cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Interval Type-2 Fuzzy Systems

This chapter explores many aspects of the interval type-2 fuzzy system that was introduced in Chap. 1. As was done for type-1 fuzzy systems, it provides a very comprehensive and unified description of the two major kinds of interval type-2 fuzzy systems that are widely used in real-world applications—IT2 Mamdani and TSK fuzzy systems. Importantly, it also distinguishes between IT2 fuzzy systems that include type-reduction followed by defuzzification and those that bypass type-reduction and use direct defuzzification. The coverage of this chapter includes IT2 rules, three kinds of fuzzifiers (singleton, type-1 non-singleton, and IT2 non-singleton), input–output formulas for the fuzzy inference engine (also valid for GT2 fuzzy systems), the effects of the three kind of fuzzifiers on the input–output formulas (valid for IT2 fuzzy systems), IT2 first-and second-order rule partitions, combining or not combining fired-rule output sets on the way to defuzzification, type-reduction (centroid, height, and center-of-sets) + defuzzification for an IT2 Mamdani fuzzy system, type-reduction + defuzzification for four kinds of IT2 TSK fuzzy systems, novelty partitions, approximate type-reduction and defuzzification (the Wu–Mendel Uncertainty Bounds), direct defuzzification (Nie–Tan and Biglarbegian–Melek–Mendel), IT2 fuzzy basis functions which provide a mathematical description of an IT2 fuzzy system from its input to its output, remarks, and insights about an IT2 fuzzy system (including layered architecture interpretations for it, fundamental differences between type-1 and IT2 fuzzy systems, universal approximation by it, continuity of it, rule explosion and some ways to control it, and rule interpretability for it), and historical notes. Seventeen examples are used to illustrate the important concepts and there is also a comprehensive numerical example in Sects. 9.7 and 9.11.
13 C Dynamic Nuclear Polarization Using Derivatives of TEMPO Free Radical

The nitroxide-based 2,2,6,6-tetramethyl-1-piperidinyloxy (TEMPO) free radical is widely used in 13C dynamic nuclear polarization (DNP) due to its relatively low cost, commercial availability, and effectiveness as polarizing agent. While a large number of TEMPO derivatives are available commercially, so far, only few have been tested for use in 13C DNP. In this study, we have tested and evaluated the 13C hyperpolarization efficiency of eight derivatives of TEMPO free radical with different side arms in the 4-position. In general, these TEMPO derivatives were found to have slight variations in efficiency as polarizing agents for DNP of 3 M [1-13C] acetate in 1:1 v/v ethanol:water at 3.35 T and 1.2 K. X-band electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) spectroscopy revealed no significant differences in the spectral features among these TEMPO derivatives. 2H enrichment of the ethanol:water glassing matrix resulted in further improvement of the solid-state 13C DNP signals by factor of 2 to 2.5-fold with respect to the 13C DNP signal of non-deuterated DNP samples. These results suggest an interaction between the nuclear Zeeman reservoirs and the electron dipolar system via the thermal mixing mechanism.
Strongly Correlated Rafts in Both Leaves of an Asymmetric Bilayer.

I consider a model of a bilayer characterized by two order parameters, one in each leaf. That of the inner leaf represents the difference in mole fractions of lipids with large spontaneous curvature, phosphatidylethanolamine (PE), and those with small spontaneous curvatures, phosphatidylcholine (PC) and phosphatidylserine (PS). Similarly, the order parameter in the outer leaf represents the difference in mole fractions of lipids with small spontaneous curvature, PC, and large curvature, sphingomyelin (SM). Each order parameter is coupled to the variations in the height of the membrane that is assumed to be of constant thickness. The couplings are of different strength. I show that, with reasonable parameters, a microemulsion is formed in each leaf, and that the two microemulsions are strongly coupled. Their characteristic size of domains is found to be on the order of 75 nm. In this picture, rafts consist of regions of SM in the outer leaf and PC and PS in the inner leaf, floating in a sea of PC in the ou...
EL CANCILLER / THE CHANCELLOR

Por veinte anos, sin ejercitos y sin control de rutas, a pura diplomacia, Gabriel Puerta se gano la confianza de narcotraficantes y paramilitares colombianos. Esta es su historia.
Spherical Excess and Reference Twist

The method by which a component of the rotation of the cross-section is computed in the discrete elastic rod formulation is exceptional and exploits a phenomenon in differential geometry known as a holonomy. In this chapter, relevant background from differential geometry and spherical geometry are presented so the reader can understand how the reference twist in the rod can be related to a solid angle enclosed by the trace of a unit tangent vector on a sphere. A derivation of the expression for the variation of the reference twist as a function of the variation of the tangent vector is also discussed in detail. Some of the developments in this chapter are illuminated with the help of a simple example of a rod with three vertices that was also considered in a previous chapter.
Gender and Education

