cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Investigating the minimal clinically important difference for SNOT-22 symptom domains in surgically managed chronic rhinosinusitis

Background Prior work has described 5 domains within the 22-item Sino-Nasal Outcomes Test (SNOT-22) that allow for stratification of symptoms into similar clusters and that can be used to direct therapy. Although the outcomes of various interventions on these symptom domains have been reported, minimal clinically important difference (MCID) values have not been investigated, which has limited clinical interpretation of these results. Methods This study was designed as a secondary analysis of a prospective, multi-institutional, observational cohort. A total of 276 patients with medically refractory CRS who underwent surgical management were enrolled. Distribution-based methods (half-standard deviation, standard error of measurement, Cohen's d, and the minimum detectable change) were used to compute MCID values for both SNOT-22 total and domain scores. The Medical Outcomes Study Short Form 6D (SF-6D) health utility score was used to operationalize anchor-based associations using receiver-operating characteristic (ROC) curves. Results The mean MCID of several distribution-based methods for total SNOT-22 scores was 9.0, in agreement with previously published metrics. Average MCID values for the rhinologic, extranasal rhinologic, ear/facial, psychological, and sleep domain scores were 3.8, 2.4, 3.2, 3.9, and 2.9, respectively. Anchor-based approaches with the SF-6D did not have strong predictive accuracy across total SNOT-22 scores or domains (ROC areas under-the-curve ≤ 0.71), indicating weak associations between improvement in SNOT-22 scores and health utility as measured by the SF-6D. Conclusion This estimation of MCID values for the SNOT-22 symptom domains allows for improved clinical interpretation of results from past, present, and future rhinologic outcomes research.
Review of complex networks application in hydroclimatic extremes with an implementation to characterize spatio-temporal drought propagation in continental USA

Abstract The quantification of spatio-temporal hydroclimatic extreme events is a key variable in water resources planning, disaster mitigation, and preparing climate resilient society. However, quantification of these extreme events has always been a great challenge, which is further compounded by climate variability and change. Recently complex network theory was applied in earth science community to investigate spatial connections among hydrologic fluxes (e.g., rainfall and streamflow) in water cycle. However, there are limited applications of complex network theory for investigating hydroclimatic extreme events. This article attempts to provide an overview of complex networks and extreme events, event synchronization method, construction of networks, their statistical significance and the associated network evaluation metrics. For illustration purpose, we apply the complex network approach to study the spatio-temporal evolution of droughts in Continental USA (CONUS). A different drought threshold leads to a new drought event as well as different socio-economic implications. Therefore, it would be interesting to explore the role of thresholds on spatio-temporal evolution of drought through network analysis. In this study, long term (1900–2016) Palmer drought severity index (PDSI) was selected for spatio-temporal drought analysis using three network-based metrics (i.e., strength, direction and distance). The results indicate that the drought events propagate differently at different thresholds associated with initiation of drought events. The direction metrics indicated that onset of mild drought events usually propagate in a more spatially clustered and uniform approach compared to onsets of moderate droughts. The distance metric shows that the drought events propagate for longer distance in western part compared to eastern part of CONUS. We believe that the network-aided metrics utilized in this study can be an important tool in advancing our knowledge on drought propagation as well as other hydroclimatic extreme events. Although the propagation of droughts is investigated using the network approach, however process (physics) based approaches is essential to further understand the dynamics of hydroclimatic extreme events.
Prostaglandins buffer ANG II-mediated increases in cytosolic calcium in preglomerular VSMC.

In order to exert an appropriate biological effect, the action of the vasoconstrictive hormone angiotensin II (ANG II) is modulated by vasoactive factors such as prostaglandins PGE2 and PGI2. The p...
Evaluation of the effect of rifampin on the pharmacokinetics of the Smoothened inhibitor glasdegib in healthy volunteers.

SummaryAIMS This study aimed to evaluate the effect of a strong CYP3A inducer, rifampin, on glasdegib pharmacokinetics in healthy volunteers. METHODS In an open-label, fixed-sequence, two-period Phase 1 study, subjects received a single 100-mg oral dose glasdegib alone or following once-daily pre-treatment with 600 mg rifampin administered once daily. Glasdegib pharmacokinetics were calculated using a noncompartmental analysis. RESULTS Twelve healthy male volunteers (3 whites, 5 blacks and 4 others) were enrolled in the study. Mean age, weight, height and body mass index was 37.8 years, 83.0 kg, 177.3 cm and 26.5 kg (m2) –1, respectively. When dosed alone, glasdegib geometric mean (% coefficient of variation) area under the plasma concentration–time curve from time zero to infinity (AUCinf) was 8,145 ng × h ml–1 (23%) and maximum observed concentration (Cmax) was 703.2 ng ml–1 (19%). With rifampin, glasdegib AUCinf and Cmax decreased, with an adjusted geometric mean ratio (90% confidence interval) 29.66% (26.17–33.62) for AUCinf and 64.71% (57.21–73.19) for Cmax. Mean terminal half-life decreased from 13.39 to 5.11 hours, geometric mean apparent oral clearance increased from 12.27 to 41.38 l h–1, whereas median time to Cmax remained similar (1.50 vs. 1.25 hours) in the presence of rifampin. Acne was the only adverse event reported, and considered drug-unrelated. CONCLUSIONS Co-administration of rifampin expectedly decreased glasdegib AUCinf and Cmax by ~70% and ~35%, respectively. These results will help to formulate recommendations for dosing strategies in combination with CYP3A inducers in situations where co-administration may be necessary. (ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT02430545)
Long-term mortality in patients with severe secondary mitral regurgitation and normal left ventricular ejection fraction: interventional perspective.

