cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Assessing the Contribution of Hyman Minsky's Perspective to Our Understanding of Economic Instability

A juxtaposition of the key ideas in Hyman Minsky’s writings against passages from the Financial Crisis Inquiry Commission makes clear that Minsky’s main ideas about economic instability were prescient. Nevertheless, Minsky did not provide a well defined model of his framework, which might be one of the reasons his ideas have not been more readily accepted by economists, policy makers, and the media. In addition, behavioral economics was not well developed during most of Minsky’s career, and he did not provide a strong psychological foundation for his assertions about behavior. This paper uses ideas from behavioral economics to extend the treatment of psychology in Minsky’s framework as well as the role psychology has played in limiting the influence of his work.
A Market-Based Solution to Acid Rain: The Case of the Sulfur Dioxide (SO2) Trading Program:

In this article, the author presents a unique market—that of sulfur dioxide (SO2) allowances. This market aims to reduce the national level of SO2 emissions at the lowest possible cost. The author ...
Improved research-scale foam generator design and performance characterization

Abstract The release of a cryogenic, flammable liquid, such as LNG, poses a threat to individuals in the area of the release as well as responders who attempt to limit the damage of the release. The most common mitigation technique is high-expansion foam which can be used to blanket the liquid, reducing the accumulation of flammable vapor above the pool through a number of different mechanisms. Despite the effectiveness of high-expansion foam blanketing, there are many aspects of the interaction between foam and LNG that are unknown. A lab-scale high-expansion foam generator has been developed to allow the study of those interactions. Additionally, the novel foam generator design addresses many of the drawbacks of industrial-scale foam generators and allows researchers better control of the foam, while producing foam at rates that are conducive to lab applications. Foam was produced using the generator and expansion ratio and foam stability were measured to determine the quality. The generator was able to produce foam with expansion ratio between 298 and 892 that collapsed at an average rate of 0.4 cm per minute. This quality of the foam is comparable to industrial-scale foam generators and the foam production rate is between 1.2 and 2.2 m3/min, which fits lab-scale needs. The foam generator can also be used with other types of non-firefighting foam, such as decontamination foam for chemical, biological, or nuclear decontamination.
The "fatal forty"

This chapter discusses the “Fatal Forty.” These forty drugs or drug classes are involved in drug–drug interactions that are the basis for this book and are “must know” for the perioperative clinician.
Parents' and staff's support for a childcare agency employee mandatory vaccination policy or agency certification program

Background Vaccine-preventable diseases pose a significant risk to children in childcare. However, few regulations exist regarding childcare staff vaccination. This study aimed to assess support for a childcare agency staff mandatory vaccination policy. Methods Surveys were distributed to staff and parents at 23 St Louis, Mo, childcare agencies during fall 2014. Staff and parents' support for a mandatory vaccination and/or agency certification program were compared using χ 2 tests. Multivariate logistic regression was conducted using a 2-level nested design and controlling for gender, race, age, and income to determine predictive models for support for a mandatory staff vaccination policy and/or agency certification program. Results Overall, 354 parents and staff participated (response rate, 32%). Most supported a mandatory staff vaccination policy (80.0%; n = 280) or agency certification program (81.2%; n = 285), and there were no differences between parents versus staff. Determinants of support for a mandatory policy included willingness to receive influenza vaccine annually, belief that vaccines are safe and effective, and support for the policy only if there were no costs. Conclusions There is strong support for some type of childcare agency staff vaccination policy. Implementing such a policy/program should be a collaborative endeavor that addresses vaccine cost and access.
Integrating Tunable Anion Exchange with Reverse Osmosis for Enhanced Recovery During Inland Brackish Water Desalination

For inland brackish water desalination by reverse osmosis or RO, concentrate or reject disposal poses a major challenge. However, enhanced recovery and consequent reduction in the reject volume using RO processes is limited by the solubility of ions present in the feedwater. One of the most common and stubborn precipitate formed during desalination is calcium sulfate. Reducing or eliminating the presence of sulfate would allow the process to operate at higher recoveries without threat to membrane scaling. In this research, this goal is accomplished by using an appropriate mixture of self-regenerating anion exchange resins that selectively remove and replace sulfate by chloride prior to the RO unit. Most importantly, the mixed bed of anion exchange resins is self-regenerated with the reject brine from the RO process, thus requiring no addition of external chemicals. The current work demonstrates the reversibility of the hybrid ion exchange and RO (HIX-RO) process with 80% recovery for a brackish water comp...
My Love, How I Wish You Were By My Side: Maintaining Intercontinental Long-Distance Relationships in Taiwan

