cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
A Language Supporting Direct Manipulation of Component-based Object Construction and Deconstruction in Collaborative Croquet Spaces

We describe the language architecture of Brie, a framework for authoring 3D spaces and user interfaces. Brie is designed to take advantage of the unique social characteristics of the Croquet collaboration architecture, in particular by lowering the bar for content creation, thus greatly expanding the community of content developers. This is achieved through a 3D direct-manipulation interface to objects. To support this, the Brie architecture consists of a prototype-based language extension to Squeak with flexible inheritance, demand-driven evaluation, dependency-directed backtracking, and a special copy algorithm that conditionally copies dependent references.
Here Today, Gone Tomorrow…and Back Again? A Review of Herbal Marijuana Alternatives (K2, Spice), Synthetic Cathinones (Bath Salts), Kratom, Salvia divinorum, Methoxetamine, and Piperazines

Despite their widespread Internet availability and use, many of the new drugs of abuse remain unfamiliar to health care providers. The herbal marijuana alternatives, like K2 or Spice, are a group of herbal blends that contain a mixture of plant matter in addition to chemical grade synthetic cannabinoids. The synthetic cathinones, commonly called “bath salts,” have resulted in nationwide emergency department visits for severe agitation, sympathomimetic toxicity, and death. Kratom, a plant product derived from Mitragyna speciosa Korth, has opioid-like effects, and has been used for the treatment of chronic pain and amelioration of opioid-withdrawal symptoms. Salvia divinorum is a hallucinogen with unique pharmacology that has therapeutic potential but has been banned in many states due to concerns regarding its psychiatric effects. Methoxetamine has recently become available via the Internet and is marked as “legal ketamine.” Moreover, the piperazine derivatives, a class of amphetamine-like compounds that includes BZP and TMFPP, are making a resurgence as “legal Ecstasy.” These psychoactives are available via the Internet, frequently legal, and often perceived as safe by the public. Unfortunately, these drugs often have adverse effects, which range from minimal to life-threatening. Health care providers must be familiar with these important new classes of drugs. This paper discusses the background, pharmacology, clinical effects, detection, and management of synthetic cannabinoid, synthetic cathinone, methoxetamine, and piperazine exposures.
Optical symbolic substitution: edge detection using Prewitt, Sobel, and Roberts operators

Edge detection schemes based on Prewitt, Sobel, and Roberts operators are realized using optical symbolic substitution. The corresponding optical systems are compared in terms of hardware and performance.
High Pressure Liquid Chromatographic Determination of Penicillic Acid in Chicken Tissues

Abstract Penicillic acid (PA) is a mycotoxin with reported cytotoxic, cardiotoxic, and carcinogenic activity and it can occur in high concentrations in corn. The occurrence of PA in contaminated poultry feed represents a potential public health hazard. A reverse phase high pressure liquid chromatographic (HPLC) method is proposed for determining PA residues in chicken tissues. Optimization of chromatography was achieved for PA using a mobile phase consisting of acetonitrile:H2O. PA was detected by ultraviolet absorption at 254 nm, identified by retention time, and quantitated by peak area integration. Blood, parenchymal tissues, muscle, and alimentary tract contents were homogenized, sonicated, and acid treated followed by extraction with ethyl acetate and analysis by HPLC. Acute oral dosing of chickens with PA over a range of 50 to 550 mg/kg body weight resulted in detectable levels of the mycotoxin (confirmed by gas liquid chromatography) in gizzard muscle and contents, liver, kidney, heart, and intestinal contents. This method should prove useful both for the rapid and sensitive detection of PA residues in poultry and in further studies on the distribution and metabolism of this mycotoxin.
Exploratory prototyping through the use of frames and production rules

Exploratory prototypes allow examination and validation of the functionality of a software system under construction by observing the behavior of the system requirements brought out through an interpreter. In order to produce the exploratory prototype rapidly, a language must be available to provide freedom from implementation concerns and allow for a natural representation of the problem domain through inheritance hierarchies and exception handling mechanisms. For embedded systems the prototyping language must also allow for specification of the system as a set of concurrently executing and interacting processes. The language FRORL2, which uses frames and production rules to construct exploratory prototypes for embedded systems, is discussed. >
Transparent linguistic interface generation and its application in fuzzy decision trees

The linguistic interface is a group of fuzzy sets and their corresponding membership functions applied to define the linguistic terms used in fuzzy modeling, granular computing and computing with words. The fuzzy C-means algorithm (FCM) is widely used in the generation of membership functions for linguistic terms from historical data. However, most of FCM-based membership function generation algorithms and their variants consider little on the transparency or the understandability of the resulting membership functions. This paper proposes a genetic pre-shaped fuzzy C-means algorithm (GPFCM) to generate transparent membership functions for linguistic terms in linguistic interfaces. The proposed algorithm will preserve predefined transparent shapes of membership functions during the optimization process of the clustering algorithm. To avoid local optimality, the genetic algorithm is applied to solve the optimization problem in the clustering algorithm. Numeric experiments based on data collected in a real civil project demonstrate the feasibility and superiority of the proposed new algorithm. The classification problems solved by fuzzy decision trees based on different linguistic interfaces are provided to demonstrate the advantages of the proposed linguistic interface generation method.
Selectively buried waveguide sensors for monolayer and sub-monolayer detection of biological and chemical analytes

