cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Comprehensive approach to intrusion detection alert correlation

Alert correlation is a process that analyzes the alerts produced by one or more intrusion detection systems and provides a more succinct and high-level view of occurring or attempted intrusions. Even though the correlation process is often presented as a single step, the analysis is actually carried out by a number of components, each of which has a specific goal. Unfortunately, most approaches to correlation concentrate on just a few components of the process, providing formalisms and techniques that address only specific correlation issues. This paper presents a general correlation model that includes a comprehensive set of components and a framework based on this model. A tool using the framework has been applied to a number of well-known intrusion detection data sets to identify how each component contributes to the overall goals of correlation. The results of these experiments show that the correlation components are effective in achieving alert reduction and abstraction. They also show that the effectiveness of a component depends heavily on the nature of the data set analyzed.
A Framework to Find the Upper Bound on Power Output as a Function of Input Vibration Parameters

This paper outlines a mathematical framework necessary to determine the optimal transducer force for a given vibration input. This relationship, between input vibration parameters and transducer force gives a critical first step in determining the optimal transducer architecture for a given vibration input. This relationship also yields a theoretical maximum energy output for a system with a given proof mass and parasitic mechanical losses, modeled as linear viscous damping. This relationship is then applied to three specific vibration inputs; a single sinusoid, the sum of two sinusoids, and a single sinusoid with a time dependent frequency (chirp). For the single sinusoidal case, the optimal transducer is found to be a linear spring, resonant with the input frequency, and a linear viscous damper, with matched impedance to the mechanical damping. The resulting transducer force for the input as a sum of two sinusoids is found to be inherently time dependent. This time dependency shows that an active system (not only dependent on the states of the system) can outperform a passive system (dependent only on the states). The final application, for a swept sinusoidal input, results in a transducer of a linear viscous damper, with matched impedance to the mechanical damping, as well as a linear spring with a time dependent coefficient.
Prognostic Analysis for Survival in Adult Solid Organ Transplant Recipients With Post-Transplantation Lymphoproliferative Disorders

Purpose The objective of this study was to determine prognostic factors for overall survival in patients with post-transplantation lymphoproliferative disorders (PTLDs). Patients and Methods This study focused on the 107 adult solid organ transplantation patients who were diagnosed with PTLDs at Mayo Clinic (Rochester, MN) between December 1970 and May 2003. Results The median age at the time of diagnosis was 48 years (range, 15 to 75 years). Extranodal disease including grafted organ involvement was present in 85 patients (80%). The graft organ was involved in 30 patients (28%). At the time of these analyses, 62 patients (58%) had died. The median survival for the entire cohort was 31.5 months (95% CI, 10.7 to 72.5 months). The median follow-up of living patients was 51.8 months (range, 5.6 to 202.6 months). In univariate analyses for overall survival from the time of PTLD diagnosis, the following poor prognostic factors were identified: poor performance status with Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group lev...
Safety Management Assessment System (SMAS): a process for identifying and evaluating human and organization factors in marine system operations with field test results

Abstract Eighty percent or more of major marine accidents are caused or influenced by humans and organizations. Research has identified characteristics of high reliability organizations (HRO), organizations which have had few accidents while involved in operations where failure would result in severe consequences. These characteristics have important effects on the safety of marine systems. Assessing systems for these HRO characteristics is the first step in reducing accidents caused by human and organization factors (HOF). The Safety Management Assessment System (SMAS) was developed specifically to assess marine systems (offshore platforms, marine terminals, ships) for HOF. SMAS is a screening method that selects and trains operators of the system to conduct a self-assessment. The assessment process takes five days and has the assessors making comparisons and evaluating HOF by selecting ranges and providing comments to capture the uncertainty. Included in the process is a visit to the system. A computer program was developed to assist in the assessment process. A field test of SMAS was conducted at a marine terminal in California. Two teams, with members from the terminal and the regulatory agency, along with a facilitator, were selected and trained. These two independent teams conducted separate evaluations on the same marine terminal. A comparison of their assessments showed that the use of ranges and comments were very helpful. An analysis of field test data shows that SMAS can produce results more consistent than randomness. SMAS shows promise as an efficient and practical method to assess humans and organizations.
Shedding Light on Thirteen Years of Darkness: Content Analysis of Articles Pertaining to Transgender Issues In Marriage/Couple and Family Therapy Journals

What is the extent to which marriage/couple and family therapy (M/CFT) journals address transgender issues and how many of them say they are inclusive of transgender persons when they are not? To answer these queries, a content analysis was conducted on articles published in M/CFT literature from 1997 through 2009. Of the 10,739 articles examined in 17 journals, only nine (0.0008%) focused on transgender issues or used gender variance as a variable. Findings support the assertion that transgender issues are ignored and marginalized by M/CFT scholars and researchers alike.
The function of zebra stripes

