cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Obesity and Structural Brain Integrity in Older Women: The Women’s Health Initiative Magnetic Resonance Imaging Study

BACKGROUND Midlife obesity has been linked to age-related brain atrophy and risk of dementia, but the relationships are less clear for older individuals. These associations may be explained by changes in appetite or metabolism in the dementia prodrome; thus, prospective studies with adequate follow-up are needed. We examined the associations that obesity (body mass index, BMI) and change in BMI over an average of 6.6 (1.0-9.1) years have with global and regional brain and white matter lesion volumes in a sample of 1,366 women aged 65-80. METHODS Least square means for regional brain volumes and white matter lesion loads for women grouped by BMI and changes in BMI were generated from multivariable linear models with and without adjustment for demographic and health covariates. RESULTS Both global obesity and increase in BMI were associated with lower cerebrospinal fluid and higher specific brain volumes (ps < .05), after controlling for diabetes and other cerebrovascular disease risk factors. Obesity, but not change in BMI, predicted lower lesion loads for the total, parietal, and occipital white matter (ps < .05). CONCLUSIONS Obesity in this cohort is associated with less brain atrophy and lower ischemic lesion loads. The findings are consistent with our previous report of worse cognitive performance in association with weight loss (probably not due to frailty) in this cohort and in line with the idea of the "obesity paradox" as differences in dementia risk vary across time, whereby midlife obesity seems to be a predictor of dementia, whereas weight loss seems to be a better predictor at older ages.
Deposition and Release of Graphene Oxide Nanomaterials Using a Quartz Crystal Microbalance

Interactions of graphene oxide (GO) with silica surfaces were investigated using a quartz crystal microbalance with dissipation monitoring (QCM-D). Both GO deposition and release were monitored on silica- and poly-l-lysine (PLL) coated surfaces as a function of GO concentration and in NaCl, CaCl2, and MgCl2 as a function of ionic strength (IS). Under favorable conditions (PLL-coated positive surface), GO deposition rates increased with GO concentration, as expected from colloidal theory. Increased NaCl concentration resulted in a greater deposition attachment efficiency of GO on the silica surface, indicating that deposition of GO follows Derjaguin–Landau–Verwey–Overbeek (DLVO) theory; GO deposition rates decreased at high IS, however, due to large aggregate formation. GO critical deposition concentration (CDC) on the silica surface is determined to be 40 mM NaCl which is higher than the reported CDC values of fullerenes and lower than carbon nanotubes. A similar trend is observed for MgCl2 which has a CD...
The Clinical Approach to the Male Homosexual Patient

A history of sexual orientation, practices, and life styles, a complete review of organ systems, and a thorough physical examination are unique but essential elements of the examination of homosexual men. Laboratory screening should take into account the incubation period for infections, the risk for infection based on sexual practices, and cost. Physicians should counsel homosexual men about all aspects of a healthy life style; for this advice to be accepted, however, physicians must develop a relation with their homosexual patients that is based on awareness, expertise, and mutual understanding.
Alterations of alkaline phosphatase in mouse tissues after experimental infection.

SummaryThe alkaline phosphomonoes-terase activity of several mouse tissues and serum has been investigated in uninfected controls and animals infected with Diplo-coccus pneumoniae. No significant change of enzymatic activity was found in kidney, lung, sternum, femur, and spleen. As the infection progressed a decrease in activity was observed in the liver enzyme, while a marked increase occurred in small intestine. The enzymatic activity of the serum also increased during infection, but less strikingly. In organ-specific inhibition experiments it was shown that serum and intestinal enzyme behaved identically. The data support the concept that a major portion of serum AP may originate in the small intestine. Neither the infection-related increase in intestinal AP nor the fall in hepatic AP was dependent upon an intact adrenal gland in the presence of circulating glucocorticoid hormones.
Consumer Method To Control Salmonella and Listeria Species in Shrimp

The purpose of this study was to determine whether the current consumer method of boiling shrimp until floating and pink in color is adequate for destroying Listeria and Salmonella. Shrimp samples were submerged in bacterial suspensions of Listeria and Salmonella for 30 min and allowed to air dry for 1 h under a biosafety cabinet. Color parameters were then measured with a spectrophotometer programmed with the CIELAB system. Twenty-four shrimp samples were divided into groups (days 0, 1, or 2) and stored at 4°C. The samples were treated by placing them in boiling water (100°C) on days 0, 1, and 2. The shrimp were immediately removed from the boiling water once they floated to the surface, and color parameters were measured. Bacterial counts were determined, and the log CFU per gram was calculated. The effect of sodium tripolyphosphate on the color change of cooked shrimp also was determined. Initial bacterial counts on shrimp after air drying were 5.31 ± 0.14 log CFU/g for Salmonella Enteritidis, 5.24 ± 0.31 log CFU/g for Salmonella Infantis, 5.40 ± 0.16 log CFU/g for Salmonella Typhimurium, 3.91 + 0.11 log CFU/g for Listeria innocua, 4.45 ± 0.11 log CFU/g for Listeria monocytogenes (1/2a), and 3.70 ± 0.22 log CFU/g for Listeria welshimeri. On days 0, 1, and 2, all bacterial counts were reduced to nondetectable levels for shrimp samples that floated. The average time for shrimp to float was 96 ± 8 s. The bacterial counts remained at nondetectable levels (<10 log CFU/g) during refrigerated (4°C) storage of cooked shrimp for 2 days. The redness, yellowness, and lightness were significantly higher (P < 0.0001) for the cooked shrimp than for the uncooked shrimp on all days tested. The standard deviation for redness in the cooked shrimp was large, indicating a wide range of pink coloration on all days tested. The results suggest that boiling shrimp until they float will significantly reduce Listeria and Salmonella contamination, but color change is not a good indication of reduction of these pathogens because of the wide natural color variation.
p53 mutations in mantle cell lymphoma are associated with variant cytology and predict a poor prognosis

