cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
The effect of drug use, drug treatment participation, and treatment completion on probationer recidivism

The prevalence of drug use among probationers, and the entire offender population, has been well documented. Numerous drug treatment modalities have been shown to reduce recidivism among this population; however, analyses of programmatic success are often based on a subset of offenders who complete treatment. Less is known about individuals who fail to complete treatment. The goal of the current study is to consider the interaction of drug use, drug treatment provision, and treatment completion on recidivism using data from the 2000 Illinois Probation Outcome Study. Findings from a series of proportional hazard models indicate that probationers who failed to complete treatment were more likely to be rearrested in the four years following discharge from probation, even when compared to individuals who needed treatment but did not enroll. Moreover, probationers who failed to complete treatment had more serious criminal histories and fewer ties to society. The research has important implications for the meas...
Parents Who Fail: A Study of 51 Cases of Termination of Parental Rights

Abstract This report reviews the concept of termination of parental rights and the role of the child psychiatrist in termination proceedings, and analyzes data based on our experience with 51 cases. We conclude that providing adoptive homes are available, termination of parental rights is a feasible and desirable option when return of children to biological parents is not possible. The child psychiatrist often plays a pivotal role in deciding when termination of parental rights is appropriate, and has a unique opportunity to share knowledge of child development with the court and promote decisions based on the child's best interests.
Flowfield interactions induced by massive lateral injection

Experiments have been conducted on a slender cone at Mach 20 with massive discrete injection to determine the flowfield interaction, including boundary-layer separation and its influence upon aerodynamic coefficients. It was found that the massive injection rates caused the boundary layer to separate to the cone nose, yielding a separation shock system symmetric with respect to the wind vector. This separation system, which engulfs the conical body, remains fixed with respect to the wind vector while the conical body follows its angle of attack oscillation within it. The resulting body forces and moments are statically stabilizing. The experiments suggest a straightforward analytical model to describe the jet/flowfield interaction and resultant boundary-layer separation. This model is used to compute the pressures, forces, and moments acting on the body. The analytical results compare well with the experiments. The transverse jet hypersonic flow interaction resulted in large unsteady oscillations. High-speed optical and high-frequency pressure diagnostics were used to frequency analyze the oscillations, which bear a marked resemblance to those occurring in hypersonic flow over spiked bodies.
Endoscopic cryotherapy for the treatment of bleeding mucosal vascular lesions of the GI tract: a pilot study.

Abstract Background: Thermal therapy is the cornerstone of endoscopic treatment of bleeding mucosal lesions of the GI tract. However, there is a 20% failure rate and contact devices may be cumbersome in the treatment of large bleeding areas. A pilot study was conducted to evaluate the safety and efficacy of endoscopic cryotherapy for bleeding mucosal vascular lesions. Methods: Patients with recurrent bleeding from diffuse mucosal vascular lesions were treated with cryotherapy and had endoscopic and clinical follow-up. Results: Twenty-six patients with gastric and duodenal arteriovenous malformations (n = 7), watermelon stomach (n = 7), radiation-induced gastritis (n = 5), and radiation-induced proctitis (n = 7) were treated with mean of 3.4 (1.6) sessions. The best results were achieved in patients with radiation-induced proctitis, with cessation of bleeding in all 7 patients. Cryotherapy was also effective in patients with multiple arteriovenous malformations (86%) and watermelon stomach (71%). It was less effective in patients with radiation-induced damage to stomach and duodenum, although all patients in this group were debilitated because of disseminated malignancy. Conclusions: Cryotherapy is a safe and effective treatment for bleeding from diffuse mucosal lesions of the GI tract. Bleeding from radiation-induced proctitis and multiple arteriovenous malformations is particularly responsive to endoscopic cryotherapy.
Data integration and workflow solutions for ecology

The Science Environment for Ecological Knowledge (SEEK) is designed to help ecologists overcome data integration and synthesis challenges. The SEEK environment enables ecologists to efficiently capture, organize, and search for data and analytical processes. We describe SEEK and discuss how it can benefit ecological niche modeling in which biodiversity scientists require access and integration of regional and global data as well as significant analytical resources.
A convex optimization approach to decentralized rate control in wireless networks with partial interference

Because wireless networks use shared communication channels, contention and interference can significantly degrade throughput and fairness. Optimal rate control algorithms can be designed for wireless networks by modeling the contention between routers using capacity constraints and solving a convex optimization problem. In this work we develop a more accurate network model that directly incorporates partial interference as a receiving constraint, so that it is modeled separately from contention. We show that using this new model leads to a convex optimization problem when formulated using link rates, but it is non-convex when formulated using flow rates.We then use numerical results to illustrate situations when modeling partial interference separately yields significantly higher effective utilities in practical network topologies.
A mutation in PLC1, a candidate phosphoinositide-specific phospholipase C gene from Saccharomyces cerevisiae, causes aberrant mitotic chromosome segregation.

