cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Level of Immersion in Virtual Environments Impacts the Ability to Assess and Teach Social Skills in Autism Spectrum Disorder.

Abstract Virtual environments (VEs) may be useful for delivering social skills interventions to individuals with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Immersive VEs provide opportunities for individuals with ASD to learn and practice skills in a controlled replicable setting. However, not all VEs are delivered using the same technology, and the level of immersion differs across settings. We group studies into low-, moderate-, and high-immersion categories by examining five aspects of immersion. In doing so, we draw conclusions regarding the influence of this technical manipulation on the efficacy of VEs as a tool for assessing and teaching social skills. We also highlight ways in which future studies can advance our understanding of how manipulating aspects of immersion may impact intervention success.
Impact of the Type I Interferon Receptor on the Global Gene Expression Program During the Course of Dendritic Cell Maturation Induced by Polyinosinic Polycytidylic Acid.

Dendritic cell (DC) maturation involves widespread changes in cellular function and gene expression. The regulatory role of IFNAR in the program of DC maturation remains incompletely defined. Thus, the time evolution impact of IFNAR on this process was evaluated. Changes in DC phenotype, function, and gene expression induced by poly I:C were measured in wild-type and IFNAR−/− DC at 9 time points over 24 h. Temporal gene expression profiles were filtered on consistency and response magnitude across replicates. The number of genes whose expression was altered by poly I:C treatment was greatly reduced in IFNAR−/− DC, including the majority of the downregulated gene expression program previously observed in wild-type (WT) DC. Furthermore, the number of genes upregulated was almost equal between WT and IFNAR−/− DC, yet the identities of those genes were distinct. Integrating these data with protein–protein interaction data revealed several novel subnetworks active during maturation, including nucleotide synthe...
Concordance of oral HPV prevalence between patients with oropharyngeal cancer and their partners

Human papilloma virus (HPV) is a known causative factor in oropharyngeal squamous cell cancer (OPC). In this prospective study, we sought to define the risk of HPV transmission between OPC patients and their sexual partners by performing HPV genotyping on oral cytology brushings. Newly diagnosed OPC patients and their sexual partners underwent oral mouth swabs and answered a risk factor questionnaire. Patient tumor samples and oral swabs from both the patient and partner were assessed for HPV status and genotyped using Easy-Chip HPV Blot PCR. We enrolled 227 patient-partner pairs and obtained sufficient analyzable DNA from both members in 198 pairs. Of 144 patients with available OPC tumor tissue, 128 (89 %) had HPV-positive tumors by either in situ hybridization or p16 immunohistochemical analysis (104 or 121, respectively). In total, there were 28 patients and 30 partners who were HPV positive by oral swab. The prevalence rate of oral HPV in partners was 15 %. There were 39 patient-partner pairs who had one or both members returning positive for HPV in the oral swab, and 49 % of these pairs were concordant for their HPV-genotype. Female partners had a higher oral HPV prevalence (16 %) than did male partners (11 %). Patients who were non-white were also found to have a higher oral prevalence of HPV (p = 0.032) by mouth swab. Partners of OPC patients may have a higher prevalence of oral HPV and should be studied prospectively to understand their OPC risk. Additional future research is needed to identify oral HPV persistence in partners to OPC patients and to determine the optimal sampling methods and technologies to screen patients at high risk for HPV-related disease.
Proximal medial longitudinal arch incision for plantar fascia release.

A curved, oblique plantar incision in the proximal aspect in the medial longitudinal arch was used to release the plantar fascia in eight feet with recalcitrant plantar fasciitis. Seven feet became...
Concessions, repression, and political protest in the Iranian revolution

L'A. cherche a comprendre en quoi les differentes politiques tantot de compromis et tantot de repression du Shah, entre 1977 et 1978 ont provoque l'escalade revolutionnaire en Iran. Il montre que la repression a eu un effet negatif a court-terme vis-a-vis de la protestation. Du fait de la repression, celle-ci apparait comme presentant un cout. En revanche sur le long terme, la repression quand elle est jugee illegitime contribue a discrediter le pouvoir en place. L'A. affirme que cette situation ambivalente resulte d'une combinaison d'effets dissuasifs et d'effets stimulant la mobilisation
The Asymptotic Behavior of Nonlinear Time Series Model under the Random Environment

The article proposes the power transformed threshold autoregressive conditional heteroskedastic model under the random environment which is the generalization of autoregressive conditional heteroskedastic model.By finite state Markov chain,the influence of the sudden change to the environment is promoted in the new modle,which makes the new model more flexible.Meanwhile,some sufficient conditions for convergence are obtained.
Measures of Rabies Immunity