Mutations of the p53 tumor suppressor gene have been described in several subtypes of non-Hodgkin's lymphoma, but the incidence of p53 mutations in mantle cell lymphoma (MCL) is unknown. We hypothesized that cases of MCL with a variant or high-grade cytology would have a higher likelihood of p53 mutations than typical MCL. We were also interested in the prognostic significance of p53 mutations in MCL. Therefore, a series of 53 well-characterized cases of MCL with DNA from 62 tissue samples were analyzed by the polymerase chain reaction with denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis for exons 5-8 of p53. Immunoperoxidase studies with the antibody DO-7 to p53 protein were also performed on frozen sections. We found mutations of the p53 gene in 8 of the 53 cases (15%) of MCL. Missense mutations predominated, and 50% of the mutations occurred at known p53 hotspot codons. Of 21 cases with variant cytology (ie, anaplastic or blastic), 6 (28.6%) had p53 mutations as compared with only 2 of 32 cases (6.3%) with typical MCL cytology (P = .05), and p53 mutations preceded the development of variant cytology in 2 patients. Overexpression of p53 protein was observed in 6 of the 8 cases (75%) with p53 mutations and in none of the 45 wild-type cases. The median survival of the cases with mutant p53 was only 1.3 years (all died), whereas the median survival of cases with germline p53 was 5.1 years (P = .023). These results suggest that mutations of p53 may be one mechanism involved in the development of variant forms of MCL and indicate that p53 mutations in MCL predict a poor prognosis.
Meta-modeling of occupancy variables and analysis of their impact on energy outcomes of office buildings

Abstract Occupants interact with buildings in various ways via their presence (passive effects) and control actions (active effects). Therefore, understanding the influence of occupants is essential if we are to evaluate the performance of a building. In this paper, we model the mean profiles and variability of occupancy variables (presence and actions) separately. We will use a multi-variate Gaussian distribution to generate mean profiles of occupancy variables, while the variability will be represented by a multi-dimensional time series model, within a framework for a meta-analysis that synthesizes occupancy data gathered from a pool of buildings. We then discuss variants of occupancy models with respect to various outcomes of interest such as HVAC energy consumption and peak demand behavior via a sensitivity analysis. Results show that our approach is able to generate stochastic occupancy profiles, requiring minimum additional input from the energy modeler other than standard diversity profiles. Along with the meta-analysis, we enable the generalization of previous research results and statistical inferences to choose occupancy variables for future buildings. The sensitivity analysis shows that for aggregated building energy consumption, occupant presence has a smaller impact compared to lighting and appliance usage. Specifically, being accumulatively 55% wrong with regard to presence, only translates to 2% error in aggregated cooling energy in July and 3.6% error in heating energy in January. Such a finding redirects focus to the accurate estimation of lighting and appliance usage for a better prediction of aggregated energy consumption. Furthermore, it proves that accurate knowledge of the mean profiles is sufficient, that is, stochastic occupancy models do not play a significant role in the prediction of aggregated consumption in a conventional office building where the interaction between the operation of building systems and the spatial and temporal variability of occupancy is weak. When it comes to peak demand behavior, occupancy variability should be taken into account, as static profiles are not able to produce adequate estimates of power duration probabilities close to the power peak.
A methodology to quantify the release of spent nuclear fuel from dry casks during security-related scenarios.

