cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Responses of Sugar Beet (Beta vulgaris) to Foliar Sprays of Copper

Previous studies have shown positive yield responses from foliar copper (Cu) applications to beet. However, some of these responses may have been due to fungicidal instead of nutritional effects. Also, since these studies, national yields have increased possibly increasing the Cu requirement of the beet crop. So, between 1987 and 1990 six field experiments tested the effect of foliar sprays of copper on the yield and processing quality of sugar beet. The copper was applied as Cu oxychloride or an inorganic Cu formulation, in factorial combination with a wetter or an adjuvant. Four of the experiments were on loamy sand textured soils, the remainder on peaty soils. The Cu sprays did not affect beet yields for crops grown on the peat soils. On two of the light textured mineral soils the Cu sprays did increase yield, but there was no clear relationship between soil ethylene diamine tetra acetic acid (EDTA) extractable Cu and yield response to added Cu. There was little difference between the forms of Cu tested on yield, or between the wetter or the adjuvant. Cu sprays did not affect beet processing quality, even when large yield responses were obtained. An analysis of the geographical distribution of sugar beet quota and soil extractable Cu showed that 15% of the UK's national crop could be affected by Cu deficiency.
Building interpretable discussions: for effective public engagement

Shifts in the culture of civic engagement, technologies and practices surrounding social media, and pressure from political leaders have ignited a movement amongst gov't agencies to extend their efforts for obtaining input on public issues. These projects face serious challenges related to scale of participation and political capture, though collaborative efforts elsewhere suggest we may be able to support interactions amongst large numbers of people. Instead of emphasizing the exchange of individual messages and voting, I propose that systems should be designed to support the cooperative production of discussions.
Deinstitutionalisation: What Went Wrong

ABSTRACT ‘Deinstitutionalisation’ has been the twin policy to ‘community care’ and has been a key welfare strategy in Britain for some 30 years. In the 1980s considerable political and professional activity was focused upon the shortcomings of community care, but relatively little attention was paid to the failure of ‘deinstitutionalisation’. Why has it proved so difficult to close long-stay hospitals? This article examines the gulf between official strategies on closure and the reality of continuing institutionalisation. It seeks explanations not only in terms of funding crises, but also in inter-professional, inter-organisational and inter-governmental relations. It concludes that the problems are deeply entrenched and that if deinstitutionalisation is to succeed, a major new initiative will be needed at the central level.
The student's right to his own language: A response to colquit

This article serves as a rebuttal to Jesse Colquit's article (CQ, Fall 1977) that charged current instructional language practices with racism and ethnocentrism. It is contended that current instructional methods emphasize the notion of social acceptability and adaptability, a goal designed to enhance the individual's exercise of his language rights. The confusion of “language” with “culture” led Colquit to make several erroneous and extreme positional statements in the original article. Current instructional practices do not exhibit racist or ethnocentric undertones; on the contrary, they demonstrate social utilitarianism designed to maximize each individual's personal and professional development.
Instructional software for visualizing optical phenomena

We describe a multidisciplinary effort for creating interactive 3D graphical modules for visualizing optical phenomena. These modules are designed for use in an upper-level undergraduate course. The modules are developed in Open Inventor, which allows them to run under both Unix and Windows. The work is significant in that it applies contemporary interactive 3D visualization techniques to instructional courseware, which represents a considerable advance compared to the current state of the practice.
Completing the Viability Demonstration of Direct-Drive IFE Target Engagement and Assessing Scalability to a Full-Scale Power Plant

A significant challenge for the successful implosion of direct-drive inertial fusion energy targets is the repeated alignment of multiple laser beams on moving targets with accuracy on the order of 20 ?m. Adding to the difficulty, targets will be traveling up to 100 m/s through a chamber environment that may disturb their trajectories. In the High Average Power Laser program, we have developed a target tracking and engagement system that is capable of meeting the goals for an inertial fusion power plant. The system consists of separate axial and transverse target detection techniques and a final correction technique using a short-pulse laser to interrogate the target's position 1-2 ms before a chamber center. Steering mirrors are then directed to engage the target at the chamber center. Over the past few years, we have constructed and improved upon an integrated tabletop demonstration operating at reduced speeds and path lengths. In August 2007, initial engagement of moving targets in air using a simulated driver beam was 150- ?m rms. Since then, we have taken an encompassing look at all error sources that contribute to the overall engagement error. By focusing on those individual component errors that have the most influence and improving their accuracy, we have substantially reduced the overall engagement error. In August 2008, we had achieved an engagement of 42-?m rms in air by using this approach, and in March 2009, 34-?m rms in vacuum. The final elements, which we believe are necessary to meet our goal, necessitate engaging lightweight targets in a prototypic vacuum environment with an understanding of the scalability of demonstration-scale errors to full-scale errors. In this paper, we present the latest improvements from the identification and reduction of errors and the resulting engagement data demonstrating near completion of the viability demonstration of direct-drive target engagement to 20 ?m.
Special Considerations in the Evaluation of the Hematology and Hemostasis of Mutant Mice