The purpose of this qualitative research was to explore how couples in Taiwan maintain intercontinental long-distance relationships. Four participants from a long-distance online forum were interviewed and asked to share their stories of long-distance dating. Their stories were then analyzed based on a narrative research method, and the following questions were explored with the participants: the impact of distance on the relationship, maintaining long-distance relationships, and reflections on long-distance dating. Findings suggested that distance had a large impact on couples, including thoughts of ending the relationship, loneliness, insecurity, and distrust. Themes the participants discussed included the importance of technology, face-to-face visitations, commitment, romantic beliefs, and diverse ways to maintain relationships. Participants also reported high expenses, time differences, and technological limitations as difficulties. Despite these difficulties, participants described creating meanings around the long-distance relationships by realizing the relationships were ultimately worthwhile, and for many couples, a necessary process to grow. Based on the results, the researcher proposes that therapists use narrative therapy in order to work with couples in long-distance relationships. By helping clients externalize the problem through opening up new possibilities for them to describe their difficulties, clients can begin to develop new ways of understanding themselves and others. A discussion with regards to how individuals in Chinese cultures manage conflicts in romantic relationships is included to remind therapists to be culturally sensitive when managing conflicts in collectivistic cultures, which have a tendency towards indirectness, unassertiveness, and lack of confrontation.
The Development of Teaching and Research on Labour-Personnel Sciences in Beijing

At the beginning of the paper several concepts concerning labour science and personnel scienc are defined to limit the research boundary;then the development situation,which a brief evaluation follows up with,is analysed via two angles, namely teaching performance and research achievement.Finally,taking the historical records and the present advantage into account,the paper argues the teachingresearch scholors of labour-personnel science in Beijing should take social responsibilities and face the scientific challenges in promoting the harmonious development of our country.
Docetaxel in the treatment of non-small cell lung cancer : Review of single-agent trials

Several phase II studies have evaluated docetaxel, administered as a 1-hour intravenous infusion at a dose of 100 mg/m2 every 3 weeks, for chemotherapy-naive patients with advanced non-small cell lung cancer. Results have been consistent across numerous trials, with an overall response rate in the range of 23% to 38% and a median survival of 9 months. Results of a multicenter phase III trial of docetaxel versus best supportive care for the first-line treatment of non-small cell lung cancer are pending. In the second-line setting, after failure of first-line platinum-based chemotherapy, four phase II studies of docetaxel 100 mg/m2 have achieved response rates ranging from 16% to 22%, with encouraging median survival times of 30 to 42 weeks. Preliminary results of a large, multicenter, randomized phase III trial also indicated an advantage for docetaxel over control with regard to response, time to progression, survival, and quality of life. Results of a multicenter phase III trial of docetaxel versus best supportive care as second-line treatment will be reported soon. Weekly docetaxel has been well tolerated in phase I studies, with dose-limiting toxicity being asthenia rather than myelosuppression. Phase II trials of a dosage of 36 mg/m2/wk in elderly patients with advanced non-small cell lung cancer are ongoing. Docetaxel is a potent radiosensitizer. The dose-limiting toxicity of docetaxel when administered weekly with concurrent chest radiation at 50 to 64 Gy is esophagitis. Phase II trials of weekly docetaxel plus concomitant chest radiotherapy are in progress at the recommended phase II dosage of 20 to 30 mg/m2/wk.
The good, the bad, and the ugly in cyberspace

Ce rapport presente quelques aspects et limites de l'utilisation d'informations sociologiques sur le web, a travers des donnees concernant le site de DSS (Dead sociologists' society) dont la diversite de l'audience est soulignee. Les potentiels futurs de l'utilisation de la technologie, de meme que l'echange du flux d'informations comme processus educatif sont discutes. Ces problemes soulevent egalement certaines questions juridiques comme celle du copyright en jeu dans les librairies digitales et celle de la liberte de parole
Collagen Formation and Structure

This chapter reviews the current knowledge of collagens, a protein family important for the extracellular matrix of vertebrate animals. The 28 types of collagens are discussed in terms of their structure, their distribution in tissues, and their involvement in human diseases. The biosynthesis of collagens with their numerous posttranslational modifications is reviewed. The current views on chain selection, trimerization, and folding of collagens and collagen-like peptides are described and recent advances in the determination of the atomic structure of the triple helix are also discussed.
Sustainability Case Studies

This chapter discusses different case studies on sustainability in the life cycle of abrasive tools. The first study compares the embodied energy of tools with conventional abrasives against tools with superabrasives and discusses further considerations. The second study points to research work on comparing hard turning and grinding. The third and forth studies are about leveraging aspects in speed-stroke grinding and gear grinding.
A probabilistic model to preprocess darknet data for cyber threat intelligence generation

