cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Mental Illness, Law, and a Public Health Law Research Agenda

Mental illness is a significant global public health issue. Disorders such as schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, and major depression put an enormous strain on afflicted individuals, their caregivers and communities. Yet, in some respects, acceptance of mental illness as a key part of the broader field of public health has developed only recently. Legal and policy responses to mental illness have shifted gradually over the last half century, away from the axis of involuntary institutional care and protection of individual rights, and towards an emphasis on ensuring access to community-based treatment and services – promoting autonomy and social inclusion within an ethos of recovery. A confluence of forces – deinstitutionalization, changing constitutional norms, advances in pharmacotherapies and community-based psychosocial treatments, and reform in the organization and financing of mental health services – has dramatically altered the landscape in which individuals today experience serious mental disorders and seek to recover from them. At the same time, public misperceptions, negative attitudes, and discriminatory behavior toward people with mental illness largely remain. And in fact, people with serious mental illnesses often do not receive the treatment they need and many become involved with the criminal justice system. What is the emerging role of law and policy in addressing the complex problems around mental illness from a public health perspective, and what is the agenda for research to inform those efforts? As part of a series of Theory, Practice and Evidence papers commissioned by the National Program Office for Public Health Law Research, this paper reviews the current evidence base on the relationship between law and mental health and offers a research agenda that situates mental health within an explicit public health framework. The paper begins by placing mental health law in its historical context, discussing the events and assumptions that in some measure continue to shape public policy and law. The review is organized according to a typology of public health law which encompasses the use of law in deliberate interventions designed to reduce mental illness and its associated harms as well as the incidental and infrastructural effects of law on mental health. The proposed research agenda identifies gaps in the evidence bases across the three types of public health law and suggests potential research designs which have the potential to illuminate them. In a time when our understanding of the burden of mental illness on population health is growing and continued economic pressures threaten individual and community resources for adequate treatment, this timely paper aims to catalyze new lines of research essential to determining how law and legal reform can best respond to mental illness as a public health problem of the highest order.
Effect of Phosphorylation on Supertertiary Structure and Ligand Binding Affinity on Scaffold Proteins

PSD-95 and PSD-93 are multidomain scaffold proteins with a similar tertiary structure and a common set of interaction partners. Despite the high sequence homology in their protein binding domains these isoforms play opposing roles in learning and memory. The origin of their functional differences remains a mystery. The most apparent physical difference between them is the length and composition of their interdomain linkers as well as the number and position of the phosphorylation sites. In PSD-95, the binding domains partition into two structurally-independently supramodules separated by an intrinsically disordered linker. PSD-93 has a similar intrinsically disordered region but the supertertiary structure has yet to be determined. We used single molecule fluorescence resonance energy transfer (FRET) to compare the supertertiary structures and found PSD-93 has a greater separation between supramodules. This could arise from the increased linker length but also a more even distribution of positive and negative charges in PSD-93. The number and spatial organization of charges determines the extension of intrinsically-disordered peptides. Interestingly, in vitro phosphorylation by Src kinase decreased the separation in PSD-93 but increased the separation in PSD-95 resulting a similar separation between supramodules upon phosphorylation. As with structural studies, binding between PSD-95 and its ligands has been extensively studied while the affinity of PSD-93 for their shared ligands is has not been measured. Using smFRET we found that the two scaffolds have similar binding affinity, before and after phosphorylation, for their common ligands. Furthermore, we found that phosphorylation selectively increased the affinity for some ligands while leaving others unchanged. Our results show that phosphorylation can remodel the supertertiary structure of multidomain scaffold proteins. Additionally, phosphorylation can change the specificity by selectively altering binding affinity for specific ligands.
Causes of ecological gradients in leaf margin entirety: Evaluating the roles of biomechanics, hydraulics, vein geometry, and bud packing

