cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
TPS Challenges for Neptune Aerocapture

`A study to develop a conceptual design for an aerocapture mission at Neptune was conducted by a NASA systems analysis team comprised of technical experts from several NASA centers. Multidisciplinary analyses demonstrated that aerocapture could be accomplished at Neptune with a rigid aeroshell with a flattened ellipsled geometry flying at a nominal angle-of-attack of 40 degrees entering the Neptune atmosphere at an inertial entry velocity of ≈ 29 km/s. Aerothermal analyses demonstrated that both the peak convective and radiative heating rates in the stagnation region are very severe. Furthermore, due to the duration of the aerocapture trajectory, the total integrated heat loads are extremely large. TPS sizing analyses were conducted for a limited range of candidate TPS materials since such high peak heat fluxes limit candidate materials to dense, carbonaceous ablators. On the windward side, in regions away from the stagnation region, lower density ablators may suffice. Low-density ablators also are viable candidates on the lee side. However, there are significant uncertainties associated with the turbulent and radiative heating rates. TPS mass requirements for this mission are very large, and the ablator thickness requirements may be beyond current manufacturing capabilities.
Attribute-Based access to distributed data over p2p networks

Peer-to-Peer (P2P) networks are distributed data sharing systems with no dedicated and centralised infrastructure. While P2P systems have been used so far mainly for file sharing, their true potential lies as a vast, loosely connected worldwide infrastructure for sharing resources, data and information. This paper addresses a natural step in the evolution of P2P: data and information sharing where data is accessed based on its attributes or properties. We have identified diverse applications that can benefit directly from attribute-based access to distributed data over P2P systems. Based on the application requirements, we propose three new models for both data distribution and data accesses.
The ties that bind: Bi-national trade implications of the US and Canada using bi-national freight movement network via border crossings

This study combines US-Canada bi-national highway network data with a freight flow dataset using ports of entry (POE) via highway border crossings. Through several sub-procedures, the US and Canada highway systems are integrated into a single network dataset. In addition, border wait time dataset was monitored and analyzed to set the border delay baseline. This dataset enables us to explore the freight traffic pattern between the US and Canada. Weighted Eigenvector Score is computed using a Social Network Analysis tool. The results demonstrate that major regional bodies are the primary users of major POE between the US and Canada. This study not only offers an improved understanding of the economic implications of US–Canada border crossings, but also contributes to developing a simulation tool, a bi-national Transportation-combined National Interstate Economic Model. Such a tool is expected to extend and apply to other contexts, such as transportation and national and bi-national security, among other applications. Additionally, this study suggests several important considerations for US and Canadian officials charged with devising policy to protect against security threats while facilitating legitimate flows of goods, services and people across the border.
Information Society as a Global Policy Agenda: What Does It Tell Us About the Age of Globalization?

The issue of information society commands worldwide attention: diverse constituencies work at closing the gaps in access to and in use of digital technology. Why are such efforts directed specifically at the issue of the information society? In this article I argue that the redirection of world society's attention towards this issue is related to the correspondence between the dimensions of globalization and those of the field of information and communications technologies. Specifically, I highlight five such shared dimensions: economic transactions, political relations, globality, networks, and world norms. In this way, the theme of information society was quickly defined as a global social problem because it corresponds to the themes of the era of globalization. I also argue that while various realist theories of globalization focus solely on the dimensions of economic and political transactions, world society theory expands on these by highlighting the cultural and institutional dimensions of globaliza...
High O2 affinity hemoglobin-based oxygen carriers synthesized via polymerization of hemoglobin with ring-opened 2-chloroethyl-β-D-fructopyranoside and 1-o-octyl-β-D-glucopyranoside

Second generation hemoglobin-based O(2) carriers (HBOCs) are being developed with high O(2) affinity (low P(50)) in order to suppress vasoconstriction elicited by over-oxygenating tissues, a problem associated with low O(2) affinity first generation HBOCs. Our group has previously investigated the polymerization of hemoglobin (Hb) with dialdehydes as a strategy for engineering high O(2) affinity HBOCs. In this study, two novel reactive dialdehydes were synthesized by ring-opening 2-chloroethyl-beta-D-fructopyranoside (2-CEFP) and 1-o-octyl-beta-D-glucopyranoside (1-OGP) at the 1,2-diol position, respectively, to yield novel Hb polymerizing reagents. High-affinity polymerized HBOCs were synthesized by reacting R-state bovine hemoglobin (bHb) with ring-opened 2-CEFP and 1-OGP at cross-linker to bHb molar ratios ranging from 10:1 to 30:1. The resulting polymerized bovine HBOCs (bHBOCs) displayed P(50)s ranging from 7 to 18 mmHg, cooperativities ranging from 0.8 to 1.4, and methemoglobin (metHb) levels ranging from 3% to 10%. The cross-linking reaction also stabilized the third stepwise Adair coefficient for bHbs reacted with ring-opened 1-OGP at cross-linker to bHb molar ratios of 20:1 and 30:1 and for bHbs reacted with ring-opened 2-CEFP at molar ratios of 30:1. Additionally, the number-averaged molecular weight, M(n), of each polymerized bHBOC was larger compared to bHb. Molecular weight distributions leaning towards larger molecular weight bHBOCs were obtained by increasing the cross-linker to bHb molar ratio. Taken together, the results of this study have identified novel Hb polymerization reagents that are easy to synthesize, and that are capable of yielding bHBOCs with higher O(2) affinities and weight-averaged molecular weights compared to bHb.
Gt-Cbits: Addressing Change in the Workplace Through Computer-Based Training

