cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Hypoglycemic therapy in patients diagnosed to have diabetes at 30 years of age or older

Treatment patterns were investigated for a population of diabetic persons diagnosed at 30 years of age or older who received primary medical care in an eleven county area in southern Wisconsin. Of the 6074 patients who met the diagnostic criteria for diabetes, 51% received their primary care from internists, 35% from general practitioners, and 14% from family practitioners. Insulin usage was more frequent in patients with a longer duration of diabetes, younger age at diagnosis and poor recent glucose control. Prescription of oral medications increased with increasing current age and age at diagnosis. A greater proportion of the patients of internists than those of general practitioners were treated with insulin. Oral hypoglycemic agents were prescribed more frequently for patients of general practitioners than for patients of internists. These differences remained after controlling for duration, age at diagnosis, and status of recent glucose control. Therefore, practitioner type is associated with treatment prescribed for diabetic patients diagnosed after 30 years of age.
Equilibrium in Competitive Insurance Markets Under Adverse Selection and Yaari's Dual Theory of Risk

Under Yaari’s dual theory of risk, we determine the equilibrium separating contracts for high and low risks in a competitive insurance market, in which risks are defined only by their expected losses, that is, a high risk is a risk that has a greater expected loss than a low risk. Also, we determine the pooling equilibrium contract when insurers are assumed non-myopic. Expected utility theory generally predicts that optimal insurance indemnity payments are nonlinear functions of the underlying loss due to the nonlinearity of agents’ utility functions. Under Yaari’s dual theory, we show that under mild technical conditions the indemnity payment is a piecewise linear function of the loss, a common property of insurance coverages.
Contextual Effects and Adolescent Substance Use: Exploring the Role of Neighborhoods*

Objective. The purpose of this article is to explore the additive and moderating effects of neighborhood context on substance use among youth. Methods. Using a regional sample of adolescents and matching the data to Census tracts, we use hierarchical linear modeling to examine the relationship between neighborhood disadvantage and neighborhood instability on alcohol and marijuana use while controlling for individual, family, and peer characteristics. Results. For both alcohol and marijuana use measures, we find neighborhood disadvantage has a consistent negative direct effect; adolescents living in economically disadvantaged neighborhoods have lower rates of use. In addition, neighborhood disadvantage moderates the effect of a key individual risk factor. Specifically, we find living in areas with higher neighborhood disadvantage reduces the effect of deviant peers on adolescent substance use. Conclusions. Findings, while showing effects of neighborhood disadvantage, are inconsistent with the typical neighborhood disorganization framework. We discuss the implications of our findings for ongoing research on neighborhood contextual effects and adolescent behaviors.
Cargo inspection system based on pulsed fast neutron analysis

Abstract Pulsed Fast Neutron Analysis (PFNA) is a technique which uses a collimated pulsed beam of fast neutrons to excite the nuclei of common elements in bulk materials. Direct imaging of the elemental contents of the material is accomplished by using time-of-flight analysis to identify the position of the interactions and gamma-ray spectroscopy to identify the elemental gamma-rays. From the ratios and absolute measurements of elemental abundances the identification of the material can be deduced. The PFNA cargo inspection system uses a volume type negative ion source and a double drift bunching system to create an intense beam of nano-second bunched negative deuterium ions which, after acceleration to around 6 MeV, impinge on a deuterium gas target producing pulsed neutrons. A unique high speed data acquisition system digitizes and analyzes the time-energy data in real time. Experimental studies and computer simulations were extensively employed to characterize and optimize the design parameters of the system.
Relating Anatomical and Social Connectivity: White Matter Microstructure Predicts Emotional Empathy

Understanding cues to the internal states of others involves a widely distributed network of brain regions. Although white matter (WM) connections are likely crucial for communication between these regions, the role of anatomical connectivity in empathic processing remains unexplored. The present study tested for a relationship between anatomical connectivity and empathy by assessing the WM microstructural correlates of affective empathy, which promotes interpersonal understanding through emotional reactions, and cognitive empathy, which does so via perspective taking. Associations between fractional anisotropy (FA) and the emotional (empathic concern, EC) and cognitive (perspective taking, PT) dimensions of empathy as assessed by the Interpersonal Reactivity Index were examined. EC was positively associated with FA in tracts providing communicative pathways within the limbic system, between perception and action-related regions, and between perception and affect-related regions, independently of individual differences in age, gender, and other dimensions of interpersonal reactivity. These findings provide a neuroanatomical basis for the rapid, privileged processing of emotional sensory information and the automatic elicitation of responses to the affective displays of others.
Brief Report: Illness Factors and Child Behavior Before and During Pediatric Hospitalization