In the past few decades, there has been a dramatic shift in education. Females once lagged behind males in their years of schooling, but now males lag behind females. Now, females consistently earn higher grades, have fewer behavioral problems, and are more likely to graduate from high school and college than males. A great deal of research has examined reasons for these gender differences in education. This chapter identifies patterns of gender inequality in education from kindergarten through college completion, outlines key explanations for these inequalities and highlights promising areas for further inquiry to better understand the female advantage in school, especially college completion. We focus on the United States and particularly emphasize research on higher education. While much is known about patterns of and reasons for gender differences in academic performance, as well as the role of families, resources and the school environment in producing unequal outcomes by gender, there is still much to learn. We conclude by offering suggestions for future research that should focus on the daily lives and experiences of students, and how the education system coupled with societal structures of gender intersect to shape student experiences and outcomes.
A Comparative Analysis of the Use of GitHub by Librarians and Non-Librarians

Abstract Objective – GitHub is a popular tool that allows software developers to collaborate and share their code on the web. Librarians have adopted GitHub to support their own work, sharing code in support of their libraries. This paper asks: How does librarians’ use of GitHub compare to that of other users? Methods – To retrieve quantitative data on GitHub users, we queried the GitHub APIs (application programming interfaces). By assembling data on librarians’ use of GitHub, as well as on a comparison group, we provided preliminary comparisons of these two samples. We analyzed and visualized this data across a number of variables to offer salient insights as to how librarians compare to randomly selected GitHub users. Results – Librarians regularly use a more diverse range of programming languages than the comparison group, hinting at a broad range of possible uses of code in libraries. While the librarians’ sample group did not demonstrate statistically significant differences from the comparison group on most measures of activity and popularity, they scored significantly higher in reach and productivity than the comparison group. This could be due to librarians’ greater longevity on GitHub, as well as their greater investment in GitHub as a tool for sharing. Conclusion – Our data suggest that librarians are actively building their libraries with code and sharing the results. While it was unclear whether librarians were more active or popular on GitHub than the comparison group, it was clear that they demonstrated statistically significant outperformance in terms of reach and productivity. To explain these findings, we hypothesized that librarians’ embrace of GitHub is in line with widely held values of “openness” in the library profession.
The Photoisomerization and Photosubstitution Reactions of the Ruthenium Cluster HRu3(Co)10(μ-Coch3)

Our recent research has been concerned with using photochemical techniques to prepare and study reactive organometallic intermediates of the type formed in active catalytic systems. Described here are the photoreactions of HRu3(CO)10(μ- COCH3), its photoisomerization to form a new carbon-carbon bond from C1 precursors, and its photosubstitution reactivity. This isomerization represents an unprecedented oxygen to carbon migration of a methyl group on the triruthenium cluster, a reaction of the type which finds some analogy in the catalytic isomerization of methyl formate to acetic acid (Pruett, 1982):
The Elastic Moduli of Thick Composites

Thick composites are in use in critical applications and are proposed for still others. It is important to measure the elastic moduli of thick composites for two reasons: (1) for design data on stiffness, and (2) for prediction of feasible wave paths for ultrasonic waves for NDE. Previously only relatively thin composites of relatively simple symmetries have been measured for their elastic moduli. Now, it is becoming necessary to measure thick composites of feasible engineering lay-ups. These generally provide the complexity of orthorhombic symmetry locally in a specimen combined with curvature in the gross structure. In this work, specimens cut from thick structures will be treated in the same way as crystals to measure the elastic moduli by means of ultrasonic wave velocities. Results on one structure will be presented. Difficulties will be analyzed.
Associations between longitudinal serum perfluoroalkyl substance (PFAS) levels and measures of thyroid hormone, kidney function, and body mass index in the Fernald Community Cohort.

Abstract Perfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) are a diverse class of manufactured compounds used in a wide range of industrial processes and consumer products and have been detected in human serum worldwide. Previous cross-sectional and cohort studies in humans have suggested exposure to PFAS is associated with a wide array of chronic diseases, including endocrine disruption, developmental health effects, cancer and metabolic changes. We examined the associations between a panel of eight PFAS and indicators of thyroid disruption, kidney function, and body mass index (BMI), all of which were measured at repeated time points (1990–2008) over the course of the study. Participants (N = 210) were selected from the Fernald Community Cohort based on household water supply from a PFAS-contaminated aquifer. In adjusted repeated measures models, we observed several notable associations between serum PFAS and thyroid hormones as well as kidney function as measured by estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR). An interquartile (IQR) increase in serum PFOS was associated with a 9.75% (95% CI = 1.72, 18.4) increase in thyroid stimulating hormone. An IQR increase in serum PFNA, PFHxS, and PFDeA was associated with a −1.61% (95% CI = −3.53, −0.59), −2.06% (95% CI = −3.53, −0.59), and −2.20% (95% CI = −4.25, −0.14) change in eGFR, respectively. On the other hand, an IQR increase in serum Me-PFOSA was associated with a 1.53% (95% CI = 0.34, 2.73) increase in eGFR. No significant associations with BMI and serum PFAS were noted. Our findings are in agreement with previous reports that serum PFAS are associated with altered kidney and thyroid function.
Carbocationic polymerization in suprecritical CO2