Abstract We identified a putative Saccharomyces cerevisiae homolog of a phosphoinositide-specific phospholipase C (PI-PLC) gene, PLC1, which encodes a protein most similar to the delta class of PI-PLC enzymes. The PLC1 gene was isolated during a study of yeast strains that exhibit defects in chromosome segregation. plc1-1 cells showed a 10-fold increase in aberrant chromosome segregation compared with the wild type. Molecular analysis revealed that PLC1 encodes a predicted protein of 101 kDa with approximately 50 and 26% identity to the highly conserved X and Y domains of PI-PLC isozymes from humans, bovines, rats, and Drosophila melanogaster. The putative yeast protein also contains a consensus EF-hand domain that is predicted to bind calcium. Interestingly, the temperature-sensitive and chromosome missegregation phenotypes exhibited by plc1-1 cells were partially suppressed by exogenous calcium.
Synthesis of Instruction Sets for Pipelined Microprocessors

We present a systematic approach to synthesize an instruction set such that the given application software can be efficiently mapped to a parameterized, pipelined microarchitecture. In addition, the assembly code is generated to show how the application can be compiled with the synthesized instruction set. The design of instruction sets is formulated as a modified scheduling problem. A binary tuple is proposed to model the semantics of instructions and integrate the instruction formation process into the scheduling process. A simulated annealing scheme is used to solve for the schedules. Experiments have shown that the approach is capable of synthesizing powerful instructions for modern pipelined microprocessors. The synthesis algorithm ran with reasonable time and a modest amount of memory for large benchmarks.
The effects of precision and small impedance branches on power flow robustness

Renewed interest at EPRI on improved power flow techniques is due to the recent improvements in the robustness of fast power flow algorithms. In this paper the authors investigate two interacting parameters which affect convergence in power flow algorithms, limited precision and small impedance branches. Analytical methods and experimental results are given for predicting the minimum convergence tolerance achievable by an algorithm as a function of the infimum of the set of branch impedance values, and the number of bits of mantissa precision. Methods are suggested for increasing the virtual precision at minimal computational cost and for scanning power flow input data to determine whether available precision is sufficient. >
Adherence to evidence-based secondary prevention pharmacotherapy in patients after an acute coronary syndrome: A systematic review.

Abstract Objective To synthesize current evidence on medication adherence rates and associated risk factors in patients after an acute coronary syndrome (ACS). Methods A systematic review was conducted. Five electronic databases and article bibliographies were searched for publications from 1990 to 2013 which assessed adherence to secondary prevention pharmacotherapy in adults after hospital discharge for an ACS. Identified studies were screened using pre-defined criteria for eligibility. A standardized form was used for data abstraction. Methodological quality was assessed using modified criteria for quantitative studies. Results Sixteen studies met our inclusion criteria. Post-discharge medication adherence rates at 1-year ranged between 54% and 86%. There were no consistent predictors of non-adherence across all cardiac medication classes examined. Conclusions Adherence to secondary prevention pharmacotherapy was suboptimal in patients after hospital discharge for an ACS. Risk factors associated with non-adherence were examined in a limited number of studies, and the associations varied between these investigations.
Global efficiency of graphs

The distance d(i,j) between any two vertices i and j in a graph is the number of edges in a shortest path between i and j. If there is no path connecting i and j, then d(i,j)=∞. In 2001, Latora and...
Electrical Characterization of Defects Introduced in 4H-SiC During High Energy Proton Irradiation and Their Annealing Behavior

We report on the electrical properties of defects introduced in epitaxial 4H-SiC by 2 MeV protons using deep level transient spectroscopy (DLTS). After proton irradiation with a dose of about 1.5×1014 cm-2, the DLTS measurements were made, and the rate window shows a single broad peak between 280 and 310 K. The intensity of this peak remains unchanged after a thermal anneal at 900°C for 20 min. However, after annealing at or above 1100°C, the peak intensity gradually decreases with anneal temperature up to 1500°C, indicating a decrease in the defect concentration. Because a complete damage recovery of the SiC is not observed even after annealing at 1500°C, we believe a higher temperature annealing is necessary for a complete recovery. Using a curve fit analysis, a set of deep levels of defect centers were found with energy ranging between 567 and 732 meV. These traps do not exhibit a significant change in the trap energy or capture cross-section parameters as a function of anneal temperature, but the decrease in the trap density with increasing anneal temperature demonstrates a damage recovery.
Childhood Abuse and Postpartum Psychosis: Is There a Link?

Postpartum psychosis (PPP) is a serious mental health issue associated with maternal suicide and infanticide. Although a growing research base suggests that childhood abuse is predictive of psychos...
Comparisons between bone marrow differentials prepared from particles and from random samples of aspirate and determinations of the dilution of aspirate with peripheral blood utilizing radioactive phosphorus (P32).