AIMS Patients with severe secondary mitral regurgitation (MR) and normal ejection fraction are being excluded from clinical trials evaluating transcatheter mitral devices. We sought to evaluate the long-term mortality with medical management alone in this patient population. METHODS AND RESULTS We retrospectively evaluated patients diagnosed with ≥3+ MR at our institution over 15 years. Only patients with an ejection fraction ≥60% were included in the study. Those with degenerative mitral valve disease, papillary muscle dysfunction, or hypertrophic cardiomyopathy, and those who underwent mitral valve intervention were excluded. The study included 400 patients (age 71.1±14.8, 25.1% male, ejection fraction 62.5±3.6%). Mechanism of secondary MR was restricted valve motion, annular dilation and apical tethering in 91.5, 4.5 and 4%, respectively. One-year and three-year mortality were 19.1 and 26.3%, respectively. On multivariable Cox proportional regression analysis, older age, New York Heart Association functional Class III or IV, >3+ MR and larger left atrium were independent predictors of mortality. CONCLUSIONS Severe secondary MR with normal left ventricular systolic function has significant mortality with medical management alone. This initial observation needs to be confirmed in larger prospective studies. These patients should be included in future transcatheter clinical trials.
A New Deal for the Online Public Sphere

Social media platforms have emerged as formidable regulators of online discourse, and their influence only grows as more speech activity migrates to online spaces. The platforms have come under heavy criticism, however, after revelations about Facebook’s role in amplifying disinformation and polarization during the 2016 presidential election. Policymakers have begun to discuss an official response, but what they envision – namely, a set of rules for online political ads – addresses only a small corner of a much wider set of problems. Their hesitancy to go deeper is understandable. How would government even go about regulating a social platform, and if it did, how would it do so without intruding too far on the freedom of speech? This Article takes an early, panoramic view of the challenge. It begins with a conceptual overview of the problem: what kinds of risks do online platforms present, and what makes these risks novel compared to traditional First Amendment concerns? The Article then outlines the eclectic and sometimes exotic policies regulators might someday apply to problems including false news, private censorship, ideological polarization, and online addiction. Finally, the Article suggests some high-level directions for First Amendment jurisprudence as it adapts to online platforms’ new and radically disruptive presence in the marketplace of ideas.
Cramér-Rao Bound for Line Constrained Trajectory Tracking

In this paper, target tracking constrained to short-term linear trajectories is explored. The problem is viewed as an extension of the matrix decomposition problem into low-rank and sparse components by incorporating an additional line constraint. The Cramer-Rao Bound (CRB) for the trajectory estimation is derived; numerical results show that an alternating algorithm which estimates the various components of the trajectory image is near optimal due to proximity to the computed CRB. In addition to the theoretical contribution of incorporating an additional constraint in the estimation problem, the alternating algorithm is applied to real video data and shown to be effective in estimating the trajectory despite it not being exactly linear.
Responses in patients with BRAF V600-mutant metastatic melanoma receiving anti-PD1/PDL1 therapy alone or combined with BRAF inhibitors.

9546Background: Whether anti-PD1/PDL1 (anti-PD) therapy alone, or anti-PD combined with BRAF inhibitors (BRAFi) represents the best treatment for patients (pts) with BRAF V600-mutant metastatic mel...
Relationships Between Adipose Mitochondrial Function, Serum Adiponectin, and Insulin Resistance in Persons With HIV After 96 Weeks of Antiretroviral Therapy.

