cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Lattice point counting and the probabilistic method

We take a quantitative approach based on probability theory to several number theoretic problems, which all have the common form of counting lattice points in some nice domain. It is wellknown that the number of solutions to Pell equations can be counted with a bounded error term. We relax Pell equations to (inhomogeneous) Pell inequalities and study the corresponding question. A naive area principle (=the number of lattice points in and the area of nice domains are close) guides the intuition for the answer, but the intuition is sometimes correct, sometimes not. On the one hand, the intuition fails for continuum many translated copies of the corresponding hyperbolic domain (Theorem 1). On the other hand, the intuition is correct for almost all translated copies (Theorems 2 and 3).
Teleportation and Navigation in a 3-D Web-Based Virtual Shopping Environment

Using teleportation via a map menu icon instead of navigation from store to store via hallways was investigated in a web shopping simulation. Participants shopped in a virtual shopping center, examining and learning about various items. The simulation used HTML web pages that simulated a 3-D virtual environment. Half of the participants traveled from store to store using a map icon, which accurately depicted the shopping center. Clicking on a store in the icon teleported the perspective viewpoint to its doorway. Participants' configural (survey) spatial knowledge was tested using both sketch maps and pointing. No navigation mode differences were found with pointing angular error or sketch map angular error. These results indicate that teleportation via an iconic map did not improve spatial knowledge acquisition. However, it also did not impair it, while making navigation easier.
Resisting Resilience Theory: A Response to Connell and Ghedini

Connell and Ghedini [1] argue that ecologists are primarily concerned with community change and tend to ignore processes like trophic compensation that contribute to community or system-level stability. Resilience, they claim, is the study of change, and researchers should spend more time studying stabilizing processes to better predict the types of changes documented by ecologists who study resilience [2,3]. The bulk of their paper addresses resilience and related concepts to contextualize resistance to change, but their arguments are diminished because the authors fail to explicitly place their work within the range of resilience concepts that have proliferated across academic disciplines.
Longitudinal Predictors of Outcomes for Adults With Autism Spectrum Disorder: Systematic Review

To generate an evidence-based understanding of longitudinal predictors of social outcomes (i.e., employment, social relationships/participation, independent living) of adults with autism spectrum disorder (ASD), we conducted a systematic literature review of publications since 2000. Twelve publications deriving from eight study samples fit inclusion/exclusion criteria for the review. In these publications, statistically significant predictors of social outcomes fell into five categories: (a) personal characteristics, (b) individual functioning, (c) family context, (d) services, and (e) other factors (i.e., peer influence, health status). However, only two studies demonstrated high methodological quality, and only one category of predictors-individual functioning-was identified across multiple study samples. To inform practices for youth with ASD, there remains a need for high-quality outcome research related to adults with ASD to better understand predictors, especially related to environmental factors such as related to the family and services received.
Fifteen hundred coronary reoperations. Results and determinants of early and late survival.

Fifteen hundred consecutive patients undergoing a first reoperation for coronary revascularization were reviewed to determine early and late results and predictors of survival. Patients were subdivided into cohorts on the basis of the year of reoperation: Group A (1967 to 1978, 436 patients); Group B (1979 to 1981,439 patients); and Group C (1982 to 1984, 625 patients). Overall operative mortality was 3.4% (51 deaths): 4.6%, 2.3%, and 3.4% for Groups A, B, and C, respectively. Group C had significantly more women (p = 0.01) and patients with triple-vessel disease, left main coronary artery stenosis (≥50%), abnormal left ventricular function, age ≥70 years, and graft failure as a surgical indication (all p
Anaplastic astrocytoma: prognostic factors and survival in 4807 patients with emphasis on receipt and impact of adjuvant therapy

To determine the receipt and impact of adjuvant therapy on overall survival (OS) for anaplastic astrocytoma (AA). Data were extracted from the National Cancer Data Base (NCDB). Chi square test, Kaplan-Meier method, and Cox regression models were employed in SPSS 22.0 (Armonk, NY: IBM Corp.) for data analyses. 4807 patients with AA diagnosed from 2004 to 2013 who underwent surgery were identified. 3243 (67.5 %) received adjuvant chemoRT, 525 (10.9 %) adjuvant radiotherapy (RT) alone, 176 (3.7 %) adjuvant chemotherapy alone and 863 (18.0 %) received no adjuvant therapy. Patients were more likely to receive adjuvant chemoRT if they were diagnosed in 2009-2013 (p = 0.022), were ≤ 50 years (p < 0.001), were male (p = 0.043), were Asian or White race (p < 0.001), had private insurance (p < 0.001), had income ≥$38,000 (p < 0.001), or underwent total resection (p < 0.003). Those who received adjuvant chemoRT had significantly better 5-year OS than the other adjuvant treatment types (41.8 % vs. 31.2 % vs. 29.8 % vs. 27.4 %, p < 0.001). This significant 5-year OS benefit was also observed regardless of age at diagnosis. Of those undergoing adjuvant chemoRT, those receiving ≥59.4 Gy had significantly better 5-year OS than those receiving <59.4 Gy (44.4 % vs. 25.9 %, p < 0.001). There was no significant difference in OS when comparing 59.4 Gy to higher RT doses. On multivariate analysis, receipt of adjuvant chemoRT, age at diagnosis, extent of disease, and insurance status were independent prognostic factors for OS. Adjuvant chemoRT is an independent prognostic factor for improved OS in AA and concomitant chemoRT should be considered for all clinically suitable patients who have undergone surgery for the disease.
High risk of post-infectious irritable bowel syndrome in patients with Clostridium difficile infection

