cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Numerical Solutions and Their Error Bounds for Oscillatory Neural Networks

Error bounds are derived for an iterative process constructed for a thalamocortical mathematical model. The model describes a new architecture for a neurocomputer. A series of numerical simulations demonstrate the theoretical results.
The Steiner-Lehmus angle-bisector theorem

In 1840 C. L. Lehmus sent the following problem to Charles Sturm: ‘If two angle bisectors of a triangle have equal length, is the triangle necessarily isosceles?’ The answer is ‘yes’, and indeed we have the reverse-comparison theorem: Of two unequal angles, the larger has the shorter bisector (see [1, 2]). Sturm passed the problem on to other mathematicians, in particular to the great Swiss geometer Jakob Steiner, who provided a proof. In this paper we give several proofs and discuss the old query: ‘Is there a direct proof?’ before suggesting that this is no longer the right question to ask. We go on to discuss all cases when an angle bisector (internal orexternal) of some angle is equal to one of another.
‘As for you, do not pray on behalf of this people’: Intercession, deception and shalom in the book of Jeremiah

A unique feature of the book of Jeremiah is God’s thrice repeated ban on intercession. In 7.16, 11.14 and 14.11, God forbids Jeremiah to pray on behalf of the people. In this article I explore how ...
Ergonomic Factors in Virtual Intensive Interactions

The capabilities of building virtual organizations where people can interact and collaborate bring up variety of advantages, especially when face to face collaboration may not be always feasible. When the outcomes of virtual interactions and collaboration are measureable, and these are aligned to known objectives with accountability, client’s performance to reach expectations and to achieve personal goals increases. At the same time the vision of driving a nurturing environment to emulate an on-site collaborative environment becomes more pronounced when favorable outcomes for the client and for the host of the virtual environment increase. This paper explores how the Smart Grid model and prediction analytics can work in tandem to facilitate client’s efficiencies and performance at the same of driving system’s performance feedback mechanisms related to the ergonomic design of the environment.
Validation of prognostic scoring and assessment of clinical benefit for patients with bone sarcomas enrolled in phase I clinical trials

// J. Andrew Livingston 1 , Kenneth R. Hess 2 , Aung Naing 3 , David S. Hong 3 , Shreyaskumar Patel 4 , Robert S. Benjamin 4 , Joseph A. Ludwig 4 , Anthony Conley 4 , Cynthia E. Herzog 5 , Pete Anderson 6 Funda Meric-Bernstam 3 , Razelle Kurzrock 7 and Vivek Subbiah 3 1 Division of Cancer Medicine, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas, USA 2 Department of Biostatistics, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas, USA 3 Department of Investigational Cancer Therapeutics (Phase I Clinical Trials Program), The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas, USA 4 Department of Sarcoma Medical Oncology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas, USA 5 Department of Pediatrics, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas, USA 6 Pediatric Hematology Oncology, The Cleveland Clinic, Cleveland, Ohio, USA 7 Experimental Therapeutics Program, University of California – San Diego, San Diego, California, USA Correspondence to: Vivek Subbiah, email: // Keywords : bone sarcoma; phase 1 trials; prognosis scores; Ewing sarcoma; osteosarcoma Received : June 13, 2016 Accepted : June 26, 2016 Published : July 28, 2016 Abstract Background: We sought to validate the Royal Marsden Hospital (RMH) and MD Anderson Cancer Center (MDACC) prognostic scoring systems for the selection of bone sarcoma patients for phase I clinical trials and to identify additional risk factors related to survival. Patients and Methods: We retrospectively reviewed the baseline characteristics and outcomes of 92 bone sarcoma patients who were referred to MDACC’s Phase I Clinical Trials Program. Results: Ninety-two patients with Ewing sarcoma ( N = 47), osteosarcoma ( N = 22), chondrosarcoma ( N = 16), and other tumors ( N = 7) were evaluated; 78 were enrolled in at least 1 of 43 different phase I trials. The median overall survival (OS) was 8.8 months (95% confidence interval [CI] = 6.8–13.7 months). Independent factors that predicted shorter survival were male sex, >2 metastatic sites, >3 previous therapies, hemoglobin level 200 x10 3 /L, creatinine level ≥1.3 mg/dL, and lactate dehydrogenase level >ULN. Patients with good RMH scores (0-1) had longer OS than patients with poor RMH scores (2-3) (HR = 5.8, 95% CI = 2.9–11.0; P < 0.0001), as did patients with low MDACC scores (0-1) as compared to patients with higher MDACC scores (2–4) (HR = 3.2, 95% CI = 1.9–5.6; P < 0.0001). Conclusion: The RMH prognostic score can be used to predict the OS of bone cancer patients referred for phase I trials. The MDACC score added no value to the RMH score and therefore does not have a role in assessment of patients with bone tumors. Patients with advanced bone sarcomas should be considered for phase I trials.
Crystal arthritis: New recommendations highlight the need for more research.