Assessing the risk to the public and the environment from a release of radioactive material produced by accidental or purposeful forces/environments is an important aspect of the regulatory process in many facets of the nuclear industry. In particular, the transport and storage of radioactive materials is of particular concern to the public, especially with regard to potential sabotage acts that might be undertaken by terror groups to cause injuries, panic, and/or economic consequences to a nation. For many such postulated attacks, no breach in the robust cask or storage module containment is expected to occur. However, there exists evidence that some hypothetical attack modes can penetrate and cause a release of radioactive material. This report is intended as an unclassified overview of the methodology for release estimation as well as a guide to useful resource data from unclassified sources and relevant analysis methods for the estimation process.
Pastoral Theological Reflection on Grief: Contemporary Theory and the Practice of Ministry by Melissa Kelley

This article highlights four of Melissa Kelley’s contributions in her book Grief: Contemporary Theory and Practice. The author identifies these as: 1) Kelley’s capacity to distill and synthesize the most important areas of contemporary grief theory; 2) her work on attachment theory and its relationship to people’s ways of coping with grief; 3) the focus on the research of Bonanno et al. (Journal of Gerontology Series B: Psychological Sciences and Social Sciences 60:67–73, 2005) and showing us who is most vulnerable and in need of pastoral care during grief; 4) her emphasis on meaning making as the core of the grieving process. The article also lifts up questions concerning communal practices for grieving loss born of injustice and the need for prevention and fostering coping mechanisms so that the worst effects of grief might be mitigated.
Politics and Education

I ended the last chapter by evoking the late philosopher Richard Rorty’s call for us, as a nation, to remain committed to “achieving our country.” I forwarded the position that by reclaiming education, from the neoliberal model, and engaging in a pedagogy that embraces the (social, cultural, personal) transformative power of education, we would have a much better opportunity for “achieving our country.” I argued for reclaiming the aspect of education that fosters becoming knowledgeable and searching for wisdom. Education understood as such would provide our nation the best chance for fulfilling our “democratic promise” by virtue of educating students for civic responsibility and engagement rather simply training them for jobs. Martha C. Nussbaum sums this position up in the concluding chapter of her book Cultivating Humanity this way:Unfortunately, as I have been arguing, this is precisely the view of education under assault due to education reform and the neoliberal bias that informs it. In fact, education from elementary school right on through to college is offering “specialized preparation for a career,” at the cost of ignoring, devaluing, and undermining the very understanding of education that Nussbaum extols. This is so because, as a nation, we have been inundated with report after report, by politician after politician, and corporate leader after corporate leader that announce what New York Times columnist and Noble laureate Paul Krugman mockingly summarizes in his February 23, 2015, column this way:Unlike the politicians and corporate leaders who espouse such an explanation and justification for education reform, Krugman astutely notes that what is really going on with our economy is the following:In other words, despite the narrative put forth by politicians and corporate leaders pointing to our nation’s poor education system as the root of all our personal (economic) evils, as Krugman notes, the explanation may well lie in the fact that “[r]ising inequality isn’t about who has knowledge; it’s about who has the power” (Ibid.) and, specifically, the “monopoly” of power. It is this notion of the monopoly of power that Paulo Freire challenges with his critique of the “banking system” of education, and offers an alternative view of education, one that is explicitly political, namely, one that is dedicated to the liberation of people through and because of education.
Rape, Race, and Capital Punishment

Historical analyses of southern statutes (i.e., Slave Codes, Black Codes, “Jim Crow,” etc.) and their enforcement reveals evidence of an enduring cultural legacy prescribing lethal vengeance to Bla...
Toward Climate-Smart Resource Management in the Northern Rockies

The Northern Rockies Adaptation Partnership facilitated the largest climate change adaptation effort on public lands to date, including participants from federal agencies and stakeholder organizations interested in a broad range of resource issues. It achieved specific goals of national climate change strategies for the U.S. Forest Service and National Park Service, providing a scientific foundation for resource management and planning in the Northern Rockies. The large number of adaptation strategies and tactics, many of which are a component of current management practice, provide a pathway for slowing the rate of deleterious change in resource conditions. Rapid implementation of adaptation—in land management plans, National Environmental Policy Act documents, project plans, and restoration—will help maintain functionality of terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems in the Northern Rockies, as well as build the organizational capacity of federal agencies to incorporate climate change in their mission of sustainable resource management. Long-term monitoring will help detect potential climate change effects on natural resources, and evaluate the effectiveness of adaptation options that have been implemented.
Does Pulsed-Xenon Ultraviolet Disinfection Add Additional Value to Manual Cleaning?