Change characterizes complex-dynamic systems, including the practitioners' role and required knowledge. Almost all change in these systems requires training. Moreover, as change is expected to be ongoing, so too will training. GT-CBITS (Georgia Tech Case-Based Intelligent Tutoring System) is an architecture for an intelligent tutor designed to teach highly skilled practitioners in complex-dynamic systems. GT-CBITS uses a case-based teaching approach that allows the training curriculum to be easily extended. This paper discusses some of the capabilities of the tutor and presents an example implementation.
Personal Relationships as a Skilled Accomplishment

This article pursues some implications of viewing personal relationships as a skilled accomplishment. It suggests that the social skills through which people conduct their relationship can be an integrative focus for research, sketches an approach to social skills grounded in a functional analysis of personal relationships, and describes how this type of analysis can be coupled with a `doubly developmental' model of relationship change.
Detection of soil-abutment interaction by monitoring bridge response using vehicle excitation

This paper aims to explore fundamental characteristics of bridge vibration spectra to potentially evaluate soil-abutment interactions and changes in abutment earth pressures. To this aim, the bridge response to the excitation of an approaching vehicle on road is utilized to evaluate the transmissibility of the road-soil-abutment-bridge (r-s-a-b) path. By comparing the FFT spectrums of bridge acceleration responses before and upon a vehicle traversing over an abutment, we found that the response spectrum consists of specific frequency of vehicle excitation, even though the bridge response before vehicle traversed over the abutment has a much smaller magnitude. This suggests that the bridge response before the vehicle traversed over the abutment is sensitive enough to be used to characterize the dynamic features of r-s-a-b transmissibility. Hilbert–Huang Transform method is used to extract the non-stationary information of the moving vehicle excitation from the bridge responses to characterize the r-s-a-b transmissibility. It is found that specific signature associated with the specific frequency of vehicle excitation can be extracted from the Hilbert spectrum of empirical modal decomposition signals, and this signature could be readily quantified as a monitoring index which exhibits time-varying property.
Experiences in Developing Quantifiable NFRs for the Service-Oriented Software Platform

Employing a software platform is an approach to achieve a higher degree of software reuse since multiple software products can share the platform-provided services. However, the platform development usually involves stakeholders from different application domains. Their application situations vary widely and thus Non-Functional Requirements (NFRs) for the software platforms must address a wider range of needs than those for a single product. This paper describes our practical experiences in developing NFRs for a large software platform, the challenging issues we faced, and the techniques we used to address those issues. Our pragmatic techniques helped with NFR reconciliation and management, and improved the quality of the NFR definitions. The quality of the NFR specifications has permitted automation of the platform performance testing for the past two years.
Analysis of maximum received power by arbitrary lossless arrays

For lossless receive antennas, the power absorbed and delivered to a conjugate matched load can be obtained by computing a net power lost within a volume that includes the antenna. Maximum achievable received powers by different planar array configurations were analyzed. It was found that both a grounded dipole array, and an array of electric/magnetic dipole combinations, are capable of receiving all of the incident power.
Photolysis of ketones in oxygen-saturated micellar solution : oxygen scavenging of C-centered radicals in microheterogeneous media

Abstract The oxygen scavenging of C-centered radicals in microheterogenous media was studied by investigation of the photolysis of several ketones (dibenzyl ketone (DBK), o - and p -methyldibenzyl ketone ( o -MeDBK and p -MeDBK) and d,1-2,4-diphenylpentan-3-one (d,1-DPP)) in oxygen-saturated sodium dodecylsulfate (SDS) micellar solution. The acyl- and benzyl-type radicals initially formed during the photolysis of these ketones can undergo geminate micellar and random bulk aqueous recombination or can react with oxygen in the bulk or micellar phases to yield peroxy radicals. The efficiency of radical scavenging by oxygen was calculated on the basis of three experimental parameters, i.e. the recombination probability P r , of a primary acyl-benzyl radical pair (RP), the secondary cage effect for benzyl-benzyl RP recombination and the chemical yield of dibenzyls. Under a partial pressure of 1 atm, oxygen was found to scavenge only those radicals which enter the bulk aqueous phase if the lifetime of the geminate radicals inside the micelles is relatively short (about 20 ns). However, for micellized geminate radicals with a longer lifetime (about 70–80 ns), scavenging by oxygen inside the micelles successfully competes with geminate radical recombination. These results are compared with other investigations involving the dynamics and partitioning of oxygen in SDS micelles.
Ecological Approaches to Self-Management: The Case of Diabetes

