cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Frequent Emergency Department Utilizers Among Children with Cancer.

BACKGROUND Pediatric frequent emergency department (ED) utilizers contribute a significant proportion of ED visits, but no studies specifically address children with cancer. METHODS A retrospective study of Pediatric Health Information System analyzing ED visits for children with cancer, including ED visits within 365 days from the first inpatient encounter with a discharge diagnosis code for malignancy. We defined frequent ED utilizers as those with four or more visits in the year (top 10th percentile). Patient characteristics and ED services (medications, laboratory, or imaging) for discharged children were assessed. Factors associated with being a frequent ED utilizer were examined with multivariable regression. RESULTS Frequent utilizers accounted for 58% of ED visits. Frequent utilizers differed from infrequent utilizers in terms of type of cancer; 39.3% of frequent utilizers had acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) and 16.0% had central nervous system (CNS) tumors compared with infrequent utilizers (21.9% had ALL and 24.8% CNS tumors, P-value < 0.001). Frequent utilization was associated with age 5-9 years (odds ratio [OR] = 1.4, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.2-1.6) or 1-4 years (OR = 2.1, 95% CI 1.8-2.4) or <1 year (OR = 2.2, 95% CI 1.9-2.6) compared to 15-19 years and Hispanic ethnicity (OR 1.3, 95% CI 1.1-1.5) compared to white, non-Hispanics, and urban residence (OR = 1.5, 95% CI 1.3-1.7). Few children with cancer received no medication, laboratory, or imaging during their ED visit (frequent 11.0% vs. infrequent 12.5%, P = 0.01). CONCLUSIONS The ED is integral to the care provided to children with cancer. The subset of frequent utilizers should be the focus of future research and quality improvement efforts.
Dielectric functions of wurtzite and zincblende structure GaN

We present calculated longitudinal frequency and wavevector dependent dielectric functions of zincblende and wurtzite structure GaN using band energies and wavefunctions generated in the framework of the empirical pseudopotential method. We discuss the anisotropy of the static dielectric function and find that our results are in satisfactory agreement with experimental data for |q| → 0.
Judith Shklar and Fearless Liberalism

In electing Professor Judith Shklar President of the APSA, the Association is paying tribute not only to an extraordinarily learning, probing, and incisive political theorist, but also to a great teacher, and to the contribution made to political science in America by the victims of Hitler who had to uproot themselves and to start new lives on this continent. As she explains in A Life of Learning, her recent Charles Homer Haskins lecture
A Method for Determination of Acrylamide in Environmental Samples by Gas Chromatography using Bromination-Dehydrobromination

環境試料中のアクリルアミドの定量法を開発した。アクリルアミドに臭素を付加し2, 3-DBPAを生成させ, フロリジルカラムクロマトグラフィーによるクリーンアップの後, トリエチルアミンを加えて脱臭化水素させ, 2, 3-DBPAを2-BPAに変換した。これをGC-ECD, あるいはGC/MS (NCI) に注入して定量を行った。本法の水質, 底質, 生物における検出限界はそれぞれ0.02μg/1, 0.13μg/kg, 0.30μg/kgであり, 添加回収試験の平均回収率は95%, 85%, 84%, 相対標準偏差はそれぞれ2.9%, 6.8%, 5.1%となり, 環境試料へ適用することが可能となった。なお, 本研究は平成2年度化学物質分析法開発調査として環境庁の委託を受けて実施したものである。
Chapter 2.5 – Applications

Practical process examples illustrate kinetic principles, and how these principles can be used in process optimization. The reduction rate in direct ironmaking depends linearly on slag mass and FeO content. Ladle desulfurization rates strongly depend on argon bubbling rates. Vacuum degassing rates depend on steel circulation rates, the size of the reaction area and – in the case of nitrogen – on the interfacial reaction rate. Decarburization in stainless steelmaking is limited by liquid-phase mass transfer. Flotation of oxide inclusions is largely controlled by liquid phase mass transfer (steel flow).
Is there a (transracial) adoption achievement gap?: A national longitudinal analysis of adopted children's educational performance

Abstract In one of the first longitudinal population-based studies examining adopted children's educational achievement, we analyze whether there is a test-score gap between children in adoptive families and children in biological families. Using data from the Early Childhood Longitudinal Study, we find in aggregate adopted children have lower reading and math scores than their counterparts living in biological families. Yet there is significant variation among adoptive families by their race and health status. On one hand adoptive parents tend to be White and have more economic capital than their non-adoptive counterparts potentially contributing to educational advantages. However adopted children are also more likely to have special educational needs, contributing to greater educational disadvantages. Untangling these variables through a multivariate regression analysis, we find that transracially adopted children have similar test scores to White children living with biological parents. We point to the interaction between race, family resources and children's health status and how these characteristics differentially shape achievement outcomes for adopted children.
Suicide Across the Lifespan