AbstractBackground Novel disinfection tools have been used to supplement standard hospital cleaning protocols. This study was conducted to determine whether the addition of Pulsed Xenon Ultraviolet disinfection (PX-UV) increased the effectiveness of manual cleaning with four different environmental cleaning and disinfecting agents and how their performance compared with the industry standard of sodium hypochlorite 10%.Methods Research staff collected 600 pre-clean, post-clean, and post-clean + PX-UV environmental samples of aerobic bacterial colonies (ABC) and MRSA from five high touch surfaces (bedrail, call button, toilet seat, bathroom grab rail, tray table). The PX-UV device was used three times - one 5 minute cycle on each side of the patient bed and one 5 minute cycle in the restroom.ResultsWilcoxon signed-rank tests showed post-clean ABC counts were significantly different from post-clean + PX-UV clean counts for soap and water (P < 0.001), quaternary ammonium compound (P < 0.001), and hydrogen peroxide (P < 0.001), but not for sodium hypochlorite 10% (P = 0.78). A negative binomial mixed regression model showed that post-clean + PX-UV ABC counts for Soap and water were 8.6 times higher than post-clean ABC counts for sodium hypochlorite 10% solution, holding all other factors constant, P = 0.001. Post-clean ABC counts for QAC + UV were 6 times higher than post-clean ABC counts for sodium hypochlorite 10% solution, holding all other factors constant, P = 0.004. A Kruskal–Wallis test indicated there was no statistically significant difference in MRSA counts between cleaning chemicals at post-clean (P = 0.1563) or post-clean + UV (P = 0.337), indicating that the cleaning chemicals performed equally well at each stage. UV further statistically significantly lowered MRSA counts beyond the post-clean level only for the quaternary ammonium compound group (P = 0.0073).Conclusion The addition of PX-UV significantly improves disinfection for soap and water, hydrogen peroxide, and quaternary ammonium compound, but not for sodium hypochlorite 10%. This improvement does not bring microbial levels to those seen when using sodium hypochlorite 10% alone.Disclosures C. Jinadatha, Xenex Healthcare Services: CRADA, Research support
Violent and sexual victimization among American and Canadian college students: Who is more at risk and are the risk factors invariant?

The victimization of college students is well documented. Comparative research on the extent of victimization and the risk factors for it is less prevalent. Although some cultural similarities exis...
Severe Reflux Esophagitis

Reflux esophagitis, usually the mild to moderate form, is found endoscopically in less than 50% of patients with classic symptoms of gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD). These patients tend to have low lower esophageal sphincter pressures, poor esophageal clearance, and hiatal hernias. The endoscopic findings of distal esophageal erosions and ulcerations are a specific, but not very sensitive, marker of GERD. Treatment of reflux esophagitis usually requires H2 antagonists, omeprazole, or antireflux surgery.
REM sleep and mood state in childbearing women: sleepy or weepy?

Study objectives To test the hypotheses that: 1) an increase in endogenous progesterone levels during the luteal phase of the menstrual cycle will alter REM sleep and mood state, and 2) a decrease in endogenous progesterone levels during postpartum will also alter REM sleep and mood state. Design A longitudinal descriptive study utilizing ambulatory polysomnography for two consecutive nights at seven time points. Setting Subject's homes. Participants The first hypothesis was tested with 34 women studied during both the follicular and luteal phases of their menstrual cycle. The second hypothesis was tested with 31 women who completed the sleep studies during pregnancy and at one month postpartum. Interventions N/A. Measurements and results Women who ovulated (high levels of serum progesterone in the luteal phase) had shorter REM latency, more REM sleep, and more positive mood state compared to those who did not ovulate (low luteal progesterone). Compared to the third trimester (high progesterone), REM latency was significantly shorter at one month postpartum (low progesterone). Mood state was most positive at the second trimester and most negative at one month postpartum. Conclusions REM sleep and mood state were related to low progesterone levels during the menstrual cycle, but postpartum REM sleep and mood state were related to increased wake time rather than changes in progesterone levels.
Improving System Maturity Assessments by Incorporating a Design Structure Matrix

This paper evaluates a design structure matrix (DSM) as a new approach for assessing the system readiness level (SRL) of complex systems. A framework to demonstrate how a current SRL calculation method can be incorporated into the DSM tool is presented to demonstrate the benefits of DSMs for improved confidence in system readiness assessments. A cross-comparison of the modeled system readiness results obtained with a current SRL approach with nesting assumptions and the proposed DSM approach suggests that the DSM approach provides more accurate results and may be more practical for complex system analysis. The application of the DSM approach to a real-world example is also presented to demonstrate how a DSM framework facilitates the decision-making process for system readiness assessment by providing a more evidence-based maturity assessment for complex systems. The DSM approach discussed in this research can be easily adopted by program managers and practitioners for a wide range of complex systems and system architectures with multiple subsystem components.
Population Aging and Health in Puerto Rico

The population of Puerto Rico is rapidly aging and in 2015 nearly 20% of the population was 65 years of age or older. Puerto Rico is a territory of the United States, and Puerto Ricans are U.S. citizens. But the unique social, cultural, economic, and political contexts mean that population aging in Puerto Rico is considerably different than the U.S. mainland. This chapter provides a comprehensive review of population aging and health in Puerto Rico. Emphasis is placed on the short- and long-term implications that recent economic and political events and natural disasters may have on older adults and population aging in Puerto Rico. We also present results from analyses of data from the Puerto Rican Elderly: Health Conditions study that investigate the impact of interactions between depression and common chronic health conditions on the likelihood for disability in activities of daily living and mortality over a four-year period. The chapter concludes with recommendations for future areas of research that can help to address the substantial need for aging research in Puerto Rico.
Machine Learning-based Predictive Analytics of Student Academic Performance in STEM Education