The polymerization of isobutylene (IB) in supercritical carbon dioxide (SC·CO2) has been investigated in the temperature range from 32.5 to 47.5 °C at 139±3 bar. The in Mn of polyisobutylene (PIB) versus 1/T plot gave ΔH‡Mn, PIB=−14.1±1.5 kcal/mol (-59.1±6.3 kJoule/mol) and ΔS‡Mn, PIB=−31.1±6.2 cal/mol·deg (-130.2±26.0 Joule/mol·deg). These quantities are quite different from those obtained in conventional liquid systems. The ceiling temperature (Tceil) was determined by linear extrapolation of the In Mn versus 1/T plot to the molecular weight of the monomer. According to this procedure the Tceil of IB polymerization in SC·CO2 in about one molar solution at 139±3 bar is 88±9 °C.
Tenure: Lifetime Employment in a Fast-Changing World

The history of the “tenure debate” is retraced and brought up-to-date. The author’s own experience in reviewing, recommending, and approving faculty for tenure is also described. The role of the AAUP is assessed from the perspective of the stated rationale for tenure, i.e., “academic freedom.” The critical importance of academic freedom is stressed including tools for ensuring this freedom other than guaranteed lifetime employment. The dysfunctions of tenure are presented including the limits it places on the flexibility of universities to move assets to meet changing needs and control costs. The “economics” of tenure are also described together with proposals for limiting tenure to specified time frames. The “cost-benefits” of tenure are assessed with the hope of re-opening a national tenure debate in the interest of students.
Sexual and reproductive health content in nurse practitioner transition to practice training programs.

Abstract Objective To describe the sexual and reproductive health (SRH) offerings of transition to practice training programs for certified primary care nurse practitioners in the United States. Study design Program Directors from all identified primary care training programs (n = 51) were invited to participate in an online survey to assess the SRH didactic and clinical offerings based on competencies developed by the World Health Organization and adapted for the US across 15 domains and 15 related procedures. Results Twenty-two (43%) surveys were completed. There was considerable variation in offerings, with no single domain required by all programs, nor any program requiring trainees to complete didactic and clinical offerings in all domains. On average, programs required didactic and clinical training for approximately a third of the competencies in the Reproductive Tract Cancers domain (the most required domain) and for approximately a quarter of the competencies in the Contraceptive domain. Infertility/Fertility and Environmental Risks to Reproductive Health were the least commonly required domains. Clinical training tended to be more frequently required or offered than didactic instruction in almost all domains. Regarding procedures, both didactic and clinical training on insertion and removal of intrauterine devices were required by one third of programs. No-scalpel vasectomy was the procedure in which programs were least likely to offer trainees either didactic or clinical training, followed by uterine aspiration for missed or elective abortion or heavy menstrual bleeding. Conclusion Although SRH is recognized as an essential component of primary care, its inclusion in transition to practice primary care training programs for NPs is low and inconsistent. Implications statement Preparing primary care NPs to deliver competent SRH care is important for workforce development and patient care. Our study highlights a need for additional research to determine the baseline competency in SRH care among primary care NPs in order to further enhance education, training and policies with this aim.
Advances in Type 1 Diabetes Technology Over the Last Decade

The past 10 years have witnessed rapid advances in the technology used to treat patients with type 1 diabetes (T1D). While the disease burden is still high, these advances have contributed to improvements in both glycaemic control and quality of life for many of those affected. New technologies allow for individualisation of care, as patients are able to work with their providers to determine which systems best fit their lifestyle and needs. In addition, thanks to improved glucose monitoring technologies, patients can now simultaneously improve glycaemic control and reduce hypoglycaemia, thereby mitigating risk for acute and chronic complications. Technological advances in T1D care are rapidly moving us toward increasingly automated devices, which offer the promise of reduced disease burden. In this article, we review advances in glucose monitoring, insulin and glucagon delivery, and the applications and algorithms seeking to integrate novel technologies.
Lymphovascular Invasion Is Associated with Mutational Burden and PD-L1 in Resected Lung Cancer

Background High tumor mutational burden (TMB) and programmed death ligand 1 (PD-L1) expression are leading biomarkers in metastatic non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) and predict favorable response to checkpoint inhibitors. We sought to identify clinicopathologic characteristics associated with elevated TMB and PD-L1 expression among patients who underwent resection for NSCLC. Methods NSCLC patients undergoing primary resection (2016-2018) were prospectively enrolled in an immunogenomic profiling project. Multiplex immunofluorescence quantified densities (cells/mm2) of CD3+, CD3+CD8+, CD3+CD8+PD-1+, malignant cells (MCs), MCsPD-L1+, CD68+, CD68+PD-L1+, and CD20+ cells. Whole-exome sequencing quantified TMB (mutations/megabase). TMB and MCsPD-L1+ were dichotomized according to the median of each. Results A total of 55 patients completed multiplex immunofluorescence and whole-exome sequencing profiling. In this sample, 41.8% (23 of 55) had pathologic stage I disease. Median TMB and MCsPD-L1+ were 3.91 and 0.62 cells/mm2, respectively. TMB was higher among smokers (P = .001) and tumors with lymphovascular invasion (LVI) (P = .051). TMB was positively correlated with densities of MCsPD-L1+ (r = 0.293, P = .030), CD68+PD-L1+ (r = 0.289, P = .033), and CD20+ (r = 0.310, P = .043) cells. The density of MCsPD-L1+ was associated with increased CD3+CD8+ (r = 0.319, P = .018) and CD68+PD-L1+ (r = 0.371, P = .005) cells. Patients with PD-L1HighTMBHigh tumors (30.9%, 17 of 55) had higher intratumoral densities of CD3+, CD3+CD8+, CD68+, CD68+PD-L1+, and CD20+ cells. On multivariable analysis LVI was associated with synchronous elevated TMB and PD-L1 expression (odds ratio 3.53, P = .039). Conclusions NSCLC tumors with elevated TMB and PD-L1 expression are associated with LVI and increased intratumoral immune cell infiltration. These findings may potentially improve patient selection for checkpoint inhibitor therapy trials in the adjuvant setting.
Kinetic pathways of ordering and phase separation using classical solid state models within the steepest-entropy-ascent quantum thermodynamic framework