This paper describes a new form of optical waveguide structure that is suitable for detecting low concentrations of chemical and biological analytes and can be efficiently integrated into fiber networks. The waveguide is formed in glass and inherently provides a good interface to recognition layers that can be tailored to interact with specific chemical or biological analytes at monolayer and potentially sub-monolayer concentration levels. The glass platform is also compatible with other optical materials such as sol-gels and polymers allowing the formation of composite waveguide/microresonator or waveguide/PBG devices.
Host species and habitat affect nodulation by specific Frankia genotypes in two species of Alnus in interior Alaska.

Alders (Alnus spp.) are important components of northern ecosystems due to their ability to fix nitrogen (N) in symbiosis with Frankia bacteria. Availability of optimal Frankia may be a contributing factor in limiting the performance and ecological effects of Alnus, but the factors underlying distribution of Alnus-infective Frankia are not well understood. This study examined the genetic structure (nifD–K spacer RFLP haplotypes) of Frankia assemblages symbiotic with two species of Alnus (A. tenuifolia and A. viridis) in four successional habitats in interior Alaska. We used one habitat in which both hosts occurred to observe differences between host species independent of habitat, and we used replicate sites for each habitat and host to assess the consistency of symbiont structure related to both factors. We also measured leaf N content and specific N-fixation rate (SNF) of nodules (15N uptake) to determine whether either covaried with Frankia structure, and whether Frankia genotypes differed in SNF in situ. Frankia structure differed between sympatric hosts and among habitats, particularly for A. tenuifolia, and was largely consistent among replicate sites representing both factors. Leaf N differed between host species and among habitats for both hosts. SNF did not differ among habitats or host species, and little evidence for differences in SNF among Frankia genotypes was found, due largely to high variation in SNF. Consistency of Frankia structure among replicate sites suggests a consistent relationship between both host species and habitat among these sites. Correlations with specific environmental variables and possible underlying mechanisms are discussed.
Adaptive Polarized Waveform Design for Target Tracking Based on Sequential Bayesian Inference

In this paper, we develop an adaptive waveform design method for target tracking under a framework of sequential Bayesian inference. We employ polarization diversity to improve the tracking accuracy of a target in the presence of clutter. We use an array of electromagnetic (EM) vector sensors to fully exploit the polarization information of the reflected signal. We apply a sequential Monte Carlo method to track the target parameters, including target position, velocity, and scattering coefficients. This method has the advantage of being able to handle nonlinear and non-Gaussian state and measurement models. The measurements are the output of the sensor array; hence, the information about both the target and its environment is incorporated in the tracking process. We design a new criterion for selecting the optimal waveform one-step ahead based on a recursion of the posterior Cramer-Rao bound. We also derive an algorithm using Monte Carlo integration to compute this criterion and a suboptimal method that reduces the computation cost. Numerical examples demonstrate both the performance of the proposed tracking method and the advantage of the adaptive waveform design scheme.
A Social Capital Framework for the Study of Institutional Agents and Their Role in the Empowerment of Low-Status Students and Youth

This article builds on a sociological account of working-class minority youth development and differential access to social capital—defined in terms of key resources and support provided by institutional agents (Stanton-Salazar, 1997, 2001, 2004). The article elaborates on the concept of institutional agents—specifically, high-status, non-kin, agents who occupy relatively high positions in the multiple dimensional stratification system, and who are well positioned to provide key forms of social and institutional support. The article focuses on the kinds of institutional support such agents are able to provide, and on the multiple and simultaneous [help-giving] roles assumed by those who provide this support. Drawing from empowerment theory in critical social work, the article provides a discussion about manifesting one’s capacity as an institutional agent in ways that not only entails providing key resources, but also that enables the authentic empowerment of the student or young person. Influenced by Fre...
Less Stigma or More Financial Distress: An Empirical Analysis of the Extraordinary Increase in Bankruptcy Filings

A central concern in domestic economic policy has been the great increase in consumer bankruptcy filings since 1980. That concern was a major cause of the adoption of the 2005 amendments to the Bankruptcy Code. We analyze the data from three studies of consumer bankruptcy over twenty years to learn more about the causes of that increase. One consistent claim has been that a decline in reputational loss (stigma) has made filing for bankruptcy easier, thus explaining the rise in filings. The principal competing claim has been that increased filings arise from increased financial distress. We find that the declining-stigma hypothesis is implausible because the data show that consumer bankrupts are even more indebted now than their counterparts were in 1981 and 1991 and that there is no identifiable group of less-indebted bankrupts that were tempted into bankruptcy by reduced reputational costs. Those data and other factors support an inference that the stigma of bankruptcy may have increased over the past twenty years.
Bernard Lonergan’s Promise for Educational Philosophy