The immune status of an individual host or among a population is affected by important variables including the source and route of potential natural exposure and for vaccination consist of vaccine type, potency, and virus strain; vaccination route and schedule; and individual host factors. Although perhaps often overlooked, it is essential to have a basic understanding of the laboratory methods used to measure and assess the host’s immune status. The precision, accuracy, sensitivity, and specificity of a method must be well defined. Moreover, an “adequate,” acceptable, or diagnostic value for each method must be clearly defined so that a particular test result for a patient can be meaningfully interpreted in relation to the patient’s history and clinical management. Serology is the study of the immunological properties of blood serum or other bodily fluids. The reasons for performing rabies serology can range from diagnosis of infection to investigation of epitope specificity of an anti-rabies virus glycoprotein monoclonal antibody. Characterization of an antibody’s affinity, specificity, quantity, and neutralizing function, complement binding function, and class/subclass are achieved by various methods. Many serological techniques developed over the past five decades differ not only in their ability to detect the function, affinity and specificity of rabies virus antibodies, but also in the ease and practicality with which they are performed. To select an appropriate method and appropriately interpret test results, it is essential to understand the specific strengths, weaknesses, and limitations of available methods. The decision to use a specific assay should start with the purpose of testing and the intended application of results. Other factors to consider are the assay complexity, degree of precision and/or accuracy, specificity and range of detection. Given the importance of RVNA levels in the prevention of human and animal rabies, guidelines for adequate vaccination should be stated in terms that are readily understood by individuals-at-risk (whether human or animal) and health care providers, both veterinary and medical, who will use the recommendations for clinical management of individuals. Across the globe, there are different official regulatory standards and guidelines, both national and international for drugs and related product approvals. The implementation of these standards must be from the beginning of the work at bench level to the end of the process which often continues during clinical use of products intended for the improvement or protection of human and animal health, including direct assessment of, and assessment of host responses to, rabies vaccines and sources of polyclonal and monoclonal products for the prevention of rabies.
Potassium-induced acceleration of catecholamine biosynthesis in brain slices. I. A study of the mechanism of action.

Incubation of cortical or striatal slices in a K+-enriched medium (53 mM) enhanced the release of newly synthesized catecholamines and accelerated the synthesis of catecholamines at the rate-limiting tyrosine hydroxylase step. The specific activity of the 14C-tyrosine found in the tissues after incubation in a K+-enriched medium was similar to that of control tissues. Thus the enhancement of catecholamine synthesis observed in the K+-enriched medium did not appear to arise from an increase in the specific activity of the precursor. No evidence was obtained for any alteration in the level of tyrosine hydroxylase activity in homogenates of tissues previously incubated in a K+-enriched medium. Conditions which block the release of catecholamines, such as absence of calcium or high magnesium concentrations, blocked the release of newly synthesized catecholamines and simultaneously antagonized the K+-induced acceleration of catecholamine biosynthesis. On the other hand, the catecholamine synthesis rate of tissues incubated in normal Krebs-Ringer-phosphate buffer was enhanced by initial incubation of the slices in a K+-enriched medium. Furthermore, when catecholamines were added to the medium at a concentration as low as 10-7 M, the catecholamine synthesis rate was inhibited; this inhibition occurred intraneuronally, since the inhibitory effect of exogenous norepinephrine was antagonized by cocaine, even under conditions in which tissue levels of exogenous amines remained the same. These results support the hypothesis that neuronal depolarization enhances the release of newly formed catecholamines, which, in turn, relieves the rate-limiting enzyme, tyrosine hydroxylase, from end-product inhibition and thereby accelerates the catecholamine synthesis rate.
A New Approach to Measuring Housing Benefits

The theoretical case for housing subsidy obtains pragmatic meaning for policy only if the subsidized dwellings produce social and personal benefits over and above those resulting from the operation of the market. As the previous chapter indicated, there is no clear, demonstrable evidence to that effect.
Fractionation of Distillers Dried Grains with Solubles (DDGS) Through A Gravity Separator: Life Cycle Assessment and Techno-Economic Analysis

Abstract. DDGS could have higher market price and wider use if it could be separated into higher protein and higher fiber fractions. In our work, DDGS was firstly sieved into three size categories, and one category was further separated into light, midlight, midheavy and heavy fractions using a gravity separator. This process was effective in getting enhanced DDGS with increased protein and oil. In this study, both Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) and Techno-Economic Analysis (TEA) of our approach to DDGS fractionation were conducted. Three scales, including lab scale, pilot scale, and commercial scale of DDGS fractionation were considered and analyzed. All equipment parameters were obtained from industrial manufacturers. Both the environmental impact and the cost per unit of DDGS fractionation decreased as the fractionation scale expanded.
Imagining Possible Futures

A year ago, near this time, an unexpected and unfortunate series of events forced our professional organization to recognize the dangers of pretending that marginalized perspectives and issues of equity and access don’t have a place in the discussion of our profession’s status in the 21st century. By the time of the NAfME National Assembly in June of 2016, a primary focus of the meeting was concerned with addressing the question: Where should we, as an association and as a profession, go from here?
Nationally representative prevalence estimates of gay, bisexual, and other men who have sex with men who have served in the U.S. military.