Objective Little is known about factors predicting in-hospital adjustment in children with chronic illnesses or about risk/protective factors for in-hospital behavior compared to out-of-hospital behavior. This study investigated the relationship between illness factors (chronicity and severity) and child adjustment in and out of the hospital. Methods Parents and nurses completed questionnaires about in-hospital and home behavior for a sample of 85 hospitalized children. Results In the hospital, children with acute illnesses demonstrated more internalizing behavior problems than children with chronic illnesses. Children with life-threatening illnesses had more internalizing and externalizing problems than children with non-life-threatening illnesses. Out of the hospital, children with chronic illnesses demonstrated more internalizing problems and a trend toward more externalizing problems than healthy children who later developed acute illnesses. Out of hospital behavior problems were unrelated to illness severity. Conclusions Results suggest that different illness factors may predict in-hospital as compared to out-of-hospital behavioral adjustment.
CD4 ligation on human blood monocytes triggers macrophage differentiation and enhances HIV infection.

A unique aspect of human monocytes, compared to monocytes from many other species, is that they express the CD4 molecule. However, the role of the CD4 molecule in human monocyte development and function is not known. We determined that the activation of CD4 via interaction with major histocompatibility complex class II (MHC-II) triggers cytokine expression and the differentiation of human monocytes into functional mature macrophages. Importantly, we determined that CD4 activation induces intracellular signaling in monocytes and that inhibition of the MAPK and Src family kinase pathways blocked the ability of CD4 ligation to trigger macrophage differentiation. We observed that ligation of CD4 by MHC-II on activated endothelial cells induced CD4-mediated macrophage differentiation of blood monocytes. Finally, CD4 ligation by MHC-II increases the susceptibility of blood-derived monocytes to HIV binding and subsequent infection. Altogether, our studies have identified a novel function for the CD4 molecule on peripheral monocytes and suggest that a unique set of events that lead to innate immune activation differ between humans and mice. Further, these events can have effects on HIV infection and persistence in the macrophage compartment. IMPORTANCE The CD4 molecule, as the primary receptor for HIV, plays an important role in HIV pathogenesis. There are many cell types that express CD4 other than the primary HIV target, the CD4+ T cell. Other than allowing HIV infection, the role of the CD4 molecule on human monocytes or macrophages is not known. We were interested in determining the role of CD4 in human monocyte/macrophage development and function and the potential effects of this on HIV infection. We identified a role for the CD4 molecule in triggering the activation and development of a monocyte into a macrophage following its ligation. Activation of the monocyte through the CD4 molecule in this manner increases the ability of monocytes to bind to and become infected with HIV. Our studies have identified a novel function for the CD4 molecule on peripheral monocytes in triggering macrophage development that has direct consequences for HIV infection.
Sharing a traumatic event: the experience of the listener and the storyteller within the dyad.

b Background: Individuals who have experienced traumatic events often share their experiences in story form. This sharing has consequences for both storytellers and listeners. Understanding the experience of both members of the listenerYstoryteller dyad is of value to nurses who are often the listener within the nurseYpatient dyad. b Objective: The aim of this study was to illuminate the experiences of the listener and the storyteller when a traumatic event is shared within the dyad. b Methods: The phenomenon was explored using an interpretive phenomenological approach. Participants consisted of 12 dyads, each with a storyteller and a listener. The storytellers were individuals who had been involved in U.S. Airways Flight 1549 when it crash-landed in the Hudson River in January 2009. Each storyteller identified a listener who had listened to them share their story of this event, dubbed The Miracle on the Hudson. In-depth interviews were conducted with each storyteller and each listener. b Results: Five essential themes emerged from the data: Theme 1, The Story Has a Purpose; Theme 2, The Story as a Whole May Continue to Change as Different Parts Are Revealed; Theme 3, The Story Is Experienced Physically, Mentally, Emotionally, and Spiritually; Theme 4, Imagining the ‘‘What’’ as well as the ‘‘What If’’; and Theme 5, The Nature of the Relationship Colors the Experience of the Listener and the Storyteller. Roy’s Adaptation Model of Nursing was found to be applicable to the findings of this study. b Discussion: For the participants in this study, the experience of sharing a traumatic event involved facts, feelings, and images. The story evolved as it was remembered, told, and listened to in a nonlinear, multifaceted way. The listener and the storyteller collaborated, adapted, and responded physically, mentally, emotionally, and spiritually.
Near real-time simulation of particle systems

Simulation of particle systems is time consuming. However, many particle system applications require fast interactive animations. For example, simulation of physically realistic complex dust behaviors is very useful in training, education, art, advertising, and entertainment. There are no published models for real-time simulation of dust behavior generated by a traveling vehicle. In this paper we use particle systems, computational fluid dynamics, and behavioral simulation techniques to simulate dust behavior in real time. First, we analyze the forces and factors that affect dust generation and the behavior after dust particles are generated. Then, we construct physically-based empirical models to generate dust particles and control the behavior accordingly. We further simplify the numerical calculations by dividing dust behavior into three stages, and establishing simplified particle system models for each stage. We employ motion blur, particle blending, texture mapping, and other computer graphics techniques to achieve the final results. Our contributions include constructing physically-based empirical models to generate dust behavior and achieving simulation of the behavior in real time.
Iterative multiuser detection for space-time coded synchronous CDMA