Internet traffic destined to routable yet unallocated IP addresses is commonly referred to as telescope or darknet data. Such unsolicited traffic is frequently, abundantly and effectively exploited to generate various cyber threat intelligence related, but not limited to, scanning activities, distributed denial of service attacks and malware identification. However, such data typically contains a significant amount of misconfiguration traffic caused by network/routing or hardware/software faults. The latter not only immensely affects the purity of darknet data, which hinders the accuracy of inference algorithms that operate on such data, but also wastes valuable storage resources. This paper proposes a probabilistic model to preprocess darknet data in order to prepare it for effective use. The aim is to fingerprint darknet misconfiguration traffic and subsequently filter it out. The model is advantageous as it does not rely on arbitrary cut-off thresholds, provide separate likelihood models to distinguish between miscon-figuration and other darknet traffic, and is independent from the nature of the source of the traffic. To the best of our knowledge, the proposed model renders a first attempt ever to formally tackle the problem of preprocessing darknet traffic. Through empirical evaluations using real darknet traffic and by comparing the proposed model against the baseline and a heuristic approach, we demonstrate the accuracy and effectiveness of the model.
1 – Small modular reactors (SMRs) for producing nuclear energy: an introduction

Abstract Just what are small modular reactors (SMRs)? This question is first answered simply along with a brief history of the evolution of this class of reactors. Subsequent sections detail the incentives and challenges to achieving successful commercial deployments, the different types of SMRs based on coolants employed, and, finally, the current status and future trends in the worldwide effort to develop and deploy this reactor type.
Ligand Effects in the Synthesis of Ln2+ Complexes by Reduction of Tris(cyclopentadienyl) Precursors Including C–H Bond Activation of an Indenyl Anion

The tris(cyclopentadienyl) yttrium complexes Cp3Y(THF), CpMe3Y(THF), Cp″3Y, Cp″2YCp, and Cp″2YCpMe [Cp = C5H5, CpMe = C5H4Me, Cp″ = C5H3(SiMe3)2] have been treated with potassium graphite in the presence of 2.2.2-cryptand to search for more stable examples of complexes featuring the recently discovered Y2+ ion first isolated in [K(18-crown-6)][Cp′3Y] and [K(2.2.2-cryptand)][Cp′3Y], 1-Y (Cp′ = C5H4SiMe3). Reduction of the tris(cyclopentadienyl) complexes generates dark solutions like that of 1-Y, and the EPR spectra contain doublets with g values between 1.990 and 1.991 and hyperfine coupling constants of 34–47 gauss that are consistent with the presence of Y2+. [K(2.2.2-cryptand)][Cp″2YCp], 2-Y, was characterizable by X-ray crystallography. Reduction of the Cp″3Gd, Cp″2GdCp, and Cp″2GdCpMe complexes containing the larger metal gadolinium were also examined. In each case, dark solutions and EPR spectra like that of [K(2.2.2-cryptand)][Cp′3Gd], 1-Gd, were obtained, and [K(2.2.2-cryptand)][Cp″2GdCp], 2-Gd, w...
The Transpersonal Stance

Transpersonal psychology is the newest facet of American psychology—a self-proclaimed “fourth force” (after the Freudian, behavioristic, and humanistic forces). Transpersonal psychology is equally concerned with the gifted, the retarded, the saint, and the psychotic. It utilizes insights of such traditional systems of thought as Hinduism, Buddhism, Christianity, Sufism, and others.
Parasites, nutrition, immune responses and biology of metabolic tissues

Nutritional immunology, immunometabolism and identification of novel immunotherapeutic targets are areas of active investigation in parasitology. There is a well-documented crosstalk among immune cells and cells in metabolically active tissues that is important for homeostasis. The numbers and function of these cells are altered by obesity leading to inflammation. A variety of helminths spend some part of their life cycle in the gastrointestinal tract and even entirely enteral nematode infections exert beneficial effects on glucose and lipid metabolism. The foundation of this review is the ability of enteric nematode infections to improve obesity-induced type 2 diabetes and the metabolic syndrome, which are significant health issues in developed areas. It considers the impact of nutrition and specific nutritional deficiencies, which are occur in both undeveloped and developed areas, on the host's ability mount a protective immune response against parasitic nematodes. There are a number of proposed mechanisms by which parasitic nematodes can impact metabolism including effects gastrointestinal hormones, altering epithelial function and changing the number and/or phenotype of immune cells in metabolic tissues. Nematodes can also exert their beneficial effects through Th2 cytokines that activate the transcription factor STAT6, which upregulates genes that regulate glucose and lipid metabolism.
PRELIMINARY CLINICAL OBSERVATIONS WITH PROPHYLACTIC CYPROHEPTADINE HYDROCHLORIDE IN POTENTIAL SERUM REACTIONS TO ANTIVENINS

A preliminary study of this size cannot resolve the question of the efficacy of a vasoactive amine antagonist in preventing serum sickness. Nor is it possible to fully assess patient compliance without use of an in–hospital setting. The incidence of serum sickness symptoms was six out of eight (75%) in treated patients; and three out of four (75%) In untreated patients; compared with an expected incidence of 74%. The incidence of significant illness is four out of eight (50%). Further study with a large group of patients would be needed to resolve this issue.
The evolving landscape of drug products containing nanomaterials in the United States