Machine Learning (ML) is expected, in the near future, to provide various venues and effective tools to improve education in general, and Science-Technology-Engineering- Mathematics (STEM) education in particular. The Gartner Analytics Ascendancy Model requires the use of four types of data analytics to be considered comprehensive: descriptive, diagnostic, predictive and prescriptive data analytics. This paper presents the outcomes of a research and development project at Bradley University (Peoria, IL, USA) aimed at the setup and benchmarking of eight ML algorithms for predictive learning analytics, specifically, a prediction of student academic performance in a course. The analyzed and tested ML algorithms include linear regression, logistic regression, k- nearest neighbor classification, naive Bayes classification, artificial neural network regression and classification, decision tree classification, random forest classification, and support vector machine classification. Based on the obtained accuracy of the analyzed and tested ML algorithms, we have formulated a set of recommendations for faculty and practitioners in terms of selection, setup and utilization of ML algorithms in predictive analytics in STEM education. We also performed formative and summative surveys of undergraduate and graduate students in Computer Science and Computer Information Systems courses to understand their opinion about utilization of ML-based predictive analytics in education; a summary of obtained student feedback is presented in this paper.
The promise - and pitfalls - of smoke-free policy adoption.

Environmental Tobacco Smoke (ETS) is a major, preventable cause of morbidity and mortality, disproportionately impacting vulnerable populations. Policy measures, guided by the WHO’s Framework Convention of Tobacco Control, have focused on the broad adoption of smoke-free laws. While smoke-free policies are effective in reducing ETS exposure, limited policy dissemination and suboptimal implementation strategies have limited their impact. New research reported by Berman and colleagues in this journal brings these issues into sharper focus. Substantial advances in tobacco control policy have been achieved in Israel, including widening of smoke-free laws, since the passing of a Knesset bill in 2012. However, Berman and co-authors present found no reduction in ETS exposure in a nationally representative sample of non-smoking Israeli adults in 2016 compared with an earlier benchmark measured in 2011. In line with research from international settings, they found that ETS exposure was higher among a traditionally vulnerable subpopulation. The findings serve to remind us that the mere adoption of a policy will not translate into meaningful public health impact without applying best practice implementation strategies. Above all, this work emphasizes the continual need for new research to improve existing policies and inform new policy approaches in pursuit of an end to the harm arising from the global tobacco epidemic.
Malaria transmission assisted by interaction between Plasmodium α-tubulin-1 and Anopheles FREP1 protein

Passage of Plasmodium through a mosquito midgut is essential for malaria transmission. FREP1, a peritrophic matrix protein in a mosquito midgut, binds to the parasite and mediates Plasmodium infection in Anopheles . The FREP1-mediated Plasmodium invasion pathway is highly conserved across multiple species of Plasmodium and Anopheles . Through pulldown, nine P. berghei proteins were co-precipitated with FREP1-conjugated beads. After cloning these nine genes from P. berghei and expressing them in insect cells, six of them were confirmed to interact with recombinant FREP1 protein. Among them, α -tubulin-1 and heat shock protein 70 (Hsp70) were highly conserved in Plasmodium species with >95% identity. Thus, P. falciparum α -tubulin-1 and Hsp70 were cloned and expressed in E. coli to stimulate antibody (Ab) in mice. Our results showed that anti-serum against P. falciparum α -tubulin-1 significantly inhibited P. falciparum transmission to An. gambiae , while Ab against P. falciparum Hsp70 serum did not. The polyclonal Ab against human α -tubulin did not interfere formation of ookinetes, however, significantly reduced the number of P. falciparum oocysts in An. gambiae midguts. Moreover, fluorescence microscope assays showed that anti- α -tubulin Ab bound to impermeable Plasmodium ookinete apical invasive apparatus. Therefore, we propose that the interaction between Anopheles FREP1 protein and Plasmodium α -tubulin-1 directs the ookinete invasive apparatus towards midgut peritrophic matrix for the efficient passage of the parasite. Anopheles FREP1 and Plasmodium α-tubulin-1 are potential targets for blocking malaria transmission to the mosquito host.
Evolution of Surgical Management of Colorectal Liver Metastasis

The treatment of colorectal liver metastasis (CRLM) has progressed markedly in the past decades. Main contributions stem from improvement in surgical approach and applications of chemotherapy. The availability of several perioperative and surgical techniques, including portal vein embolization, ablation techniques, and two-stage hepatectomies, has expanded surgical indications. In addition, preoperative imaging methods have contributed to these advances. In patients with high oncological risk of recurrence, or initially unresectable CRLM, highly individualized treatment regimens are becoming more widely utilized. These patients should be evaluated for surgical resection after several cycles of chemotherapy given the survival benefit afforded by liver resection for CRLM. Several biomarkers, including RAS mutation, BRAF mutation, and microsatellite stability, have become essential in guiding therapy. Immunotherapy has recently been highlighted, especially for cases of microsatellite instability. Looking forward, biomarkers will likely to continue to guide individualized treatment patterns. Liver transplantation as an option for patients with unresectable CRLM may boast comparable outcomes to patients with primary liver tumors, but it remains controversial considering the limited supply of donor livers. Management of CRLM requires the complex decision making process common to contemporary tumor board discussions, and a multidisciplinary approach likely figures into future directions of management for CRLM.
A numerical examination of the effect of sulfide dissolution on silicate weathering