The study of mutant mice with altered or deficient hematopoietic or hemostatic gene products provides a challenge to the researcher, particularly when genetic alterations lead to lethal phenotypes. The following review provides a framework for understanding murine hematopoiesis, based on work with mutant mice, and details experimental approaches used to evaluate these animals. Mice with deficiencies in hemostatic and fibrinolytic system proteins are discussed, and the investigation of their phenotypes is reviewed.
Timing of conditioned responding in a nicotine locomotor conditioning preparation: Manipulations of the temporal arrangement between context cues and drug administration

Using a locomotor conditioning preparation, we examined whether manipulating time between exposure to distinct environmental cues and nicotine administration affected conditioned responding. Rats that received nicotine (0.42 mg/kg base) immediately before placement in an environment for 30 min on eight separate occasions displayed hyperactivity relative to controls in a subsequent injection/drug-free test. This conditioned hyperactivity was weaker if nicotine was administered 15 min before environment exposure. Conditioning was not evidenced when nicotine was administered 15 min after placement or upon removal from the environment. In a follow-up experiment, rats received 45 min in the environment; nicotine was administered 15 min after placement. This group showed conditioning that was localized to the last two-thirds of a 45 min test indicating that a 15 min delay did not prevent conditioning given 30 min of environment/nicotine overlap. This apparent timing of conditioned responding was not due to increasing environment exposure to 45 min. Further, a state-dependent environmental familiarization account of locomotor hyperactivity during testing was eliminated by the finding that rats displayed temporally specific increases in activity on the test day despite the fact that the context was previously experienced without drug for 15 min on eight consecutive days.
Spinal Cord Arteriovenous Malformations

Spinal arteriovenous malformations (AVMs) are not as infrequent as is generally believed. They usually present with various neurologic symptoms and signs and there is usually a long period between the initial symptom and the definitive diagnosis and treatment. Advances, not diagnostic and thera peutic measures, make possible a more aggressive approach to the disease. The symptomotology, diagnosis, and treatment are reviewed and 504 cases from the literature are surveyed.
Development of Prone Extension Postures in Healthy Infants

The purposes of this study were to 1) investigate the sequence of development of head, upper extremity, and lower extremity extension in the prone extension posture in healthy infants; 2) identify the variations in the sequence; and 3) compare these postures within the sequence with the development of prone-on-elbows and prone-on-hands postures. Twenty healthy, full-term infants were observed longitudinally from 8 to 28 weeks of age. Two of the infants could not complete the study, and two infants never used the prone extension posture. The data from 16 of the infants, therefore, were analyzed. The results indicate that the sequence of development of the prone extension posture consists of head extension, followed by lower extremity extension, and then upper extremity extension. The results also indicate that upper extremity extension in the prone extension posture does not appear to be a prerequisite for the prone-on-elbows or prone-on-hands postures. These findings suggest that infants may use different strategies for developing motor control in the head and lower extremities than in the upper extremities. This information adds to our knowledge of the normal developmental process and may have significance in the planning of physical therapy programs.
CASP prediction center infrastructure and evaluation measures in CASP10 and CASP ROLL.

The Protein Structure Prediction Center at the University of California, Davis, supports the CASP experiments by identifying prediction targets, accepting predictions, performing standard evaluations, assisting independent CASP assessors, presenting and archiving results, and facilitating information exchange relating to CASP and structure prediction in general. We provide an overview of the CASP infrastructure implemented at the Center, and summarize standard measures used for evaluating predictions in the latest round of CASP. Several components were introduced or significantly redesigned for CASP10, in particular an improved assessors' common web-workspace; a Sphere Grinder visualization tool for analyzing local accuracy of predictions; brand new blocks for evaluation contact prediction and contact-assisted structure prediction; expanded evaluation and visualization tools for tertiary structure, refinement and quality assessment. Technical aspects of conducting the CASP10 and CASP ROLL experiments and relevant statistics are also provided. Proteins 2014; 82(Suppl 2):7–13. © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Scaling Aspen-FACE experimental results to century and landscape scales

The Aspen-FACE experiment generated 11 years of empirical data on the effect of CO2 enrichment and elevated ozone on the growth of field-grown trees (maple, birch and six aspen clones) in northern Wisconsin, but it is not known how these short-term plot-level responses might play out at the landscape scale over multiple decades where competition, succession and disturbances interact with tree-level responses. In this study we used a forest landscape model (LANDIS-II) to scale these site level results to broader temporal and spatial scales. These general principles emerged from the results. (1) The productivity of taxa under future conditions is the primary determinant of short-term taxon dominance. (2) Longer-term, longevity and shade tolerance may supersede productivity as the determinant of importance, depending on the disturbance regime. This result offers hope that, even in the face of atmospheric changes, managers may have some control over future forest composition and carbon sequestration through modification of disturbance regimes. (3) Changes in the abundance of taxa were mostly gradual and none of the taxa were extirpated from the landscape, even under treatments for which they were poorly adapted. This suggests that as atmospheric conditions change, abrupt extirpations are expected to be rare. (4) Similarly, different taxa fared relatively well under different treatments. This suggests that maintaining species and genetic diversity is a prudent forest management strategy in the face of global change. (5) Accounting for spatial processes is important because seed dispersal and establishment may limit the ability of some species to colonize available habitat.
Hydrocele in the Pediatric Patient: Inguinal or Scrotal Approach?