Introduction Suicide risk assessment is an essential part of general and forensic psychiatric practice. Psychiatrists must be able to evaluate specific clinical, demographic, and psychosocial risk factors in this process. Age represents an important demographic riskfactor for suicide. In the United States, suicide rates among adolescents and young adults have been increasing, with rates that are almost three times higher than in the 1950s. Results Recent reports show an increase in suiciderates in middle aged populations as well. Suicide rates remain highest for older adults. The relationship between age and suiciderisk is complex, and psychiatrists need to recognize the psychosocial andbiological risk factors associated with different age groups. Method/Objective/Aims The presenter will review suicide risk assessment in the context of different stages of life: adolescence and young adulthood, mid-adulthood, and advanced age, outlining the risk factors unique to the different stages. The presentation will also address how cultural factors and gender may affect risk assessment across different age groups. Conclusion The presenter will discuss the management of suicidal risk as it pertains to the different age groups.
Diagnostic performance of stress cardiac magnetic resonance imaging in the detection of coronary artery disease: a meta-analysis.

Objectives The purpose of our study was to conduct an evidence-based evaluation of stress cardiac magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) in the diagnosis of coronary artery disease (CAD). Background Stress cardiac MRI has recently emerged as a noninvasive method in the detection of CAD, with 2 main techniques in use: 1) perfusion imaging; and 2) stress-induced wall motion abnormalities imaging. Methods We examined studies from January 1990 to January 2007 using MEDLINE and EMBASE. A study was included if it: 1) used stress MRI as a diagnostic test for CAD (≥50% diameter stenosis); and 2) used catheter X-ray angiography as the reference standard. Results Thirty-seven studies (2,191 patients) met the inclusion criteria, with 14 datasets (754 patients) using stress-induced wall motion abnormalities imaging and 24 datasets (1,516 patients) using perfusion imaging. Stress-induced wall motion abnormalities imaging demonstrated a sensitivity of 0.83 (95% confidence interval [CI] 0.79 to 0.88) and specificity of 0.86 (95% CI 0.81 to 0.91) on a patient level (disease prevalence = 70.5%). Perfusion imaging demonstrated a sensitivity of 0.91 (95% CI 0.88 to 0.94) and specificity of 0.81 (95% CI 0.77 to 0.85) on a patient level (disease prevalence = 57.4%). Conclusions In studies with high disease prevalence, stress cardiac MRI, using either technique, demonstrates overall good sensitivity and specificity for the diagnosis of CAD. However, limited data are available regarding use of either technique in populations with low disease prevalence.
Hippocampal Sclerosis Associated Temporal Lobe Epilepsy Surgery in the Setting of Neurofibromatosis

Objectives: Epilepsy is relatively uncommon in the setting of neurofibromatosis type I (incidence of 4%-7%) and usually amenable to pharmacotherapy. In those with refractory disease, resection of the epileptogenic focus can be helpful. Despite its high prevalence in the epilepsy surgery population, hippocampal sclerosis has only rarely been reported in the setting of neurofibromatosis type I. Methods: …
Accuracy, precision, and reproducibility of myocardial T1 mapping: A comparison of four T1 estimation algorithms for modified look-locker inversion recovery (MOLLI)

Purpose To compare the accuracy and precision of four different T1 estimation algorithms for modified Look-Locker inversion recovery (MOLLI). Methods Four T1 estimation algorithms, including the original fit, inversion group (IG) fit, instantaneous signal loss simulation (InSiL), and Bloch equation simulation with slice profile correction (BLESSPC) were studied. T1 estimation accuracy, precision, reproducibility, and sensitivity to heart rate (HR), flip angle (FA), and acquisition scheme (AcS) variations were compared in simulation, phantom, and volunteer studies. Results T1 estimation accuracy of IG (-2.4% ± 3.9%) and original fit (-3.2% ± 1.4%) were worse than BLESSPC (0.2% ± 1.5%) and InSiL (-0.7% ± 2.1%). The original fit had the best precision for T1 from 409–1884 ms for the same FA (0.67% ± 0.16% versus 0.90% ± 0.23% using IG, 0.78% ± 0.11% using InSiL, 0.77% ± 0.12% using BLESSPC). BLESSPC generated the most consistent in vivo T1 values over different FAs and AcS, and the T1 estimation reproducibility was similar (P > 0.3) among the four methods when FA = 35°. When using FA = 50°, the reproducibility was significantly improved only when using BLESSPC (1.6% ± 0.9 versus 2.6% ± 1.9%, P < 0.05). Conclusion BLESSPC has superior accuracy and is the least sensitive to FA, HR, and AcS variations. T1 estimation using BLESSPC and FA = 50° is superior to conventional MOLLI with FA = 35° in accuracy and precision. Further clinical studies in varying pathological conditions are warranted to confirm our findings. Magn Reson Med, 2016. © 2016 International Society for Magnetic Resonance in Medicine.
ROCOCO: Reference Online Library for the Computer Aided Construction of Molecular Geometries Computer Aided Construction of Realistic Molecular Models Using a Knowledge Base (I)

This article describes a general concept for the construction of molecular models which accurately mirror the structure of the real molecule without large scale optimization. Imitating the procedure of an experienced chemist the computer programme system analyses the topological data of a molecule -presented as a 2D structural formula — and determines the wanted geometric parameters using an internal data base, which contains the values of the respective fragments of the molecule. The results can be displayed in tables or printed onto a plotter. In the current stage of development the programme together with the data base is a “comfortable, electronically readable handbook” for bond lengths and bond angles of aliphatic and heteroaliphatic compounds as well as strain-free aliphatic cyclic and aliphatic heterocyclic compounds containing the elements C, H, O, N, F, Cl, Br and I.
Tuberculosis Outbreaks in the United States, 2009-2015.

