cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Time Dependence of Arsenic Precipitates' Size Distribution in Low Temperature GaAs

The time dependence of the size distribution of arsenic precipitates during annealing for both large (~10nm) and small size (~4nm) regimes is investigated. A narrowing of the size distribution is observed in the small size regime. This improvement in size uniformity is in marked contrast to what is observed for larger precipitates, which coarsen with a widening distribution similar to that of classical Ostwald ripening. Inverse coarsening caused by an elastic interaction between small precipitates due to coherency strain is a possible mechanism for this interesting and potentially useful behavior.
Will There Be a New ‘New Math"?

(1984). Will There Be a New ‘New Math'? Journal of Curriculum Studies: Vol. 16, No. 3, pp. 311-316.
The Law of Averages

Have you ever heard someone appeal to the “law of averages”? As many times as she’s been guilty before, she has to be innocent this time-it’s the law of averages. You should know that. You want to go to law school. (Tom on The Torn Arnold Show, March 9, 1994) President Reagan explained why there is corruption in the Pentagon’s purchasing process: “The law of averages says that not all 6 million [people involved] are going to turn out to be heroes.” (Pittsburgh Press, June 18, 1988) Disobey the law of averages. Let others take the traditional course. We prefer creativity over conformity. Invention over imitation. Inspired ideas over tired ideas. In short, Audi offers an alternative route. (From a print advertisement for Audi)
Complex response to afferent excitatory bursts by nucleus accumbens medium spiny projection neurons.

The nucleus accumbens (NAc) of the ventral striatum is involved in attention, motivation, movement, learning, reward, and addiction. GABAergic medium spiny projection neurons that make up ∼90% of t...
Self-similar organization of arrays of individual carbon nanotubes and carbon nanotube micropillars

It is well-known that carbon nanotube (CNT) growth from a dense arrangement of catalyst nanoparticles creates a vertically aligned CNT forest. CNT forests offer attractive anisotropic mechanical, thermal, and electrical properties, and their anisotropic structure is enabled by the self-organization of a large number of CNTs. This process is governed by individual CNT diameter, spacing, and the CNT-to-CNT interaction. However, little information is known about the self-organization of CNTs within a forest. Insight into the self-organization is, however, essential for tailoring the properties of the CNT forests for applications such as electrical interconnects, thermal interfaces, dry adhesives and energy storage. We demonstrate that arrays of CNT micropillars having micron-scale diameters organize in a similar manner as individual CNTs within a forest. For example, as previously demonstrated for individual CNTs within a forest, entanglement of small-diameter CNT micropillars during the initial stage of growth creates a film of entwined pillars. This layer enables coordinated subsequent growth of the pillars in the vertical direction, in a case where isolated pillars would not grow in a self-supporting fashion. Finally, we provide a detailed overview of the self-organization as a function of the diameter, length and spacing of the CNT pillars. This study, which is applicable to many one-dimensional nanostructured films, demonstrates guidelines for tailoring the self-organization which can enable control of the collective mechanical, electrical and interfacial properties of the films.
T1 and extracellular volume mapping in the heart: estimation of error maps and the influence of noise on precision

Quantitative measurements in the myocardium may be used to detect both focal and diffuse disease processes that result in an elevation of T1 and/or extracellular volume (ECV) fraction. Detection of abnormal myocardial tissue by these methods is affected by both the accuracy and precision. The sensitivity for detecting abnormal elevation of T1 and ECV is limited by the precision of T1 estimates which is a function of the number and timing of measurements along the T1-inversion recovery curve, the signal-to-noise ratio (SNR), the tissue T1, and the method of fitting. The standard deviation (SD) of T1 and ECV estimates are formulated and SD maps are calculated on a pixel-wise basis using the Modified Look-Locker Inversion recovery (MOLLI) method. SD estimates are validated by numerical simulation using Monte-Carlo analysis and with phantoms using repeated trials. SD estimates are provided for pre- and post-contrast optimized protocols for a range of T1s and SNRs. In-vivo examples are provide for normal, myocarditis, and HCM in human subjects. The formulation of SD maps was extended to R1 and ECV. The measured myocardial SNR ranged from 23 to 43 across the heart using the specific T1-mapping protocol in this study. In this range of SNRs, the estimated SD for T1 was approximately 20-45 ms for pre-contrast myocardial T1 around 1000 ms, and was approximately 10-20 ms for post contrast T1 around 400 ms. The proposed estimate of SD was an unbiased estimate of the standard deviation of T1 validated by numerical simulation and had > 99% correlation with phantom measurements. The measured SD maps exhibited variation across the heart due to drop off in surface coil sensitivity as expected for the variation in SNR. Focal elevation in T1 and ECV was shown to have statistical significance on a pixel-wise basis for in-vivo examples. Pixel-wise estimates of T1 mapping errors have been formulated and validated, and the formulation has been extended to ECV. The ability to quantify the measurement error has potential to determine the statistical significance of subtle abnormalities that arise due to diffuse disease processes involving fibrosis and/or edema and is useful both as a confidence metric for overall quality, and in optimization and comparison of imaging protocols.
Libertarianism and International Violence

