cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
The Molecular Signatures Database Hallmark Gene Set Collection

The Molecular Signatures Database (MSigDB) is one of the most widely used and comprehensive databases of gene sets for performing gene set enrichment analysis. Since its creation, MSigDB has grown beyond its roots in metabolic disease and cancer to include >10,000 gene sets. These better represent a wider range of biological processes and diseases, but the utility of the database is reduced by increased redundancy across, and heterogeneity within, gene sets. To address this challenge, here we use a combination of automated approaches and expert curation to develop a collection of “hallmark” gene sets as part of MSigDB. Each hallmark in this collection consists of a “refined” gene set, derived from multiple “founder” sets, that conveys a specific biological state or process and displays coherent expression. The hallmarks effectively summarize most of the relevant information of the original founder sets and, by reducing both variation and redundancy, provide more refined and concise inputs for gene set enrichment analysis.
Ultradian adrenocortical and circulatory oscillations in conscious dogs

We examined adrenal blood flow, cortisol secretion rate, concentration of cortisol in adrenal venous blood, mean arterial blood pressure, and heart rate in unrestrained conscious dogs, sampling at 15-20 s, 5 min, or 10 min during experiments lasting from 30 min to 8 h. Time history analysis designed for short, noisy time series detected three significant ultradian oscillatory periods: approximately 3, 6, and 90 min. Circulatory variables (systemic mean arterial pressure, heart rate, and adrenal blood flow) showed all three. Cortisol secretion rate showed the 3- and 90-min oscillations but not the 6-min oscillation. Adrenal glucocorticoid secretion rate and adrenal blood flow were not strongly coupled. However, at one extreme of blood flow (close to zero) and at the opposite extreme (very high blood flow stimulated by adrenocorticotropic hormone) adrenal blood flow and cortisol secretion were tightly coupled. In the normal physiological range, the multiperiodic, rhythmic organization of circulatory variables and adrenal glucocorticoid function arises from independent or only weakly coupled oscillators, not necessarily harmonically related, manifesting near-periodicity with wobble and intermittency.
Analyzing the relationship between decorrelation time and tissue thickness in acute rat brain slices using multispeckle diffusing wave spectroscopy

Novel techniques in the field of wavefront shaping have enabled light to be focused deep inside or through scattering media such as biological tissue. However, most of these demonstrations have been limited to thin, static samples since these techniques are very sensitive to changes in the arrangement of the scatterers within. As the samples of interest get thicker, the influence of the dynamic nature of the sample becomes even more pronounced and the window of time in which the wavefront solutions remain valid shrinks further. In this paper, we examine the time scales upon which this decorrelation happens in acute rat brain slices via multispeckle diffusing wave spectroscopy and investigate the relationship between this decorrelation time and the thickness of the sample using diffusing wave spectroscopy theory and Monte Carlo photon transport simulation.
The Student Voice: “Purging the Rabies of Racism”

Abstract The Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee (SNCC) formed in 1960 to coordinate the sit-in activities taking place across the South and accordingly to promote civil rights for all Americans. With this mission before them, the founding SNCC workers immediately began producing and distributing The Student Voice, their official newsletter. During its five-year existence, the newsletter provided a forum for the exchange of news about the movement and helped to increase awareness about the organization and its activities. This study examines The Student Voice s administrative history and content and traces how it supported and united SNCC workers while simultaneously influencing the social ideologies of the early 1960s by providing alternative news coverage of the civil rights movement.
Electron Paramagnetic Resonance of Fe 3 + in Ti O 2 (Rutile)

Paramagnetic resonance has been observed from 2 kMc/sec to 110 kMc/sec in ${\mathrm{Fe}}^{3+}$-doped single crystals of rutile at 78\ifmmode^\circ\else\textdegree\fi{}K, 4.2\ifmmode^\circ\else\textdegree\fi{}K, and 1.4\ifmmode^\circ\else\textdegree\fi{}K. The rather large zero field splittings measured between the three doublets are 43.3\ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{}0.1 kMc/sec and 81.3\ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{}0.1 kMc/sec. The derived constants for the spin Hamiltonian ${\mathcal{H}=g\ensuremath{\beta}\mathrm{H}\ifmmode\cdot\else\textperiodcentered\fi{}\mathrm{S}\ifmmode\times\else\texttimes\fi{}D({{S}_{z}}^{2}\ensuremath{-}\frac{35}{12})+E({{S}_{x}}^{2}\ensuremath{-}{{S}_{y}}^{2})+(\frac{a}{6})({{S}_{x}}^{4}+{{S}_{y}}^{4}+{{S}_{z}}^{4}\ensuremath{-},\frac{707}{16)}}{+(\frac{7}{36})F[{{S}_{z}}^{4}\ensuremath{-}(\frac{95}{14}){{S}_{z}}^{2}+\frac{81}{16}].}$ are $D=20.35\ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{}0.1$ kMc/sec, $E=2.21\ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{}0.07$ kMc/sec, $a=1.1\ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{}0.2$ kMc/sec, $F=\ensuremath{-}0.5\ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{}0.3$ kMc/sec, $D=20.35\ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{}0.1$ kMc/sec, $E=2.21\ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{}0.07$ kMc/sec, $a=1.1\ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{}0.2$ kMc/sec, $F=\ensuremath{-}0.5\ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{}0.3$ kMc/sec, $g=2.000\ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{}0.005$. The average line width is 35 Mc/sec for 2\ifmmode\times\else\texttimes\fi{}${10}^{19}$ spins per ${\mathrm{cm}}^{3}$, and the average spin-lattice relaxation time ${T}_{1}$ at $T=1.4\ifmmode^\circ\else\textdegree\fi{}$K is 4 msec. ${T}_{1}$ still has a very slow inverse temperature dependence even at $T=78\ifmmode^\circ\else\textdegree\fi{}$K. An increase in sensitivity over metal walled cavity spectrometers was achieved by using the pieces of Fe-doped rutile as the microwave resonators.
Exploiting photochromism for optical nanopatterning