Objectives:The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention provides on-site epidemiologic assistance for outbreak response when the health capacity of state, tribal, local, and territorial health de...
Development of Novel Calibrations for FT-NIR Analysis of Protein, Oil, Carbohydrates and Isoflavones in Foods

The development of calibration methodology for novel FT-NIRS analysis of soybean-based foods is presented together with high-precision NIRS spectra and composition measurements in terms of proteins, oil and carbohydrates in soybean-based foods/soy foods.
Sympathy and Exclusion: The Migration of Child and Women Survivors of the Armenian Genocide from the Eastern Mediterranean to Canada, 1923–1930

In 1918, some 500,000 Ottoman Armenians found themselves displaced from their homes or living in Muslim households in the Eastern Mediterranean and the South Caucasus. For most, life did not return...
The High Court's Agenda: More Interesting than it First Appears

At first glance, the High Court of Australia’s agenda looks relatively dull. It reports few cases, and only a small proportion of these cases are what American legal observers might consider interesting. Under the surface, however, hides an active docket of cases that drive policy innovation and reflect social change. By examining the many layers of the High Court’s docket in terms of its institutional context, this paper shows that the High Court’s agenda is far more interesting than it first appears. The Court is much busier than its reported decisions indicate and, because of the nature of the Australian Constitution and the High Court’s institutional design, the foundationally important cases are tucked in amongst cases dealing with government regulation, non-constitutional criminal cases and even torts.
Mortality Due to Toxoplasmosis in Suburban Eastern Fox Squirrels ( Sciurus niger) in Michigan, USA.

Three separate mortality events affecting wild eastern fox squirrels (Sciurus niger) were investigated in suburban areas within southeastern Michigan, US over a 3-yr period from the summer of 2015 through the winter of 2017. A total of seven squirrels were submitted for investigation. The squirrels were generally in fair to good body condition with moderate fat deposits. The tissues that most commonly exhibited gross or histologic lesions included the lungs, liver, and heart, whereas spleen and brain exhibited lesions less frequently. Lung lesions in all seven squirrels consisted of moderate interstitial pneumonia with necrosis and moderate to high numbers of protozoal organisms. Livers in four out of seven squirrels had multifocal necrosis associated with low to moderate numbers of protozoal organisms. Three out of seven brains examined had mild nonsuppurative meningoencephalitis with widely scattered protozoal cysts. Protozoal organisms observed in various tissues were strongly immunoreactive to Toxoplasma gondii antibody by immunohistochemical staining. Other primary disease conditions tested for included West Nile virus infection, pesticides, and anticoagulants. Toxoplasma gondii can cause disease and mortality in a variety of wild squirrel species, especially near human settlements, and would merit more attention.
State Clean Energy Policies at Risk: Courts Should Not Preempt Zero Emission Credits for Nuclear Plants

In 2016, the Illinois Legislature and New York Public Service Commission enacted nearly identical policies to induce economically struggling nuclear power plants to continue operating. Competing power generation companies filed suits in federal district courts, arguing that the states’ policies are preempted by the Federal Power Act (FPA) and violate the dormant Commerce Clause. The disputes over the states’ Zero Emission Credits (ZECs) for nuclear plants are just the latest controversies about the roles of state and the federal governments in overseeing the electricity industry. Recent federalism cases highlight the incongruity of applying the New-Deal-era Federal Power Act (FPA) to today’s dynamic and evolving industry. This article argues that ZECs are not preempted by Federal Power Act. These programs adapt traditional state authority over power generation and utility portfolios to today’s restructured electric grid. Courts should reject plaintiffs’ requests to enlarge the scope of FERC’s exclusive authority over wholesale rates and should conclude that ZECs, like other state clean energy programs, do not conflict with FERC’s regulatory regime.
Reverse mortgages and senior property tax relief

Abstract Home Equity Conversion Mortgage (HECM) loans experience high rates of property tax default (IFE, 2016; CFPB, 2012). Given tax burden is predictive of default ( Moulton et al., 2015 ), it is important for HECM participants to take advantage of available property tax relief programs. To examine participation in property tax relief programs, we match loan-level HECM origination records with local administrative tax records for properties in Chicago, IL. We find that nearly 40% of eligible HECM borrowers do not participate in a senior tax relief program for which they meet all eligibility requirements. Further, we find that senior tax relief participation is associated with a reduced probability of property tax default of 60%.
A variant of the Stanley depth for multisets