Purpose: The recommended approach for repairing hydrocele in children is inguinal to address a patent processus vaginalis. Hydrocele repair in adults is performed with a scrotal incision. We identified an age above which a significant percent of children had noncommunicating hydroceles, justifying a scrotal approach.Materials and Methods: A retrospective chart review was performed of children undergoing hydrocele repair at our institution between 1998 and 2006. Operative reports were reviewed by 2 investigators and intraoperative findings were recorded for statistical analysis relating age and findings at the time of the procedure using logistic regression and ROC analysis. Laterality and recurrence rates were also noted.Results: In this retrospective chart review 82.1% of hydroceles in children older than 10 years had intraoperative findings consistent with noncommunicating hydrocele and 86.4% in children older than 12 years were noncommunicating. One hydrocele in the age group older than 12 years was co...
A fast-closing valve to protect an accelerator from radioactive contamination

Abstract A fast-closing valve system, with annular baffles, has been built to protect the Oak Ridge Isochronous Cyclotron from possible contamination due to intensely alpha-active actinide targets.
Generation of sequence-based data for pedigree-segregating Mendelian or Complex traits

Motivation: There is great interest in analyzing next generation sequence data that has been generated for pedigrees. However, unlike for population-based data there are only a limited number of rare variant methods to analyze pedigree data. One limitation is the ability to evaluate type I and II errors for family-based methods, due to lack of software that can simulate realistic sequence data for pedigrees. Summary: We developed RarePedSim (Rare-variant Pedigree-based Simulator), a program to simulate region/gene-level genotype and phenotype data for complex and Mendelian traits for any given pedigree structure. Using a genetic model, sequence variant data can be generated either conditionally or unconditionally on pedigree members’ qualitative or quantitative phenotypes. Additionally, qualitative or quantitative traits can be generated conditional on variant data. Sequence data can either be simulated using realistic population demographic models or obtained from sequence-based studies. Variant sites can be annotated with positions, allele frequencies and functionality. For rare variants, RarePedSim is the only program that can efficiently generate both genotypes and phenotypes, regardless of pedigree structure. Data generated by RarePedSim are in standard Linkage file (.ped) and Variant Call (.vcf) formats, ready to be used for a variety of purposes, including evaluation of type I error and power, for association methods including mixed models and linkage analysis methods. Availability and Implementation: bioinformatics.org/simped/rare Contact: ude.mcb@laels
Estimating the hCGβcf in urine during pregnancy.

Abstract Objective Elevated urine concentrations of hCG beta core fragment (hCGβcf) are known to cause false negative qualitative point-of-care hCG test results, but limited information is available regarding urine hCGβcf. In this study, we evaluate the relationship between serum and urine hCG concentrations and the frequency of elevated urine hCGβcf concentrations. Design and methods Paired serum and urine specimens were obtained from 60 women at various stages of pregnancy and hCG was measured using the Abbott Architect and Roche Cobas e602 assays. Urine specimens with the greatest difference in urine hCG concentrations between these two instruments were tested using a qualitative point-of-care device and hCGβcf was quantified using LC–MS/MS. Results Urine hCG concentrations were lower than serum and the magnitude of the difference depended on whether the hCG assay detected hCGβcf. Elevated hCGβcf concentrations (> 280,000 pmol/L) were observed in 12% of specimens from an unselected patient population. There was a significant correlation (r = 0.97; p Conclusions A correlation exists between serum and urine hCG concentrations but this correlation is variable. hCGβcf concentrations can be estimated using two automated assay reagent platforms that differ in their recognition of hCGβcf.
Russian Foreign Policy: Challenging the Western Liberal International Order?