This paper reports the application of photochromic molecules to optical subwavelength nanopatterning. Two distinct approaches will be described.
Innovative Chemical/Ceramic Directions

I have attempted herein to show that relatively simple chemistry is available for much needed application to ceramic technology. The literature, as exemplified in the second section, already contains much more usable information than generally supposed. We need, too, a revival in simple inorganic chemistry.
Pregnancy: A Time of Increased Focus on Health

Pregnancy is a time when women are at increased risk to gain substantial weight. It is also a time when women are more health conscious and may be more likely to engage in healthier behaviors. Beca...
279 SECONDARY HYPERPARATHYROIDISM, INTRACELLULAR CALCIUM OVERLOADING, AND OXIDATIVE STRESS IN RATS WITH ALDOSTERONISM.

Purpose Secondary hyperparathyroidism (SHPT) has been reported in patients hospitalized with untreated congestive heart failure (CHF) as well as those treated medically (Am J Med Sci 2006;331:30). Mechanisms responsible for Ca2+ dyshomeostasis include Ca2+ and Mg2+ wasting in urine and feces associated with aldosteronism and loop diuretic treatment and hypovitaminosis D in housebound individuals because of their effort intolerance. SHPT appears in rats receiving aldosterone (ALDO; 0.75 μg/h) and 1% NaCl in their drinking water (ALDOST), and where elevations in plasma parathyroid hormone (PTH) lead to intracellular Ca2+ overloading in diverse tissues, including peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC). We hypothesized that the SHPT seen in rats receiving ALDOST could be prevented by cotreatment with 1,25(OH)2D3 (calcitriol; 6 ng/d SC) and a diet supplemented with Ca2+ (2.5%) and Mg2+ (0.5%) (CCM). Methods and Results Eight-week-old male Sprague-Dawley rats received ALDOST alone for 4 weeks or together with CCM. We monitored plasma PTH and ionized [Ca2+]o, cytosolic-free [Ca2+]i, and H2O2 production in PBMC. Compared with age-/gender-matched, untreated controls, we found that ALDOST (mean ± SEM) was accompanied by a reduction (p Conclusions The ionized hypocalcemia that accompanies aldosteronism in rats and that contributes to the appearance of SHPT can be prevented by calcitriol and dietary Ca2+ and Mg2+ supplements. In so doing, this regimen prevents PTH-mediated intracellular [Ca2+]i overloading and induction of oxidative stress. These findings raise the prospect that the SHPT found in CHF could be managed with macro- and micronutrients.
Cytokine Imbalance and Its Function in Morbidity of Autoimmune Thyroid Disease in Children

Objective To explore the changes of cytokine levels and their roles in morbidity of autoimmune thyroid disease(AITD) in children.Methods The serum concentrations of interleukin-4(IL-4),interleukin-6(IL-6),tumor necrosis factor-α(TNF-α),interferon-γ (IFN-γ) were determined with enzyme linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) among 30 patients with Graves′ disease (GD) and 20 patients with Hashimotos thyroiditis(HT) and 30 children without AITD subjects.Results The serum levels of IL-4 and IL-6 in patients with GD were higher than those of subjects (Pa0.05) and the ratios of IFN-γ/ IL-4,TNF-α/ IL-6 significantly decreased(Pa0.05), while the serum levels of IFN-γ,TNF-α and the ratios of IFN-γ/ IL-4,TNF-α/ IL-6 in patients with HT were higher than those of control subjects (Pa0.05),and serum IL-4 and IFN-γ levels in HT patients were higher than those in GD patients(Pa0.05).The po-sitive expressions of Th1 cytokine( IFN-γ ,TNF-α )were significantly higher than Th2 cytokine( IL-4 ,6)in HT patients,but the results were just opposite in GD patients.Conclusions GD patients excrete mostly IL-4 and IL-6,but HT patients excrete mostly IFN-γ and TNF-α.The autoimmune thyroid disease in children is closely relative to the imbalance of Th1/Th2 and its secretion Th1/Th2 cytokine.
Normen im Bereich des CAD