Multiuser detectors for trellis space-time coded synchronous CDMA, operating in the presence of independent Rayleigh fading are considered. The joint optimal maximum likelihood (ML) multiuser detector, which can be implemented as a Viterbi algorithm, is derived for such space-time coded systems. A suboptimal, low complexity iterative space-time multiuser detector based on interference cancellation and the turbo principle is also derived. Simulations show that this latter method achieves performance competitive with the single user bound for space-time coded systems.
Atm heterozygous mice are more sensitive to radiation-induced cataracts than are their wild-type counterparts

It is important to know whether the human population includes genetically predisposed radiosensitive subsets. In vitro studies have shown that cells from individuals homozygous for ataxia telangiectasia (A-T) are much more radiosensitive than cells from unaffected individuals. Although cells heterozygous for the ATM gene (ATM+/−) may be slightly more radiosensitive in vitro, it remained to be determined whether the greater susceptibility of ATM+/− cells translates into an increased sensitivity for late effects in vivo, though there is a suggestion that radiotherapy patients that are heterozygous for the ATM gene may be more at risk of developing late normal tissue damage. We chose cataractogenesis in the lens as a means to assay for the effects of ATM deficiency in a late-responding tissue. One eye of wild-type, Atm heterozygous and homozygous knockout mice was exposed to 0.5-, 1.0-, 2.0-, or 4.0-Gy x rays. The animals were followed weekly for cataract development by conventional slit-lamp biomicroscopy. Cataract development in the animals of all three groups was strongly dependent on dose. The lenses of homozygous mice were the first to opacify at any given dose. Most important in the present context is that cataracts appeared earlier in the heterozygous versus wild-type animals. The data suggest that ATM heterozygotes in the human population may also be radiosensitive. This may influence the choice of individuals destined to be exposed to higher than normal doses of radiation, such as astronauts, and may also suggest that radiotherapy patients who are ATM heterozygotes could be predisposed to increased late normal tissue damage.
Development of Techniques for Evaluating Grazed Forage

Summary Techniques were developed to sample grazed forage with steers, using both esophageal and rumen fistulas. Comparisons between feeds of known composition and samples collected from these same feeds through fistulas indicated that some changes in composition occurred. These changes in composition of certain constituents were influenced by the type of feed and type of fistula. Regression equations for the various changes were calculated. The relative amounts of organic constituents were modified by fistula sampling. The amount of protein and ether extract was the same in the fistula sample as the feed, but significant changes were noted in the amount of crude fiber, NFE, and energy. Fistula samples were highly contaminated with mineral matter. The composition and amount of saliva secreted while consuming a sample of forage was investigated, to explain some of the chemical changes noted in fistula samples. Repeated feed sampling on the same day with the same animal had little effect on the composition of fistula samples. Due to the high variation between feeds, and the generally high correlations between feed and fistula samples, it was felt that the fistula sample represents the best estimate of the foraging animal's diet until adequate comparisons of grazed forage have been made. Fistulated animals were used as sampling agents on pasture. The fistula sample could be separated botanically, between grasses and broad-leaved plants.
Sensitivity of intravenous and oral alfentanil miosis as a noninvasive probe for hepatic and first‐pass CYP3A activity

Purpose Systemic & oral clearances of IV & oral alfentanil (ALF) are in vivo probes for hepatic & first-pass CYP3A. ALF effect (miosis) is a surrogate for plasma ALF. ALF miosis can detect profound (>70%) hepatic CYP3A inhibition by TAO. This study determined the sensitivity of ALF miosis for detecting hepatic & intestinal CYP3A inhibition (targeted 12, 25 & 50% inhibition). Midazolam (MDZ) measured CYP3A activity. Methods Volunteers (12) in a randomized 4-way crossover received 0, 100, 200, or 400 mg oral fluconazole (FCZ), then (2 hr later) MDZ 1 mg IV then (1 hr) ALF 15 ig/kg IV. Next day, they received FCZ, then (2 hr) 3 mg oral MDZ then (1 hr) oral ALF (40 ig/kg). Venous plasma (MDZ & ALF by LCMS) and dark-adapted pupil diameters were obtained & analyzed noncompartmentally. Results Plasma AUC ratios (FCZ/control) after 100, 200 & 400 mg FCZ were 1.2, 1.3* & 1.7* for IV MDZ, and 1.2, 1.5* & 2.0* for IV ALF (*p<0.05 vs control), indicating 16–21, 31–36 & 43–53% inhibition of hepatic CYP3A, meeting inhibition targets. Pupil miosis AUC ratios were 1.0, 1.0 & 1.4*. AUC ratios were 2.0*, 2.9* & 4.4* for oral MDZ, 1.6*, 2.5* & 3.7* for oral ALF, and 1.2, 1.8* & 2.6* for miosis. Conclusions Miosis was an acceptable surrogate for plasma ALF, after IV & oral ALF. ALF miosis appears sensitive enough to detect an approx. 2-fold increase in probe AUC ratios caused by CYP3A inhibition. ALF miosis may be a suitable noninvasive in vivo probe for hepatic & first-pass CYP3A. Clinical Pharmacology & Therapeutics (2004) 75, P81–P81; doi: 10.1016/j.clpt.2003.11.310
The design and evaluation of a high performance Smalltalk system