Background Infectious enteritis is a commonly identified risk factor for irritable bowel syndrome (IBS). The incidence of Clostridium difficile infection (CDI) is on the rise. However, there is limited information on post-infectious IBS (PI-IBS) development following CDI and the host- and infection-related risk factors are not known. Aim To determine the incidence and risk factors for PI-IBS following CDI. Methods A total of 684 cases of CDI identified from September 2012 to November 2013 were surveyed. Participants completed the Rome III IBS questionnaire and details on the CDI episode. Predictive modelling was done using logistic regression to evaluate risk factors for PI-IBS development. Results A total of 315 CDI cases responded (46% response rate) and 205 were at-risk (no pre-CDI IBS) for PI-IBS development. A total of 52/205 (25%) met the Rome III criteria for IBS ≥6 months following CDI. IBS-mixed was most common followed by IBS-diarrhoea. In comparison to those without subsequent PI-IBS, greater percentage of PI-IBS patients had CDI symptoms >7 days, nausea, vomiting, abdominal pain during CDI, anxiety and a higher BMI. Using logistic regression, CDI symptoms >7 days [Odds ratio (OR): 2.96, P = 0.01], current anxiety (OR: 1.33, P Conclusions In this cohort study, new-onset IBS is common after CDI. Longer CDI duration, current anxiety and higher BMI are associated with the diagnosis of C. difficile PI-IBS. This chronic sequela should be considered during active management and follow-up of patients with CDI.
Parenting style and perceptions of children’s weight among US Hispanics: a qualitative analysis

Parental perceptions of their children's weight status may limit their willingness to participate in or acknowledge the importance of early interventions to prevent childhood obesity. This study aimed to examine potential differences in Hispanic mothers' and fathers' perceptions of childhood obesity, lifestyle behaviors and communication preferences to inform the development of culturally appropriate childhood obesity interventions. A qualitative study using focus groups was conducted. Groups (one for mothers and one for fathers) were composed of Hispanic parents (n = 12) with at least one girl and one boy (≤ 10 years old) who were patients at a pediatric clinic in Tennessee, USA. Thirteen major themes clustered into four categories were observed: (i) perceptions of childhood obesity/children's weight; (ii) parenting strategies related to children's dietary behaviors/physical activity; (iii) perceptions of what parents can do to prevent childhood obesity and (iv) parental suggestions for partnering with child care providers to address childhood obesity. Mothers appeared to be more concerned than fathers about their children's weight. Fathers expressed more concern about the girls' weight than boys'. Mothers were more likely than fathers to congratulate their children more often for healthy eating and physical activity. Parents collectively expressed a desire for child care providers (e.g. caregivers, teachers, medical professionals and food assistance programs coordinators) to have a caring attitude about their children, which might in turn serve as a motivating factor in talking about their children's weight. Parental perceptions of their children's weight and healthy lifestyle choices are of potential public health importance since they could affect parental participation in preventive interventions.
Solidarity, Social Norms, and Uncle Tom

Introducing Uncle Tom I n 1934, Fisk University, a black college in Nashville, disciplined one of its students for protesting the school’s decision to have student singers perform at a segregated theater. A columnist for the Baltimore Afro-American , a black newspaper, commended the student and criticized Fisk for bowing and scraping before Jim Crow. The columnist preferred to burn down all Southern black colleges rather than have the race’s brightest young minds learn in “‘Uncle Tom’ Schools,” which train their students to lie down while educators drain their valor to resist racism. A few months later and nearly 700 miles north, M. Gran Lucas, a black elementary school principal, defended segregation before a National Education Association gathering in Washington, DC. Lucas told the audience, which included President Franklin Roosevelt, that separate schools were best for black children. According to Lucas, black pupils had particular needs that integrated schools could not accommodate. Columnist L. K. McMillan lambasted the speech as one in a series of disgraceful pro–Jim Crow speeches blacks had delivered to national audiences in recent memory. Lucas, like the other speakers, was an “Uncle Tom” more concerned with receiving his “assured pork chops” than black children. These incredibly rich tales reveal various textures that represent just a piece of the intricate tapestry that is the black American existence. These accounts illustrate the burgeoning race consciousness and black solidarity before the civil rights movement; they highlight the frequent expectations of racial loyalty; they reveal how the black community managed social norms; and they suggest the sanctioning power of Uncle Tom . Each of these separate ingredients, when stewed together, forms the basis of this book.
An examination of short-run performance of IPOs using Extreme Bounds Analysis

