cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Generation of electrons and holes in low-mobility insulators

It has long been recognized that the probability of immediate recombination of a pair of ions formed in a gas at high pressure depends on the initial separation of the ions and can be very high for ion pairs produced by ionizing radiation.1 Similarly, radiation chemists have, for some time, been aware of the fact that, in liquids, most of the ion pairs created by high-energy radiation immediately recombine.2 Recently it has become apparent that similar considerations are important when electron-hole pairs are generated in low-mobility organic insulators.
The Sexual Orientation and Gender Presentation of Hijra, Kothi, and Panthi in Mumbai, India.

Cultural categories related to sexuality and gender vary considerably cross-culturally. While Western cultures categorize people primarily in terms of sexual attractions (i.e., gay, straight, bisexual), many cultures distinguish between groups based on additional issues such as gender role presentation and position preference in anal sex (i.e., insertive/receptive). The current study gathered data on three categories of natal males in Mumbai, India—hijra, kothi, and panthi (N = 93). Hijra are androphilic (sexually attracted to adult men), typically sexually receptive, transgender, sometimes castrated, and live in fictive kinship networks that are hierarchically organized. Kothi are also androphilic, typically sexual receptive and relatively feminine but less so than hijra; unlike hijra, kothi are never castrated. Hijra and kothi were understood by some participants to be mutually compatible, and so three groups were identified—those endorsing hijra only (n = 11), kothi only (n = 22), and both hijra and kothi (n = 22). Panthi (n = 38) are the masculine insertive partners of hijra and kothi. Measures employed were self-report and viewing time measures of sexual attraction, sexual behavior and position preference, self-described masculinity/femininity, recalled childhood gender atypicality, gendered occupational preferences, and gender presentation milestones (i.e., wearing female clothes, castration). All hijra and kothi groups were found to be exclusively androphilic in viewing time and self-reported sexual attractions, and to be gender-atypical on all measures. Panthi were found to be relatively male-typical and to have a bisexual pattern of viewing time and self-reported sexual attractions. Kothi were found to be less extreme in their female typicality and to report less female gender presentation milestones than hijra or hijra/kothi. Most hijra and hijra/kothi and all kothi said that they were not castrated. Contrary to the manner in which they are socially defined, a third of panthi report having been receptive in anal sex, and a third of all hijra and kothi groups report having been insertive at some time.
Effect of Neutral Fats and Fatty Acids on Aflatoxin Production 1.

The influence of neutral fats and fatty acids on aflatoxin production by Aspergillus flavus (ATCC 15546) was investigated using a chemically defined medium (glucose-salts-amino acids). The fat-fortified medium was inoculated with A. flavus spores and incubated at 28 C; samples were solvent-extracted at 3-, 6-, 9-, and 14-day intervals and aflatoxin content quantitated fluorometrically. Increasing concentrations of tricaprylin (15% >10% >5%) repressed aflatoxin G2 synthesis more than B1 synthesis as compared to the control. Maximum concentrations of G1 and B1 were attained within 3 to 6 days and then declined. Increasing amounts of tricaprylin had little influence on B1 degradation following 3 days of incubation whereas G1 degradation was pronounced after 3 days. Tristearin fortification of the medium produced results comparable to those obtained with tricaprylin. Within the 14-day incubation period, G1 degradation rates exceeded those of B1 in both the control and fortified samples. As compared to the control, both the 15% linoleic acid and the 15% stearic acid fortification of the medium repressed B1 and G1 synthesis; however, the difference became less pronounced with incubation time. The 15% stearic acid fortification facilitated greater B1 yields than the 15% linoleic acid until the 9th day at which time B1 accumulation in the linoleic acid fortification surpassed that of the stearic acid. The G1 level in the 15% stearic acid-fortified medium attained 1300 μg within 3 days and declined to a trace at 14 days. Aflatoxin G1 synthesis in the 15% linoleic acid-fortified medium was completely repressed throughout the entire incubation period.
Privilege, Power, and Dungeons & Dragons: How Systems Shape Racial and Gender Identities in Tabletop Role-Playing Games

This article takes a cultural-historical approach to analyzing how systems shape the assumptions, identities, and experiences of their users. Focusing on how the tabletop role-playing game Dungeons...
Depressive symptom profiles, cardio-metabolic risk and inflammation: Results from the MIDUS study

