cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Buds, flowers and fruit: potentialities for guidance in collaborative argumentation-based learning

The title of this presentation is inspired from the following passage of Vygotsky's works, justly famous for the power of its imagery: "The zone of proximal development defines those functions that have not yet matured but are in the process of maturation, functions that will mature tomorrow but are currently in an embryonic state. These functions could be termed the "buds" or "flowers" of development rather than the "fruits" of development." (Vygotsky, 1935/1978, p. 86). Bruner's seminal work (Wood, Bruner & Ross, 1976) defined types of tutorial interventions that could guide (or "scaffold") and facilitate the processes whereby such buds could come to fruition. The relevant use of scaffolding strategies required the adult to be able to identify features of the individual learners' problem-solving behavior, such as focusing on the problem, progression towards the solution, motivation and emotion. The growing emphasis in the Learning Sciences research community on the study of collaborative learning in small groups raises problems for adaptive guidance of such groups of a quite different order of complexity from those encountered in individual learning. Whilst teachers guiding individual learning need to pay attention to problem-solving in specific domains, and individuals' emotional states, in group interactions, if there genuinely is collaboration, then problem solutions emerge from the interaction via processes that in some sense go beyond the sum of individual contributions. In many countries, teachers are simply not trained to be aware of and to identify the "buds" of potentially productive and constructive forms of interaction (Miyake, 1986; Baker, 1999).
Idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis: effects and optimal management of comorbidities

Summary Despite the development of pharmacological therapies that are effective in slowing the progression of idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF), it remains a debilitating and lethal condition. In addition to the adverse effects caused by pulmonary fibrosis, most patients with IPF have associated comorbid conditions, which might negatively affect functional status, quality of life, and survival. Comorbid conditions can be pulmonary or extrapulmonary. Pulmonary comorbidities include pulmonary hypertension, emphysema, and lung cancer, while non-pulmonary conditions include venous thromboembolism, coronary artery disease, congestive heart failure, sleep-disordered breathing, gastro-oesophageal reflux disease, and anxiety or depression. Although some of these comorbid conditions share risk factors with IPF, the likelihood for their presence or development in patients with IPF is still greater than expected. This might indicate that IPF fosters an environment for the development or perpetuation of comorbid conditions, or alternatively that they share causative factors. Optimal management of IPF therefore requires a comprehensive approach, which includes the identification and treatment of comorbid conditions to optimise patient outcomes.
Development of a High-Temperature Tensile Tester for Micromechanical Characterization of Materials Supporting Meso-Scale ICME Models

A high-temperature tensile tester (HTTT) has been established for the evaluation of micro-mechanical properties of materials at the meso-scale. Metals and ceramics can now be tested at temperatures and strain rates between room temperature and 1200°C and 10−5 s−1 to 10−1 s−1, respectively. The samples are heated in a compact clam shell furnace and strain is measured directly in the sample gage with digital image correlation. The HTTT extracts representative mechanical properties, as evidenced by the similarity in the evaluated micro-tensile properties of a solid solution-strengthened Ni-base superalloy Ni-625 with that of the bulk. The effectiveness of the HTTT has also been demonstrated in evaluating the tensile and stress relaxation/short-term creep properties of a polycrystalline Ni-base superalloy Rene 88DT. The versatility in carrying out tensile, short-term creep, bend tests, and fracture toughness measurements makes the HTTT a robust experimental tool for small-scale and scale-specific benchmarking of multi-scale ICME models.
Lung Vaso-Occlusion in Sickle Cell Disease Mediated By Arteriolar Neutrophil-Platelet Micro-Emboli

Abstract Background: Vaso-occlusive crisis (VOC) is the primary reason for emergency medical care by sickle cell disease (SCD) patients. SCD patients hospitalized with VOC often develop acute chest syndrome (ACS), a form of acute lung injury, suggesting a role for pulmonary vaso-occlusion in the onset of ACS. However, the cellular, molecular and biophysical mechanism of pulmonary vaso-occlusion is unknown. Methods: SCD transgenic or non-sickle control mice were intravenously (IV) challenged with 2 to 3 ng of bacterial lipopolysaccharide (LPS). Fluorescent anti-mouse Ly-6G and CD49b mAbs were administered IV for in vivo staining of circulating neutrophils and platelets, respectively. Multiphoton excitation enabled quantitative fluorescence intravital lung microscopy (qFILM) was used to determine the molecular mechanism of pulmonary vaso-occlusion in live mice. Function-blocking anti-mouse P-selectin mAb (Fab fragments) was administered IV to assess the role of platelet P-selectin in promoting pulmonary vaso-occlusion. Results: A nanogram dose of IV LPS selectively triggered pulmonary vaso-occlusion in SCD but not control mice. Remarkably, pulmonary vaso-occlusion involved occlusion of the pre-capillary pulmonary arteriole bottle-necks (junction of an arteriole and capillaries) by large neutrophil-platelet embolic aggregates. IV administration of Fab fragments of function blocking anti-P-selectin mAb led to the resolution of pulmonary vaso-occlusion, which was primarily mediated by the attenuation of large neutrophil-platelet aggregates into smaller aggregates that are not stopped by the arteriolar bottle-necks. Conclusion: These results establish the relevance of neutrophil-platelet aggregation in pulmonary arterioles in promoting pulmonary vaso-occlusion in SCD and also highlight the therapeutic potential of inhibiting platelet P-selectin to prevent ACS in SCD patients hospitalized with VOC. Acknowledgments: This study was supported by 1R01HL128297-01 (P.S.), AHA 11SDG7340005 (P.S.), VMI startup funds (P.S.). M.F.B. was supported by NIH-NHLBI training grant T32HL110849 and NIH-NHLBI F32 NRSA 1F32HL131216-01. Disclosures No relevant conflicts of interest to declare.
Sparse network modeling and metscape-based visualization methods for the analysis of large-scale metabolomics data.