Based on theory and previous results, three hypotheses are posed: (1) Libertarian states have no violence between themselves. (2) The more libertarian two states, the less their mutual violence. (3) The more libertarian a state, the less its foreign violence. These hypotheses are statistically tested against scaled data on all reported international conflict for 1976 to 1980; and where appropriate, against a list of wars from 1816 to 1974, and of threats and use of force from 1945 to 1965. The three hypotheses are found highly significant. Tests were also made for contiguity as an intervening variable and were negative. Finally, two definitions of “libertarian” are tested, one involving civil liberties plus political rights, the other adding in economic freedom. Both are highly positive, but economic freedom is also found to make a significant added reduction in the level of violence for a state overall or between particular states.
Research Note---Generating Shareable Statistical Databases for Business Value: Multiple Imputation with Multimodal Perturbation

Business organizations are generating growing volumes of data about their employees, customers, and suppliers. Much of these data cannot be exploited for business value due to privacy and confidentiality concerns. National statistical agencies share sensitive data collected from individuals and businesses by modifying the data so individuals and firms cannot be identified but statistical utility is preserved. We build on this literature to develop a hybrid approach to data masking for business organizations. We demonstrate the validity of the hybrid approach, which we call multiple imputation with multimodal perturbation (MIMP), using Monte Carlo simulation and illustrate its application in a specific business context. Results of our analysis open new areas of research for information systems scholarship and new potential revenue sources for business organizations.
Effects of Depressive Symptoms and Experimentally Adopted Schemas on Sexual Arousal and Affect in Sexually Healthy Women

The present study examined the effects of depressive mood symptoms and experimentally adopted sexual schemas on women's sexual arousal and affect. Women's vaginal response, subjective sexual arousal, and affect were measured in response to sexually explicit visual material in a laboratory setting. At baseline on a self-report measure, women with depressive mood symptoms (n = 28) reported significantly lower sexual desire than women with normal mood (n=28), but no significant differences in arousal, orgasm, satisfaction, or pain. Participants were asked to adopt both a positive and negative sexual self-schema prior to viewing erotic stimuli. Women in both mood groups demonstrated significantly greater subjective sexual arousal, vaginal response, and positive affect in the positive schema condition than in the negative schema condition when controlling for anxiety. There were no main effects for mood symptoms. These findings support an information processing conceptualization of sexual arousal and suggest that an acute dose of cognitive sexual schemas can significantly impact subsequent sexual and affective responses. Implications of findings for the assessment and treatment of sexual dysfunction are noted.
Beyond Vancomycin: The Tail of the Lipoglycopeptides

Abstract Purpose The purpose of this comparative review is to provide clinical information on the semisynthetic lipoglycopeptides (telavancin, oritavancin, and dalbavancin) for the management of gram-positive infections. Methods A PubMed search was conducted using the following terms: telavancin , dalbavancin , and oritavancin . Clinical trials evaluating pharmacokinetic properties, pharmacodynamic properties, clinical efficacy, and safety profiles were included in the review. Findings The lipoglycopeptides are approximately 4- to 8-fold more potent than vancomycin against gram-positive organisms, including activity against vancomycin-intermediate or vancomycin-resistant strains of Staphylococcus and Enterococcus species. In addition, oritavancin maintains activity against Enterococcus species harboring vanA operon. Clinical trial data revealed equal efficacy to vancomycin in the management of acute bacterial skin and skin structure infections and, in the case of telavancin, hospital-acquired pneumonia. A benefit of oritavancin and dalbavancin is that a full course of therapy consists of a single- or 2-dose regimen, respectively. These agents are well tolerated with similar adverse event rates to vancomycin. Telavancin requires a thorough assessment before initiation of therapy to minimize the risk of acute kidney injury and teratogenicity. Implications The lipoglycopeptides enhance the antibiotic gram-positive armamentarium at a time when methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus prevalence and overall resistance is at an all-time high. These agents serve to fill different clinical roles in the management of gram-positive infections. On the basis of the available data, telavancin should be considered a plausible agent for the management of gram-positive organisms when patients do not respond or develop adverse effects to vancomycin. Dalbavancin and oritavancin are new therapeutic options, and their potency and pharmacokinetic properties may provide benefit over existing therapies. Clinical trial data indicate that patients with signs or symptoms of skin and skin structure infections may be successfully treated using 1 or 2 doses of these agents. Eliminating the need for inpatient admission, central catheter placement, and/or daily outpatient parenteral antibiotic therapy is a major advance in treatment of skin and skin structure infections. This strategy may reduce costs associated with resource utilization and iatrogenic morbidity, resulting in overall improvements in care.
MRMPlus: an open source quality control and assessment tool for SRM/MRM assay development