As Russia reasserts itself in an international system still governed by a “Western” conception of order drawn from liberal models of capitalism and democracy, how are the European Union and the United States responding to this re-emerging power? This is the question that we attempt to tackle in the conclusion to this volume; its answer has important implications for the viability of the current international economic and political order.
OCEAN WAVE STATISTICS FROM FNWC SPECTRAL ANALYSES

Climatological wave data that may be shoaled and refracted from a deep-water wave station can be compiled in two forms from spectral ocean wave analyses produced by the Fleet Numerical Weather Central at Monterey, California: (1) significant wave statistics, which are similar to statistical tables currently in use, and (2) spectral element statistics, which give the frequency of occurrence of energy densities contained in a matrix of 15 frequency bands and 12 direction bands. Experimental formats of both types of statistical compilations are presented, their properties are examined, and the coastal engineering applications of these statistics are discussed.
Some Aspects of the Biology of Apanteles forbesi, a Parasite of Lacinipolia renigera

Apanteles forbesi Viereck, a solitary endoparasite of some noctuid larvae, is the second most abundant parasite of the bristly cutworm, Lacinipolia renigera (Stephens), in Missouri. It oviposits in 1st- to 3rd-instar larvae and emerges from either the 3rd or 4th instar. Mated females produce both sexes in about equal numbers; unmated females produce males only. At 21°–26.6°C, mean developmental time from egg to adult ranged from 25.1 to 28.9 days. The parasite is multivoltine compared with the bivoltine L. renigera and apparently better adapted to hosts having 2 generations a year. It also shows a high degree of specificity for L. renigera. Gelis sp. and Mesochorus sp. were reared on A. forbesi as hyperparasites.
Parenting Behaviors and Child Externalizing: A Short-Term Investigation of Directionality

Children (N = 404) provided data during 3rd and 4th grades concerning their mothers’ use of punitive discipline and yielding to coercion. Teachers provided data regarding their perceptions of children’s externalizing behaviors at school. We tested a cross-lagged model examining parental disciplinary behaviors as predictors of child externalizing behavior, as well as child externalizing behaviors as a predictor of parental disciplinary behaviors. For boys and for girls, there was over-time stability in all three variables of interest. For boys only, more externalizing behaviors in Grade 3 predicted greater use of punitive discipline by parents and more parental yielding to coercion in Grade 4, over and above Grade 3 levels of these parenting variables. The reverse direction of effects was not observed.
Analyzing Security Data.

Abstract Security is a challenging and strange property of software. Security is not about understanding how a customer might use the system; security is about ensuring that an attacker cannot abuse the system. Instead of defining what the system should do, security is about ensuring that system does not do something malicious. As a result, applying traditional software analytics to security leads to some unique challenges and caveats. In this chapter, we will discuss four “gotchas” of analyzing security data, along with vulnerabilities and severity scoring. We will describe a method commonly-used for collecting security data in open source projects. We will describe some of the state-of-the-art in analyzing security data today. Methods: Analyzing Vulnerability Coverage.
Costimulatory and coinhibitory immune checkpoint receptors in head and neck cancer: unleashing immune responses through therapeutic combinations

Head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) represents a model of escape from anti-tumor immunity. The high frequency of p53 tumor suppressor loss in HNSCC leads to genomic instability and immune stimulation through the generation of neoantigens. However, the aggressive nature of HNSCC tumors and significant rates of resistance to conventional therapies highlights the ability of HNSCC to evade this immune response. Advances in understanding the role of co-stimulatory and immune checkpoint receptors in HNSCC-mediated immunosuppression lay the foundation for development of novel therapeutic approaches. This article provides an overview of these co-stimulatory and immune checkpoint pathways, as well as a review of preclinical and clinical evidence supporting the modulation of these pathways in HNSCC. Finally, the synergistic potential of combining these approaches is discussed, along with an update of current clinical trials evaluating combinations of immune-based therapies in HNSCC patients.
Towards precision medicine

Precision medicine is a strategy for tailoring clinical decision making to the underlying genetic causes of disease. This Review describes how, despite the straightforward overall principles of precision medicine, adopting it responsibly into clinical practice will require many technical and conceptual hurdles to be overcome. Such challenges include optimized sequencing strategies, clinically focused bioinformatics pipelines and reliable metrics for the disease causality of genetic variants.
Self-Determination Theory, Person-Centered Approaches, and Personal Goals: Exploring the Links

This chapter discusses self-determination theory (SDT) and its applications to personal goal-setting. SDT is a well-supported theory of optimal motivation, based on the assumption that human beings are inherently growth oriented. I will argue that SDT constitutes the best body of empirical support for PCA and Rogerian concepts. The chapter explores the crucial role of “authority autonomy support,” the process by which mentors (coaches, therapists, parents, teachers, managers) can help subordinates (athletes, clients, children, students, workers) to develop internalized motivation within a domain of activity. I also summarize research on the “organismic valuing process,” (OVP) a capacity possessed by all humans, which helps people to select “self-concordant” goals—goals that allow people to meet their psychological needs. An empirical example is presented in some detail, showing how SDT concepts can be integrated into a single process model of thriving in law students.
Patterned InGaAs/InGaAsP/InP quantum dot active lasers using diblock copolymer lithography and selective area MOCVD growth

Diblock copolymer nanopatterning and selective growth is implemented for realizing quantum dot active region lasers on InP substrates. The quantum dot active region is found to be sensitive to the temperature ramping prior to the cladding layer regrowth.
Embryonic Trogocytosis: Neighborly Nibbling during Development