Motivation Recent technological advances in mass spectrometry, development of richer mass spectral libraries and data processing tools have enabled large scale metabolic profiling. Biological interpretation of metabolomics studies heavily relies on knowledge-based tools that contain information about metabolic pathways. Incomplete coverage of different areas of metabolism and lack of information about non-canonical connections between metabolites limits the scope of applications of such tools. Furthermore, the presence of a large number of unknown features, which cannot be readily identified, but nonetheless can represent bona fide compounds, also considerably complicates biological interpretation of the data. Results Leveraging recent developments in the statistical analysis of high-dimensional data, we developed a new Debiased Sparse Partial Correlation algorithm (DSPC) for estimating partial correlation networks and implemented it as a Java-based CorrelationCalculator program. We also introduce a new version of our previously developed tool Metscape that enables building and visualization of correlation networks. We demonstrate the utility of these tools by constructing biologically relevant networks and in aiding identification of unknown compounds. Availability and implementation http://metscape.med.umich.edu. Supplementary information Supplementary data are available at Bioinformatics online.
Contributing variables to nest survival, and the breeding biology, of the Western Wood-Pewee (Contopus sordidulus) in southwestern Colorado

Abstract In the Western Breeding Bird Survey Region, and in Colorado, breeding populations of the western wood-pewee (Contopus sordidulus) have decreased, and with global climate change their breeding range is predicted to decrease during this century. In addition, their breeding biology has not been commonly studied. From 1992–1998 and in 2001 and 2004, we studied the breeding biology and nest survival of this species in southwestern Colorado. During our study, timing of clutch initiation for the first seven nests within a breeding season advanced significantly earlier in the year from 14 June 1992 to 4 June 2004. Clutch size was typically three eggs that resulted in 2.48 (±0.08) fledglings from successful nests. Parasitism by brown-headed cowbirds (Molothrus ater) was infrequent with ∼5% of nests parasitized, but no parasitic young successfully fledged. Using Program MARK, the most-supported models to describe nest survival (n = 114 nests) in western wood-pewees used a varying daily survival rate during...
Limit theorems for the compensator of Hawkes processes

Abstract This paper focuses on limit theorems for the compensator of linear Hawkes processes. The compensator process is one of the main tools to work on the dynamical properties of a general point process and is of essential interest in credit risk study in particular. We prove a large deviation principle for the compensator of Hawkes processes. Law of large numbers and a central limit theorem are also obtained.
Confinement and Structure of Extended Radio Sources

This chapter focuses on the confinement and structure of extended radio sources. A region containing relativistic particles and magnetic fields will expand in a vacuum with a velocity close to that of light, as in commonly occurring cases, both sound and Alfven velocities are relativistic. If no mechanism impeding free expansion of plasmons exists, the component separation to size ratio of extended radio sources will always be close to unity or even smaller than unity. As the plasmon ejected from the parent galaxy moves away, it pushes the ambient intergalactic gas out of the way. This ambient gas exerts ram pressure on the moving plasmon. The plasmon expands until its internal pressure decreases to a value comparable to that of the ram pressure against the boundary of the plasmon. The plasmon is then confined by the ram pressure; this confinement is similar to that of the Earth's magnetosphere by the solar wind.
Prediction of maximum recoverable mechanical energy via work integration: A thermodynamic modeling and analysis approach

Thermal energy and mechanical energy are two common forms of energy consumed significantly in the process industries. While thermal energy can be effectively recovered using matured heat integration technologies, recovery of mechanical energy through work integration has not been fully explored. It is shown that work integration can be achieved through synthesizing work exchange networks (WENs), where work exchangers are operated in a batch mode, and compressors and expanders are operated in a continuous mode; this renders network synthesis a very sophisticated design task. It is greatly beneficial if the maximum amount of mechanical energy recoverable by a WEN can be determined prior to network design. In this paper, we introduce a thermodynamic modeling and analysis method to identify accurately the maximum amount of recoverable mechanical energy of any process system of interest. The method is rigorous and general for target setting of mechanical energy recovery prior to WEN synthesis. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.
Immunomodulatory effects of current cancer treatment and the consequences for follow-up immunotherapeutics