In the Diabetes Initiative of The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, an ecological perspective helped identify the following key resources and supports for self-management (RSSM): individualized assessment, collaborative goal setting, skills enhancement, follow-up and support, access to resources, and continuity of quality clinical care. These RSSM reflect the grounding of diabetes self-management in the context of social and environmental influences. Research supports the value of each of these key resources and supports. Differences among self-management interventions may be seen as complementary, rather than conflicting, ways of providing RSSM. This way of understanding differences among interventions may aid development of varied programs to reach diverse audiences. In contrast to the "5 A's" model of key provider services (Assess, Advise, Agree, Assist, and Arrange), RSSM articulate self-management from the perspective of individuals' needs. Both approaches emphasize identification of goals, teaching of skills, and facilitation and reinforcement of the use of those skills.
Relationships between Barrier Jet Heights, Orographic Precipitation Gradients, and Streamflow in the Northern Sierra Nevada

Abstract The rate of precipitation increase with elevation, termed the orographic precipitation gradient (OPG), is critically important for hydrologic forecasting in mountain basins that receive both rain and snow. Here, the following are examined to see how well they are able to predict the OPG and how it changes between storms and years: 1) a linear model of orographic precipitation forced by upstream radiosonde data, 2) monthly Parameter-Elevation Regressions on Independent Slopes Model (PRISM) precipitation data, and 3) seven years of hourly wind profiler data used to identify characteristics of the Sierra barrier jet (SBJ). These are compared against 124 daily resolution (four of which also had quality controlled, hourly resolution) precipitation gauge records in the northern Sierra Nevada. All methods represent the OPG well in the mean and during a year when less than 30% of the precipitation occurred on days with SBJs. However, the linear model and PRISM do not adequately capture annual variations ...
Maternal influences on youth responses to peer stress.

Understanding how youth develop particular styles of responding to stress is critical for promoting effective coping. This research examined the prospective, interactive contribution of maternal socialization of coping and peer stress to youth responses to peer stress. A sample of 144 early adolescents (M age = 12.44, SD = 1.22) and their maternal caregivers completed questionnaires and semi-structured interviews in two waves over a one-year period. Results revealed that mothers’ disengagement coping suggestions predicted maladaptive responses to stress, particularly for youth who received low levels of engagement suggestions, and engagement coping suggestions protected youth against maladaptive responses to stress. Importantly, these effects emerged only in the context of heightened peer stress. This research suggests that maternal socialization of coping has the potential to support or undermine youths’ development of an effective repertoire of responses to stress.
Field and Laboratory Investigations

The coastal zone—where the land, sea, and air meet—is one of the most complex areas for conducting civil engineering analysis and design. Owing to the nature of the coastal zone, most coastal engineering analysis and design procedures have a partial or complete empirical basis. This empirical basis must be developed and continually improved through extensive field, and in some cases, laboratory investigations.
Treatment of Respiratory System Disorders

The respiratory system consists of the nose, paranasal sinuses (ethmoid, sphenoid, frontal and maxillary), larynx, tracheo-bronchial tree (trachea, bronchi and their smaller divisions), and lungs. The tracheo-bronchial tree conducts the inspired air from the nose and mouth to the lungs. Although the function of the paranasal sinuses is not clear, they may serve to provide moisture to the inspired air. The larynx contains the vocal cords and together with the rest of the respiratory system is concerned with the production of sounds and words. The act of breathing brings air into intimate contact with the blood circulating through the lungs so that gaseous exchange between them may take place.
Intra-operative measurements: The role of peripheral resistance

Many questions have been raised which factors play a role in early occlusion of infra-inguinal bypasses. To answer the question, whether the peripheral resistance plays a role in this matter, we have investigated 54 consecutive patients, who received a femoropopliteal or femorodistal bypass at our institution during the first half year of 1994. The bypass material was saphenous vein in most cases, or ePTFE: (Gore Tex®) or composed of these two materials (composite bypass).
Gatekeeper Liability and Article 19(1)(A) of the Constitution of India

This paper argues that access to information and free flow of information need to be seen as significant parts of our freedom of expression jurisprudence. In particular, it highlights the role played by information gatekeepers in the free circulation of information. Starting from Ranjit Udeshi v. State of Maharashtra in which the strict liability of gatekeepers was used to restrict the circulation of obscene material, up to the current system for government-ordered blocking of content by internet intermediaries in India, information gatekeepers are used to control information.Our freedom of expression norms need to take this into account in addition to their focus on the rights of primary speakers, since information gatekeepers gatekeepers can be used to censor speech in an opaque fashion that leaves little room for accountability.
Study of Impingement Types and Printing Quality during Laser Printing of Viscoelastic Alginate Solutions