PREMISE OF THE STUDY A recent commentary by Edwards et al. (Am. J. Bot. 103: 975-978) proposed that constraints imposed by the packing of young leaves in buds could explain the positive association between non-entire leaf margins and latitude but did not thoroughly consider alternative explanations. METHODS We review the logic and evidence underlying six major hypotheses for the functional significance of marginal teeth, involving putative effects on (1) leaf cooling, (2) optimal support and supply of the areas served by major veins, (3) enhanced leaf-margin photosynthesis, (4) hydathodal function, (5) defense against herbivores, and (6) bud packing. KEY RESULTS Theoretical and empirical problems undermine all hypotheses except the support-supply hypothesis, which implies that thinner leaves should have non-entire margins. Phylogenetically structured analyses across angiosperms, the El Yunque flora, and the genus Viburnum all demonstrate that non-entire margins are indeed more common in thinner leaves. Across angiosperms, the association of leaf thickness with non-entire leaf margins is stronger than that of latitude. CONCLUSION We outline a synthetic model showing how biomechanics, hydraulics, vein geometry, rates of leaf expansion, and length of development within resting buds, all tied to leaf thickness, drive patterns in the distribution of entire vs. non-entire leaf margins. Our model accounts for dominance of entire margins in the tropics, Mediterranean scrub, and tundra, non-entire margins in cold temperate deciduous forests and tropical vines and early-successional trees, and entire leaf margins in monocots. Spinose-toothed leaves should be favored in short-statured evergreen trees and shrubs, primarily in Mediterranean scrub and related semiarid habitats.
Enabling Open Science for Health Research: Collaborative Informatics Environment for Learning on Health Outcomes (CIELO)

Background: There is an emergent and intensive dialogue in the United States with regard to the accessibility, reproducibility, and rigor of health research. This discussion is also closely aligned with the need to identify sustainable ways to expand the national research enterprise and to generate actionable results that can be applied to improve the nation’s health. The principles and practices of Open Science offer a promising path to address both goals by facilitating (1) increased transparency of data and methods, which promotes research reproducibility and rigor; and (2) cumulative efficiencies wherein research tools and the output of research are combined to accelerate the delivery of new knowledge in proximal domains, thereby resulting in greater productivity and a reduction in redundant research investments. Objectives: AcademyHealth’s Electronic Data Methods (EDM) Forum implemented a proof-of-concept open science platform for health research called the Collaborative Informatics Environment for Learning on Health Outcomes (CIELO). Methods: The EDM Forum conducted a user-centered design process to elucidate important and high-level requirements for creating and sustaining an open science paradigm. Results: By implementing CIELO and engaging a variety of potential users in its public beta testing, the EDM Forum has been able to elucidate a broad range of stakeholder needs and requirements related to the use of an open science platform focused on health research in a variety of “real world” settings. Conclusions: Our initial design and development experience over the course of the CIELO project has provided the basis for a vigorous dialogue between stakeholder community members regarding the capabilities that will add the greatest value to an open science platform for the health research community. A number of important questions around user incentives, sustainability, and scalability will require further community dialogue and agreement.
Rethinking Thrombolysis in Cerebral Infarction 2b: Which Thrombolysis in Cerebral Infarction Scales Best Define Near Complete Recanalization in the Modern Thrombectomy Era?

Background and Purpose— Within the thrombolysis in cerebral infarction (TICI) classification, TICI 2b has been historically considered successful recanalization. Recent studies have suggested that TICI 3 and a proposed TICI 2c should be separately reported from TICI 2b, in both the original (>66% reperfusion) and modified (>50% reperfusion) definitions, because of differences in clinical outcomes with greater reperfusion. The purpose of this study was to evaluate differences in early neurological improvement and independence at 90 days using the original TICI, modified TICI, and modified TICI with 2c scales. Methods— A retrospective review of 129 consecutive patients with middle cerebral artery, M1 segment or intracranial internal carotid artery occlusions. Patient angiograms were graded by 2 experienced readers by percentage recanalization. This was then categorized into original TICI, modified TICI (mTICI), and mTICI with TICI 2c (mTICI 2c) grading scales. Comparison of baseline demographics, early neurological improvement, and independence at 90 days was performed. Results— A significant difference in early neurological improvement was observed between 2b and 3 ( P =0.032), as well as between 2b and 2c ( P =0.028) under the mTICI 2c grading scale. Similarly, a significant difference in functional independence was observed between 2b and 3 ( P =0.037), as well as between 2b and 2c ( P =0.047) under the mTICI 2c scale. The difference in early neurological improvement or functional independence between 2b and 3 for the original TICI and mTICI scales was not significant. When combining the 2c and 3 groups under the mTICI 2c scale, there were significant differences between 2b and 2c/3 in regards to both early neurological improvement ( P =0.011) and independence ( P =0.018). Conclusions— Using a TICI grading system that includes an additional category beyond TICI 2b allows for refined prediction of early neurological improvement and functional independence.
Professional Dissonance: Reconciling Occupational Culture and Authoritarianism in Qatar's Universities and Museums