Recent advances in the use of immunotherapy have led to historic advancements in the field of oncology. Checkpoint inhibitors have demonstrated significant effectiveness against a broadening range of cancers. However, despite the success of antibodies against the immune regulators, CTLA4 and PD-L1/PD-1, only a subset of patients will have a durable response to these therapies, which implies that a broader view of cancer immunity is required. It is becoming increasingly apparent that combination therapy to target multiple events in the cancer-immunity cycle is needed and could potentially extend the benefit of immunotherapy to a larger population. In this review, we discuss the current status of immunotherapy and highlight the use of combination therapy to prime the tumor microenvironment and thereby improve treatment effect.
Li 14 P 2 O 3 N 6 and Li 7 PN 4 : Computational study of two nitrogen rich crystalline LiPON electrolyte materials

Abstract Two lithium oxonitridophosphate materials are computationally examined and found to be promising solid electrolytes for possible use in all solid-state batteries having metallic Li anodes – Li14P2O3N6 and Li7PN4. The first principles simulations are in good agreement with the structural analyses reported in the literature for these materials and the computed total energies indicate that both materials are stable with respect to decomposition into binary and ternary products. The computational results suggest that both materials are likely to form metastable interfaces with Li metal. The simulations also find both materials to have Li ion migration activation energies comparable or smaller than those of related Li ion electrolyte materials. Specifically, for Li7PN4, the experimentally measured activation energy can be explained by the migration of a Li ion vacancy stabilized by a small number of O2− ions substituting for N3− ions. For Li14P2O3N6, the activation energy for Li ion migration has not yet been experimentally measured, but simulations predict it to be smaller than that measured for Li7PN4.
Vasoactive Intestinal Peptide

Vasoactive intestinal peptide (VIP) is a member of the pituitary adenylate cyclase-activating polypeptide (PACAP)/glucagon superfamily …
PERIPHERAL AND CENTRAL ADRENERGIC NEURONS: DIFFERENCES DURING THE AGING PROCESS

Publisher Summary This chapter discusses the measurement of tyrosine hydroxylase (TH) activity in chick sympathetic ganglia, iris, locus coeruleus, (LC) and cerebellum and examines norepinephrine (NE) levels and uptake in the iris during development and aging. The 2-fold change in NE content between 14 d.i. and hatching and the further 2-fold increase between one month and three months are significant at the 99.0% level. There is a significant decline in NE levels in the period three months to two years, even if calculated per total organ. Tyrosine hydroxylase activity in LC increases continuously from 14 d.i. to 7 months, is constant from 7 to 16 months, and declines by 42% at 5 years. These results, combined with previous findings on the cholinergic system, seem to confirm that the process of aging in the peripheral nervous system is not generalized involving major damages to all neuronal components or cellular death but is specifically directed toward the neuronal periphery.
Removal of the Femoral and Tibial Components for Revision Total Knee Arthroplasty

The importance of implant removal in revision knee arthroplasty frequently is overlooked as the surgeon concentrates on the planned reconstructive phase of the operation (Revision total knee arthroplasty, Lippincott-Raven, Philadelphia, 187–196, 1999). However, safe and effective implant removal is important for several reasons. First, implant removal can be a time-consuming process, particularly if the surgeon is not familiar with optimal techniques or if the surgeon does not have optimal tools available for the purpose. Second, severe bone loss or bone fracture can occur during implant removal. Marked unnecessary bone loss has a substantial negative impact on the type and quality of the reconstruction that subsequently can be performed. Third, struggles with exposure and implant removal can lead to soft tissue injury that compromises collateral ligament attachments or the extensor mechanism. Methods of safe implant removal have advanced dramatically over the last decade, and in most cases today, implants can be removed efficiently and with relatively little bone loss.
Perioperative Management of the Neutropenic Rheumatologic Patient

Rheumatologic diseases often are complicated by cytopenias. Severe neutropenia may predispose a patient to infections and delayed wound healing. This becomes a special challenge in the perioperative setting. Although neutropenia in the setting of rheumatologic illnesses has many features that are different than those encountered after cytotoxic chemotherapy or in primary bone marrow disorders, the general precautions utilized in patients with primary hematologic disorders still apply.
The Neurological History

The neurological history and examination are complementary. The first provides the information on which hypotheses concerning the general classification and course of the disorder are built; the second, the localizing anatomy of the lesion or lesions. In some conditions the history is so typical that virtually the entire diagnosis can be based on this information. A systematic approach to obtaining the history will permit data acquisition with the greatest efficiency and with the least possibility of omitting important facts (Table 2-1).
Oil Transportation in Pipelines with the Existence of Ice