The Center for Drug Evaluation and Research (CDER) within the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is tracking the use of nanotechnology in drug products by building and interrogating a technical profile of products containing nanomaterials submitted to CDER. In this Analysis, data from more than 350 products show an increase in the submissions of drug products containing nanomaterials over the last two decades. Of these, 65% are investigational new drugs, 17% are new drug applications and 18% are abbreviated new drug applications, with the largest class of products being liposomal formulations intended for cancer treatments. Approximately 80% of products have average particle sizes of 300 nm or lower. This analysis identifies several trends in the development of drug products containing nanomaterials, including the relative rate of approvals of these products, and provides a comprehensive overview on the landscape of nanotechnology application in medicine. Analysis of the development of drug products containing nanomaterials identifies several trends as well as the relative rate of approval of these products.
A Bis(dipyrrinato) Motif as a Building Block for Polynuclear Rhenium(I) Architectures

The coordination of a bis(dipyrrin) ligand (LH2) to Re(CO)5Cl delivers a dirhenium salt that serves as a precursor to a dinuclear phosphine compound or as a component of a metallacycle when combined with 4,4′-bipyridine (bpy) to furnish a tetranuclear [((CO)3Re)4L2(bpy)2] complex. The distorted nature of the metallacycle was determined by single-crystal X-ray diffraction revealing that the Re-bpy-Re edges are twisted ~119° and the Re-L-Re edges are twisted by ~88° from the idealized rectangular plane. The Re(I) metallacycle exhibits luminescence (λfluo. = 592 nm; λphos. = 731 nm) in CH2Cl2 at 77 K.
Anti-Amyloid-β Monoclonal Antibodies for Alzheimer’s Disease: Pitfalls and Promise

The majority of putative disease-modifying treatments in development for Alzheimer’s disease are directed against the amyloid-β (Aβ) peptide. Among the anti-Aβ therapeutic approaches, the most extensively developed is immunotherapy—specifically, passive immunization through administration of exogenous monoclonal antibodies (mAbs). Although testing of mAbs has been fraught with failure and confusing results, the experience gained from these trials has provided important clues for better treatments. This review summarizes the experience to date with anti-Aβ mAbs to enter clinical trials for Alzheimer’s disease and examines the evidence for clinical efficacy and the major problems with safety—i.e., amyloid-related imaging abnormalities. As mAbs differ considerably with regard to their epitopes and the conformations of Aβ that they recognize (monomers, oligomers, protofibrils, fibrils), the consequences of targeting different species are also considered. An often-cited explanation for the failure of anti-Aβ mAb trials is that they are set too late in the disease process. New trials are indeed evaluating treatments at prodromal and preclinical stages. We should expect to see additional studies of presymptomatic Alzheimer’s disease to join the ongoing prevention trials, for which mAbs continue to serve as the mainstay.
Neutrophil extracellular traps activated by damage associated molecular patterns exacerbates sterile inflammatory liver injury (INM1P.427)

The initiation of liver ischemia/reperfusion (I/R) injury results in the release of damage associated molecular patterns (DAMPs) such as HMGB1 and histones, which trigger innate immune and inflammatory cascade via Toll-like receptor 4 (TLR4) or TLR9. Infiltrated neutrophils contribute to the organ damage, innate immune and inflammatory responses after liver I/R. Formation of neutrophil extracellular trap (NET) has been recently found in response to various stimuli. However, the role of NETs during liver I/R remains unknown. We show that NETs form in the sinusoids of ischemic liver lobes in vivo , associated with increased serum level of myeloperoxidase (MPO)-DNA complexes and tissue level of citrullinated-histone H3 (NET markers) compared to control mice. Treatment with peptidyl-arginine-deiminase (PAD) 4 inhibitor or DNase I conferred significant protection after liver I/R evidenced by inhibition of NET formation, indicating the pathophysiological role of NETs in liver I/R injury. DAMPs, such as HMGB1 and histones stimulate NET formation through TLR4 and TLR9-MyD88 signaling pathways. After neutrophil depletion in mice, the adoptive transfer of TLR4 knockout (KO) or TLR9 KO neutrophils confers significant protection from liver I/R injury with significant decrease in NET formation. Conclusion : DAMPs released during liver I/R promotes NET formation through TLRs signaling pathway. NETs subsequently exacerbates organ damage and initiates inflammatory responses during liver I/R.
The Performance Impact of Address Relation Caching

An important portion of end-to-end latency in data transfer is spent in address computation, determining a relation between sender and receiver addresses. In deposit model communication, this computation happens only on the sender and some of its results are embedded in the message. Conventionally, address computation takes place on-line, as the message is assembled. If the amount of address computation is significant, and the communication is repeated, it may make sense to remove address computation from the critical path by caching its results. However, assembling a message using the cache uses additional memory bandwidth.
Sex Work and Sex Workers

The emergence of HIV/AIDS in the Western world has revived the association of sex workers with sexually transmitted diseases and HIV/AIDS. The issues underlying sex work are diverse and require consideration of the linkages between policy, behavior, attitude and contextual factors involved in transactional sex and HIV transmission. Many sex workers rights groups and human rights groups contend that it is not sex work per se that makes sex workers vulnerable to HIV/AIDS, but rather the policies associated with sex work. The double stigma against sex workers infected with HIV is often used to justify abuse and repression in many countries.
The Four Human Endowments