The Smalltalk-80 system makes it possible to write programs quickly by providing object-oriented programming, incremental compilation, run-time type checking, use-extensible data types and control structures, and an interactive graphical interface. However, the potential savings in programming effort have been curtailed by poor performance in widely available computers or high processor cost. Smalltalk-80 systems pose tough challenges for implementors: dynamic data typing, a high-level instruction set, frequent and expensive procedure calls, and object-oriented storage management. The dissertation documents two results that run counter to conventional wisdom: that a reduced instruction set computer can offer excellent performance for a system with dynamic data typing such as Smalltalk-80, and that automatic storage reclamation need not be time-consuming. This project was sponsored by Defense Advance Research Projects Agency (DoD) ARPA Order No. 3803, monitored by Naval Electronic System Command under Contractor No. N00034-R-0251. It was also sponsored by Defense Advance Research Projects Agency (DoD) ARPA Order No. 4871, monitored by Naval Electronic Systems Command under Contract No. N00039-84-C-0089.
INDIRECT EFFECTS OF LARGE HERBIVORES ON SNAKES IN AN AFRICAN SAVANNA

Many large mammal species are declining in African savannas, yet we understand relatively little about how these declines influence other species. Previous studies have shown that the removal of large herbivorous mammals from large-scale, replicated experimental plots results in a dramatic increase in the density of small mammals, an increase that has been attributed to the relaxation of competition between rodents and large herbivores for food resources. To assess whether the removal of large herbivores also influenced a predator of small mammals, we measured the abundance of the locally common olive hissing snake, Psammophis mossambicus, over a 19-mo period in plots with and without large herbivores. Psammophis mossambicus was significantly more abundant in plots where large herbivores were removed and rodent numbers were high. Based on results from raptor surveys and measurements of vegetative cover, differences in snake density do not appear to be driven by differences in rates of predation on snakes. Instead, snakes appear to be responding numerically to greater abundances of small-mammal prey in areas from which large herbivores have been excluded. This is the first empirical demonstration of the indirect effects of large herbivores on snake abundance and presents an interesting example of how the influence of dominant and keystone species can move through a food web.
Atrial Fibrillation: A Question of Dominance?

The mechanisms underlying atrial fibrillation (AF) remain poorly understood. In some patients, AF initiation often occurs from arrhythmogenic foci arising at muscular sleeves in a pulmonary vein (PV).Either direct radiofrequency ablation of these foci or, more recently, their disconnection from the left atrium by ablation at venous ostia is the basis for curative AF ablation procedures. However, it is likely that, in most cases, the mechanism of AF maintenance is different from that which initiates it. Isolated animal heart experiments suggest that some cases of AF may be maintained by the uninterrupted periodic activity of a small number of discrete reentrant sites (rotors) located in the posterior left atrial (LA) wall, near the PV/LA junction. During sustained AF, such sources activate at an exceedingly high rotation frequency. Thus rotors near the PV/LA junction dominate over any other slower sources that may form elsewhere and act as the drivers for the entire fibrillatory process. High resolution spectral analysis of the spatial distribution of activation frequencies reveals a hierarchy with appreciable frequency gradients across the atria. Here we briefly review our current understanding of the mechanisms and manifestations of AF and discuss the applicability of spectral analysis tools to the study of AF in patients, with the idea of helping to improve the efficacy of ablation therapies. We focus in part on recent clinical studies that provide justification for the combined use of spectral analysis and electroanatomical mapping to systematically correlate the spatial distribution of excitation frequency with cardiac anatomy, to provide mechanistic insight into different types of AF and to facilitate ablation procedures.
Cardiovascular Changes in IUGR