Abstract Background This study aimed to (1) provide a comprehensive characterization of depressive symptoms profiles, and (2) examine the cross-sectional association between depressive symptom profiles and cardio-metabolic outcomes, including metabolic syndrome and obesity, while controlling for sociodemographic variables, health behaviors and inflammation. Methods Our sample was comprised of 1085 participants (55.80% female) enrolled in the MIDUS-II biomarker study. Latent profile analysis (LPA) was used to derive depressive symptom profiles using subscales of the Mood and Anxiety Symptom Questionnaire (MASQ) and the Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale (CES-D) subscales as well as Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI) global score. Metabolic syndrome was defined according to the Interim Joint Statement definition. CRP was used as a marker of inflammation. Results Four depressive symptom profiles were identified. The “No Symptoms” subgroup (60.65% of the sample) had the lowest overall scores across subscales. The “Mild Symptoms” subgroup (26.73%) was characterized by lower scores across indicators, with subscales measuring somatic symptoms being the highest within group. The “Moderate Symptoms” subgroup (10.32%) had higher scores across subscales (1 SD above the mean), with subscales measuring negative affect/loss of interest being the highest within group. Finally, the “Acute symptoms” subgroup (2.30%) was characterized by the highest overall scores (1.5–3 SD above the mean) on all indicators. After controlling for sociodemographic characteristics and health behaviors, the “Moderate Symptoms” subgroup was significantly associated with metabolic syndrome (OR = 1.595, p = 0.035) and obesity (OR = 1.555, p = 0.046). Further, there was a trend between the “Mild Symptoms” subgroup and the presence of obesity (OR = 1.345, p = 0.050). Inflammation attenuated these associations. Conclusions Four depressive symptom profiles were identified among healthy mid-life individuals in the US. These profiles are differentially associated with cardio-metabolic outcomes. Future work should examine whether distinct symptom profiles may reflect differential pathways to increased risk, and whether tailored management of symptoms is needed.
Scalable Image-based Search-and-Discovery

People use online search-and-discovery services, such as Yelp, by first finding a specific item with keywords and then examining the images linked to the item. Images could constitute an important part of users' decision-making process but users reach them indirectly. Although recently researchers proposed several image-based search interfaces, how they can effectively arrange huge number of images in a scalable manner is still not clear. To address this, we introduce PicNav, an image-driven navigation system that automatically arranges photos according to their semantic similarity. PicNav is built on deep neural networks learned from the Yelp food dataset and enables effective zoom-in/out features. We conducted interviews with ten users to qualitatively assess the system's usability. The users identified a number of advantages of PicNav, providing insights into the general use of imagery in search-and-discovery services.
Resolution of measurability problems in discrete — time stochastic control

The formulation of dynamic programming as given by Bellman did not address measurability difficulties. Blackwell later initiated a study of these problems in Polish spaces, and Blackwell, Freedman and Orkin subsequently showed that by relaxing Borel measurability requirements on policies, some known heuristic results could be rigorously obtained. This paper presents three types of measurability restrictions on policies which allow rigorous proofs of all the basic existence results and characterizations of optimal and nearly optimal policies. These types of measurability, all more general than that considered by Blackwell, Freedman and Orkin, correspond to three σ-algebras in Polish spaces. The σ-algebras are constructed by radically different methods and the relationships between them are still unclear.
Recent advances in the diagnosis and treatment of renal arteriovenous malformations and fistulas

Arteriovenous malformations remain relatively rare clinical lesions. However, with an increasing number of percutaneous renal procedures being performed, their overall incidence can be expected to increase. Congenital arteriovenous malformations usually present with hematuria, while acquired fistulas are more likely to present with hemodynamic changes, such as hypertension, cardiomegaly and congestive heart failure. Arteriography remains the principal method of diagnosis. However, newer imaging modalities such as CT, MRI and color duplex ultrasound may make significant contributions in the evaluation of these abnormalities (fig. 1). Surgery, whether nephrectomy or ligation of feeding vessels, has long been the standard treatment for symptomatic arteriovenous malformations or fistulas. The loss of normal renal parenchyma, migration of occluding agents or recanalization of abnormal vessels has limited the use of embolization as a method of treatment in the past. Recently, newer techniques and agents, such as pharmacoangiography and alcohol, have increased the efficacy of embolization therapy, either as an adjuvant to surgery, definitive therapy or palliation. Although to our knowledge there have been no controlled studies comparing surgical treatment versus embolization, certain recommendations can be made. Because of the decreasing morbidity and increasing efficacy, embolization should be attempted at the time of arteriography as a means of treatment for most arteriovenous malformations and fistulas. However, the choice of surgery, embolization or a combination must be individualized for each patient with regard to overall health, symptoms and manifestations of the fistula or malformation (fig. 2).
Cooperatives and Commodity Market Pools

Pooling is another activity which is peculiarly cooperative in nature. It is done by a group of producers for a common purpose-individuals do not engage in this activity. It reflects the amount of patronage of each producer included in the pool. It is democratically run, since pools are usually run by cooperatives for their members and are, in most cases, subject to the one person-one vote principle. Costs are shared on the basis of the contribution of each, and the costs and returns are based upon the patronage of each as reflected by the amount of product of each producer in the pool.
Pathophysiology and Sonographic Correlates of Neonatal Brain Injury

In the last few years there have been significant advances in the understanding of the mechanisms responsible for neonatal brain injury. At the same time, ultrasound techniques have continued to improve at a dramatic pace allowing us to identify flow in sub-millimeter arteries and in the main venous drainage pathways of the brain. This presentation will review some of the new findings related to the pathophysiology of cerebrovascular injury in the newborn and how they relate to cranial sonographic findings.
Griffiths Inequalities for Fermion Systems