This paper estimates the short-run performance of IPOs issued on the Karachi Stock Exchange in Pakistan. The present study extends the existing literature concentrating on the degree of underpricing over a 3-month period lasting from the listing date to the 3-month anniversary showing significant evidence of IPO underpricing. The analyses support the investors’ sentiment and underwriters’ prestige hypothesis but not ex-ante uncertainty. The EBA technique has been used to examine fifteen explanatory variables of IPO underpricing. The study finds that the aftermarket risk level of the IPO, the oversubscription ratio, the offer price, the return on assets, post issue promoters’ holding and size of the firm are six robust determinants of IPO underpricing.
Saudi Arabia and the Mirage of Decentralization

Without taking a position on centralization versus decentralization, this chapter reviews the local governance system in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. The chapter alleges that local government hierarchies in Saudi Arabia seem to suggest a higher degree of decentralization, while the actual separation of powers between local and national levels of government suggests a high degree of centralization. This raises questions about electoral politics at the local level—where little power resides. This chapter provides a thorough background on Saudi demographic, political, administrative, and economic conditions. Then, it considers the issues that are specific to local governance including local government structure and organization. The final section addresses the main claim of this chapter about the effectiveness of local governance in Saudi Arabia and makes some recommendations.
THE TOPOLOGICAL MECHANISM OF PHAGE LAMBDA INTEGRASE

Bacteriophage lambda integrase (Int) is a versatile site-specific recombinase. In concert with other proteins, it mediates phage integration into and excision out of the bacterial chromosome. Int recombines intramolecular sites in inverse or direct orientation or sites on separate DNA molecules. This wide spectrum of Int-mediated reactions has, however, hindered our understanding of the topology of Int recombination. By systematically analyzing the topology of Int reaction products and using a mathematical method called tangles, we deduce a unified model for Int recombination. We find that, even in the absence of (-) supercoiling, all Int reactions are chiral, producing one of two possible enantiomers of each product. We propose that this chirality reflects a right-handed DNA crossing within or between recombination sites in the synaptic complex that favors formation of right-handed Holliday junction intermediates. We demonstrate that the change in linking number associated with excisive inversion with relaxed DNA is equally +2 and -2, reflecting two different substrates with different topology but the same chirality. Additionally, we deduce that integrative Int recombination differs from excisive recombination only by additional plectonemic (-) DNA crossings in the synaptic complex: two with supercoiled substrates and one with relaxed substrates. The generality of our results is indicated by our finding that two other members of the integrase superfamily of recombinases, Flp of yeast and Cre of phage P1, show the same intrinsic chirality as lambda Int.
Summary diagnostic validity of commonly used maternal major depression disorder case finding instruments in the United States: A meta-analysis

Abstract Introduction Major Depression Disorder (MDD) is common among mothers of young children. However, its detection remains low in primary-care and community-based settings in part due to the uncertainty regarding the validity of existing case-finding instruments. We conducted meta-analyses to estimate the diagnostic validity of commonly used maternal MDD case finding instruments in the United States. Methods We systematically searched three electronic bibliographic databases PubMed, PsycINFO, and EMBASE from 1994 to 2015 to identify relevant published literature. Study eligibility and quality were evaluated using the Standards for the Reporting of Diagnostic Accuracy studies and Quality Assessment of Diagnostic Accuracy Studies guidelines, respectively. Pooled sensitivity and specificity of case-finding instruments were generated using Bayesian hierarchical summary receiver operating models. Results Overall, 1130 articles were retrieved and 74 articles were selected for full-text review. Twelve articles examining six maternal MDD case-finding instruments met the eligibility criteria and were included in our meta-analyses. Pooled sensitivity and specificity estimates were highest for the BDI-II (91%; 95% Bayesian Credible Interval (BCI): 68%; 99% and 89%; 95% BCI: 62%; 98% respectively) and EPDS10 (74%; 95% BCI: 46%; 91% and 97%; 95% BCI: 84%; 99% respectively) during the antepartum and postpartum periods respectively. Limitation No meta-regression was conducted to examine the impact of study-level characteristics on the results. Discussion Diagnostic performance varied among instruments and between peripartum periods. These findings suggest the need for a judicious selection of maternal MDD case-finding instruments depending on the study population and target periods of assessment.
Pediatric Wrist and Scaphoid Fractures

Thorough evaluation of pediatric wrist and scaphoid fractures includes open versus closed status, neurovascular status, associated injuries, displacement, and physeal involvement.
Sibling Donor Cord Blood Program: Children’s Hospital Research Center Oakland and Beyond