Selected and multiple reaction monitoring involves monitoring a multiplexed assay of proteotypic peptides and associated transitions in mass spectrometry runs. To describe peptide and associated transitions as stable, quantifiable, and reproducible representatives of proteins of interest, experimental and analytical validation is required. However, inadequate and disparate analytical tools and validation methods predispose assay performance measures to errors and inconsistencies. Implemented as a freely available, open-source tool in the platform independent Java programing language, MRMPlus computes analytical measures as recommended recently by the Clinical Proteomics Tumor Analysis Consortium Assay Development Working Group for “Tier 2” assays – that is, non-clinical assays sufficient enough to measure changes due to both biological and experimental perturbations. Computed measures include; limit of detection, lower limit of quantification, linearity, carry-over, partial validation of specificity, and upper limit of quantification. MRMPlus streamlines assay development analytical workflow and therefore minimizes error predisposition. MRMPlus may also be used for performance estimation for targeted assays not described by the Assay Development Working Group. MRMPlus’ source codes and compiled binaries can be freely downloaded from https://bitbucket.org/paiyetan/mrmplusgui and https://bitbucket.org/paiyetan/mrmplusgui/downloads respectively.
Predictors of persistence in distance education

The purpose of this exploratory study was to identify which factors predict persistence among a sample of distance education students. Age, gender, GPA, computer experience, computer self-efficacy, and gender role were examined in relation to persistence (i.e., successful completion of a course). A Web-based survey was administered to a convenience sample of undergraduate and graduate students currently enrolled in distance education courses at four colleges in the state of Kentucky (N = 293), during the Fall 2005 and Spring 2006 semesters. The survey instrument consisted of background/demographic questions, the Computer User Self-efficacy (CUSE) Scale, and the Personal Attributes Questionnaire (PAQ). Correlations, one-way ANOVAs, multiple regressions, logistic regression, and hierarchical logistic regression were performed on the data. Additionally, factor analyses were used to examine the factor structure of the CUSE Scale. Major findings include: (a) a moderate relationship between age and GPA (r2 = .12); (b) a relationship between the CUSE score and the masculine subscale score on the PAQ ( r = .180, p < .01); (c) GPA was the only statistically significant predictor of persistence (β = .891, p = .018) of all the variables included in the logistic regression model; (d) a three-factor solution on the CUSE Scale was obtained. Additional results, conclusions, theoretical extensions, recommendations for future research and practice are presented.
Structures and transition states of Ge2CH2.

In this study a systematic theoretical investigation of Ge2CH2 is carried out. The singlet potential energy surface (PES) was explored using state-of-the-art theoretical methods including self-consistent field (SCF), coupled cluster theory incorporating single and double excitation (CCSD), perturbative triple [CCSD(T)] and full triples [CCSDT] with perturbative quadruple (Q), together with a variety of correlation-consistent polarized valence basis sets cc-pVXZ (where X = D, T, and Q). A total of eleven stationary points have been located on the Ge2CH2 singlet ground state PES. Among them, seven structures are minima (1S–7S), two are transition states (TS1 and TS2), and two are second-order saddle points (SSP1 and SSP2). The global minimum is predicted to be an exotic hydrogen-bridged structure 1S. The energy ordering of the seven minima (in kcal mol–1) obtained from focal point analysis using the extrapolation to complete basis set (CBS) limit with zero point vibrational energy (ZPVE), core correlation, ...
Keratoconus correction using a new model of intrastromal corneal ring segments.

Purpose To evaluate the optical value of a new model of intrastromal corneal ring segments (ICRS) (Keratacx Plus) in patients with keratoconus and to quantify subsequent changes in corneal topography and asphericity. Setting Private practice. Design Prospective case series. Methods This study comprised patients who had primary keratoconus or keratectasia after laser in situ keratomileusis (LASIK); none wore contact lenses. Rings were implanted through tunnels created manually or with a femtosecond laser. All eyes had clear visual axes and corneal thickness over 450 μm at the incision site. Preoperative and postoperative pachymetry images were acquired. Results were analyzed using a matched-pair t test and the Kolmogorov-Smirnov test. Results Twenty-nine eyes (24 patients; mean age 30.1 years ± 10.6 [SD]) were evaluated. The ICRS significantly increased uncorrected and corrected visual acuities from 0.05 to 0.16 and from 0.17 to 0.5, respectively (z = 4.7, P P P P Conclusions The ICRS provided topographic and visual improvement in keratoconus and post-LASIK keratectasia. Variance in surgical outcomes with manual versus femtosecond tunneling and the effect of different ring sizes are yet to be studied. Financial Disclosure None of the authors has a financial or proprietary interest in any material or method mentioned.
Business Relations into/from Gendered Social Relations: Exchange in the Transnational Suitcase Trade Market of Laleli

In the past decade there has been a resurgence of studies in the social sciences that emphasize the role of “the social” in market exchange and economic development. This is a welcome change from the “asocial” homo economicus of neoclassical theory and finds various expressions, most notable among them being studies on social capital, trust, and networks. Simplified, the argument is that men and women do not enter into economic transactions in a social vacuum; rather, their community ties, their face-to-face relations, and their networks of such relations facilitate gainful exchange and may ultimately contribute to successful economic development in a country or region.
The Two Sides of the Paris Climate Agreement: Dismal Failure or Historic Breakthrough?