Despite over a century of interest, the function of zebra stripes has never been examined systematically. Here we match variation in striping of equid species and subspecies to geographic range overlap of environmental variables in multifactor models controlling for phylogeny to simultaneously test the five major explanations for this infamous colouration. For subspecies, there are significant associations between our proxy for tabanid biting fly annoyance and most striping measures (facial and neck stripe number, flank and rump striping, leg stripe intensity and shadow striping), and between belly stripe number and tsetse fly distribution, several of which are replicated at the species level. Conversely, there is no consistent support for camouflage, predator avoidance, heat management or social interaction hypotheses. Susceptibility to ectoparasite attack is discussed in relation to short coat hair, disease transmission and blood loss. A solution to the riddle of zebra stripes, discussed by Wallace and Darwin, is at hand.
Building Public Services Through the Nonprofit Sector: Exploring the Risks of Rapid, Government Funded Growth in Human Service Organizations

As the public sector increasingly relies on grants to nonprofits to provide human services, both public and nonprofit partners are exploring the implications of this relationship in order to ensure the best possible outcomes. A key issue that has emerged in the public sector literature is the concept of “thin markets” where public sector entities become reliant on a limited pool of private providers. At the same time, the nonprofit literature explores how to make nonprofits financially viable and develop relationship with government without straying from their mission. We combine these two perspectives to understand how a large influx of government grant funding to human service nonprofits impacts organizations’ future financial sustainability, recognizing that the stability of the relationship between government and nonprofits is crucial to providing quality services. Using a 13 year panel dataset of IRS 990 data from over 50,000 human service nonprofits we find that nonprofits who experience rapid growth from government grants do not build financial reserves to serve as a cushion during economic downturns creating a situation where declines in funding forces immediate expense reductions. We recommend approaches to the grant process for both government and nonprofit organizations to encourage long-term sustainability ensuring continuity of services, especially during unforeseen economic downturns.
Depressive symptoms and anxiety in intensive care unit (ICU) survivors after ICU discharge

Abstract Background The association between intensive care unit (ICU) survivors' psychological sequelae, individual care needs, and discharge disposition has not been evaluated. Objective To describe depressive symptoms and anxiety in ICU survivors and explore these symptoms based on individual care needs and discharge disposition for 4 months post-ICU discharge. Methods We analyzed data from 39 ICU survivors who self-reported measures of depressive symptoms (Center for Epidemiologic Studies-Depression 10 items [CESD-10]) and anxiety (Shortened Profile of Mood States-Anxiety subscale [POMS-A]). Results A majority of patients reported CESD-10 scores above the cut off (≥ 8) indicating risk for clinical depression. POMS-A scores were highest within 2 weeks post-ICU discharge and decreased subsequently. Data trends suggest worse depressive symptoms and anxiety when patients had moderate to high care needs and/or were unable to return home. Conclusion ICU survivors who need caregiver assistance and extended institutional care reported trends of worse depressive symptoms and anxiety.
Prediction of health behaviours of users of online weight control communities: the effects of social support, and social connectedness

Among noted technological advancements in past decades, social networks, defined as an environment and means of socialising, have expanded from the physical world to a virtual one on the internet. Online social networks can be utilised for virtually any purpose, however one common use has been for health promotion. The objective of this study was to understand how social support and social connectedness offered by online social networks influence its members' behaviours related towards weight maintenance. Overall, 216 users of online weight control social networks completed a valid and reliable survey evaluating perceived social support emotional support, appraisal support, information support, instrumental support and social connectedness duration of use, frequency of use, and homogeneity towards the online community. Using multiple regression models, constructs were then regressed on five weight-control behaviours i.e., fruit and vegetable consumption, and physical activity. Result showed that all factors, except appraisal and instrumental support, significantly influenced one or more of the weight-control behaviours. In particular, behaviours were positively related to the length of time an individual accessed the community and the amount of interactions they had with community members. Additionally, emotional and information support positively affected an individuals weight management behaviours. Implications for future research and practice are presented.
Statistical Inferences from Small Area Data

tween itself and management is not seen in a firm oppositional context. Neither is local participation generally viewed as a contest with management and other groups. Labor defines its goals as the attainment of a better social welfare system in a context of growing political power. Management's community goals are not seen as differing much from. labor's. In fact, they evince a reluctance to impute crude economic motives to management's community participation. Variations in the backgrounds of union influentials were slightly related to their perceptions of the local power scene. There was a slight tendency for those who were most involved in community activities to recognize the shape and reality of business power more sharply. Increased recognition of labor's power tended to reinforce feelings of cleavage between it and business in community affairs. There was little evidence that animosities in collective bargaining were carried over into community participation. Among the labor influentials interviewed there was remarkably little stereotypical imagery either of itself or management. Indeed, there were large variations and even contradictions in their images of the local power arraiigements. Labor sees itself committed to community participation and to solving the problems attending it. Its present limited participation is perceived as resulting from internal problems rather than from the opposition of management or other groups. Most union officials appraise their community operations as effective but some realize they are ineffective in getting others to support independent labor goals. In short, labor has made friends, but has not influenced them. Labor evidences almost no desire to have a distinctive community program. Traditional labor goals in the community are given at best a secondary priority and management's objectives are generally endorsed. Labor's ideology is essentially one of cooperating with other groups in conserving and improving the present community organizations. Although it sees few allies, labor assesses itself as a potentially powerful organization. What it wants most is to be consulted on community problems from the beginning. Many labor influentials suspect that their limited prestige and power results from business' greater interest, activity, and economic concern with community problems. Labor influentials believe they discern a small active "clique" of decision makers who mediate most community projects and issues. Labor has a small and inadequate representation in this "clique." The clique is not ascribed independent power to make decisions, and it is perceived as operating publicly and in a socially responsible manner. Although its members are not as selfless as labor, they are not people with narrow economic self-interests. This indeed is how labor prefers to perceive itself.
Gelfond's Solution of Hilbert's Seventh Problem