Objectives To estimate the number of men in the U.S. military who are gay, bisexual, or other men who have sex with men (MSM) to inform the development of military and other federal policies. Study design We analyzed data from the National Surveys of Family Growth to estimate the number of U.S. men who were gay, bisexual, or MSM, and who had served in the military, compared to those who did not serve. We stratified using hierarchical categories of gay, bisexual, and other MSM to compare proportions in the military and general population. Results We found that 4.23% of men self-reported as gay, bisexual, or other MSM among men who served in the military, compared to 4.14% among men who had not served (p = 0.93). When stratified, we found that 0.78% self-reported as gay among men who served in the military, compared to 2.12% among men who had not served (p<0.001). Conclusions The proportion of men who identified as a gay was lower in the military than in the general population. This finding might have been influenced by historical military policies related to sexual orientation.
Design Guidance for J-Turns on Rural High-Speed Expressways:

Owing to the J-turn’s safety effectiveness, it has become a viable alternative to replace high-crash, two-way, stop-controlled intersections on high-speed expressways. National guidance on the design of J-turns on high-speed highways is limited. What is the safety effect of spacing between the intersection and the U-turn? Under what circumstances is the provision of acceleration lanes recommended? This study answered these questions through a safety assessment on the basis of (a) an examination of crashes that occurred at 12 J-turn sites in Missouri and (b) a simulation-based assessment of the effect of various design variables and traffic flows. The crash review revealed the proportions of the five most frequently occurring crash types at J-turn sites: (a) major road sideswipe (31.6%), (b) major road rear-end (28.1%), (c) minor road rear-end (15.8%), (d) loss of control (14%), and (e) merging from U-turn (10.5%). The crash rates, accounting for exposure, decreased with the increase in the spacing to the ...
“I Felt Untraditional”: High School Leavers Negotiating Dominant Discourses on “Dropout”:

The term “high school dropout” has long been problematized for the way it obscures the role of schools in “pushing out” students and for its connotation of personal failure. This article explores t...
Hepatocellular carcinoma in the wait-listed patient with hepatitis C virus

Purpose of reviewTo highlight the current data for treatment of hepatitis C virus (HCV) in patients with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) awaiting orthotopic liver transplant and incorporation of various factors to decide the optimal time to initiate HCV therapy.Recent findingsViral eradication on the
Crystallographic and Spectroscopic Characterization of Americium Complexes Containing the Bis[(phosphino)methyl]pyridine-1-oxide (NOPOPO) Ligand Platform

The crystal structures of americium species containing a common multifunctional phosphine oxide ligand, reported for its ability to extract f elements from acidic solutions, namely, 2,6-[Ph2P(O)CH2]2C5H3–NO, L, were finally determined after over three decades of separations studies involving these species and their surrogates. The molecular compounds Am(L)(NO3)3, Am 1:1, and [Am(L)2(NO3)][2(NO3)], Am 2:1, along with their neodymium and europium analogues, were synthesized and characterized using single-crystal X-ray crystallography, attenuated total reflectance Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, and luminescence spectroscopy to provide a comprehensive comparison with new and known analogous complexes.
Anterior Reduction and Fusion of Cervical Facet Dislocations.

Background Cervical facet dislocations are among the most common traumatic spinal injuries. Posterior, anterior, and combined surgical approaches have been described and are widely debated. Objective To demonstrate efficacy in anterior-only surgical management for subaxial cervical facet dislocations. Methods A consistent surgical algorithm for cervical facet dislocation was applied over a 19-yr period and analyzed retrospectively in adults with acute unilateral or bilateral facet dislocation of the subaxial cervical spine. The primary endpoint was maintenance of early cervical alignment. The need for additional posterior instrumented fusion was determined. Results A database search identified 96 patients (mean age = 37.9, range = 14-74 yr, 68 (70%) male. The most common affected levels were C4-C5 (30), C5-C6 (29), and C6-C7 (30). Bilateral dislocation occurred in 51 patients (53%). Seventy-eight (81%) patients had neurological deficits, 31 (32%) being complete (Abbreviated Injury Score A) spinal cord injuries. Preoperative closed reduction was attempted in 60 (63%) patients, with 33 (55%) achieving satisfactory alignment. After anterior cervical discectomy, reduction, allograft placement, and instrumentation, a total of 92 (96%) patients had achieved satisfactory realignment. Median time to surgery was 13.27 h. Eight (8%) patients required posterior fixation due to intraoperative determination of incomplete realignment (4; 4%) and development of early progressive deformity (4; 4%). Mean follow-up was 4.5 mo (range 0.5-24 mo) with 33 (34%) patients lost to follow-up. Conclusion Anterior approaches are viable for reduction and stabilization of cervical facet dislocations. Further prospective studies are required to evaluate clinical and long-term success.
A technique for making asynchronous sequential circuits readily testable