Abstract The kinetics of ordering and concurrent ordering and phase separation are analyzed with an equation of motion initially developed to account for dissipative processes in quantum systems. A reduced-order energy eigenstructure, or pseudo-eigenstructure, is constructed from a static concentration wave method to describe the configuration-dependent energy in a binary alloy. This pseudo-eigenstructure is used in conjunction with an equation of motion that follows steepest entropy ascent to calculate the kinetic path that leads to ordering and phase separation in a series of hypothetical alloys. By adjusting the thermodynamic solution parameters, it is demonstrated that the model can predict: (a) the stable equilibrium state, (b) the unique thermodynamic path and kinetics of continuous or discontinuous ordering, and (c) the kinetics of concurrent processes involving simultaneous ordering and phase separation.
Making IoT Worthy of Human Trust

The Public Key Infrastructure (PKI) is the foundation which enables secure and trusted transactions across the Internet. PKI is subject to both continuous attacks and regular improvements; for example, advances in cryptography have led to rejections of previously trusted algorithms (i.e., SHA1, MD5). Yet there have also been organizational failures and malicious acts by trusted parties. In this work, we focus on the sociotechnical components of the current X.509 PKI with the goals of better understanding its vulnerabilities, and ideally informing the implementation of future PKIs. We begin with a taxonomy of chronic, catastrophic, high impact, or frequent PKI failures. This categorization was informed by a survey of non-expert perceptions of PKI and an interdisciplinary workshop addressing the future of security in the Internet of Things. To evaluate the failure modes, we conducted qualitative interviews with policy scholars and experts in applied cryptography. We summarize the results of the survey and workshop, and detail the expert interviews. Our findings indicate that there are significant failure types which neither the technical nor policy community are deeply engaging. The underlying assumptions about rate and severity of failure differ between these communities. Yet there is a common awareness of the vulnerabilities of the end users: the people who are required to trust PKI to interact and engage with the Internet. We identify an urgency in mitigating such critical issues, because of the increasing adoption of cyberphysical systems and the Internet of Things (IoT). We concluded that there is a need for integrated organizational, policy, and technical coordination to address the chronic and potentially catastrophic risks. We introduce possible economic and regulatory solutions, and highlight the key takeaways which pave our future research directions.
P173 Is use of hydroxychloroquine associated with better patient reported outcomes in lupus

Background Use of Hydroxychloroquine (HCQ) is known to be associated with less disease activity, flares, damage and better survival in patients with Systemic Lupus Erythematosus (SLE). It is not known if its use is also associated with better patient reported health outcomes, a core outcome in SLE. Methods International data from Study on Outcomes of Lupus (SOUL) on LupusPRO, a patient reported disease targeted Quality of life (QOL) tool, from 2,157 patients with SLE, were compared based on use HCQ. Disease activity and damage were assessed using SELENA-SLEDAI and SLICC-ACR/SDI. T tests and Chi square tests were used for comparisons. Linear regression analyses were undertaken with summary LupusPRO health (HRQOL), non-health (NHRQOL) and Lupus Impact Tracker (LIT) scores as the dependent variables, and HCQ as the independent variable. LIT scores were derived from LupusPRO data. Similar analysis for damage was also conducted. Results Mean age was 40.5 ± 12.8 years. Ninety-three percent were women. HCQ use 798/2157 (37%) was inversely associated with age, Asian race, disease duration, lupus nephritis, neurological and hematologic manifestations, and damage. HCQ use was directly associated with presence of photosensitivity. On univariate analysis, HCQ use was associated with better QOL (β 6.19, 95% CI 4.15, 8.24, P ≤0.001 for LupusPRO-HRQOL) and less impact on daily life (β -9.37, 95% CI -12.24, -6.50, P ≤0.001 for LIT). Other predictors for QOL and LIT were age, education, Asian race and disease activity. On multivariate analyses (adjusted for age, education, Asian status) use of HCQ was independently associated with better outcomes (LupusPRO-HRQOL and LIT). However, addition of disease activity variable to the models resulted in loss of independent association of HCQ use with better outcomes, suggesting mediation through disease activity (table 1). Similarly, mediation was seen for beneficial effects of HCQ use on damage through disease activity. Conclusions HCQ use in SLE is associated with better health outcomes (LupusPRO-HRQOL, impact on daily life, damage), and the effects are mediated through disease activity modification. Acknowledgements Behalf of SOUL group.
Differential co-expression analysis reveals early stage transcriptomic decoupling in alzheimer's disease

Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is one of the leading causes of death in the US and there is no validated drugs to stop, slow or prevent AD. Despite tremendous effort on biomarker discovery, existing findings are mostly individual biomarkers and provide limited insights into the transcriptomic decoupling underlying AD. We propose to explore the gene co-expression patterns in multiple AD stages, including cognitively normal (CN), early mild cognitive impairment (EMCI), late MCI and AD. We modified traiditonal joint graphical lasso to model our asusmption that the co-expression networks in consecutive disease stages are largely similar with critical differences. In addition, we performed subsequent network comparison analysis for identification of stage specific transcriptomic decoupling. We focused our analysis on top AD-enriched pathways. We observed that 419 edges in CN, 420 edges in EMCI, 381 edges in LMCI and 250 edges in AD were frequently estimated with non zero weights. With modified JGL, the weight of all estimated edges in CN, EMCI and LMCI are zero. In AD group, 299 edges were occasionally estimated to be nonzero and the average correlation between genes was 0.0023. For co-expression change during AD progression, there are 66 pairs of genes that demonstrated a continuously decreasing or increasing co-expression from CN to EMCI, LMCI and AD.The network level clustering coefficient remains stable from CN to LMCI and then decreases significantly when progressing to AD. When evaluating edge level differences, we identified eight gene modules with continuously decreasing or increasing co-expression patterns during AD progression. Five of them shows significant changes from CN to EMCI and thus have the potential to serve system biomarkers for early screening of AD. We employed a modified joint graphical lasso for estimation of co-expression networks for multiple stages of AD. Comparing with graphical lasso, our modified joint graphical lasso model accounts for the similarity in consecutive disease stages. Our results on real data set revealed five gene clusters with obvious co-expression pattern change from CN to EMCI, which could be used as potential system-level biomarkers for early screening of AD.
Newborn screening timeliness quality improvement initiative: Impact of national recommendations and data repository.

Background Newborn screening (NBS) aims to achieve early identification and treatment of affected infants prior to onset of symptoms. The timely completion of each step (i.e., specimen collection, transport, testing, result reporting), is critical for early diagnosis. Goals developed by the Secretary of Health and Human Services’ Advisory Committee on Heritable Disorders in Newborns and Children (ACHDNC) for NBS timeliness were adopted (time-critical results reported by five days of life, and non-time-critical results reported by day seven), and implemented into a multi-year quality improvement initiative (NewSTEPS 360) aimed to decrease the time to result reporting and intervention. Methods The NBS system from specimen collection through reporting of results was assessed (bloodspot specimen collection, specimen shipping, sample testing, and result reporting). Annual data from 25 participating NBS programs were analyzed; the medians (and interquartile range, IQR) of state-specific percent of specimens that met the goal are presented. Results The percent of specimens collected before 48 hours of life increased from 95% (88–97%) in 2016 to 97% (IQR 92–98%) in 2018 for the 25 states, with 20 (80%) of programs collecting more than 90% of the specimens within 48 hours of birth. Approximately 41% (IQR 29–57%) of specimens were transported within one day of collection. Time-critical result reporting in the first five days of life improved from 49% (IQR 26–74%) in 2016 to 64% (42%-71%) in 2018, and for non-time critical results from 64% (IQR 58%-78%) in 2016 to 81% (IQR 68–91%) in 2018. Laboratories open seven days a week in 2018 reported 95% of time-critical results within five days, compared to those open six days (62%), and five days (45%). Conclusion NBS programs that participated in NewSTEPs 360 made great strides in improving timeliness; however, ongoing quality improvement efforts are needed in order to ensure all infants receive a timely diagnosis.
SnackNoC: Processing in the Communication Layer

In this work, we propose and evaluate a Network-on-Chip (NoC) augmented with light-weight processing elements to provide a lean dataflow-style system. We show that contemporary NoC routers can frequently experience long periods of idle time, with less than 10% link utilization in HPC applications. By repurposing the temporal and spatial slack of the NoC, the proposed platform, SnackNoC, is able to compute linear algebra kernels efficiently within the communication layer with minimal additional resource costs. SnackNoC 'Snack' application kernels are programmed with a producer-consumer data model that uses the NoC slack to store and transmit intermediate data between processing elements. SnackNoC is demonstrated in a multi-program environment that continually executes linear algebra kernels on the NoC simultaneously with chip multiprocessor (CMP) applications on the processor cores. Linear algebra kernels are computed up to 14.2x faster on SnackNoC compared to an Intel Haswell EPx86 processing core. The cost of executing 'snack' kernels in parallel to the CMP applications is a minimal runtime impact of 0.01% to 0.83% due to higher link utilization, and an uncore area overhead of 1.1%.
Pain Management in Dysphagia Patient