In deriving correlation inequalities for a fermion system, generality is not necessarily a virtue. Indeed, it seems folly not to take advantage of the peculiar characteristics of the system at hand. Such information may be used very explicitly, as in the development of Hamiltonian-dependent inequalities, or in a weaker fashion, paying attention to such matters as the sign of the interaction. This latter category is represented in classical lattice gases by the Griffiths inequalities and their progeny. It is the purpose of this paper to show how similar considerations apply to fermion systems. We start with a discussion of the use of G-matrix restrictions to reduce Fermion lower bound principles to dependence upon the one-body density matrix alone, applying these both to real space repulsive forces and model superconductors. This suggests the utility of something of the form of Griffiths inequalities, whose classical version we review, emphasizing the role of replica systems and tailored representations for painless realization of correlations. It is found that the BCS Hamiltonian, as well as its replica pair, can be treated in analogous fashion, producing a large set of correlation inequalities. These are not quite sufficient to solve the G-matrix-reduced BCS Hamiltonian. A similar reduction technique is applied to the case of an electron plasma, and suggestions made as to the nature of Griffiths-type inequalities which might be available for similar systems.
Human-Guided Object Mapping for Task Transfer

When transferring a learned task to an environment containing new objects, a core problem is identifying the mapping between objects in the old and new environments. This object mapping is dependent on the task being performed and the roles objects play in that task. Prior work assumes (i) the robot has access to multiple new demonstrations of the task or (ii) the primary features for object mapping have been specified. We introduce an approach that is not constrained by either assumption but rather uses structured interaction with a human teacher to infer an object mapping for task transfer. We describe three experiments: an extensive evaluation of assisted object mapping in simulation, an interactive evaluation incorporating demonstration and assistance data from a user study involving 10 participants, and an offline evaluation of the robot’s confidence during object mapping. Our results indicate that human-guided object mapping provided a balance between mapping performance and autonomy, resulting in (i) up to 2.25× as many correct object mappings as mapping without human interaction, and (ii) more efficient transfer than requiring the human teacher to re-demonstrate the task in the new environment, correctly inferring the object mapping across 93.3% of the tasks and requiring at most one interactive assist in the typical case.
Understanding cancer through the lens of epigenetic inheritance, allele-specific gene expression, and high-throughput technology

Epigenetic information is characterized by its stable transmission during mitotic cell divisions and plasticity during development and differentiation. This duality is in contrast to genetic information, which is stable and identical in all cells in an organism with exception of immunoglobulin gene rearrangements in lymphocytes and somatic mutations in cancer cells. Allele-specific analysis of gene expression and epigenetic modifications provides a unique approach to studying epigenetic regulation in normal and cancer cells. Extension of Knudson's two-hits theory to include epigenetic alteration as a means to inactivate tumor suppressor genes provides better understanding of how genetic mutations and epigenetic alterations jointly contribute to cancer development. High-throughput technology has greatly accelerated cancer discovery. Large initiatives such as TCGA have shown that epigenetic components are frequent targets of mutations in cancer and these discoveries provide new insights into understanding cancer etiology and generate new opportunities for cancer therapeutics.
Processing prosodically driven variations in lexical access

This study investigates whether prosodically driven variants constrain lexical access by focusing on the processing of prosodically licit and illicit Korean lenis plosives and nasals. Lenis plosives are aspirated phrase-initially but voiced phrase-medially; nasals undergo nasal weakening (“denasalization”) phrase-initially but not phrase-medially. Importantly, denasalized nasals share acoustic similarities with voiced lenis plosives. Seoul Korean listeners completed four cross-modal priming experiments where primes in phrase-initial sentential position were related (experimental) (e.g., /tapal/ “bundle”) or unrelated (control) (e.g., /tʃodɛ/ “invitation”) to visual targets (e.g., 다발/tapal/). The target began with a lenis plosive (Exps. 1 and 2) or nasal (Exps. 3 and 4). The experimental prime began with a prosodically licit (Exp. 1: aspirated lenis, Exp. 3: denasalized nasal) or illicit (Exp. 2: voiced lenis, Exp. 4: nasalized nasal) variant. The results showed that experimental primes with a prosodically licit variant (Exps. 1 and 3) facilitated word recognition. For prosodically illicit variants, experimental primes with a nasalized nasal (Exp. 4) facilitated word recognition but experimental primes with a voiced plosive did not (Exp. 2). The facilitation in Exp. 4 suggests that prosodically driven variants do not constrain lexical access; the lack of facilitation in Exp. 2 is attributed to lexical competition from nasal-initial words.This study investigates whether prosodically driven variants constrain lexical access by focusing on the processing of prosodically licit and illicit Korean lenis plosives and nasals. Lenis plosives are aspirated phrase-initially but voiced phrase-medially; nasals undergo nasal weakening (“denasalization”) phrase-initially but not phrase-medially. Importantly, denasalized nasals share acoustic similarities with voiced lenis plosives. Seoul Korean listeners completed four cross-modal priming experiments where primes in phrase-initial sentential position were related (experimental) (e.g., /tapal/ “bundle”) or unrelated (control) (e.g., /tʃodɛ/ “invitation”) to visual targets (e.g., 다발/tapal/). The target began with a lenis plosive (Exps. 1 and 2) or nasal (Exps. 3 and 4). The experimental prime began with a prosodically licit (Exp. 1: aspirated lenis, Exp. 3: denasalized nasal) or illicit (Exp. 2: voiced lenis, Exp. 4: nasalized nasal) variant. The results showed that experimental primes with a prosodically...
A late Holocene subfossil Atlantic white cedar tree-ring chronology from the northeastern United States