Normen im Bereich des CAD wurden bisher nur zum Zwecke des Austausches von CAD-Modelldaten entwickelt. Dabei geht es darum, fertige oder halbfertige Modelle als die Ergebnisse der Arbeiten eines Senders in digitaler Form weiterzuleiten, damit diese, als die Grundlage fur die notwendigen nachfolgenden Arbeitsschritte, einem Empfanger unmittelbar zur Verfugung gestellt werden konnen. Austauschbar sollen dabei sowohl Neuentwicklungen als auch vordefinierte Wiederholteile sein, die zunachst an Bibliotheken gesendet und dort solange “zwischengelagert” werden, bis ein empfangendes CAD-System sie einliest und in seinen Arbeiten weiterverwendet.
Attention Deficit Disorder and Methylphenidate

1) Members of the Departments of Social Ecology and Psychology at the University of California, Irvine 92717 and Los Angeles 90024 have investigated the effects of methylphenidate on the social behaviors of hyperactive children ages 6 to 11 during unstructured activities in an outdoor summer program.
Flame-Resistant Wool-Cotton and Wool-Cotton-Polyester Blends1

A water-soluble, commercially available, oligomeric vinyl phosphonate ester effectively imparts flame resistance to wool-cotton and wool-cotton-polyester blends. Fabric hand is excellent. Limiting oxygen index values range from 26.6 to 27.4. Air permeability and ball-burst strength are reduced. Felting shrinkage is decreased and moth resistance of the wool blend fabrics is increased. The cotton component of the blend evidently acts as a carrier for the copolymerized phosphonate ester.
Mental health of adolescents with currently and formerly incarcerated parents

Reliable information about children of incarcerated people is difficult to obtain, and major gaps exist in our understanding of their well-being. This study aims to determine whether adolescents with incarcerated parents report higher levels of mental health problems than those without an incarcerated parent, and whether the relationship between parental incarceration and adolescent mental health is moderated by parent-child relationships. Using a statewide survey from one US state, we compared adolescents with a currently incarcerated parent to those with a formerly incarcerated parent and those with no history of parental incarceration on self-reported indicators of mental health, and examined whether strong parent-child relationships were protective against mental health concerns. Results indicate that adolescents with incarcerated parents are at elevated risk for mental health problems, and strong parent-child relationships partially buffer children from risk. Findings underscore the need for more investment in effective early interventions for adolescents in highly adverse contexts.
Modeling and tracking Transmission Line Dynamic Behavior in Smart Grids using structured sparsity

In this work a new and fast network-wide framework is addressed for modeling and tracking the dynamic behavior of transmission lines in Power Networks (PN). A sparse-based mathematical formulation for Transmission Line Dynamic Behavior Tracking (TLDBT) is formed by incorporating a PN Port-Hamiltonian model. Among the TLDBT a new set of intermediate parameters called the line dynamic index coefficients (LDIC) are defined based on the wave propagation analysis of current waves in transmission lines. It is shown how these coefficients can reflect the dynamic behavior of the transmission lines. The online monitoring of variations in these index coefficients is interpreted as an alternative approach for TLDBT in power grids. Finally, exploiting the inherent sparsity in the PN structure this TLDBT problem is reformulated as a Structured Sparse Recovery Problem (SSRP) and the TLDBT-SSRP is solved for LDICs. The simulation results indicate that the proposed framework can be considered as an alternative approach to address the new challenges in the future generation of smart power grids modeling, monitoring and congestion-management strategies.
In-Situ Force Augmentation Improves Surface Contact and Force Control

Surgeons routinely perform surgery with noisy, sub-threshold, or obscured visual and haptic feedback, either due to the necessary surgical approach, or because the systems on which they are operating are exceedingly delicate. Technological solutions incorporating haptic feedback augmentation have been proposed to address these difficulties, but the consequences for motor control have not been directly investigated and quantified. In this paper, we present two isometric force generation tasks performed with a hand-held robotic tool that provides in-situ augmentation of force sensation. An initial study indicated that magnification helps the operator maintain a desired supra-threshold target force in the absence of visual feedback. We further found that such force magnification reduces the mean and standard deviation of applied forces, and reduces the magnitude of power in the 4 to 7 Hz band corresponding to tremor. Specific benefits to stability, voluntary control, and tremor were observed in the pull direction, which has been previously identified as more dexterous compared to push.
American Power: The Challenge Within

The main threat to continued American leadership abroad is social problems at home. These include poverty and the decline of the working class, both of them caused initially by falling levels of work and marriage. Policymakers have traditionally tried to counter these trends by changing social benefits and incentives, but the problems are really cultural, reflecting a decline in individualism. The best answer is more structured schools and social programs that promote the disciplines essential to a free society, especially working. Immigration should also be reduced and more money spent on education, to promote assimilation. Despite Donald Trump’s election, consensus has built supporting such measures.
Is X (3872) a possible candidate as a hybrid meson

Abstract A study of the possibility of X ( 3872 ) as a hybrid state of c c ¯ g is presented. The associate productions of X ( 3872 ) and J / ψ in hadron collisions and flavor independence of hadrons in e e + → X ( 3872 ) + hadrons and the decays X ( 3872 ) → γ + hadrons are discussed. It is pointed out that X ( 3872 ) → J / ψ + σ could be a significant decay channel.
The Most Absurd Garments Space-Time Can Imagine: Home’s Precarious Counter-Topography