OBJECTIVE Some antiretroviral therapy (ART) and HIV itself confer metabolic risk, perhaps through altered mitochondrial function and adipokines. In AIDS Clinical Trials Group study A5224s, adipose mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) levels decreased on ART, and electron transport chain complex I (CI) and complex IV (CIV) activity decreased. Another study found decreased serum adiponectin on ART with mtDNA mutation m.10398A>G. We hypothesized that decreased adipose tissue mitochondrial function would be associated with lower adiponectin and insulin sensitivity on ART, and m.10398G would influence these changes. DESIGN Retrospective analysis of an ART-naive substudy population from A5224s. METHODS Analyses included adipose mtDNA levels, CI and CIV activity by immunoassay, visceral adipose tissue by computed tomography, and fasting serum glucose at week 0 and week 96 of ART. Fasting insulin and adiponectin were measured from cryopreserved serum using multiplex bead array. Homeostasis model assessment-2 (HOMA2)-IR and HOMA2-%B estimated insulin resistance and β-cell function, respectively. The m.10398A>G mtDNA variant was available from existing genetic data. RESULTS Thirty-seven participants had adipose biopsies at week 0 and week 96. Percent decreases in CIV activity and adiponectin were correlated (Spearman rho 0.41; P = 0.01); this association persisted after controlling for age, sex, body mass index, or visceral adipose tissue in single-covariate regression. HOMA2-IR correlated with decreased CIV (-0.44; P = 0.01) and CI (-0.34; P = 0.05) activity. Among 12 non-Hispanic white persons, m.10398G was associated with decreased adiponectin (P = 0.04). CONCLUSIONS Decreased adipose mitochondrial activity correlated with changes in adiponectin and glucose homeostasis on ART. Previous findings that a mtDNA mutation modulates adiponectin levels in persons with HIV were replicated.
Vaccinations in kidney transplant recipients: Clearing the muddy waters

Vaccine preventable diseases account for a significant proportion of morbidity and mortality in transplant recipients and cause adverse outcomes to the patient and allograft. Patients should be screened for vaccination history at the time of pre-transplant evaluation and vaccinated at least four weeks prior to transplantation. For non-immune patients, dead-vaccines can be administered starting at six months post-transplant. Live attenuated vaccines are contraindicated after transplant due to concern for infectious complications from the vaccine and every effort should be made to vaccinate prior to transplant. Since transplant recipients are on life-long immunosuppression, these patients may have lower rates of serological conversion, lower mean antibody titers and waning of protective immunity over shorter period as compared to general population. Recommendations regarding booster dose in kidney transplant recipients with sub-optimal serological response are lacking. Travel plans should be part of routine post-transplant assessment and pre-travel vaccines and counseling should be provided. More studies are needed on vaccination schedules, serological response, need for booster doses and safety of live attenuated vaccines in this special population.
Compressed sensing MRI of different organs: ready for clinical daily practice?

The aim was to evaluate the image quality and sensitivity to artifacts of compressed sensing (CS) acceleration technique, applied to 3D or breath-hold sequences in different clinical applications from brain to knee. CS with an acceleration from 30 to 60% and conventional MRI sequences were performed in 10 different applications in 107 patients, leading to 120 comparisons. Readers were blinded to the technique for quantitative (contrast-to-noise ratio or functional measurements for cardiac cine) and qualitative (image quality, artifacts, diagnostic findings, and preference) image analyses. No statistically significant difference in image quality or artifacts was found for each sequence except for the cardiac cine CS for one of both readers and for the wrist 3D proton density (PD)–weighted CS sequence which showed less motion artifacts due to the reduced acquisition time. The contrast-to-noise ratio was lower for the elbow CS sequence but not statistically different in all other applications. Diagnostic findings were similar between conventional and CS sequence for all the comparisons except for four cases where motion artifacts corrupted either the conventional or the CS sequence. The evaluated CS sequences are ready to be used in clinical daily practice except for the elbow application which requires a lower acceleration. The CS factor should be tuned for each organ and sequence to obtain good image quality. It leads to 30% to 60% acceleration in the applications evaluated in this study which has a significant impact on clinical workflow. • Clinical implementation of compressed sensing (CS) reduced scan times of at least 30% with only minor penalty in image quality and no change in diagnostic findings. • The CS acceleration factor has to be tuned separately for each organ and sequence to guarantee similar image quality than conventional acquisition. • At least 30% and up to 60% acceleration is feasible in specific sequences in clinical routine.
Clinical pathway to screen for cardiac amyloidosis in heart failure with preserved ejection fraction.

Cardiac amyloidosis (CAm) is characterized by the deposition of extracellular protein known as amyloid in the myocardium, causing Heart Failure with preserved Ejection Fraction (HFpEF) and restrict...
Hidden treasures: Sterile neutrinos as dark matter with miraculous abundance, structure formation for different production mechanisms, and a solution to the sigma(8) problem

Author(s): Abazajian, Kevork N; Kusenko, Alexander | Abstract: We discuss numerous mechanisms for production of sterile neutrinos, which can account for all or a fraction of dark matter, and which can range from warm to effectively cold dark matter, depending on the cosmological scenario. We investigate production by Higgs boson decay, $(B-L)$ gauge boson production at high temperature, as well as production via resonant and nonresonant neutrino oscillations. We calculate the effects on structure formation in these models, some for the first time. If two populations of sterile neutrinos, one warm and one cold, were produced by different mechanisms, or if sterile neutrinos account for only a fraction of dark matter, while the remainder is some other cold dark matter particle, the resulting multi-component dark matter may alleviate some problems in galaxy formation. We examine the X-ray constraints and the candidate signal at 3.5 keV. Finally, we also show that the $\sigma_8$ problem can be a signature of fractional dark matter in the form of sterile neutrinos in several mechanisms.
Practical Guide to Vaccination in All Stages of CKD, Including Patients Treated by Dialysis or Kidney Transplantation.