Abstract Tree-rings provide precise annually dated climate information, but their application can be limited by the relatively short lifespan of many trees. To overcome this limitation, tree-ring records can be extended over longer time periods by connecting living trees with older “sub-fossil” trees, which can provide information on longer timescales throughout the Holocene. These long chronologies are proxy records of past climate, provide precise chronological information for extreme events, and give insight into the range of natural climate variability prior to the instrumental period. In the densely populated northeastern United States, few tree-ring records are longer than 500 years, and there are no millennial-length tree-ring chronologies for the region. Here, we use a combination of standard dendrochronological and radiocarbon techniques, including use of the 774 CE radiocarbon excursion, to generate an absolutely dated 2500 year-long tree ring record from living, archaeological, and subfossil Atlantic white cedar (Chamaecyparis thyoides) found in the coastal northeastern United States. Our chronology demonstrates the potential to develop multi-millennial Chamaecyparis thyoides tree-ring records to address previously unanswered questions regarding late Holocene hydroclimate, extreme events, and temperature variability in New England.
MRI staging of upper extremity secondary lymphedema: correlation with clinical measurements

Staging of upper extremity lymphedema is needed to guide surgical management, but is not standardized due to lack of accessible, quantitative, or precise measures. Here, we established an MRI-based staging system for lymphedema and validate it against existing clinical measures. Bilateral upper extremity MRI and lymphoscintigraphy were performed on 45 patients with unilateral secondary lymphedema, due to surgical intervention, who were referred to our multidisciplinary lymphedema clinic between March 2017 and October 2018. MRI short-tau inversion recovery (STIR) images were retrospectively reviewed. A grading system was established based on the cross-sectional circumferential extent of subcutaneous fluid infiltration at three locations, labeled MRI stage 0–3, and was compared to L-Dex®, ICG lymphography, volume, lymphedema quality of life (LYMQOL), International Society of Lymphology (ISL) stage, and lymphoscintigraphy. Linear weighted Cohen’s kappa was calculated to compare MRI staging by two readers. STIR images on MRI revealed a predictable pattern of fluid infiltration centered on the elbow and extending along the posterior aspect of the upper arm and the ulnar side of the forearm. Patients with higher MRI stage were more likely to be in ISL stage 2 (p = 0.002) or to demonstrate dermal backflow on lymphoscintigraphy (p = 0.0002). No correlation was found between MRI stages and LYMQOL. Higher MRI stage correlated with abnormal ICG lymphography pattern (rs = 0.63, p < 0.0001), larger % difference in limb volume (rs = 0.68, p < 0.0001), and higher L-Dex® ratio (rs = 0.84, p < 0.0001). Cohen’s kappa was 0.92 (95% CI, 0.85–1.00). An MRI staging system for upper extremity lymphedema offers an improved non-invasive precision marker for lymphedema for therapeutic planning. • Diagnosis and staging of patients with secondary upper extremity lymphedema may be performed with non-contrast MRI, which is non-invasive and more readily accessible compared to lymphoscintigraphy and evaluation by lymphedema specialists. • MRI-based staging of secondary upper extremity lymphedema is highly reproducible and could be used for long-term follow-up of patients. • In patients with borderline clinical measurements, MRI can be used to identify patients with early-stage lymphedema.
Vitamin C regulates Schwann cell myelination by promoting DNA demethylation of pro-myelinating genes

Ascorbic acid (vitamin C) is critical for Schwann cells to myelinate peripheral nerve axons during development and remyelination after injury. However, its exact mechanism remains elusive. Vitamin C is a dietary nutrient that was recently discovered to promote active DNA demethylation. Schwann cell myelination is characterized by global DNA demethylation in vivo and may therefore be regulated by vitamin C. We found that vitamin C induces a massive transcriptomic shift (n = 3,848 genes) in primary cultured Schwann cells while simultaneously producing a global increase in genomic 5-hydroxymethylcytosine (5hmC), a DNA demethylation intermediate which regulates transcription. Vitamin C up-regulates 10 pro-myelinating genes which exhibit elevated 5hmC content in both the promoter and gene body regions of these loci following treatment. Using a mouse model of human vitamin C metabolism, we found that maternal dietary vitamin C deficiency causes peripheral nerve hypomyelination throughout early development in resulting offspring. Additionally, dietary vitamin C intake regulates the expression of myelin-related proteins such as periaxin (PRX) and myelin basic protein (MBP) during development and remyelination after injury in mice. Taken together, these results suggest that vitamin C cooperatively promotes myelination through 1) increased DNA demethylation and transcription of pro-myelinating genes, and 2) its known role in stabilizing collagen helices to form the basal lamina that is necessary for myelination.
Joint Bayesian Estimation of Voxel Activation and Inter-regional Connectivity in fMRI Experiments