This article examines the working lives of creative-class professionals in the Global South using two case studies: university educators and museum professionals employed in Qatar. A small country on the Arabian Peninsula, Qatar is an ideal site for the study of professionals in a developing yet authoritarian nation. We argue that the cultural attributes of the professorial and curatorial communities, including creativity, autonomy, and intellectual freedom, are in conflict with the authoritarian political context, giving rise to professional dissonance . Professional dissonance occurs when the norms, values, and ideas embraced by a particular occupational group conflict with the norms, values, and ideas in the settings in which they work. To cope, university educators and museum professionals turn to five strategies—resistance, subversion, submission, conversion, and exit—although variations in the content and institutional structures of their work lead each group to deploy them in somewhat different ways. These strategies may be replicated in other contexts of high professional dissonance, caused by authoritarianism or otherwise.
The Role of Relational Mechanisms in the Executive Coaching Process on Client Outcomes

While studies show that executive coaching has positive effects on performance and skills, very little research has focused on the coaching process and the relational mechanisms by which coaching c...
An Abstract of Empowering Poetry About Sustainability: The Rap Video Review

Belk (2010, p. 288) notes how rap music and the hip-hop culture from which it emerged are the latest instantiation of coolness. In this regard, rap is an attitude of nonconformity that opposes the mainstream. Such opposition is congruent with life projects those in their late teens and early twenties are involved, such as breaking free of family and establishing one’s independence and identity. In a similar way, sustainable business practices represents nonconformity to traditional forms of business that degraded the natural environment and ignored human issues with impunity. For example, outdoor-gear company Patagonia and its founder and CEO Yvon Chouinard reject such a traditional approach to business in their mission to improve the natural environment. Accordingly, rapping about sustainability allows convergence of rap’s celebration of the nonconformist and the cool rebelliousness of sustainable business practices. Sustainability is one of the major themes of contemporary business practice. The following teaching innovation allows students to engage in creative experiential learning focused on writing poetry about a sustainability topic and then recording a three-minute rap video based on this poetry. The rap video project described in this paper offers students an opportunity to apply critical and creative thinking skills in the development of their artistic video and to later become teachers for their fellow students. Mastery of the sustainability topic is a result of this process evidenced by (1) deep engagement in the project, (2) reshaping ideas into the vernacular of an urban setting, and (3) presenting the finished product in a visual form that demonstrates not only competence but confidence in the students’ point of view about the sustainability topic.
On Emergent Ethics, Becoming Authentic, and Finding Common Ground

Lowney develops a Polanyian picture of how real ethical standards emerge and demonstrates how this structure and process can support Taylor’s notion of authenticity as a personal moral ideal. The process of discovery in science generates amended or new interpretive frameworks that allow us to better understand reality. Lowney suggests that this process applies to existential as well as scientific problems and that the solutions can be new moral ways of being in the world. Just as a heuristic satisfaction can validate a scientific discovery, it might validate a moral way of being and precipitate a search for verification or falsification. An authentic moral standard is seen as a personal self-set standard that is discovered both in action and in dialogue with a wider moral community—the background that Taylor calls a “horizon of significance.” As well as forming a ground for Taylor’s notion of authenticity, Lowney also shows how exploring Polanyi's post-critical standards of warrant allows for better communication between several modern character types: the scientific humanist, the expressive individualist, and the Aristotelian traditionalist.
Aspects of the biology of Derocheilocaris typica (Crustacea: Mystacocarida). II. Distribution

Mystacocarid crustaceans are characteristic members of the mesopsammon of many marine beaches. A detailed investigation of the distribution of Derocheilocaris typica Pennak and Zinn, 1943, shows that this species is most abundant on open ocean, high-energy beaches, with only scattered occurrence in estuarine beaches. A characteristic distribution pattern in beaches is shown, with maximum density occurring between mid and high-water levels. This pattern changes seasonally, with the position of maximum density moving deeper into the beach and more landward during winter months. Short-term changes in distribution also occur, resulting from tidal migrations and abnormal hydrodynamic patterns (i.e., storms). Longshore variability in abundance suggests the occurrence of clumps of crustaceans arranged much like beads on a string. Changes in abundance or segregation of sexes and stages seasonally are not found.
New Technologies and Therapies in the Management of Diabetes