Abstract In the Arctic environment, ambient temperature can drop below the freezing point, which may lead to ice formation in the oil transportation pipelines. Natural hazards can also cause freezing in the liquid transportation system. The formation of ice can cause flow assurance and process safety issues, such as restricting flow path, pipeline plugging, failure of pipeline components, the release of hazardous liquid, and fire. Restricting of flow path causes additional burden to the upstream pumping system, while pipeline plugging leads to shutdown of the pipeline system and causes tremendous cost to remediate plugging. The incidents with hazardous liquid release and fire can also lead to enormous expenses. This paper investigates the risks of ice formation in the pipeline and its effect on the transportation system. The experimental tests were performed in a 2-inch diameter carbon steel flow loop. Pressure, temperature, and differential temperature were measured during the test. The experimental results show that an annular ice deposition layer was observed at the pipe inner wall, which restricted flow path and caused an increased differential pressure. The deposition of ice on the pipe surface required a negative temperature gradient. Ice accumulations were identified at the low spot in front of the flow meter, the inserted thermocouples, and the perforated plate. The deposition and accumulation mechanisms are discussed. Both the ice layer on the pipe surface and ice accumulation at the pipeline components were porous, indicating the formation mechanism was due to small ice crystals sticking to the pipe surface. The study on deposition and plugging mechanism can help provide a guidance to prevent hazardous liquid transportation damages triggered by ice plugging.
Process intensification in multicomponent distillation: A review of recent advancements

Abstract Process intensification (PI) is an emerging concept in chemical engineering that describes the design innovations that lead to significant shrinkage in size and boost in efficiency of a process plant. Distillation, the most commonly used separation technique in the chemical industry, is a crucial component of PI. Here, we systematically discuss the following aspects of PI in non-azeotropic multicomponent distillation: (1) Introducing thermal couplings to eliminate intermediate reboilers and condensers to save energy and capital cost; (2) Improving operability of thermally coupled columns by means of eliminating vapor streams in thermal couplings with only liquid transfers or column section rearrangement; (3) Enabling double and multi-effect distillation of thermally coupled configurations to further reduce heat duty; (4) Performing simultaneous heat and mass integration among thermally coupled columns to reduce the number of columns and heat duty; and (5) Conducting any thermally coupled distillation in n-product streams using 1 to n − 2 column shells with operable novel dividing wall columns. We demonstrate these aspects of PI through examples to illustrate how they lead to compact, easy-to-operate, energy efficient and cost effective multicomponent distillation system designs.
Barriers to clinical trial enrollment of older adults with cancer: A qualitative study of the perceptions of community and academic oncologists.

Abstract Objectives Oncologists can be one of the major barriers to older adult's participation in research. Multiple studies have described academic clinicians' concerns for not enrolling older adults onto trials. Although the majority of older adults receive their cancer care in the community, few studies have examined the unique challenges that community oncologists face and how they differ from oncologist-related barriers in academia. Methods Semi-structured interviews were conducted by telephone or face-to-face with 44 medical oncologists (24 academic-based and 20 community-based) at City of Hope from March to June 2018. Interviews explored oncologists' perceptions of barriers to clinical trial enrollment of older adults with cancer. Data were analyzed using qualitative content analysis. Results Of the 44 participants, 36% were women and 68% were in practice for >10 years. Among the entire sample, stringent eligibility criteria (n = 20) and oncologist concerns for treatment toxicities (n = 15) were the most commonly cited barriers. Compared to academic oncologists, community oncologists more often cited patient attitudes, beliefs, and understanding (n = 9 vs. n = 2) and caregiver burden (n = 6 vs. n = 0). In contrast, compared to community oncologists, academic oncologists more often cited oncologist bias (n = 10 vs. n = 3) and insufficient time/support (n = 4 vs. n = 1). Conclusions Differences in perceptions among academic and community oncologists about trials suggest that barriers are multifaceted, complex, and vary by practice setting. Interventions to increase trial accrual among older adults with cancer may benefit from being tailored to address the unique barriers of different practice settings.
Art of prevention: Our approach to the measles-mumps-rubella vaccine in adult patients vaccinated against measles before 1968 on biologic therapy for the treatment of psoriasis

Abstract Background In response to the evolving measles epidemic in the United States, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommended that some adults be revaccinated against measles because they may have inadequate immunity against the virus. Patients receiving biologic medications for psoriasis face a clinical dilemma because they may be at an increased risk of developing severe measles; however, vaccination with the measles-mumps-rubella (MMR) vaccine is not recommended for those on biologic therapy according to the American Academy of Dermatology-National Psoriasis Foundation guidelines. Objectives This study aimed to review available research on the safety and efficacy of live-attenuated vaccines in individuals receiving biologic therapy for psoriasis and to discuss our approach to vaccinating individuals on biologic agents for psoriasis with the MMR vaccine. Methods A review of the literature was performed via PubMed search. Our institution’s anecdotal experiences are also discussed. Results Data, although limited, are available suggesting that live-attenuated vaccines may be safe for individuals on tumor necrosis factor-alpha inhibitors for psoriasis. Inadequate data are available for patients receiving other biologic medications. Conclusion Providers should engage in shared decision-making to determine whether patients on tumor necrosis factor-alpha inhibitors for psoriasis should receive the MMR vaccine without an interruption in biologic therapy.
L1.1 Shortening the Timeline for Cancer Drug Development