Brain activation and connectivity analyses in task-based functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) experiments with multiple subjects are currently at the forefront of data-driven neuroscience. In such experiments, interest often lies in understanding activation of brain voxels due to external stimuli and strong association or connectivity between the measurements on a set of pre-specified groups of brain voxels, also known as regions of interest (ROI). This article proposes a joint Bayesian additive mixed modeling framework that simultaneously assesses brain activation and connectivity patterns from multiple subjects. In particular, fMRI measurements from each individual obtained in the form of a multi-dimensional array/tensor at each time are regressed on functions of the stimuli. We impose a low-rank parallel factorization decomposition on the tensor regression coefficients corresponding to the stimuli to achieve parsimony. Multiway stick-breaking shrinkage priors are employed to infer activation patterns and associated uncertainties in each voxel. Further, the model introduces region-specific random effects which are jointly modeled with a Bayesian Gaussian graphical prior to account for the connectivity among pairs of ROIs. Empirical investigations under various simulation studies demonstrate the effectiveness of the method as a tool to simultaneously assess brain activation and connectivity. The method is then applied to a multi-subject fMRI dataset from a balloon-analog risk-taking experiment, showing the effectiveness of the model in providing interpretable joint inference on voxel-level activations and inter-regional connectivity associated with how the brain processes risk. The proposed method is also validated through simulation studies and comparisons to other methods used within the neuroscience community.
The Reliability and Validity of a Clinical Assessment Tool to Measure Scapular Motion in All Three Anatomical Planes.

CONTEXT A single clinical assessment device that can be used to objectively measure scapular motion in each anatomical plane is not currently available. The development of a novel electric goniometer would allow scapular motion in all 3 anatomical planes to be quantified. OBJECTIVE To investigate the reliability and validity of an electric goniometer for measuring scapular motion in each anatomical plane during upper extremity elevation. DESIGN Cross-sectional study. SETTING Laboratory. PATIENTS OR OTHER PARTICIPANTS Sixty participants (29 women, 31 men; age = 30 ± 14 years, height = 1.73 ± 0.10 m, mass = 75.32 ± 16.90 kg) recruited from the general population. INTERVENTION(S) An electric goniometer was used to record clinical measurements of scapular position at rest and total arc of motion (excursion) during active upper extremity elevation in 2 testing sessions separated by several days. Measurements were recorded independently by 2 examiners. In 1 session, scapular motion was recorded simultaneously using a 14-camera, 3-dimensional optical motion-capture system. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE(S) Reliability analysis included examination of clinical measurements for scapular position at rest and excursion during each condition. Both the intrarater reliability between testing sessions and the interrater reliability recorded in the same session were assessed using intraclass correlation coefficients (ICCs [2,3]). The criterion validity was examined by comparing the mean excursion values of each condition recorded using the electric goniometer and the 3-dimensional optical motion-capture system. Validity was assessed by evaluating the average difference and root mean square error. RESULTS The between-sessions intrarater reliability was moderate to good (ICC [2,3] range = 0.628-0.874). The within-session interrater reliability was moderate to excellent (ICC [2,3] range = 0.545-0.912). The average difference between total excursion values recorded using the electric goniometer and the 3-dimensional optical motion-capture system ranged from -7° to 4°, and the root mean square error ranged from 7° to 10°. CONCLUSIONS The reliability of scapular measurements was best when a standard operating procedure was used. The electric goniometer provided an accurate measurement of scapular excursions in all 3 anatomical planes during upper extremity elevation.
Ocular Physiologically Based Pharmacokinetic Modeling for Ointment Formulations

The purpose of this study is to show how the Ocular Compartmental Absorption & Transit (OCAT™) model in GastroPlus® can be used to characterize ocular drug pharmacokinetic performance in rabbits for ointment formulations. A newly OCAT™ model developed for fluorometholone, as well as a previously verified model for dexamethasone, were used to characterize the aqueous humor (AH) concentration following the administration of multiple ointment formulations to rabbit. The model uses the following parameters: application surface area (SA), a fitted application time, and the fitted Higuchi release constant to characterize the rate of passage of the active pharmaceutical ingredient from the ointment formulations into the tears in vivo. Parameter sensitivity analysis was performed to understand the impact of ointment formulation changes on ocular exposure. While application time was found to have a significant impact on the time of maximal concentration in AH, both the application SA and the Higuchi release constant significantly influenced both the maximum concentration and the ocular exposure. This initial model for ointment ophthalmic formulations is a first step to better understand the interplay between physiological factors and ophthalmic formulation physicochemical properties and their impact on in vivo ocular drug pharmacokinetic performance in rabbits.
Catalog of Age- and Medical Condition-Specific Healthcare Costs in the United States to Inform Future Costs Calculations in Cost-Effectiveness Analysis.