Summary New work in Caenorhabditis elegans shows that during embryogenesis endodermal cells interact with and regulate primordial germ cells by actively excising and digesting germ cell lobes. Endodermal cells utilize proteins linked to endocytosis to perform this unique ‘cannibalistic' process.
γ-Protocadherins Interact with Neuroligin-1 and Negatively Regulate Dendritic Spine Morphogenesis

The 22 γ-Protocadherin (γ-Pcdh) cell adhesion molecules are critical for the elaboration of complex dendritic arbors in the cerebral cortex. Here, we provide evidence that the γ-Pcdhs negatively regulate synapse development by inhibiting the postsynaptic cell adhesion molecule, neuroligin-1 (Nlg1). Mice lacking all γ-Pcdhs in the forebrain exhibit significantly increased dendritic spine density in vivo, while spine density is significantly decreased in mice overexpressing one of the 22 γ-Pcdh isoforms. Co-expression of γ-Pcdhs inhibits the ability of Nlg1 to increase spine density and to induce presynaptic differentiation in hippocampal neurons in vitro. The γ-Pcdhs physically interact in cis with Nlg1 both in vitro and in vivo, and we present evidence that this disrupts Nlg1 binding to its presynaptic partner neurexin1β. Together with prior work, these data identify a mechanism through which γ-Pcdhs could coordinate dendrite arbor growth and complexity with spine maturation in the developing brain.
Power, Wealth, and Satisfaction: When Do Power Transitions Lead to Conflict?

Power transition theory (PTT) has had a progressive research program for more than half a century. In spite of this, one of its key concepts, satisfaction, has remained undertheorized. A compelling theory explaining why growth would make some states dissatisfied in the context of power transitions and others satisfied has not been articulated. It is argued here that satisfaction must be theorized at two levels of analysis: the global and the dyadic. The key to distinguishing satisfied versus dissatisfied states at the global level lies in specifically differentiating between the structural effects of changing power and the satisfying effect of increasing wealth. At the dyadic level, conflict over territory creates a perfect storm of state dissatisfaction. The study develops a theoretical framework for a multilevel understanding of satisfaction and its impact and tests it across politically relevant dyads from 1950 to 2001. The evidence strongly supports the hypotheses.
Programmed cell death ligand 1 and tumor-infiltrating lymphocyte status in patients with renal cell carcinoma and sarcomatoid dedifferentiation.

BACKGROUND The immune profile of sarcomatoid renal cell carcinoma (sRCC), including the programmed cell death ligand 1 (PD-L1) and programmed cell death 1 (PD-1) status, has not been well characterized. METHODS An immunohistochemical digital analysis of PD-L1, PD-1, CD4, and CD8 was performed on nephrectomy specimens from 118 sRCC patients and 92 nonsarcomatoid clear cell renal cell carcinoma (ccRCC) patients. The clinical characteristics of the population were compared between sRCC and ccRCC. Overall survival was estimated, and comparisons were made between PD-L1–positive and PD-L1–negative groups as well as tumor-infiltrating lymphocyte (TIL)–high and TIL-low groups. RESULTS The PD-L1 H-score of sRCC (mean, 3.7; range, 0-192.1) was significantly higher than the score of grade 4 ccRCC (P = .001), and 41.3% of sRCC cases showed a PD-L1 H-score ≥ 10. The PD-1–positive cell density was significantly higher in sRCC versus ccRCC within the tumor and at the invasive front. The intratumoral CD8-positive cell density was significantly higher in sRCC versus ccRCC. Forty-one percent in the sarcomatoid component of sRCC and 8% in the epithelioid component of sRCC had an adaptive immune resistance phenotype (PD-L1–positive and TIL-positive), whereas only 1% in ccRCC had the type I phenotype. CONCLUSIONS sRCC showed higher PD-L1 expression and higher PD-1– and CD8-positive cell density than grade 4 ccRCC. The results indicate a notable immunosuppressive environment in sRCC. Despite advances in the treatment of advanced-stage renal cell carcinoma, sRCC still has a poor prognosis. This work describes highly immunosuppressive characteristics of sRCC in comparison with an appropriate ccRCC control. The results suggest PD-1/PD-L1 blockade therapy as a potential therapeutic approach for sRCC. Cancer 2017. © 2017 American Cancer Society.
Independent Effects of Neighborhood Poverty and Psychosocial Stress on Obesity Over Time.