Philosopher and theologian, Bernard Lonergan, S.J., regarded as one of the most influential Jesuit thinkers of the twentieth century, focused primarily on cognitional theory, epistemology and metaphysics. His system of thought known as “intentionality analysis” has been applied widely to many fields of study, including education. While Lonergan directly addressed certain issues in education and educational philosophy, his thought has greater promise for educational philosophy through broader application, specifically in ordering and expanding educational themes related to the four key differentiations of consciousness he expounds. The differentiations are explained as distinct but interrelated levels of consciousness and consist of experiencing, understanding, judging and deciding. For educational philosophy, “experiencing” draws attention to the vast array of sensory input, affectivity and the experience of ideas. “Understanding” brings to light the questioning process that seeks intelligibility for human experience, direct and indirect, where the processes and achievements of intelligence become the focus. “Judging” concerns questions of the good, the right and the true, and provides an expanded context of critical thinking and reasonableness encompassing knowledge of not only the world but also of oneself. “Deciding” wrestles with the existential questions of life and promotes responsible living expressed in moral agency, social justice, service to one’s communities, and engaged citizenship. More than adding new educational theory or pedagogical innovation (though these may result with further practical application of intentionality analysis), the promise of Lonergan’s thought for education philosophy appears as a larger framework for deep thinking about education that distinguishes important themes and concerns and interrelates them to a comprehensive and open-ended horizon that champions human potentials for attentiveness, intelligence, reasonableness and responsibility.
The right to die: healthcare workers' attitudes compared with a national public poll.

Attitudes toward the right to die were investigated for hospital nurses and findings compared with a national poll. Both the general public and healthcare workers endorse an individual's right to s...
Performance and scalability of the NAS parallel benchmarks in Java

Several features make Java an attractive choice for scientific applications. In order to gauge the applicability of Java to computational fluid dynamics (CFD), we have implemented the NAS parallel benchmarks in Java. The performance and scalability of the benchmarks point out the areas where improvement in Java compiler technology and in Java thread implementation would position Java closer to Fortran in the competition for scientific applications.
Knowledge is not power--knowledge is obligation.

The public’s abandonment of rehabilitation is in large part due to the absence of leadership from the mental health professions about how to make our country a safer place to live. Forensic psychiatry and psychology, especially their academic and scholarly manifestations, have historically focused on assessment and prediction as their most visible and highly valued functions, but in an America filled with fear of interpersonal violence, assessment alone is increasingly revealing itself to be hollow and self-serving. Prediction without reduction of risk may well serve no useful societal function at all. Some argue that the best role for forensic clinicians is assisting courts in making fair and accurate dispositional decisions, but the public sees one of us on each side of every question, and the decisions we help the courts make may simply be between two inadequate and ineffective systems of rehabilitation: hospitals or prisons. After more than 50 years of studying violence, it is time for the best forensic clinicians to leap into the fray, by working to change systems of care and engaging in treatment of those individuals who pose the highest risk of violence. Some forensic clinicians exclusively confine their practice to assisting courts and juries in making judgments, for example, about whether people are to be found not guilty by reason of insanity or, in the alternative, guilty of a serious crime. The premise is that it is better for courts to make correct judgments than incorrect judgments, but such judgments are not mere academic pronouncements, and they are not the “right” answers to some test. These judgments are rulings that profoundly affect human lives. If such decisions are to be helpful, we must look to their consequences. I have worked in and run prison mental health and forensic psychiatric facilities, yet I know that there is
Mechanical Characterization of Metal Foams for Contact Resistance in Thermal Interface Applications

We present a study on the effective mechanical compliance of porous aluminum foams. We develop an experimental setup to characterize the elastic properties as well as evaluate surface deformation with respect to porosity as well as pore size in an effort to correlate the properties to contact resistance of the foams when used as thermal interface materials. There have been multiple studies in the past to evaluate the effective elastic modulus of porous structure as a function of porosity through experimentation, simulation as well as analytic models. This work also serves as a validation for analytic and experimental data published by various researchers in the past. This study is one aspect of a larger study to empirically correlate the area of contact to thermal contact resistance. We evaluate samples with three different porosity and three different PPI (pores per inch) specification. Additionally we analyze effect of presence of filler material in the voids — a phase change material. The filler is used as separate stand-alone TIM in the industry currently.Copyright © 2015 by ASME
Serum lactic dehydrogenase activity as indication of neoplastic growth and regression.