Estimates of bone marrow cellularity based upon gross appearances and upon total nucleated counts of the aspirates were compared in 50 cases. These comparisons revealed some correlation between the gross appearances and the averages of the total nucleated counts. That this correlation did not always exist in individual cases was demonstrated by the wide range in total nucleated counts and by incorrect gross appearance estimates in two cases of acute leukemia. Differential counts as obtained from particle smears and random sample smears of the same aspirates were compared in 50 cases. Such comparisons revealed certain consistent differences in cellular elements. These differences and their significance were discussed. The dilution of aspirate fluid and aspirate particles with peripheral blood was determined in 10 cases. Appreciable and unpredictble dilution of aspirate fluid was demonstrated, but none was demonstrated in aspirate particles. This dilution of aspirate fluid with peripheral blood is implicated as the cause of the inaccurate estimations of bone marrow cellularity based upon gross appearances and total nucleated counts. It is also suggested as one of the factors underlying the observed differences in the cellular elements of particle smear and random sample smear differentials.
Determining Specimen Geometry of Cylindrical Specimens for Direct Tension Fatigue Testing of Asphalt Concrete

This paper presented a specimen geometry study of cylindrical specimens used in the direct tension cyclic (DTC) fatigue testing of asphalt concrete using an asphalt mixture performance tester. The current specimen geometry for DTC fatigue testing is 100 mm in diameter and 150 mm in height with a linear variable differential transducer (LVDT) gauge length of 70 mm in the middle of the specimen. In order to use the displacement data for mechanistic fatigue performance modeling, specimen failure must occur within the length of the LVDT gauge. However, recent experiments using stiff mixtures have shown that failure often occurs outside the LVDT gauge length. This specimen geometry study was conducted to determine the specimen geometry that enhances the propensity of the failure inside the gauge length without sacrificing the advantage of the DTC testing that provides uniform stresses and strains in the middle of the specimen. Laboratory experiments were performed on cylindrical specimens of different geometries (i.e., different diameters and lengths). Test specimen diameters of 75 mm and 100 mm and specimen heights of 130 mm and 150 mm were used in this study. The specimen geometry effects on damage characteristic curves and failure criteria were identified through ANOVA tests and layered viscoelastic pavement analysis for critical distresses (LVECD) program. Based on analysis results and experimental verification tests, the specimen geometry recommended for the DTC testing is 100 mm in diameter and 130 mm in height with a 70-mm gauge length. The recommended specimen geometry is applicable when the gyratory-compacted specimen geometry is 150 mm in diameter and more than 178 mm in height.
New Tools and Speech Databases

Before moving on to the actual empirical pursuits of this monograph, it is worth backing up a bit to the origins of this project, to its foundations in work on data management in sociolinguistics and in consideration of the nature of sociolinguistic data. The research discussed here was initially inspired by my ongoing work on methodologies for databasing and archiving speech recordings (Kendall, 2008a, 2009, 2010a, 2011, forthcoming a, b, Kendall and Bradlow 2011). Over the past half-dozen years, I have been involved in the development of two projects in particular, SLAAP and OSCAAR (described, and acronyms expanded, below), which center on the creation of web-based digital archives built around time-aligned annotation frameworks. Ultimately, it was the development of these time-aligned frameworks and an exploration of theories of transcription (Kendall 2005, 2006–2007), which led to my interest in speech timing phenomena. In a sense, I stumbled into questions about pause timing (Kendall 2006) as I explored various ways users might interact with the time-aligned transcription model implemented in SLAAP.
Praxistelemetrie und telefonische Datentransmission des Kardiotokogramms an das geburtshilfliche Zentrum

1965 beschrieben Cooper und Caceres die telefonische Ubertragung von EKG-Signalen. Dalton et al. (1983) nutzten die sog. „Heimtelemetrie“ zur Uberwachung von Risikoschwangerschaften. Die bisher vorgestellten Systeme wiesen meist eine reduzierte Qualitat der in die Klinik ubermittelten Registrierungen auf. Auserdem wurde i.d.R. auf eine Erfassung des Tokogrammes verzichtet. In der vorliegenden Untersuchung wurden die Moglichkeiten eines im Handel verfugbaren CTG-Kommunikations-Systemes (FTTS, Fa. HP, Boblingen) uberpruft, das im Rahmen der Schwangerenvorsorge in der Praxis eines niedergelassenen Frauenarztes eingesetzt wurde.
The Effect of Dynamic and Static Visuals on the Recall and Comprehension of Information Using Computer-Based Instruction

AbstractThis study refutes the large body of research which provides strong evidence that static illustrations do facilitate learning for computer-based instruction. It further specifies that the conditions where animated visuals appear to facilitate learning are when the visual animated graphics are properly designed to be congruent to the context of the text content being presented, the visual animated graphics use motion as a critical attribute or for drawing the learners’ attention to specific learning material, and the material is sufficiently complex that a verbal description alone is not adequate to cause the learner to form internal visual images to help structure the information. However, the case for animated graphics was not supported based on the results of this study.
Co-Robotic Cane: A New Robotic Navigation Aid for the Visually Impaired