The objective of the study was to examine the independent effects of neighborhood poverty and psychosocial stress on increases in central adiposity over time. Data are from a community sample of 157 Non-Hispanic Black, Non-Hispanic White, and Hispanic adults collected in 2002–2003 and 2007–2008, and from the 2000 Decennial Census. The dependent variable was waist circumference. Independent variables included neighborhood poverty, perceived neighborhood physical environment, family stress, safety stress, everyday unfair treatment, and a cumulative stress index. Weighted 3-level hierarchical linear regression models for a continuous outcome were used to assess the effects of neighborhood poverty and psychosocial stress on central adiposity over time. We also assessed whether psychosocial stress mediated the association between neighborhood poverty and central adiposity. Neighborhood poverty and everyday unfair treatment at baseline were independently associated with increases in central adiposity over time, accounting for the other indicators of stress. Perceptions of the neighborhood physical environment and cumulative stress mediated associations between neighborhood poverty and central adiposity. Results suggest that residing in neighborhoods with higher concentrations of poverty and exposure to everyday unfair treatment independently heighten risk of increased central adiposity over time. Associations between neighborhood poverty and central adiposity were mediated by perceptions of the neighborhood physical environment and by the cumulative stress index. Public health strategies to reduce obesity should consider neighborhood poverty and exposure to multiple sources of psychosocial stress, including everyday unfair treatment.
Elements of a Successful Program

Building a successful team begins with having the right components, and in a residency, key members are the residents and the faculty members—learners and teachers. The task of selecting residents often takes into account quantifiable factors, such as standardized test scores, and subjective factors judged at an interview. Core faculty members must also be carefully selected to meet certain requirements.
Recent developments in public financial management in the european community: a comparative analysis

This article identifies major public financial management developments in the European Community (EC). Despite a certain degree of disparity, the EC member countries have had a number of common developments in public financial management. In general, central governments of most EC member countries were faced with resource constraints, growing spending demands and large budget deficits. Moreover, fiscal changes had to be made in order to reach the single European market goal targeted by 1992. Thus, several fiscal policy and management initiatives were developed including tax reforms, changes in spending programs, improve-ments of government performance, and fiscal harmonization. The results of these initiatives are reflected in the patterns of central government receipts and outlays in the EC member countries.
First confirmed case of Powassan neuroinvasive disease in Rhode Island.

Abstract The Powassan Virus is the arthropod-borne vector responsible for Powassan neuroinvasive disease. The virus was first isolated in 1958 and has been responsible for approximately 100 cases of neuroinvasive disease. Rates of infection have been on the rise over the past decade with numerous states reporting their first confirmed case; New Jersey, New Hampshire and Connecticut all reported their first case within the last five years. We present here the first confirmed case of Powassan neuroinvasive disease in the nearby state of Rhode Island. A previously healthy 81-year-old female with known tick exposure presented with fever, altered sensorium, seizures and focal neurological deficits. After an extensive work-up that was largely unrevealing Powassan encephalitis was suspected. The diagnosis was confirmed with serological testing consisting of Powassan IgM enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay and Powassan plaque reduction neutralization testing. The case study provides evidence for the increasing spread of Powassan neuroinvasive disease and reinforces the importance of requesting focused testing for Powassan Virus in patients from an endemic area with a clinically compatible syndrome.
Diagnostic Effects of an Early Mastery Activity in College Algebra and Precalculus

The purpose of this study was to investigate implementation of an early intervention mastery activity during the first two weeks of college algebra and precalculus courses at a large U.S. public university. Statistical modeling of (N = 935) students’ performance in the courses, including a logistic regression model of pass/fail course achievement with students’ high school rank, ACT Mathematics scores, and performance on the intervention as explanatory variables, suggested significant independent differences in course performance across performance levels on the early mastery activity. An evaluation of diagnostic validity for the model yielded a 19% false negative rate (predicted to fail the course, but passed) and a 7% false positive rate (students predicted to pass the course, but failed), suggesting the early mastery activity, when combined with admissions indicators of mathematics readiness, may be useful in better identifying students at risk of failing their first university mathematics course. This strategy, which also yields information for focused intervention efforts, is currently being explored through a campus-wide advising tool at the research site.
Initial Experience with Intraoperative Phosphorous-32 Brachytherapy During Resection of Malignant Spinal Tumors.

Introduction Brachytherapy is a major adjuvant modality for neoplasms, but few have trialed its use for spinal tumors. This study examines perioperative and oncologic outcomes of patients with malignant spinal tumors who underwent resection with intraoperative phosphorous-32 (P32) brachytherapy. Methods Consecutive adult patients who underwent P32 brachytherapy during malignant spinal tumor resection were retrospectively identified from 2014 to 2015. Complications, tumor recurrence, and survival were reviewed. A comprehensive review of the literature was performed. Results A total of 8 patients were included. Average age was 54.3 years, and 25.0% were males. Tumor types included metastatic leiomyosarcoma, chordoma, multifocal recurrent ependymomas, breast metastasis, malignant meningioma, and myxofibrosarcoma. One-half of patients underwent en bloc tumor resection. P32 plaques were applied to 2 sites per patient for mean 13.1 minutes per site with a goal penetration of 10 Gy to 1-mm depth. Perioperative complications occurred in 3 patients (37.5%), including a persistent cerebral spinal fluid leak, deep infection requiring reoperation, and sacral insufficiency fracture. At a mean 25.6 months follow-up, local recurrence rate was 25.0%, and overall survival was 75.0%. Mean time to recurrence was 14.4 months. Survival at 6, 12, 18, and 24 months was 100.0%, 100.0%, 85.7%, and 71.4%, respectively. Conclusions The use of P32 is safe and feasible. P32 intraoperative brachytherapy does not seem to increase the rate of complications. The sample size of this series is small with heterogeneity in tumor type, but recurrence and survival outcomes seem promising compared with previous reports. Further clinical trials are needed.
Comparing Cueing and Constraints Interventions for Increasing Launch Angle in Baseball Batting