SummaryLactic dehydrogenase activity of the sera of Swiss and Leaden mice increases promptly after tumor transplantation and decreases with tumor regression.
Über Darstellung und Eigenschaften der Carcinomdarmsäure des Menschen

Die Untersuchung der Eigenschaften der nachFreund undKaminer durch Einwirkung der Darmflora von Carcinomatosen auf Milch-Fett-Nahrlosungen gewonnenen Carcinomdarmsaure ergab:
Indigenous Ware or Spanish Import? The Case of Indígena Ware and Approaches to Power in Colonial Mexico

For the last two decades, archaeologists have believed that a ceramic type known as Indigena Ware was an imitation of European majolica, produced by colonial Nahuas in Mexico City for lower-class Spanish families. Ideas surrounding the production and consumption of Indigena Ware, as well as majolica in general, have been based on the concepts of Spanish domination and indigenous acculturation. These ideas emphasize European interests in displaying high-value imports to obtain distinction along racial and class lines, and fail to consider indigenous strategies for obtaining power through craft production and display. We begin by critically evaluating the stylistic, iconographic, and technical evidence archaeologists have used to suggest that Indigena Ware was an indigenous product. We present the results from neutron activation analysis of 250 ceramic sherds indicating that Indigena Ware forms its own compositional group, different from Aztec pottery and Spanish majolica, and suggest that Indigena Ware is most likely a Spanish import. The problems this ware presents for classification reveal the limitations of locating power exclusively in the hands of the Spanish and point to ways in which we could overcome this theoretical problem for the study of colonialism in Mexico.
Outcome analysis of stage II and III cervical carcinoma: Importance of optimal radiation therapy

e16562 Background: The objective of our study was to conduct an outcome analysis of patients with stage II and III cervical cancer (CC) treated in our institution. We sought to asses the effectiven...
Biomarkers for sporadic Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease.

Sporadic Creutzfeldt–Jakob disease (sCJD) is a rare but fatal type of spongiform encephalopathy with unknown cause. Unfortunately, definitive diagnosis of this disease can only be done by examination of postmortem brain tissue. Presumptive diagnosis is done through a combination of clinical manifestations, radiology results, and cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) testing for CSF 14-3-3. Even with these guidelines, premortem diagnosis of sCJD can be unreliable with high rates of misdiagnosis. This calls for more reliable biomarkers of the disease, allowing for better diagnosis as well as understanding the pathogenesis of sCJD. This review compiles potential genetic, protein, biomolecular, and imaging biomarker studies for sCJD since 2010, highlighting the promise of proteins, cytokines, and composite biomarkers for improving the diagnosis as well as understanding the pathogenesis of this mysterious ailment.
China's Changing Approach to Military Strategy: The Science of Military Strategy from 2001 and 2013

The 2013 publication of the Science of Military Strategy is an essential source for understanding how China’s thinking about military strategy is changing. To examine how China’s approach to military strategy is changing, this chapter compares the 2013 edition of the Science of Military Strategy with the 2001 edition. The chapter reaches two conclusions. First, the 2013 edition represents an evolution of China’s approach to thinking about military strategy. It does not contain a description of a revolutionary new approach to China’s military strategy. Instead, it examines changes in China’s security environment through traditional concepts that have underpinned the PLA’s approach to strategy, such as “active defense,” by modifying or adjusting these ideas based on new circumstances. Second, a main theme throughout the text is how new and expanding interests overseas, along with worldwide advances in military technology and the posture of potential adversaries, are expanding the battlespace in which the PLA will need to operate and the importance of greater strategic depth. Thus, much of the book can be interpreted as examining how the PLA should respond to these new conditions based on its traditional approach to strategy.
A Case Study of Exploring"Graft Model"for Introducing Up-to-date International Teaching Resources in Ningbo University

This paper,based on the survey of instructional experience in the credit transfer program in business management of Ningbo University,discusses connotations,distinctive features of "graft model"and key steps in its practice.It concludes that"graft model"is an efficient access towards introducing up-to-date teaching resources from other countries.
Process analysis of EIRMCIS based on the method of flow-chart

The EIRMCIS process analysis model is built on the method of flow chart.The enterprise integrated risk affecting factors are analysed and the enterprise integrated risk objectives are specified.This paper enriches the theoretics of enterprise integrated risk management,and guides the practice activity of enterprise integrated risk management.Based on the general operation of the enterprise business,the basic framework of RMCIS is established.The process analysis model enables the enterprise to control all kinds of risks and ensures the enterprise to make strategic plan.
Quantitative Analysis of Migrating Components in Interface of NEPE Propellant/Liner/Insulation

The main migrating components in the interfaces of standard Φ25 mm cylinder samples of nitrate ester plasticized polyether(NEPE) based propellant/hydroxyl terminated polybutadiene(HTPB) based liner/ethylene-propylene-diene terpolymer(EPDM) based insulation were quantified by using high performance liquid chromatography(HPLC) and gas chromatography(GC).The results show that plasticizers of nitroglycerin(NG) and 1,2,4-butanetriol tri-nitrate(BTTN),as well as function reagent of AD,which are the main components migrating in the interface,are separated well simultaneously by HPLC,while plasticizer of dioctyl sebacate(DOS) is only found by GC.The recovery ratios of the established HPLC method for determination of NG,BTTN and AD,and GC method for determination of DOS are more than 90%,and the coefficients of variation are less than 6% for these components in the liner.The precision and accuracy of the methods are satisfied for common determination.The results show that NG,BTTN and AD in the propellant can migrate to the liner and insulation with more content in the liner,while AD migrates more obviously than NG and BTTN,and AD even concentrates in the liner.DOS in the liner only migrates to the insulation,not to the propellant.
All known hot RCB stars are fading fast over the last century