This article presents a new robotic navigation aid (RNA) called a co-robotic cane (CRC). The CRC uses a three-dimensional (3-D) camera for both pose estimation and object recognition in an unknown indoor environment. The six-degrees-of-freedom (6-DOF) pose estimation method determines the CRC's pose change by an egomotion estimation method and the iterative closest point algorithm and reduces the pose integration error by a pose graph optimization algorithm. The pose estimation method does not require any prior knowledge of the environment. The object recognition method detects indoor structures, such as stairways and doorways, and objects, such as tables and computer monitors, by a Gaussian mixture model (GMM)-based pattern-recognition method. Some structures/objects (e.g., stairways) can be used as navigational waypoints and others for obstacle avoidance. The CRC can be used in either robot cane (active) mode or white cane (passive) mode. In the active mode, it guides the user by steering itself into the desired direction of travel, while in the passive mode it functions as a computer-visionenhanced white cane. The CRC is a co-robot. It can detect human intent and use the intent to select a suitable mode automatically.
Nuss bar procedure: past, present and future.

Repair of pectus excavatum began at the beginning of the 20 th century before endotracheal intubation was standard practice. Surgeons therefore developed techniques that corrected the deformity using an open procedure via the anterior chest wall. Initial techniques were unsatisfactory, but by the 1930s the partial rib resection and sternal osteotomy technique had been developed and was used in combination with external traction post-operatively to prevent the sternum from sinking back into the chest. In 1949, Ravitch recommended complete resection of the costal cartilages and complete mobilization of the sternum without external traction, and in 1961 Adkins and Blades introduced the concept of a substernal strut for sternal support. The wide resection resulted in a very rigid anterior chest wall, and in some instances, the development of asphyxiating chondrodystrophy. The primary care physicians therefore became reluctant to refer the patients for repair. In 1987, Nuss developed a minimally invasive technique that required no cartilage or sternal resection and relied only on internal bracing by means of a sub-sternal bar, which is inserted into the chest through two lateral thoracic incisions and guided across the mediastinum with the help of thoracoscopy. After publication of the procedure in 1998, it became widely accepted and a flood of new patients suddenly started to appear, which allowed for rapid improvements and modifications of the technique. New instruments were developed specifically for the procedure, complications were recognized, and the steps taken to prevent them included the development of a stabilizer and the use of pericostal sutures to prevent bar displacement. Various options were developed for sternal elevation prior to mediastinal dissection to prevent injury to the mediastinal structures, allergy testing was implemented, and pain management improved. The increased number of patients coming for repair permitted studies of cardiopulmonary function, which showed that patients with a severe degree of pectus excavatum have right- sided cardiac compression, decreased filling, and decreased stroke volume. The degree of pulmonary restriction and obstruction is related to the degree of deformity and degree of cardiac displacement into the left chest. The indications for surgical repair have been clearly outlined, the procedure has been standardized, and post-operative management protocols are now available. A review of our prospective database showed that 98% of patients have a good to excellent outcome. This review of the “Past” outlines the progression of the surgical techniques during the 20 th century, the review of the “Present” outlines the important modifications and results of the closed technique, and the review of the “Future” outlines the various new options that are becoming available for the treatment of pectus excavatum.
Global Solidarity and Global Government: The Universal Subject of Psychoanalysis and Democracy

This chapter argues that we have to rethink the limits of nationalism as we recognize the need for a global government to confront the global challenges of climate change, financial capitalism, tax avoidance, terrorism, migration, and international poverty. By returning to the Freudian concepts of free association and the neutrality of the analyst, I offer a model for global solidarity and universal human rights.
Vignette: Alternative Liquidity Options

The growth of companies that facilitate the sales of unregistered stock, such as that granted to employees of successful but long-private companies, has raised a number of questions among regulators, investors, and company founders. This brief vignette sketches out some of the benefits and drawbacks of alternative methods of liquidity. Learning Objective: To inspire discussion about the merits and drawbacks of alternative methods of liquidity for restricted stock.
Salivary biomarkers in cancer detection

Cancer is the second most common cause of death in the USA. Its symptoms are often not specific and absent, until the tumors have already metastasized. Therefore, there is an urgent demand for developing rapid, highly accurate and noninvasive tools for cancer screening, early detection, diagnostics, staging and prognostics. Saliva as a multi-constituent oral fluid comprises secretions from the major and minor salivary glands, extensively supplied by blood. Molecules such as DNAs, RNAs, proteins, metabolites, and microbiota, present in blood, could be also found in saliva. Recently, salivary diagnostics has drawn significant attention for the detection of specific biomarkers, since the sample collection and processing are simple, cost-effective, and precise and do not cause patient discomfort. Here, we review recent salivary candidate biomarkers for systemic cancers by dividing them according to their origin into: genomic, transcriptomic, proteomic, metabolomic and microbial types.
La servidumbre catalana y el problema de la revolución feudal