(1942). Gelfond's Solution of Hilbert's Seventh Problem. The American Mathematical Monthly: Vol. 49, No. 10, pp. 654-661.
Urinary Retention After Hysterectomy and Postoperative Analgesic Use

OBJECTIVE This study aimed to determine risk factors, including postoperative analgesic use, for the development of postoperative urinary retention (PUR) after hysterectomy for routine gynecologic indications using a case-control study design. METHODS Cases of PUR after hysterectomy were identified from billing data. Cases were those patients requiring recatheterization for inability to void. Controls were similarly identified and matched by age and date of surgery in a 3:1 control-to-case ratio. Chart review was performed to obtain demographic, medical, surgical, anesthetic, and medication data. Cumulative and interval doses of postoperative narcotic were recorded and converted into morphine equivalents. Crude odds ratios (ORs) were determined for potential risk factors for PUR using standard statistical analysis. Conditional logistic regression was used on multivariate models, including cumulative postoperative narcotic use, to determine adjusted ORs for risk factors. RESULTS Twenty-six cases of PUR were matched with 78 controls. The cases had a higher body mass index (32 vs 28 kg/m2, P = 0.02), had a higher preoperative use of tricyclic antidepressants (TCA; 19.2% vs 1.3%, P = 0.004), were more likely to present preoperative urinary retention associated with fibroids (19.2% vs 0%, P < 0.01), and received a higher cumulative narcotic dose in the postoperative period (109 vs 73.6 mg, P < 0.001). In a multivariate model, preoperative TCA use (OR, 30.1; 95% confidence interval, 1.99-456; P = 0.01) and cumulative narcotic dose (OR, 2.54; 95% confidence interval, 1.44-4.56; P < 0.01) were significantly associated with PUR. CONCLUSIONS Postoperative urinary retention after hysterectomy is associated with higher postoperative narcotic dose, preoperative TCA use, and preoperative urinary retention.
Dynamic Analysis of the Meridian Unmanned Aerial Vehicle

This report presents a dynamic analysis of the Meridian UAV. The dynamic analysis was performed using Advanced Aircraft Analysis (AAA). The geometry of the Meridian was measured and input into AAA where aerodynamic, stability, and control characteristics of the Meridian were calculated. The aerodynamic, stability, and control characteristics presented are for a linear dynamic model trimmed at 6,000 ft, 130 kts. The linear dynamic model of the Meridian was compared to flight test data to check the accuracy of the model using simulated control responses. The response simulations were performed at trimmed conditions of 8,270 ft and 78.6 kts, 8870 ft and 95 kts, 8750 ft and 109 kts, and 8660 ft and 122 kts. Dynamic stability of the aircraft was verified. A modal analysis of the aircraft was performed and it was determined that the Meridian is stable in all modes except the phugoid.
Excess Gibbs energy of mixing of the systems H2O-LiCl-Na2SO4 and H2O-CsCl-Na2SO4 at 25°C

The osmotic coefficients of aqueous solutions of lithium chloride+sodium sulfate and cesium chloride+sodium sulfate at 25°C have been measured. Interaction coefficients have been calculated and also the excess Gibbs energy of mixing. A correlation is found between the binary interaction coefficients and the Pauling cation radius of the alkali halide component.
The role of the nursing home medical director

The nursing home medical director faces many overlapping responsibilities. Fostering the development of an interdisciplinary team provides a means of maximizing the influence of the medical director. Setting standards of care and humanizing life in the nursing home are other tasks of the medical director.
A máquina do Plea Bargain

Versao inicial deste texto constituiu palestra do autor no III Seminario Internacional do Instituto de Estudos Comparados em Administracao Institucional de Conflitos (INCT-InEAC), realizado na UFF, Niteroi, em fevereiro de 2013. Uma versao dessa palestra, em ingles, foi publicada em DILEMAS - Vol. 7 - no 3 - JUL/AGO/SET 2014 - pp. 767-795. O atual texto que aqui se publica foi traduzido da versao publicada em ingles por Fernanda Duarte, Rafael Mario Iorio Filho e Gabriel G. S. Lima de Almeida. A Revisao Tecnica foi feita por Roberto Kant de Lima.
Demographic, Systemic, and Ocular Factors Associated with Nonarteritic Anterior Ischemic Optic Neuropathy.