Although there are numerous effective pharmacotherapeutic agents available to treat type 2 diabetes, 5% to 10% of the population with diabetes experience secondary failure. To help combat this issue, it is imperative that clinicians understand the limitations of some current therapies. Secondary failure can be due to decreasing beta cell function, poor adherence to treatment, weight gain, reduction of exercise, changes in diet, or illness. Glycemic control and cardiovascular risk reduction are of paramount concern; however, the nonglycemic effects of several new therapies to treat diabetes may be advantageous and positively affect the long-term cost of therapy. The discoveries of amylin and glucagonlike peptide-1 have furthered our understanding of the abnormalities involved in diabetes, enabling the development of additional therapeutic options. Incretin-based therapy, including incretin mimetics such as exenatide and the yet-to-be-approved dipeptidyl peptidase-4 inhibitors, and new basal and inhaled insulin may change the way we currently treat type 2 diabetes.
Flexible Bronchoscopy Under Bronchoscopist-Administered Moderate Sedation Versus General Anesthesia: A Comparative Study in Children.

Background: Flexible bronchoscopy (FB) can be performed under bronchoscopist administered moderate sedation (BAMS) with a midazolam/fentanyl combination or general anesthesia (GA). However, the out...
Blood Pressure Goals in Patients with CKD: A Review of Evidence and Guidelines

Hypertension affects the vast majority of patients with CKD and increases the risk of cardiovascular disease, ESKD, and death. Over the past decade, a number of hypertension guidelines have been published with varying recommendations for BP goals in patients with CKD. Most recently, the American College of Cardiology/American Heart Association 2017 hypertension guidelines set a BP goal of <130/80 mm Hg for patients with CKD and others at elevated cardiovascular risk. These guidelines were heavily influenced by the landmark Systolic Blood Pressure Intervention Trial (SPRINT), which documented that an intensive BP goal to a systolic BP <120 mm Hg decreased the risk of cardiovascular disease and mortality in nondiabetic adults at high cardiovascular risk, many of whom had CKD; the intensive BP goal did not retard CKD progression. It is noteworthy that SPRINT measured BP with automated devices (5-minute wait period, average of three readings) often without observers, a technique that potentially results in BP values that are lower than what is typically measured in the office. Still, results from SPRINT along with long-term follow-up data from the Modification of Diet in Renal Disease and the African American Study of Kidney Disease and Hypertension suggest that a BP goal <130/80 mm Hg will reduce mortality in patients with CKD. Unfortunately, data are more limited in patients with diabetes or stage 4-5 CKD. Increased adverse events, including electrolyte abnormalities and decreased eGFR, necessitate careful laboratory monitoring. In conclusion, a BP goal of <130/80 is a reasonable, evidence-based BP goal in patients with CKD. Implementation of this intensive BP target will require increased attention to measuring BP accurately, assessing patient preferences and concurrent medical conditions, and monitoring for adverse effects of therapy.
Polaritonic hybrid-epsilon-near-zero modes: engineering strong optoelectronic coupling and dispersion in doped cadmium oxide bilayers (Conference Presentation)

Polaritonic materials that support epsilon-near-zero (ENZ) modes offer the opportunity to design light-matter interactions at the nanoscale through phenomena like resonant perfect absorption and extreme sub-wavelength light concentration. To date, the utility of ENZ modes is limited in propagating polaritonic systems by a relatively flat spectral dispersion, which gives ENZ modes small group velocities and therefore short propagation lengths. Here we overcome this constraint by coupling ENZ modes to surface plasmon polariton (SPP) modes in doped cadmium oxide ENZ-on-SPP bilayers. What results is a strongly coupled hybrid mode, characterized by strong anti-crossing and a large spectral splitting on the order of 1/3 of the mode frequency. The resonant frequencies, dispersion, and coupling of these polaritonic-hybrid-epsilon-near-zero (PH-ENZ) modes are controlled by tailoring the modal oscillator strength and the ENZ-SPP spectral overlap. As cadmium oxide supports polaritons over a wide range of carrier concentrations without excessive losses, strong coupling effects can potentially be utilized for actively tunable strong coupling at the nanoscale. PH-ENZ modes ultimately leverage the most desirable characteristics of both ENZ and SPP modes through simultaneous strong interior field confinement and mode propagation. As a result, this system could see applications in sub-diffraction modulators using carrier injection schemes, or narrow linewidth thermal emitters working in the 3-5µm spectral window.
Culture, Production of: Prospects for the Twenty-First Century