Laser-induced forward transfer-based laser printing has been being implemented as a promising orifice-free direct-write strategy for different printing applications. The printing quality during laser printing is largely affected by the jet and droplet formation process and subsequential impingement. The objective of this study is to investigate the impingement-based printing type and resulting printing quality during the laser printing of viscoelastic alginate solutions, which are representative inks for soft structure printing such as bioprinting. Three printing types are identified: droplet-impingement printing, jet-impingement printing with multiple breakups, and jet-impingement printing with a single breakup. Printing quality, in terms of printed droplet morphology and size, has been investigated as a function of alginate concentration, laser fluence, and direct-writing height based on a time-resolved imaging approach and microarrays of printed droplets. Of these, the best printing quality is achieved...
The Vertical Horopter is Not Adaptable and is Not Adaptive for Viewing Along the Ground

Helmholtz speculated that the pitch of the vertical horopter is an adaptation for perceiving 3D structure along the ground. We examined this claim by asking whether the horopter is adaptable (ie, whether it is different for people of different heights and whether it can be changed in response to distorting lenses) and whether it's adaptive (ie, whether it really is suited for perceiving along the ground). We find that it is not adaptable in that the pitch of the vertical horopter is not correlated with height and in that it does not change in response to one week of altered visual experience. We also find that it is not adaptive for viewing along the ground because the vertical horopter is a convex curve rather than a line. We speculate that it is adaptive for other aspects of natural viewing.
Resistance to Hessian Fly (Diptera: Cecidomyiidae) in Wheat as Affected by Temperature and Larval Density

A factorial experiment involving infested and noninfested wheat cullivars ‘Abe’ (H3H3, H5H5), ‘Monon’ (H3H3), and ‘Knox 62’ (H6H6); Hessian fly, Mayetiola destructor (Say), biotypes B, C, and D at larval densities of 5, 10, 20, and 30 per plant; and temperature levels of 18 and 25°C was conducted in environmental chambers. Results showed that neither larval density nor its interaction with any of the other variables had any significant effect on plant resistance based on seedling wheat growth and larval survival. A high temperature of 25°C had a significant effect on resistance of wheats having combined H3H3 and H5H5 gene pairs when infested by biotypes B and D. Biotype C was not effective against wheats having the H3H3 or H5H5 gene pairs for resistance at either temperature.
The Effects of Kangaroo Care on a Newborn Development and Vital Physiology

This literature review examines the role of Kangaroo Care (KC) in an infant’s early development and their vital physiology. By surveying past studies performed analyzing the specific effects of KC, the most relevant health effects of kangaroo care were chosen to analyze. These effects are on neurological, autonomic, somatic, behavioural, and motor development. Infant vital signs illustrate changes upon initiation of KC. These include changes in sleep cycles, heart rate, feeding efficiency, respiratory rate, crying and bonding between caretaker and infant. Chosen studies also addressed the effect of KC on preterm and low birth weight (LBW) infants and found KC to reduce duration of hospital stays and mortality. Through examination of past studies the effects of KC were varied from infant to infant due to different medical histories and health factors. The overall conclusion from the previous studies showed that KC had positive effects on the development of a child during the first two years of life. KC is shown to favourably impact an infant and show minimal to no disadvantage to an infant’s health.
The Educative Effects of Extreme Television Media

Using lab experiments with both student and non-student samples, Taylor finds that extreme media increase political knowledge and that they increase negative affect among viewers compared to control groups. Taylor also shows that extreme media are at least as informative as traditional news. This research adds to the growing literature on media effects in a polarized media environment, showing that extreme television media can have a beneficial impact on at least one important area of American politics: citizen competence. To account for external validity and popular conceptions on extreme media’s non-informative nature, Taylor uses cross-sectional data from the 2008 National Annenberg Election Survey finding that extreme television viewership correlates with greater political knowledge, while controlling for other known predictors.
Modified intrusion detection model with physical layer response

The delay problem of intrusion detection response was studied.Usually,there is a delay between detection of a possible intrusion and response to that intrusion.This delay in detection and response,ranging from minutes to months,provides a window of opportunity for attackers to exploit.According to Cohen's research,it often induces to serious result.As one solution to this problem,a modified IDS model was proposed that includes physical layer response mechanism,so as to respond rapidly and effectively.Further-more,the details of the physical layer design was given.
High Capacity MO Recording Channels

Advances in optical recording technology enabled DVD to achieve a disk capacity of 4.7 GB per side, a major improvement over CD media. We summarize tile key techniques used in DVD to achieve this remarkable accomplishment, and examine the implication of these techniques for MO recording channel and disk format.
Evaluation of Pre-radiotherapy Cyclophosphamide in Patients with Newly Diagnosed Glioblastoma Multiforme