ABSTRACT One approach to improving the timeliness for cancer drug development is to focus on producing “clinically ready”, qualified assays to assess engagement of the drug target under study early in preclinical testing; these assays can then be applied during first-in-human clinical trials. Definitive correlation of drug efficacy with inhibition of the agent's presumed target, as well as correlation of tumor target inhibition with that in normal tissue surrogates, should be developed from in vivo studies in preclinical model systems utilizing procedures that can be transferred directly to the clinic. This approach could significantly improve the level of information available from first-in-human studies; and although such a model shifts resource utilization earlier in the development process, it allows for the evaluation of molecular proof-of-mechanism during the initial clinical trials of the drug and the ability to correlate target effects in pre-clinical systems and patients simultaneously. The availability of target assays that have been evaluated in the clinic during phase I also permits the assessment of target inhibition in tumor and surrogate tissues during phase II with confidence, potentially shortening the drug development life cycle.
The Place of the Presidency in Historical Time

This essay arises from a symposium based on Jack Balkin’s book, "The Cycles of Constitutional Time," which argues that America’s constitutional development is marked by patterns of decline and renewal. I contend that the presidency today has become endowed with outsized expectations borne of popular frustrations with an 18th-century document that is desperately in need of updating. As a result, presidents enjoy imbalanced and dangerous power to initiate legal reform or stymie it. Going forward, three dynamics are worth watching. First, noisy signals coming from performative transformation can obscure the true source and scope of legal changes initiated by a president. This dynamic frustrates accountaiblity and exacerbates the possibility of unearned transformation. Second, institutional imbalance over the ability to generate legal change can take the form of ad hoc bureaucratic work-arounds. Third, modern presidents are increasingly tempted to rely on social movements to gain and retain power. These developments augment a president’s ability to influence the pace or degree of legal change, but each also carries significant pitfalls.
Response by Patricia H. Kelley for the presentation of the 2020 Paleontological Society Pojeta Award

Chris Maples tutored me on how to be a technical editor of the Journal of Paleontology (back when we had to circle every hyphen and underline capital letters in blue pencil), which started me on a total of 35 years and counting on journal editorial boards. [...]I thank my family—my parents, who encouraged my career (even though my mom wondered why I didn't stay home to raise my babies);my loyal brother David, who still texts me many times a day;my devoted husband Jonathan, who shared household and childrearing duties to enable my career;and my precious children Timothy and Katherine, of whom I am so proud, and who in turn are proud of me. With no opportunity to interact with others beyond family, four-year-old Owen has been accosting strangers on hiking trails and boasting “My Grandmomoo is a paleontologist!” Indeed, I am proud to be a paleontologist and gratified to have had the opportunity to serve my colleagues, my science, and my Society.
Broadening access to naloxone: Community predictors of standing order naloxone distribution in Massachusetts

Abstract Background Naloxone is a prescription medication that reverses opioid overdoses. Allowing naloxone to be dispensed directly by a pharmacist without an individual prescription under a naloxone standing order (NSO) can expand access. The community-level factors associated with naloxone dispensed under NSO are unknown. Methods Using a dataset comprised of pharmacy reports of naloxone dispensed under NSO from 70% of Massachusetts retail pharmacies, we examined relationships between community-level demographics, rurality, measures of treatment for opioid use disorder, and overdose deaths with naloxone dispensed under NSO per ZIP Code-quarter from 2014 until 2018. We used a multi-variable zero-inflated negative binomial model, assessing odds of any naloxone dispensed under NSO, as well as a multi-variable negative binomial model assessing quantities of naloxone dispensed under NSO. Results From 2014–2018, quantities of naloxone dispensed under NSO and the number of pharmacies dispensing any naloxone under NSO increased over time. However, communities with greater percentages of people with Hispanic ethnicity (aOR 0.91, 95% CI 0.86–0.96 per 5% increase), and rural communities compared to urban communities (aOR 0.81, 95% CI 0.73–0.90) were less likely to dispense any naloxone by NSO. Communities with more individuals treated with buprenorphine dispensed more naloxone under NSO, as did communities with more opioid-related overdose deaths. Conclusion Naloxone dispensing has substantially increased, in part driven by standing orders. A lower likelihood of naloxone being dispensed under NSO in communities with larger Hispanic populations and in more rural communities suggests the need for more equitable access to, and uptake of, lifesaving medications like naloxone.
2D-nanomaterials for controlling friction and wear at interfaces