The production-of-culture perspective focuses on the ways in which the symbolic elements of culture are shaped by the systems in which they are created, distributed, evaluated, taught, and preserved. The perspective has flourished in the last 40 years, and scholars now study such diverse phenomena as the impact of market and industry structures on qualities of artistic objects and experiences; the characteristic features of careers, contracts, and status orders; classification and classification systems; the fabrication of authenticity; and fan cultures, taste, and collective memory.
Postoperative Complications Following Orthopedic Spine Surgery: Is There a Difference Between Men and Women?

ABSTRACT Background: Patient sex is known to affect outcomes following surgery. Prior studies have not specifically examined sex-stratified outcomes following spine surgery. The objective is to determine the differences between men and women in terms of 30-day complications following spine surgery. Methods: The National Surgical Quality Improvement Program database was queried for patients undergoing spine surgery from 2005 to 2014. Postoperative data were analyzed to determine the differences between men and women with regard to 30-day complications. Results: A total of 41 315 patients (49.0% women, 51% men) were analyzed. Men were more likely to have diabetes (P = .004) and be active smokers (P Conclusions: Differences in complications are evident between men and women following spine surgery. These differences should be considered during preoperative planning and when consenting patients for surgery. Level of Evidence: 4
The role of safety architectures in aviation safety cases

Abstract We develop a notion of safety architecture (SA), based on an extension to Bow Tie Diagrams (BTDs), to characterize the overall scope of the mitigation measures undertaken to provide safety assurance at both design time and during operations. We motivate the need for SAs, whilst also illustrating their application and utility in the context of aviation systems, through an example based upon a safety case for an unmanned aircraft system mission that successfully underwent regulatory scrutiny. We elaborate how SAs fit into our overall safety assurance methodology, also discussing the key role they play in conjunction with structured assurance arguments to provide a more comprehensive basis for the associated safety case. We give a formal semantics as a basis for implementing both BTDs and SAs in our assurance case tool, AdvoCATE, describing the functionality afforded to support both the related safety analysis and subsequent development activities, e.g., enforcement of well-formedness properties, computation of residual risk, and model-based views and transformations.
Why the excitement? Values, identities, and the politicization of EU trade policy with North America

Until a few years ago, EU external trade initiatives attracted little attention. But matters have been different with TTIP with the United States and CETA with Canada. What can explain their politi...
Punishing campus protesters based on ideology

Recent protests on university campuses have inspired conservative claims that liberals allow partisanship to color their judgement of disorderly activists. Prior research suggests, however, that bo...
Using Community Engagement to Map Pathways of Opioid Use and Recovery

We created a tool for use by the community of Tippecanoe County Indiana and their Opioid Task Force to guide their collaborative efforts in addressing the opioid crisis. A community-engaged research strategy led to the creation of a map of opioid pathways based in a systems thinking approach that considers key stakeholders and community members as system components and reflects local resources, supply, and demand for services, and the social ecology unique to this community. Organizations are able to visualize the importance of their interactions with other organizations within the community as they work together to address the crisis. This approach could be replicated in other communities and used to address other public health issues.
Chapter 85 – Estrogen Effects on Bone in the Male Skeleton