A Mercy ’s final words: “Florens. My love. Hear a tua mae,” remind us that acts of voice can sometimes traverse incalculable distances. Though Florens’ mother will never hear her speak in the voice of a grown woman or learn of her decision to “last,” by opting to give a minha mae the final word, Morrison proposes that acts of communication issuing from the imagination toward an intended destination always hit their mark. The plea a minha mae directs toward her daughter insists that she wishes to be understood and, if not forgiven, then not forgotten. In this instance, the last words of the novel insinuate that an act of desperation deserves to be ascertained as an indication of love’s bountiful possibilities, not its nullification; a gesture affirmed by the novel’s opening words, “Don’t be afraid.” Of course, part of the problem lies in the fact that we have no way to determine when a minha mae has given utterance to her words, but what interests me here is the manner in which novelistic closure invites us to return to the gesture of reassurance that opened the narrative.
Benign and malignant prostatic neoplasms: human studies.

Publisher Summary This chapter discusses benign and malignant prostatic neoplasms. The two most prevalent and clinically important forms of abnormal prostatic growth are benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) and prostatic adenocarcinoma. Surgery for BPH in the form of a transurethral resection is the most often used modality for treatment and is performed over 4,00,000 times each year in the United States. This makes BPH the second leading cause of surgery in the male, second only to cataract surgery. The symptom complex caused by BPH—often termed prostatism—can be divided into two main categories: (1) obstructive symptoms and (2) irritative symptoms. Obstructive urinary symptoms consist of a weak stream, abdominal straining, hesitancy, intermittency, incomplete bladder emptying, and terminal dribbling. Irritative symptoms include frequency, nocturia, and urgency. Patients presenting with BPH have symptoms that vary over a broad range. Standardized symptom scores and efforts to organize the indications for therapy, coupled with good clinical judgment and the patients' bother factor, dictate the need for treatment for this disease.
Use of Phase Transfer Agents in the Synthesis of Antimony (V) Polyamines

We have synthesized a number of antimony, bismuth and arsenic polyesters 1 and polyoximes 2 through the condensation of the salts of the diacids and dioximes with the corresponding organometal dihalide. 1–3 Recently we expended this to include the synthesis of antimony (V) polyamines (3). 4
Discovering Context-Aware Models for Predicting Business Process Performances

Discovering predictive models for run-time support is an emerging topic in Process Mining research, which can effectively help optimize business process enactments. However, making accurate estimates is not easy especially when considering fine-grain performance measures (e.g., processing times) on a complex and flexible business process, where performance patterns change over time, depending on both case properties and context factors (e.g., seasonality, workload). We try to face such a situation by using an ad-hoc predictive clustering approach, where different context-related execution scenarios are discovered and modeled accurately via distinct state-aware performance predictors. A readable predictive model is obtained eventually, which can make performance forecasts for any new running process case, by using the predictor of the cluster it is estimated to belong to. The approach was implemented in a system prototype, and validated on a real-life context. Test results confirmed the scalability of the approach, and its efficacy in predicting processing times and associated SLA violations.
Water Balance and Aquaporins

This article provides a general description of overall osmoregulatory mechanisms used by freshwater and marine teleost fish. It also has a general description of the characteristics of osmosis and water transport phenomena so that the reader is introduced to the language and concepts involved. There is then a more detailed description of the state-of-the-art concerning water transport mechanisms and more specifically the role of aquaporin water channels, in the gills, gastrointestinal tract, kidney, and urinary bladder, which together enable teleost fish to maintain water balance and achieve osmotic homeostasis.
Role of acetylcholine as an essential neurotransmitter in central respiratory drive.

John Scott Haldane in the 1930’s suggested that the profound effect of CO2 on the level of ventilation was related to its ability to change brain hydrogen ion concentration, and that the increase in ventilation seen with a rise in PCO2 was because of a fall in brain pH. Pappenheimer and associates (12) in the 1960’s showed that in the unanesthetized goat brain interstitial fluid pH determined the level of ventilation in chronic acid-base disorders. Site of action of H+ in the brain has been shown to be in at least three superficial areas on the ventral surface of the medulla. How hydrogen ions act at these “chemosensitive” sites is not clear(10). The possibilities are: 1- hydrogen ion gradient across the neuronal membrane; 2- H+ changes affect ions or ionic channels, and 3- H+ causes the release or activation of neurotransmsitters. Our studies have concentrated on neurotransmitter release, particularly acetylcholine.
Insect Allergy: Stinging and Biting Insects

Allergic reactions due to the common stinging insects bee, wasp, yellow jacket, and hornet will be the primary emphasis of this chapter. In addition, reactions due to fire ants, which are nonwinged hymenoptera, and biting insects will be briefly considered.
A Revision of Hoffmannseggia (Fabaceae) in North America