The December 2015 Paris Climate Agreement is better than no agreement. This is perhaps the best that can be said about it. The scientific evidence on global warming is alarming, and the likelihood depressingly small that the world can stay below a 2°C—even less a 1.5°C warming—over pre-industrial times. The Paris Agreement does not provide a blueprint for achieving these stabilization objectives. But it is ultimately the hope, however small, that a fundamental and rapid energy transition is achievable that must inform social and political behavior and activism in the coming years. In this sense, the Paris outcome is an aspirational global accord that will trigger and legitimize more climate action around the world. The question is whether this will happen quickly enough and at a sufficient scale to avoid disastrous warming of the planet. What is certain is that it will not occur without determined and far-reaching government intervention in energy markets in the next few years, particularly in the largest...
Regulation of the Bioavailability of TGF-β and TGF-β-Related Proteins

The bioavailability of members of the transforming growth factor β (TGF-β) family is controlled by a number of mechanisms. Bona fide TGF-β is sequestered into the matrix in a latent state and must be activated before it can bind to its receptors. Here, we review the molecules and mechanisms that regulate the bioavailability of TGF-β and compare these mechanisms with those used to regulate other TGF-β family members. We also assess the physiological significance of various latent TGF-β activators, as well as other extracellular modulators of TGF-β family signaling, by examining the available in vivo data from knockout mouse models and other biological systems.
Results of closure of urethrocutaneous fistulas in children.

AbstractWe reviewed 34 patients undergoing repair of urethrocutaneous fistulas. In 85 per cent of the cases fistulas occurred after hypospadias repair. Midshaft fistulas were closed successfully using a multilayered de-epithelialized “pants over vest” technique. Of 19 cases with midshaft fistulas closed by this method there were no recurrences and 13 (68 per cent) were performed as nondiverted outpatient procedures. Eleven coronal fistulas were repaired by a skin advancement technique that was successful in 10. Of these 11 procedures 10 were done on an outpatient basis without diversion. Most urethrocutaneous fistulas can be closed successfully without urinary diversion on an outpatient basis.
Characterization of the implantable neurostimulator-based wireless bioimpedance measurement technique

A system for wireless bioimpedance measurements in small localized volumes was investigated using a millimeter-sized implantable device powered by ultrasound energy. The minimally invasive implant is very simple, consisting of two passive components that receive and demodulate the ultrasound which then directly drives tissue currents. By varying the ultrasound drive level and its amplitude modulation frequencies, the implantable device, in addition to neurostimulation, can be used to perform impedance measurements, thus offering a potential to both therapeutically neurostimulate tissue as well as record tissue impedance changes resulting from the stimulation. The system communicates in the return path by volume conduction. Potentials detected by skin electrodes are used to construct tissue impedance plots. In this report we demonstrate the feasibility of wireless impedance measurements and characterize system performance in terms of the signal detectability over the distance.
Collaborating across disciplines and the Commonwealth: Engaging students in community-based learning

The School Environmental Action Showcase is in its fifth year at George Mason University. This event may be the largest STEM (science, technology, engineering, math) showcase in Virginia. Seven hundred youth, from kindergarten through high school, present their environmentally oriented research at Mason’s Center for the Arts in April. The Mason leader, a science professor, has coordinated with a communication faculty member to support SEAS. SEAS is funded by the 4VA Wind and Watershed partnership. It also includes faculty and students in a James Madison University course, community NGOs, dozens of regional K-12 schools, state and federal agencies, Mason admissions and sustainability offices, public officials, and student volunteers. Youth present projects such as planting radishes to improve the cleanliness of Virginia waters and designing wind turbines to increase energy production. This proposed lightning talk will share highlights, Mason students’ feedback, and lessons learned about teaming across disciplines.
Monetary Policy, Non-Uniqueness of Steady States and Hysteresis Effects

Abstract It is demonstrated that the assumption of state dependent relative weights for output and inflation may lead to a non-convex objective function with respect to the contour set. State dependent relative weights mean that output stabilization is more important for low levels of actual output compared to higher levels. In this case, the central bank’s solution to an intertemporal optimization problem can generate multiple steady states which can lead to hysteresis.
Dry matter yield, root traits, and nodule occupancy of lucerne and Caucasian clover when grown in acidic soil with high aluminium concentrations