Abstract Silicate weathering regulates climate on geological time scales as a net, climate-sensitive sink of atmospheric CO2. On the other hand, sulfuric acid produced through sulfide dissolution affects silicate weathering, diminishing its effectiveness as a climate regulator based on evidence from river chemistry. This study takes a theoretical approach to quantitatively examine the effect of sulfide dissolution, coupling a one-dimensional model of pyrite weathering to that of albite transformation to kaolinite. The coupled model reveals that when the reaction front of sulfide is deeper than that of silicates reacting with CO2, the silicate-weathering feedback on climate is not directly affected by sulfide dissolution, but only indirectly through oceanic processes such as reverse weathering and carbonate deposition. In turn, when sulfide dissolution occurs within zones of CO2-silicate reactions close to the surface, the feedback between climate and silicate weathering can be significantly weakened because sulfuric acid competes effectively with carbonic acid in mineral dissolution. As the depth of the sulfide reaction front can be changed by variations in water table depth, the latter feedback weakening could have occurred in concert with climate-change-driven water table fluctuations, amplifying atmospheric CO2 variations during the Phanerozoic.
Towards a Formal Foundation of Intermittent Computing.

Intermittently powered devices enable new applications in harsh or inaccessible environments, such as space or in-body implants, but also introduce problems in programmability and correctness. Researchers have developed programming models to ensure that programs make progress and do not produce erroneous results due to memory inconsistencies caused by intermittent executions. As the technology has matured, more and more features are added to intermittently powered devices, such as I/O. Prior work has shown that all existing intermittent execution models have problems with repeated device or sensor inputs (RIO). RIOs could leave intermittent executions in an inconsistent state. Such problems and the proliferation of existing intermittent execution models necessitate a formal foundation for intermittent computing. In this paper, we formalize intermittent execution models, their correctness properties with respect to memory consistency and inputs, and identify the invariants needed to prove systems correct. We prove equivalence between several existing intermittent systems. To address RIO problems, we define an algorithm for identifying variables affected by RIOs that need to be restored after reboot and prove the algorithm correct. Finally, we implement the algorithm in a novel intermittent runtime system that is correct with respect to input operations and evaluate its performance.
Context-aware surrogate modeling for balancing approximation and sampling costs in multi-fidelity importance sampling and Bayesian inverse problems.

Multi-fidelity methods leverage low-cost surrogate models to speed up computations and make occasional recourse to expensive high-fidelity models to establish accuracy guarantees. Because surrogate and high-fidelity models are used together, poor predictions by the surrogate models can be compensated with frequent recourse to high-fidelity models. Thus, there is a trade-off between investing computational resources to improve surrogate models and the frequency of making recourse to expensive high-fidelity models; however, this trade-off is ignored by traditional modeling methods that construct surrogate models that are meant to replace high-fidelity models rather than being used together with high-fidelity models. This work considers multi-fidelity importance sampling and theoretically and computationally derives the optimal trade-off between improving the fidelity of surrogate models for constructing more accurate biasing densities and the number of samples that is required from the high-fidelity model to compensate poor biasing densities. Numerical examples demonstrate that such optimal---context-aware---surrogate models for multi-fidelity importance sampling have lower fidelity than what typically is set as tolerance in traditional model reduction, leading to runtime speedups of up to one order of magnitude in the presented examples.
The Case for For-Profit Charities

Nonprofit firms may not distribute profits to owners but instead must retain them or reinvest them. Nonprofits that are “charitable organizations” under § 501(c)(3) of the tax code may receive donations from individuals who are allowed to deduct their donations from their income for tax purposes. We argue that the law should not link tax benefits to corporate form in this way. There may be good arguments for recognizing the nonprofit form and good arguments for providing tax subsidies to charities or donors to charities, but there is no good argument for making those tax subsidies available only to charities that adopt the nonprofit form. Consequently, the “for-profit charity” may well be a desirable institution. Currently, no such entity exists, but the reason is surely discriminatory tax treatment; the charitable activities of many commercial firms suggest that in the absence of discriminatory tax treatment for-profit charities would flourish. Current tax benefits for charitable nonprofits should be extended to for-profit charities, and to the charitable activities of for-profit commercial firms.
In defense of group fuzzy AHP: A comparison of group fuzzy AHP and group AHP with confidence intervals