Cyclophosphamide is an alkylating agent that has shown activity in the treatment of pediatric brain tumors, including high-grade gliomas. This study was designed to evaluate the response of patients with newly diagnosed glioblastoma multiforme to pre-radiotherapy cyclophosphamide. Fourteen patients with glioblastoma multiforme were treated with high-dose cyclophosphamide (2 g/m2/day for 2 doses every 28 days) followed by either sargramostim or filgrastin. Sargramostim was given 250 microg/m2 subcutaneously twice a day continuing through the leukocyte nadir until the absolute neutrophil count was more than 1000 cells/microl for 2 consecutive days. The filgrastin dose was 10 microg/kg given subcutaneously once daily until the post nadir absolute neutrophil count was > or = 10,000 cells/microl. A total of 46 courses was given. Four patients received a total of 3 courses, 7 patients completed 4 courses and 3 patients received 2 courses. Three patients demonstrated complete response; 3 stable disease; and 8 progressive disease. The most common toxicity was hematologic, requiring platelet and packed red blood cell transfusions, with 13 admissions for neutropenia with fever. There were no deaths related to infection or bleeding. These results suggest that high-dose cyclophosphamide has modest activity with acceptable toxicity against newly diagnosed glioblastoma multiforme.
Die neuronale Membran im Ruhezustand

Kapitel 3 widmet sich der Physiologie der Nervenzellmembran. Hier werden die notwendigen chemischen, physikalischen und molekularen Eigenschaften erklart, die das Neuron zur Generierung und Weiterleitung elektrischer Signale befahigen. In diesem Kapitel beschaftigen wir uns bei der Untersuchung der neuronalen Signalubertragung zuerst mit der Frage, wie es zum Ruhepotenzial an der Membran kommt. Es ist sehr wichtig, das Ruhepotenzial verstanden zu haben, da es die Grundlage fur die ubrige Neurophysiologie bildet. Die Kenntnis dieser basalen physiologischen Mechanismen ist von zentraler Bedeutung, um die Fahigkeiten und Grenzen der Gehirnfunktion zu erfassen.
Margin and freedom: The space of world literature seen from the Basque Country and Catalonia:

This article proposes to look at how the current theories of world literature could be transformed if we looked at the space of world literature from the perspective of marginalized European litera...
Performance of a rigid rod statistical mechanical treatment to predict monolayer ordering: a study of chain interactions and comparison with molecular dynamics simulation

A statistical mechanical model that treats hydrocarbon self-assembled monolayer (SAM) chains as rigid rods is examined to interrogate the mechanisms involved in monolayer ordering. The statistical mechanical predictions are compared to fully atomistic molecular dynamics simulations of SAMs with different packing densities. The monolayer chain order is examined as a function of surface coverage, chain-surface interactions, and chain–chain interactions. Reasonable interaction potentials are deduced from ab initio electronic structure calculations of small model systems. It is found that the chain-surface interaction is the most important parameter in formation of flat-lying monolayer phases, while formation of standing phase monolayers is driven most importantly by increased density of molecules at the surface. A brief discussion of the utility and validity of the rigid rod treatment is given in light of the molecular dynamics results.
Estimating Cluster Population

Partitioning a given set of points into clusters is a well-known problem in pattern recognition, data mining, and knowledge discovery. One of the widely used methods for identifying clusters in Euclidean space is the K-mean algorithm. In using K-mean clustering algorithm it is necessary to know the value of k (the number of clusters) in advance. We present an efficient algorithm for a good estimation of k for points distributed in two dimensions. The techniques we propose is based on bucketing method in which points are examined on the buckets formed by carefully constructed orthogonal grid embedded on input points. We also present experimental results on the performances of bucketing method and K-mean algorithm.
Cytokines: Diagnostic and Clinical Applications

Many cytokines can be measured in the circulation via antibody-based detection protocols such as enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays and multianalyte bead systems. These measurement systems are robust and adaptable to many different analytes, and thus the large-scale measurement of cytokines in the circulation in human populations and disease states is possible. The measurement of cytokines in the circulation may provide a unique window into the immune response and the biology of human immune-related diseases. Cytokines represent messages sent between cells of the immune system, and thus confer a great deal information about ongoing immune processes. It is attractive to think that by intercepting these messages, we may be able to gain valuable insights regarding human disease diagnosis, prognosis, and potential therapeutic avenues. In this chapter, we review some of the ways in which cytokines are applied to clinical medicine. While cytokines can also be detected in tissue, this requires a biopsy, and for the purpose of this chapter we focus our discussion on circulating cytokines.
Integration of Multi-Omics Data Reveal Dynamic Oxidative Stress Responses to Manganese in Human SH-SY5Y Neuroblastoma Cells