Abstract Objectives This study aims to develop a catalog of annual age- and medical condition—specific healthcare costs per capita among those who are living at a certain age (survivors) and the costs attributable to death itself for those who die at that age (decedents) in the United States. These estimates can be used to inform future cost calculations in cost-effectiveness analysis (CEA). Methods We discussed a theoretical framework to incorporate futures costs in CEA. We used the nationally representative Medical Expenditure Panel Survey data to estimate costs among survivors and death costs. For survivors, we obtained cost estimates nonparametrically using kernel-based regression and locally weighted scatterplot smoothing. We estimated costs attributable to death using inverse probability weights comparing decedents with appropriately weighted survivors at a given age after controlling for more than 270 clinical condition classifications, demographics, and interactions. Cost estimates were expressed in 2019 US dollar and also separately by sex and specific clinical conditions. Results Average healthcare costs per capita among survivors, expectedly, rose over age from $2062 (95% confidence interval [CI] $1553–$2478) during the first year of life to $14 307 (95% CI $13 706–$14 956) at 85 years or older. Average costs of death were $44 569 (95% CI $14 304–$67 369) during the first year of life and declined by –$321 (95% CI –$620 to –$22) per 1 year older. Conclusions The US catalog of healthcare costs among survivors and decedents can facilitate calculations of future costs in CEA as recommended by the Second Panel on Cost-Effectiveness in Health and Medicine.
Assessment of Growth in Pediatric Syrian Refugee Populations in Jordan

Background Externally displaced pediatric Syrian refugees are at risk of adverse developmental health outcomes in the setting of food insecurity. To evaluate the impact of displacement on nutritional status of Syrian children, this study describes the prevalence of malnutrition of Syrian children residing in Jordan. Methods A retrospective cross-sectional analysis of data from patient records Results Overall, 392 Syrian children were included. In the 0 to 59 months group (n = 191), prevalence of stunting was 13.9% (n = 165), severe wasting 4.2% (n = 165), wasting 6% (n = 165), overweight 16.4% (n = 165), and underweight 5.3% (n = 190). In the > 59 months group (n = 201), prevalence of stunting was 7.2% (n = 194), severe wasting 3.6% (n = 194), wasting 5.2% (n = 194), overweight 6.7% (n = 194), and underweight 4.6% (n = 153). Age group was significantly associated with stunting (odds ratio [OR] = 2.08,9 5% CI 1.03 to 4.19) and overweight (OR = 2.72; 95% CI 1.36 to 5.47) with increased odds of each in the 0–59 months group. Conclusion The findings suggest evidence of higher prevalence of malnutrition in Syrian children compared with prior assessments and greater impact on the younger cohort. In 0 to 59 months' old Syrian children, stunting and wasting were of medium severity and overweight was of high severity. This may reflect food insecurity in the setting of ongoing conflict, strain on resources, and evolving refugee policies, acknowledging study limitations. Syrian refugee children living in Jordan experience wasting and stunting. Comprehensive assessment of current nutritional status of Syrian children is needed. Access to adequate and nutritious food is paramount.
Two-Dimensional Superfluids

These lectures describe the behaviour of two-dimensional superfluids, which differ from three-dimensional systems in having phase transitions driven by thermally excited vortices. Firstly, I will discuss the Kosterlitz-Thouless-Berezinskii (KTB) theory of the superfluid transition in helium films, which is due to unbinding of vortex-antivortex pairs. Next, I will describe the modifications of this transition due to screening effects at the zero field transition in superconductors. The transition of a clean superconducting film in a perpendicular magnetic field, caused by melting of the flux lattice, will be discussed next. This may also be of the KTB type, involving unbinding of dislocations (with a second transition due to disclination unbinding first discussed by Halperin and Nelson) or may be first order. Finally, the case of a dirty two-dimensional superconductor in a field will be discussed. This has a vortex glass transition (analogous to the spin glass transition in magnetic systems) at zero temperature. Results of recent experiments and simulations which provide evidence for vortex glass behavior will be discussed.
Optimizing Water Quality Modeling in an Uncertain Environment

Optimization of the overall modeling exercise must incorporate consideration of both model aggregation error (level of complexity) and input parameter uncertainty. Focusing on one issue, to the exclusion of the other, will not generally be optimal. Two distinct stream dissolved oxygen model formulations, each representing a different level of simulation complexity, are compared. A non-parametric statistic, the total likelihood (Ltotal) of successfully verifying a calibrated model, is chosen as the point of comparison. For normal levels of input parameter uncertainty and a minimum required dissolved oxygen accuracy of ±0.25 mg/L, the simpler single parameter model (Ltotal = 24.3%) had superior performance characteristics in comparison to the complex dual parameter model (Ltotal = 15.0%). In general, the performance (L total) of the complex model improved more rapidly than the simple model following reduction of input parameter variability.
The mechanism of glutamate dehydrogenase reaction. IV. Evidence for random and rapid binding of substrate and coenzyme in the burst phase.