Many of the 2016 updated EULAR recommendations for the management of gout lack robust evidence and rely on expert opinion, indicating gaps in our understanding of this common disease. More research is needed to fill these gaps, move towards an evidence-based approach, and improve patient care.
Wood anatomy of the dicotyledons indigenous to New Zealand: 9. Sapindaceae*

The anatomy of the secondary xylem of Alectryon excelsus Gaertn. and Dodonaea viscosa Jacquin is described. The woods are diffuse-porous with mostly distinct rings in A. excelsus, and indistinct to poorly defined rings in D. viscosa. Vessels are predominantly solitary in A. excelsus, but in D. viscosa they occur mainly in short radial multiples. Vessels have exclusively simple perforations, small alternate to randomly arranged intervascular pits, and fine spiral thickening. Vessel pits to rays are similar to intervascular pits. Vascular tracheids with fine spiral thickening are present in A. excelsus. Axial parenchyma is abundant to sparse, and is mainly scanty paratracheal and vasicentric. Initial parenchyma is occasional and may be poorly developed. Paratracheal banded, diffuse-in-aggregates, and diffuse parenchyma also occur in D. viscosa. Rhomboidal crystals in chambered strands are confined to the diffuse types in D. viscosa. Rays are mainly homogeneous in both species. They are predominantl...
Activated MEK cooperates with Cdkn2a and Pten loss to promote the development and maintenance of melanoma

Activated MEK cooperates with Cdkn2a and Pten loss to promote the development and maintenance of melanoma
Social and Built Environmental Correlates of Predicted Blood Lead Levels in the Flint Water Crisis.

Objectives. To highlight contextual factors tied to increased blood lead level (BLL) risk following the lead-in-water contamination in Flint, Michigan.Methods. Using geocoded BLL data collected in 2013 and 2015 and areal interpolation, we predicted BLLs at every residential parcel in the city. We then spatially joined social and built environmental variables to link the parcels with neighborhood-level factors that may influence BLLs.Results. When we compared levels before and during the water crisis, we saw the highest estimates of predicted BLLs during the water crisis and the greatest changes in BLLs in neighborhoods with the longest water residence time in pipes (μ = 2.30 µg/dL; Δ = 0.45 µg/dL), oldest house age (μ = 2.22 µg/dL; Δ = 0.37 µg/dL), and poorest average neighborhood housing condition (μ = 2.18 µg/dL; Δ = 0.44 µg/dL).Conclusions. Key social and built environmental variables correlate with BLL; such information can continue to guide response by prioritizing older, deteriorating neighborhoods ...
Three-manifolds of constant vector curvature one

Abstract A Riemannian manifold has CVC ( ϵ ) if its sectional curvatures satisfy sec ≤ e or sec ≥ e pointwise, and if every tangent vector lies in a tangent plane of curvature e. We present a construction of an infinite-dimensional family of compact CVC ( 1 ) three-manifolds.
Responsiveness of Mining Community Acceptance Model to Key Parameter Changes

The mining industry has difficulties predicting changes in the level of community acceptance of its projects over time. These changes are due to changes in the society and individual perceptions around these mines as a result of the minesâ€™ environmental and social impacts. Agent-based modeling can be used to facilitate better understanding of how community acceptance changes with changing mine environmental impacts. This work investigates the sensitivity of an agent-based model (ABM) for predicting changes in community acceptance of a mining project due to information diffusion to key input parameters. Specifically, this study investigates the responsiveness of the ABM to average degree (total number of friends) of the social network, close neighbor ratio (a measure of homophily in the social network) and number of early adopters (â€œinnovatorsâ€ ). A two-level full factorial experiment was used to investigate the sensitivity of the model to these parameters. The primary (main), secondary and tertiary effects of each parameter were estimated to assess the modelâ€™s sensitivity. The results show that the model is more responsive to close neighbor ratio and number of early adopters than average degree. Consequently, uncertainty surrounding the inferences drawn from simulation experiments using the agent-based model will be minimized by obtaining more reliable estimates of close neighbor ratio and number of early adopters. While it is possible to reliably estimate the level of early adopters from the literature, the degree of homophily (close neighbor ratio) has to be estimated from surveys that can be expensive and unreliable. Further, work is required to find economic ways to document relevant degrees of homophily in social networks in mining communities.
Prenatal exposure to organophosphorus pesticides and childhood neurodevelopmental phenotypes