A design technique for making asynchronous (unclocked) sequential circuits easily testable is given. Through the addition of (1) one or at most two state variables; (2) one input lead; and (3) the use of one or more observable output leads, we achieve scan-out and also make the given machine strongly connected. Verification of proper operation can then proceed as in classical machine identification previously restricted to synchronous designs. An example of the implementation of our technique is given for the case where the 1-out-of-n state assignment is used.
Development of a Methyl Bromide Collection System for Fumigated Farmland

Recent research has indicated that up to 73% of the methyl bromide (MeBr) applied to agricultural farmland is ultimately emitted to the atmosphere despite the practice of complete coverage of the fields with polyethylene (PE) tarp. To reduce the emission of MeBr, several techniques have been investigated. An alternative that has received little consideration is the collection and recycle or treatment of MeBr emissions. We investigated the potential of using a two-layer tarp system for collecting the MeBr. Laboratory experiments with a small two-layer diffusion reactor were conducted to determine the mass transfer coefficient (K) of MeBr through tarps and to validate a model of the collection system. For PE tarps K was 1.15 × 10-6 m s-1 at 20 °C and 5.2 × 10-6 m s-1 at 60 °C. K for so-called virtually impermeable films ranged from 4.6 × 10-10 m s-1 to 1.3 × 10-8 m s-1. The mathematical model was then used to simulate a full scale fumigant field application. Results indicate excellent agreement between the ...
Rhizosphere effect on soil organic matter decomposition

In our study, 14C-labelled rye straw was incubated in fertilized or unfertilized soil with or without plants for 49 days under semi-controlled conditions. The soil was a well-drained sandy clay loam (66% sand, 13% silt, 21% clay). Carbon-14 labelled rye straw was produced from pulse labelling in plastic chambers. The respired 14CO2 was trapped in 1 M NaOH solution and counted by a liquid scintillation counter. Total and 14C microbial biomass-C in the soil were measured using the fumigation-incubation method of Jenkinson and Powlson (1976) taking Kc = 0.4. Radioactivity of shoots, roots and soils was determined by the dry combustion method using an OX-300 Biological Oxidizer. Our objective was to study the rhizosphere effect on soil organic matter mineralization under different soil mineral nutrient conditions.
Stress About Stressors: What Are Key Inflection Points?

Individuals and companies remain exposed to inflection points that can strain even the best persons, teams, and organizations. This matters because providing appropriate support at crucial junctures can sometimes help reduce the chances of mental illnesses developing. The chapter describes the potential impact on mental health of changes in our personal lives (getting divorced, having a baby, etc.), generational transitions (dealing with the multi-generation workplace), and emotional inflection points (coming from an increasingly volatile, interconnected world).
Innovation Breeds Innovation: How Pelvic Floor Ultrasound Filled the Diagnostic Gap for Vaginal Mesh Kit Complications

The use of vaginal mesh kits in urogynecologic and urologic practice increased rapidly in the past two decades, followed by a high rate of previously unencountered complications for most practicing urologists and urogynecologists. Defining the problem in such instances is crucial for formulating a treatment plan. Ultrasound was becoming slowly popular with urogynecologists for diagnosis of vaginal birth-related pelvic floor trauma at the time vaginal mesh kits were introduced to the market. Because MRI and CT scans were unable to see the mesh, ultrasound filled this niche as the only modality that could see the mesh clearly. Further innovations in ultrasound technology such as the introduction of 3D endovaginal probes revolutionized the imaging and management of vaginal mesh kit complications.
Reliance Structures: How Urban Public Policy Shapes Human Agency

This chapter attempts to articulate a novel approach to thinking about urban politics and urban public policy. Building on the observation that all action requires reliance, the chapter argues that elements of the urban environment function as what we call reliance structures. These are the structures that allow agents to realize their intentions as actions. That is, reliance structures are constitutive features of the capacity for action, that is, for agency. The chapter then argues that the urban can be understood as a network of reliance structures. It follows that the urban partially constitutes human agency—agential capacities are partially constituted by urban reliance systems. This is meant to be a substantive diagnostic tool for making sense of the ways that urban public policy can produce and reproduce forms of human agency and, ultimately, the way that the urban partially determines human freedom.
Patient Perceptions of Gout Management Goals: A Cross-sectional Internet Survey.

OBJECTIVE To assess patient perceptions of gout management goals. METHODS We conducted a cross-sectional Internet survey of people who visited the Gout and Uric Acid Education Society's website to assess patient/respondent perception of gout management goals. We used chi-square test for categorical or t-test for continuous variables. RESULTS Among the 320 survey respondents with physician-diagnosed gout, mean age was 57 (SD, 13.4) years, 72% were male, 77% White; mean gout duration was 7.6 years (SD, 11), gout flares in the last year were 5.2 (SD, 6.1), and medical comorbidities were common, 2.7 (SD, 2.6). Two-thirds respondents each reported very severe or severe symptoms from gout and that gout ranked among the top two health conditions with a negative impact on quality of life. During a clinic visit, only one-third of respondents' physicians spent 50% of more of the time discussing gout treatment. Only 54% respondents were prescribed ULT by their healthcare provider. By patient preference, the best life-long gout treatment strategies were the lowering of the serum urate level and the control of gout symptoms (62%) followed by serum urate lowering (32%). Respondents considered the following as the most important things for making gout treatment satisfactory: (1) patient education; (2) effective physician-patient communication; (3) diet and lifestyle modification; (4) serum urate monitoring and target achievement; (5) pain management and flare prevention; and (6) medication management. CONCLUSIONS Patient identification of gout symptom control and serum urate level monitoring as the most important treatment goals is informative for clinicians and guideline developers.
Psychiatric Assessment of the Violent Offender