Patients hospitalized with swallowing abnormalities create a unique challenge in adumbrating their pain management plan. Understanding their etiology helps identifying the appropriate treatment strategy and algorithm for pain management. In this chapter we will cover both non-pharmacological and pharmacological treatment options for patients who cannot swallow. It is imperative that a pain management specialist should be consulted to guide the treatment plan in such complex situations.
Long noncoding RNA loss in immune suppression in cancer

Long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) have multiple functions in the regulation of cellular homeostasis. In recent years, numerous studies have shown that tumor-associated lncRNAs play key roles in promoting and maintaining tumor initiation and progression by shaping the tumor microenvironment through changing tumor cell intrinsic properties. Here, we focus on the roles of lncRNAs in cancer immunology. In the first part, we provide an overview of the roles played by lncRNAs and their deregulation in cancer at the cancer cell- and tumor microenvironment-associated immune cell levels. We go on to describe preclinical strategies for targeting lncRNAs, particularly highlighting the effects on tumor microenvironments. We then discuss the possibility of combining lncRNA targeting and tumor immune checkpoint inhibitor antibodies to treat cancer.
Do Analysts and Investors Efficiently Respond to Managerial Linguistic Complexity on Conference Calls

This paper examines whether analysts and investors efficiently incorporate the informational signals from managerial linguistic complexity (e.g. Fog) on conference calls into their forecasts and trading decisions. We predict that managerial linguistic complexity provides a signal of the manager’s private information through their willingness to engage with analyst questions. We find that managerial linguistic complexity related to informative technical disclosure provides a positive signal of future earnings growth, whereas obfuscatory linguistic complexity predicts lower future earnings growth. We also find that, as active call participants, analysts efficiently revise their forecasts to incorporate the positive (negative) signal in informative (obfuscatory) Fog. However, as passive participants, investors only correctly interpret the negative signal of obfuscation during the call; we find a delayed price reaction to informative Fog. When we examine calls during which buy-side investors ask questions, we then find a significant contemporary association between stock returns and informative Fog, with no delayed price reaction. This finding underlines the importance of call participation for efficiently incorporating the positive signal of informative linguistic complexity.
Plug-and-play control of a brain-computer interface through neural map stabilization.

Brain–computer interfaces (BCIs) enable control of assistive devices in individuals with severe motor impairments. A limitation of BCIs that has hindered real-world adoption is poor long-term reliability and lengthy daily recalibration times. To develop methods that allow stable performance without recalibration, we used a 128-channel chronic electrocorticography (ECoG) implant in a paralyzed individual, which allowed stable monitoring of signals. We show that long-term closed-loop decoder adaptation, in which decoder weights are carried across sessions over multiple days, results in consolidation of a neural map and ‘plug-and-play’ control. In contrast, daily reinitialization led to degradation of performance with variable relearning. Consolidation also allowed the addition of control features over days, that is, long-term stacking of dimensions. Our results offer an approach for reliable, stable BCI control by leveraging the stability of ECoG interfaces and neural plasticity. A paralyzed individual controls a neuroprosthetic without daily recalibration.
A FLUX-LIMITED SAMPLE OF z ∼ 1 Lyα EMITTING GALAXIES IN THE CHANDRA DEEP FIELD SOUTH*, **

We describe a method for obtaining a flux-limited sample of Ly{alpha} emitters from Galaxy Evolution Explorer (GALEX) grism data. We show that the multiple GALEX grism images can be converted into a three-dimensional (two spatial axes and one wavelength axis) data cube. The wavelength slices may then be treated as narrowband images and searched for emission-line galaxies. For the GALEX NUV grism data, the method provides a Ly{alpha} flux-limited sample over the redshift range z = 0.67-1.16. We test the method on the Chandra Deep Field South field, where we find 28 Ly{alpha} emitters with faint continuum magnitudes (NUV > 22) that are not present in the GALEX pipeline sample. We measure the completeness by adding artificial emitters and measuring the fraction recovered. We find that we have an 80% completeness above a Ly{alpha} flux of 10{sup -15} erg cm{sup -2} s{sup -1}. We use the UV spectra and the available X-ray data and optical spectra to estimate the fraction of active galactic nuclei in the selection. We report the first detection of a giant Ly{alpha} blob at z < 1, though we find that these objects are much less common at z = 1 than at z = 3.more » Finally, we compute limits on the z {approx} 1 Ly{alpha} luminosity function and confirm that there is a dramatic evolution in the luminosity function over the redshift range z = 0-1.« less
Ageing and Cancer. A Common Free Radical Mechanism

An attempt is made to present evidence that there is a close relationship at the molecular level between biological events associated with oxidative metabolism that can lead to cell ageing and ultimate tumori-genesis. It is suggested that the common thread between these two gross biological events is the production of and lack of inhibition of labile oxygen radicals •O2 -and •OH. Evidence is presented that OH radicals are responsible for the initiation of lipid peroxidation which is associated with cell ageing and these same radicals maybe responsible for carcinogen activation or direct mutagenesis leading ultimately to tumorigenesis.
Biological indicators provide short term soil health assessment during sodic soil reclamation