Abstract We define and study a variant of the Stanley depth which we call total depth for partially ordered sets (posets). This total depth is the most natural variant of Stanley depth from 〚 S k 〛 – the poset of nonempty subsets of { 1 , 2 , … , k } ordered by inclusion – to any finite poset. In particular, the total depth can be defined for the poset of nonempty submultisets of a multiset ordered by inclusion, which corresponds to a product of chains with the bottom element deleted. We show that the total depth agrees with Stanley depth for 〚 S k 〛 but not for such posets in general. We also prove that the total depth of the product of chains n k with the bottom element deleted is ( n − 1 ) ⌈ k ∕ 2 ⌉ , which generalizes a result of Biro, Howard, Keller, Trotter, and Young (2010). Further, we provide upper and lower bounds for a general multiset and find the total depth for any multiset with at most five distinct elements. In addition, we can determine the total depth for any multiset with k distinct elements if we know all the interval partitions of 〚 S k 〛 .
Social Processes, Urban Ecosystems, and Sustainability

The purpose of this chapter is to understand social science concepts and governance approaches useful for managing urban ecosystems sustainably. Basic social science concepts, urban ecosystems/social science terminology, theoretical models, and applied social science research will be reviewed with this perspective. Environmental services derived from green space and green infrastructure will be a strong subtheme in regard to its quality of life and human health benefits. Social science models and constructs with high potential for applicability to sustainability planning will be featured through several case studies.
The Combined Influence of Molecular Weight and Temperature on the Physical Aging and Creep Compliance of a Glassy Thermoplastic Polyimide

The effect of molecular weight on the viscoelastic performance of anadvanced polymer (LaRC™-SI) was investigated through the use of creepcompliance tests. Testing consisted of short-term isothermal creep andrecovery with the creep segments performed under constant load. Thetests were conducted at three temperatures below the glass transitiontemperature of five materials of different molecular weight. Through theuse of time-aging-time superposition procedures, the material constants,material master curves and aging-related parameters were evaluated ateach temperature for a given molecular weight. The time-temperaturesuperposition technique helped to describe the effect of temperature onthe timescale of the viscoelastic response of each molecular weight. Itwas shown that the low molecular weight materials have higher creepcompliance and creep rate, and are more sensitive to temperature thanthe high molecular weight materials. Furthermore, a critical molecularweight transition was observed to occur at a weight-average molecularweight of $${\bar M}$$ w ∼ 25,000 g/mol below which, the temperature sensitivity of thetime-temperature superposition shift factor increases significantly. Theshort-term creep compliance data were used in association with Struik'seffective time theory to predict the long-term creep compliance behaviorfor the different molecular weights. At long timescales, physical agingserves to significantly decrease the creep compliance and creep rate ofall the materials tested. Long-term test data verified the predictivecreep behavior. Materials with higher temperature and lower molecularweights had greater creep compliance and higher creep rates.
Intracranial Injury after a Dog Attack in a Neonate

Dog bites are a common event, especially in the pediatric population. Common anatomic site of dog bites is the head. Despite this, intracranial injuries due to dog bites are reported anecdotally, especially in neonates. In this article, we reported a 7-day-old female neonate attacked in the head by the family dog. She presented penetrating bilateral intracranial injuries that required urgent surgery and pediatric intensive care unit (PICU) admission. She received rabies and tetanus prophylaxis, wide-spectrum antibiotic, and anticonvulsive prophylaxis. She was hospitalized in PICU for 9 days, developing intracranial hypertension. One year after the dog bite, she showed moderate psychomotor retardation and focal epilepsy.
Do You Recognize Who I Am? Decolonizing Rhetorics in Indigenous Rock Opera Something Inside is Broken

This article analyzes the decolonizing rhetorics displayed in the indigenous rock opera Something Inside is Broken, which toured California and the Southwest United States in the Fall of 2016. By applying LeAnne Howe's concept of tribalography, I discuss the decolonizing potential of this rock opera, focusing on the implementation of Nisenan oral tradition, history, and language in its libretto. This article includes links to songs from the production to allow the reader and listener to experience the music and Nisenan language featured in the opera.
The importance of context in predicting the motivational benefits of choice, task value, and decision-making strategies

Abstract The motivational benefits of choice can be differentiated depending on contextual and individual factors. I report two experimental studies examining the relations among the number of choices, task value, and decision-making. The findings show that when a required high-stakes assignment is given, there is no significant difference between intrinsic motivation and task performance by choice condition (Study 1). In contrast, in an elective low-stakes assignment, an extensive range of choices may enhance intrinsic motivation and task performance (Study 2). The moderating effects of task value and decision-making strategies on the relations between choice, intrinsic motivation, and task performance were also varied. This study highlights that simply offering choice does not always promote students’ intrinsic motivation and task performance.
Visual-motor contingency during symbol production contributes to short-term changes in the functional connectivity during symbol perception and long-term gains in symbol recognition.