Prenatal exposure to organophosphorus pesticides (OPs) has been associated with different neurodevelopmental outcomes across different cohorts. A phenotypic approach may address some of these differences by incorporating information across scales and accounting for the complex correlational structure of neurodevelopmental outcomes. Additionally, Bayesian hierarchical modeling can account for confounding by collinear co-exposures. We use this framework to examine associations between prenatal exposure to OPs and behavior, executive functioning, and IQ assessed at age 6-9 years in a cohort of 404 mother/infant pairs recruited during pregnancy. We derived phenotypes of neurodevelopment with a factor analysis, and estimated associations between OP metabolites and these phenotypes in Bayesian hierarchical models for exposure mixtures. We report seven factors: 1) Impulsivity and Externalizing, 2) Executive Functioning, 3) Internalizing, 4) Perceptual Reasoning, 5) Adaptability, 6) Processing Speed, and 7) Verbal Intelligence. These, along with the Working Memory Index, were standardized and scaled so that positive values reflected positive attributes and negative values represented adverse outcomes. Standardized dimethylphosphate metabolites were negatively associated with Internalizing factor scores (β^ - 0.13, 95% CI - 0.26, 0.00) but positively associated with Executive Functioning factor scores (β^ 0.18, 95% CI 0.04, 0.31). Standardized diethylphosphate metabolites were negatively associated with the Working Memory Index (β^ - 0.17, 95% CI - 0.33, - 0.03). Associations with factor scores were generally stronger and more precise than associations with individual instrument-specific items. Factor analysis of outcomes may provide some advantages in etiological studies of childhood neurodevelopment by incorporating information across scales to reduce dimensionality and improve precision.
Weight Gain After Switch from Efavirenz-Based to Integrase Inhibitor-Based Regimens

AbstractBackgroundIntegrase strand transfer inhibitor (INSTI)-based antiretroviral therapy (ART) offers persons living with HIV a potent new treatment option. Recently, local HIV clinicians noted weight gain in patients who switched from daily, fixed-dose efavirenz/tenofovir disoproxil fumarate/emtricitabine (EFV/TDF/FTC) to fixed-dose dolutegravir/abacavir/lamivudine (DTG/ABC/3TC). To assess whether regimen switch was significantly associated with weight gain, we evaluated body weight over time among patients with sustained virologic suppression who switched from EFV/TDF/FTC to an INSTI-containing regimen, including DTG/ABC/3TC.MethodsWe analyzed data from adult patients on EFV/TDF/FTC for >=2 years with consistent plasma HIV-1 RNA =18 months post-switch. We assessed weight change over 18 months in patients switched to an INSTI-containing regimen or a protease inhibitor (PI)-containing regimen vs. those remaining on EFV/TDF/FTC over the same period. In a sub-group analysis, we compared patients switched to DTG/ABC/3TC vs. raltegravir- or elvitegravir-containing regimens. Linear mixed effects models assessed mean differences in weight over time, adjusting for baseline age, sex, race, CD4+ count and weight.ResultsAmong 495 patients, 136 switched to an INSTI-containing regimen, 34 switched to a PI-containing regimen, and 325 remained on EFV/TDF/FTC. Patients switched to an INSTI-containing regimen gained an average of 2.9 kilograms (kg) at 18 months compared with 0.9 kg among those continued on EFV/TDF/FTC ( 0.003, Figure a), while those switched to a PI regimen gained 0.7 kg ( 0.81, Figure b). Among INSTI regimens, those switched to DTG/ABC/3TC gained 5.3 kg at 18 months, which was more than raltegravir or elvitegravir regimens ( 0.19, Figure c) and significantly more than those continued on EFV/TDF/FTC ( 0.001, Figure d).ConclusionSwitching from daily, fixed-dose EFV/TDF/FTC to an INSTI-containing regimen among patients with virologic control was associated with weight gain at 18 months. This weight gain was particularly profound among those switching to DTG/ABC/3TC.Disclosures No reported disclosures.
Identification of a TBHQ-Interfering Peak in Crude Canola Oil Using AOCS Official Method Ce 6-86 and its Chromatographic Resolution

AOCS Official Method Ce 6-86 “Antioxidants, Liquid Chromatographic Method” was originally developed to confirm the correct antioxidant was added at the specified concentration to refined oils. Today, this method is increasingly utilized to validate that antioxidants are absent from oil products. False positive results can have a significant impact on the ability to sell products in specific markets and can impart additional business expenditures for conclusive secondary analyses. In the current work, quantification of tert-butylhydroquinone (TBHQ) in crude canola/rapeseed oil using liquid chromatography (LC) with ultraviolet (UV) detection was compromised by an interfering peak. Analyses using liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC–MS) and high-resolution accurate mass LC–MS identified the interferent as 2,6-dimethoxy-4-vinylphenol (canolol), an endogenous compound present in crude canola/rapeseed oil. Resolution of canolol and TBHQ using LC-UV can be achieved via minor modification of the chromatographic conditions.
Methods for microbial autecology in the soil rhizosphere

Developments in biotechnology have become a force to alter agriculture, and now place sharp focus on the biology of the rhizosphere as the site where modified plants and modified microorganisms will interact. Rhizosphere research, traditionally general and qualitative for the most part, must now address rhizosphere events in autecological terms to examine the specific microorganism in its interactions with its microenvironment and with other specific microbes therein. Extreme complexities of the rhizosphere call for innovative methodology. Molecular probes appear to offer the best approach to deal with the rhizosphere microhabitat with adequate specificity and sensitivity. Immunofluorescence, the first method to apply a molecular probe, has been used for autecological study of complex natural environments, including rhizospheres, for more than twenty years. Further developments in immunofluorescence, and its use together with refined complementary techniques will contribute increasingly to rhizosphere research. New molecular genetic probes are now emerging and, when successfully developed for application to soil systems, will provide a new generation of methodologies for autecological investigations of the rhizosphere.
Heat Transfer Analysis Of Nano-fluid Flow In A Converging Nozzle With Different Aspect Ratios