Umbilical cord blood (UCB) serves as an alternative source of hematopoietic stem cells in allogeneic hematopoietic cell transplantation. Compared with bone marrow transplantation, cord blood transplantation carries a lower risk of graft-versus-host-disease (GVHD). The Sibling Cord Blood Donor Program was developed at Children’s Hospital and Research Center Oakland in 1998 as a resource to collect, characterize, and release cord blood units (CBUs) from siblings of children affected by a nonmalignant disorder such as sickle cell anemia or thalassemia that might be considered for transplantation. The public cord blood banking program expanded to include malignant disorders as well and was later transitioned to ViaCord company in 2007. After collection, CBUs are tested for Human Leukocyte Antigen (HLA)-compatibility, screened for infectious diseases, processed, and stored for future use within 48 h of collection. To date, over 3,000 sibling CBUs have been collected nationally. Over 315 HLA-identical sibling cord transplants were registered with the Center for International Blood and Marrow Transplant Research (CIBMTR) from 117 transplant centers between 2000 and 2011. The most common indication for sibling cord blood transplant was the hemoglobinopathies.
Wittgenstein's Methods

This paper comes in three parts. In the first part, I explore the question of the relation between the philosophies of the early and the later Wittgenstein as they are standardly distinguished, with the aim of raising some questions about whether that standard distinction might not obstruct our view of certain significant aspects of the development of Wittgenstein’s thought. In the second part, drawing on the work of Marie McGinn and Warren Goldfarb, I distinguish two senses in which these two commentators have been moved to call upon the expression ‘piecemeal’ in their respective attempts to characterize an important feature of Wittgenstein’s conception of philosophical method. In the third part, I draw upon this distinction to help bring into focus a significant shift in Wittgenstein’s conception of philosophical method which occurs fully within the so-called “later” period—a shift which has in no small part remained invisible due to the manner in which the opposition between an early and a later Wittgenstein has hitherto been conceived.
Rapid Early-Holocene Deglaciation in the Ross Sea, Antarctica†

Deglaciation of the Ross Sea following the last ice age provides an important opportunity to examine the stability of marine ice sheets, and their susceptibility to changing environmental conditions. Insufficient chronology for Ross Sea deglaciation has helped sustain (i) the theory that this region contributed significantly to Meltwater Pulse 1A (MWP-1A), and (ii) the idea that Ross Sea grounding-line retreat occurred in a ‘swinging gate’ pattern hinged north of Roosevelt Island. We present deglaciation records from southern Transantarctic Mountain glaciers, which delivered ice to the central Ross Sea. Abrupt thinning of these glaciers 9-8 kyr BP coincided with deglaciation of the Scott Coast, ∼800 km to the north, and ended with the Ross Sea grounding line near Shackleton Glacier. This deglaciation removed grounded ice from most of the central and western Ross Sea in less than 2 kyr. The Ross Sea Sector neither contributed nor responded significantly to MWP-1A.
Affordable solar thermal water heating solution for rural Dominican Republic

Abstract Energy in rural Dominican Republic is often a limited and expensive commodity. Grid electricity, propane gas, and firewood are among the common energy sources in rural areas, however with limited accessibility and increasingly high cost. Heating water for personal bathing and showering is a low priority and unaffordable for most rural Dominicans. Consequently, people take showers infrequently, personal hygiene is compromised, and risk of illnesses, especially pneumonia, is increased. This work aims to develop a low-cost but effective solar thermal powered water heater with simple construction, low maintenance, and using locally available materials. Two different designs are evaluated, including batch and thermosiphon models. Several system parameters, such as insulation, greenhouse effect, reflective surface, mechanical stirring, and available surface area for heat absorption are varied, and system performance is characterized based on water temperature maximum and stability. The thermosiphon model is found to be most optimal, considering its performance, cost, ease of maintenance, manufacturability, and adaptability. The selected design is then implemented at several community and residential locations in El Cercado, Dominican Republic with performance results meeting and exceeding temperature rise target of at least 12 °C.
Crystallographic Orientation Identification in Multicrystalline Silicon Wafers Using NIR Transmission Intensity

Near-infrared (NIR) polariscopy is a technique used for the non-destructive evaluation of the in-plane stresses in photovoltaic silicon wafers. Accurate evaluation of these stresses requires correct identification of the stress-optic coefficient, a material property which relates photoelastic parameters to physical stresses. The material stress-optic coefficient of silicon varies with crystallographic orientation. This variation poses a unique problem when measuring stresses in multicrystalline silicon (mc-Si) wafers. This paper concludes that the crystallographic orientation of silicon can be estimated by measuring the transmission of NIR light through the material. The transmission of NIR light through monocrystalline wafers of known orientation were compared with the transmission of NIR light through various grains in mc-Si wafers. X-ray diffraction was then used to verify the relationship by obtaining the crystallographic orientations of these assorted mc-Si grains. Variation of transmission intensity for different crystallographic orientations is further explained by using planar atomic density. The relationship between transmission intensity and planar atomic density appears to be linear.
Impact of Alcohol on HIV Disease Pathogenesis, Comorbidities and Aging: Integrating Preclinical and Clinical Findings

Short Summary : Effective combined antiretroviral therapy regimens have extended survival of persons living with HIV (PLWH). Heavy alcohol consumption is common in PLWH. This overview integrates evidence from clinical and preclinical research to identify salient alcohol-related mechanisms and comorbidities contributing to disease pathogenesis and accelerated aging and senescence in PLWH.
Prediction of fatigue crack growth rate in aircraft aluminum alloys using radial basis function neural network