Abstract Letter production relies upon a tight coupling between motor movements and visual feedback—each stroke of the letter is visually experienced as it is produced. Experience with letter production leads to increases in functional connectivity, a measure of neural communication, among visual and motor brain systems and leads to gains in letter recognition in preliterate children. We hypothesized that the contingency between the motor and visual experiences of the written form during production would result in both effects. Twenty literate adults were trained on four sets of novel symbols over the course of one week. Each symbol set was trained through one of four training conditions: drawing with ink, drawing without ink, watching a handwritten symbol unfold as if being drawn, and watching a static handwritten symbol. Contingency of motor and visual experiences occurred in the drawing with ink condition. The motor and visual experiences were rendered non-contingent in each of the other three conditions by controlling for either visual or motor experience. Participants were presented with the trained symbols during fMRI scanning at three time points: one pre-training, one post-training, and one after a week-long no-training delay. Recognition was tested after each training session and after the third scan. We found that the contingency between visual and motor experiences during production changed the pattern of functional connectivity among visual, motor, and auditory neural communities and resulted in better recognition performance at post-training than at pre-training. Recognition gains were maintained after the no-training delay, but the functional connections observed immediately after training returned to their pre-training baselines. Our results suggest that behaviors that couple sensory and motor systems result in temporary changes in neural communication during perception that may not directly support changes in recognition.
Reductionism in the study of enzyme adaptation.

Abstract One of the principal goals of comparative biology is the elucidation of mechanisms by which organisms adapt to different environments. The study of enzyme structure, function, and stability has contributed significantly to this effort, by revealing adaptation at a molecular level. Comparative biochemistry, including enzymology, necessarily pursues a reductionist approach in describing the function and structure of biomolecules, allowing more straightforward study of molecular systems by removing much of the complexity of their biological milieu. Although this reductionism has allowed a remarkable series of discoveries linking chemical processes to metabolism and to whole-organism function in the context of the environment, it also has the potential to mislead when careful consideration is not made of the simplifying assumptions inherent to such research. In this review, a brief history of the growth of enzymology, its reliance on a reductionist philosophy, and its contributions to our understanding of biological systems is given. Examples then are provided of research techniques, based on a reductionist approach, that have advanced our knowledge about enzyme adaptation to environmental stresses, including stability assays, enzyme kinetics, and the impact of solute composition on enzyme function. In each case, the benefits of the reductionist nature of the approach is emphasized, notable advances are described, but potential drawbacks due to inherent oversimplification of the study system are also identified.
Applications, challenges, and needs for employing synthetic biology beyond the lab.

Synthetic biology holds great promise for addressing global needs. However, most current developments are not immediately translatable to ‘outside-the-lab’ scenarios that differ from controlled laboratory settings. Challenges include enabling long-term storage stability as well as operating in resource-limited and off-the-grid scenarios using autonomous function. Here we analyze recent advances in developing synthetic biological platforms for outside-the-lab scenarios with a focus on three major application spaces: bioproduction, biosensing, and closed-loop therapeutic and probiotic delivery. Across the Perspective, we highlight recent advances, areas for further development, possibilities for future applications, and the needs for innovation at the interface of other disciplines. Current developments in synthetic biology are not immediately applicable outside of the controlled laboratory environment. In this Perspective, the authors outline the advances and challenges the field faces in operating in resource limited and off-the-grid scenarios.
A limited panel of INSM1 and LEF1 immunostains accurately distinguishes between pancreatic neuroendocrine tumor and solid pseudopapillary neoplasm.

Abstract Solid pseudopapillary neoplasm (SPN) and well differentiated pancreatic neuroendocrine tumor (PNET) can show significant cytomorphological overlap. In this study, we evaluated the role of INSM1 and LEF1 immunohistochemical stains in distinguishing between these two tumors. 22 SPN and 25 PNET surgically resected cases were stained for both INSM1 and LEF1. All the 22 cases of SPN showed strong and diffuse nuclear staining for LEF1 (in >95 % of tumor cells), while all 25 PNET were negative for LEF1. All 25 PNET cases were positive for INSM1 (moderate to strong intensity nuclear staining in >50 % of the tumor cells), while all 22 cases of SPN were negative for INSM1. The results of our study show that a limited panel comprising of INSM1 and LEF1 immunostains accurately distinguishes between SPN and PNET.
Periostin/Filamin-A: A Candidate Central Regulatory Axis for Valve Fibrogenesis and Matrix Compaction.