Lucerne and Caucasian clover dry matter were measured in response to recommended lime and capital P inputs for six years in an acidic soil in the New Zealand high country. The initial three years of the field experiment indicated successful establishment and persistence of both legumes. Lucerne dry matter (DM) yield was up to 4 t/ha/yr in this period and higher than Caucasian clover yields. However, a lack of persistence of lucerne was apparent from this point forward compared with Caucasian clover which produced 7.7 t DM/ha in Year 6. An experiment using tubes of soil was used to investigate whether differences in root traits, nodulation and nodule occupancy were responsible for the differences observed in field persistence over time. These showed that when rhizobia inoculant was added, the fine root length of Caucasian clover was unaffected (R2 = 0.14) by aluminium (Al) content of the soil. In contrast, fine root growth of lucerne was suppressed (R2 = 0.79) by the soil Al content. Nodulation of Caucasian clover was unaffected by soil pH or Al when the rhizobia inoculant was provided which suggests the viability of the commercial genotype ICC148 in this soil with a pH of 5.5 and Al ca. 7 mg/kg soil. For lucerne, the maximum nodulation score of 7.3 occurred with 2 t/ha of lime added (soil pH ca.6, Al ca. 0.3 mg/kg) plus inoculant. This suggests an Al toxic threshold of <1.0 mg Al/kg soil for effective lucerne nodulation. From the lucerne nodules, eight naturalized strains of Ensifer meliloti were identified. In contrast, only one R. leguminosarum strain was detected in the Caucasian clover nodules. The competition between those rhizobia genotypes may negatively affect the efficiency of biological nitrogen fixation in lucerne. Therefore, the lack of genetic diversity of R. leguminosarum bv. trifolii in New Zealand soils might be an advantage especially if the commercial strain is acid soil tolerant.
The adaptive collision source method for discrete ordinates radiation transport

Abstract A novel collision source method has been developed to solve the Linear Boltzmann Equation (LBE) more efficiently by adaptation of the angular quadrature order. The angular adaptation method is unique in that the flux from each scattering source iteration is obtained, with potentially a different quadrature order used for each. Traditionally, the flux from every iteration is combined, with the same quadrature applied to the combined flux. Since the scattering process tends to distribute the radiation more evenly over angles (i.e., make it more isotropic), the quadrature requirements generally decrease with each iteration. This method allows for an optimal use of processing power, by using a high order quadrature for the first iterations that need it, before shifting to lower order quadratures for the remaining iterations. This is essentially an extension of the first collision source method, and is referred to as the adaptive collision source (ACS) method. The ACS methodology has been implemented in the 3-D, parallel, multigroup discrete ordinates code TITAN. This code was tested on a several simple and complex fixed-source problems. The ACS implementation in TITAN has shown a reduction in computation time by a factor of 1.5–4 on the fixed-source test problems, for the same desired level of accuracy, as compared to the standard TITAN code.
Did the Great Recession increase suicides in the USA? Evidence from an interrupted time-series analysis.

Abstract Purpose Research suggests that the Great Recession of 2007–2009 led to nearly 5000 excess suicides in the United States. However, prior work has not accounted for seasonal patterning and unique suicide trends by age and gender. Methods We calculated monthly suicide rates from 1999 to 2013 for men and women aged 15 and above. Suicide rates before the Great Recession were used to predict the rate during and after the Great Recession. Death rates for each age-gender group were modeled using Poisson regression with robust variance, accounting for seasonal and nonlinear suicide trajectories. Results There were 56,658 suicide deaths during the Great Recession. Age- and gender-specific suicide trends before the recession demonstrated clear seasonal and nonlinear trajectories. Our models predicted 57,140 expected suicide deaths, leading to 482 fewer observed than expected suicides (95% confidence interval −2079, 943). Conclusions We found little evidence to suggest that the Great Recession interrupted existing trajectories of suicide rates. Suicide rates were already increasing before the Great Recession for middle-aged men and women. Future studies estimating the impact of recessions on suicide should account for the diverse and unique suicide trajectories of different social groups.
CARACTERÍSTICAS DA INFORMAÇÃO VALIOSA: O CASE DE UMA INDÚSTRIA DE BEBIDAS.

Alcancar ou manter uma colocacao vantajosa no mercado, diante de um cenario em continua mudanca, e realidade para poucos. Destacam-se as organizacoes que sabem que a informacao de qualidade pode trazer vantagens significativas, se bem explorada e gerenciada. Por acreditar nisso, este trabalho buscou identificar a percepcao dos gerentes regionais de vendas quanto a eficiencia e a eficacia dos principais relatorios disponibilizados pela Area de Informacoes de uma industria de bebidas, por meio de uma pesquisa aplicada, com abordagem quantitativa e qualitativa, com uma etapa descritiva, e bibliografica, documental e participante quanto aos procedimentos tecnicos. Para a coleta de dados, foram aplicados questionarios eletronicos, com onze respondentes. Para dar apoio/embasamento teorico, fundamentou-se o estudo com diversos autores da area de Gestao da Informacao. Os resultados mostraram que na percepcao dos gerentes regionais de vendas, o “Relatorio A” e eficiente e eficaz e o “Relatorio B” nao e eficiente e eficaz, sendo necessaria avaliacao e possivel reestruturacao, evidenciando a falta de gestao da informacao, principalmente no “Relatorio B”. Apos analise e discussao dos resultados, sugere-se validar formas de conferencia antes da disponibilizacao das informacoes; utilizar recursos tecnologicos para otimizacao do tempo e levantar as necessidades dos usuarios.
Comparison of Anticoagulant Therapy for Atrial Fibrillation - Novel Oral Anticoagulants Versus Vitamin K Antagonists