This article is a contribution to the current debate on the problem of the «feudal mutationism» which has pervaded recent scholarship, particularly in France. The major contributions on this debate by Bois, Poly, Bournazel, Bonnasie, Barthelemy and others are critically reviewed. The author focuses on medieval Cataluna as an important case study for this problem. The formation and main characters of Catalunian feudal society are analyzed through the data of primary and secondary soruces.
Morphology inherence from hollow MOFs to hollow carbon polyhedrons in preparing carbon-based electrocatalysts

Hollow carbon nanostructures are emerging as advanced electrocatalysts for the oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) due to the effective usage of active sites and the reduced dependence on expensive noble metals. Conventional preparation of these hollow structures is achieved through templates (e.g. SiO2, CdS, and Ni3C), which serve to retain the void interiors during carbonization, leading to an essential template-removal procedure using hazardous chemical etchants. Herein, we demonstrate the direct carbonization of unique hollow zeolitic imidazolate frameworks (ZIFs) for the synthesis of hollow carbon polyhedrons (HCPs) with well-defined morphologies. The hollow ZIF particles behave bi-functionally as a carbon source and a morphology directing agent. This method evidences the strong morphology inherence from the hollow ZIFs during the carbonization, advancing the significant simplicity and environmental friendliness of this synthesis strategy. The as-prepared HCPs show a uniform polyhedral morphology and large void interiors, which enable their superior ORR activity. Iron can be doped into the HCPs (Fe/HCPs), providing the Fe/HCPs with enhanced ORR properties (E1/2 = 0.850 V) in comparison with those of HCPs. We highlight the efficient structural engineering to transform ZIFs into advanced carbon nanostructures accomplishing morphological control and high electrocatalytic activity.
Contrasting patterns of postglacial range shifts between the northern and southern hemisphere in Herbertus (Herbertaceae, Marchantiophyta)

The leafy liverwort genus Herbertus exhibits considerably variable morphology and widely disjunct distributions in both hemispheres. Here, the biogeographic history of the genus and its phylogenetic relationships with the focus on the taxonomically difficult, northern hemispheric disjunct species, were investigated. We conducted a time-calibrated, molecular-based phylogenetic analysis using psbA, trnL-F, and ITS1-2 loci and different approaches for ancestral range inference of the genus. Herbertus is inferred to have originated in the Cenozoic era about 51 million years ago, in an ancestral area including southern South America, the Neotropics, Oceania, and South-east Asia. The current distribution of the genus is supported to have resulted from long-term in situ persistence, short and long distance dispersals, extinctions and recolonizations. Postglacial range shifts between the southern and northern hemisphere in the genus show distinct patterns. In the southern hemisphere, Herbertus is characterized by...
Cell Motility in Prostate Tumor Invasion and Metastasis

The mortality and morbidity from prostate carcinomas result primarily from their progression to invasive and metastatic state. Recent studies have uncovered the crucial role of cell motility in dictating these highly orchestrated biological events. This review will focus on the intracellular and extracellular factors that govern cell motility during prostate tumor cell invasion. The role of receptor signaling systems, including those for epidermal growth factor and hepatocyte growth factor, chemokine receptors, and sex steroid hormones (estrogen and testosterone) will be discussed with reference to their modulation of cellular invasive potential by regulating motility. Lastly, detailed cellular biophysical events and the underlying biochemical molecules that govern these distinct events will be discussed with the goal that targeting these individual events using the emerging genetic and pharmacological interventions can lead to more specific and successful therapies against prostate cancer.
Transcription of the mouse RFC-1 gene encoding a folate transporter: Multiplicity and properties of promoters with minimum requirements for their basal activity

Abstract The mouse RFC-1 gene incorporates alternates of exon 1 (exon 1 and 1a) which encode different 5′ ends. This finding, and the elucidation of a promoter-like sequence immediately upstream of these alternates of exon 1, suggest that two separate promoters drive transcription of this gene. The regions upstream of either exon 1 or exon 1a inserted in pGL3 will separately promote transcription in NIH3T3 cells of the luciferase reporter gene, with the region upstream of exon 1 having the strongest promoter activity. Tissue-specific expression in the form of RFC-1 mRNA splice variants reflects the separate action of each promoter. In the most upstream portion of the region proximal to exon 1a, elements were revealed that enhance transcription along with a more downstream element that suppresses transcription in NIH3T3 cells. Three Sp1 sites closely proximal to exon 1a within a region spanning 123 nucleotides were shown to be transcriptionally active by site-directed mutagenesis, with the middle SP1 site found to be the most important of the three in maintaining basal promoter activity. A poly (GT) 21 di-nucleotide repetitive element upstream of these Sp1 sites was found in a region which, when deleted, increased transcription. In the region upstream of exon 1, two elements were elucidated which enhanced transcription. Site-directed mutagenesis showed that two adjacent SP1 sites proximal to exon 1 were equally important in sustaining basal promoter activity. The role of each Sp1 site in maintaining basal activity of each promoter was confirmed by DNase I footprinting analysis. In addition, a binding site of unknown significance was identified by this analysis within the upstream promoter sequence between the two Sp1 sites proximal to exon 1a. These data show that both promoters regulating expression of the RFC-1 gene utilize closely spaced Sp1 sites in tandem to sustain basal transcription, at least in NIH3T3 cells, in a manner characteristic of TATA-less promoters.
From Butterflies to Blood