Abstract Group aggregation of the Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP), both with crisp and fuzzy numbers, is a widely researched field in group multiple criteria decision-making. Typically, if uncertainty needs to be reflected in the outcome of an AHP, triangular fuzzy numbers are used, although this is a controversial method, as many argue that the traditional 1–9 scale used in crisp AHP introduces uncertainty to the decision-making process, leaving no need for fuzzification. This research introduces the use of confidence intervals around the aggregated group mean to estimate the score ranges generated through group fuzzy AHP (GFAHP), as confidence intervals are simpler to calculate and more familiar to many. A comparison of the score ranges resulting from GFAHP and group aggregation using crisp numbers with confidence intervals around the group mean score, aggregating on individual priorities using both the arithmetic mean and geometric mean, was completed. The concept of using confidence intervals on crisp scores to generate score ranges was implemented through a case study to select a new all-wheel drive crossover vehicle. This study shows that confidence intervals introduce excessive uncertainty to the decision-making problem.
Large-Cell Neuroendocrine Carcinoma

Classified as a subtype of large-cell carcinoma, large-cell neuroendocrine carcinoma arises from Kulchitsky cells of the bronchus similar to other neuroendocrine tumors of the lung (sixth decade, smokers).
Risk assessment for o-toluidine and bladder cancer incidence

Background Elevated bladder cancer incidence has been reported in a cohort of 1875 workers manufacturing chemicals used in the rubber industry and employed any time during 1946-2006. o-Toluidine (OT), an aromatic amine, was the prime suspect agent. Using the available environmental data and process characterization, previous investigators assigned ranks to volatile chemical air concentrations across time in departments and jobs, reflecting probabilities of exposure and use of personal protective equipment for airborne and dermal exposures. Aniline, another aromatic amine, was present at comparable concentrations and is known to be an animal carcinogen but produced lower levels in post-shift urine and of hemoglobin adducts than OT in a group of workers. Methods A quantitative risk assessment was performed based on this same population. In this study, cumulative OT exposures were estimated (a) based on previously assigned ranks of exposure intensity and reported actual exposures in jobs with the highest assigned rank, and (b) directly from the historical environmental sampling for OT. Models of bladder cancer incidence were evaluated taking into account possible healthy worker survivor effects. Results Under various assumptions regarding workforce turnover, the excess lifetime risk of bladder cancer from OT exposure at 1 ppb was estimated to be in the range 1-7 per thousand. Conclusions The current ACGIH TLV and OSHA standards for OT are 2 and 5 ppm, respectively, 1000-fold higher than the exposure estimated here for 1-7 per thousand excess lifetime risk.
Myasthenic crisis

Myasthenic crisis is a serious occurrence, affecting up to 27% of patients with myasthenia gravis. In the approach to the patient with myasthenic crisis, (1) the diagnosis of myasthenia gravis is confirmed; (2) respiratory failure is evaluated and treated in the intensive care unit, while potential precipitating factors are identified and managed; (3) immunomodulatory treatment is initiated; and (4) complications are avoided or managed promptly. The mortality rate should be 5% or less, with the elderly being most vulnerable.
The seven steps: Basic novelty patent searching

SUMMARY A patent novelty search (to determine if an invention is new) consists of seven basic steps that can be summarized as determining the classification(s), finding patent numbers in those classifications, and then comparing the invention to the search results. A brief comparative review of the various types of intellectual property, patent basics, and the author's viewpoint regarding using keywords for this type of search are also included.
Primary Electorates vs. Party Elites: Who are the Polarizers?

Advocates of direct primaries argued that party nominees selected by voters should be more independent-minded than those hand-selected by party elites. We test this claim through a study of state legislative vacancy appointments, through which a small group of party activists is responsible for replacing legislators who have died or resigned. We compare the roll call voting behavior of two decades of legislators in Colorado and Illinois based on whether the legislators were directly nominated in primary elections or selected by party elites on a partisan vacancy committee. Results demonstrate that there is, in fact, little ideological difference between the two types of incumbents, suggesting that party elites are largely able to secure the nominations of their preferred candidates even under conditions of a direct primary.
Cap-Weighted Portfolios are Sub-Optimal Portfolios

In this paper, we show that under a fairly innocuous assumption on price inefficiency, market capitalization weighted portfolios are sub-optimal. If market prices are more volatile than is warranted by changes in firm fundamentals, then cap-weighted portfolios do not capture the full premium commensurate their risk. The sub-optimality arises because cap-weighting tends to overweight stocks whose prices are high relative to their fundamentals and underweight stocks whose prices are low relative to their fundamentals. The size of the cap-weighted portfolio underperformance is increasing in the magnitude of price inefficiency and is roughly equal to the variance of the noise in prices. However, portfolios constructed from weights, which do not depend on prices, do not exhibit the same underperformance observed for cap-weighted portfolios. We illustrate this cap-weighting underperformance empirically by comparing returns from cap-weighted portfolio vs. non-cap-weighted portfolios with similar characteristics. We also derive testable implications from our model assumption and find empirical support.
The Regulation of Glomerular Filtration Rate in Mammalian Kidneys