Infection is a major cause of morbidity and mortality in patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD), including those receiving maintenance dialysis or with a kidney transplant. Although responses to vaccines are impaired in these populations, immunizations remain an important component of preventative care due to their favorable safety profiles and the high rate of infection in these patients. Most guidelines for patients with CKD focus on the importance of the hepatitis B, influenza, and pneumococcal vaccines in addition to age-appropriate immunizations. More data are needed to determine the clinical efficacy of these immunizations and others in this population and define optimal dosing and timing for administration. Studies have suggested that there may be a benefit to immunization before the onset of dialysis or transplantation because patients with early-stage CKD generally have higher rates of seroconversion. Because nephrologists often serve as primary care physicians for patients with CKD, it is important to understand the role of vaccinations in the preventive care of this patient population
Understanding the visual perception of awkward body movements: How interactions go awry

Dyadic interactions can sometimes elicit a disconcerting response from viewers, generating a sense of “awkwardness.” Despite the ubiquity of awkward social interactions in daily life, it remains unknown what visual cues signal the oddity of human interactions and yield the subjective impression of awkwardness. In the present experiments, we focused on a range of greeting behaviors (handshake, fist bump, high five) to examine both the inherent objectivity and impact of contextual and kinematic information in the social evaluation of awkwardness. In Experiment 1, participants were asked to discriminate whether greeting behaviors presented in raw videos were awkward or natural, and if judged as awkward, participants provided verbal descriptions regarding the awkward greeting behaviors. Participants showed consensus in judging awkwardness from raw videos, with a high proportion of congruent responses across a range of awkward greeting behaviors. We also found that people used social-related and motor-related words in their descriptions for awkward interactions. Experiment 2 employed advanced computer vision techniques to present the same greeting behaviors in three different display types. All display types preserved kinematic information, but varied contextual information: (1) patch displays presented blurred scenes composed of patches; (2) body displays presented human body figures on a black background; and (3) skeleton displays presented skeletal figures of moving bodies. Participants rated the degree of awkwardness of greeting behaviors. Across display types, participants consistently discriminated awkward and natural greetings, indicating that the kinematics of body movements plays an important role in guiding awkwardness judgments. Multidimensional scaling analysis based on the similarity of awkwardness ratings revealed two primary cues: motor coordination (which accounted for most of the variability in awkwardness judgments) and social coordination. We conclude that the perception of awkwardness, while primarily inferred on the basis of kinematic information, is additionally affected by the perceived social coordination underlying human greeting behaviors.
Remote-controlled insect navigation using plasmonic nanotattoos

Developing insect cyborgs by integrating external components (optical, electrical or mechanical) with biological counterparts has a potential to offer elegant solutions for complex engineering problems.1 A key limiting step in the development of such biorobots arises at the nano-bio interface, i.e. between the organism and the nano implant that offers remote controllability.1,2 Often, invasive procedures are necessary that tend to severely compromise the navigation capabilities as well as the longevity of such biorobots. Therefore, we sought to develop a non-invasive solution using plasmonic nanostructures that can be photoexcited to generate heat with spatial and temporal control. We designed a ‘nanotattoo’ using silk that can interface the plasmonic nanostructures with a biological tissue. Our results reveal that both structural and functional integrity of the biological tissues such as insect antenna, compound eyes and wings were preserved after the attachment of the nanotattoo. Finally, we demonstrate that insects with the plasmonic nanotattoos can be remote controlled using light and integrated with functional recognition elements to detect the chemical environment in the region of interest. In sum, we believe that the proposed technology will play a crucial role in the emerging fields of biorobotics and other nano-bio applications.
"[It's] more than just medicine": The value and sustainability of mandatory, non-clinical, short-term rural placements in a Western Australian medical school.

Introduction: In 2005, the University of Notre Dame School of Medicine (Western Australia) established a mandatory, non-clinical rural and remote (hereafter termed rural) health placement program d...
[PI149] Worker Protection Standard: Information at a Central Location

The Worker Protection Standard (WPS) is a Federal regulation designed to protect agricultural workers (people involved in the production of agricultural plants) and pesticide handlers (people mixing, loading, or applying pesticides or doing other tasks involving direct contact with pesticides). It has been in full implementation since 1995. This document provides general guidance to help you comply with the requirements of the Federal Worker Protection Standard (WPS) for agricultural pesticides, 40 CFR part 170, as amended in 2015. This document addresses specific information that agricultural establishments must display at a central location for their employees.
Laparoscope diagnosis and treatment for annular pancreas in neonates: report of 9 cases