What is the most effective coaching intervention for assisting a skilled athlete in modifying their technique? The present study directly compared 2 types of attentional cueing (internal focus [IF] and external focus [EF]) with a constraints-led approach (CLA) manipulation for teaching experienced b
Commentary: Will 'Deaths of Despair' among Whites Change How We Talk about Racial/Ethnic Health Disparities?

The recent trend of premature death among Whites in the United States has garnered attention in both the popular and academic literature. This attention has focused on the plight of low socioeconomic status Whites in non-urban areas. The population health lit­erature in general and the health disparities literature more specifically has struggled to describe differences in health when White groups present worse health outcomes or worsening trends compared with racial/ ethnic minority groups. There remain many open questions as population health/health disparities research attempts to explain the increasing mortality rates for low socioeco­nomic status Whites in non-urban areas in relationship to other racial/ethnic groups. As the conversation in the academic and popular literature continues to unfold, a key question for population health research and practice is how will the ‘deaths of despair’ phenomenon among Whites influence our measuring of, and reporting and interven­ing on, race/ethnic health disparities? Ethn Dis. 2018;28(2):123-128; doi:10.18865/ ed.28.2.123.
A Scalable, Multiplexed Assay for Decoding Receptor-Ligand Interactions

Chemicals such as drugs, hormones, and odorants can have many potential interactions with endogenous targets, and uncovering these relationships is critical for understanding and modulating function. Mammalian olfactory receptors (ORs), a large family of G protein-coupled receptors, mediate olfaction through activation by small molecules. Each OR can respond to many odorants, and vice versa, making exploring this space one interaction at a time difficult. We developed a high-throughput receptor screening platform in human cell lines to screen libraries of chemicals against a multiplexed library of receptors using next-generation sequencing of barcoded genetic reporters. We screened three concentrations of 181 odorants, where in each well we record the activity of 39 ORs simultaneously, and identified 79 novel associations, including ligands for 15 orphan receptors. This platform allows the cost-effective mapping of large chemical libraries to receptor repertoires at scale.
Is the Acetylcholine Receptor a Unit-Conductance Channel?

In this chapter I show that the acetylcholine-activated receptor channel (AChR) can show multiple open states, some of which have measurably different conductances and others of which are only kinetically distinguishable.
SLP-76 deficiency impairs signaling via the high-affinity IgE receptor in mast cells.

SLP-76 is an adapter protein expressed in T cells and myeloid cells that is a substrate for ZAP-70 and Syk. SLP-76–deficient mice exhibit a profound block in T-cell development. We found that although SLP-76 is expressed in mouse mast cells, SLP-76–/– mice have normal numbers of mast cells in their skin and bronchi. SLP-76–/– mice are resistant to IgE-mediated passive anaphylaxis. SLP-76–/– mice sensitized with IgE anti-dinitrophenyl (DNP) and then challenged with DNP-HSA developed only mild and transient tachycardia, failed to increase their plasma histamine level, and all survived the antigen challenge. Bone marrow–derived mast cells (BMMCs) from SLP76–/– mice failed to release β-hexosaminidase and to secrete IL-6 after FceRI cross-linking. Tyrosine phosphorylation of phospholipase C-γ1 (but not of Syk) and calcium mobilization in response to IgE cross-linking were reduced in SLP-76–deficient BMMCs. These results suggest that SLP-76 plays an important role in FceRI-mediated signaling in mast cells. J. Clin. Invest. 103:1737–1743 (1999).
REMOVING THE POSITIVIST STRAIGHT JACKET FROM INFORMATION SYSTEMS DESIGN SCIENCE RESEARCH

Information Systems Design Science (ISDS) as a research community is limited by a small number of research frameworks with considerable influence. The small triad of influential ISDS research, consisting of Walls, et al (1992), March and Smith (1995), and Hevner et al (2004) have primarily limited ISDS research to the positivist paradigm and the IT artefact. In contrast, Herbert Simon’s intentions for design science never had such restrictions and intended a broader perspective. This essay explores Simon’s intentions for design science, the Simonian stream of thought that includes The Sciences of the Artificial, as well as much of his most notable research, and offers an ‘informed view’ of design science in the tradition of Rortyian neopragmatism.
Measurement of the Power Consumption