Objective Nonarteritic anterior ischemic optic neuropathy (NAION) is a devastating ocular condition causing permanent vision loss. Little is known about risk factors for developing this disease. We assessed demographic, systemic, and ocular factors associated with NAION. Design Retrospective longitudinal cohort study. Participants Beneficiaries between 40 and 75 years old without NAION at baseline enrolled in a large U.S. managed care network. Methods Enrollees were monitored continuously for ≥2 years between 2001 and 2014 to identify those newly diagnosed with NAION (International Classification of Diseases, 9th Revision, Clinical Modification [ICD-9-CM] code 377.41). All persons were under ophthalmic surveillance and all cases had ≥1 confirmatory ICD-9-CM code for NAION during follow-up. Main Outcome Measures Multivariable Cox regression modeling was used to generate hazard ratios (HRs) with 95% confidence intervals (CIs) to describe the statistical relationship between selected demographic characteristics, systemic and ocular conditions, and the hazard of developing NAION. Results Of 1 381 477 eligible enrollees, 977 (0.1%) developed NAION during a mean ± standard deviation (SD) follow-up of 7.8±3.1 years. The mean ± SD age for NAION cases at the index date was 64.0±9.2 years vs. 58.4±9.4 years for the remainder of the beneficiaries. After adjustment for confounding factors, each additional year older was associated with a 2% increased hazard of NAION (HR = 1.02; 95% CI: 1.01–1.03). Female subjects had a 36% decreased hazard of developing NAION (HR = 0.64; 95% CI: 0.55–0.74) compared with male subjects. Compared with whites, Latinos had a 46% decreased hazard of developing NAION (HR = 0.54; 95% CI: 0.36–0.82), whereas African ancestry was not significantly associated with NAION (HR = 0.91; 95% CI: 0.72–1.15). Systemic diseases associated with NAION included hypertension (HR = 1.62; 95% CI: 1.26–2.07) and hypercoagulable states (HR = 2.46; 95% CI: 1.51–4.00). Although diabetes mellitus (DM) was not significantly associated with NAION compared with those without DM ( P = 0.45), patients with end-organ involvement from DM had a 27% increased hazard of NAION relative to those with uncomplicated DM (HR = 1.27; 95% CI: 1.01–1.59). Ocular diseases associated with NAION were age-related macular degeneration (HR = 1.29; 95% CI: 1.08–1.54) and retinal vein occlusion (HR = 3.94; 95% CI: 3.11–4.99). Conclusions Our study identified several modifiable risk factors that may be associated with NAION. Should future studies confirm these findings, they may offer opportunities to prevent or treat this debilitating condition.
Creating Capitalism and Democracy in the United States, 1630–1830

Capitalism and democracy developed simultaneously—and under exceptional circumstances—in the North American colonies of the New World between 1630 and 1830. In this chapter, I argue that the relatively egalitarian structure of wealth and power north of the Chesapeake hastened the emergence of a capitalist democracy, where new forms of political and economic governance were created almost simultaneously in power structures that were extraordinarily egalitarian and decentralized.
Faith, work, and praxis : a process model of integration for Christian student affairs administrators.

ABSTRACTThe scholarship regarding faith integration practice has largely focused on faculty work; however, the field faces a paucity of data-supported approaches to understanding faith integration in the work lives of administrators. In this qualitative study, we developed a conceptual model that employs the concept of praxis to analyze the process by which mid-level student affairs administrators integrate their faith in their professional work lives. Findings show that the praxis model illuminates the sources of religious commitment that student affairs administrators drew upon when merging their faith commitments with their work lives. The model also highlights the introspective nature of faith integration, the power dynamics inherent in their interactions with students and superiors, and the individual and systemic change that resulted. Participants' religious habitus, reflective of personal experience as well as professional socialization, were both unconsidered and deliberate. Despite participants' ...
Brief Textual Indicators of Political Orientation

Language reflects one’s thoughts, feelings, and worldview. Technology has led to a proliferation of brief communications. Is this brief text meaningful? We examine whether text from brief political...
Sunlight and Melanin Pigmentation

When viewed from the perspective of photobiology, melanin pigmentation of human skin can be described in two categories: the first, constitutive or intrinsic skin color, and the second, facultative or inducible skin color (Quevedo et al., 1974). Constitutive skin color designates the genetically determined levels of cutaneous melanin pigmentation in accordance with the genetic programs of the cells in the absence of direct or indirect influences (e.g., solar radiation, hormones, or other environmental factors). Facultative skin color characterizes the increase in melanin pigmentation above the constitutive level and arises from the complex interplay of solar radiation and hormones upon the genetically endowed melanogenesis of the individual. The facultative skin color change brought about by solar radiation is commonly referred to as “suntan.”
HIF Biology in RCC: Implications for Signaling, Disease Progression, and Treatment