ABSTRACT Background: Discoveries in the identification of transcription factors, growth factors and extracellular signaling molecules have led to detection of downstream targets that modulate valvular tissue organization that occurs during development, aging or disease. Among these, matricellular-protein, periostin, and cytoskeletal-protein filamin-A are highly expressed in developing heart valves. The phenotype of periostin-null indicates that periostin promotes migration, survival, differentiation of valve interstitial cushion cells into fibroblastic lineages necessary for postnatal-valve remodeling/maturation. Genetically inhibiting filamin-A expression in valve interstitial cushion cells mirrored the phenotype of periostin nulls, suggesting a molecular interaction between these two proteins resulted in poorly remodeled valve-leaflets that might be prone to myxomatous over time. We examined whether filamin-A has a cross-talk with periostin/signaling that promotes remodeling of postnatal heart valves into mature-leaflets. Results: We have previously shown that, periostin/integrin-β1 regulates Pak1 activation; here we revealed that the strong interaction between Pak1 and filamin-A proteins was only observed after stimulation of VICs with periostin; suggesting that periostin/integrin-β-mediated interaction between FLNA and Pak1 may have a functional role in vivo. We found that FLNA phosphorylation (S2152) is activated by Pak1, and this interaction was observed after stimulation with periostin/integrin-β1/Cdc42/Rac1 signaling; consequently FLNA binding to Pak1 stimulates its kinase activity. Our studies demonstrated that patients with floppy and/or prolapsed mitral valves, when genetically screened, were found to have point-mutations in the filamin-A gene at P637Q and G288R. Expression of either of these filamin-A-mutants failed to increase the magnitude of filamin-A (S2152) expression, Pak1-kinase activity, actin-polymerization and differentiation of VICs into mature mitral-valve-leaflets in response to periostin-signaling. Conclusion: PN stimulated bi-directional interaction between activated FLNA and Pak1 is essential for actin cytoskeletal reorganization and the differentiation of immature VICs into mature valve-leaflets.
Chow-Liu++: Optimal Prediction-Centric Learning of Tree Ising Models.

We consider the problem of learning a tree-structured Ising model from data, such that subsequent predictions computed using the model are accurate. Concretely, we aim to learn a model such that posteriors $P(X_i|X_S)$ for small sets of variables $S$ are accurate. Since its introduction more than 50 years ago, the Chow-Liu algorithm, which efficiently computes the maximum likelihood tree, has been the benchmark algorithm for learning tree-structured graphical models. A bound on the sample complexity of the Chow-Liu algorithm with respect to the prediction-centric local total variation loss was shown in [BK19]. While those results demonstrated that it is possible to learn a useful model even when recovering the true underlying graph is impossible, their bound depends on the maximum strength of interactions and thus does not achieve the information-theoretic optimum. In this paper, we introduce a new algorithm that carefully combines elements of the Chow-Liu algorithm with tree metric reconstruction methods to efficiently and optimally learn tree Ising models under a prediction-centric loss. Our algorithm is robust to model misspecification and adversarial corruptions. In contrast, we show that the celebrated Chow-Liu algorithm can be arbitrarily suboptimal.
Selecting Clustering Algorithms for IBD Mapping

Abstract Background Groups of distantly related individuals who share a short segment of their genome identical-by-descent (IBD) can provide insights about rare traits and diseases in massive biobanks via a process called IBD mapping. Clustering algorithms play an important role in finding these groups. We set out to analyze the fitness of commonly used, fast and scalable clustering algorithms for IBD mapping applications. We designed a realistic benchmark for local IBD graphs and utilized it to compare clustering algorithms in terms of statistical power. We also investigated the effectiveness of common clustering metrics as replacements for statistical power. Results We simulated 3.4 million clusters across 850 experiments with varying cluster counts, false-positive, and false-negative rates. Infomap and Markov Clustering (MCL) community detection methods have high statistical power in most of the graphs, compared to greedy methods such as Louvain and Leiden. We demonstrate that standard clustering metrics, such as modularity, cannot predict statistical power of algorithms in IBD mapping applications, though they can help with simulating realistic benchmarks. We extend our findings to real datasets by analyzing 3 populations in the Population Architecture using Genomics and Epidemiology (PAGE) Study with 51,000 members and 2 million shared segments on Chromosome 1, resulting in the extraction of 39 million local IBD clusters across three different populations in PAGE. We used cluster properties derived in PAGE to increase the accuracy of our simulations and comparison. Conclusions Markov Clustering produces a 30% increase in statistical power compared to the current state-of-art approach, while reducing runtime by 3 orders of magnitude; making it computationally tractable in modern large-scale genetic datasets. We provide an efficient implementation to enable clustering at scale for IBD mapping and poplation-based linkage for various populations and scenarios.
Tackling pain after cardiac surgery: It takes a village!

There is increasing concern regarding the risk to develop chronic pain after cardiac surgery with potential detrimental effects on recovery and quality of life. With shortened hospital stays after cardiac surgery, there needs to be more emphasis placed on self-management skills and the support provided to patients and their informal caregivers during the subacute phase. A paradigm shift needs to occur on multiple levels to prevent chronic pain and opioid misuse after surgery. Initiating this change means redefining the timing, recipients, and content and format of interventions. Several avenues can be examined and translated in practice to promote a successful transition after cardiac surgery.
Outcomes of older covid-19 patients in acute care at home, southern hsc trust, northern ireland, from march-june 2020