Abstract This review focuses on recent developments in the use of 2D nanomaterials for controlling the frictional properties of surfaces and interfaces. While materials such as MoS2 and graphite have been investigated for some time, a host of other layered nanomaterials have emerged as alternatives for friction modification. These advanced lubrication schemes provide an opportunity to address growing needs in energy and materials efficiency and device compatibility, offering improved boundary and solid lubrication of contacting and sliding interfaces. Here, we describe both computational and experimental investigations of the mechanisms and implementations of 2D nanomaterials in the lubrication of interfaces.
Climate Information Systems and Their Applications

Over the past two decades considerable advances have been made in understanding climate variability on the seasonal time scale. This scientific understanding has led to the development of techniques that demonstrate some modest skill in seasonal climate prediction. Having developed this skill the crucial question is how can this scientific achievement be utilized in the real world of practical decision-making. This brief chapter outlines one attempt to provide a framework for such a comprehensive Climate Information System. The elements of this System are: 1) reliable and complete climate observations in real time, 2) complete and error-free climate data archives to provide a basis for placing the observations into historical context, 3) complete real time analyses of current climate data, 4) access to current climate forecasts from a variety of sources, 5) easy-to-understand forecast products, 6) complete records and analyses of past forecast performance, 7) routine methods to disseminate climate information to user groups and sectors and 8) active collaboration and feedback from the user community. It is hoped that this outline will provide the basis for further discussion and the development of such Systems to promote the use of climate information.
Crowd-Driven Processes: State of the Art and Research Challenges

Over the past few years the crowdsourcing paradigm has evolved from its humble beginnings as isolated purpose-built initiatives, such as Wikipedia and Elance and Mechanical Turk to a growth industry employing over 2 million knowledge workers, contributing over half a billion dollars to the digital economy. Web 2.0 provides the technological foundations upon which the crowdsourcing paradigm evolves and operates, enabling networked experts to work collaboratively to complete a specific task.
Reduced blockade by extracellular Mg2+ is permissive to NMDA receptor activation in cerebellar granule neurons that model a migratory phenotype

J. Neurochem. (2010) 114, 191–202. Abstract NMDA receptors (NMDAR) contribute to neuronal development throughout the CNS. However, their mode(s) of activation preceding synaptic maturation is unclear, as they are not co-localized with alpha-amino-3-hydroxy-5-methylisoxazole-4-propionate receptors (AMPARs) which normally provide sufficient depolarization to relieve voltage-dependent blockade by Mg2+. We used cerebellar granule neurons (CGNs) cultured at a near-physiological KCl concentration to examine maturation-dependent changes in NMDAR responses. In contrast, most studies use KCl-supplemented medium to promote survival. At 2–4 days in vitro CGNs: (i) express developmental markers resembling the in vivo migratory phenotype; (ii) maintain a basal amount of calcium responsive element-binding protein phosphorylation that requires NMDARs and calcium/calmodulin-dependent kinases, but not AMPARs; (iii) exhibit NMDA-mediated Ca2+ influx not effectively blocked by ambient Mg2+ (0.75 mM) or AMPARs; (iv) maintain a more depolarized resting membrane potential and increased resistance compared to synaptically-connected CGNs. Moreover, migrating CGNs in explant cultures demonstrate NMDA-mediated Ca2+ influx not effectively blocked by 0.75 mM Mg2+, and NMDAR but not AMPAR antagonists slow migration. These data suggest the biophysical properties of immature CGNs render NMDARs less sensitive to Mg2+ blockade, enhancing the likelihood of activation in the absence of AMPAR depolarization.
New Directions in Question Answering

Question answering systems, which provide natural language responses to natural language queries, are the subject of rapidly advancing research encompassing both academic study and commercial applications, the most well-known of which is the search engine Ask Jeeves. Question answering draws on different fields and technologies, including natural language processing, information retrieval, explanation generation, and human computer interaction. Question answering creates an important new method of information access and can be seen as the natural step beyond such standard Web search methods as keyword query and document retrieval. This collection charts significant new directions in the field, including temporal, spatial, definitional, biographical, multimedia, and multilingual question answering.After an introduction that defines essential terminology and provides a roadmap to future trends, the book covers key areas of research and development. These include current methods, architecture requirements, and the history of question answering on the Web; the development of systems to address new types of questions; interactivity, which is often required for clarification of questions or answers; reuse of answers; advanced methods; and knowledge representation and reasoning used to support question answering. Each section contains an introduction that summarizes the chapters included and places them in context, relating them to the other chapters in the book as well as to the existing literature in the field and assessing the problems and challenges that remain.
Africa's Growth Tragedy: A Retrospective, 1960-89