The discovery of a close connection between clear cell renal cell carcinoma and hypoxia-inducible factor (HIF) stabilization has paved the way for our understanding of tumor biology, greater understanding of tumor metabolism, and new therapies for this cancer. The constitutive deregulation of this family of transcription factors drives a multifaceted cancer program, promoting the transcription of genes involved in angiogenesis, cellular metabolic processes, cell migration, and cell survival. However, this transcriptional program is highly dependent on the spectrum of HIF family members that are active (HIF-1α and HIF-2α) and the levels of HIF stabilization. In this chapter, we overview HIF biology and activity and examine the regulation of HIF production, stability, and activity with an eye toward future therapeutic opportunities to target opportunistic drivers deregulated as a part of the HIF response, or mechanisms to target HIF factors themselves.
Nernst thermopower of time-reversal breaking type-II Weyl semimetals

Weyl semimetals host linear energy dispersions around Weyl nodes, as well as monopoles of Berry curvature in momentum space around these points. These features give rise to unique transport signatures in a Weyl semimetal, such as transverse transport without an applied magnetic field, known as anomalous transport. The type-II Weyl semimetal, recently experimentally demonstrated in several materials, is classified by a tilting of the Weyl nodes. This paper provides a theoretical study on thermoelectric transport in time-reversal breaking type-II Weyl semimetals. Our results examine the balance between anomalous and nonanomalous contributions to the Nernst effect when subject to an external magnetic field. We also show how increasing scattering times have an enhancing effect on thermoelectric transport in these materials. Since a temperature-dependent chemical potential has been theoretically shown to be paramount when considering anomalous transport, we also study how similar considerations impact the Nernst thermopower in the nonanomalous case.
The Heart Attack Cure: Vaccinating Against Cardiovascular Disease

Vaccination against infectious disease has improved health and well-being on a global scale. Decades of data support vaccination as among the most efficient means of promoting individual and public health. The WHO attributes the benefits of vaccination programs as second only to clean water in eliminating many diseases that were once common. The undeniable success of vaccination has prompted researchers to investigate potential applications outside of infectious diseases. According to the latest WHO reports, cardiovascular disease (CVD)2 accounts for 32% of all deaths globally and is the most common cause of death worldwide. Most of these CVD deaths occur in developing nations where access to preventative healthcare is limited. The benefit of preventive therapy to reduce CVD has been well documented. Current interventions include dietary modification, increased exercise, and lipid-lowering pharmaceuticals. …
Background Material on Sobolev Spaces and Regularity

This chapter is required for the proof of integrability of almost complex structures in Chap. 6. The main goal is a regularity theorem for first order differential operators satisfying a certain estimate.
Network Analysis and Recommendation for Infectious Disease Clinical Trial Research

Clinical trials are crucial for the advancement of treatment and knowledge within the medical community. Since 2007, US federal government took the initiative and requires organizations sponsoring clinical trials with at least one site in the United States to submit information on these clinical trials to the ClinicalTrials.gov database, resulting in a rich source of information for clinical trial research. Nevertheless, only a handful of analytic studies have been carried out to understand this valuable data source. In this study, we propose to use network analysis to understand infectious disease clinical trial research. Our goal is to answer two important questions: (1) what are the concentrations and characteristics of infectious disease clinical trial research? and (2) how to accurately predict what type of clinical trials a sponsor (or an investigator) are interested in? The answers to the first question provide effective ways to summarize clinical trial research related to particular disease(s), and the answers to the second question help match clinical trial sponsors and investigators for information recommendation. By using 4,228 clinical trials as the test bed, our study involves 4,864 sponsors and 1,879 research areas characterized by Medical Subject Heading (MeSH) keywords. We extract a set of network measures to show patterns of infectious disease clinical trials, and design a new community based link prediction approach to predict sponsors' interests, with significant improvement compared to baselines. This trans-formative study concludes that using network analysis can tremendously help the understanding of clinical trial research for effective summarization, characterization, and prediction.
Novel manufacturing method for producing apohemoglobin and its biophysical properties.

Apohemoglobin (apoHb) is a dimeric globular protein with two vacant heme-binding pockets that can bind heme or other hydrophobic ligands. Purification of apoHb is based on partial hemoglobin (Hb) unfolding to facilitate heme extraction into an organic solvent. However, current production methods are time consuming, difficult to scale up, and use highly flammable and toxic solvents. In this study, a novel and scalable apoHb production method was developed using an acidified ethanol solution to extract the hydrophobic heme ligand into solution and tangential flow filtration to separate heme from the resultant apoprotein. Total protein and active protein yields were >95% and ~75%, respectively, with 99% purity from sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis analysis. Virtually no loss of apoHb activity was detected at 4°C, -80°C, and in lyophilized form during long term storage. Structurally, size exclusion chromatography (SEC) and circular dichroism indicated that apoHb was dimeric with a ~25% reduction of helical content compared to Hb. Furthermore, mass spectroscopy and reverse-phase chromatography indicated that the mass of the α and β subunits were virtually identical to the theoretical mass of these subunits in Hb and had no detectable oxidative modifications upon heme removal from Hb. SEC confirmed that apoHb bound to haptoglobin at a similar ratio to that of native Hb. Finally, reconstituted Hb (rHb) was processed via a hemichrome removal method to isolate functional rHb for biophysical characterization in which the O2 equilibrium curve, O2 dissociation, and CO association kinetics of rHb were virtually identical to native Hb. Overall, this study describes a novel and improved method to produce apoHb, as well as presents a comprehensive biochemical analysis of apoHb and rHb.
Cloze Procedure and the Affective Domain.