The totality of each human being is of four-dimensional: body, mind, heart, and spirit. It is physically made up of flesh, bone, blood, hair, and brain cells, and systemically of self-awareness, imagination, conscience, and free will (Covey 1989, p. 70). By using self-awareness, he is able to examine his own thoughts and has the freedom to choose his response to whatever he comes across or whatever is imposed on him. With imagination, he is able to create a (fantasy) world in his mind beyond the present reality. With conscience, he is deeply aware of what is right and wrong, of the principles that govern his behavior, and a sense of the degree to which his thoughts and actions are in harmony with the principles. And he has free will to act based on his self-awareness, free of all other influences.
Corticosteroid Tapering Regimens in Rheumatic Disease: A Systematic Review.

Background/objective Corticosteroids have long been used to effectively treat rheumatic disorders, but adverse effects associated with extended-duration regimens generate disagreement among clinicians regarding optimal tapering strategies. The objective of this systematic review was to assess clinical outcomes of differing tapering regimens after corticosteroid monotherapy in adults with rheumatic disorders. Methods A systematic review of Medline/PubMed, Embase, Cochrane, International Pharmaceutical Abstracts, Web of Science, Scopus, Global Index Medicus, American College of Rheumatology, gray literature, and reference lists up to June 27, 2018, was conducted by 2 authors. Randomized controlled trials, case-control studies, and prospective observational studies comparing at least 2 tapering strategies of medium- to high-dose (>7.5 mg but ≤100 mg oral prednisone equivalent daily), extended-duration (≥10 days) corticosteroids were included if they reported at least 1 efficacy and 1 adverse effect parameter. Results Two studies met criteria for the review, which included 62 patients. One study examined a prednisolone versus a modified release prednisone taper for giant cell arteritis and suggested 80% (n = 4) and 85.7% (n = 6) remission rates, respectively, at 26 weeks. The other study examined a methylprednisolone versus a prednisone taper for polymyalgia rheumatica and reported 100% and 89% remission rates, respectively, at 26 weeks. Adverse effects reported between the 2 studies included sleep, hyperglycemia, infection, and fractures. However, the studies were not powered to detect differences in these outcomes. Conclusions There is no high-level evidence to guide tapering until discontinuation after extended courses of medium- to high-dose treatment regimens, as current guidelines rely heavily on expert opinion and small case series with a trial-and-error approach. This review supports the need for additional research to shift tapering recommendations to a more evidence-based practice.
Tumor chemosensitivity and chemoresistance assays.

BACKGROUND Chemosensitivity and chemoresistance assays have been used to select potentially more effective chemotherapy regimens and to avoid the toxicity of potentially ineffective drugs. METHODS Literature review was conducted. RESULTS The relevant outcome measure for chemosensitivity assays is improved patient survival. However, the relevant outcome measure for chemoresistance assays is more controversial. Advocates propose that the avoidance of the toxicity of potentially ineffective drugs is the relevant outcome, whereas others believe that the latter is an intermediate outcome and that improved patient survival is the appropriate outcome for both chemoresistance and chemosensitivity assays. There have been no clinical trials showing that either of these assays is associated with improved patient survival. CONCLUSIONS In terms of improved patient survival, the clinical role of chemosensitivity and chemoresistance assays is unproven. The use of the assays will vary depending on the type and stage of the tumor involved, the proposed role of chemotherapy, and the role of the empiric judgment of the physician. Cancer 1996;77:1020-5.
William Dorsey and the construction of an African American history archive

ABSTRACTThis article investigates the collecting philosophies and practices of William Henry Dorsey, a nineteenth-century African American collector and archivist in Philadelphia. Over many decades, Dorsey created an archive that documented black professional, artistic, and political accomplishments in order to preserve these histories, influence public perception of African Americans, and enable future research on historical black figures. In doing so, he established and strengthened networks between individuals and associations that shared the goal of celebrating and preserving black history. This article focuses on how Dorsey’s archive enabled forms of sociability among the many individuals and groups that used the materials in Dorsey’s collection. In focusing on the role that Dorsey played in collating, editing, and disseminating information about black achievements and contributions to world history, this article argues that Dorsey preserved – and therefore helped create – black histories that could ...
More confusion and frustration, better learning: The impact of erroneous examples