In the previous chapter, we detailed the different simple models that could possibly be used to describe the behavior of CMOS devices. These models may allow an adversary to correlate the actual power consumption (monitored from the chip) with an hypothetical one depending on the key guess and the chosen model. As we will see in Chap. 6, a power consumption model can also be built from a training phase with a second identical device. Those attacks requiring a profiling training are known as Template Attack [AARR02] and Stochastic Models [SLP05]
Percutaneous Biliary Stone Extraction: Radiologic and Combined Radiologic-Endoscopic Techniques

In certain clinical settings, percutaneous fragmentation and extraction is an acceptable option for the treatment of biliary calculi. There are three potential percutaneous access routes: a mature surgical T-tube tract, a percutaneous transhepatic entry into a bile duct, or a percutaneous entry into the gallbladder. Fluoroscopic guidance is used to locate and extract the calculi. Fragmentation of large calculi can be accomplished using mechanical, laser, electrohydraulic, or ultrasonic lithotripsy. Direct dissolution therapy is also being investigated to decrease stone load. A multidisciplinary approach using a combination of endoscopic and radiologic techniques can be helpful.
Osteoblasts are "educated" by crosstalk with metastatic breast cancer cells in the bone tumor microenvironment.

In a cancer-free environment in the adult, the skeleton continuously undergoes remodeling. Bone-resorbing osteoclasts excavate erosion cavities, and bone-depositing osteoblasts synthesize osteoid matrix that forms new bone, with no net bone gain or loss. When metastatic breast cancer cells invade the bone, this balance is disrupted. Patients with bone metastatic breast cancer frequently suffer from osteolytic bone lesions that elicit severe bone pain and fractures. Bisphosphonate treatments are not curative. Under ideal circumstances, osteoblasts would synthesize new matrix to fill in erosion cavities caused by osteoclasts, but this is not what occurs. Our prior evidence demonstrated that osteoblasts are diverted from laying down bone matrix to producing cytokines that facilitate breast cancer cell maintenance in late-stage disease. Here, we have new evidence to suggest that there are subpopulations of osteoblasts in the tumor niche as evidenced by their protein marker expression that have distinct roles in tumor progression in the bone. Tumor-bearing tibia of mice was interrogated by immunofluorescent staining for the presence of osteoblasts and alterations in niche protein expression. De-identified tissue from patients with bone metastatic breast cancer was analyzed for osteoblast subpopulations via multi-plex immunofluorescent staining. Effects of breast cancer cells on osteoblasts were recapitulated in vitro by osteoblast exposure to breast cancer-conditioned medium. Triple-negative and estrogen receptor-positive breast cancer proliferation, cell cycle, and p21 expression were assessed upon contact with “educated” osteoblasts. A subpopulation of osteoblasts was identified in the bone tumor microenvironment in vivo of both humans and mice with bone metastatic breast cancer that express RUNX2/OCN/OPN but is negative for IL-6 and alpha-smooth muscle actin. These tumor “educated” osteoblasts (EOs) have altered properties compared to “uneducated” osteoblasts and suppress both triple-negative and estrogen receptor-positive breast cancer cell proliferation and increase cancer cell p21 expression. EO effects on breast cancer proliferation were mediated by NOV and decorin. Importantly, the presence of EO cells in the tibia of mice bearing tumors led to increased amounts of alkaline phosphatase and suppressed the expression of inflammatory cytokines in vivo. Our work reveals that there is a subpopulation of osteoblasts in the bone tumor microenvironment that demonstrate a functional role in retarding breast cancer cell growth.
Trait anhedonia is a transdiagnostic correlate of internalizing problems during adolescence

Abstract Developmental research documents that anhedonia, or diminished interest in usual activities, is associated with a diverse array of emotional problems in childhood and adolescence. Meanwhile, official nosologies desginate anhedonia as a more specific characteristic of major depressive disorder. Using a quantitative model of the internalizing domain, we compared the strength of transdiagnostic versus diagnosis-specific pathways from anhedonia to major depression (and other internalizing conditions) during adolescence. We recruited 241 youth ages 14–17 who completed semistructured interviews of anxiety and depressive disorders, as well as several self-report surveys of trait anhedonia and neuroticism. Confirmatory factor analysis of diagnostic correlations revealed good fit for a unidimensional model of the 10 internalizing conditions we assessed. This overarching internalizing dimension was statistically significantly correlated with trait anhedonia (r = 0.17) and neuroticism (r = 0.59). In contrast, anhedonia was virtually unrelated to major depression (r = −0.02), net the internalizing dimension. Thus, in this sample, the connection between anhedonia and major depression was explained by a transdiagnostic dimension presumed to underlie all internalizing problems. Compared to neuroticism, however, anhedonia had a more limited association with internalizing, consistent with established personality models of anxiety and depression. We conclude that these data are consistent with conceptualizing anhedonia predominantly as a transdiagnostic correlate of internalizing conditions, rather than a specific marker of major depression, in developmental psychopathology research and clinical interventions for young people.