The study evaluates the nanofluid using finite element analysis with base fluid (water) and seeding particles (Aluminum oxide). This is placed over a convergence channel consisting of varying aspect ratio that are evaluated quantitatively to enhance the heat transfer properties of the nanofluid.We have considered frictional loss characteristics that increases the flow of the fluid with Reynolds numbers varying from 100-2000 is compared.A baseline modeling is established using the methodology analysis for the fluid flow over a rectangular chamber that is designed in the form of a square duct of ratio 1:1. The analysis is carried out over the heat transfer and flow rate characteristics of the nanofluid that converges into the square ducts with different aspect ratio, is analyzed.The concentration of the nano fluid is maintained at the constant rate, which is used for studying the flow rate influence over different aspect ratios. The thermal and flow characteristics is analyzed in such situation and validated against other literatures to check the efficiency in the converging rectangular oxygen free copper channel.The simulation results shows an increase in temperature on the duct out and drop in temperature on the inlet walls of the tube.The pressure changes and shear stress along the walls of the chamber is not much noticed and it is constant throughout the entire chamber.
Intimate Partner Violence and Breastfeeding Outcomes in a Sample of Low-Income Women:

Background:Intimate partner violence has been related to breastfeeding difficulties. Few studies, however, have also accounted for other biopsychosocial risk factors associated with women’s breastf...
A cluster study of gastroschisis: single center experience.

BACKGROUND AND METHODS A cluster of 10 neonates admitted with a diagnosis of gastroschisis at birth to the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) at the University of Kentucky Medical Center in the year 1996, prompted us to perform a retrospective analysis to determine environmental or genetic causes. RESULTS A total of 36 neonates with gastroschisis were admitted during the period 1/1992 to 12/1996, and the maternal and patient demographics were evaluated by chart review. The mean maternal age was 21.5 years (14-35 years) of which 42% were teenagers, 66% were primiparous, 42% were smokers, 6% had a history of illicit drug use, and 72% had a history of taking prenatal vitamins. Mean birth weight was 2438g (990-3700g) with 54% being preterm with a mean gestational age of 36 wks (29-40 wks). Family history was negative and chromosomes were normal in patients in whom a karyotype was performed (25%). There was no recurring environmental or drug exposure in the study group. The mothers were from 24 different counties of Kentucky. The 36 cases were not uniformly distributed over the five-year period (chi square statistic = 46.8, degrees of freedom = 4, p < 0.0001). However, there was no evidence that the cases clustered in any 1 year (p = 0.99 for Ederer-Myers-Mantel test). CONCLUSIONS This is one of the few cluster studies of babies born with gastroschisis. Many of the mothers were teenagers, primiparous, and had an increased frequency of smoking. There was no evidence of temporal or spatial clustering in the gastroschisis cases. We conclude that the cluster of gastroschisis cases in our study occurred as a matter of chance.
Reducing sharps injuries among health care workers: a sharps container quality improvement project.

Article-at-a-Glance Background Many needlestick injuries at Vanderbilt University Medical Center were found to be related to the method of disposal in sharps containers. The "straight-drop" system allowed staff to stuff more needles into a full box, resulting in needlestick injuries. This was also a common problem elsewhere, as reflected in the literature. Analyzing the problem A multidisciplinary committee reviewed other sharps containers, piloted one, found problems, and then piloted and selected another. Implementation was complex and difficult, but focus was kept on the goal of decreased needlestick injuries. Staff identified other problems, which were taken to the manufacturer of the sharps container selected and resulted in product design changes. Results Several months after implementation, data analysis showed that the needlestick injury rate was reduced by two-thirds, a statistically significant change (p = 0.002). Despite the increased cost of the sharps container, savings of prevented needlestick injuries represented a total cost savings to the medical center of more than $62,000 a year. Discussion This experience is an example of real-life implementation—and the problems institutions may have to overcome before success can be realized.
Qualitative Cultural Psychological Methodology and Science

The answer to this question depends on one’s definition of science. If science is conceived as recording singular variables that are operationally defined quantities of overt behavior, then qualitative psychological methodology is unscientific. For qualitative methodology deciphers complex psychological quality in networks of extended responses. However, the positivistic conception of science may not be valid. If science follows nonpositivistic canons, then a nonpositivistic qualitative methodology may, in fact, be scientific. To decide this question we must discuss the extent to which positivism represents actual scientific practice. Let us begin by charting the epistemological tenets of positivistic science, which are contrasted to nonscientific epistemological principles.
Leadership and foresight in complex system governance

Complex system governance (CSG) is an emerging field focused on addressing complex systems and related problems. CSG is related to system of systems engineering (SoSE) in that both are concerned with integration of multiple complex systems with the desired outcome of capabilities beyond those available by the individual systems. Specifically, CSG focuses on the design, evolution, and execution of (metasystem) functions essential for system operations and survival (viability). Included are functions for monitoring the system's environment and developing reactions to changes encountered therein. Foresight is a process to expand awareness and clarify emerging conditions. The purpose of this paper is to explore the influence foresight might have on the functions performed by the CSG environment monitoring and metasystem development/evolution subsystems, and the role of leadership in designing and enabling the means for those functions to be performed.
Low Plasma Omega-3 Fatty Acid Levels May Predict Inferior Prognosis in Untreated Diffuse Large B-Cell Lymphoma: A New Modifiable Dietary Biomarker?

