite dissolution increases porosity of the B Bench from 2% to 2.9% and porosity of the Wall Creek from 5% to 5.8%. Mineral-fluid reactions manifest in flowback fluids as temporal geochemical trends consistent with limited field data.
Changes in firearm mortality following the implementation of state laws regulating firearm access and use

Although 39,000 individuals die annually from gunshots in the US, research examining the effects of laws designed to reduce these deaths has sometimes produced inconclusive or contradictory findings. We evaluated the effects on total firearm-related deaths of three classes of gun laws: child access prevention (CAP), right-to-carry (RTC), and stand your ground (SYG) laws. The analyses exploit changes in these state-level policies from 1970 to 2016, using Bayesian methods and a modeling approach that addresses several methodological limitations of prior gun policy evaluations. CAP laws showed the strongest evidence of an association with firearm-related death rate, with a probability of 0.97 that the death rate declined at 6 y after implementation. In contrast, the probability of being associated with an increase in firearm-related deaths was 0.87 for RTC laws and 0.77 for SYG laws. The joint effects of these laws indicate that the restrictive gun policy regime (having a CAP law without an RTC or SYG law) has a 0.98 probability of being associated with a reduction in firearm-related deaths relative to the permissive policy regime. This estimated effect corresponds to an 11% reduction in firearm-related deaths relative to the permissive legal regime. Our findings suggest that a small but meaningful decrease in firearm-related deaths may be associated with the implementation of more restrictive gun policies.
A cautionary tale about the use of colony-forming efficiency as a proxy for the survival of mesenchymal stem cells.

Colony-forming efficiency is a time-honored metric of the proliferation potential of mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs). This commentary raises a concern about the practice of using colony-forming efficiency as a proxy for cell survival. A recently published study from my laboratory investigated this issue. A marker of cellular aging, CD264, was employed to separate human bone marrow MSCs into populations of CD264− cells and culture-matched, aging CD264+ cells with high and low colony-forming efficiency, respectively. In vitro cell survival was evaluated with a single-cell assay; in vivo survival by bioluminescence imaging of MSCs attached to scaffolds that were implanted ectopically in immunodeficient mice. In our study, in vitro and in vivo survival of the MSC populations was independent of colony-forming efficiency. This finding indicates that caution should be exercised before using colony-forming efficiency as an indirect metric of cell survival. Direct measurement of survival may be required. Awareness of this issue should foster a robust experimental design and, thereby, facilitate the translation of MSC research into clinical practice.
Examining the Relationship between School District Revenue and English Learners Post Horne v. Flores in Arizona

The Horne v. Flores case (previously known as Flores v. Arizona) is one of the few school finance cases that challenged funding inadequacy through the lens of English learner (EL) education. Plaint...
Clinical laboratory characteristics in patients with suspected COVID-19: One single-institution experience.

OBJECTIVES: Since December 2019, the outbreak of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) has become a worldwide pandemic. The aim of the study is to investigate the demographic, clinical, and laboratory characteristics in suspected COVID-19 patients in our institution. METHODS: In this retrospective study, we investigated suspected COVID-19 patients admitted to the University of Alabama at Birmingham with a request for an interleukin-6 send-out test, from March 28 to June 27, 2020. Patients' demographic, clinical, and laboratory characteristics were collected by chart review. RESULTS: Fifty patients suspected with COVID-19 were included in our study, of whom 24 patients were positive with severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2 infection and 26 were negative. During the observation period, 30 patients were discharged, 17 died during hospitalization, and three remained in hospital. Compared to non-COVID-19 patients, COVID-19 patients had older age, more comorbidities, and elevated levels of inflammation markers such as erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR), C-reactive protein (CRP), serum ferritin, and lactate dehydrogenase (LDH). However, there was no significant difference in laboratory data between survivors and nonsurvivors in COVID-19 patients in our study. CONCLUSION: This study indicated that potential risk factors of older age, multiple comorbidities, and high levels of ESR, CRP, serum ferritin, and LDH could help the clinician to identify potential COVID-19 patients. However, this data needs to be further validated in a larger population.
Using frequency-differencing to robustly localize distant sources in the deep ocean

Frequency-Differencing (FD) methods have proven successful for localizing distant sources both in the deep ocean [Geroski and Dowling, J. Acoust. Sci. Am. 146, 4727–4739 (2019)] and in the shallow ocean [Worthmann et al., J. Acoust. Sci. Am., 138, 3549–3562 (2015)]. These source localizing algorithms are based upon matching the phase of a product of measured complex field values, termed autoproducts, to a replica field that is calculated based on the user's knowledge of the environment, similar to Matched Field Processing (MFP). Unlike MFP, FD methods have proven to be robust to the problem of environmental mismatch in ocean environments. Because of the focus on demonstrating robustness to environmental mismatch, these efforts have provided little guidance for a user to apply such methods in the practice. This presentation explores the process of how to choose difference frequencies and difference frequency bandwidths to localize sources at long ranges in the deep ocean, as well as how to use snapshot averaging to improve FD source localization results. These results and limitations are demonstrated using measurements taken in the PhilSea10 experiment from moored sources as far as 450 km away from the vertical receiving array, as well as simulations mimicking acoustic propagation in this environment. [Sponsored by ONR.]
The oral health status of America's rural children: An opportunity for policy change