During organogenesis of the kidney, small S-shaped metanephric vesicles form from the undifferentiated metanephric mesoderm. The cephalic part of each primitive renal tubule invaginates to form a cleft within which mesenchymal cells, destined to become the mesangium, accumulate. The formation of a continuous basement membrane serves to separate the intracleftal mesenchymal cells from the tubular cells. As the mesenchymal cells increase in number, vascular tissue enters the cleft to form the capillaries of the glomerular tuft. Eventually, the spherical glomerular capsule is formed and encloses the capillaries, leaving the afferent and efferent arterioles to maintain continuity with the vascular system.
The Netnice packet filter: bridging the structural mismatches in end-host network control

There have been increasing demands for proper monitoring and control in end-host systems, mainly for security and QoS purposes. Nevertheless, existing technologies are insufficient as primitives for end-host security. For example, Berkeley packet filter (BPF), the most popular monitoring infrastructure for many Unix systems, is intended for packet capturing at physical interfaces, and thus, not appropriate for monitoring of applications, which is sometimes critical for system security. This paper presents a simple solution to the problem, utilizing hierarchical virtual network interface (VIF) mechanism. VIF is a new OS abstraction that can be hierarchically structured and attached to OS entities to control their network I/O. We extend VIFs to allow filtering and monitoring of their traffic, and show that it has desirable properties for end-host monitoring and control of traffic. We present our prototype implementation on FreeBSD, and evaluate it qualitatively and quantitatively. Demonstrated advantages include: i) ability to monitor terminating entities at arbitrary granularity, ii) a single consistent framework for both network security and network quality of service, iii) OS independence, iv) efficiency as a control primitive, v) compatibility with BPF interface and its applications, and vi) flexibility for future functional expansion.
Gigantopithecus and the origins of Hominidae.

A re-examination of the available Gigantopithecus material has revealed that most of the supposed “man-like” characteristics of this fossil primate are not, in fact, hominid at all.
Nanocomposite PrCo5/Pr2Co17 magnets with enhanced maximum energy product

Abstract Nanocomposite PrCo 5 /Pr 2 Co 17 powders, with different volume fraction of the Pr 2 Co 17 phase, were synthesized by mechanical milling mixtures of PrCo 5 and Pr 2 Co 17 alloy powders with the aim of enhancing the maximum energy product of PrCo 5 -based powders. It is found that the saturation magnetization increases monotonously with the volume fraction of the Pr 2 Co 17 phase while the coercivity decreases. As a result, the maximum energy product first increases with the Pr 2 Co 17 phase, going through a broad peak, and then decreases with further increase of the Pr 2 Co 17 phase. The highest maximum energy product of 11.8 MG Oe is obtained in a mixture consisting of 70% PrCo 5 and 30% Pr 2 Co 17 phase. Microstructural studies reveal that a uniform nanoscale PrCo 5 /Pr 2 Co 17 microstructure with an average grain size of about 20 nm is developed in these PrCo 5 /Pr 2 Co 17 powders. Evidence of intergranular exchange coupling is found in the PrCo 5 /Pr 2 Co 17 powders, suggesting that the enhanced energy product is due to exchange coupling between the magnetically hard PrCo 5 and soft Pr 2 Co 17 nanograins.
Assessing the performance of the ensemble Kalman filter for subsurface flow data integration under variogram uncertainty

[1] The ensemble Kalman filter (EnKF) has recently been proposed as a promising parameter estimation approach for constraining the description of rock flow properties, such as permeability and porosity, to reproduce flow measurements that are modeled as nonlinear functions of these properties. One of the key factors that strongly affect the performance of the EnKF is the quality or representativeness of the prior ensemble of property fields used to initialize the EnKF assimilation procedure. The initial ensemble is commonly constructed by assuming a known geological continuity model such as a variogram. However, geologic continuity models are derived from incomplete information and imperfect modeling assumptions, which can introduce a significant level of uncertainty into the produced models. Neglecting this important source of uncertainty can lead to systematic errors and questionable estimation results. In this paper, we investigate the performance of the EnKF under varying levels of uncertainty in the variogram model parameters. We first attempt to directly estimate variogram model parameters from flow data and show that the complex and nonunique relation they have with the flow data provides little sensitivity for an effective inversion with the EnKF. We then assess the performance of the EnKF for estimation of permeability values under uncertain and incorrect initial variogram parameters and show that any bias in specifying variogram parameters tends to persist throughout the EnKF analysis even though locally reasonable permeability updates may be obtained near observation points. More importantly, we show that when variogram parameters are specified probabilistically to account for the full range of structural variability in the initial permeability ensemble, the EnKF update results are quite promising. The results suggest that under uncertain geologic continuity, the EnKF tends to perform better if a very diverse set of property fields is used to form the initial ensemble than when a deterministic and potentially erroneous variogram model is used. Therefore, in applying the EnKF to model calibration problems, it is preferable to overestimate the uncertainty in geologic continuity and to initialize the EnKF procedure with a wide range of variability in property description than to overlook the variogram uncertainty at the risk of introducing systematic bias that cannot be corrected by the EnKF updates. The practical implications of the results in this paper are significant for designing the EnKF for realistic ensemble model calibration problems where the level of uncertainty in the initial ensemble is usually not known a priori.