Dietary factors that may reduce the risk of relapse or prolong remission are an area of interest for patients with cancer. There is little data on the role of omega-3 fatty acids (n-3 FA) in patien...
Measuring Relative Accuracy of Malware Detectors in the Absence of Ground Truth

In this paper, we measure the relative accuracy of malware detectors in the absence of ground truth regarding the quality of malware detectors (i.e., the detection accuracy) or the class of sample files, (i.e., malicious or benign). In particular, we are interested in measuring the ordinal scale of mal ware detectors in the absence of the ground truth of their actual detection quality. To this end, we propose an algorithm to estimate the relative accuracy of the malware detectors. Based on synthetic data with known ground truth, we characterize when the proposed algorithm leads to accurately estimating the relative accuracy of the malware detectors. We show the measured relative accuracy of real-world malware detectors using our proposed algorithm based on a real dataset consisting of 10.7 million files and 62 malware detectors, obtained from VirusTotal.
Digital biomarkers of mood disorders and symptom change

Current approaches to psychiatric assessment are resource-intensive, requiring time-consuming evaluation by a trained clinician. Development of digital biomarkers holds promise for enabling scalable, time-sensitive, and cost-effective assessment of both psychiatric diagnosis and symptom change. The present study aimed to identify robust digital biomarkers of diagnostic status and changes in symptom severity over ~2 weeks, through re-analysis of public-use actigraphy data collected in patients with major depressive or bipolar disorder and healthy controls. Results suggest that participants’ diagnostic group status (i.e., mood disorder, control) can be predicted with a high degree of accuracy (predicted correctly 89% of the time, kappa = 0.773), using features extracted from actigraphy data alone. Results also suggest that actigraphy data can be used to predict symptom change across ~2 weeks (r = 0.782, p = 1.04e-05). Through inclusion of digital biomarkers in our statistical model, which are generalizable to new samples, the results may be replicated by other research groups in order to validate and extend this work.
Forests of Maryland, 2017

This publication provides an overview of forest resources in Maryland based on inventories conducted by the USDA Forest Service, Forest Inventory and Analysis (FIA) program of the Northern Research Station. From 2004–2013, FIA employed an annual inventory measuring data on 20 percent of all sample plots each year in Maryland. Beginning in 2014, FIA is on a 7-year cycle, inventorying 14.3 percent of all plots annually. For the 2017 inventory, estimates for current variables such as area, volume, and biomass are based on 982 plots (431 forested) collected from 2011–2017. Change variables, such as net growth, removals, and mortality, are based on 936 plots (391 forested) collected in 2006-2011 and resampled in 2011–2017.Estimates from earlier annual and periodic inventories are shown for comparison. See Bechtoldand Patterson (2005), O'Connell et al. (2013), and Gormanson et al. (2017) for definitions and technical details. A complete set of inventory tables is available at https://doi.org/10.2737/FS-RU-166.
Preparing leaders for wicked problems?: how the revised PSEL and NELP standards address equity and justice

The past 20 years have seen a shift in school leaders’ work that can best be characterized by an increasing complexity in expectations and greater demands for accountabilities. Educational leadership preparation programs and professional associations responded to these shifts, in part, with the development and proliferation of standards for both pre-service (ELCC and NELP) and practicing (ISLLC and PSEL) educational leaders. Both sets of standards have undergone significant revision in the last five years, largely in response to shifts in the work required of school administrators in today’s 21st century schools. However, what remains an open empirical question is whether the leadership standards are robust and pragmatic enough to tackle the various educational issues that school leaders face. In other words, do various school leadership standards prepare and assess school administrators appropriately? Using the wicked problems framework, we examine the extent to which the revised PSEL and NELP standards capture the challenging work required for school leaders to act as inclusive leaders and “equity-oriented change agents” (Maxwell, Locke, & Scheurich, 2013, p. 1). We utilize qualitative content analysis (Weber, 1990) to analyze the content of the leadership standards, focusing in particular on the ways those standards represent evolving conceptions of equity and justice. These analyses suggest that although both sets of standards have changed considerably from their predecessors, they may not go far enough to help leaders determine how to implement the proper administrative authority to solve complex issues. This is particularly true as it relates to the persistent, wicked equity problems facing our schools.
Chronic Kidney Disease Diagnosis and Management: A Review

Importance Chronic kidney disease (CKD) is the 16th leading cause of years of life lost worldwide. Appropriate screening, diagnosis, and management by primary care clinicians are necessary to prevent adverse CKD-associated outcomes, including cardiovascular disease, end-stage kidney disease, and death. Observations Defined as a persistent abnormality in kidney structure or function (eg, glomerular filtration rate [GFR] Conclusions and Relevance Diagnosis, staging, and appropriate referral of CKD by primary care clinicians are important in reducing the burden of CKD worldwide.
Patterns of Collapse in Lobar Atelectasis

Atelectasis is defined by either partial or complete collapse of lung parenchyma. The following chapters review its imaging features and several underlying types. Typical patterns of lung collapse and their associated radiographic signs are also described. A brief overview of pleural and lobar anatomy is provided.
Capsule Commentary on Goldman et al., Comparative Effectiveness of Multifaceted Outreach to Initiate Colorectal Cancer Screening in Community Health Centers: A Randomized Controlled Trial.