Objectives The purpose of our study was to examine the association between rurality and select oral health care metrics: teeth condition, decay, and access measures such as preventive dental care among children in the United States. Methods We conducted a cross-sectional study with a sample of 20,842 respondents from the 2017 to 2018 National Survey of Children's Health (NSCH), a nationally representative sample of U.S. children. Socio-demographic information, residence, and oral health and healthcare utilization information were used to create study variables. Descriptive statistics, bivariate analyses, and a multivariable regression model were performed. Results Rural children were less likely to have a preventive dental visit than urban children (84.9 percent versus 87.5 percent, P = 0.03). Children residing in rural areas were more likely to have their teeth condition reported as fair or poor than children residing in urban areas (7.3 percent versus 6.6 percent, P = 0.02). Compared to their urban counterparts, rural children were also less likely to have received fluoride treatment (46.6 percent versus 52.5 percent, P = 0.0022) and less likely to have received a dental sealant (19.5 percent versus 22.5 percent, P = 0.0147). In adjusted analysis, there was no significant difference in receiving a preventive dental visit for rural children, compared to their urban counterparts. Conclusions As preparations are made for the 2020 Surgeon General's report on oral health, the current study provides important evidence to inform future advocacy and legislative priorities. To reduce urban-rural disparities among children, there must be enhanced dental care access, dental workforce expansion, and increased awareness about preventive oral health services.
SADDLEPOINT APPROXIMATIONS WITH APPLICATIONS.

Preface 1. Fundamental approximations 2. Properties and derivatives 3. Multivariate densities 4. Conditional densities and distribution functions 5. Exponential families and tilted distributions 6. Further exponential family examples and theory 7. Probability computation with p* 8. Probabilities with r*-type approximations 9. Nuisance parameters 10. Sequential saddlepoint applications 11. Applications to multivariate testing 12. Ratios and roots of estimating equations 13. First passage and time to event distributions 14. Bootstrapping in the transform domain 15. Bayesian applications 16. Non-normal bases References Index.
Leveraging autocatalytic reactions for chemical domain image classification

Autocatalysis is fundamental to many biological processes, and kinetic models of autocatalytic reactions have mathematical forms similar to activation functions used in artificial neural networks. Inspired by these similarities, we use an autocatalytic reaction, the copper-catalyzed azide–alkyne cycloaddition, to perform digital image recognition tasks. Images are encoded in the concentration of a catalyst across an array of liquid samples, and the classification is performed with a sequence of automated fluid transfers. The outputs of the operations are monitored using UV-vis spectroscopy. The growing interest in molecular information storage suggests that methods for computing in chemistry will become increasingly important for querying and manipulating molecular memory.
The Role of Dopamine in Associative Learning in Drosophila: An Updated Unified Model

Learning to associate a positive or negative experience with an unrelated cue after the presentation of a reward or a punishment defines associative learning. The ability to form associative memories has been reported in animal species as complex as humans and as simple as insects and sea slugs. Associative memory has even been reported in tardigrades [1], species that diverged from other animal phyla 500 million years ago. Understanding the mechanisms of memory formation is a fundamental goal of neuroscience research. In this article, we work on resolving the current contradictions between different Drosophila associative memory circuit models and propose an updated version of the circuit model that predicts known memory behaviors that current models do not. Finally, we propose a model for how dopamine may function as a reward prediction error signal in Drosophila, a dopamine function that is well-established in mammals but not in insects [2, 3].
The Story/History of Japan: Producing Knowledge by Integrating the Study of Japanese Literature and Japanese History

This essay discusses the benefits to student learning when we integrate the study of Japanese literature and Japanese history through the curricular model of "linked courses." The essay begins by examining the process of linking an introductory Japanese literature course and introductory Japanese history course, and continues by explaining its pedagogical advantages. Specifically, the collaboration of literary and historical study provides students greater access to the material and, subsequently, the opportunity for deeper analysis. Students can better understand how historical context informs the literature and how literary representation enhances historical knowledge. But in addition, this teaching model provokes broader questions about the production of knowledge itself: the disciplinary integration creates a learning environment in which we can ask how we know what we know, or in this case, how we come to understand both the "story" and the "history" of Japan.
Enhanced Structural Imperfection Resistance in Thin-Walled Tubes Filled with Liquid Nanofoam