Abstract Sodic soil remediation is an expensive, lengthy process during which producers need tools to demonstrate that sodium (Na+) remediation practices are improving soil health. The objective of this study was to determine if soil biological indicators can provide a short term assessment of the effectiveness of chemical management strategies used to remediate northern Great Plains sodium affected soils. This randomized complete block split-plot research experiment was conducted in a grassland which was converted to annual row crops. The soil at the site was an Exline (fine, smectitic, frigid Leptic Natrudolls). The experiment contained two drainage treatments (tile drained and no-drainage) and four chemical amendments (4.5 Mg ha−1 of gypsum, 9.1 Mg ha−1 of gypsum, 9.1 Mg ha−1 spent sugar beet lime, and a no amendment control). Base-line soil samples for biological assessment were collected in the fall of 2012 after tile drainage was installed. The sodium adsorption ratio (SAR) ranged from 0.4 to 16.7 with a range of electrical conductivity (EC) of 0.4–0.8 dS m−1. Gypsum and lime amendments were applied in 2013. Soil samples were collected for assessing soil health before and after application of amendments and throughout the growing season. This study utilizes a novel application of successional vector trajectories to compare shifts in measured soil health parameters associated with land use change and remediation of sodicity. Soil samples were analyzed for percent total soil carbon (C), nitrifier and denitrifier gene copies, soil enzyme assays (nitrate reductase, ammonia monooxegenase, urease, β glucosidase, alkaline phosphatase, arylsulfatase and fluorescein diacetate hydrolysis), EC, pH, SAR, and soil texture. Gene copies and enzyme activities were successfully used to differentiate between land uses and amendment applications. Ammonia oxidizing bacterial gene copies were higher where cropland was amended with gypsum. Successional vectors verified a significant shift in soil health due to land use change and amendment application. Gypsum applications reduced SAR, but increased soil EC. This work demonstrates that soil enzyme activities and gene copy numbers can be used to detect improvements in soil health.
The Statistics of Natural Resources and the Law of Pareto

By preparing their second collection of papers, Christopher Barton and Paul La Pointe have again earned the gratitude of all the geologists and of all the students of fractals. Not only do I continue to belong to this second group, but I have long had a strong interest in petroleum geology. Therefore, I have two separate and equally strong reasons for welcoming this volume.
α-Glucosidase inhibiting activity and antioxidant properties of grape pomace extracts (134.5)

While grape pomace contains considerable amounts of polyphenols, dietary antioxidants have been associated with a reduced risk of type 2 diabetes. We have previously reported strong α-glucosidase inhibition exhibited by red wine grape pomace extracts, implying a potential role in diabetes management. In the current study, we aim to understand the relationships between this activity and antioxidant capacity of these extracts. Chambourcin, Merlot, Norton, Petit Verdot, Syrah and Tinta Cao red wine grape pomaces extracted with 50% acetone were evaluated for antioxidant properties via common antioxidant assays. At 2 mg/ml, Merlot, Syrah and Tinta Cao appeared to have the highest respective total phenolic content expressed as 0.29, 0.28 and 0.26 mg gallic acid equivalents/ mg extract. At 5 mg/ml, Chambourcin, Merlot and Tinta Cao exhibited the highest DPPH radical scavenging capacity, at 58%, 51% and 49%, respectively. At 0.1 mg/ml, Tinta Cao exceeded all other varieties in oxygen radical (AAPH) absorbing capa...
B‐1 lymphocytes in mice and nonhuman primates

B-1 cells comprise subpopulations of B lymphocytes in mice that display developmental, phenotypic, and functional characteristics that are distinct from those of conventional B cell populations (B-2 cells). Despite the known importance of murine B-1a (CD5(+) ) and B-1b (CD5(-) ) cells in the production of natural antibodies and rapid antigen-specific humoral responses to infection, evidence for B-1 cells in primates, including humans, is very limited. Identifying these cells in humans proves challenging given the limited number of cells that can be obtained from sites expected to harbor increased frequencies of these cells (i.e., peritoneal and pleural cavities) and the need to perform functional analyses on these cells, which, in the case of B-1b cells, must be carried out in vivo. My laboratory has used cynomolgus macaques and African green monkeys to bypass these limitations and to identify and extensively analyze primate B cell populations with the phenotypic and functional characteristics of mouse B-1a and B-1b cells. Our results reveal striking similarities between primate and murine B-1 cells, including a conserved functional role for primate B-1b-like cells in immunity to T cell-independent type 2 antigens.
Maternal Cigarette, Alcohol, and Coffee Consumption in Relation to Risk of Clubfoot