In patients with non-valvular atrial fibrillation (NVAF), oral anticoagulation is important for prevention of stroke and systemic embolism (SE). While Vitamin K antagonists (VKAs) have historically been the standard of care, these medications are limited by numerous food and drug interactions with onerous requirements for frequent monitoring and dose adjustments. Over the past decade, several novel oral anticoagulants (NOACs) have been developed to directly inhibit factor IIa/thrombin (dabigatran) or activated factor X (apixaban, rivaroxaban, edoxaban). These medications have been shown to be at least as effective as warfarin for stroke prevention in NVAF with more favorable safety profiles. However, their advantages are underscored by a lack of specific antidotes and assays quantifying their anticoagulant effects. This paper addresses the use of NOACs compared to VKAs in patients with NVAF, with a special focus on high-risk populations, including the elderly, those with renal disease, diabetes mellitus, coronary artery disease, and previous stroke. The current literature surrounding special clinical scenarios including the treatment of bleeding, perioperative management, and the use of NOACs in cardioversion and catheter ablation will be also discussed.
HCN Production via Impact Ejecta Reentry During the Late Heavy Bombardment

Major impact events have shaped the Earth as we know it. The Late Heavy Bombardment is of particular interest because it immediately precedes the first evidence of life. The reentry of impact ejecta creates numerous chemical byproducts, including biotic precursors such as HCN. This work examines the production of HCN during the Late Heavy Bombardment in more detail. We stochastically simulate the range of impacts on the early Earth, and use models developed from existing studies to predict the corresponding ejecta properties. Using multi-phase flow methods and finite rate equilibrium chemistry, we then find the HCN production due to the resulting atmospheric heating. We use DSMC to develop a correction factor to account for increased yields due to thermochemical nonequilibrium. We then model 1D atmospheric turbulent diffusion to find the time-accurate transport of HCN to lower altitudes and ultimately surface water. Existing works estimate the necessary HCN molarity threshold to promote polymerization is 0.01 M. For a mixing depth of 100 m, we find that the Late Heavy Bombardment will produce at least 1 impact event above this threshold with probability 24.1% for an oxidized atmosphere and 56.3% for a partially reduced atmosphere. For a mixing depth of 10 m, the probability is 79.5% for an oxidized atmosphere and 96.9% for a partially reduced atmosphere. Therefore, LHB impact ejecta is likely an HCN source sufficient for polymerization in shallow bodies of water, particularly if the atmosphere were in a partially reduced state.
Analysis of Human Sequence Data Reveals Two Pulses of Archaic Denisovan Admixture

Summary Anatomically modern humans interbred with Neanderthals and with a related archaic population known as Denisovans. Genomes of several Neanderthals and one Denisovan have been sequenced, and these reference genomes have been used to detect introgressed genetic material in present-day human genomes. Segments of introgression also can be detected without use of reference genomes, and doing so can be advantageous for finding introgressed segments that are less closely related to the sequenced archaic genomes. We apply a new reference-free method for detecting archaic introgression to 5,639 whole-genome sequences from Eurasia and Oceania. We find Denisovan ancestry in populations from East and South Asia and Papuans. Denisovan ancestry comprises two components with differing similarity to the sequenced Altai Denisovan individual. This indicates that at least two distinct instances of Denisovan admixture into modern humans occurred, involving Denisovan populations that had different levels of relatedness to the sequenced Altai Denisovan. Video Abstract
Forging Developmental Relationships in the Grow Your Own Teacher Program.

AbstractIn the Grow Your Own Teacher (GYOT) program, an initiative developed by a university located on Long Island, New York, and funded by a congressionally-directed grant, a diverse cohort of 11th grade low-income students were financially, academically, and emotionally supported in their goal of becoming math or science teachers in predominantly high needs local school districts. In this article, the formation and solidifying of the developmental relationships, which underscored this intensified mentoring effort, were examined. Throughout the selection and implementation phases of the GYOT program, data were collected from multiple sources from both the secondary and post-secondary levels and analyzed to illuminate the organizational structures, activities, and techniques, the relationship-building elements, which enabled these students to flourish and successfully address personal challenges in acquiring a college degree.
MR Imaging of Chondrogenic Tumors: Update on Select Imaging Challenges

This review article discusses the updated World Health Classification of chondrogenic skeletal tumors and the role of conventional and advanced magnetic resonance (MR) imaging in the evaluation of chondrogenic skeletal lesions with emphasis on select diagnostic dilemmas. The majority of benign chondrogenic skeletal lesions have typical radiographic and MR features. Conventional MR imaging sequences can be helpful in the distinction of tumor-like lesions from chondrogenic tumors, and the evaluation of anatomic extent, particularly with regard to the detection of soft tissue masses associated with a chondrosarcoma (CS). Benign, atypical, and malignant chondrogenic lesions can have overlapping features on diffusion-weighted imaging (DWI) with apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC) mapping although dynamic contrast-enhanced (DCE) sequences can be helpful in the characterization of chondrogenic tumors as benign or malignant. Patients with multiple chondrogenic tumor conditions or syndromes are predisposed to developing CS and extra-skeletal malignancies, and as such, a small subset may benefit from imaging surveillance. The majority of chondrogenic skeletal lesions can be characterized confidently on imaging. In the small subset of intermediate and malignant chondrogenic lesions with overlapping imaging and pathological features, a multidisciplinary approach should be used.
The Small Dispersion Limit of the Korteweg-De Vries Equation