This chapter addresses the psychiatric assessment of potentially violent persons who come into contact with the legal system. We discuss the process of psychiatric risk assessment in general, and then examine the specific contexts of civil commitment, release of insanity acquittees, and probation. Finally, we use stalkers as a specific example of the risk assessment process. Throughout this chapter, the emphasis is on practical, rather than theoretical, considerations.
Motor Learning in People with Multiple Sclerosis: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis.

Abstract Objective To systematically review and quantitatively synthesize the existing evidence of motor learning in persons with multiple sclerosis (PwMS). Data Sources PubMed, Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature, and Web of Science were searched using the following terms: multiple sclerosis, task learning, motor learning, skill learning, performance learning. Study Selection Studies had to include PwMS with a main outcome being motor learning, be published in peer-reviewed journals, and be written in English. The search yielded 68 results, and the inclusion criteria were met by 17 studies. Data Extraction Basic descriptors of each study, study protocol, and motor learning measures were extracted. The Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development, and Evaluation approach revealed the quality of evidence was low with a high risk of bias. Meta-analysis was conducted to determine the difference in implicit and explicit learning in PwMS and controls without multiple sclerosis. Data Synthesis Studies scored on average 15.9 of 18 for quality assessment. PwMS were able to learn functional mobility and upper limb manipulation motor skills as indicated by short-term acquisition, transfer, and retention. Implicit learning conditions from the meta-analysis showed that PwMS were able to learn at a similar rate to controls without multiple sclerosis (P Conclusions While this review indicated that PwMS are capable of motor learning, several knowledge gaps still exist. Future research should focus on using higher-quality evidence to understand motor learning in PwMS and translate the findings to rehabilitation and activities of daily living.
STUDY OF THE STATE AND THE DEVELOPMENT TENDS OF THE WATER TRANSPORT ENTERPRISES

The analysis of the state of water transport enterprises has been studied, tends of development thereof in the modern management environment are identified. The maritime and river freight and passenger market are evaluated to identify the prevailing trends in the industry. The information base of the study consisted of the statistical materials, as well as the achievements of domestic and foreign scientists on the functioning and prospects of water transport development. The volumes and structure of freight and passenger carriage by maritime and river transportation are given, the carriage is analyzed by type of freight, and the comparison study of logistics development in different countries of the world is conducted. It has been established that the identified trends of water transport enterprises development do not correspond to the available potential opportunities. It has been proved that the efficiency of functioning of maritime and river freight and passenger market depends to a large extent on the organization of the logistics sector. In this paper the comparison study of the Logistics Efficiency Index (LPI) in different countries was conducted, which index convincingly proves the need to develop the transport and logistics infrastructure of water transport enterprises. In this paper there have been identified the main destabilizing factors of impact on the effective functioning of the water transport enterprises, the assessment of which allows forming the main directions of development for the economic entities in the industry as an important factor of integration of our country into the world economic area. It is suggested to pay attention to the formation of active strategic interaction of the water transport enterprises in the further scientific researches with the purpose to provide powerful strategic potential of development and high level of competitiveness thereof in the transport service market.
Clinical analysis of 19 deaths from severe influenza among children in Shenzhen

Objective To explore the characteristics and causes of death of severe influenza cases, in order to attract the attention of pediatricians. Methods The data of 19 cases with influenza-associated deaths admitted to Shenzhen Children′s Hospital from September 2009 to November 2018 were retrospectively analyzed. Results There were 11 males and 8 females, aged from 4 months to 12 years old, of whom 5 cases were over 5 years old.Five deaths occurred during the 2009 influenza A (H1N1) pandemic, followed by 1 case in 2014, 6 cases in 2016, 3 cases in 2017 and 4 cases in 2018.Four of the 19 deaths were due to underlying diseases.The time from onset to death was 0.5-36.0 days, and the most common clinical manifestations were high fever, convulsions, coma and dyspnea.Among them, 11 cases died of influenza-associated encephalopathy, 4 cases died of severe pneumonia, acute respiratory distress syndrome(ARDS) and respiratory failure, 3 cases died of sepsis caused by secondary streptococcus pneumoniae infection, and 1 case died of secondary fungal pyothorax and fungal meningitis. Conclusions Children under 5 years of age, even if they were previously healthy, may still be at high risk of dying from influenza. Neurological complications were high and the leading causes of death were influenza-associated encephalopathy, severe pneumonia, ARDS and secondary severe bacterial infection. Key words: Child; Influenza A (H1N1); Death
Corrections to “Concatenated Coding for the AWGN Channel With Noisy Feedback”

Thanks to the notice of the authors of [1] , it should be noted that, due to a missing factor, the following corrections are appropriate for the original paper [2] :
Transfer Learning in Large-scale Gaussian Graphical Models with False Discovery Rate Control.