Background Clubfoot is associated with maternal cigarette smoking in several studies, but it is not clear if this association is confined to women who smoke throughout the at-risk period. Maternal alcohol and coffee drinking have not been well studied in relation to clubfoot. Methods The present study used data from a population-based case–control study of clubfoot conducted in Massachusetts, New York, and North Carolina from 2007 to 2011. Mothers of 646 isolated clubfoot cases and 2037 controls were interviewed about pregnancy events and exposures, including the timing and frequency of cigarette smoking, alcohol intake, and coffee drinking. Results More mothers of cases than controls reported smoking during early pregnancy (28.9% vs. 19.1%). Of women who smoked when they became pregnant, those who quit in the month after a first missed period had a 40% increase in clubfoot risk and those who continued to smoke during the next 3 months had more than a doubling in risk, after controlling for demographic factors, parity, obesity, and specific medication exposures. Adjusted odds ratios for women who drank >3 servings of alcohol or coffee per day throughout early pregnancy were 2.38 and 1.77, respectively, but the numbers of exposed women were small and odds ratios were unstable. Conclusions Clubfoot risk appears to be increased for offspring of women who smoke cigarettes, particularly those who continue smoking after pregnancy is recognisable, regardless of amount. For alcohol and coffee drinkers, suggested increased risks were only observed in higher levels of intake.
Preparation, characterization, and functions of rabbit lymph node cell populations: I. Preparation of KLH primed T and B memory cells with anti-Fab′ affinity columns

Abstract Lymph node cells from rabbits primed with keyhole limpet hemocyanin (KLH) were separated into two populations by passage over goat anti-rabbit Fab′ (AFab′) columns. Cells with readily detected surface immunoglobulin (SIg) were retained on the column whereas those that passed through lacked SIg and receptors for C3. Adherent cells, eluted with purified rabbit IgG or normal rabbit serum (NRS) were mostly SIg+ and enriched for complement receptor lymphocytes (CRL) compared to the starting, or unfractionated population. Adherent LNC incorporated much less [ 3 H]thymidine than did non-adherent or unfractionated LNC when stimulated with Con A. When induced with AFab′, however, only adherent and unfractionated LNC incorporated [ 3 H]thymidine above background levels. Both non-adherent and adherent LNC from KLH primed rabbits showed a reduced capacity to synthesize anti-KLH antibody, total immunoglobulin, and total protein when induced with KLH in vitro . However, addition of KLH to a mixture of non-adherent and adherent LNC resulted in reconstitution of anti-KLH, total immunoglobulin, and total protein synthesis to the levels induced in unfractionated LNC. It was concluded that the non-adherent LNC consisted almost exclusively of T cells and the adherent LNC of B cells. By a variety of criteria the T cells were suitable for many types of studies of the antibody response. However, the B cells were not always suited for these studies.
Phagotrophy by a flagellate selects for colonial prey: A possible origin of multicellularity

Summary Predation was a powerful selective force promoting increased morphological complexity in a unicellular prey held in constant environmental conditions. The green alga, Chlorella vulgaris, is a well-studied eukaryote, which has retained its normal unicellular form in cultures in our laboratories for thousands of generations. For the experiments reported here, steady-state unicellular C. vulgaris continuous cultures were inoculated with the predator Ochromonas vallescia, a phagotrophic flagellated protist (‘flagellate’). Within less than 100 generations of the prey, a multicellular Chlorella growth form became dominant in the culture (subsequently repeated in other cultures). The prey Chlorella first formed globose clusters of tens to hundreds of cells. After about 10‐20 generations in the presence of the phagotroph, eight-celled colonies predominated. These colonies retained the eight-celled form indefinitely in continuous culture and when plated onto agar. These selfreplicating, stable colonies were virtually immune to predation by the flagellate, but small enough that each Chlorella cell was exposed directly to the nutrient medium.
Collaborative learning in radiologic science education.

CONTEXT Radiologic science is a complex health profession, requiring the competent use of technology as well as the ability to function as part of a team, think critically, exercise independent judgment, solve problems creatively and communicate effectively. OBJECTIVE This article presents a review of literature in support of the relevance of collaborative learning to radiologic science education. In addition, strategies for effective design, facilitation and authentic assessment of activities are provided for educators wishing to incorporate collaborative techniques into their program curriculum. RESULTS The connection between the benefits of collaborative learning and necessary workplace skills, particularly in the areas of critical thinking, creative problem solving and communication skills, suggests that collaborative learning techniques may be particularly useful in the education of future radiologic technologists. SUMMARY This article summarizes research identifying the benefits of collaborative learning for adult education and identifying the link between these benefits and the necessary characteristics of medical imaging technologists.
CLOSE‐UPS AND THE SCALE OF ECOLOGY: LAND USES AND THE GEOGRAPHY OF SOCIAL CONTEXT AND CRIME

Whereas one line of recent neighborhood research has placed an emphasis on zooming into smaller units of analysis such as street blocks, another line of research has suggested that even the meso-area of neighborhoods is too narrow and that the area surrounding the neighborhood is also important. Thus, there is a need to examine the scale at which the social ecology impacts crime. We use data from seven cities from around the year 2000 to test our research questions using multilevel negative binomial regression models (N = 73,010 blocks and 8,231 block groups). Our results suggest that although many neighborhood factors seem to operate on the microscale of blocks, others seem to have a much broader impact. In addition, we find that racially and ethnically homogenous blocks within heterogeneous block groups have the most crime. Our findings also show the strongest results for a multitude of land-use measures and that these measures sharpen some of the associations from social characteristics. Thus, we find that accounting for multiple scales simultaneously is important in ecological studies of crime.