Without doubt, life was injected into the otherwise backwater field of human genetics in 1953. In that year, the elucidation of the structure of the genetic material, DNA, was accomplished through the collaborative work of James Watson and Francis Crick at the Cavendish Laboratory in Cambridge, England. As it did in other areas of genetics, this scientific insight was to stimulate research in human genetics profoundly, especially through an emphasis on the molecular analysis of DNA and its partners in protein synthesis. At Cambridge, this line of work coalesced into the first research center dedicated to the study of “molecular biology” and became the springboard, four decades later, for human genome projects directed toward identifying and sequencing all of the human genes.
Procyclical ratings and market reactions

Abstract We investigate stock price reactions to credit rating changes during competing economic environments. Prior research has shown that credit rating assignments differ during times of economic expansion and economic contraction. We investigate if equity prices adjust differently to changes in credit quality in different economic environments. Our results show that markets react more strongly to negative ratings news during times of economic contraction. When the economy is expanding, markets also overreact by pushing prices higher than they otherwise would during an economic downturn.
Death of the Emissary: Language, Metonymy, and European Complicity in Juan Diego Botto’s “La carta”

Juan Diego Botto’s 2005 monologue “La carta” explores the real-life death of Yaguine Koita and Fode Tounkara, two Guinean boys who in 1999 died attempting to reach Europe with a letter addressed to European officials. A close reading of Botto’s monologue illustrates how the letter by Yaguine and Fode functions as an archive that explores and redefines the liminal spaces, and therefore the relationship, between Europe and Africa. The monologue and the letter elucidate the boys’ position as emissaries who seek to reconcile the European continent with its complicity in the state of Africa.
A history of helmet mounted displays

In more than 40 years of development, the Helmet-Mounted Display (HMD) has become a key part of the equipment for fixed and rotary wing pilots and ground soldiers, proving to be a force multiplier and reducing user workload. Rockwell Collins has been a key player in the development of modern HMD technology and is currently fielding major HMDs supporting pilots around the world including the Joint Hemet Mounted Cueing System (JHMCS) and Strike Eye. This paper will outline the history of HMDs over the last 40 years for fixed wing, rotorcraft and soldiers and discuss Rockwell Collins’ role. We will discuss the development and testing required for introduction of HMDs into the modern pilot environment. Within the paper we will point out some of the misconceptions, facts and legends of HMDS.
Cleft and Craniofacial Multidisciplinary Team Clinic: A Look at Attrition Rates for Patients With Complete Cleft Lip and Palate and Nonsyndromic Single-Suture Craniosynostosis.

Objective:To evaluate attrition rates prior to expected completion of team care for children with complete cleft lip and palate (cleft) or nonsyndromic single-suture craniosynostosis (synostosis).D...
Blind as a Bat: [Un]seeing the Visio Dei in the Granum Sinapis Diagrams

The Granum Sinapis – the ‘Mustard Seed’ – an early fourteenth century German poem, is a concise expression of the mystical and paradoxical precepts of Meister Eckhart. To find the way into the noth...
Prevalence and incidence of systemic sclerosis: A systematic review and meta-analysis.

Objective Systemic sclerosis (SSc) is a rare debilitating autoimmune disease of the connective tissue. This study aimed to assess the recent prevalence and incidence of SSc across the world. Methods Using a systematic search strategy, PubMed/MEDLINE and EMBASE were searched to identify relevant studies published between 2006 and 2016. Two reviewers independently evaluated studies for inclusion based on inclusion/exclusion criteria and performed data extraction. The review was conducted and reported following the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Review and Meta-analysis (PRISMA) statement. The pooled prevalence of SSc was calculated by meta-analysis using a random-effects model. Results There were 1364 references retrieved using the initial searching strategy, and 20 epidemiological publications were selected for data extraction. The identified studies reported prevalence ranging from 3.8 per 100 000 in Taiwan to 50 per 100 000 in the USA. The prevalence was 23 per 100 000 (95% CI: 16-29 per 100 000; 18 studies) in a pooled sample of 11 574 individuals. Incidence rate of SSc ranges from 0.77 per 100 000 person-years in the Netherlands to 5.6 per 100 000 person-years in the USA. SSc predominates in females with higher prevalence and incidence rates. It is important to note that different methodologies were used to derive these numbers so comparisons were made with caution. Conclusion This review provides an assessment of the current estimates of disease prevalence and incidence of SSc. The epidemiological burdens of SSc vary among different regions of the world. The epidemiological data need to be interpreted with caution considering the methodological differences in deriving these estimates.
Deep Graph Similarity Learning for Brain Data Analysis