Abstract: Hoffmannseggia, a genus of the Caesalpinieae, Caesalpinioideae, has been treated as a synonym of Caesalpinia or as a distinct genus with as many as 25 species. Recent molecular and morphological work has provided strong support for a monophyletic Hoffmannseggia distinct from either Caesalpinia or Pomaria. This revision provides the first complete nomenclature and discussion of the 11 species (12 taxa) of Hoffmannseggia occurring in North America. Included are a key to the species, maps showing distributions, and photographs of flowers or fruits of six species.
Public Opinion and Setting the Agenda on the U.S. Supreme Court

Arguably the most influential power the U.S. Supreme Court has is the power to choose which cases to decide. This power allows the nation’s only unelected branch of government to choose either to w...
Factors associated with smoking cessation and smoking cessation interventions in the Gulf Cooperation Council countries

Objectives: To examined published literature describing the predictors of smoking cessation (SC) and cessation interventions in Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries. Methods : Systematic literature review using PubMed, Google Scholar, and grey literature. The study was conducted between October and December of 2017. Inclusion criteria were studies reporting factors associated with SC or studies of utilization or delivery of SC medications in GCC countries. Results : Twenty-one articles met the study criteria. Thematic analysis revealed factors associated with SC that were classified as individual or clinician level. Individual-level factors were access and cost of SC medications, knowledge about harms, concern about health, self-efficacy, perceived stress, level of tobacco consumption, belief about SC medications, clinician advice, social support, and enforcement of smoke-free ban. Clinician-level factors were time to provide counseling, training to assist patients, patient acceptance, best practice for treating patients, resources, perception related to responsibilities, and knowledge about effective medications. Conclusion : This review revealed perceived barriers to SC among smokers and clinicians in GCC countries. It highlighted cultural factors that need to be addressed by tobacco use policies in GCC countries to help smokers quit. Saudi Med J 2019; Vol. 40 (2): 119-125 doi: 10.15537/smj.2019.2.23904 How to cite this article: Monshi SS, Halpern MT. Factors associated with smoking cessation and smoking cessation interventions in the Gulf Cooperation Council countries. Saudi Med J . 2019 Feb;40(2):119-125. doi: 10.15537/smj.2019.2.23904.
We Could Use More Tolerance: Role of Intestinal-Allograft-Derived Human Stem Cells.

Mixed chimerism is associated with allograft acceptance and tolerance. In this issue of Cell Stem Cell, Fu et al. (2019) provide evidence that functional, donor-derived hematopoietic stem and progenitor cells in the intestinal allograft can persist long-term, contribute to multi-lineage chimerism in the circulation, and result in T cell tolerance through host lymphoid organ selection.
ImVerde: Vertex-Diminished Random Walk for Learning Imbalanced Network Representation

Imbalanced data widely exist in many high-impact applications. An example is in air traffic control, where among all three types of accident causes, historical accident reports with ‘personnel issues’ are much more than the other two types (‘aircraft issues’ and ‘environmental issues’) combined. Thus, the resulting data set of accident reports is highly imbalanced. On the other hand, this data set can be naturally modeled as a network, with each node representing an accident report, and each edge indicating the similarity of a pair of accident reports. Up until now, most existing work on imbalanced data analysis focused on the classification setting, and very little is devoted to learning the node representations for imbalanced networks. To bridge this gap, in this paper, we first propose Vertex-Diminished Random Walk (VDRW) for imbalanced network analysis. It is significantly different from the existing Vertex Reinforced Random Walk by discouraging the random particle to return to the nodes that have already been visited. This design is particularly suitable for imbalanced networks as the random particle is more likely to visit the nodes from the same class, which is a desired property for learning node representations. Furthermore, based on VDRW, we propose a semi-supervised network representation learning framework named ImVerde for imbalanced networks, where context sampling uses VDRW and the limited label information to create node-context pairs, and balanced-batch sampling adopts a simple under-sampling method to balance these pairs from different classes. Experimental results demonstrate that ImVerde based on VDRW outperforms state-of-the-art algorithms for learning network representations from imbalanced data.
Auctions in near-continuous time

The lack of a behavioral isomorphism between theoretically equivalent auction institutions is a robust finding in experimental economics. Using a near-continuous time environment and graphically adjustable bid functions, we are able to provide subjects with extensive feedback in multiple auction formats. We find that (1) First Price and Dutch Clock auctions are behaviorally isomorphic and (2) Second Price and English Clock auctions are behaviorally isomorphic. We further replicate the established result (1) that prices in Dutch Clock auctions exceed those of English Clock auctions and (2) that prices in First Price auctions exceed those of Second Price auctions. The latter pattern is often attributed to risk aversion which changes the equilibrium bidding strategy for First Price and Dutch Clock auctions. Because we observe each participant’s bid function directly, we find evidence suggesting a different explanation, namely that bidders are best responding to the distribution of observed prices.
Estimating the Impact of Developmental Education on Associate Degree Completion: A Dose–Response Approach