Transfer learning for high-dimensional Gaussian graphical models (GGMs) is studied with the goal of estimating the target GGM by utilizing the data from similar and related auxiliary studies. The similarity between the target graph and each auxiliary graph is characterized by the sparsity of a divergence matrix. An estimation algorithm, Trans-CLIME, is proposed and shown to attain a faster convergence rate than the minimax rate in the single study setting. Furthermore, a debiased Trans-CLIME estimator is introduced and shown to be element-wise asymptotically normal. It is used to construct a multiple testing procedure for edge detection with false discovery rate control. The proposed estimation and multiple testing procedures demonstrate superior numerical performance in simulations and are applied to infer the gene networks in a target brain tissue by leveraging the gene expressions from multiple other brain tissues. A significant decrease in prediction errors and a significant increase in power for link detection are observed.
The Influences of Socioscientific Issues on General Science Teaching Self-Efficacy

Two common reasons elementary preservice teachers have low self-efficacy with science teaching is their lack of content knowledge and past negative experiences with science teaching or learning. Holding low self-efficacy beliefs has negative impacts on both the method of science instruction and amount of science instruction delivered in the elementary classroom. Many researchers have successfully explored methods for improving elementary preservice teachers’ science teaching self-efficacy by providing positive, inquiry-based learning experiences during a science methods course, but the present study explores how to improve elementary preservice teachers’ science teaching self-efficacy beliefs by engaging them in socioscientific issues (SSI) during their elementary methods course. Using a mixed methods approach, we collected quantitative with the science teaching efficacy beliefs instrument part B (STEBI-B) and qualitative data through short answer responses focused on understanding their perceptions and confidence with science instruction. Our analysis of the qualitative data focused on identifying the influences for any change that resulted from the STEBI results. Our findings illustrate SSI as a commonly identified reason for positive changes in general science teaching self-efficacy. Implications for utilizing SSI as an approach to combat low science teaching self-efficacy are discussed.
Utility of preoperative labs in posterior spinal fusions for idiopathic scoliosis

Review of 216 consecutive idiopathic scoliosis (IS) patients undergoing posterior spinal fusion (PSF) demonstrated 94.9% having abnormal lab values, but only 3.9% were referred for further evaluation. A limited set of preoperative laboratory testing costing $234/patient, and thorough, adjunct review of patient/family history could identify potentially significant comorbidities preoperatively in this study. A savings of $1556/patient from current laboratory testing was identified. The laboratory tests routinely obtained preoperatively were investigated: abnormal preoperative laboratory outcomes were identified and further documented if additional action was taken defined as a referral to another medical provider, performance of additional lab testing or counseling, or if there was alteration of the surgical plan. Overall, 94.9% (n = 205) of patients had one or more abnormal pre-operative lab values. Further actions occurred in 11.7% (n = 24) of all abnormal lab values with 3.9% (n = 8) of these being referred to other healthcare providers. Sixteen abnormal lab values underwent further testing or treatment: 11 nicotine tests, two UCx, one UA, one PT/PTT, and one bovine gelatin RAST. Eight abnormal tests prompted referral to another provider: three CBC, three platelet function tests, one UCx, and one UA. Based on these data, standard preoperative Hgb/Hct, platelet function tests, and bovine RAST (If the surgical plan involves use of bovine gelatin products) appear to be adequate to identify potential significant comorbidities in IS patients undergoing PSF for only $234/patient, a cost savings of $1556/patient from current protocol. Based on this study of 216 patients, a limited preoperative laboratory testing and thorough, adjunct review of patient/family history appears to be adequate to identify potential comorbidities preoperatively in this study. II.
Identifying Ascertainability: A Historical and Comparative Perspective

Ascertainability is one of the most contentious issues in American class action practice and presents a festering circuit split. The debate, at a high-level, is between three options for how to determine if a class is sufficiently cohesive or identifiable to be certified: a mere minimally clear definition requirement, a traditional ascertainability standard that additionally requires a class be defined by objective criteria, and a heightened ascertainability standard requiring that identification of class members also be administratively feasible. The stakes seem high. Critics of heightened ascertainability argue it risks eviscerating a wide-range of low-value consumer class actions right out-of-the-gate, while heightened ascertainability’s defenders argue that Rule 23 demands it and that it is necessary to prevent extortionate class litigation. Judges, lawyers, and scholars considering ascertainability have paid little attention to other countries’ practices regarding class definition and identification. This is unfortunate: Canadian common-law jurisdictions—strongly influenced by Rule 23—have uniformly adopted an identifiable class standard, akin to the traditional ascertainability standard, that does not require administrative feasibility. Nor has pre-1966 jurisprudence that likely informed the Federal Rules Advisory Committee’s 1966 reforms to Rule 23 garnered detailed attention. Both suggest at most a “limited” or “traditional” form of ascertainability as being defensible and appropriate. This Note argues such an ascertainability standard is superior to both heightened ascertainability and the minimally clear definition requirement alone.
Location-based tax incentives: Evidence from India