Fatigue crack propagation in aircraft structures is a critical problem as life risk is involved besides financial loss. The relationship between stress intensity factor, ΔΚ and fatigue crack growth rate, da/dN is non-linear even in Paris region (region II). Analytical techniques are not much flexible to handle non-linearity. Accurate prediction of crack growth rate developed as a result of fatigue is important to evaluate fatigue life of engineering structures. Machine learning algorithms cater for non-linarites satisfactorily because of their excellent learning capability and flexible nature. This paper presents MLA based technique for prediction of crack growth rate using Radial Basis Function Neural Network (RBF-NN). The proposed technique is tested on different aluminum alloys used for aircraft structures. The minimum predicted MSE was achieved as 1.1315 × 10−9 for 7055-T7511 Aluminum Alloy. The results show an excellent agreement to experimental data.
On Truth Conditions Of Tensed Sentence Types

L'A. rejette la nouvelle theorie-B du langage defendue par L. A. Paul contre la version etablie par Q. Smith. Examinant la question des conditions de verite qui distingue selon D. H. Mellor la theorie reflechie des occurrences et l'ancienne theorie-B, l'A. montre que la theorie du langage proposee par Paul est une theorie reflechie des types de phrase qui n'a rien a envier a son predecesseur.
Monte Carlo Modeling of Randomness

The evaluation of expressions of measurement uncertainty can be enhanced by Monte Carlo simulation techniques. For any claimed uncertainties that have been expressed (either explicitly or implicitly) as probability density functions, Monte Carlo techniques can propagate uncertainties through any measurement equation or algorithm – including statistical aggregates. These techniques are introduced in this chapter, and applied to examples drawn from measurement comparisons. Examples illustrate the power of the techniques in extending uncertainty analysis to cases where the applicability of the usual methods is in doubt, such as consistency testing using chi-squared-like statistical aggregates.
Lectin and epidermal growth factor domains of P-selectin at physiologic density are the recognition unit for leukocyte binding

P-selectin is an integral membrane glycoprotein on stimulated platelets and endothelial cells that serves as a receptor for leukocytes. To estimate the density of P-selectin in membranes necessary to support adhesion, we incorporated purified P-selectin at varying concentrations into phospholipid bilayers that encapsulated glass microspheres. Maximal binding of these lipospheres to HL60 cells, a P-selectin ligand- expressing cell line, was approached at a P-selectin density of about 100 molecules per microns 2; half-maximal binding was observed at about 50 to 60 molecules per microns 2. Compatible results were obtained with P-selectin expressed on Chinese hamster ovary cells. The P-selectin density on stimulated platelets was estimated to be 150 to 200 molecules/microns 2. To identify the domains of P-selectin required for HL60 cell binding, chimeras of P-selectin and L-selectin were stably expressed in Chinese hamster ovary cells and clones that expressed the chimeras at the estimated physiologic density were selected. Chimeras containing the P-selectin lectin and epidermal growth factor (EGF) domains or the lectin, EGF, and short consensus repeats bound HL60 cells equivalently, but a chimera containing the P-selectin lectin domain alone bound HL60 cells much less well. These results indicate that at a physiologically relevant P-selectin density on membrane surfaces, the lectin, and EGF domains of P-selectin are together required for optimal leukocyte binding.
Can Presurgical Ultrasound Predict Survival in Women With Ovarian Masses

PURPOSE This study aimed to determine the ability of ultrasound to predict survival and detect more aggressive tumors in women with ovarian masses. MATERIALS AND METHODS Institutional review board approval was obtained. A total of 167 patients who presented with adnexal mass/masses were included. These were documented as benign or malignant on ultrasound. Age, date of diagnosis and date of death, type of tumor, and tumor marker cancer antigen 125 (CA-125) values were recorded. A CA-125 value of less than 35 U/mL was considered normal. All cases underwent surgery. Pathologic findings were considered as reference standard. The 2 × 2 cross-tabulations were used to correlate dichotomized CA-125, US diagnosis (benign vs malignant), and pathologic status. Difference of distributions was tested using the Wilcoxon rank sum test, and their association was tested using the Fisher exact test. All tests were 2-sided, and P values of 0.05 or less were considered statistically significant. Kaplan-Meir curves were generated to estimate survival. RESULTS There was a statistically significant difference in patients with benign versus malignant tumors based on pathology (P < 0.0001) and ultrasound (P < 0.0003). Sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value, negative predictive value, and accuracy of ultrasound were 55%, 86%, 90% and 46%, and 81%. Patients diagnosed as having malignant tumors based on ultrasound had statistically significant worse overall survival. Probability of survival based on pathologic diagnosis of malignancy was statistically significant at P < 0.0003; based on ultrasound, P < 0.0001; and based on CA-125, P < 0.041. CONCLUSION Patients who had ultrasound-based prediction of ovarian malignancy had overall worse survival probability (P < 0.0001) compared with CA-125- or pathology-based prediction.
Library Preparation Using FFPE-Derived Tumor DNA for High-Throughput Hybridization-Based Targeted or Exome Sequencing