Problems associated with Sub-Saharan Africa's slow growth are low school attainment, political instability, poorly developed financial systems, large black-market exchange-rate premia, large government deficits, and inadequate infrastructure. Improving policies alone boosts growth substantially. But if neighboring countries adopt a policy change together, the effects on growth are more than double what they would have been if one country had acted alone. Africa's economic history since 1960 fits the classical definition of tragedy: potential unfulfilled, with disastrous consequences. Easterly and Levine use one methodology - cross-country regressions - to account for Sub-Saharan Africa's growth performance over the past 30 years and to suggest policies to promote growth over the next 30 years. They statistically quantify the relationship between long-run growth and a wider array of factors than any previous study. They consider such standard variables as initial income to capture convergence effects, schooling, political stability, and indicators of monetary, fiscal, trade, exchange rate, and financial sector policies. They also consider such new measures as infrastructure development, cultural diversity, and economic spillovers from neighbors' growth. Their analysis: - Improves substantially on past attempts to account for the growth experience of Sub-Saharan African countries. - Shows that low school attainment, political instability, poorly developed financial systems, large black-market exchange-rate premia, large government deficits, and inadequate infrastructure are associated with slow growth. - Finds that Africa's ethnic diversity tends to slow growth and reduce the likelihood of adopting good policies. - Identifies spillovers of growth performance between neighboring countries. The spillover effects of growth have implications for policy strategy. Improving policies alone boosts growth substantially, but if neighboring countries act together, the effects on growth are much greater. Specifically, the results suggest that the effect of neighbors' adopting a policy change is 2.2 times greater than if a single country acted alone. This paper - a joint product of the Macroeconomics and Growth Division and the Finance and Private Sector Development Division, Policy Research Department - is part of a larger effort in the department to understand the link between policies and growth. The study was funded by the Bank's Research Support Budget under the research project Patterns of Growth (RPO 678-26).
Family Involvement Interventions in Child Protection: Learning from Contextual Integrated Strategies

The use of family group conferencing and related family involvement interventions in child protection is rapidly increasing in the United States and many other countries. There is some concern that the child welfare field will travel down the same road as it did with intensive family preservation services; that is, tremendous enthusiasm later derailed by rigidly designed evaluations that showed unimpressive effects. The work of John Braithwaite suggests an alternative path for finding justifiable excitement about these interventions. Drawing upon Braithwaite's writings and ongoing evaluation research, this article suggests a few steps we can take towards an integrative strategy for developing effective family involvement interventions.
Phosphatidylcholine protects against fibrosis and cirrhosis in the baboon

Background/Aims: Polyunsaturated soybean lecithin (55%–60% phosphatidylcholine [PC]) protects against fibrosis in alcohol-fed baboons. The present study was undertaken to determine whether PC is the active agent. Methods: Virtually pure PC (equivalent to that contained in the lecithin) was administered for up to 6.5 years with or without alcohol, and the results were compared with those of unsupplemented groups. Results: Control livers remained normal, whereas 10 of 12 baboons fed alcohol without PC developed septal fibrosis or cirrhosis with transformation of 81% ± 3% of the hepatic lipocytes to collagen-producing transitional cells. By contrast, none of the eight animals fed alcohol with PC developed septal fibrosis or cirrhosis, and only 48% ± 9% of their lipocytes were transformed, indicating that PC was indeed the protective compound. Ethanol feeding also resulted in decreased liver phospholipids · and PC, and both were corrected by the supplementation. Furthermore, PC stimulated collagenase activity in cultured lipocytes. This PC consisted of several species, mainly dilinoleoylphosphatidylcholine (40%–52%) and palmitoyl-linoleoylphosphatidylcholine (23%–24%). Only dilinoleoylphosphatidylcholine duplicated the effect of the PC on collagenase. Other species of PC, phosphatidylethanolamine, free fatty acids, or choline were without effect. Conclusions: PC prevents alcohol-induced fibrosis and cirrhosis in nonhuman primates, and dilinoleoylphosphatidylcholine appears to be the active species, possibly by promoting collagen breakdown.
H1N1 Is Not a Chinese Virus: the Racialization of People and Viruses in Post-SARS China

In this article, I trace how the race-making of people, viruses, and the places they share became a powerful means by which Chinese public health professionals made sense of two major infectious outbreaks that threatened to stall or interrupt China's development: the SARS outbreak of 2003 and the H1N1 influenza pandemic of 2009. By inscribing geographical stability onto infected bodies in motion through the languages of race and genetics, Chinese public health professionals sought to constrain the mobility of infection and, in doing so, to contain the symbolic and material threats to China's modernity and development that flu-like infections, and the people who carried and spread them, had come to represent. While SARS in this imaginary became a "Chinese" or "Cantonese" disease, H1N1 became a EuroAmerican disease that, when it reached inside China, adhered more easily to those Chinese who did not quite belong. In constructing this imaginary, public health professionals' racialization of certain groups thought to be infectious joined with the racialization of the infections themselves. H1N1 could not easily infect most Chinese because both the virus and its hosts were racially alien.
4‐Methoxycarbonyl‐2‐Methyl‐1,3‐Oxazole