The authors conducted a randomized trial of a multidimensional intervention to enhance colorectal cancer (CRC) screening uptake using fecal occult blood tests (FOBT) in a community health center (CHC) setting for patients who had no evidence of prior screening,1 building on the author’s previous work in which mailings sent to patients in this setting achieved higher CRC screening uptake than a multifaceted practice-level systems-based intervention.2 Intervention patients received mailed CRC screening kits, a letter from the patient’s health care provider, and plain-language instructions for completing the test. The comparison group experienced usual care. Participants were followed for 12 months after study entry. The intervention group patients were more likely to complete CRC screening with FOBT than those in the usual care group (36.7 % vs. 14.8 %). Screening completion rates were higher among patients who visited the clinic more often and those who received text messages. Interestingly, the rate of positive FOBT test results was much lower in the intervention than the control group (6.5 % vs. 16.1 %); the authors do not adequately discuss this difference to assess its cause. It is important to note that the practice setting in which this study was conducted had implemented systems-based practice changes to support CRC screening prior to this study. Consequently, the rate of CRC screening had increased from 17 % to 43 % over a two-year period.1 Therefore, patients in the usual care group for this study may not be similar to those in practices where such system-level changes have not been implemented. In addition, patients in lower socioeconomic groups may be less likely to have landline telephones or permanent addresses,3,4 and the authors do not discuss the impact of this on their results. Future studies could be enhanced by including discussion of the practical cost of such an intervention and consideration of cost–benefit analysis in both CHC and non-CHC settings.
On the rewards of being open to opportunities and their challenges

The request to provide one’s Acquired Wisdom is a daunting challenge, and others in this series have approached it in a variety of ways. My own is to chronicle how I negotiated a scientific career filled with barriers to overcome and opportunities to contribute to the fields of motivation and self-regulated learning most generally. As you will see, mine was not a straight path but one filled with unexpected events that changed how and what I accomplished along the way. That includes never being satisfied that you know enough. I hope that you find something that helps you on your own journey.
Modeling q95 windows for the suppression of edge localized modes by resonant magnetic perturbations in the DIII-D tokamak

An improved resonant plasma response model that more accurately captures the physics of the interaction between a tokamak plasma and a resonant magnetic perturbation (RMP) is developed. The model interpolates between the linear and the nonlinear response regimes and takes into account the fact that the slip-frequency is non-zero in the nonlinear regime. The improved model is incorporated into the extended perturbed equilibrium code (EPEC) toroidal asymptotic matching code. The modified EPEC code is used to investigate RMP-induced edge-localized-mode (ELM) suppression in DIII-D H-mode discharge #145380. Somewhat surprisingly, allowing for a finite slip-frequency (i.e., relaxing the so-called no-slip constraint) is found to only slightly facilitate the locking of driven magnetic island chains to the RMP, and, hence, to only slightly facilitate RMP-induced ELM suppression. This is true despite the fact that the nature of non-locked island solutions is radically different when the no-slip constraint is imposed compared to when it is relaxed (in the first case, the widths of the island chains driven at the rational surfaces pulsate, and in the second case, they remain steady). The previously obtained conclusion that the response of a typical H-mode tokamak plasma to an RMP cannot be accurately modeled by linear theory is confirmed. The previously obtained conclusion that the best agreement between theory and observations is achieved by assuming that the natural frequencies of tearing modes, in the absence of the RMP, are determined by the local equilibrium E × B velocity is also confirmed.
Hybrid coronary revascularization

Abstract Robotic technology has greatly facilitated minimal-access coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG), affording patients a less-invasive approach than traditional sternotomy. These advances in minimally invasive coronary surgery, paralleled by similar improvements in the safety and efficacy of drug-eluting coronary stents, have laid the foundation for hybrid coronary revascularization (HCR) to become well established as a practical and viable option for patients with multivessel coronary disease, incorporating the best elements from both surgical and catheter-based arenas. Most commonly, HCR constitutes robotic-assisted revascularization of the left anterior descending (LAD) coronary artery, usually via a robotic minimally invasive direct coronary artery bypass, combined with percutaneous coronary intervention to non-LAD targets utilizing the newest generation of drug-eluting stents. HCR has been consistently shown to be associated with excellent perioperative and longer term results, with shorter intensive care and hospital lengths of stay, reduced pain and transfusion, and faster postoperative recovery, as compared with traditional sternotomy CABG, and, importantly, these benefits come without any compromise to the expected exceptional patency rates of the LAD graft.
HydroNet: Benchmark Tasks for Preserving Intermolecular Interactions and Structural Motifs in Predictive and Generative Models for Molecular Data.