The use of next generation sequencing (NGS) to profile tumor genomes for the presence of diagnostic, prognostic, or therapeutically targetable variants is revolutionizing the practice of oncology and is increasingly utilized in clinical laboratory settings. Beginning with the isolation of DNA of sufficient quality and quantity from a tumor specimen, the creation of a library of genomic fragments representing the portion of the genome of interest, ranging from a few genes to the entire exome, is the first step required in the sequencing process. Fixed tumor tissue in the form of a tissue block is the most commonly encountered specimen for analysis in a clinical setting. Special precautions must be employed to ensure that material isolated from these specimens is suitable for use. Once DNA is obtained, one of the most commonly used methods for library preparation involves fluid phase hybridization-based capture of the genomic regions to be interrogated. This multistep process involves fragmentation of the DNA to a uniform size distribution, ligating adapter molecules which are labeled with specific barcodes to enable downstream sequencing and sample identification, and the use of a multiplexed pool of biotinylated single stranded RNA or DNA hybridization probes to recognize and capture the targeted genomic regions. Fragments which are not specifically captured during the hybridization process are removed via a series of wash steps, and a final low cycle amplification is used to prepare the library of captured fragments for sequencing. In this chapter, we provide a step-by-step guide to the preparation of fixed tissue-derived DNA libraries for sequencing via the Illumina process and highlight some of the precautions necessary when working with these types of specimens.
In the service of social equity: Leveraging the experiences of African American women professors

ABSTRACTThis study reviews social equity within the public administration academy using critical race theory and intersectionality as frameworks. The researcher analyzes secondary data on doctorate...
Teacher-Implemented Trial-Based Functional Analyses with Students with Emotional/Behavioral Disorders

The utility of trial-based functional analysis (TBFA) in classrooms has been demonstrated. Few investigations have explored TBFA with individuals with emotional behavior disturbances, included modifications to conditions, evaluated results of interventions derived from TBFA, or compared the results of TBFA with a brief functional analysis (BFA). We attempted to address these limitations by (a) comparing results from TBFA and BFA; (b) incorporating modified functional analysis conditions to assess idiosyncratic contingencies; and (c) evaluating the outcomes of function-based interventions derived from functional analysis results. A multi-element design was used to compare interventions derived. Results show that TBFA can be applied to those identified with EBD, conditions can be modified successfully, teachers can be trained to implement procedures across assessments with efficiency, and that few trials were abandoned. Social validity was assessed pre-and post-intervention and results indicated increased acceptability and willingness to carry out the TBFA procedures.
Improving adherence to pulmonary hypertension screening in patients with systemic sclerosis: Overcoming the provider-level barriers:

Background:Pulmonary arterial hypertension is a life-limiting complication in patients with systemic sclerosis. Current recommendations suggest a minimum screening of an annual transthoracic echoca...
Gabapentin in pregnancy and the risk of adverse neonatal and maternal outcomes: A population-based cohort study nested in the US Medicaid Analytic eXtract dataset.

Background Despite the widespread use, only sparse information is available on the safety of gabapentin during pregnancy. We sought to evaluate the association between gabapentin exposure during pregnancy and risk of adverse neonatal and maternal outcomes. Methods and findings Using the United States Medicaid Analytic eXtract (MAX) dataset, we conducted a population-based study of 1,753,865 Medicaid-eligible pregnancies between January 2000 and December 2013. We examined the risk of major congenital malformations and cardiac defects associated with gabapentin exposure during the first trimester (T1), and the risk of preeclampsia (PE), preterm birth (PTB), small for gestational age (SGA), and neonatal intensive care unit admission (NICUa) associated with gabapentin exposure early, late, or both early and late in pregnancy. Gabapentin-unexposed pregnancies served as the reference. We estimated relative risks (RRs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) using fine stratification on the propensity score (PS) to control for over 70 confounders (e.g., maternal age, race/ethnicity, indications for gabapentin, other pain conditions, hypertension, diabetes, use of opioids, and specific morphine equivalents). We identified 4,642 pregnancies exposed in T1 (mean age = 28 years; 69% white), 3,745 exposed in early pregnancy only (28 years; 67% white), 556 exposed in late pregnancy only (27 years; 60% white), and 1,275 exposed in both early and late pregnancy (29 years; 75% white). The reference group consisted of 1,744,447 unexposed pregnancies (24 years; 40% white). The adjusted RR for major malformations was 1.07 (95% CI 0.94–1.21, p = 0.33) and for cardiac defects 1.12 (0.89–1.40, p = 0.35). Requiring ≥2 gabapentin dispensings moved the RR to 1.40 (1.03–1.90, p = 0.03) for cardiac defects. There was a higher risk of preterm birth among women exposed to gabapentin either late (RR, 1.28 [1.08–1.52], p < 0.01) or both early and late in pregnancy (RR, 1.22 [1.09–1.36], p < 0.001), SGA among women exposed to gabapentin early (1.17 [1.02–1.33], p = 0.02), late (1.39 [1.01–1.91], p = 0.05), or both early and late in pregnancy (RR, 1.32 [1.08–1.60], p < 0.01), and NICU admission among women exposed to gabapentin both early and late in pregnancy (RR, 1.35 [1.20–1.52], p < 0.001). There was no higher risk of preeclampsia among women exposed to gabapentin after adjustment. Study limitations include the potential for residual confounding and exposure misclassification. Conclusions In this large population-based study, we did not find evidence for an association between gabapentin exposure during early pregnancy and major malformations overall, although there was some evidence of a higher risk of cardiac malformations. Maternal use of gabapentin, particularly late in pregnancy, was associated with a higher risk of PTB, SGA, and NICUa.
Toward a Kernel-Based Uncertainty Decomposition Framework for Data and Models.