Manganese (Mn) occurs naturally in the environment at low doses and is essential for normal cellular processes. Excessive occupational Mn exposure also causes oxidative stress and neurotoxicity with symptoms similar to Parkinsonism, creating an unusual requirement that Mn intake must be optimized to maintain homeostasis. We therefore employed a dose response design with human neuroblastoma SH-SY5Y cells to gain a mechanistic understanding of mitochondrial-cellular signaling networks generated in response to Mn varied over a physiologic to minimally toxicological range. We treated cells with different MnCl2 doses for 5h and found that cellular Mn accumulation was similar to literature values for human brain at ≤10 μM and increased to toxicological concentrations at ≥ 50 μM. Mn had dynamic effects on mitochondrial activity. Mn increased mitochondrial hydrogen peroxide (H2O2), antioxidant superoxide dismutase activity and oxidation of protein thiols in a dose dependent manner. In addition, we employed multi-omics approach (RMT- redox proteomics, metabolomics and transcriptomics) to identify central pathways of cell-mitochondrial oxidative signaling altered by Mn. Data analysis from multiple platforms including high resolution mass spectrometry-based metabolomics, transcriptomics by RNA-sequencing, and redox proteomics by redox isotope coded affinity tag-based mass spectrometry was performed. RMT results show that Mn significantly altered 100 protein peptides, 262 metabolites and 567 transcripts. Central RMT hubs altered by Mn include mitochondrial dysfunction, oxidative stress responses, energy metabolism, protein folding, cytoskeleton remodeling, tyrosine and butanoate metabolism. Together, we show that mitochondrial oxidative signaling and cellular neurotransmitter metabolism respond dynamically to different Mn levels. Such changes in the mitochondria could be critical determinants to complex cellular signaling that either protect or exacerbate the emergence of neurological disorders.
Community Radio as a Vehicle for Social Change in Conflict-Affected Settings

This chapter provides an overview of the background, design, and applications of community radio as an engaged and participatory method for bringing about social change. We discuss a community radio education-entertainment (edutainment) campaign in the Great Lakes Region of Africa (i.e., Burundi, Rwanda, and Democratic Republic of Congo) that aims to bring about social change by preventing cycles of violence, reducing prejudice, and promoting intergroup reconciliation. We describe the challenging process of developing this mass media intervention in collaboration with local communities, including the involvement of diverse stakeholders and incorporation of audience feedback. We also discuss the mixed influence of the edutainment campaign on supporting social change in different sociopolitical settings.
Practice variation and practice guidelines: Attitudes of generalist and specialist physicians, nurse practitioners, and physician assistants

Objective To understand clinicians' beliefs about practice variation and how variation might be reduced. Methods We surveyed board-certified physicians (N = 178), nurse practitioners (N = 60), and physician assistants (N = 12) at an academic medical center and two community clinics, representing family medicine, general internal medicine, and cardiology, from February—April 2016. The Internet-based questionnaire ascertained clinicians' beliefs regarding practice variation, clinical practice guidelines, and costs. Results Respondents agreed that practice variation should be reduced (mean [SD] 4.5 [1.1]; 1 = strongly disagree, 6 = strongly agree), but agreed less strongly (4.1 [1.0]) that it can realistically be reduced. They moderately agreed that variation is justified by situational differences (3.9 [1.2]). They strongly agreed (5.2 [0.8]) that clinicians should help reduce healthcare costs, but agreed less strongly (4.4 [1.1]) that reducing practice variation would reduce costs. Nearly all respondents (234/249 [94%]) currently depend on practice guidelines. Clinicians rated differences in clinician style and experience as most influencing practice variation, and inaccessibility of guidelines as least influential. Time to apply standards, and patient decision aids, were rated most likely to help standardize practice. Nurse practitioners and physicians assistants (vs physicians) and less experienced (vs senior) clinicians rated more favorably several factors that might help to standardize practice. Differences by specialty and academic vs community practice were small. Conclusions Clinicians believe that practice variation should be reduced, but are less certain that this can be achieved. Accessibility of guidelines is not a significant barrier to practice standardization, whereas more time to apply standards is viewed as potentially helpful.
Managing Proprietary and Shared Platforms: A Life-Cycle View

In a platform-mediated network, users rely on a common platform, provided by one or more intermediaries, that encompasses infrastructure and rules required by users to transact with each other. A fundamental design decision for firms that aspire to develop platform-mediated networks is whether to preserve proprietary control or share their platform with rivals. A proprietary platform has a single provider that solely controls its technology, for example, Federal Express, Apple Macintosh, or Google. With a shared platform, such as Visa, DVD, or Linux, multiple firms collaborate in developing the platform's technology then compete in offering users different but compatible versions of the platform. This article examines factors that favor proprietary versus shared models when designing new platforms then explains how management challenges differ for proprietary and shared platform during subsequent life-cycle stages: network mobilization and platform maturity.
Why are neonatal mortality rates lower in small black infants than in white infants in similar birth weight