We propose an end-to-end graph similarity learning framework called Higher-order Siamese GCN for multi-subject fMRI data analysis. The proposed framework learns the brain network representations via a supervised metric-based approach with siamese neural networks using two graph convolutional networks as the twin networks. Our proposed framework performs higher-order convolutions by incorporating higher-order proximity in graph convolutional networks to characterize and learn the community structure in brain connectivity networks. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first community-preserving graph similarity learning framework for multi-subject brain network analysis. Experimental results on four real fMRI datasets demonstrate the potential use cases of the proposed framework for multi-subject brain analysis in health and neuropsychiatric disorders. Our proposed approach achieves an average AUC gain of $75$% compared to PCA, an average AUC gain of $65.5$% compared to Spectral Embedding, and an average AUC gain of $24.3$% compared to S-GCN across the four datasets, indicating promising applications in clinical investigation and brain disease diagnosis.
Sedimentation Aspects in Recreation Planning

The demand for outdoor recreation will triple by the year 2000, while the nation’s population is doubling. Because water oriented activities are the focal point of outdoor recreation, an increasing public demand can be expected for the provision and maintenance of adequate recreational facilities at all water resource development projects. The problem involves more effective use of available areas as well as provision of more recreation areas. This paper illustrates that sedimentation is frequently one of the prime factors requiring evaluation in the planning and development of water oriented recreational facilities. Sedimentation may seriously affect such facilities by reducing their useful life or inflating maintenance beyond rational limits. The life cycle of biological species in a reservoir is influenced by the sterile sediment deposits that are unsuitable for the propagation of either fish or fish food. The thin accumulations of fine sediments that isolate continuing hatches of surface or burrowing bottom fauna from the circulation of life producing water or oxygen are also influential.
Cyber Deception in the Internet of Battlefield Things: Techniques, Instances, and Assessments

The Internet of Battlefield Things (IoBT) is an emerging application to improve operational effectiveness for military applications. The security of IoBT is one of the more challenging aspects, where adversaries can exploit vulnerabilities in IoBT software and deployment conditions to gain insight into their state. In this work, we look into the security of IoBT from the lens of cyber deception. First, we formulate the IoBT domain as a graph learning problem from an adversarial point of view and introduce various tools through which an adversary can learn the graph starting with partial prior knowledge. Second, we use this model to show that an adversary can learn high-level information from low-level graph structures, including the number of soldiers and their proximity. For that, we use a powerful n-gram based algorithm to obtain features from random walks on the underlying graph representation of IoBT. Third, we provide microscopic and macroscopic approaches that manipulate the underlying IoBT graph structure to introduce uncertainty in the adversary’s learning. Finally, we show our approach’s effectiveness through analyses and evaluations.
Response to Comment on “Radiation-Belt Remediation Using Space-Based Antennas and Electron Beams” by G. Ganguli and C. Crabtree

Ganguli and Crabtree have written a comment about a recent article by the authors listed above on radiation-belt remediation. They have objected to our evaluation of the Naval Research Laboratory’s chemical release concept which states that this concept may be impractical due to an apparently low overall efficiency. In their comment, they provide a scientific argument and refer to the published literature to counter our statement. Here, we provide more details on our numerical calculations and experimental results which led to this evaluation.
Policy conflicts in the siting of natural gas pipelines

Researchers often focus on the most intense conflicts, skewing our perception of the diversity and nature of policy conflicts. The paper examines the discourse engaged in the siting of three pipeli...
Association Between Target Temperature Variability and Neurologic Outcomes for Patients Receiving Targeted Temperature Management at 36°C After Cardiac Arrest: A Retrospective Cohort Study

Maintaining strict temperature control during the maintenance phase of targeted temperature management (TTM) after cardiac arrest may be an important component of clinical care. Temperature variabi...
Suppression of Connexin 43 Leads to Strial Vascular Hyper-Permeability, Decrease in Endocochlear Potential, and Mild Hearing Loss

Objective: Connexin 43 (Cx43) is a protein constituent of gap junctions (GJs) in various barrier cells, especially astrocytes and microglia of the blood-brain-barrier (BBB), where it plays an important role in intercellular communication and regulation of the barrier. Despite the importance of Cx43 in other blood barriers, not much attention has been paid to expression and function of Cx43 in the blood-labyrinth-barrier (BLB) of the stria vascularis in the cochlea. Methods: We used multiple research approaches, including immunocytochemical staining, patch-clamp dye loading technique, real-time quantitative reverse transcription (RT)-PCR, western blot, measurement of endocochlear potential (EP) with an electrode through the scala media, and auditory brainstem response to test hearing function. Results: We found Cx43 expressed in vascular endothelial cells (ECs) and perivascular resident macrophages (PVMs) in the stria vascularis of adult C57BL/6 mouse cochleae. In particular, we found Cx43 expressed in foot processes of PVMs at points of contact with the endothelium. Consistent with Cx43 expression in vivo, we also found Cx43 expressed in EC-EC and EC-PVM interfaces in a co-cultured cell line model. Using a patch-clamp dye loading technique, we demonstrated that Alexa Fluor® 568 dye injected into PVMs diffuses to connected neighboring ECs. The functional coupling between the ECs and PVMs is blocked by 18α-Glycyrrhetinic acid (18α-GA), a GJ blocker. Suppression of Cx43 with small interfering RNA (siRNA) in vivo significantly elevated hearing threshold and caused the EP to drop and the blood barrier to become more permeable. In further study, using in vitro primary EC cell line models, we demonstrated that suppression of Cx43 disrupts intercellular tight junctions (TJs) in the EC monolayer and increases endothelial monolayer permeability. Conculsion: Taken together, these findings underscore the importance of Cx43 expression in the normal ear for maintaining BLB integrity, normal EP, and hearing function.
Effect of polyampholyte net charge on complex coacervation between polyampholytes and inorganic polyoxometalate giant anions.