The R Coronae Borealis (RCB) stars are cool supergiants that display irregular and deep dips in their light curves, caused by dust formation. There are four known hot RCB stars (DY Cen, MV Sgr, V348 Sgr, and HV 2671), with surface temperatures of 15,000--25,000 K, and prior work has suggested that three of these have secular fading in brightness. I have tested this result by measuring century-long light curves in the Johnson B-band with modern comparison star magnitudes, and I have extended this by measuring many magnitudes over a wide time range as well as for the fourth hot RCB star. In all four cases, the B-band magnitude of the maximum light is now fast fading. The fading rates (in units of magnitudes per century) are 2.5 for DY Cen after 1960, 1.3 for MV Sgr, 1.3 for V348 Sgr, and 0.7 for HV 2671. This secular fading is caused by the expected evolution of the star across the top of the HR diagram at constant luminosity, as the temperature rises and the bolometric correction changes. For DY Cen, the brightness at maximum light is rising from 1906 to 1932, and this is caused by the temperature increase from near 5,800 to 7,500 K. Before 1934 DY Cen had frequent dust dips, while after 1934 there are zero dust dips, so there is some apparent connection between the rising temperature and the formation of the dust. Thus, we have watched DY Cen evolve from an ordinary RCB star up to a hot RCB star and now appearing as an extreme helium star, all in under one century.
Pediatric Neuro-Ophthalmology

The author discusses an extended list of the ophthalmic signs and symptoms of neurologic disease (some of which were once considered to be benign or isolated eye problems) under the general categories of vision problems, pupil signs, eye movement disorders, fundus abnormalities, and eyelid abnormalities
Abstract 63: Absence of Fibulin-2 Attenuates Cardiac Hypertrophy and Fibrosis in Transgenic Mice Over-expressing Circulating Transforming Growth Factor-beta

Background: TGF-β is a potent growth factor that induces myocardial hypertrophy and fibrosis. However, the interaction between circulating TGF-β and local myocardial TGF-β in inducing cardiac hypertrophy is not well understood. Fibulin-2 is an ECM protein that mediates TGF-β activation during cardiac hypertrophy in response to chronic angiotensin (Ang) II infusion. We tested the hypothesis that fibulin-2 mediates systemic TGF-β-induced cardiac hypertrophy. Materials & Methods and Results: We created double mutant mice by crossing TGF-β over-expressing transgenic mice (TG) and fibulin-2 knockout mice (KO). TG are known to produce excessive mature porcine TGF-β from the liver. TG/WT developed significant myocardial hypertrophy at 8 weeks compared with non-TG (NTG) groups. Hypertrophy in KO/TG was significantly attenuated compared with TG/WT. Myocardial TGF-β mRNA up-regulation was significantly higher in TG/WT than in TG/KO or NGT groups, so was Smad2 activation, but myocardial TGF-β bioactivity measured by PAI-1 promoter/luciferase bioassay was comparable among all four groups. Serum carrier-bound TGF-β (total TGF-β) in WT/TG was significantly higher than that in KO/TG and NTG groups, but free TGF-β level was equally elevated in TG groups compared with NTG groups. The difference in hypertrophy between WT/TG and KO/TG may be attributed to increased myocardial TGF-β[[Unable to Display Character: ]]mRNA and elevated serum total TGF-β in WT/TG, not directly to bioactive myocardial TGF-β[[Unable to Display Character: ]]or serum free TGF-β. Endogenous TGF-β mRNA levels in kidney and liver were equally increased in TG groups compared with NTG groups, and were same in all 4 groups in lung, suggesting fibulin-2 was not involved in TGF-β-induced TGF-β synthesis in these organs. Conclusion: Systemic TGF-β-induced-endogenous TGF-β up-regulation was mediated by fibulin-2 in the myocardium. After secretion, endogenous myocardial TGF-β may be either sequestrated into insoluble ECM or directly released into circulation as a soluble carrier-bound form. It is circulating endogenous TGF-β secreted from the heart that is primarily responsible for myocardial hypertrophy. Heart is a major source of circulating endogenous TGF-β in the TG/WT, which assumes an endocrine role in inducing myocardial hypertrophy.
Learning From Trials on Radiation Dose in Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer.