Despite a plethora of publications existing in the literature, there is still confusion about the definition and management of intrauterine growth-restricted fetuses. A second source of confusion lies in the fundamental misunderstanding that all growth-restricted fetuses are the same and all will progress to cardiovascular failure following a similar time frame. Once intrauterine growth restriction is identified, obstetrical management is focused on assuring safety while the fetus continues to mature within a potentially hostile intrauterine environment. In the United States, the approach to management and delivery of the premature growth-restricted fetus is often based on serial biophysical profile evaluations, whereas in Europe it is usually based on the result of the cardiotocography. However, there is no single test that seems superior to the other available tests for timing the delivery of the growth-restricted fetus. Therefore, the decision to deliver a fetus, especially at <32 weeks, remains mostly on the basis of empirical management. The staging system may allow comparison of outcome data for IUGR fetuses and may be valuable in determining more timely delivery for these high-risk fetuses. Most investigators agree that Doppler ultrasonography of the umbilical artery and the middle cerebral arteries, in combination with biometry provides the best tool to identify small fetuses at risk for adverse outcomes. The umbilical artery and the middle cerebral artery are the two vessels that have been extensively studied. Recent studies have looked into the analysis of the fetal venous system and the association between changes in this system with the fetal outcome.
Radbruch’s Formula, Conceptual Analysis, and the Rule of Law

In most legal systems, courts frequently apply (and see themselves as bound to apply) norms that are not valid within their legal system, and the courts also on occasion do not apply (and see themselves as bound not to apply) otherwise applicable norms that are valid norms within their legal system. Judges’ roles include the resolution of disputes where the ruling norms come from outside the home legal system (or, from any legal system), and the courts may also have responsibilities to develop the law and to avoid unjust or absurd applications of otherwise valid norms. This paper argues that it would thus be more charitable to read the Radbruch Formula as a prescription for judicial decision-making rather than as a descriptive, conceptual or analytical claim about the nature of law. The suggested change will not affect the place of the Radbruch Formula within debates about the rule of law or the role of courts. The issue remains the same: whether it is consistent with the rule of law not to apply norms otherwise legally valid because they are extremely unjust. Radbruch argued that this is consistent with the general understanding of law and the expectations for law. Other commentators have been concerned that Radbruch’s approach undermines the rule of law by giving significant and unpredictable discretion to judges to refuse to apply otherwise valid norms.
Notch Signaling Activates Stem Cell Properties of Müller Glia through Transcriptional Regulation and Skp2-mediated Degradation of p27Kip1

Muller glia (MG), the sole glial cells generated by retinal progenitors, have emerged as a viable cellular target for therapeutic regeneration in degenerative blinding diseases, as they possess dormant stem cell properties. However, the mammalian MG does not display the neurogenic potential of their lower vertebrate counterparts, precluding their practical clinical use. The answer to this barrier may be found in two interlinked processes underlying the neurogenic potential, i.e., the activation of the dormant stem cell properties of MG and their differentiation along the neuronal lineage. Here, we have focused on the former and examined Notch signaling-mediated activation of MG. We demonstrate that one of the targets of Notch signaling is the cyclin-dependent kinase inhibitor (CKI), p27Kip1, which is highly expressed in quiescent MG. Notch signaling facilitates the activation of MG by inhibiting p27Kip1 expression. This is likely achieved through the Notch- p27Kip1 and Notch-Skp2-p27Kip1 axes, the former inhibiting the expression of p27Kip1 transcripts and the latter levels of p27Kip1 proteins by Skp2-mediated proteasomal degradation. Thus, Notch signaling may facilitate re-entry of MG into the cell cycle by inhibiting p27Kip1 expression both transcriptionally and post-translationally.
Thermal Stability of Colloidal InP Nanocrystals: Small Inorganic Ligands Boost High-Temperature Photoluminescence

We examine the stability of excitons in quantum-confined InP nanocrystals as a function of temperature elevation up to 800 K. Through the use of static and time-resolved spectroscopy, we find that small inorganic capping ligands substantially improve the temperature dependent photoluminescence quantum yield relative to native organic ligands and perform similarly to a wide band gap inorganic shell. For this composition, we identify the primary exciton loss mechanism as electron trapping through a combination of transient absorption and transient photoluminescence measurements. Density functional theory indicates little impact of studied inorganic ligands on InP core states, suggesting that reduced thermal degradation relative to organic ligands yields improved stability; this is further supported by a lack of size dependence in photoluminescence quenching, pointing to the dominance of surface processes, and by relative thermal stabilities of the surface passivating media. Thus, small inorganic ligands, wh...
Field Identifying Methods of Seed Purity in Two-line Hybrid Rice Liangyou 363 in Hainan

Identification of seed purity in two-line hybrid rice is the key process to get more information about its quality and productivity, and is usually conducted in the field of Hainan in winter. There were obviously differences in (identifying) methods of seed purity between three-line and two-line hybrid rice, dual-purpose genic male sterile (DGMS) line and cytoplasm male sterile (CMS) line, and hybrids and their parents. Several effectively identifying methods of seed purity in the field of Hainan in winter between a two-line hybrid rice Liangyou 363 and its female parent 360S were (discussed) in this paper. By planting simultaneously the standard DGMS line and tested hybrids, their differences in the characteristics of growth and development, pollen fertility and grain traits, can be easily identified and evaluated.
Advances in pediatric flexible bronchoscopy.