Abstract While policies targeting particular geographic regions are widely used by governments, there have been few rigorous evaluations of their causal impacts. In this paper, I study the impact of a location-based tax incentive scheme in India. Using aggregated and firm-level panel data, I find large increases in employment, total output, fixed capital, and the number of firms as a result of the program. These increases are due to both the growth of existing firms as well as the entry of new firms. There is supporting evidence that the new firms entering the treated regions are larger and more productive. I find no evidence for relocation of firms or spillovers in industrial activity between treatment and control areas. Finally, using data from household surveys, I show that wages of workers rise but find no changes in housing rents or migration across the treated and control regions. My results therefore suggest that the policy increased welfare, and I also conclude that the policy was cost-effective. This provides support for “place-based” policies to correct for regional economic disparities, especially in settings with low labor mobility.
In situ cross-linking of human erythrocyte band 3 by bis(sulfosuccinimidyl)suberate. Evidence for ligand modulation of two alternate quaternary forms: covalent band 3 dimers and noncovalent tetramers formed by the association of two covalent dimers

Treatment of intact human erythrocytes with bis(sulfosuccinimidyl)suberate converted band 3 to two species with lower electrophoretic mobility in sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS). The presence of the noncovalent anion transport inhibitor, 4,4'-dinitrostilbene-2,2'-disulfonate, promoted the lowest mobility form, while a closely related analogue, 4,4'-diisothiocyano-2,2'-stilbenedisulfonate, did not. Ferguson analysis of the electrophoretic behavior of the two slowly migrating bands strongly suggested that they represented dimers and tetramers of band 3. Increasing the temperature of the SDS solution to greater than 60 degrees C quantitatively converted the tetrameric species to the dimeric form. We conclude that band 3 can be intermonomerically cross-linked by bis(sulfosuccinimidyl)suberate as covalent dimers within two alternate quaternary forms in a manner modulated by the ligand occupying the intramonomeric stilbenedisulfonate site. In one form, band 3 covalent dimers are noncovalently associated as a SDS-resistant tetramer, while in the other form, covalent dimers are not so associated. There is no obvious relationship between ligand stereochemistry and the resulting quaternary form, suggesting that the two forms reflect alternate allosterically modulated porter quaternary structures. The significance of these two quaternary states to the transport or the ankyrin binding functions of band 3 is unknown.
Cytoskeletal movements and substrate interactions during initiation of neurite outgrowth by sympathetic neurons in vitro

The initial outgrowth of neurites from chick sympathetic neurons grown in vitro was investigated by time-lapse microscopy with laser-scanning and conventional light microscopes. Video-enhanced contrast, differential interference contrast optics (VECDIC) were used to monitor movements of neuronal cytoplasm, as well as the movements of small beads attached to the surface membrane, and interference reflection microscopy (IRM) was used to determine the concomitant pattern of attachment to the growth substrate (polyornithine or laminin). Related changes in the distributions of actin filaments, microtubules, and neurofilaments were determined by fluorescence labeling methods. Neurite formation on both substrates entailed invasion of the actin cores of filopodia by cytoplasm containing microtubules and neurofilaments. Small beads attached to the surface membrane surrounding the cytoplasm moved outward simultaneously with the cytoplasm. Cytoplasm invaded filopodia of neurons plated on laminin soon after attachment to the substrate or, for neurons generated in vitro, within as little as 3 min after cytokinesis. However, cytoplasm invaded filopodia of neurons grown on polyornithine only when they contacted a three-dimensional object such as another cell or a large, polyornithine-coated polystyrene bead. The observation that adhesion of filopodia to polyornithine-coated beads can initiate neurite formation is inconsistent with the commonly held view that neurite formation requires adhesion mediated by specific cell adhesion molecules. Simultaneous IRM and DIC imaging showed that cytoplasm invaded filopodia when only their tips were closely apposed to a substrate but not when they were closely apposed to a substrate along their entire lengths. These findings help to elucidate the mechanisms by which interactions between the cytoskeleton and the growth substrate initiate and produce the neuronal movements that lead to the formation of neurites.
Forensic Science - Society is Depending (Dependent?) on Us

(2003). Forensic Science - Society is Depending (Dependent?) on Us. Australian Journal of Forensic Sciences: Vol. 35, No. 1, pp. 161-169.
Unconventional Venous Access: Percutaneous Translumbar and Transhepatic Venous Access for Hemodialysis