(1975). Cloze Procedure and the Affective Domain. Proceedings of the Annual Conference of the Western College Reading Association: Vol. 8, Proceedings of the Eight Annual Conference of the WCRA. College Learning Skills Today and Tomorrowland, pp. 25-30.
Hopes, Therapeutic Honesty, and Adaptation in the Midst of Dying and Death

In her classic 1969 book, On Death and Dying: What the Dying Have to Teach Doctors, Nurses, Clergy, and Their Own Families (Kubler-Ross 2014), Kubler-Ross identified many short-comings in the care ...
230 Cryopreservation for Canis lupus conservation: Evaluating protocols to freeze grey wolf testicular tissue

Because of the severe decline in grey wolf (Canis lupus) abundance, preservation of genetic diversity within the species is essential to prevent inbreeding depression. Cryopreservation is a valuable tool in endangered species conservation, because it allows genetic material to be rescued from rare individuals for future use. The ability to preserve gonadal tissue is particularly useful in seasonal breeders, such as grey wolves, when mature gametes are not available during the non-breeding season. Optimization of species-specific cryopreservation protocols is necessary due to the toxicity of cryoprotectants. Here, we aimed to investigate three protocols to cryopreserve grey wolf testicular tissue, as a model for endangered canid species. Testicular tissue samples from four adult grey wolves were obtained and cryopreserved using slow-freezing (SF) and needle vitrification (nVT) techniques. Slow-frozen samples were exposed to 15% dimethylsulfoxide (DMSO) or 7.5% DMSO + 7.5% ethylene glycol (EG) in minimum essential medium (MEM) at room temperature, placed in a Mr. Frosty Freezing Container (Thermo Fisher Scientific) and cooled to −80°C overnight, before storage in liquid nitrogen. Needle-vitrified samples were equilibrated in a 7.5% DMSO + 7.5% EG solution in MEM for 10 min at 4°C, then treated with 15% DMSO + 15% EG + 0.5 M sucrose for 10 min at 4°C before plunging into liquid nitrogen. Each sample was thawed using serial dilutions of sucrose (1, 0.5, and 0.25) into MEM at 37°C for 5 min each, fixed in 4% paraformaldehyde, and embedded in paraffin wax. Five-micron-thick cross-sections of tissue samples were stained using haematoxylin and eosin. Tubule areas and quantity of each cell type (Sertoli cells, spermatogonia, spermatocytes, spermatids, and abnormal cells) were recorded and compared with a fresh control group for each wolf. Cell populations and tubule areas were analysed using a nonparametric Wilcoxon test through JMP statistical software (SAS Institute Inc.), and are presented as means ± standard deviations. There was no difference in tubule areas between the treatment groups (fresh = 5200 ± 2870, nVT = 5655 ± 2370, SF DMSO = 3607 ± 814, SF DMSO+EG = 3905 ± 1450 µm2; P > 0.05). Although there was an increase in abnormal cells/tubule area (µm2) for nVT, SF DMSO, and SF DMSO+EG compared with the fresh samples (0.0015 ± 0.0014, 0.0014 ± 0.0013, 0.0016 ± 0.0011, and 0.0007 ± 0.0004, respectively; P > 0.05), differences were not statistically significant. Moreover, the number of Sertoli cells, spermatogonia, and spermatocytes were reduced in the cryopreserved groups compared with fresh tissues, but the differences were not statistically different (P > 0.05). The data suggest that the three tested protocols preserved testicular structure and cell populations of cryopreserved testicular tissue and could be useful in the genetic preservation of grey wolves.
Microbial mats in the Turks and Caicos Islands reveal diversity and evolution of phototrophy in the Chloroflexota order Aggregatilineales

Genome-resolved metagenomic sequencing approaches have led to a substantial increase in the recognized diversity of microorganisms; this included the discovery of novel metabolic pathways in previously recognized clades, and has enabled a more accurate determination of the extant distribution of key metabolisms and how they evolved over Earth history. Here, we present metagenome-assembled genomes of members of the Chloroflexota (formerly Chloroflexi or Green Nonsulfur Bacteria) order Aggregatilineales (formerly SBR1031 or Thermofonsia) discovered from sequencing of thick and expansive microbial mats present in an intertidal lagoon on Little Ambergris Cay in the Turks and Caicos Islands. These taxa included multiple new lineages of Type 2 reaction center-containing phototrophs that were not closely related to previously described phototrophic Chloroflexota—revealing a rich and intricate history of horizontal gene transfer and the evolution of phototrophy and other core metabolic pathways within this widespread phylum.
A Calculational Deductive System for Linear Temporal Logic