Introduction The older population has been most affected by COVID-19, with mortality rates of around 27%. The Acute Care at Home (ACAH) team aims to improve outcomes in the older population by preventing hospital admission or facilitating early discharge, allowing patients to be treated in their own environment. During the COVID-19 pandemic, the ACAH team administered oxygen therapy, antibiotics, anticipatory medications and other vital interventions to combat the ill effects of COVID-19. Method An observational approach has been used in this study. Patients were included if they were admitted to ACAH during March-June 2020 for treatment of COVID-19. Biochemistry, oxygen saturations and co-morbidities are among the studied parameters. Lymphocyte count and serum magnesium were compared with a non-COVID-19 cohort. Trends within parameters and associated mortality were analysed and tabulated. Results 70% of admissions were lymphopenic, whilst 54% were hypoxic. There was a 28-day mortality rate of 35%, with an 18% increase in mortality rate when comparing residence in long-term care facilities (LTCF) to personal residence. All patients had existing co-morbidities. Conclusion The data indicates that hypoxaemia, hyperferritinaemia and hypermagnesaemia are associated with early mortality in the older population infected with COVID-19. National Early Warning Score and frailty score are predictive of mortality in this cohort, with higher scores correlating to worse outcomes. Those living in LTCF are at an increased risk of mortality. However, ACAH mortality rates are comparable to those admitted to hospital, validating the concept of ACAH. The highlighted trends can be used to improve outcomes in future admissions.
Determining Reaction Mechanisms

The articles in this chapter review methods for determining reaction rates for systems in which transitions from state to state are infrequent. Building on seminal concepts such as transition state theory, advances in the last 25 years have given us efficient techniques for finding saddle points and computing accurate rate constants, both classically and quantum mechanically. One motivation for calculating rate constants is that they can be supplied as input to higher-level simulation models, such as the kinetic Monte Carlo (KMC) method, which are the subject of the next chapter. For a KMC simulation to provide dynamical predictions at a desired level of quality, the accuracy of the rate constants should be of equal quality, but, just as important, the list of rates needs to be complete; it should contain all of the relevant reaction mechanisms. This latter challenge is often more daunting than the former. In this article, we discuss specific examples illustrating the difficulty in identifying the important reaction mechanisms. Through these examples, we demonstrate the use of methods for searching for these mechanisms and the importance of doing so. Realistic systems often behave in ways we least expect and if we rely on our intuition about what reaction pathways exist, we are almost certain to miss important mechanisms.
Performance study of MAC for service differentiation in IEEE 802.11

In a wireless local area network (WLAN), medium access control (MAC) layer access parameters are usually differentiated for various classes of users to provide different quality of service (QoS). In particular, in this paper, we investigate the MAC layer performance of IEEE 802.11e based WLAN, where the traffic flows are classified and each class is assigned different MAC parameters, such as inter-frame space (IFS), and contention window (CW) size. These parameters play a critical role in determining the system performance. Thus, an appropriate mathematical model is desired to determine the QoS differentiation on these parameters and guide the system design. However, so far, little work was reported. We propose a novel model based on the Markov chain, which takes into account almost all the important MAC parameters, CW, IFS, class number, etc. Despite its simplicity, it is demonstrated that our proposed model agrees quite well with the results obtained with the time-consuming simulations.
Changes in Workers, Work, and Organizations

Demographic changes and increasing cultural diversity in the workforce, globalization, the rapid advance of technological improvements, and the Internet are three broad changes that have combined to alter dramatically the characteristics, beliefs, and attitudes of workers over the past several decades. In addition, seamless webs of communications media enable virtual teams and various forms of telework arrangements to function effectively. Work anytime, anyplace is now a reality, as work and organizations have become global, with an emphasis on speed. This has led progressive organizations to develop new strategies for attracting and retaining talent. The chapter reviews a number of such strategies, and concludes that to be beneficiaries, rather than victims of such changes, organizations need to reexamine their human resource management systems—recruitment, staffing, performance management, training and development, compensation and reward systems—to ensure that they are attracting the kind of talent and encouraging the kinds of behavior that are consistent with their overall strategy. Likewise, individuals need to reexamine their assumptions and skill sets in order to retain their marketability. This implies commitment to lifelong learning and skill development, viewing diversity as an opportunity, and maintaining networks of contacts to tap for job leads as the need arises. Keywords: diversity; globalization; Internet; modular organizations; psychological contract; technology; telework
Object-oriented framework for adaptation in a DFS

Today s large diversity of network resources, computing resources and heterogeneous devices can lead to a mismatch between network-capacity and the volume of data transferred, or between devices and data (consider transferring a large video clip to a handheld over a congested wireless network). Traditional distributed file systems including NFS [1], AFS [2], and Coda [3], fail to address this issue, as they cannot adapt their services according to environmental constraints. We address the problem of adaption in a DFS by modeling the file system as an object-oriented framework using persistent distributed objects. Files (persistent objects) in the DFS participate when the system reacts to environmental constraints (e.g. network congestion) and/or user-imposed constraints (e.g. security). For instance, when the user wants to play a video clip stored on a remote server with an untrusted network in between, the system chooses a version of the clip appropriate to the current network traffic, encrypts it over the wire, and plays it on the client. Further, the behavior of our general-purpose framework can also be specialized according to specific application requirements, to implement domain-specific optimizations (e.g. modifying concurrent- write semantics).
Massive Persistent Release of Excitatory Amino Acids Following Human Occlusive Stroke