4-Methoxycarbonyl-2-Methyl-1,3-oxazole R Methylacetlmidate hydrochloride Methyl glycinate hydrochloride I Methyl α-[(methoxyethylidene)amino]acetate 1 Potassium methyl α-[(methoxyethylidene)amino]-β-hydroxyacrylate 2 P 4-Methyloxycarbonyl-2-methyl-1,3-oxazole 3 Keywords: esters, of substituted monobasic acids, miscellaneous; replacement reactions, miscellaneous; acylation; ketones, monoketones, keto esters; esters, of substituted monobasic acids, keto esters; esters, of substituted monobasic acids, miscellaneous; acylation; potassium tert-butoxide; methyl formate; heterocycles, five-membered, one nitrogen, one oxygen; esters, of substituted monobasic acids, miscellaneous; cyclization, condensation
The experiences of everyday activities post-stroke.

AbstractPurpose: Practitioners can use stroke survivors’ lived experiences associated with everyday activities to understand and assess recovery from stroke, to plan interventions and to facilitate goal setting. This study explored the experiences associated with daily activities among community dwelling survivors of stroke to identify factors that influenced these experiences. Method: In this mixed method study, 23 stroke survivors completed the Daily Experiences of Pleasure, Productivity and Restoration Profile, a time use survey, on three separate, self-chosen days within 1 week. Participants subsequently completed individual, semi-structured interviews. Results: Descriptive statistics and constant comparative analysis revealed that high levels of pleasure were associated with low-demand leisure activities, high levels of productivity were associated with home management activities and engaging in hobbies provided the highest combination of pleasure, productivity and restoration. The study also reveale...
Modal keywords, ontologies, and reasoning for video understanding

We proposed a novel framework for video content understanding that uses rules constructed from knowledge bases and multimedia ontologies. Our framework consists of an expert system that uses a rule-based engine, domain knowledge, visual detectors (for objects and scenes), and metadata (text from automatic speech recognition, related text, etc.). We introduce the idea of modal keywords, which are keywords that represent perceptual concepts in the following categories: visual (e.g., sky), aural (e.g., scream), olfactory (e.g., vanilla), tactile (e.g., feather), and taste (e.g., candy). A method is presented to automatically classify keywords from speech recognition, queries, or related text into these categories using WordNet and TGM I. For video understanding, the following operations are performed automatically: scene cut detection, automatic speech recognition, feature extraction, and visual detection (e.g., sky, face, indoor). These operation results are used in our system by a rule-based engine that uses context information (e.g., text from speech) to enhance visual detection results. We discuss semi-automatic construction of multimedia ontologies and present experiments in which visual detector outputs are modified by simple rules that use context information available with the video.
Hiding in Plain View: A Neglected Supreme Court Decision Resolves the Debate Over Non-Debtor Releases in Chapter 11 Reorganizations

This article presents a novel resolution of a long-standing circuit split on an issue of critical significance to bankruptcy and tort law: whether bankruptcy courts may extinguish liabilities of parties that have not filed for bankruptcy. Such non-debtor releases are similar in effect to a bankruptcy discharge and have become particularly common in both mass tort disputes and general insolvencies adjudicated through the bankruptcy process. In this article, I illustrate how an overlooked Supreme Court decision – United States v. Energy Resources, 495 U.S. 545 (1990) – offers crucial support for the pro-release position. Energy Resources demonstrates that the bankruptcy courts' general equitable power allows them to extinguish claims against non-debtors and that such relief is not forbidden by any specific provision in the Bankruptcy Code.
Nonsmokers' Attributions for the Outcomes of Smokers: Some Potential Consequences of the Stigmatization of Smokers1

The current research examines intergroup attributional biases made by nonsmokers for the outcomes of smokers. Nonsmokers were asked to make attributions for either the success or failure of either an in-group member (a nonsmoker) or an out-group member (a smoker). Overall, subjects attributed the preponderance of cause for the outcomes to external or unstable (approximately 80%) rather than internal (approximately 20%) factors. However, results confirmed the expected in-group protective and in-group enhancing attributions on the part of nonsmokers. Specifically, nonsmokers attributed a significantly higher proportion of success to external factors and a lower proportion of success to internal factors when the target was a smoker compared to when the target was a nonsmoker. The implications of these results for smokers and smoking policy are discussed.
Simultaneous measurement of two ultrashort pulses at different wavelengths using double blind polarization-gate frequency-resolved optical gating

We demonstrate the use of Double-Blind Frequency-Resolved Optical Gating implemented in Polarization-Gate geometry to measure two pulses at very different center wavelength (400nm and 800nm) simultaneously on a single-shot. Complex pulse pair with Time-Bandwidth-Product of 1.1 and 6.2 are measured and retrieved.