This article surveys the linear temporal logic (LTL) literature and presents all the LTL theorems from the survey, plus many new ones, in a calculational deductive system. Calculational deductive systems, developed by Dijkstra and Scholten and extended by Gries and Schneider, are based on only four inference rules—Substitution, Leibniz, Equanimity, and Transitivity. Inference rules in the older Hilbert-style systems, notably modus ponens, appear as theorems in this calculational deductive system. This article extends the calculational deductive system of Gries and Schneider to LTL, using only the same four inference rules. Although space limitations preclude giving a proof of every theorem in this article, every theorem has been proved with calculational logic.
Use of Low Temperatures for Electron Diffraction and Imaging of Biological Macromolecular Arrays

High resolution electron microscopic structure analysis of biomacromolecules is chiefly limited by two factors: specimen preservation/damage in vacuo, and radiation. Progress had been made in both of these areas, as attested to by the elegant structure determination of the purple membrane by Unwin and Henderson [14,8]. Specimen preservation in vacuo was accomplished, in that case, by glucose embedment. The radiation damage problem was overcome to a certain extent by the use of Fourier methods, which allowed the averaging of many unit cells.
From theory to practice: operationalizing a climate vulnerability for sport organizations framework for heat hazards among US High schools.

Abstract Background Sport organizations must comprehensively assess the degree to which their athletes are susceptible to exertional heat illnesses (i.e. vulnerable) to appropriately plan and adapt for heat-related hazards. Yet, no heat vulnerability framework has been applied in practice to guide decision making. Objectives We quantify heat vulnerability of state-level requirements for health and safety standards affecting United States (US) high school athletes as a case study. Design Observational. Methods We utilize a newly developed climate vulnerability to sports organizations framework (CVSO), which considers the heat hazard of each state using summer maximum wet bulb globe temperature (WBGT) in combination with an 18-point heat safety scoring system (18 = best policy). Heat vulnerability is categorized as “problem” [higher heat (>27.9 °C) and lower policy score (≤9)], “fortified” [higher heat (>27.9 °C) and higher policy score (>9)], “responsive” [lower heat ( 9)]. Results Across the US, the mean WBGT was 28.4 ± 2.4 °C and policy score was 6.9 ± 4.7. In combination, we observed organizations within each of the four vulnerability categories with 16% (n = 8) in fortified, 16% (n = 8) in proactive, 29% (n = 15) in problem, and 39% (n = 20) in responsive. Conclusions The CSVO framework allowed us to identify different degrees of vulnerability among the state’s and to highlight the 29% (n = 15) of states with immediate needs for policy revisions. We found the CSVO framework to be highly adaptable in our application, suggesting feasibility for use with other sports governing bodies.
Bayesian group sequential enrichment designs based on adaptive regression of response and survival time on baseline biomarkers.

Precision medicine relies on the idea that, for a particular targeted agent, only a subpopulation of patients are sensitive to it and thus may benefit from it therapeutically. In practice, it often is assumed based on pre-clinical data that a treatment-sensitive subpopulation is known, and moreover that the agent is substantively efficacious in that subpopulation. Due to important differences between pre-clinical settings and human biology, however, data from patients treated with a new targeted agent often show that one or both of these assumptions are false. This paper provides a Bayesian randomized group sequential enrichment design that compares an experimental treatment to a control based on survival time, and uses early response as an ancillary outcome to assist with adaptive variable selection and enrichment. Initially, the design enrolls patients under broad eligibility criteria. At each interim decision, submodels for regression of response and survival time on a baseline covariate vector and treatment are fit, variable selection is used to identify a covariate subvector that characterizes treatment-sensitive patients and determines a personalized benefit index, and comparative superiority and futility decisions are made. Enrollment of each cohort is restricted to the most recent adaptively identified treatment-sensitive patients. Group sequential decision cutoffs are calibrated to control overall type I error and account for the adaptive enrollment restriction. The design provides a basis for precision medicine by identifying a treatment-sensitive subpopulation, if it exists, and determining whether the experimental treatment is superior to the control in that subpopulation. A simulation study shows that the proposed design reliably identifies a sensitive subpopulation, yields much higher generalized power compared to several existing enrichment designs and a conventional all-comers group sequential design, and is robust. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.
Legal Rasputins? Law Clerk Influence on Voting at the US Supreme Court

Supreme Court justices employ law clerks to help them perform their duties. We study whether these clerks influence how justices vote in the cases they hear. We exploit the timing of the clerkship hiring process to link variation in clerk ideology to variation in judicial voting. To measure clerk ideology, we match clerks to the universe of disclosed political donations. We find that clerks exert modest influence on judicial voting overall, but substantial influence in cases that are high-profile, legally significant, or close decisions. We interpret these results to suggest that clerk influence occurs through persuasion rather than delegation of decision-making authority. (JEL K00, D72)
Improving provider screening and intervention rates for second hand smoking in a pediatric outpatient clinic