PERINATAL MORTALITY DATA from the United States indicate that low-birth-weight Afro-American neonates are more likely to survive the neonatal period than are white infants of similar birth weight. Data illustrating this phenomenon are shown in Table I. Analyses in the original publication of these data' indicate that differences in gestational age do not explain the higher survival rates of small black neonates; neonatal mortality rates for black infants are lower than those for white infants at each gestational age at all birth weights less than 3,000 gm. This study was undertaken to explore whether this observed difference is due to characteristics associated with the lower socioeconomic status of blacks in American society. We hypothesized (1) that the factors which lead to low birthweight in a population of low socioeconomic status might be different from those that lead to low birth weight in a population of higher socioeconomic status, (2) that these factors might be less noxious in terms of neonatal survival, and (3) that a higher incidence of infants whose low birth weight was associated with these less noxious factors might explain the higher survival rates of low-birth-weight black American neonates. To test this hypothesis we compared the survival of lowbirth-weight infants born at Magee Women's Hospital between 1971 and 1974. We utilized care by a private attending obstetrician as an indicator of socioeconomic status in comparing the neonatal survival of black and white live-born infants. As shown in Table II, in almost every low-birth-weight category black infants were more likely to survive than
Lona v. Citibank (2011) 202 CA4th 89, 134 CR3d 622

A recent California decision allows homeowners to successfully their foreclosure sale because the original loan was unconscionable.
Anti-diabetic drugs utilization pattern and its cost in managing Type 2 Diabetes patients in hospitals in Selangor, Malaysia

Abstract Introduction Increasing prevalence of Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus (T2DM) worldwide has been reported in numerous studies. This issue has a significant effect on population quality of life as well as the economic burden in managing the disease. Policy makers have promoted the adoption of a Health Information System (HIS) to facilitate the coordination of medical care. Major hospitals in Selangor, Malaysia are using the HIS as their Electronic Medical Records (EMR). This study is the first attempt to extract data in HIS with the aim to turn data from the HIS into clinical information and to provide evidence for hospital management. Objective The study aims to describe the antidiabetic drugs utilization pattern and its cost for T2DM in three hospitals equipped with a HIS. Methodology This study was conducted in 2014 by using secondary data analysis of T2DM patients receiving diabetic medications in three public hospitals in Selangor, Malaysia that are utilizing the same software for their electronic HIS. Patients’ data from January to December 2013 were included in the analysis and were analyzed by using STATA v12. Outpatient, pharmacy, and laboratory dataset were cleaned and merged for data analysis. Results The data shows prescription patterns for Hospital A are 28.5% monotherapy, 26.9% a combination of 2 oral drugs, and 22.3% a combination of insulin and oral drugs. The pattern is slightly similar to Hospital C where 29.6% of monotherapy, 24.4% of a combination of 2 oral drugs and 23.3% of a combination of insulin and oral drugs. Meanwhile for Hospital B, 30.1% of a combination of insulin and oral drugs, 29.4% of a combination of 2 oral drugs and 29% of monotherapy. The mean cost per patient in 2013 of antidiabetic agents (ADA) for Hospital A is RM 191.21 ± 269.64, Hospital B is RM 217.17 ± 385.49 and for Hospital C is RM 252.28 ± 384.35. Conclusion Monotherapy, metformin predominantly has been prescribed as a first line treatment for T2DM. The prescribing trend was followed by using a combination therapy of oral hypoglycemic agents (OHA) an then, insulin and OHA. Therefore, this study showed that drugs at low cost have been prescribed commonly in all hospitals studied.
Direct Oral Anticoagulants in the Prevention and Treatment of Venous Thromboembolism in Patients with Cancer: New Insights from Randomized Controlled Trials

Cancer accounts for 20% of all venous thromboembolism (VTE) worldwide and cancer patients are at four- to sevenfold increased risk of thrombosis compared to non-cancer patients. VTE is also a morbid complication of cancer and its incidence is rising. Thrombosis is also a second leading cause of death in cancer patients. The standard of care management for the prevention and treatment of cancer-associated thrombosis (CAT) remains the administration of low-molecular-weight heparins (LMWHs). In the last decade, five direct oral anticoagulants (DOACs), dabigatran, rivaroxaban, apixaban, edoxaban and betrixaban, have been approved for the treatment and prevention of VTE in the general patient population. In this review, we discuss the results of the already published clinical trials with DOACs in the treatment of CAT and the ongoing clinical trials with DOACs in the prevention and treatment of CAT.
The Cost of a Reductions Approach to Private Fair Optimization.