Intermolecular and long-range interactions are central to phenomena as diverse as gene regulation, topological states of quantum materials, electrolyte transport in batteries, and the universal solvation properties of water. We present a set of challenge problems for preserving intermolecular interactions and structural motifs in machine-learning approaches to chemical problems, through the use of a recently published dataset of 4.95 million water clusters held together by hydrogen bonding interactions and resulting in longer range structural patterns. The dataset provides spatial coordinates as well as two types of graph representations, to accommodate a variety of machine-learning practices.
Human Factors in Highway-Rail Crossing Accidents: The Influence of Driver Decision Style

This paper explores the hypothesis that driver decision-making style influences highway-rail crossing accidents. To investigate this, the authors have designed an analysis of variance experiment with three independent variables: "driver decision style," "driver time pressure" and "intersection complexity." To simulate the driving conditions, the authors identified and videotaped a number of dangerous crossings in downtown Los Angeles. The tapes represented different environmental complexities and time pressures a driver experiences while crossing an intersection. The tapes were played back to the subject drivers. The subjects were classified according to their decision styles. Dependent measures were designed based on a driver's decision to cross the intersection. This paper presents the conceptual approach and the experimental design for this research.
Bulk Site Reference Materials

The selection, manufacture and use of Bulk Site Reference Materials (BSRMs) at hazardous waste sites is discussed. BSRMs are useful in preparing stabilization/solidification (S/S) formulations for soils, ranking competing S/S processes, comparing S/S alternatives to other technologies, and in interpreting data from different test types. BSRMs are large volume samples that are representative of the physical and chemical characteristics of a site soil, and that contain contaminants at reasonably high levels. A successful BSRM is extremely homogeneous and well-characterized. While not representative of any point on the site, they contain the contaminants of the site in the matrices of the site. Design objectives for a BSRM are to produce a material that (1) maintains good fidelity to site matrices and contaminants, and (2) exhibits the lowest possible relative standard deviation.
Biochemical Analysis of MEK Activation in NIH3T3 Fibroblasts IDENTIFICATION OF B-Raf AND OTHER ACTIVATORS

Numerous potential activators of MEK have been identified, including c-Raf-1, B-Raf, c-Mos, and a family of MEK kinases. However, little information gives insight into the activators actually utilized in vivo. To address this, we have used column chromatography and a coupled MEK activation assay to identify in NIH3T3 cells, two major MEK activators, and a third insulin-specific activator. The first MEK activator has an apparent Mr of 40,000-50,000, was immunologically distinct from A-Raf, B-Raf, c-Raf-1, c-MEKK, c-Mos, MEK1, and MEK2, and was rapidly activated by serum, platelet-derived growth factor (PDGF), insulin, thrombin, and phorbol ester. The second MEK activator was identified as B-Raf. Activation of 93-95 kDa B-Raf was observed in column fractions and B-Raf immunoprecipitates from cytosolic and particulate fractions after stimulation with serum or PDGF, but not insulin. c-Raf-1 from cytosol did not exhibit MEK activator activity; however, c-Raf-1 immunoprecipitates from the particulate fraction revealed MEK activator activity that was enhanced after stimulation with PDGF or phorbol ester, but not serum or insulin. Both c-Mos and c-MEKK were present in NIH3T3 fibroblasts but did not show MEK activator activity. These data provide direct evidence that 93-95-kDa B-Raf isozymes and an unidentified 40-50-kDa MEK activator are major agonist-specific MEK activators in NIH3T3 fibroblasts.
Potential Discrimination in Structured Employment Interviews

This experimental study examines the effects of bias toward persons with disabilities (PWDs) upon the employment interview decision process. The design and operationalization of the study permitted examination of the effects of specific disabilities, interview performance, and the resulting interaction between disability and interview performance, using 630 undergraduate students at a major university in the southwestern United States as subjects. The results indicate that (1) interview performance has a favorable, significant main effect upon subsequent HRM decisions, (2) specific disabilities, that is, child care demands, HIV-positive status, and being wheelchair-bound, have unfavorable, significant main effects upon subsequent HRM decisions, and (3) the presence of any of the disabilities decreased the favorable impact of superior interview performance. The limitations of the structured interview to mitigate bias were demonstrated. Given the pervasive, unfavorable treatment directed toward PWDs, it appears that the enactment of the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 (1993) is warranted. The public policy implications of these results and recommendations for future research were discussed.
To ask or not to ask: A foundation for the optimization of human-robot collaborations

In this paper, we propose a new paradigm for human-robot collaboration. In this paradigm, the collaboration properly takes advantage of the superior visual performance of the humans and the field exploration capabilities of robots, allowing the robot to only ask humans for help when needed. More specifically, we consider a robotic field exploration and classification task with limited communications with a human operator and under a given energy budget. By learning the visual performance of humans probabilistically, we show how the robot can optimize its path planning, sensing, and communication with humans. More specifically, we show when the robot should ask humans for help, when it should rely on its own judgment and when it should gather more information from the field. In order to show the performance of our framework, we then collect several human data using Amazon Mechanical Turk. Our simulation results with real data then confirm that our approach can save the resources considerably. They further reveal interesting behaviors in terms of when to ask humans for help, which we also mathematically characterize.
Influence of env and long terminal repeat sequences on the tissue tropism of avian leukosis viruses.