Close to two million first-year undergraduates enroll in developmental education each year. According to recent national estimates, less than half of students who start in developmental education go on to complete gateway courses and less than one-third eventually earn a degree. However, more research is needed to better assess potential relationships between developmental courses and student outcomes. This study comprehensively analyzes the effects of enrolling in and completing developmental education on associate degree completion—a key student outcome in the 2-year sector. Data for this study came from the Education Longitudinal Study of 2002 and the accompanying Postsecondary Education Transcript Study. Propensity score analysis and doubly robust techniques were used to estimate more accurate causal effects, while accounting for the non-random assignment into the treatment conditions. Furthermore, this study introduces propensity score matching for multivalued treatment conditions or dose–response analysis to the study of developmental education in order to estimate the average causal effects of enrolling in various quantities of developmental education on associate degree completion. Overall, when two groups of statistically similar students were compared, developmental education generally improved the chances of earning an associate degree. The dose–response analysis revealed that the relationship between the number of developmental courses a student takes and associate degree completion is not strictly linear.
Design and Analysis of a New GaN-Based AC/DC Converter for Battery Charging Application

This paper reports on the design, analysis, and characterization of a simple gallium nitride (GaN)-based ac/dc converter for battery charging applications. The proposed converter combines the merits of GaN switching transistors together with the advantages of close-to-unity power factor of a totem-pole power factor corrector, a high-frequency (HF) isolated series resonant converter, and a current doubler rectifier to reduce the copper losses of the HF transformer. The converter is designed to convert a 120 Vac input to a 48 Vdc/60 Vdc output for a 1.5 kW battery load at 65–100 kHz. Its steady-state characteristics are analyzed based on equivalent circuit and state-space models while its frequency characteristics are analyzed using MATLAB simulations. Finally, an experimental prototype is fabricated and characterized.
The Effects of Surface Roughness on the Durability of Polydopamine/PTFE Solid Lubricant Coatings on NiTiNOL 60

AbstractNiTiNOL 60, or 60NiTi, is a nickel–titanium alloy being investigated for bearing and gear applications. 60NiTi has many desirable properties for these applications; for example, it is hard,...
Cost-effectiveness of teduglutide in adult patients with short bowel syndrome: Markov modeling using traditional cost-effectiveness criteria

Background Adults with short bowel syndrome have a high mortality and significant morbidity due to unsuccessful attempts at rehabilitation that necessitate chronic use of parenteral nutrition (PN). Teduglutide is a novel therapy that promotes intestinal adaptation to improve rehabilitation but with a price >$400,000/y. Objective The current study evaluated the cost-effectiveness of using teduglutide in US adult patients with short bowel syndrome. Methods A Markov model evaluated the costs (in US dollars) and effectiveness (in quality-adjusted life years, or QALYs) of treatment compared with no teduglutide use, with a presumed starting age of 40 y. Parameters were obtained from published data or estimation. The primary effect modeled was the increased likelihood of reduced PN days per week when using teduglutide, leading to greater quality of life and lower PN costs. Sensitivity analyses were performed on all model parameters. Results In the base scenario, teduglutide cost $949,910/QALY gained. In 1-way sensitivity analyses, only reducing teduglutide cost decreased the cost/QALY gained to below the typical threshold of $100,000/QALY gained. Specifically, teduglutide cost would need to be reduced by >65% for it to reach the threshold value. Probabilistic sensitivity analysis favored no teduglutide use in 80% of iterations at a $100,000/QALY threshold. However, teduglutide therapy was cost-saving in 13% of model iterations. Conclusions Teduglutide does not meet a traditional cost-effectiveness threshold as treatment for PN reduction in adult patients with short bowel syndrome compared with standard intestinal rehabilitation. Subpopulations that demonstrate maximum benefit could be cost-saving, and complete nonuse could lead to financial loss. Teduglutide becomes economically reasonable only if its cost is substantially reduced.
Further Examination of a Critical Assumption Underlying the Dual-Discrepancy/Consistency Approach to Specific Learning Disability Identification

Abstract The aim of this study was to further examine a critical assumption underlying the dual-discrepancy/consistency (DD/C) patterns of strengths and weaknesses method of specific learning disab...
ULTRASTRUCTURE OF THE HUMAN OVARY. I. THE LUTEAL CELL DURING THE MENSTRUAL CYCLE.

Abstract Electron microscope studies were carried out on luteal cells of granulosal origin from corpora lutea estimated to be 5, 7, 14, 21, 23, and 29 days old. The human luteal cell contained an abundance of small membrane-bound vesicles that represented agranular endoplasmic reticulum. Mitochondria were numerous, and their number appeared to vary. They were most numerous in the 7-day-old specimen. Human luteal cell mitochondria possess villiform cristae. Large osmiophilic masses were observed that were presumably the well-known sudanophilic droplets of light microscopy. Lysosomes were present and varied with the cycle. The ribosomes were numerous, and their population also had a cyclic variation. The degeneration of the luteal cell was described. The possible relationship of the organelles to steroid biosynthesis was discussed.
A Dynamic Algorithm for Linear Algebraically Computing Nonbacktracking Walk Centrality