This letter introduces a new framework for quantifying predictive uncertainty for both data and models that rely on projecting the data into a gaussian reproducing kernel Hilbert space (RKHS) and t...
Thrombopoietin Receptor Agonists (TPO-RAs): Drug Class Considerations for Pharmacists

The thrombopoietin receptor agonists (TPO-RAs) romiplostim, eltrombopag, avatrombopag, and lusutrombopag carry unique US Food and Drug Administration (US FDA)- and European Medicines Agency (EMA)-approved indications and may be used to increase platelet counts in a variety of conditions. Current indications for available TPO-RAs include treatment of chronic immune thrombocytopenia (ITP) in cases of insufficient response to prior treatment (avatrombopag, eltrombopag, romiplostim), management of thrombocytopenia in adult patients with chronic liver disease who are scheduled to undergo a procedure (avatrombopag, lusutrombopag), management of severe aplastic anemia (eltrombopag), and management of thrombocytopenia associated with interferon-based therapy for hepatitis C (eltrombopag). Across current indications, pharmacists can assist in stabilizing platelet counts and help to reduce large undulations commonly seen when starting, stopping, or transitioning between these agents. If therapy modifications may benefit the patient, pharmacists should discuss possible changes with the patient's treatment team or treating physician. When used for ITP, romiplostim, eltrombopag, and avatrombopag stimulate TPO receptors on hematopoietic stem cells (also known as c-Mpl, or CD110) to promote platelet production; however, romiplostim is the only TPO-RA that binds at the same site as endogenous TPO. These subtle mechanistic differences may explain why switching TPO-RA may be clinically advantageous in some situations. As pharmacists are called to counsel patients on TPO-RA use, a deep understanding of potential adverse events and management strategies, as well as appropriate monitoring, will increase the likelihood that patients meet their goals of therapy in the shortest timeframe. Other uses of TPO-RAs are also discussed in this review, including use following hematopoietic stem cell transplant, use in myelodysplastic syndrome, and use in chemotherapy-induced thrombocytopenia.
DETECTING CRACKS AND SPALLING AUTOMATICALLY IN EXTREME EVENTS BY END-TO-END DEEP LEARNING FRAMEWORKS

Abstract. In this paper, we develop and implement end-to-end deep learning approaches to automatically detect two important types of structural failures, cracks and spalling, of buildings and bridges in extreme events such as major earthquakes. A total of 2,229 images were annotated, and are used to train and validate three newly developed Mask Regional Convolutional Neural Networks (Mask R-CNNs). In addition, three sets of public images for different disasters were used to test the accuracy of these models. For detecting and marking these two types of structural failures, one of proposed methods can achieve an accuracy of 67.6% and 81.1%, respectively, on low- and high-resolution images collected from field investigations. The results demonstrate that it is feasible to use the proposed end-to-end method for automatically locating and segmenting the damage using 2D images which can help human experts in cases of disasters.
Meeting Patient Expectations or Achieving a Minimum Clinically Important Difference: Predictors of Satisfaction Among Lumbar Fusion Patients

Study Design Retrospective cohort. Purpose To investigate the impact of meeting a patient's preoperative expectations for back or leg pain or the achievement of minimum clinically important difference (MCID) on patient satisfaction following lumbar fusion. Overview of Literature Few studies have compared if MCID achievement or meeting preoperative expectations for pain reduction affects patient satisfaction. Methods A surgical database was reviewed for eligible patients who underwent lumbar fusion. Patient satisfaction and Visual Analog Scale (VAS) for back and leg pain were the outcomes of interest. Meeting expectations was calculated as a difference of ≤0 between preoperative expectations and postoperative VAS scores. MCID achievement was calculated by comparing changes in VAS scores with established values. Meeting preoperative expectations or MCID achievement as predictors of patient satisfaction was evaluated using regression analysis. Results A total of 134 patients were included in this study. Patients demonstrated significant improvements in VAS back and VAS leg (p<0.001). At 1 year, 56.4% of patients had their VAS back expectations met compared with 59.5% for VAS leg. Similarly, at 1 year, 77.3% and 71.3% of patients achieved MCID for VAS back and leg, respectively. Meeting expectations for VAS back was significantly associated with patient satisfaction at all postoperative timepoints; however, MCID achievement only demonstrated a significant association with patient satisfaction at 6 and 12 weeks (all, p≤0.024). Meeting VAS leg expectations and MCID achievement both demonstrated a significant association with patient satisfaction at all postoperative timepoints (all, p≤0.02). No differences between MCID achievement and meeting expectations as predictors of satisfaction were noted. Conclusions The majority of patients achieved MCID and had their back and leg pain expectations met by 1 year. Both measures were significant predictors of patient satisfaction and suggest that MCID achievement may act as a suitable substitute for patient satisfaction.
Studying Construction Claims Due to COVID-19 for Road and Highway Projects

AbstractThe COVID-19 pandemic has had a profound impact on the construction industry, the full extent and scope of which are still being felt and evaluated. These impacts came in many forms; chief ...
The expression of Mlsc determinants on Mlsa, Mlsb, and Mlsx prototypic strains.