The effect of net charge of zwitterionic polymers on the phase behavior and viscoelastic properties of hybrid polyampholyte–polyoxometalate (POM) complexes in salted aqueous solutions is investigated with polyampholyte copolymers consisting of both positively and negatively charged monomers. Zwitterionic polyampholytes of varied net charge, abbreviated as PAxMy, are synthesized by varying the feeding molar ratio of negatively charged 2-acrylamido-2-methyl-1-propanesulfonic acid (AMPS) to positively charged [3-(methacryloylamino)propyl]trimethylammonium chloride (MAPTAC) monomers in aqueous solution. The coacervate formation between PAxMy and inorganic anionic metatungstate POM ({W12}) in LiCl added aqueous solutions can be enhanced by increasing the molar fraction of positively charged MAPTAC monomer and LiCl concentration. The salt-broadened coacervation, clearly distinct from the salt-suppressed one between oppositely charged polyelectrolytes, suggests the account of zwitterion-anion pairing for PAxMy–{W12} coacervate formation due to stronger binding of multivalent {W12} giant ions with PAxMy than simple ions. Importantly, as AMPS or MAPTAC monomer fraction in polyampholytes is varied by merely ±5% from the effective net neutral case, the viscoelasticity of PAxMy–{W12} coacervates can be modified by 4–5 folds, suggesting a new tuning parameter to fine control the macroionic interactions and material properties of biomimetic complex coacervates.
Optical super-resolution microscopy in polymer science

Abstract The advent of optical super-resolution microscopy (OSRM) over two decades ago has transformed light-mediated interrogation of systems down to the nanoscale. This innovative set of approaches to optics breaks the so-called diffraction limit of light (~200 nm), allowing for the first time to use optics in the far field to visualize behavior on nanoscopic length scales. While these visualization tools have rapidly found widespread use in biology and related fields, their implementation in materials and, more specifically, in polymer science has been far slower. To overcome possible barriers and highlight possible future directions, we herein present an introduction to OSRM for polymer scientists, beginning with an overview of relevant techniques and existing optical probes. We then show and examine the first examples of OSRM adaptation across major areas of polymer science, including: polymerization and structural characterization, self-assembly and solution behavior, bulk structure and behavior, crystallization, gel structure and behavior, phase transitions, and biofunctionality. We hope and anticipate that the discussions provided in this review will draw the attention of the polymer community to the capacities of these hitherto underexplored optical visualization techniques to further transform polymer science.
Solving Dynamic Soil Deformation-Fluid Flow Coupling Problems Using Material Point Method

In recent years, there has been an increasing amount of research on the Material Point Method (MPM) for modeling multi-phase coupled problems. Applying MPM in hydro-mechanical problems that interest geotechnical engineers have been explored in many of these studies . The explicit MPM method has been favored in dynamic large deformation problems due to its computational efficiency. However, numerically generated pore pressure oscillation has been a major issue. This paper presents a new formulation of MPM to model coupled soil deformation and pore fluid flow problems. The formulation is presented within the mixture theory framework, and pore water pressure is solved implicitly using a splitting algorithm based on the Chorins projection method. The splitting algorithm helps mitigate numerical instabilities at the incompressibility limit when equal-order interpolation functions are used. It reduces pressure oscillations and a time step size, which is independent of fluid compressibility and soil permeability. The proposed method is validated by comparing the numerical results with the closed form solutions of one dimensional and plane strain problems.
Radiotherapy and Immunotherapy Combinations in the Treatment of Patients with Metastatic Disease: Current Status and Future Focus

Radiotherapy and immunotherapy benefit subsets of patients with metastatic cancer. Here, we review selected laboratory and clinical studies investigating the utility of combining radiotherapy and immunotherapy in metastatic patients. We examine potential approaches to increase the therapeutic ratio of radioimmunotherapy in the treatment of metastatic cancers moving forward.
Effects of aging on conditional visuomotor learning for grasping and lifting eccentrically weighted objects.

We studied whether older adults are able to predictively modulate digit position using arbitrary color cues indicating object center of mass location for dexterous manipulation. Older adults showed...