Dynamic graph data is used to represent the changing relationships in society, biology, web traffic, and more. When computing analytics on such evolving data, it is important to have algorithms that can update analytics quickly as data changes, without needing to recompute the analytics from scratch. A common analytic performed on graph data is that of centrality: identifying the most important (highly ranked) vertices in the graph. In this work we examine centrality scores based on nonbacktracking walks in graphs and propose methods to update such scores in dynamic graphs. We propose two dynamic methods and demonstrate that both are faster than statically recomputing the scores at each graph change. We additionally show that one of these methods is far superior than the other with regard to the quality of the scores obtained, and is able to produce good quality approximations with respect to a static recomputation. Our methods use properties of iterative methods to update local portions of the centrality vector as the graph changes (in this paper, we focus exclusively on edge additions). Experiments are performed on real-world networks with millions of vertices and edges.
Spatial Patterns of Political Choice in the Post-Yel'tsin Era: The Electoral Geography of Russia's 2000 Presidential Election

Two specialists on the electoral geography of post-Soviet Russia analyze spatial voting patterns from the March 2000 Russian presidential election by reference to the underlying socioeconomic traits of Russia's regions. In an effort to gauge the extent to which regional variations in voter turnout and preferences evident from previous elections persisted into the presidential election, the authors compare the outcome with results of a previous presidential contest (1996) and, where relevant, to the 1999 elections to the State Duma. Journal of Economic Literature, Classification Numbers: H10, O50, Z10. 7 figures, 5 tables, 21 references.
Challenging Varieties of Capitalisms Account of Business Interests: Neoliberal Think-Tanks, Discourse as a Power Resource and Employers Quest for Liberalization in Germany and Sweden

This article contributes to the debate on employer preferences. It challenges varieties of capitalism’s argument that manufacturing employers in Coordinated Market Economies (CMEs) will tend to defend non-liberal institutions because of the comparative institutional advantage that they provide. It examines Germany and Sweden, two critical cases in this debate. It is based on interviews with key officials and an in-depth examination of the Initiative Neue Soziale Marktwirtschaft (INSM) and Timbro, think-tanks sponsored by German and Swedish employers to shape public opinion. In line with power resource theory, I find that both German and Swedish employers have a strong preference for liberalization. In both cases, they responded to left-wing threats, institutional constraints and situations of ‘crisis’ by launching a counteroffensive and promoting welfare state reform, labor market flexibility and deregulation. Employers have used discourse as a power resource to pursue an aggressive liberalizing agenda and to attack institutions that required active deregulation on the part of the state. Whether employers in CMEs seek to dismantle existing institutions altogether or soften and reengineer these institutions from within, one thing is clear: their use of radical neoliberal discourse is incompatible with the claim that they defend traditional institutions in any meaningful sense. Section 3 of the paper includes a discussion of the role of Friedrich Merz, who was closely associated with the INSM, in pressing for liberalization and neo-liberal reforms in the early-mid 2000s.
The Situation in the Sphere of Science and Innovation

Two ongoing parallel processes marked the year 2016. The first one had to do with the continuing implementation of previously planned measures, although it clearly fell behind the earlier established schedule. The scientific research community defined it as progressive stagnation. The second process involved the active elaboration, at the government level, of new strategic documents aimed at a fundamental revision of current policies in the sphere of science and innovation. These were the Strategy for Scientific and Technological Development of the Russian Federation, the National Technology Initiative (NTI) Strategy, and the draft federal law On Scientific, Scientific-technological and Innovation Activity in the Russian Federation, to supersede the Federal Law On Science and State Scientific and Technological Policy enacted in 1996. In August, a new RF Minister of Education and Science was appointed, and so it could be expected that the priorities of the government policy in the field of science and related measures would likewise be adjusted. The focus may well be shifted towards the sphere of education, which is also important from the point of view of science: the creation of high quality human resources in the field of scientific research begins in the secondary school education system. In spite of the introduction of a number of comprehensive measures aimed at support and promotion, some aspects of the issues that have to do with lack of personnel in certain key areas have never been resolved. Among other things, it is necessary to alter the hierarchical and age structure of research personnel, create proper conditions for their career growth, and properly adjust the highest-level qualification training system.
Financial Crisis in Emerging Markets: A Canonical Model

We present a simple model that can account for the main features of recent financial crises in emerging markets. The international illiquidity of the domestic financial system is at the center of the problem. Illiquid banks are a necessary and a sufficient condition for financial crises to occur. Domestic financial liberalization and capital flows from abroad (especially if short-term) can aggravate the illiquidity of banks and increase their vulnerability to exogenous shocks and shifts in expectations. A bank collapse multiplies the harmful effects of an initial shock, as a credit squeeze and costly liquidation of investment projects cause real output drops and collapses in asset prices. Under fixed exchange rates, a run on banks becomes a run on the currency if the central bank attempts to act as a lender of last resort.
Four-Dimensional Covariance of Feynman Diagrams in Einstein Gravity