Objective To summarize our preliminary experience and evaluate the clinical value of laparoscope diagnosis and treatment for annular pancreas in neonates.Methods A retrospective review of laparoscope diagnosis and treatment for annular pancreas in 9 children from September 2009 to January 2013 was performed.Among them,5 were male,4 were female.The age was ranging from 1 to 13 d.A lowerpressure pneumoperitoneum of 5 ～ 8 mm Hg (1 mm Hg =0.133 kPa) was used.Eight cases of diamond duodenal anastomosis were performed under laparoscope after the diagnosis was established,and 1 case underwent procedure through slightly enlarged umbilical port site.Results Eight cases of diamond duodenal anastomosis were performed under laparoscope,and the operation time was 80 ～ 140 min (mean 105 min),in 1 case it was performed through umbilical port incision,the operation time was 64 min,and the length of incision was about 2.5 cm.Feedings were started at postoperative day 4 to 7 (mean 5 d),and patients were discharged at postoperative day 8 to 14 (mean 10 d).The cases were followed-up for 3 ～ 20 months (mean 6.7 months),and I case complicated with anal atresia died of pneumonia 6 months later.Other cases were uneventfully recovered and symptoms were alleviated with normal gastroenterological function,no preoperative symptoms recurred,and the nutrition and growth status was excellent.Conclusions Annular pancreas can be diagnosed through laparoscopy.Laparoscope diagnosis and treatment for annular pancreas has the advantages of small incision,micro-invasion and faster recovery,can be safely performed in neonatal period. Key words: Abnormalities ; Annular pancreas ; Infant, newborn ; Laparoscopes
Free Speech, Free Press, and Fake News: What If the Marketplace of Ideas Isn't About Identifying Truth?

It is important to evaluate fake news not only for the misinformation it contains, but also for the forms of communal identity it facilitates. Fake news can certainly mislead and harm those who consume it. But fake news, like all news, is also used by the public to articulate and confirm a sense of membership. Current efforts to weed out fake news stories from social media platforms and from public discussion are aimed at improving the accuracy of information in circulation. While such efforts may marginally increase the reporting of true information, they will not alter the underlying dynamic of identity formation that leads ordinary people to employ the news as a means of developing feelings of belonging.
The Art of Caucaseco: An Afro-Colombian Fight Book

While most fight books were presumably written by elites or socially-honoured martial classes, this article will explore a fight book of an Afro-Colombian martial arts style that emerged just six years after the abolition of slavery. The Afro-Colombian martial arts of grima emerged in the Cauca region during the era of slavery and trained its exponents to fight using the machete, azagaya, or unarmed body as weapons. Over the course of the second half of the nineteenth century, grima began to proliferate into over thirty unique styles, each with its own special choreographies and approaches to combat. As these styles multiplied, so too did the literary genre of grima manuscripts called cartillas de malicia, which recorded each style’s techniques, pedagogy, and lineage. This article explores the historical context and purpose of a single cartilla de malicia in the grima style. This cartilla de malicia was of a style from the Caucaseco region of the Cauca, which was developed in 1858 and existed for well over a century.
Principles of Geo-Political Dynamics

A general set of theoretical principles on geo-dynamics is developed. This line of emphasis follows from a critique of current theories of globalization as emphasizing geo-economics over geo-politics and as positing a rather ideologically driven view of the future of globalism toward a world-level polity and socialism. In contrast, this chapter argues that, despite the dramatic globalization of markets in the modern world system, geo-politics is inevitably drawn into such geo-economic systems and that, moreover, the future of globalization will revolve as much, if not more, around geo-politics as northern powers increasingly come into conflicts over resources and hegemony. It is very likely, it is argued, that the northern part of the global system will evolve into very distinct geo-political formations in western Europe, eastern Europe and Soviet Union, China and upper south Asia at its borders, and the United States of North America. The fate of the southern half of the globe is more fluid and difficult to theorize, but it is argued that geo-politics as much or more than geo-economics will dominate the dynamics of India and South Asia (extending down to Australia and New Zeeland), sub-Saharan Africa, and South America.
Herbal Medicines for the Treatment of Nonalcoholic Steatohepatitis

Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease encompasses both, nonalcoholic fatty liver and nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH). The prevalence of NASH is rising globally and has become one of the leading causes of chronic liver disease and indications for liver transplantation. Its complex and multifaceted pathophysiology makes the management of NASH challenging. In the absence of effective pharmacotherapies, there has been an increasing interest for the use of herbal medicines/supplements in the treatment of NASH. Here we review some of the more popular herbal medicines/supplements used to treat NASH. In the last decade, there have been numerous herbal medicines which have been studied as treatments for NASH with promising results in animal studies and in vitro studies. The data however is conflicting in clinical trials and lacking with regard to long-term safety and hepatotoxicity. Herbal medicines have continued to gain popularity as treatment options for NASH given their easy accessibility and paucity of FDA-approved pharmacotherapies. The data to support the use of these products for NASH remains inconclusive and at this time, there is no herbal medicine which should be recommended in the treatment of NASH.
Dissociable Frontostriatal White Matter Connectivity Underlies Reward and Motor Impulsivity