Background Animal stroke models demonstrate excitatory amino acid (EAA) release in ischemic tissue, as measured by microdialysis. Currently glutamate antagonist drugs are being developed to protect brain tissue after ischemic events. However, the role of EAAs in human occlusive stroke is not well known. We therefore measured glutamate and aspartate release in a patient after occlusive stroke. Case Description We describe a case of occlusive stroke in a 50-year-old man. A partial temporal lobectomy was done to remove infarcted tissue and to prevent brain stem compression as well as uncal herniation. A microdialysis probe was placed into the cortex to measure EAAs. Massively increased levels of glutamate and aspartate were detected in the extracellular fluid in this patient (>300 times normal levels 6 days after infarction). Conclusions These findings indicate that EAAs are tremendously increased in brain tissue after occlusive stroke. The time course of the release of EAAs is much longer than animal studie...
MOSES: A MULTIOBJECTIVE OPTIMIZATION TOOL FOR ENGINEERING DESIGN

Abstract This paper introduces a multiobjective optimization tool called MOSES (Multiobjective Optimization of Systems in the Engineering Sciences). This tool is a convenient testbed for analyzing the performance of new and existing multicriteria optimization techniques, and it is an effective engineering design tool. Two new multiobjective optimization techniques based on the genetic algorithm (GA) are introduced, and two engineering design problems are solved using them. These methods are based in the concept of min-max optimum, and can produce the Pareto set and the best trade-off among the objectives. The results produced by these approaches are compared to those produced with other mathematical programming techniques and GA-based approaches, showing the new techniques' capability to generate better trade-offs than the approaches previously reported in the literature.
Design of robust discrete control with desirable quadratic stability

In this paper, a design of robust discrete control with desirable quadratic stability is proposed. The design procedure is the extended discrete version of the continuous robust quadratic stabilization technique proposed by Gu et al. [K. Gu, Y.H. Chen, M.A. Zohdy, N.K. Loh, Quadratic stabilizability of uncertain systems: a two level optimization setup, Automatica 27 (1) (1991) 161-165.]. The effect of the sampling time selection, and the effect of the domain on the robustness, is examined. The presented algorithm is applied to a discrete mass spring system, and a discrete simplified car steering system to demonstrate the feasibility of the procedure, and the effect of the time sampling on the robustness. The robustness increases in both examples considered, as the sampling time decreases to some degree.
Experimental characterization and finite element analysis of inflated fabric beams

Abstract An airbeam is a high-strength fabric sleeve with a highly flexible internal bladder that can be used as a load-bearing beam or arch when inflated. Due to their fabric construction, airbeams are inherently thin-walled structures that are prone to local buckling. In this study, airbeams were tested in bending at different inflation pressures to quantify their load–deformation response and the effect of inflation pressure on response. Tension–torsion tests of the airbeam fabric were conducted to estimate the fabric shear modulus, and the bend test results were used in conjunction with Timoshenko beam theory to estimate the fabric elastic modulus. Three-dimensional membrane finite element (FE) models were then used to predict the beam load–deformation response given these moduli. The FE models successfully predicted localized fabric buckling and softening of load–deflection response. Comparison of FE model-predicted load–deflection response with beam theory shows that conventional beam theory is accurate prior to local buckling of the airbeam fabric. The FE model and test results indicate that the consideration of work done by pressure under deformation-induced volume changes may increase beam capacity beyond previously derived theoretical limiting values.
Research challenges in future networks: a report from US-Japan workshop on future networks

A US-Japan Workshop on Future Networks was held in Palo Alto, CA on October 31 - November 1, 2008. This workshop brought together leading US and Japanese network researchers and network research infrastructure developers who are interested in future networks. The focus was on research issues and experimental infrastructure to support research on future generation networks. The goal was to foster cooperation and communication between peers in the two countries. Through this workshop, a number of research challenges were identified. The workshop also made recommendations to: create a new funding mechanism to foster special collaborations in networking and experimentation, extend current national testbeds with international connectivity; and urge the respective governments to exert strong leadership to ensure that collaborative research for creating future networks is carried out.
A framework for Bayesian optimality of psychophysical laws

Abstract The Weber–Fechner law states that perceived intensity is proportional to physical stimuli on a logarithmic scale. In this work, we formulate a Bayesian framework for the scaling of perception and find logarithmic and related scalings are optimal under expected relative error fidelity. Therefore, the Weber–Fechner law arises as being information theoretically efficient under the constraint of limited representability. An even stronger connection is drawn between the Weber–Fechner law and a Bayesian framework when neural storage or communication is the dominant concern, such as for numerosity. Theoretical results and experimental verification for perception of sound intensity are both presented.