Thin-walled structures have been widely used in automotive and aerospace industries to improve the system crashworthiness and impact protection. However, during manufacturing, transporting and handling processes, initial geometric imperfections are inevitably introduced to the thin-walled structures, which imposes negative impacts to the mechanical performance and service life of the thin-walled structures. In this study, we have introduced structural imperfection with controlled geometry and dimension to thin-walled steel tubes and characterized the mechanical response of these empty tubes and LN-filled tubes by quasi-static compression tests. Results show, the structural imperfection reduces the energy absorption capacity of empty tubes by about 20%. As the tube is filled with LN, the structural imperfection does not affect the energy absorption capacity of LN filled tube. The enhanced imperfection resistance is attributed to the suppression of imperfection growth caused by the strong liquid-solid interaction between the LN and tube wall. These findings suggest that the LN filling material can effectively reduce the adverse impact of structural imperfection and shed light on future design of thin-walled energy absorption devices.
Economic Sector Choices of Mexican Migrants to the U.S.: Evidence from the 2011 EMIF Border Survey

Draft: July 2013 ______________________________________________________________________________ Abstract: This paper uses a random utility model to investigate the economic sector choices of Mexican labor migrants who intended to cross the U.S. border in 2011. We use individual-level data from the 2011 EMIF Norte Border Survey to identify migrants according to prior work experience and intended sector of work in an effort to determine what demographic and socioeconomic characteristics explain economic sector mobility. Our empirical analysis focuses on two separate but related questions. First, we estimate a probit model with sample selection to identify migrant characteristics that explain differences between industry of employment at place of origin and the intended sector of work at their destination. Second, we estimate a multinomial probit of the choice of sector to further explore migrant characteristics that explain occupational selection. Our results show that sector mobility is significantly more likely for migrants who are documented and those with higher educational attainment, specifically, spoken English skills. At the same time, the probability that sector of work coincides with intended sector of work in the US is significantly higher for migrants who are male, married, traveling in larger groups, have family in the US and earned a higher wage prior to migration. The results from our multinomial analysis further clarify these patterns. We find that work sector prior to migration is more likely to match intended sector in the agriculture, construction, transportation and trade industries and significantly less likely to match in the services sector relative to other occupational categories. ______________________________________________________________________________
A Mobile App to Enhance Behavioral Activation Treatment for Substance Use Disorder: App Design, Use, and Integration Into Treatment in the Context of a Randomized Controlled Trial

Background: Group-based formats typically used in low-resource substance use disorder (SUD) treatment settings result in little individual attention to help reinforce and guide skill use, which may contribute to poor posttreatment outcomes. Smartphone apps offer a convenient, user-friendly, and cost-effective tool that can extend the reach of effective SUD treatments. A smartphone app was developed and integrated into a group-based, brief behavioral activation (BA) treatment for SUD to increase engagement in treatment skills outside clinician-administered sessions. Objective: This study aims to describe the features of the app and its use and integration into treatment, report the participants’ self-reported feasibility and acceptability of the app, and discuss challenges and provide recommendations for future smartphone app integration into behavioral treatments for SUD. Methods: A total of 56 individuals recruited from intensive outpatient SUD treatment received a smartphone-enhanced BA treatment, the Life Enhancement Treatment for Substance Use. Self-reported weekly app use and reasons for nonuse were assessed at posttreatment and at 1- and 3-month follow-ups. In addition, 2-tailed t tests and chi-square tests compared the self-reported use of each app component and overall app use over time. Results: Participant feedback suggested that the integration of the smartphone app into the Life Enhancement Treatment for Substance Use was feasible and well accepted, and participants found the app useful for planning value-based activities outside of sessions. Self-reported app engagement decreased over the follow-up period: 72% (39/54) of participants reported using the app at posttreatment, decreasing to 69% (37/54) at the 1-month follow-up and 37% (20/54) at the 3-month follow-up. Participants reported forgetting to use the app as a primary reason for nonuse. Conclusions: This study provides support for the feasibility and acceptability of smartphone-enhanced BA treatment, offering promise for future research testing the integration of technology into SUD treatment. Design decisions may help streamline smartphone integration into treatment, for example, allowing participants to download the treatment app on their own phones or use a low-cost study smartphone (or offering both options). Long-term app engagement may be increased via built-in reminders, alerts, and in-app messages. Trial Registration: ClinicalTrials.gov NCT02707887; https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/study/NCT02707887
Samuel Miklos Stern: a memorial

I first met Samuel Stern in the Fall of 1963, when I arrived in Oxford as a postgraduate Fulbright Scholar to study Islamic philosophy with Richard Walzer. To my surprise and delight, the universit...