Publisher Summary Estrogens in male are important in the control of linear growth, in the pubertal growth spurt, in epiphyseal maturation, and in the achievement of optimal peak bone mass. The failure to achieve peak bone mass may be a risk factor for the development of osteoporosis later in life. One approach to assess the relative roles of estrogen versus testosterone in the male skeleton has been to measure sex steroid levels in adult men, and to relate them in cross-sectional studies to bone mineral density (BMD) at various sites. Using this approach, it was found that in men over the age of 65 years, BMD was significantly positively associated with serum estradiol levels at all skeletal sites. In order to definitively dissect out estrogen versus testosterone effects on the adult male skeleton, Falahati-Nini et al. in 2000 studied 59 elderly men (mean age 68 years), in whom they eliminated endogenous testosterone and estrogen production, using a GnRH agonist (leuprolide acetate) and an aromatase inhibitor (letrozole). Following baseline studies in which markers of bone resorption and formation were measured, the men were randomized into one of four groups. Group A had both patches withdrawn, group B continued the estradiol patch but had the testosterone patch withdrawn, group C continued the testosterone patch but had the estradiol patch withdrawn, and group D continued both patches. After 3 weeks, the baseline studies were repeated. The estrogen had the dominant effect in preventing the increase in both urinary Dpd and NTx excretion that was observed in group A. These studies thus definitively established that estrogen was the major sex steroid regulating bone resorption in normal elderly men, although the data could not completely exclude a small effect of testosterone on bone resorption.
Detecting Controller Malfunctions in Electromagnetic Environments

Verifying the integrity of control computers in adverse operating environments is a key issue in the development, validation, certification, and operation of critical control systems. Future commercial aircraft will necessitate flight-critical systems with high reliability requirements for stability augmentation, flutter suppression, and guidance and control. Operational integrity of such systems in adverse environments must be validated. This paper considers the problem of applying dynamic detection techniques to monitoring the integrity of fault tolerant control computers in critical applications. Specifically, this paper considers the detection of malfunctions in an aircraft flight control computer (FCC) that is subjected to electromagnetic environment (EME) disturbances during laboratory testing. A dynamic monitoring strategy is presented and demonstrated for the FCC from glideslope engaged until flare under clear air turbulence conditions using a detailed simulation of the B737 Autoland. The performance of the monitoring system is analyzed.
Femtosecond Beam Shaping for Filament-Induced Breakdown Spectroscopy

We examine the utility of beam shaping for femtosecond filament-induced breakdown spectroscopy at long range. Diffraction-resistant and self-healing Bessel and Airy beams offer the advantage of longitudinally extended working zones.
Synergy between research on ensemble perception, data visualization, and statistics education: A tutorial review

In the age of big data, we are constantly inventing new data visualizations to consolidate massive amounts of numerical information into smaller and more digestible visual formats. These data visualizations use various visual features to convey quantitative information, such as spatial position in scatter plots, color saturation in heat maps, and area in dot maps. These data visualizations are typically composed of ensembles, or groups of related objects, that together convey information about a data set. Ensemble perception, or one’s ability to perceive summary statistics from an ensemble, such as the mean, has been used as a foundation for understanding and explaining the effectiveness of certain data visualizations. However, research in data visualization has revealed some perceptual biases and conceptual difficulties people face when trying to utilize the information in these graphs. In this tutorial review, we will provide a broad overview of research conducted in ensemble perception, discuss how principles of ensemble encoding have been applied to the research in data visualization, and showcase the barriers graphs can pose to learning statistical concepts, using histograms as a specific example. The goal of this tutorial review is to highlight possible connections between three areas of research—ensemble perception, data visualization, and statistics education—and to encourage research in the practical applications of ensemble perception in solving real-world problems in statistics education.
Drawing inferences from statistics based on multiyear asset returns

Abstract Researchers investigating the possibility of mean reversion in stock prices with statistics based on multiyear returns have noted difficulties in drawing inferences from these statistics because the approximating asymptotic distributions perform poorly. We develop an alternative asymptotic distribution theory for statistics involving multiyear returns. These distributions differ markedly from those implied by the conventional theory. The alternative theory provides substantially better approximations to the relevant finite-sample distributions. It also leads to empirical inferences much less at odds with the hypothesis of no mean reversion.
Probabilistically Guaranteed Satisfaction of Temporal Logic Constraints During Reinforcement Learning.