Goal: Exposure to tobacco from secondhand smoke (SHS) is a serious health threat that causes an estimated 40,000 deaths per year according to the CDC. Children are especially vulnerable to the effects of SHS, which is a major risk factor for asthma, SIDS, and respiratory infections. Caregivers visit pediatricians more often than their own doctor, giving these providers multiple opportunities to screen for tobacco use and offer interventions. In the summer of 2018, a quality improvement project in this pediatric outpatient clinic spearheaded efforts to improve screening and intervention rates by introducing a standardized workflow and trainings for healthcare providers. Despite this, the …
Non-Cruciality of Personal Identity: Immortality As Possibility

Personal identity might seem a central concept in the consideration of immortality and other transhumanist endeavors. However, Ettinger and Parfit demonstrate the non-cruciality of personal identity, and separate personal identity from the person and the continuity of personal experience. Philosophers Derrida, Simondon, and Deleuze continue by refocusing the debate onto the dynamic world processes of subjectivation. What is central is the capacity for individuation, where all life forms exist on a spectrum of capacity for individuation, and decline and death are a kind of incapacity for individuation. Thus the frame of immortality is the affordance of possibility, development, and becoming.
Amending UCC Article 9 to Fix the Name-Error Problem

The Article 9 filing system has been fraught with problems since its creation. Despite a major overhaul of the law in 1998, the filing system which forms the backbone of the trillion-dollar secured credit industry is still failing. A principal cause of that failure is "debtor name errors," or errors made on the paperwork a lender files to put the financial community on notice of the interest it has taken in the personal property of one of its debtors. This article describes the name-error problem and delineates a proposal for improving the search logic of Article 9 filing systems by incorporating undisclosed social security numbers.
Estimating Parameters of Monotone Boolean Functions

Let F : 0, 1n → 0, 1 be a monotone Boolean function. For a vector x ∈ 0, 1 n, let#(x) be the number of 1’s in x, and let Sk = x ∈ 0, 1n | #(x) = k. For a multiset set R ⊆ 0, 1n,define the F-density of R to be $$D(R) = \frac{{|\{ x \in R|F(x) = 1\} |}}{{|R|}}$$ Thus, D(R) = prob[F(X) = 1], where X is uniformly distributed over R.
Implementation of Adaptive Pulse Compression in Solid-State Radars: Practical Considerations

This letter summarizes the applications of adaptive pulse compression (APC) in example solid-state radars for different missions. The radar examples include an X-band PX-1000 ground radar for severe weather observation, a Ku-band airborne radar for near-surface precipitation measurement, and an X-band radar experiment for air traffic observation. Representative APC algorithms are compared in terms of target estimation performance. In order to achieve the benefits of APC in actual radars, some important tradeoffs and considerations such as waveform template, sampling scheme, and noise estimation are discussed.
Centralization in Education: Why Johnny Can't Spell Bureaucracy

In the thirty years since Brown v. Board of Education, control of the public education system has shifted away from local school boards toward more centralized administration, at both the federal and state levels. This process, known as centralization, includes regulation and legalization of education. Inspired by concerns over equality of opportunity, school finance, and educational content, this transformation has affected education in both positive and negative ways. While the recognition that language, race, alienage, and physical disability should not serve as absolute limits to public education is of great positive value, the resulting bureaucratization of education can impair the ability of schools to respond to student needs. Determining where to draw the line between appropriate and inappropriate centralization is, of course, the issue and the problem. Recent events suggest that Congress, the President, and the courts have erratic and often inconsistent views on centralization. In response to widespread dissatisfaction regarding overcentralization in education,2 the Reagan administration proposed and Congress enacted legislation
The pharmacokinetics and safety profile of oral ganciclovir in combination with trimethoprim in HIV- and CMV-seropositive patients.

Aims We investigated the pharmacokinetics and safety profile of oral ganciclovir coadministered with trimethoprim in HIV-and CMV-seropositive patients. Methods In an open-label, randomized, 3-way crossover study, 12 adult males received oral ganciclovir 1000 mg every 8h, oral trimethoprim 200 mg once daily, or both drugs concomitantly in a sequence of three 7-day treatment periods. Pharmacokinetic parameters were determined and adverse events recorded for each treatment. Results The presence of trimethoprim significantly decreased CLr (12.9%, P=0.0068) and increased t1/2 (18.1%, P=0.0378) of ganciclovir. However, these changes are unlikely to be clinically meaningful. There were no statistically significant changes in trimethoprim pharmacokinetic parameters in the presence of ganciclovir, with the exception of a 12.7% increase in Cmin. Ganciclovir was well tolerated when administered alone or in combination with trimethoprim. Conclusions There was no clinically significant pharmacokinetic interaction between oral ganciclovir and trimethoprim when coadministered.
Some Physiochemical Properties of Yaba Poxvirus Deoxyribonucleic Acid

Abstract Yaba tumor poxvirus deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) has a density of 1.6905 in CsCl and its Tm value in 0.015 m citrate in saline is 82.3. The guanine plus cytosine content estimated from these properties was taken to be 32.5 ± 0.5%, a value 2 to 3% less than for DNA from other poxviruses reported to date.