Dysfunction of cognitive control often leads to impulsive decision-making in clinical and healthy populations. Some research suggests that a generalized cognitive control mechanism underlies the ability to modulate various types of impulsive behavior, while other evidence suggests different forms of impulsivity are dissociable, and rely on distinct neural circuitry. Past research consistently implicates several brain regions, such as the striatum and portions of the prefrontal cortex, in impulsive behavior. However the ventral and dorsal striatum are distinct in regards to function and connectivity. Nascent evidence points to the importance of frontostriatal white matter connectivity in impulsivity, yet it remains unclear whether particular tracts relate to different control behaviors. Here we used probabilistic tractography of diffusion imaging data to relate ventral and dorsal frontostriatal connectivity to reward and motor impulsivity measures. We found a double dissociation such that individual differences in white matter connectivity between the ventral striatum and the ventromedial prefrontal cortex and dorsolateral prefrontal cortex was associated with reward impulsivity, as measured by delay discounting, whereas connectivity between dorsal striatum and supplementary motor area was associated with motor impulsivity, but not vice versa. Our findings suggest that (a) structural connectivity can is associated with a large amount of behavioral variation; (b) different types of impulsivity are driven by dissociable frontostriatal neural circuitry.
Controlled Release Utilizing Initiated Chemical Vapor Deposited (iCVD) of Polymeric Nanolayers.

This review will focus on the controlled release of pharmaceuticals and other organic molecules utilizing polymeric nanolayers grown by initiated chemical vapor deposited (iCVD). The iCVD layers are able conform to the geometry of the underlying substrate, facilitating release from one- and two-dimensional nanostructures with high surface area. The reactors for iCVD film growth can be customized for specific substrate geometries and scaled to large overall dimensions. The absence of surface tension in vapor deposition processes allows the synthesis of pinhole-free layers, even for iCVD layers < 10 nm thick. Such ultrathin layers also provide rapid transport of the drug across the polymeric layer. The mild conditions of the iCVD process avoid damage to the drug which is being encapsulated. Smart release is enabled by iCVD hydrogels which are responsive to pH, temperature, or light. Biodegradable iCVD layers have also be demonstrated for drug release.
Extending the Inquiry of Newton’s Second Law by Using Limiting Case Analysis

This study proposes an instructional unit on extending the inquiry of investigating the motion of a system of two objects called a half-Atwood machine by applying limiting case analysis. While inducing algebraic operations such as multiplication or division to solve a physics problem is dictated by the engagement of the parameter of interest within the formula, applying the limits’ techniques is not explicit. Students who have precalculus or calculus backgrounds can handle reasonably well the process of evaluating limits. However, they usually are uncertain when limits can be applied to support inquiries in physics and how to interpret the results. Twenty-four (N = 25) first-year algebra-based college physics courses took part in this case study. The pretest showed that the students did not realize that taking limits would help them answer questions requiring using that technique. The instructional unit, whose goal was to bring forth the notion, enabled the students to apply the techniques of limits to evaluate formulas as covariate functional representations. Posttest results supported the study thesis that converting formulas to functions helps students with transferring their mathematical knowledge and opens up a gate for advancing their scientific inquiry skills.
Improving Services for Youth Survivors of Commercial Sexual Exploitation: Insights from Interventions with Other High-Risk Youth

Abstract Background There have been initiatives to develop innovative services for commercially sexually exploited children (CSEC), but there are currently no intervention strategies that have been rigorously evaluated. However, a range of evidence-based interventions have been identified for other problems that frequently co-occur with CSEC. As intervention programs for victims of CSEC develop, it is important to critically examine the research on interventions for these associated problems to ensure that what is borrowed, adapted, or prioritized is informed by research, and likely to best address the needs of victims. Objective The current review examines evidence-based interventions from related social problem fields that may have useful content for victims of CSEC. Existing systematic reviews were primarily used for this review; however, rigorous and large-scale randomized controlled trials were also included. In total, 33 articles were included. Articles were identified via search engine (e.g., PsychInfo) and reference mining. Review Interventions for adolescent substance use, delinquency, trauma, school dropout, and running away are reviewed for their content and evidence base. Opportunities for integration of CSEC content are discussed using current extant literature. Discussion The most promising practices from related fields include mentorship, multisystemic treatment (MST), family programming/therapy, and kinship foster care. Skill-based interventions (e.g., CBT) have been found to be a particularly effective mental health intervention for youth with similar sequelae to victims of CSEC. Importantly, outcomes improve when interventions are paired with relationship-building strategies such as mentorship or group therapy. Implications for CSEC practice and research are discussed.
Rejoinder to James Ahiakpor's Reply to My Review of His Book : "Classical Macroeconomics"