Abstract Stopped flow studies of the oxidative deamination of l-glutamate by TPN and beef liver glutamate dehydrogenase were performed at pH 6.5 and 7.6. At each pH value, the initial burst slopes obey an equation of the form: e/v = Φ0 + Φ1/(TPN) + Φ2/(l-glutamate) + Φ12/(TPN)-(l-glutamate). The agreement of dissociation constants for enzyme-TPN and enzyme-l-glutamate binary complexes obtained from the Φ values with those obtained independently in equilibrium studies supports mechanisms which include random and rapid binding of substrate and coenzyme at the active site. The lack of effect of preincubation with either reactant on the transient state kinetics eliminates the possibility of any kinetically important slow isomerization steps in the formation of binary complexes. Comparison of the limiting Michaelis constants with the dissociation constants for TPN and l-glutamate shows that there is a cooperativity between coenzyme and substrate in the formation of an enzyme-TPN-l-glutamate ternary complex.
Algebraic Methods for Polynomial Statistical Models

We describe applications of computational algebra to statistical problems of parameter identifiability, sufficiency, and estimation. The methods work for a family of statistical models that includes Poisson and binomial examples in network tomography.
Connecting Finite Element Modeling With Strengths of Materials and Vibrations Using Beam Experiments

Students tend to compartmentalize individual classes throughout their time in school; associating that which is taught in one class with only that class. A finite element class offers a unique opportunity to illustrate the connection between several engineering topics through modeling and experiments since it is used to solve many different types of problems (e.g. force-deflection, stress-strain, heat transfer, fluid transport, and vibrations). In addition, providing hands-on experiments is an excellent way to illustrate concepts. Particularly, experiments can help students visualize the additional abstractions present in a finite element model while demonstrating the connections between several prerequisite engineering courses. Here we present experiments that connect finite element modeling with two classes: Strength of Materials and Vibrations. These experiments highlight the effects of finite element modeling choices and illustrate errors in the approximations.Copyright © 2014 by ASME
Fibrinogen γ′ chain carboxy terminal peptide selectively inhibits the intrinsic coagulation pathway

The minor gammaA/gamma' isoform of fibrinogen contains a high affinity binding site for thrombin exosite II that is lacking in the major fibrinogen isoform, gammaA/gammaA fibrinogen. The biological consequences of gamma' chain binding to thrombin were therefore investigated. Coagulation assays, thrombin activity assays, and a primate thrombosis model were used to characterize the biological effects of the gamma' 410-427 peptide. The gamma' peptide had little effect on thrombin cleavage of the small peptidyl substrate tosyl-glycyl-prolyl-arginine-4-nitranilide acetate. However, in vitro assays demonstrated that the gamma' peptide inhibited thrombin cleavage of larger proteinaceous substrates, including fibrinogen and factor VIII. The gamma' peptide inhibited the activated partial thromboplastin time in plasma and showed greater inhibition of activated partial thromboplastin time assays than prothrombin time assays, consistent with the inhibition of factor VIII cleavage. Studies in a baboon thrombosis model showed that the gamma' 410-427 peptide inhibited fibrin-rich thrombus formation (typical of venous thrombi) and, to a lesser extent, platelet-rich thrombus formation (typical of arterial thrombi). These results indicate that binding of thrombin exosite II by the gamma' peptide has selective effects on the intrinsic pathway.
Making the Semantic Web usable: interface principles to empower the layperson

Before the overall volume of Semantic Web data will ever approach the order of magnitude of the original Web, tools must be available that allow non-technical laypeople to readily contribute. Both the concepts and surface syntax of RDF are daunting to newcomers, and this threatens to prevent nonprofessionals from having an appreciable impact. We discuss the key features of a tool designed specifically to help novices generate semantic information, with a primary focus on instance data. This paradigm of interaction enables users to make valid RDF assertions while shielding them from many of the complexities of syntax and of resource lookup. We also present the results from a focused empirical study of the behavior of novice users as they created data with the tool. This study sheds light on the usability of specific features, and illuminates some surprising behavioral trends in Semantic Web authoring that should help guide the design of next generation of user applications.
Automated generation of marshaling code from high-level specifications

This paper presents the application of program transformation to the development of marshaling code. Marshaling code amounts to about half of the signaling software in a subscriber radio, and as such constitutes about 20% of the total software in the radio. Development of marshaling code is considered to be a difficult, error prone, and laborious task. We have successfully developed significant portions of Motorola TETRA (Trans-European Trunked Radio) infrastructure and subscriber software through automated code generation techniques using the process outlined in this paper. This process, and the tools described in this paper, have subsequently been applied to the development of a number of communication applications and delivered tremendous cycle time and quality improvements.
Model minimization, regression, and propositional STRIPS planning