Abstract Prior research suggests students can sometimes learn more effectively by explaining and correcting example problems that have been solved incorrectly, compared to problem-solving practice or studying correct solutions. It remains unclear, however, what role students' affect might play in the process of learning from erroneous examples. Specifically, it may be that students experience greater confusion and frustration while studying erroneous examples, but that their confusion and frustration lead to greater learning. We analyzed student log data from previously published research comparing erroneous example instruction of decimal number mathematics to problem-solving instruction in a computer-based intelligent tutoring system. We created and applied affect detectors for a combination of confusion and frustration (“confrustion”) and compared the role of confrustion across conditions. As predicted, students in the erroneous example condition experienced greater confrustion while working through the instructional materials. However, contrary to predictions, confrustion was negatively correlated with posttest and delayed posttest performance across conditions, though less so for the erroneous example condition. Given that students in the erroneous example condition performed better on the delayed posttest than students in the problem-solving condition, it appears they learned more despite also experiencing greater confrustion rather than because of it. Results suggest that learning from erroneous examples may be an inherently more confusing and frustrating process than traditional problem solving. More generally, this research demonstrates that logging student actions at a step-by-step problem-solving level and analyzing those logs to infer affect can be a powerful way to investigate learning.
Diversity and Difference in the Online Environment

ABSTRACTThe online environment challenges social work educators in their approach to developing students’ cultural awareness and culturally competent skills. To develop student competencies, it is ...
Accelerated epigenetic age and cognitive decline among urban-dwelling adults.

Objectives Epigenetic modifications are closely linked with aging, but their relationship with cognition remains equivocal. Given known sex differences in epigenetic aging, we explored sex-specific associations of 3 DNA methylation (DNAm)–based measures of epigenetic age acceleration (EAA) with baseline and longitudinal change in cognitive performance among middle-aged urban adults. Methods We used exploratory data from a subgroup of participants in the Healthy Aging in Neighborhoods of Diversity across the Life Span study with complete DNA samples and whose baseline ages were >50.0 years (2004–2009) to estimate 3 DNAm EAA measures: (1) universal EAA (AgeAccel); (2) intrinsic EAA (IEAA); and (3) extrinsic EAA (EEAA). Cognitive performance was measured at baseline visit (2004–2009) and first follow-up (2009–2013) with 11 test scores covering global mental status and specific domains such as learning/memory, attention, visuospatial, psychomotor speed, language/verbal, and executive function. A series of mixed-effects regression models were conducted adjusting for covariates and multiple testing (n = 147–156, ∼51% men, k = 1.7–1.9 observations/participant, mean follow-up time ∼4.7 years). Results EEAA, a measure of both biological age and immunosenescence, was consistently associated with greater cognitive decline among men on tests of visual memory/visuoconstructive ability (Benton Visual Retention Test: γ11 = 0.0512 ± 0.0176, p = 0.004) and attention/processing speed (Trail-Making Test, part A: γ11 = 0.219 ± 0.080, p = 0.007). AgeAccel and IEAA were not associated with cognitive change in this sample. Conclusions EEAA capturing immune system cell aging was associated with faster decline among men in domains of attention and visual memory. Larger longitudinal studies are needed to replicate our findings.
Punishing Rampage: Public Opinion on Sanctions for School Shooters

School shootings are one of the most salient social problems in America. Most prior research in this area has focused on identifying their causes and evaluating preventive school safety measures. A...
Neuromuscular Disease in the ICU

Assessing where a patient is along the spectrum of neuromuscular respiratory failure requires knowledge of respiratory physiology and pathophysiology, the evolution of clinical features, and knowledge of how to interpret diagnostic studies in the context of their limitations. Ultimately, this information can be employed to discern or predict the need for ICU admission and ventilatory support. Of equal importance is a thorough understanding of the most common causes of neuromuscular respiratory failure, how to diagnose them, and their associated complications and treatments. This chapter informs the reader how to approach and manage the patient with limb, bulbar, and respiratory weakness and equips them with the tools to diagnose and treat the most common causes of primary and secondary neuromuscular weakness.
Investigating lipid mechanisms of MSC immune modulation using metabolic and phenotypic single cell profiling

Background & Aim The immunosuppressive capabilities of human mesenchymal stromal cells (MSCs) have led researchers to explore their potential as therapeutics targeting numerous autoimmune diseases. However, MSC therapies have had limited success so far in clinical trials. Their immune effects are mediated through a complex combination of direct receptor-mediated interactions, vesicle communication and cytokine release mechanisms, making it difficult to identify a unifying underlying biological mechanism of action that could be leveraged to monitor and enhance cell potency. Here, we investigate the role of membrane lipids, a key cell membrane component, associated with these immunosuppressive mechanisms. We aim to evaluate the lipid metabolic profiles of MSCs with known variability in immune regulation and explore the phenotypic changes that occur as a result of differences in lipid signaling. We use longitudinal imaging strategies to directly monitor the associations of cell-cell receptor binding, vesicle release, cytoskeletal network and secretory pathways with immune-related cell activities. Overall, this study aims to directly link lipid metabolism with MSC immunosuppressive behavior using mass spectrometry and image-based approaches, which could be further used to monitor and predict immune response during biomanufacturing of therapeutic cells. Methods, Results & Conclusion MSCs were obtained from cultures with varying immune suppressive activity and secretory profiles. Lipidomic analysis conducted on bulk MSC populations using HPLC/MS/MS revealed several key differences between high and low potency donors. High potency lines showed a negative correlation between sphingomyelin (SM) and ceramide (Cer) whereas the low potency line had a positive correlation indicating that conversion between SM and Cer was associated with cell immune suppression. Multivariate phenotypic imaging analysis of cytoskeletal and vesicle markers showed a strong correlation to cell SM conversion rates. To study heterogeneity of the culture subpopulations, we used Matrix Assisted Laser Desorption/Ionization Mass Spectrometry Imaging to obtain single cell lipid profiles and used advanced deep learning on single cell fluorescent imaging features to understand phenotypic outcomes of lipid signaling. Our findings could have profound implications in understanding immunosuppressive activity of MSCs that could be tuned to enhance the therapeutic efficacy of MSC cultures.
Sounds of Portuguese democracy: “Pretugal” as a contemporary reality