First, I want to say that I think that much of the material in Ahiakpor's (A's) book is well worth saying, because it makes one focus on much of the value of classical macro that has been forgotten or neglected in these modern times, especially in Principle's books, but also in more advanced writings. I especially liked the article, which fo cused on the idea that Keynes' falsely attributed the assumption of full employment to the classicalists. There is no question that this assump tion is not made everywhere and uniformly in the classical writings. This book and A's writings in general, as indicated by the book's contents, have focused on the general topic of emphasizing what is right about classical macro and what is wrong with macro directly after the Keynesian reformulation in the 1920s through 1950s, which has in general carried forth into modern undergraduate books. The general problem that I see is a matter of emphasis. A believes that the classical writers (including the Marshall's) have stated a system that is well-nigh complete, with almost all possible cases included that Key nes and his followers included later, but without any substantial im provement. In fact, this more modern group's so-called improvement of classical ideas was downright wrong in many cases or so confused the economic language, that the definition of such a basic concept as 'capital' was hopelessly misinterpreted and has continued so. I believe that for the period (1770S-1870S), classical macro was a brilliant invention that continues to be a fruitful way to look at the world, but since that world has become so much more complicated, especially the monetary system, it serves no useful purpose to con tinue to dwell on the letter of these ideas; their spirit seems enough. So, attempting to defend literally the classical interpretation of basic macro concepts may be regarded as 'reactionary', and no economist should wish to be accused of this. It is fine to reinterpret the classical ideas and this is what the best part of A's book does well, but to insist
Lebesgue Measure in r-Space

By an interval I in Euclidean r-space (r = 1, 2,…) is meant a rectangular parallelepiped with edges parallel to the axes. It is the Cartesian product of r 1-dimensional intervals. As in the 1 -dimensional case, the r-dimensional volume of I will be denoted by |I|. Lebesgue measure in r-space is an extension of the notion of volume to a larger class of sets. Thus Lebesgue measure has a different meaning in spaces of different dimension. However, since we shall usually regard the dimension as fixed, there is no need to indicate r explicitly in our notations.
Preferential recognition of hepatitis B nucleocapsid antigens by Th1 or Th2 cells is epitope and major histocompatibility complex dependent.

Regulatory T-helper (Th) cells have been categorized into two functional subsets, Th1 and Th2 cells, which produce distinct lymphokines. In general, Th1 cells mediate cellular immune responses and Th2 cells mediate humoral immunity. Recent serological studies suggest that the Th1-Th2 balance may be relevant in acute and chronic hepatitis B virus (HBV) infections. The purpose of this study was to determine the potential of the nucleocapsid antigens (Ags) (hepatitis B core and e Ags [HBc/eAg]) of HBV to preferentially elicit either a Th1 or a Th2 dominant response. For this purpose, H-2 congenic B10.S and B10 mice were immunized with HBc/eAg, and Ag-specific T-cell proliferative responses, T-cell helper function, and T-cell cytokine production were analyzed. The results indicated that B10.S mice preferentially develop a Th1-like response whereas B10 mice preferentially develop a Th2-like response after immunization with HBc/eAg. Furthermore, the preferential Th1 and Th2 response patterns were reproduced when 12-residue peptides representing the dominant HBc/eAg-specific T-cell sites for B10.S (peptide 120-131) and B10 (peptide 129-140) mice were used as immunogens. Therefore, the combination of the T-cell site recognized and the major histocompatibility complex restricting element can in large part determine the Th phenotype of the HBc/eAg-specific T-cell response. Other factors that influenced Th phenotype were the presence of exogenous cytokines, Ag structure, and tissue distribution.
The Effect of Circularly Polarized Light on the Photosynthesis and Chlorophyll a Synthesis of Certain Marine Algae1

The net photosynthesis and chlorophyll a synthesis of certain marine algae show a gradation in response to various types of polarized light. Right circularly polarized light increases the net photosynthesis and chlorophyll a synthesis as compared with light through neutral density filters, whereas the effect is reversed with left circularly polarized light. This suggests that the receptor pigments are anisotropic and exhibit circular dichroism.
Law, Morality and Social Discourse: Jury Nullification in a Canadian Context

In the thirty years since the inception of the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms there have been three cases of attempted jury nullification, resulting in varies degrees of success. This thesis will provide an overview of the process jury nullification as well as a discussion on the current Canadian jurisprudence, including all three cases (R. v. Morgentaler, R. v. Latimer and R. v. Krieger). This analysis will be undertaken using two competing theoretical viewpoints: those of neo-natural law theorist Ronald Dworkin and social theorists Alan Hunt and Michel Foucault. Ultimately this thesis will conclude that while it is beneficial to approach the phenomenon of jury nullification using Dworkin’s theory of “law as integrity”, it alone cannot sufficiently explain the process and it is through using both natural law and social theory that jury nullification can be best understood.
Modeling interface exchange coupling: Effect on switching of granular FePt films