In this issue of the International Journal of Radiation Oncology • Biology • Physics , Taylor et al present a meta-analysis of published data supporting 2 findings: ( 1 ) radiation dose escalation seems to benefit patients who receive radiation alone for non-small cell lung cancer; and ( 2 ) radiation dose escalation has a detrimental effect on overall survival in the setting of concurrent chemotherapy. The latter finding is supported by data but has perplexed the oncology community. Perhaps these findings are not perplexing at all. Perhaps it is simply another lesson in the major principle in radiation oncology, to minimize radiation dose to normal tissues.
TNF superfamily cytokines in the promotion of Th9 differentiation and immunopathology

The tumor necrosis factor (TNF) receptors and their corresponding cytokine ligands have been implicated in many aspects of the biology of immune functions. TNF receptors have key roles during various stages of T cell homeostasis. Many of them can co-stimulate lymphocyte proliferation and cytokine production. Additionally, several TNF cytokines can regulate T cell differentiation, including promoting Th1, Th2, Th17, and more recently the newly described Th9 subset. Four TNF family cytokines have been identified as regulators for IL-9 production by T cells. OX40L, TL1A, and GITRL can promote Th9 formation but can also divert iTreg into Th9, while 4-1BBL seems to inhibit IL-9 production from iTreg and has not been studied for its ability to promote Th9 generation. Regulation of IL-9 production by TNF family cytokines has repercussions in vivo, including enhancement of anti-tumor immunity and immunopathology in allergic lung and ocular inflammation. Regulating T cell production of IL-9 through blockade or agonism of TNF family cytokine receptors may be a therapeutic strategy for autoimmune and allergic diseases and in tumor.
An Example of the Type of Analysis Suggested in This Book

In this chapter I describe a statistical analysis of a single study that uses the principles and some of the techniques described in earlier chapters. The study is a two-center study comparing patients with clinical depression between two treatments: $${\text{Treatment }}A{\text{ = a dibenzoxepin derivative}},$$ $${\text{Treatment }}B{\text{ = a combination of amitriptyline and a phenothiazine}}.$$
Brief Practical Screeners in English and Spanish for Acute Posttraumatic Stress Symptoms in Children.

With millions of children experiencing acute traumatic events, validated screening tools are needed in both research and service contexts. We aimed to identify and evaluate short forms of the Acute Stress Checklist for Children in English (ASC-Kids) and Spanish (Cuestionario de Estres Agudo-Ninos [CEA-N]), using data from 4 samples (Ns of 254, 225, 176, and 80) of children with recent acute trauma. Confirmatory factor analyses of the full checklist in the largest sample guided item selection for 6-item and 3-item short forms. Across samples, both short forms (ASC-6/ASC-3 in English; CEA-6/CEA-3 in Spanish) were correlated with acute stress disorder (ASD) symptom severity on the full checklist (r = .79 to .92), and on an interview measure (r = .52 to .62). Receiver operating curve analyses for each short form detecting current ASD status showed high areas under the curve (.76 to .95). Cutoff scores identified based on Sample 1 provided acceptable sensitivity (.59 to 1.00) and specificity (.57 to .86) across samples. Children scoring above the cutoff on each screener reported greater concurrent impairment from ASD symptoms and more severe posttraumatic stress 3 months later. These very brief measures could expand clinicians' and researchers' ability to screen for acute posttraumatic stress in children.
Family history density of substance use problems among undergraduate college students: Associations with heavy alcohol use and alcohol use disorder

Abstract Purpose A family history of alcoholism has been found associated with problematic alcohol use among college students, but less research has examined the effects of family history density of substance use problems in this population. This study examined the prevalence of family history density of substance use problems and its associations with heavy alcohol use, negative alcohol consequences, and alcohol use disorder in a college sample. Methods Based on a secondary analysis of a probability sample, data were analyzed from 606 undergraduate students. Family history density of substance use problems included both first and second degree biological relatives. Heavy alcohol use was the total number of days in which participants drank five/four or more drinks for men/women, negative alcohol consequences were derived from items commonly asked in college student surveys, and an alcohol use disorder was defined as meeting diagnostic criteria for alcohol abuse or dependence. Point prevalence estimated rates of family history density of substance use problems, and negative binomial, ANCOVA, and logistic regression models examined associations between family history density and the alcohol variables while adjusting for sociodemographic variables. Results Family history density of substance use problems was not significantly associated with total days of heavy alcohol use. Having a second degree, a first degree, or both a first and second degree relative(s) with a substance use problem, however, was significantly associated with experiencing negative alcohol consequences. In addition, having both a first and second degree relative(s) with a substance use problem significantly increased the odds of having an alcohol use disorder. Conclusions Family history density of substance use problems may play a role in experiencing negative alcohol consequences and in having an alcohol use disorder among undergraduate college students and may be an important risk factor to assess by college health professionals.
CR geometry in 3-D

CR geometry studies the boundary of pseudo-convex manifolds. By concentrating on a choice of a contact form, the local geometry bears strong resemblence to conformal geometry. This paper deals with the role conformally invariant operators such as the Paneitz operator plays in the CR geometry in dimension three. While the sign of this operator is important in the embedding problem, the kernel of this operator is also closely connected with the stability of CR structures. The positivity of the CR-mass under the natural sign conditions of the Paneitz operator and the CR Yamabe operator is discussed. The CR positive mass theorem has a consequence for the existence of minimizer of the CR Yamabe problem. The pseudo-Einstein condition studied by Lee has a natural analogue in this dimension, and it is closely connected with the pluriharmonic functions. The author discusses the introduction of new conformally covariant operator P-prime and its associated Q-prime curvature and gives another natural way to find a canonical contact form among the class of pseudo-Einstein contact forms. Finally, an isoperimetric constant determined by the Q-prime curvature integral is discussed.
Spatiotemporal dynamics of viscoelastic turbulence in transitional channel flow