In this essay I analyze, within the conceptual framework of Sound Studies, the role of the aural dimension of the Portuguese postcolonial experience in contemporary fiction, specifically in the novels O meu nome e Legiao by Antonio Lobo Antunes (2007), Os Pretos de Pousaflores by Aida Gomes (2011) and Esse Cabelo by Djaimilia Pereira de Almeida (2015). In each of these works, the aurality — what is heard and/or what is not heard — strongly denounces the blind spots of post-1974, democratized Portuguese society. One of these blind spots has to do with the representation of racial differences and, in particular, the obstacles that African descendants need to overcome in an attempt to find their own space and agency. The fiction of these three contemporary writers emphasizes two relevant themes in Portuguese society: the end of the colonial empire and structural racism.
Development of a Near-Surface SWRC Device (NSD) for Measuring Suction under Low Stress Environments

The soil-water retention curve (SWRC) is fundamental in understanding unsaturated soil behavior and is related to both the unsaturated shear strength and hydraulic conductivity. The SWRC shows that a saturated soil undergoing a drying process will see an increase in matric suction as the water content decreases and vice versa as soil moisture increases. Laboratory devices and techniques used to determine the SWRC operate using uniaxial translation and significant confining pressures to derive matric suction and inferred behavioral characteristics, specifically around the residual suction and air-entry values. Current laboratory data and devices may not adequately represent near-surface soils and their resulting behavior, especially soils at or near atmospheric (zero gage) confining pressures as demonstrated through unconfined self-supported sand sample testing. These tests indicate that failure occurs at approximately 72 % saturation, well below the SWRC air-entry value for the same soil. To correct this shortcoming, a newly designed near-surface SWRC laboratory device (NSD) is presented wherein unconfined self-supporting nonplastic specimens are subjected to three-dimensional vapor flow in a controlled temperature/humidity chamber. The interior specimen humidity and temperature were measured through novel internal microsensors located within the top and bottom third of the specimen, whereas the mass of the pore fluid was measured via an external scale to prevent thermal balancing errors. A parametric analysis of a poorly graded sand was undertaken to compare the NSD results to those obtained from traditional uniaxial translation techniques. The preliminary results from the NSD provide insight into the discrepancies between confined and unconfined unsaturated soil behavior, specifically with the contributions of suction to the granular structure of cohesionless material.
Robust Transparency Against Model Inversion Attacks

Transparency has become a critical need in machine learning (ML) applications. Designing transparent ML models helps increase trust, ensure accountability, and scrutinize fairness. Some organizations may opt-out of transparency to protect individuals’ privacy. Therefore, there is a great demand for transparency models that consider both privacy and security risks. Such transparency models can motivate organizations to improve their credibility by making the ML-based decision-making process comprehensible to end-users. Differential privacy (DP) provides an important technique to disclose information while protecting individual privacy. However, it has been shown that DP alone cannot prevent certain types of privacy attacks against disclosed ML models. DP with low $\epsilon$ e values can provide high privacy guarantees, but may result in significantly weaker ML models in terms of accuracy. On the other hand, setting $\epsilon$ e value too high may lead to successful privacy attacks. This raises the question whether we can disclose accurate transparent ML models while preserving privacy. In this article we introduce a novel technique that complements DP to ensure model transparency and accuracy while being robust against model inversion attacks. We show that combining the proposed technique with DP provide highly transparent and accurate ML models while preserving privacy against model inversion attacks.
Atypical Psoriatic Arthritis Presenting as Presumed Septic Monoarticular Arthritis.