To raise the areal density of magnetic recording to ∼1 Tbit/in2, there has been much recent work on the use of FePt granular films, because their high perpendicular anisotropy allows small grains to be stable. However, their coercivity may be higher than available write-head fields. One approach to reduce the coercivity is to heat the grain (heat assisted magnetic recording). Another strategy is to add a soft capping layer to help nucleate switching via exchange coupling with the hard FePt grains. We have simulated a model of such a capped medium and have studied the effect of the strength of the interface exchange and thickness of hard layer and soft layer on the overall coercivity. Although the magnetization variation within such boundary layers may be complex, the net effect of the boundary can often be modeled as an infinitely thin interface characterized by an interface exchange energy density—we show how to do this consistently in a micromagnetic simulation. Although the switching behavior in the presence of exchange, magnetostatic, and external fields is quite complex, we show that by adding these fields one at a time, the main features of the M-H loop can be understood. In particular, we find that even without hard-soft interface exchange, magnetostatic coupling eliminates the zero-field kink in the loop, so that the absence of the kink does not (as has sometimes been assumed) imply exchange coupling. The computations have been done with a public-domain micromagnetics simulator that has been adapted to easily simulate arrays of grains.
Can spatial heterogeneity explain the perceived imbalance in Lake Superior's carbon budget? A model study

[1] Lake Superior is the largest lake in the world by surface area, containing 10% of the world's surface freshwater. Yet, little is known about its role within the regional carbon budget. Observational studies on Lake Superior have been limited by harsh winters and the challenges of covering such a vast expanse. To date, carbon budgets extrapolated from observational studies are largely out of balance and suggest a large efflux of carbon dioxide to the atmosphere (∼3 TgC/yr) that cannot be supported by the estimated net inputs into the lake (<1 TgC/yr). We couple a hydrodynamic model of Lake Superior to an ecosystem model to understand the seasonal cycle of the partial pressure of carbon dioxide (pCO2) in the lake surface waters, the resulting air-lake carbon dioxide (CO2) fluxes, and whether spatial heterogeneity can explain the previously imbalanced carbon budget. The model sufficiently simulates lake productivity, circulation, respiration, pCO2, and chlorophyll. We find that the seasonal cycle of pCO2is generally a double sinusoidal curve during the simulated period of 1996–2001. The lake acts as a sink of carbon dioxide in summer and during late winter of cold years and as a source to the atmosphere during winter and spring. We find significant spatial heterogeneity of respiration in Lake Superior, with near-shore to offshore rates of respiration varying by two orders of magnitude. Thus, Lake Superior need not act as a significant source of carbon dioxide (∼0.5 TgC/yr) to the atmosphere in order to be consistent with in situ observations of respiration.
Agent-based simulation of electricity markets: a survey of tools

Agent-based simulation has been a popular technique in modeling and analyzing electricity markets in recent years. The main objective of this paper is to study existing agent-based simulation packages for electricity markets. We first provide an overview of electricity markets and briefly introduce the agent-based simulation technique. We then investigate several general-purpose agent-based simulation tools. Next, we review four popular agent-based simulation packages developed for electricity markets and several agent-based simulation models reported in the literature. We compare all the reviewed packages and models and identify their common features and design issues. Based on the study, we describe an agent-based simulation framework for electricity markets to facilitate the development of future models for electricity markets.
The Sampling and Analysis of Lead Fields in Electrocardiographic Torso Models

Reciprocal energization of an electrocardiographic lead connection in a torso model produces an electrical field from which equivalent cardiac dipolar and multipolar transfer coefficients may be determined. This purpose can be fully served by sufficiently numerous experimental measurements of reciprocal field potential over a Gaussian sphere which is large enough to encompass the entire cardiac region. A systematic field-sampling procedure of appropriate design has resulted in the development of reliable numerical methods for the resolution of reciprocal potential functions into the desired transfer coefficients. The underlying principles as well as the data reduction procedure itself are directly applicable to the analysis of other kinds of Newtonian potential functions.
Functionalizing stereolithography resins: effects of dispersed multi‐walled carbon nanotubes on physical properties

Purpose – The present research investigates tailoring the physical properties of stereolithography (SL) epoxy‐based resins by dispersing controlled small amounts of multi‐walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) directly in SL resins prior to layered manufacturing.Design/methodology/approach – A modified 3D Systems 250/50 SL multi‐material machine was used where the machine was equipped with a solid‐state (355 nm) laser, unique ∼ 500 ml vat, overfill drain vat design that continuously flowed resin into the vat via a peristaltic pump, and 8.89 by 8.89 cm2 platform. The vat did not include a recoating system. Pumping the composite resin assisted in maintaining the MWCNTs dispersed over long periods of time (with MWCNT settling times on the order of one week). The research approach required developing a method for dispersing the MWCNTs in SL resin, determining new SL build parameters for the modified resin and SL machine, and building and testing tensile specimens.Findings – Mechanical mixing and ultrasonic dispersi...
Ethnic and regional influences on teachers' evaluations of oral answers

Abstract Tape recordings were made of six white and six black ninth-grade northern boys speaking identically worded answers to typical school questions. Black students were given significantly higher grades than white students by 56 white and 50 black southern teachers. Black teachers gave significantly higher grades than white teachers, but no significant interaction was found between students' and teachers' ethnic group. The study is a partial replication of a previous study in which it was found that black students were given significantly lower grades than white students by northern white teachers.