The use of flexible endoscopy enables visualization of both the upper and lower pediatric respiratory tract. Pediatric bronchoscopes can be used safely even in preterm infants. They provide a dynamic view of the airway without the need for general anesthesia and without causing the distortion of a rigid bronchoscope.
Androgen receptor splice variant 7 in castration-resistant prostate cancer: Clinical considerations

Constitutively-active ligand-independent splice variants of the androgen receptor are an adaptive response by prostate cancer cells to escape androgen deprivation therapy and novel androgen receptor-directed treatments. Androgen receptor splice variant 7 is the most common splice variant detected in clinical biospecimens, and emerging data now suggest that the presence of tumoral androgen receptor splice variant 7 might be indicative of primary and acquired resistance to next-generation androgen pathway inhibitors, such as abiraterone and enzalutamide. At the same time, taxane chemotherapy might retain its efficacy regardless of androgen receptor splice variant 7 status, thus suggesting the potential for a predictive biomarker guiding treatment selection in men with metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer. Herein, we review the preclinical data elucidating the structure and function of androgen receptor splice variant 7, we describe the existing clinical data using this biomarker in metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer, and we highlight potential therapeutic strategies to target androgen receptor splice variant 7-expressing prostate cancer.
Small group, big impact: how AILAC helped shape the Paris Agreement

What role can one group of small and medium-sized countries play in breaking the long-standing impasse on climate change? What explains the formation of such a group and how can we assess its impac...
Automatic Concepts Classification based on Bloomźs Taxonomy using Text Analysis and the Naïve Bayes Classifier Method

This paper aims to add Bloomâs Taxonomy levels as tags to the contents (e.g. concepts) of any given text-book which is written in formal English and given as a course material. Bloomâs Taxonomy levels defines concepts and knowledge of learning as six levels. Preparing the material of any course based on these six could help the students to better understand the courseâs concepts and their interrelationships. However, the relations between concepts are highly sophisticated and require a human judgment. A set of methods have been proposed to extract the relations among concepts. We use the naive Bayes classifier which is the best known and most successful classification technique in Machine Learning (Mahesh Kini M et al., 2015). This work presents a naive classifier method which identifies the Bloomâs Taxonomy levels in text paragraphs based on some rules in the training set. We evaluate and validate the proposed method on a text-book. By utilizing the concepts of computer science for determining its knowledge domain. As a result of the proposed method achieves an accuracy of average 70-85%, which is significantly high. Furthermore, we show that taking Bloomâs Taxonomy levels into account in course design is valuable and our method can be used to achieve.
Editor’s Spotlight/Take 5: Patients With Limited Health Literacy Ask Fewer Questions During Office Visits With Hand Surgeons

A note from the Editor-In-Chief: In “Editor’s Spotlight,” one of our editors provides brief commentary on a paper we believe is especially important and worthy of general interest. Following the explanation of our choice, we present “Take Five,” in which the editor goes behind the discovery with a one-on-one interview with an author of the article featured in “Editor’s Spotlight.” The author certifies that neither he, nor any members of his immediate family, have any commercial associations (such as consultancies, stock ownership, equity interest, patent/licensing arrangements, etc) that might pose a conflict of interest in connection with the submitted article. All ICMJE Conflict of Interest Forms for authors and Clinical Orthopaedics and Related Research ® editors and board members are on file with the publication and can be viewed on request. The opinions expressed are those of the writers, and do not reflect the opinion or policy of CORR ® or The Association of Bone and Joint Surgeons®. This comment refers to the article available at: DOI: 10.1007/s11999-016-5140-5.
Temporal Patterns in Bot Activities

Correlated or synchronized bots commonly exist in social media sites such as Twitter. Bots work towards gaining human followers, participating in campaigns, and engaging in unethical activities such as spamming and false click generation. In this paper, we perform temporal pattern mining on bot activities in Twitter. We discover motifs (repeating behavior), discords (anomalous behavior), joins, bursts and dynamic clusters in activities of Twitter bots, and explain the significance of these temporal patterns in gaining competitive advantage over humans. Our analysis identifies a small set of indicators that separates bots from humans with high precision.
EXTERNAL NOISE AND PATTERN SELECTION IN CONVECTIVELY UNSTABLE SYSTEMS

In this note I briefly review work on external noise and pattern selection in the complex Ginzburg-Landau equation under conditions when the system is convectively unstable; and on slugs and confined states in this equation (with a destabilizing cubic term and a stabilizing quintic term) under conditions when the system is subcritical.
Edwards Sapien 3 Valve for Mitral Replacement in a Child After Melody Valve Endocarditis