Catheter-based hemodialysis is a necessary but unfortunate option for many patients with end-stage renal disease. Access to the central venous circulation is traditionally achieved via the jugular, subclavian, or femoral routes. However, chronic placement of indwelling hemodialysis catheters results in the slow exhaustion of the veins in the neck and chest due to venous thrombosis and occlusion. Once these conventional access sites are no longer available, it may become necessary to find additional, unconventional methods of access. Translumbar and transhepatic cannulation of the inferior vena cava reflect two unconventional modes of access into the central venous circulation. Because of the requisite technical expertise for placement and the comparatively high rate of complications, translumbar and transhepatic access for hemodialysis should only be considered in patients considered to have few or no other medical options for central venous access.
Reactive modeling of the initial stages of alkoxysilane polycondensation: effects of precursor molecule structure and solution composition

Reactive molecular dynamics simulations were performed to study the polycondensation of alkoxysilane in solution with alcohol and water. The dynamic formation of siloxane clusters and rings was observed with simulation time. Two mechanisms for the growth of siloxanes were observed: monomer addition and cluster–cluster aggregation. The impacts of the alkoxysilane monomer chemical structure and solution composition on the rates of hydrolysis and condensation were explored. The polycondensation of different precursor alkoxysilane monomers (tetramethoxysilane, trimethoxysilane, methyltrimethoxysilane, or tetraethoxysilane) was modeled. The steric bulk of chemical groups attached to the monomer, such as silyl or alkoxy groups, were found to impact reaction rates. The influence of solution composition was investigated by simulating multiple systems with different concentrations of tetramethoxysilane, methanol, and water. Reactive molecular dynamics is used for the first time to study the polycondensation of alkoxysilanes, creating opportunities for future theoretical studies of the sol–gel process.
Neural Networks of the Mouse Neocortex

Numerous studies have examined the neuronal inputs and outputs of many areas within the mammalian cerebral cortex, but how these areas are organized into neural networks that communicate across the entire cortex is unclear. Over 600 labeled neuronal pathways acquired from tracer injections placed across the entire mouse neocortex enabled us to generate a cortical connectivity atlas. A total of 240 intracortical connections were manually reconstructed within a common neuroanatomic framework, forming a cortico-cortical connectivity map that facilitates comparison of connections from different cortical targets. Connectivity matrices were generated to provide an overview of all intracortical connections and subnetwork clusterings. The connectivity matrices and cortical map revealed that the entire cortex is organized into four somatic sensorimotor, two medial, and two lateral subnetworks that display unique topologies and can interact through select cortical areas. Together, these data provide a resource that can be used to further investigate cortical networks and their corresponding functions.
Quantitative Assessment of Brain Development in Multiple Gestation Babies using in vivo 3-dimensional-MRI (3D-MRI) 116

Quantitative Assessment of Brain Development in Multiple Gestation Babies using in vivo 3-dimensional-MRI (3D-MRI) 116
Sequence analysis by iterated maps, a review

Among alignment-free methods, Iterated Maps (IMs) are on a particular extreme: they are also scale free (order free). The use of IMs for sequence analysis is also distinct from other alignment-free methodologies in being rooted in statistical mechanics instead of computational linguistics. Both of these roots go back over two decades to the use of fractal geometry in the characterization of phase-space representations. The time series analysis origin of the field is betrayed by the title of the manuscript that started this alignment-free subdomain in 1990, ‘Chaos Game Representation’. The clash between the analysis of sequences as continuous series and the better established use of Markovian approaches to discrete series was almost immediate, with a defining critique published in same journal 2 years later. The rest of that decade would go by before the scale-free nature of the IM space was uncovered. The ensuing decade saw this scalability generalized for non-genomic alphabets as well as an interest in its use for graphic representation of biological sequences. Finally, in the past couple of years, in step with the emergence of BigData and MapReduce as a new computational paradigm, there is a surprising third act in the IM story. Multiple reports have described gains in computational efficiency of multiple orders of magnitude over more conventional sequence analysis methodologies. The stage appears to be now set for a recasting of IMs with a central role in processing nextgen sequencing results.
How to demarcate the boundaries of cognition

Advocates of extended cognition argue that the boundaries of cognition span brain, body, and environment. Critics maintain that cognitive processes are confined to a boundary centered on the individual. All participants to this debate require a criterion for distinguishing what is internal to cognition from what is external. Yet none of the available proposals are completely successful. I offer a new account, the mutual manipulability account, according to which cognitive boundaries are determined by relationships of mutual manipulability between the properties and activities of putative components and the overall behavior of the cognitive mechanism in which they figure. Among its main advantages, this criterion is capable of (a) distinguishing components of cognition from causal background conditions and lower-level correlates, and (b) showing how the core hypothesis of extended cognition can serve as a legitimate empirical hypothesis amenable to experimental test and confirmation. Conceiving the debate in these terms transforms the current clash over extended cognition into a substantive empirical debate resolvable on the basis of evidence from cognitive science and neuroscience.