It was previously noted that physical states in terms of the ADM formalism in the framework of fourdimensional (4D) Einstein gravity holographically reduce and can be described as three-dimensional (3D). Obviously, a problem with 4D covariance arises with such an approach; it turns out that there are two such problems with covariance. We consider methods for solving these problems. Although the unphysical character of the trace part of the fluctuation metric has long been known, it has not been considered from the standpoint of applying Feynman diagrams for computations. A proper method for treating the trace part with gauge-fixing is the key to resolving subtle covariance issues. Regarding the second problem, it turned out that a covariant renormalization can be performed to any loop order in the intermediate steps, which preserves the 4D covariance. Only at the final stage is it necessary to consider 3D physical external states. With physical external states, the one-particle-irreducible effective action becomes 3D, and renormalizability is ensured just as in the 3D case. We present the one-loop two-point renormalization with careful attention to the trace part of the fluctuation metric. In particular, we describe the one-loop renormalization of the Newton constant.
Or Else (1946–1973)

This chapter explore how economies, societies, and political regimes evolved during the Cold War years in the American-led sphere, the Communist sphere, and the Third World. The chapter offers a second tour around the world, depicting how in every region the forces of strong state interventionism, nationalism, and social policies transformed local societies, dismantled the global economy, contested world hegemony, and reduced socio-economic inequalities.
Relationship Marketing: A Synthesis of Three Research Arenas

The relationship marketing literature has offered substantial insights, but also has been confounding. Different research streams use ideosyncratic definitions and terminology, and only tangentially merge as an integrative framework. An organizing framework is presented here to synthesize the three primary literature streams: services marketing, business-tobusiness marketing, and channels of distribution. Among the observations drawn from this endeavor are: there is no commonly accepted definition of relationship marketing, there is an absence of research on tangible consumer products, relationship marketing is reserved for important exchange partners, other marketing efforts can be mistaken as relationship marketing, and a modest amount of research has addressed the impact of relationalism on performance outcomes.
MEASURES OF QUALITY ADJUSTED LIFE AND QUALITY OF LIFE DEFICIENCY: STATISTICAL PERSPECTIVES

In the broad range WHO interpretation of Quality of Life, albeit made from an individualistic perspective, there are numerous qualitative factors along with some relatively more quantitative ones which are useful in the context of health related quality of life assessment problems. Though item analysis is commonly used in practice for (quantitative) risk assessment, for drawing valid conclusions, statistical reasoning is essential. Quality of life, survival time and quality adjusted life are important (population-based) measures that need to be appraised in light of statistical and health-related undercurrents. This paper addresses some basic statistical issues prevailing in this context.
DEVELOPMENTS IN AVIATION MEDICINE

Excerpt A highly specialized field of medical science may normally develop in two directions, either by increasing the information available in its own particular field or by broadening its scope. ...
Addressing disparities in children's oral health: a dental-medical partnership to train family practice residents.

Providing oral health care to rural populations in the United States is a major challenge. Lack of community water fluoridation, dental workforce shortages, and geographical barriers all aggravate oral health and access problems in the largely rural Northwest. Children from low-income and minority families and children with special needs are at particular risk. Family-centered disease prevention strategies are needed to reduce oral health disparities in children. Oral health promotion can take place in a primary care practitioner9s office, but medical providers often lack relevant training. In this project, dental, medical, and educational faculty at a large academic health center partnered to provide evidence-based, culturally competent pediatric oral health training to family medicine residents in five community-based training programs. The curriculum targets children birth to five years and covers dental development, the caries process, dental emergencies, and oral health in children with special needs. Outcome measures include changes in knowledge, attitudes, and self-efficacy; preliminary results are presented. The program also partnered with local dentists to ensure a referral network for children with identified disease at the family medicine training sites. Pediatric dentistry residents assisted in didactic and hands-on training of family medicine residents. Future topics for oral health training of family physicians are suggested.
Diabetes impairs sciatic nerve hyperemia induced by surgical trauma: implications for diabetic neuropathy

The most widely used methods to assess nerve blood flow in diabetics rats are hydrogen clearance polarography and laser Doppler flowmetry, techniques requiring surgical exposure of the nerve. In these experiments, we examined the hypothesis that the trauma of surgical exposure introduces an important and hitherto largely unrecognized variable that could account for discordant reports on nerve blood flow changes induced by diabetes. We used the noninvasive (for sciatic nerve) reference sample microsphere method to quantify sciatic nerve blood flow in unexposed va. surgically exposed nerves in rats with streptozotocin-induced diabetes (at different temperatures and after curarization) and in unexposed vs. surgically exposed nerves in galactose-fed rats. Baseline resting blood flow in unexposed nerves in both animal models of diabetes was either normal or increased (but was decreased in diabetic rats given d-tubocurarine). Furthermore, the normal brisk hyperemic nerve blood flow response to the minimal trauma associated with surgical exposure of the nerve was markedly impaired in diabetic and in galactose-fed rats. Normalization of the blood flow response to trauma in galactose-fed rats by an aldose reductase inhibitor suggests that the impairment is linked to increased polyol pathway metabolism. These findings 1) confirm our previous findings that sciatic nerve blood flow in diabetic rats is increased or unchanged in unexposed nerves, while also confirming reports that in surgically exposed nerves blood flow is higher in control than in diabetic rats, and 2) indicate that blood flows in surgically exposed nerves are largely a measure of vascular responses to injury rather than (patho)physiological blood flow in undisturbed nerves.