There are many physical systems which display shocks i.e. regions in space where the solution develops extremely large slopes. In general, such systems are too complicated to be treated by exact calculation and their properties are best studied through the proof of general theorems. A model of the formation and propagation of dispersive shocks in one space dimension, in which explicit calculation is possible, is given by the initial value problem for the Korteweg-de Vries equation: $$ {u_{t}} - 6u{u_{x}} + {\varepsilon ^{2}}u{u_{{xxx}}} = 0 $$ (1.1a) $$ u(x,o,\varepsilon ) = - v(x)$$ (1.1b) in the limit e → 0.
Transferring the American Experience: Rethinking an Old Question

(1997). Transferring the American Experience: Rethinking an Old Question. Journal of Public Administration Education: Vol. 3, No. 1, pp. 65-68.
Effect of marijuana smoking on pulmonary disease in HIV-infected and uninfected men: a longitudinal cohort study.

Summary Background Lung disease is a common comorbidity in people with HIV/AIDS, independent of smoking status. The effects of marijuana smoking on risk of lung disease in HIV-infected individuals are unclear. Methods In this prospective cohort study, we quantified lung disease risk among men enrolled in the Multicenter AIDS Cohort Study (MACS), a long-term observational cohort of HIV-infected and uninfected men who have sex with men. Eligible participants were aged ≥30 years with self-reported marijuana and tobacco smoking data from biannual study visits between 1996 and 2014. Pulmonary diagnoses were obtained from self-report and medical records. Analyses were performed using Cox models and Generalized Estimating Equations adjusted for tobacco smoking, CD4 T cell count, and other risk factors. Findings 1630 incident pulmonary diagnoses were reported among 1352 HIV-seropositive and 1352 HIV-seronegative eligible participants matched for race and baseline age (53,794 total person-visits, median follow-up 10.5 years). 27% of HIV-infected participants reported daily or weekly marijuana smoking for one or more years in follow-up, compared to 18% of uninfected participants (median 4·0 and 4·5 years daily/weekly use, respectively). HIV-infected participants had an increased likelihood of infectious or non-infectious pulmonary diagnoses compared to uninfected participants (33·2% vs. 21·5%, and 20·6% vs. 17·2%, respectively). Among HIV-infected participants, recent marijuana smoking was associated with increased risk of infectious pulmonary diagnoses and chronic bronchitis independent of tobacco smoking and other risk factors for lung disease (hazard ratio [95% confidence interval] 1·43 [1·09–1·86], and 1·54 [1·11–2·13], respectively); these risks were additive in participants smoking both substances. There was no association between marijuana smoking and pulmonary diagnoses in HIV-uninfected participants. Interpretation In this longitudinal study, long-term marijuana smoking was associated with lung disease independent of tobacco smoking and other risk factors in HIV-infected individuals. These findings could be used to reduce modifiable risks of lung disease in high-risk populations. Funding U.S. National Institutes of Health.
Complex Spectral Mapping with a Convolutional Recurrent Network for Monaural Speech Enhancement

Phase is important for perceptual quality in speech enhancement. However, it seems intractable to directly estimate phase spectrogram through supervised learning due to lack of clear structure in phase spectrogram. Complex spectral mapping aims to estimate the real and imaginary spectrograms of clean speech from those of noisy speech, which simultaneously enhances magnitude and phase responses of noisy speech. In this paper, we propose a new convolutional recurrent network (CRN) for complex spectral mapping, which leads to a causal system for noise- and speaker-independent speech enhancement. In terms of objective intelligibility and perceptual quality, the proposed CRN significantly outperforms an existing convolutional neural network (CNN) for complex spectral mapping, as well as a strong CRN for magnitude spectral mapping. We additionally incorporate a newly-developed group strategy to substantially reduce the number of trainable parameters and the computational cost without sacrificing performance.
Structural variation at the CYP2C locus: Characterization of deletion and duplication alleles.

The human CYP2C locus harbors the polymorphic CYP2C18, CYP2C19, CYP2C9, and CYP2C8 genes, and of these, CYP2C19 and CYP2C9 are directly involved in the metabolism of ~15% of all medications. All variant CYP2C19 and CYP2C9 star (*) allele haplotypes currently cataloged by the Pharmacogene Variation (PharmVar) Consortium are defined by sequence variants. To determine if structural variation also occurs at the CYP2C locus, the 10q23.33 region was interrogated across deidentified clinical chromosomal microarray (CMA) data from 20,642 patients tested at two academic medical centers. Fourteen copy number variants that affected the coding region of CYP2C genes were detected in the clinical CMA cohorts, which ranged in size from 39.2 to 1,043.3 kb. Selected deletions and duplications were confirmed by MLPA or ddPCR. Analysis of the clinical CMA and an additional 78,839 cases from the Database of Genomic Variants (DGV) and ClinGen (total n = 99,481) indicated that the carrier frequency of a CYP2C structural variant is ~1 in 1,000, with ~1 in 2,000 being a CYP2C19 full gene or partial-gene deletion carrier, designated by PharmVar as CYP2C19*36 and *37, respectively. Although these structural variants are rare in the general population, their detection will likely improve metabolizer phenotype prediction when interrogated for research and/or clinical testing.
Phosphorus-nitrogen compounds. 31. N-phosphinylamino-1,2,5,6-tetrahydropyridines: analgesic activity and effect on blood glucose.