We present the surgical implantation in mitral position of the Edwards Sapien 3 valve for prosthetic valve endocarditis in a severely ill child after multiple valve replacements. The procedure was safely performed and provided adequate hemodynamic results in the short term. This report highlights the excellent potential of Sapien 3 valve for the treatment of mitral valve disease in children with a mitral valve annulus of appropriate size. Of note, the use of the Sapien 3 valve should be considered when a bioprosthesis is required at the time of valve re-replacement.
Machiavelli's Florentine Republic

What do modern republics have to fear? Machiavelli's Florentine Republic reconstructs Machiavelli's answer to this question from the perspective of the Florentine Histories, his most probing meditation on the fate of republican politics in the modern age. It argues that his principle goal in narrating the defeat of Florentine republicanism is to debunk the views of leading humanists concerning the overall health of republican politics in modernity and the distinctive challenges that modern republics should expect to face. The Medici family had exposed these vulnerabilities better than anyone else, and Machiavelli reconstructs their political strategy to show how conventional ideas of moral and political virtue are the most potent instruments of princely ambition in a city that wants to be free.
Transcriptional Control of Multidrug Resistance in the Yeast Saccharomyces

A major problem in chemotherapeutic treatment of many pathological conditions including cancer and fungal infections is the development of a multidrug-resistant state in the target cell. Saccharomyces cerevisiae cells can be isolated that have single genetic alterations that cause the resulting mutant strains to become tolerant of a wide range of compounds that would otherwise be toxic. These mutant cells are referred to as having a pleiotropic drug-resistant (Pdr) phenotype. Studies of these Pdr cells have demonstrated that mutations either within genes encoding transcriptional regulators or in their regulatory inputs lead to overexpression of downstream transporter proteins with associated multidrug resistance. This review is aimed at providing a framework for understanding the networks modulating expression of PDR genes in S. cerevisiae.
Global Standards for Securities Holding Infrastructures: A Soft Law/Fintech Model For Reform

Intermediaries such as stockbrokers and banks are ubiquitous in global securities markets, playing essential roles in markets, including trading, settling trades, and post-settlement holding of securities. This essay focuses in particular on the roles of intermediaries in securities holding systems. It proposes an IOSCO-led “soft-law-to-hard-law” approach to the development of Global Standards for reforms to these holding systems. States would be expected to adopt “hard law” reforms through statutory and regulatory adjustments to securities holding systems. The reforms would embrace not only important standards of a functional and regulatory nature, but also holistic standards relating to the private law, insolvency law, and the technical aspects of infrastructures for securities holding systems. The Global Standards would not propose model text or even doctrinal rules, but would establish the baseline results that holding systems should achieve, such as the elimination of intermediary risk. As the principal organization for the coordination and cooperation among securities market regulators, and with a track record of producing excellent and important studies and reports, IOSCO is singularly well suited to lead the development of Global Standards. One challenge would be to confront the need for reforms to the private law. Another challenge would relate reforms of the holding infrastructures (e.g., increased transparency in holding systems). But the ongoing and increasing role of Fintech in the financial markets means that securities (and other) regulators must face these challenges in any event. Possibly the most difficult challenges would arise from within the securities industry. One could expect resistance from market participants who wish to preserve their positions and roles in the securities markets and their current and future business plans. But this is a principal reason that regulators (through IOSCO in particular) should play a leading role in the process.
Metasurface computational imaging

Conventional imaging systems are usually composed of bulky glass optics, and while they work well for many applications, they offer little functionality in applications where system size is a constraint. Optical metasurfaces provide a thin and light-weight alternative to conventional bulky optical elements by manipulating light scattering via resonant nanostructures. The inherent diffractive nature of metalenses induces severe chromatic aberrations when imaging under broadband illumination, which limits their potential applications where multi-color information is important. In this work, we present an alternative metalens plus computational design where the point spread function is engineered to be spectrally invariant to reduce chromatic aberrations and enables computational reconstruction of a measurement using a single digital filter. The created lenses have a numerical aperture of ~0.45 and generate in-focus images under whitelight illumination.
Situating Oneself in the Intersectional Hierarchy: Racially Diverse, Low-Income Women Discuss Having Little Agency in Vasectomy Decisions

Few studies are qualitative explorations of intimate partners’ conversations among racially/ethnically diverse adults about contraception, in particular, sterilization. Sterilization is an interesting case study given its permanency and the fact that it is a possible procedure for both men and women. More research is needed because sterilization decisions can reveal complex social relationships built on gender, class, race, and power that resonate throughout many parts of societies. The present paper draws on ideas of power/agency as they intersect with gender, race, and class in an analysis of 40 semi-structured interviews of a racially/ethnically diverse group of low-income U.S. women with male partners as they recall their sterilization discussions with their intimate partners before they themselves were voluntarily sterilized. The results offer insight into how class and racial and gender norms influence reproductive behaviors. Whereas a majority of these women displayed agency in female sterilization decisions, they had little control over male partners’ vasectomy decisions, which they attributed to their place in a racial/ethnic and gender hierarchy by utilizing ambiguous, unidimensional definitions of “machismo.” These results give insights into the conceptual complexity of contraceptive power and control as well as understandings of how gendered and racialized norms at individual and structural levels influence reproductive behaviors and perpetuate harmful gender stereotypes of both men and women.
Repetitive Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation Delivered With an H-Coil to the Right Insula Reduces Functional Connectivity Between Insula and Medial Prefrontal Cortex