Through the lens of information-theoretic reductions, we examine a reductions approach to fair optimization and learning where a black-box optimizer is used to learn a fair model for classification or regression. Quantifying the complexity, both statistically and computationally, of making such models satisfy the rigorous definition of differential privacy is our end goal. We resolve a few open questions and show applicability to fair machine learning, hypothesis testing, and to optimizing non-standard measures of classification loss. Furthermore, our sample complexity bounds are tight amongst all strategies that jointly minimize a composition of functions. The reductions approach to fair optimization can be abstracted as the constrained group-objective optimization problem where we aim to optimize an objective that is a function of losses of individual groups, subject to some constraints. We give the first polynomial-time algorithms to solve the problem with $(\epsilon, 0)$ or $(\epsilon, \delta)$ differential privacy guarantees when defined on a convex decision set (for example, the $\ell_P$ unit ball) with convex constraints and losses. Accompanying information-theoretic lower bounds for the problem are presented. In addition, compared to a previous method for ensuring differential privacy subject to a relaxed form of the equalized odds fairness constraint, the $(\epsilon, \delta)$-differentially private algorithm we present provides asymptotically better sample complexity guarantees, resulting in an exponential improvement in certain parameter regimes. We introduce a class of bounded divergence linear optimizers, which could be of independent interest, and specialize to pure and approximate differential privacy.
Getting Published: Perspectives from Early-Career Scholars

The process of publishing research in academic journals can be mystifying. In this chapter, the authors offer insights from their experiences publishing as early-career scholars. In addition to discussing nuts and bolts (e.g., what a response letter to a “revise and resubmit” decision needs to accomplish, and various ways of structuring one), the authors attend to the emotional work of navigating the publishing process, emphasizing the value of ongoing learning and a supportive community.
Bisurea and Bisthiourea H-Bonding Organocatalysts for Ring-Opening Polymerization: Cues for the Catalyst Design

A series of conformationally flexible bis(thio)urea H-bond donors plus base cocatalyst were applied to the ring-opening polymerization (ROP) of lactones. The rate of the ROP displays a strong depen...
Development of Prodrugs for PDT-Based Combination Therapy Using a Singlet-Oxygen-Sensitive Linker and Quantitative Systems Pharmacology

Photodynamic therapy (PDT) has become an effective treatment for certain types of solid tumors. The combination of PDT with other therapies has been extensively investigated in recent years to improve its effectiveness and expand its applications. This focused review summarizes the development of a prodrug system in which anticancer drugs are activated locally at tumor sites during PDT treatment. The development of a singlet-oxygen-sensitive linker that can be conveniently conjugated to various drugs and efficiently cleaved to release intact drugs is recapitulated. The initial design of prodrugs, preliminary efficacy evaluation, pharmacokinetics study, and optimization using quantitative systems pharmacology is discussed. Current treatment optimization in animal models using physiologically based a pharmacokinetic (PBPK) modeling approach is also explored.
An Unusual Case Report of COVID-19 Presenting with Meningitis Symptoms and Shingles

Author(s): Packwood, Rebecca; Galletta, Gayle; Tennyson, Joseph | Abstract: Introduction: As severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) spreads across the globe, physicians face the challenges of a contagious pandemic including which patients to isolate, how to conserve personal protective equipment, and who to test. The current protocol at our hospital is to place anyone with new cough, dyspnea, or fever into airborne and contact precautions and consider them for testing. Unfortunately, the symptomatic presentations of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) are proving more variable than previously thought. Case Report: Our case of COVID-19 presented with headache and then progressed to a meningitis-like illness with co-existing shingles rash.Conclusion: COVID-19 can have a variety of initial presentations that are not the classic respiratory symptoms and fever. These presenting symptoms of COVID-19 can include a meningitis-like illness, as our case report indicates. The wide variety of presentations of COVID-19 may warrant widespread testing to identify cases, protect healthcare workers, and prevent the spread of this pandemic
Incorporating uncertainties in student response modeling by loss function regularization

Abstract Most existing research works involving deep learning focus on performance improvement by developing new architectures or regularizers. However, in this paper we study the modeling of uncertainty in recurrent networks for the application of student response modeling, more specifically, knowledge tracing. Knowledge tracing is an application of time series machine learning. It consists of inferring the mastery level of a skill for a student as they navigate a question bank, thus adjusting curriculum for efficient learning. Deep Knowledge Tracing (DKT) takes the deep learning approach for knowledge tracing and has achieved better results than models like Bayesian Knowledge Tracing (BKT) and Performance Factor Analysis (PFA). However, the opaqueness of these deep knowledge tracing models also brings some criticisms. Providing an uncertainty score for each prediction helps mitigate this opaqueness. To investigate uncertainty modeling in DKT, we first examine a popular way of modeling data dependent uncertainties using Monte Carlo and show how it is insufficient to model variance in data. Second, we show how to incorporate sensible uncertainties by explicitly regularizing the cross entropy loss function. Third, we evaluate our method both in three different real datasets and in a more controlled way using synthetic data. Using synthetic data allows us to quantitatively understand the generated uncertainties. The results show that our method provides comparable results with standard deep knowledge tracing models as well as meaningful prediction uncertainties.