Propositional STRIPS planning problems can be viewed as finite state automata (FSAs) represented in a factored form. Automaton minimization is a well-known technique for reducing the size of an explicit FSA. Recent work in computer-aided verification on model checking has extended this technique to provide automaton minimization algorithms for factored FSAs. In this paper, we consider the relationship between STRIPS problem-solving techniques such as regression and the recently developed automaton minimization techniques for factored FSAs. We show that regression computes a partial and approximate minimized form of the FSA corresponding to the STRIPS problem. We then define a systematic form of regression which computes a partial but exact minimized form of the associated FSA. We also relate minimization to methods for performing reachability analysis to detect irrelevant fluents. Finally, we show that exact computation of the minimized automaton is NP-complete under the assumption that this automaton is polynomial in size.
Use of high specific activity StarFire oligonucleotide probes to visualize low-abundance pre-mRNA splicing intermediates in S. pombe.

An oligonucleotide labeling system was developed that can produce radiolabeled hybridization probes with tenfold or more higher specific activity than is obtained by traditional 5¢-end-labeling wit...
Crystalline Ice as a Cryoprotectant: Theoretical Calculation of Cooling Speed in Capillary Tubes

It is generally assumed that vitrification of both cells and the surrounding medium provides the best preservation of ultrastructure of biological material for study by electron microscopy. At the same time it is known that the cell cytoplasm may provide substantial cryoprotection for internal cell structure even when the medium crystallizes. Thus vitrification of the medium is not essential for good structural preservation. In contrast, a high cooling rate is an essential factor for good cryopreservation because it limits phase separation and movement of cellular components during freezing, thus preserving the native-like state. Here we present calculations of freezing rates that incorporate the effect of medium crystallization, using finite difference methods. We demonstrate that crystallization of the medium in capillary tubes may increase the cooling rate of suspended cells by a factor of 25-300 depending on the distance from the center. We conclude that crystallization of the medium, for example due to low cryoprotectant content, may actually improve cryopreservation of some samples in a near native state.
Spectroscopy of compact extragalactic X-ray sources

The X-ray spectra of compact extragalactic sources obtained from the HEAO-1 A-2 experiment and the Sol id-State Spectrometer onboard HEAO-2 (the Einstein Observatory) are reviewed. Seyfert spectra are remarkably consistent, with characteristic power-law spectra of energy index ∝=0.7+.1 over a dynamic range of almost 100 in both luminosity for the whole sample, and energy for individual members. Radio-quiet quasars have similar spectra, perhaps slightly steeper, for the limited sample available. New solid-state spectrometer results for NGC 4151 yield a consistent picture for the geometry of the broad-line clouds in both these related radio-quiet classes of galactic nuclei. Radio-loud objects, especially BL Lacs, are considerably more variable in spectrum as well as in luminosity. Direct synchrotron and synchrotron-self-Compton components are consistent with what we observe from these objects. Finally, the role of spectroscopy in addressing the extent to which compact extragalactic nuclei might contribute to the diffuse X-ray background is discussed.
Isolation and Partial Characterization of a Staphylococcal Leukocyte Cytotaxin

A factor which attracts rabbit polymorphonuclear leukocytes both in vitro and in vivo was isolated from the culture filtrate of a strain of Staphylococcus aureus. The activity of the chemotactic factor was independent of fresh serum and it was nondialyzable. Incubation of the factor with heat-inactivated human serum markedly inhibited its chemotactic property. The factor was heat-labile (80 C, 10 min) in the crude culture filtrate but was heat-stable when partially purified.
Real-time control of reactive ion etching: identification and disturbance rejection

The main processes involved in the manufacture of integrated circuits are deposition, lithography, etching, and implantation. This paper describes results on identification and real-time control of reactive ion etchers. Experimental results show that significant disturbances to the etch rate can be attenuated with real-time feedback control. >
Life History, Growth, and Production of Ephemeroptera in Experimental Ponds

We determined voltinism, emergence patterns, larval growth rates (instantaneous-growth method), and annual production (size-frequency method) for Caenis amica Hagen (Caenidae) and Callibaetis floridanus Banks (Baetidae) in six experimental ponds. Larvae were sampled with artificial substrates and a dip net, and adults were sampled with a light trap. Both species were bivoltine. C. amica emerged in June and July–August; C. floridanus emerged in April and September. Growth rates were 0.015 and 0.025 mg dry weight per day for the first and second generations of C. amica and 0.011 and 0.015 mg dry weight per day for the first and second generations of C. floridanus , respectively. Annual production was relatively low, 5 mg dry weight per sampler per year for C. amica and 11 mg dry weight per sampler per year for C. floridanus . The number of generations of C. floridanus and the growth and production of both species in the experimental ponds were lower than what has been reported in other studies. Some of the observed differences may have been at least partly caused by temperature (lower accumulated degree days), food (less algae), and habitat (sparse macrophytes). Our results demonstrate the usefulness and feasibility of life-history and production measurements for environmental toxicology studies conducted in large-scale model ecosystems (mesocosms).