Abstract Direct numerical simulations (DNS) of viscoelastic turbulence in channel flow are performed in minimal and large domains and the dynamics in the two cases are compared. Friction Reynolds numbers ranging from 70 to 100 and in the zero to moderate (40%) drag reduction (DR) regimes are studied. In minimal domains, there are occasional time intervals when the flow exhibits features such as weak vortices, low Reynolds shear stress, lower friction drag and larger log-law slope; these have been denoted as “hibernating turbulence” in contrast to the “active turbulence” that occurs otherwise. The present study addresses the question of whether similar low-drag events arise spatiotemporally in large domains. Image analysis algorithms and conditional sampling techniques are applied to the extended domains to identify and quantify the spatially local low-drag or hibernating regions. The results indicate that the hibernating states found in large domains share many similarities with those in minimal domains. Not only are their flow structures similar, but how they evolve with Reynolds number and viscoelasticity is qualitatively identical. In both large and minimal domains, structures in hibernating intervals/regions remain virtually unaltered with increasing viscoelasticity and the polymer molecules are less stretched than in active regions. At fixed Weissenberg number the hibernating regions/intervals vanish as friction Reynolds number increases; however they reappear as viscoelasticity is introduced, and gradually dominate the flow fields at sufficiently high Weissenberg number.
Sliding Mode Control of Contact Heat Transfer Processes in Heteroazeotrops

The paper deals with control of contact evaporation heat transfer processes taking places in heterogeneous azeotropic solutions with the existence of a specific liquid-liquid-vapor equilibrium. First, the model of the process is derived in the form of modified heat equation and its mode representation. Three control methodologies are offered: open loop control, stabilization control utilizing the output signal only and control with the desired rate of convergence as a discontinuous function of the output and its time derivative.
Copper-Binding Small Molecule Induces Oxidative Stress and Cell-Cycle Arrest in Glioblastoma-Patient-Derived Cells.

Transition metals are essential, but deregulation of their metabolism causes toxicity. Here, we report that the compound NSC319726 binds copper to induce oxidative stress and arrest glioblastoma-patient-derived cells at picomolar concentrations. Pharmacogenomic analysis suggested that NSC319726 and 65 other structural analogs exhibit lethality through metal binding. Although NSC319726 has been reported to function as a zinc ionophore, we report here that this compound binds to copper to arrest cell growth. We generated and validated pharmacogenomic predictions: copper toxicity was substantially inhibited by hypoxia, through an hypoxia-inducible-factor-1α-dependent pathway; copper-bound NSC319726 induced the generation of reactive oxygen species and depletion of deoxyribosyl purines, resulting in cell-cycle arrest. These results suggest that metal-induced DNA damage may be a consequence of exposure to some xenobiotics, therapeutic agents, as well as other causes of copper dysregulation, and reveal a potent mechanism for targeting glioblastomas.
Introduction: Caregiving to Promote Mental Health and Prevent Mental Illness

As Former First Lady Rosalynn Carter suggests, caregiving is a universal proposition that almost every human will face at some point in their lifetime (Carter and Golant, Helping someone with mental illness: a compassionate guide for family, friends, and caregivers. Three Rivers, New York, 1999; Carter et al., Within our reach: ending the mental health crisis. Rodale, New York, 2010). While caregiving—providing care for an individual with special needs or illnesses—is most often a selfless act of love, the process involves deep personal commitment to situations with great variety, and for some, it also demands incredible personal sacrifice.
Networking vs. rote learning strategies in concept acquisition

Following presentation of a slide-tape instructional program, the performance of subjects in two learning strategy groups-networking and rote-was compared to a control group on a concept learning task and a spatial learning task. Networking proved more effective than rote learning and the control group on both tasks; networking also allowed for improved retention over time (in this case, one week). This article reviews some of the research on learning strategies and suggests how the network strategy can enhance learning in academic situations.
Frugal coordinate descent for large-scale NNLS

The Nonnegative Least Squares (NNLS) formulation arises in many important regression problems. We present a novel coordinate descent method which differs from previous approaches in that we do not explicitly maintain complete gradient information. Empirical evidence shows that our approach outperforms a state-of-the-art NNLS solver in computation time for calculating radiation dosage for cancer treatment problems.
Thermodynamic Aspects of Continuous Damage in Brittle Solids

Some elastic solids fail not through macro-fracture or plastic flow, but rather through growth of micro-defects. Modelling of such processes occurs through theories of continuous damage mechanics. Thermodynamic aspects of one such theory are discussed in this paper, focussing on limitations of admissible processes, energy dissipation in a loading-unloading cycle and the number of cycles leading to failure.
Substance Abuse and Creativity

There has been a romanticized connection between Substance abuse and creativity. Drugs including alcohol and cocaine predate history so it is not surprising that references are threaded through notable art and literature dating back to the time of Homer and Seneca. Alcohol and drug abuse has been the subject of many creative artists. Drugs have been a part of many books, movies, and songs reflecting the lifestyles of the writers and musicians who wrote and performed them. This article will review what creativity researchers have found about substance abuse among eminent creative people and how it influenced their work.
Lithium therapy of chronic neutropenia.