We present a novel reinforcement learning algorithm for finding optimal policies in Markov Decision Processes while satisfying temporal logic constraints with a desired probability throughout the learning process. An automata-theoretic approach is proposed to ensure probabilistic satisfaction of the constraint in each episode, which is different from penalizing violations to achieve constraint satisfaction after a sufficiently large number of episodes. The proposed approach is based on computing a lower bound on the probability of constraint satisfaction and adjusting the exploration behavior as needed. We present theoretical results on the probabilistic constraint satisfaction achieved by the proposed approach. We also numerically demonstrate the proposed idea in a drone scenario, where the constraint is to perform periodically arriving pick-up and delivery tasks and the objective is to fly over high-reward zones to simultaneously perform aerial monitoring.
The diagnosis and outcome of Krukenberg tumors

Background Accurate diagnostic tools are crucial to distinguish patients with Krukenberg tumors from those with ovarian cancers before decision on initial management. To address this unmet need, we aimed to evaluate the diagnostic utility of clinical, biochemical, and radiographic factors in this patient population. Methods Patients with Krukenberg tumors or primary ovarian cancers were retrospectively identified from institutional cancer registry. Kaplan-Meier method and Cox proportional hazards models were used for survival analysis. Logistic regression evaluated clinical, biochemical, and radiographic factors; residual deep neural network model evaluated features in computed tomography images as predictors to distinguish Krukenberg tumors from ovarian cancers. Model performance was summarized as accuracy and area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUC). Results This study included 214 patients with Krukenberg tumors with median age of 52 years. Among 104 (48.6%) patients with colorectal cancer, those who received palliative surgery had significantly higher median overall survival (48.1 versus 30.6 months, P=0.015) and progression-free survival (22.2 versus 6.7 months, P<0.001) than those with medical management only. The accuracy of radiology reports to make either diagnosis of Krukenberg tumors or primary ovarian cancers was 60.7%. In contrast, multivariable logistic regression model with age [odds ratio (OR) 2.98, P<0.001], carbohydrate antigen 125 (OR 1.57, P=0.004), and carcinoembryonic antigen (OR 0.03, P=0.031) had 87.5% [95% confidence interval (CI): 75.0-100.0%] accuracy with AUC 0.96 (95% CI: 0.87-1.00). The neural network model had 62.8% (95% CI: 51.8-74.5%) accuracy with AUC of 0.61 (95% CI: 0.53-0.72). Conclusions We developed a diagnostic model with clinical and biochemical features to distinguish Krukenberg tumors from primary ovarian cancers with promising accuracy.
Surface discharge behaviors of high temperature insulation subjected to gas pressure variations in hybrid propulsion systems

fluoropolymer based high temperature insulation materials having excellent thermal, mechanical and dielectric properties are used in power distribution system in aerospace and marine application and hence subjected to aging under harsh environmental conditions. Surface discharge as a known deteriorating factor on these materials has been investigated in this work. Discharge behavior during pressure changes from ambient pressure down to 20kPa has been studied on two fluoropolymers (PTFE, FEP) and a high performance aromatic polymer (Kapton-CR). Main PD data including number of detected pulses, time interval between PDs, magnitude, average of PD charge, accumulative recorded PD charge, and equivalent time-frequency parameters of PD waveforms have been extracted and presented for fixed positive DC voltage values (2, 4, and 6 kV). The content of this paper could be of great significance for the development of new hybrid thrusters for aircrafts.
Psychoactive Substance Use Disorders

Psychoactive substance use disorders involve physiological symptoms and maladaptive behaviors associated with the regular use of drugs that affect the central nervous system (CNS).1 Use of psychoactive drugs is said to be maladaptive when it persists despite the presence of social, occupational, psychological, or physical problems. Continued use over time may result in withdrawal symptoms when the drugs are terminated. Substance use disorders are distinguished from substance-induced organic mental disorders in that they deal with problems arising from the use of psychoactive drugs rather than with the acute or chronic effects of these substances on the CNS.
Characterization of Petroleum-Contaminated Soils by Thin-Layer Chromatography with Flame Ionization Detection

Petroleum hydrocarbons from 20 soils from refineries or other industrial sites were extracted with a mixture of chloroform and methanol (1:1, v/v), and the extracts were analyzed by thin layer chromatography with flame ionization detection (TLC/FID). The TLC/FID procedure has been used widely in biological and medical research but generally has been underutilized in environmental chemistry. The analysis method involved spotting a small volume of sample extract (typically 1 to 3 µl) on ten silica-coated quartz rods, and chromatographically separating constituents in the spots using solvent systems of increasing polarities (hexane, toluene, and dichloromethane + methanol). We achieved complete separation of saturated hydrocarbons, aromatic hydrocarbons, resins, and asphaltenes from the hydrocarbon-contaminated soils with this method. Analysis of the separated constituents by TLC/FID also allowed quantification of aromatic and aliphatic hydrocarbons without interference from soil biogenic lipids. A simplifie...
Intuitions in Epistemology: Towards a Naturalistic Alternative