Abstract Adsorption and penetration of retroviruses into eucaryotic cells is mediated by retroviral envelope glycoproteins interacting with host receptors. Recombinant avian leukosis viruses (ALVs) differing only in envelope determinants that interact with host receptors for subgroup A or E ALVs have been found to have unexpectedly distinctive patterns of tissue-specific replication. Recombinants of both subgroups were highly expressed in bursal lymphocytes as well as in cultured chicken embryo fibroblasts. In contrast, the subgroup A but not subgroup E host range allowed high levels of expression in skeletal muscle, while subgroup E but not subgroup A envelope glycoproteins permitted efficient replication in the thymus. A subgroup B virus (RAV-2), like the subgroup E viruses, demonstrated a distinct bursal and thymic tropism, further supporting the theory that genes encoding receptors for subgroup B and E viruses are allelic. The source of long terminal repeats (LTRs) or adjacent sequences also influenced tissue-specific replication, with the LTRs from endogenous virus RAV-0 supporting efficient replication in the bursa and thymus but not in skeletal muscle. These results indicate that ALV env and LTR regions are responsible for unexpectedly distinctive tissue tropisms.
Size consistency error in the antisymmetric geminal power wave function can be completely removed.

The accurate but expensive product of geminals ansatz may be approximated by a geminal power, but this approach sacrifices size consistency. Here, we show both analytically and numerically that a size consistent form very similar to the product of geminals can be recovered using a network of location-specific Jastrow factors. Upon variational energy minimization, the network creates particle number projections that remove the charge fluctuations responsible for size inconsistency. This polynomial cost approach captures strong many-electron correlations, giving a maximum error of just $1.8\text{ }\text{ }\mathrm{kcal}/\mathrm{mol}$ during the double-bond dissociation of ${\mathrm{H}}_{2}\mathrm{O}$ in an STO-3G atomic orbital basis.
Language, Culture and Communication in Contemporary Europe.; Language and the State: Revitalization and Revival in Israel and E'ire.; Language Policy and Social Reproduction: Ireland 1893–1993.

Language, Culture and Communication in Contemporary Europe. Charlotte Hoffmann. ed. Bristol, PA: Multilingual Matters, Ltd., 1996. 165 pp. Language and the State: Revitalization and Revival in Israel and E'ire. Sue Wright. ed. Bristol, PA: Multilingual Matters, Ltd., 1996. 75 pp. Language Policy and Social Reproduction: Ireland 1893–1993. Pddraig O'Riagain. Oxford: Clarendon Press, 1997. 297 pp.
A New Calculation of the Ionizing Background Spectrum and the Effects of He II Reionization

The ionizing background determines the ionization balance and the thermodynamics of the cosmic gas. It is therefore a fundamental ingredient to theoretical and empirical studies of both the intergalactic medium (IGM) and galaxy formation. We present here a new calculation of its spectrum that satisfies the empirical constraints we recently obtained by combining state-of-the-art luminosity functions and intergalactic opacity measurements. In our preferred model, star-forming galaxies and quasars each contribute substantially to the H I ionizing field at z < 3, with galaxies rapidly overtaking quasars at higher redshifts as quasars become rarer. In addition to our fiducial model, we explore the physical dependences of the calculated background and clarify how recombination emission contributes to the ionization rates. We find that recombinations do not simply boost the ionization rates by the number of re-emitted ionizing photons as many of these rapidly redshift below the ionization edges and have a distribution of energies. A simple analytic model that captures the main effects seen in our numerical radiative transfer calculations is given. Finally, we discuss the effects of He II reionization by quasars on both the spectrum of the ionizing background and on the thermal history of the IGM. In regions that have yet to be reionized, the spectrum is expected to be almost completely suppressed immediately above 54.4 eV, while a background of higher energy (0.5 keV) photons permeates the entire universe owing to the frequency dependence of the photoionization cross section. We provide an analytical model of the heat input during He II reionization and its effects on the temperature-density relation.
Two-dimensional anisotropic contact behavior of unidirectional continuous FRP composites

Using an explicit expression for the Barnett-Lothe tensors, an analytical method is introduced for determining the contact characteristics of anisotropic composite materials. The influence of arbitrary fiber orientations on the contact pressure distribution for unidirectional continuous fiber-reinforced polymer (FRP) composites is investigated. To demonstrate the proposed analytical method, the frictional sliding contact between a unidirectional FRP composites and a rigid parabolic cylinder is analyzed. Based on the theoretical results for different fiber orientation angles, the relationships between the contact characteristics of fiber-reinforced plastics and their tribological performance are analyzed and discussed.