In the mouse sytem, specific determinants other than major histocompatibility complex (MHC) gene products are capable of inducing strong primary proliferative responses in naive T cells. These determinants are encoded by at least two gene loci designated as minor lymphocyte stimulatory (Mls) loci. In order to elucidate the biological role of the Mls system, an effort has been initiated to clarify the fundamental immunogenetic characteristics of the Mls system. In this report, we describe the unexpected finding that Mls c determinants are expressed on splenocytes of strains including those which have been used as prototypic examples of three other Mls types: Mls a (DBA/2, DBA/1), Mls b , (BALB/c), and Mls x (PL/J). The expression of Mls c by these strains was demonstrated both by the response patterns of unprimed T cells from MHC-identical inbred or F1 hybrid strains and by the responses of a panel of Mls-specific T-cell clones. The experimental results reported here also suggest that the expression of Mls determinants may be influenced by multiple other genes, including MHC-linked genes.
Writing, Gender and State in Early Modern England: Identity Formation and the Female Subject

Acknowledgments Introduction 1. Resistance, Reformation, and the remaining narratives 2. Framing recusant identity in counter-Reformation England 3. Legislating morality in the marriage market 4. Gender formation in English apocalyptic writing 5. Connections, qualifications, and agendas Notes Bibliography Index.
Scan based two-pattern tests: should they target opens instead of TDFs?

We make the case that TDF timing tests, even when aggressively applied at-speed, uniquely detect mostly open defects within standard cells. The majority of these defects can also be detected at somewhat slower test speeds without the risk of unnecessary yield loss from test noise. Meanwhile, many other opens that can cause operational failures remain undetected by current LOC, and even LOS, TDF tests. These can significantly degrade product quality. We therefore argue that it may be better to explicitly target all open faults in the circuit, with the tests being applied at the highest possible speed consistent with limiting yield loss and supporting high test compression efficiency. TDFs will implicitly be covered by such an approach, which can potentially reduce test costs and improve test quality.
Stochastic intensity models of wrong way risk : wrong way CVA need not exceed independent CVA

Wrong way risk can be incorporated in Credit Value Adjustment (CVA) calculations in a reduced form model. Hull and White (2012) introduced a CVA model that captures wrong way risk by expressing the stochastic intensity of a counterparty's default time in terms of the financial institution's credit exposure to the counterparty. We consider a class of reduced form CVA models that includes the formulation of Hull and White and show that wrong way CVA need not exceed independent CVA. This result is based on some general properties of the model calibration scheme and a formula that we derive for intensity models of dependent CVA (wrong or right way). We support our result with a stylized analytical example as well as more realistic numerical examples based on the Hull and White model. We conclude with a discussion of the implications of our findings for Basel III CVA capital charges, which are predicated on the assumption that wrong way risk increases CVA.
Improving the performance of communication-intensive parallel applications executing on clusters

Summary form only given. Clusters have emerged as a primary and cost-effective infrastructure for parallel applications, including communication-intensive applications that transfer a large amount of data among nodes of a cluster via the interconnection network. Conventional load balancers have been proven effective in increasing the utilization of CPU, memory, and disk I/O resources in a cluster. However, most of the existing load balancing schemes ignore network resources, leaving open the opportunity for significant performance bottleneck to form for communication-intensive parallel applications due to unevenly distributed communication load. To remedy this problem, we propose a communication-aware load balancing technique that is capable of improving the performance of communication-intensive applications by increasing the effective utilization of network resources in clusters. To facilitate the proposed load-balancing scheme, we introduce a behavior model for parallel applications with large requirements of CPU, memory, network, and disk 170 resources. The proposed load-balancing scheme can make full use of this model to quickly and accurately determine the load induced by a variety of parallel applications. Simulation results on executing a diverse set of both synthetic bulk synchronous and real parallel applications on a cluster show that the proposed scheme can significantly improve the performance both in slowdown and turn-around time over three existing schemes by up to 206% (with an average of 74%) and 235% (with an average of 82%), respectively.
Case-Based Reasoning in Color Matching

A case-based reasoning system for determining what colorants to use for producing a specific color of plastic was created. The selection of colorants needs to take many factors into consideration. A technique that involved fuzzy logic was used to compare the quality of the color match for each factor. The system has been in use for two years at a growing number of GE Plastics sites and has shown significant cost savings.