The present research describes the preparation of an additional phosphinyl compound and the results from testing it, and two previously reported agents of this nature, for analgesic, hypoglycemic, and hyperglycemic properties. For purposes of comparison, three analogous carbonyl compounds, which were reported to have these activities, were resynthesized and similarly tested
Variation in Fluted-point Technology: Investigations across Space and Time

The transmission of Clovis fluted-point technology, the earliest well-dated fluted point industry, is considered to have led to regional variants of point forms as a result of cultural drift and fo...
Instilling resiliency in surgical education: The benefits of longitudinal medical student learning.

The longitudinal clerkship has been recognized as an innovative, unique model in medical education that demonstrates significantly higher student and preceptor satisfaction with comparable long-term outcomes like performance on standardized examinations. At the center of this model is the student-preceptor relationship, which promotes effective student-directed learning and personal and professional relationships with established faculty mentors. The University of California, San Francisco (UCSF) has two clerkships models: a traditional or "block" model consisting of 2-month sequential clinical rotations in seven core clerkships, and a longitudinal model that integrates parallel out-patient clinical experiences over the entire year with one-on-one faculty preceptors from each core discipline with focused 2-week intensive inpatient rotations. In the setting of the Covid-19 pandemic beginning in Spring of 2020, this arrangement allowed for a natural experiment to evaluate the resiliency of the respective models in the face of unprecedented disruptions in education and healthcare delivery. As described in this perspective, both clerkships required rapid pivots; however, students enrolled in the longitudinal clerkship were more likely to develop stronger relationships with surgical faculty and felt more prepared for making career choices. Medical school curricula may benefit from incorporating longitudinal components, as this model provided flexibility and fostered greater faculty-student mentorship in the setting of disruption to medical education.
Meeting Dermatologic Needs in an Uninsured Population: Lessons Learned from a Referrals Cohort at a Student-Run Free Clinic

Unmet dermatologic needs of the uninsured patient population are important to identify and address, especially as the COVID-19 pandemic has introduced additional barriers of access to care. We describe the successful collaboration between a student-run free clinic and dermatology practice since 2012, highlighting excellent time to appointment intervals and resolution rates as well as the associated modest financial cost. We believe that the information provided in our report may serve as a proof of concept and facilitate the implementation of such collaborations throughout the United States.
Screening and Assessment of Pisatin Demethylase Activity (PDA )

Plants produce low molecular weight compounds with antimicrobial activity in response to microbial attack termed phytoalexins. The first phytoalexin identified was (+) pisatin from pea, and several fungi are able to detoxify pisatin to a less inhibitory compound, including F. oxysporum f. sp. pisi. This detoxification is catalyzed by demethylation of the compound (termed pisatin demethylase activity, or PDA) by the cytochrome P450, Pda. Here we detail two procedures to assess PDA using radiolabeled [14C]pisatin as a substrate and monitoring activity using a scintillation counter.
Large-scale algorithmic search identifies stiff and sloppy dimensions in synaptic architectures consistent with murine neocortical wiring

Complex systems can be defined by "sloppy" dimensions, meaning that their behavior is unmodified by large changes to specific parameter combinations, and "stiff" dimensions whose changes result in considerable modifications. In the case of the neocortex, sloppiness in synaptic architectures would be crucial to allow for the maintenance of spiking dynamics in the normal range despite a diversity of inputs and both short- and long-term changes to connectivity. Using simulations on neural networks with spiking matched to murine visual cortex, we determined the stiff and sloppy parameters of synaptic architectures across three classes of input (brief, continuous, and cyclical). Large-scale algorithmically-generated connectivity parameter values revealed that specific combinations of excitatory and inhibitory connectivity are stiff and that all other architectural details are sloppy. Stiff dimensions are consistent across a range of different input classes with self-sustaining synaptic architectures occupying a smaller subspace as compared to the other input classes. We also find that experimentally estimated connectivity probabilities from mouse visual cortex are similarly stiff and sloppy when compared to the architectures that we identified algorithmically. This suggests that simple statistical descriptions of spiking dynamics are a sufficient and parsimonious description of neocortical activity when examining structure-function relationships at the mesoscopic scale. Moreover, this study provides further evidence of the importance of the interrelationship of excitatory and inhibitory connectivity to establish and maintain stable spiking dynamical regimes in neocortex.