Lithium carbonate can increase granulocyte production in psychiatric patients (Rothstein et al., 1978) and normal subjects (Stein et al., 1978b). Administration of lithium has improved neutropenia in cases of Felty’s syndrome (Gupta et al., 1975), aplastic anemia (Barrett et al., 1977; Blum, 1979), and congenital neutropenia (Barrett et al., 1977). On this basis, we instituted a pilot study to determine the efficacy of lithium in the treatment of neutropenia or diverse etiologies. This report presents the results of that trial.
Device Design and Photovoltaic Performance of Heterojunction Solar Cells Using Ultra-Thin Bi 2 S 3 Photoabsorber

In this work, we report on the device design and numerical simulation results on the characteristics of Cu-doped p-type Bi 2 S 3 -based ultra-thin film solar cells. Potential non-toxic, wide-bandgap n-type semiconductors including ZnS, TiO2, ZnO:Al, and $\mathbf{In}_{2}\mathbf{S}_{3}$ were investigated as window layers in this study. Device simulation was performed using Solar Cell Capacitance Simulator (SCAPS) and photovoltaic performance parameters, such as open-circuit voltage $(\mathbf{V}_{\text{oc}})$ , short-circuit current density $(\mathbf{J}_{\mathbf{S}\mathbf{C}})$ , fill factor (FF), and photoconversion efficiency (PCE) were studied. The best-performing devices were obtained with p-Bi 3 S 3 /n-In 2 S 3 heterojunction structure while p-Bi 3 S 3 /n-TiO 2 lead to inferior performance due to mismatch in the band alignment. A respectable efficiency of 17.1% was obtained with an absorber layer thickness of 1 $\pmb{\mu}\mathbf{m}$ with In 2 S 3 as the window layer and >16% PCE was achieved with ZnO:Al as the n-type heterojunction partner. Our findings clearly show the potential of p-type Bi 2 S 3 as an active absorber layer and suggests that high efficiency thin film solar cells can be fabricated with this novel solar cell photoabsorber at a much lower cost and without any toxicity issues.
Hypophysitis in the era of immune checkpoint inhibitors and immunoglobulin G4-related disease

Introduction Hypophysitis is a rare disorder, defined as inflammation of the pituitary gland that may result in pituitary enlargement and varying anterior and posterior pituitary hormonal deficits. It involves different histopathological subtypes and variable etiologies, with considerable overlap between classification systems. Histopathology is the gold standard diagnostic approach. Areas covered In this article, we will review the major histopathological subtypes of hypophysitis with a special focus on immunoglobulin G4 (IgG4)-related hypophysitis and immune checkpoint inhibitor-induced hypophysitis, given their recent appearance and increasing incidence. We will summarize the similarities and differences between the different subtypes as it relates to epidemiology, pathogenesis, presentation, diagnosis, and management. Expert opinion Hypophysitis is a heterogeneous and wide term used to describe different, possibly distinct diseases often with poorly understood pathogenesis. It involves a wide range of subtypes with certain differences in incidence rates, pathogenesis, and management. Management usually focuses on relieving the mass effect symptoms and replacing the deficient pituitary hormones. Spontaneous recovery is possible but recurrence is not uncommon.
MODIFIED SOL-GEL BASED APPROACHES FOR SYNTHESIZING BOROPHOSPHOSILICATE GLASSES AND GLASS-CERAMICS

Modified sol-gel based processes were used to synthesize borophosphosilicate glasses and glass-ceramics, utilizing boron oxide and phosphorus pentoxide as starting precursors. In these processes, the alkoxides of boron and phosphorus were synthesized in situ using oxide precursors, which were then subjected to controlled or rapid hydrolysis and condensation reactions to form either gels (modified oxide sol -gel process: MOSG) or precipitate powders (modified oxide sol-precipitation process: MOSP). The dried gels and precipitates obtained in both processes were heat-treated to 800 °C to crystallize the BPO4 phase. The crystallinity of the as-prepared and heat-treated powders was analyzed using X-ray diffraction, while Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) was employed to identify the molecular linkages of the various components present. Results of these studies show that B-O-B species form during heat treatment of the MOSG-derived gels because of the presence of unreacted B-OH groups, leading to microsegregation of these units in the gels. However, these units are not detected in the powders obtained using the MOSP process, thereby suggesting differences in the gel structures. These structural differences lead to different pathways for the formation of BPO4 in the two processes. Nevertheless, independent of the process, both samples, although structurally different, exhibit almost the same extent of crystallization of BPO 4 after heat treatment at 800 °C.
Reproductive health assessment in women with cancer: A pilot study

19660 Background: Many women in the reproductive age group are diagnosed with cancer. Reproductive health issues remain an important concern in caring for these women. Based on a case series in our...