The authors present a case of monoarticular psoriatic arthritis affecting the knee of a woman with no previously identified manifestations of psoriasis. At time of symptom onset, joint aspirates were initially sterile with predominantly neutrophilic leukocytosis; however, repeat aspiration and culture was positive for Candida parapsilosis. Despite appropriate antifungal treatment, symptoms continued to worsen and other large joint manifestations including the contralateral elbow raised suspicions for alternative etiology. Ultimately new onset skin excoriations on the palms suggested psoriatic arthritis, which was subsequently treated with immunosuppressive therapy.
Trapping failure leads to discovery of potent semiochemical repellent for the walnut twig beetle

The walnut twig beetle, Pityophthorus juglandis Blackman, and its associated fungal pathogen that causes thousand cankers disease, currently threaten the viability of walnut trees across much of North America. During a 2011 assessment of seasonal flight patterns of P. juglandis with yellow sticky traps baited with the male-produced aggregation pheromone component, 3-methyl-2-buten-1-ol, dramatically reduced catches were recorded when Tree Tanglefoot adhesive was used to coat the traps. In summer 2011, two trap adhesives were tested for potential repellency against P. juglandis in a field trapping bioassay. SuperQ extracts of volatiles from the most repellent adhesive were analyzed by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry, and limonene and α-pinene were identified as predominant components. In field-based, trapping experiments both enantiomers of limonene at a release rate of ~700 mg/d conferred 91-99% reduction in trap catches of P. juglandis to pheromone-baited traps. (+)- and (‒)-α-Pinene reduced trap catch by 40 and 53%, respectively, at the highest release rate tested. While a combination of R-(+)-limonene and (+)-α-pinene resulted in a 97% reduction in the number of P. juglandis caught, the combination did not consistently result in greater flight trap catch reduction than individual limonene enantiomers. The repellent effect of limonene may be valuable in the development of a semiochemical-based tool for management of P. juglandis and thousand cankers disease.
Acetabular Insufficiency Fractures in the Setting of Graft vs Host Disease: A Report of Two Cases.

Abstract We report a case series of 2 patients with unilateral acetabular insufficiency fractures who received allogeneic peripheral blood stem cell transplantation for hematologic malignancies complicated by chronic graft vs host disease. These were managed with uncemented cup and cage total hip arthroplasty and stabilization of posterior column with plating. Osteonecrosis of the acetabulum is an uncommon musculoskeletal complication of chronic graft vs host disease. The orthopedic impact of this disease should not be overlooked. Surgical intervention with this construct can provide necessary stability to improve patient function.
Development and Validation of a Prediction Model for Stroke, Cardiac, and Mortality Risk After Non-Cardiac Surgery.

Background Commonly used cardiovascular risk calculators do not provide risk estimation of stroke, a major postoperative complication with high morbidity and mortality. We developed and validated a...
J Ic Testing Using Arc-Tension Specimens

J I c was determined in two materials (6061-T651 aluminum and ASTM A-723 Grade 1, Class 4 pressure vessel steel) using arc-tension (A(T)) and compact tension (C(T)) specimens. The J-R curves were determined by using the multispecimen method and the compliance unloading method. J was determined for the A(T) specimen by the Merkle-Corten method of analysis as modified by Clarke and Landes. A correction factor was included to account for the tensile loading component, and both the plastic and elastic components of J were necessary when using the A(T) specimen. With the proper formulas for J in the A(T) specimen, the same J-R curves were determined in both materials using either A(T) or C(T) specimens. This preliminary study suggested that the A(T) specimen was totally adequate for J I c testing and should be included in subsequent versions of ASTM Test for J I c , A Measure of Fracture Toughness (E 813).
A neurosurgical way of life. The 1998 presidential address.

✓ The author provides a review of the relationship between Harvey Cushing and William Osler. Dr. Osler's influence on Cushing's role as a leader in neurosurgery is examined. Some basic principles of a neurosurgical “Way of Life” are reviewed.
A Dynamic Integration Approach in Regional Input- Output and Econometric Models

The methodology with which regional input-output information is incorporated into an econometric model specification has recently gained attention. Although the interdependency of a region’s inter-temporal economic sectors has been emphasized, the dynamic properties of these inter-sectoral relationships have not been fully incorporated. This paper presents an attempt to introduce the dynamic properties of inter-sectoral relationships among the economic sectors of a region. The result is a unique Dynamic Integration Approach (DIA) model that not only accounts for structural change in a region’s economy, but also is free from many of the inconsistencies and deficiencies associated with recent embedded-holistic models.
Resonant holographic imaging in confocal cavities

We report on a novel use of resonant holograms for modal decomposition of optical fields with excellent orthogonality at the output plane. Applications include primarily high-resolution imaging, but also data storage and quantum optics.
Asymmetric and compressed logarithmic number systems for multimedia coprocessor (invited paper)

The logarithmic number system (LNS) represents a real number with its sign and the logarithm of its absolute value. Inexpensive logarithmic arithmetic has shorter word length than fixed point. Conventional LNS is symmetrical: every reciprocal is representable. This paper proposes asymmetrical LNS (one sixteenth to 2048) with acceptable visual quality for MPEG decoding that saves one bit compared to conventional LNS. Novel compression saves another bit with only slight image degradation and allows 8 by 8 matrices to fit in 64 (not 128) bytes. The proposed LNS inverse discrete cosine transform (IDCT) coprocessor is compatible with conventional byte-sized packed-arithmetic SIMD architectures.