OBJECTIVE Insula neurocircuitry alterations are reported in a range of neuropsychiatric disorders holding promise for clinical interventions. We measured, in a pilot study, acute neuroplastic modulations resulting from high- and low-frequency stimulation with repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) delivered via an H-coil that targeted the right insula and overlying prefrontal cortex. METHODS Healthy, nonsmoking, adult participants (N = 28), in a within-participant, sham-controlled experiment, received a single rTMS session on four separate days. Participants received one session each of low- (1 Hz) and high (10 Hz)-frequency stimulation and two sessions of sham stimulation matched to each rTMS frequency. After each rTMS session, participants completed a functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) scan while performing two cognitive tasks and a resting-state scan. The effect of rTMS was examined on task behavior as well as blood oxygenated level-dependent (BOLD) response during task performance and resting state. We expected low- and high-frequency stimulation to decrease and increase, respectively, insula and overlying cortical BOLD signal and network connectivity. RESULTS/CONCLUSIONS There was no effect of rTMS, regardless of frequency, on task behavior or task-based BOLD response. There was an effect of rTMS compared to sham on rsFC between insula and medial prefrontal cortex, with connectivity reduced after rTMS compared to sham, regardless of frequency. Implications for using rTMS to the insula as a treatment for neuropsychiatric disorders are discussed in light of insula-medial prefrontal cortex connectivity.
When Users Control the Algorithms: Values Expressed in Practices on Twitter

Recent interest in ethical AI has brought a slew of values, including fairness, into conversations about technology design. Research in the area of algorithmic fairness tends to be rooted in questions of distribution that can be subject to precise formalism and technical implementation. We seek to expand this conversation to include the experiences of people subject to algorithmic classification and decision-making. By examining tweets about the "Twitter algorithm" we consider the wide range of concerns and desires Twitter users express. We find a concern with fairness (narrowly construed) is present, particularly in the ways users complain that the platform enacts a political bias against conservatives. However, we find another important category of concern, evident in attempts to exert control over the algorithm. Twitter users who seek control do so for a variety of reasons, many well justified. We argue for the need for better and clearer definitions of what constitutes legitimate and illegitimate control over algorithmic processes and to consider support for users who wish to enact their own collective choices.
Effects of Visual Stress on Postural Control during Simulated Laparoscopy: A Preliminary Study.

Intraoperative stress can influence both surgeon health and patient outcomes, however stress management is not properly assessed during surgical training. Seven healthy, novice individuals particip...
Society of Family Planning clinical recommendations: Cervical preparation for dilation and evacuation at 20-24 weeks' gestation.

Abstract Although only 1.3% of abortions in the United States are between 20 and 24 weeks’ gestation, these procedures are associated with elevated risks of morbidity and mortality. Adequate cervical preparation before dilation and evacuation (D&E) at 20–24 weeks’ gestation reduces procedural risk. For this gestational range, at least one day of cervical preparation with osmotic dilators is recommended before D&E. The use of overnight osmotic dilators alone is sufficient for most D&Es at 20–24 weeks’ gestation. Dilapan-S® dilators require a shorter time to achieve maximum dilation, may be more effective than laminaria and may increase the likelihood of success on the first D&E attempt. The use of adjunctive mifepristone administered one-day pre-operatively at the time of osmotic dilator placement, should be considered because evidence demonstrates that it makes D&E subjectively easier at 20–24 weeks without increasing side effects. While older studies suggest that two-days of serial osmotic dilators provide greater dilation than one day of dilators, adjunctive mifepristone may be comparable to a second day of dilators. Adjunctive misoprostol administered on the day of D&E does not appear to affect initial cervical dilation and procedure time and compared with mifepristone is associated with more side effects, such as pain and nausea. Using overnight mifepristone and same-day misoprostol without osmotic dilators at 20–24 weeks’ gestation lengthens D&E procedure time and appears to increase immediate complications, at least among less experienced providers. Some evidence shows the feasibility of same-day cervical preparation before D&E at 20–24 weeks using Dilapan-S® with adjunctive misoprostol or serial repeat dosing of misoprostol, but same-day preparation should be limited to providers with significant experience with these regimens. The Society of Family Planning recommends preoperative cervical preparation before D&E at 20–24 weeks’ gestation. Further studies are needed to clarify the best means of preparing the cervix in order to minimize abortion complications and improve outcomes in this gestational range.