The present paper revisits the main methodological problems with conceptual analysis and considers two attempts to rectify them in terms of prototypes and reflective equilibria, respectively. Finding both wanting for the purposes of epistemological analysis, a naturalistic alternative is then sketched that explores the positive implications of aforementioned problems for the demarcation of the respective roles of intuitions and empirical investigation within three epistemological domains, viz., the evaluation of epistemological hypotheses, the amelioration of epistemic practices, and the construction of a theory of epistemic value.
Nitrous oxide emissions from the gulf of Mexico hypoxic zone.

The production of nitrous oxide (N2O), a potent greenhouse gas, in hypoxic coastal zones remains poorly characterized due to a lack of data, though large nitrogen inputs and deoxygenation typical of these systems create the potential for large N2O emissions. We report the first N2O emission measurements from the Gulf of Mexico Hypoxic Zone (GOMHZ), including an estimate of the emission “pulse” associated with the passage of Tropical Storm Edouard in August, 2008. Prestorm emission rates (25−287 nmol m−2 hr−1) and dissolved N2O concentrations (5 − 30 nmol L−1) were higher than values reported for the Caribbean and western Tropical Atlantic, and on the lower end of the range of observations from deeper coastal hypoxic zones. During the storm, N2O rich subsurface water was mixed upward, increasing average surface concentrations and emission rates by 23% and 61%, respectively. Approximately 20% of the N2O within the water column vented to the atmosphere during the storm, equivalent to 13% of the total “hypoxi...
Physical Properties of Materials

The subject of Materials Science does offer a wonderful opportunity to introduce interested students to basic principles of matter through forefront research topics of both immediate and near futur...
Physical-Chemical Changes in Silicone Elastomers Used for Building Sealants

The modulus of a silicone sealant elastomer is one of the most fundamental properties of these materials that can be measured on a routine basis. It is also a very complex function of several variables. These variables include the chemistry of the silicone polymer and the type of filler compounded into the product. Moreover, once the sealant is placed into service, additional variables such as loading and displacement history, time-temperature cycles, and weathering exposure become significant. Several approaches have been developed to monitor and characterize changes observed in three specific commercial silicone sealants. While silicone polymerization chemistry determines the broad characteristics of these sealants, it was observed that filler type, particulate bulk and cohesive material performance, and weathering can also contribute longterm effects. These effects on some of the engineering properties pertaining to silicone elastomers used in building sealant application is the subject of this paper. Elastomers exhibit compressive moduli that can be several times that of the tensile moduli. In addition, acid and base pH levels from exposure to precipitation can accelerate residual cross-linking and ultimately lead to sealant degradation. The net result produced by such experiments has been a better understanding of sealant properties.
Familial Incidence of Cardiovascular Malformations in Hypoplastic Left Heart Syndrome

Obstructive left-sided congenital heart lesions exhibit familial clustering, and familial echocardiographic screening for bicuspid aortic valve has become standard practice. Hypoplastic left heart syndrome (HLHS) is a severe left-sided obstructive lesion; however, familial screening is not universally recommended. The purpose of this study was to define the incidence of cardiovascular malformations (CVMs) in first-degree relatives of HLHS probands. First-degree relatives were screened for CVM by transthoracic echocardiography. Screening was completed in 152 family members (97 parents and 55 siblings) of 52 probands. Of these, 17 of 152 (11%) had CVM. Anomalies detected included: bicuspid aortic valve in 5 (3%), isolated dilated ascending aorta in 4 (3%), coarctation of the aorta in 1, partial anomalous pulmonary venous connection in 1, anomalous, intramural coronary artery in 1, bicuspid pulmonary valve in 1, and other anomalies in 4. Most were previously undiagnosed (11 of 17, 65%). Fourteen of 52 families (27%) had ≥1 relative with CVM. Overall, 7 of 55 siblings (13%), 5 of 46 fathers (11%) and 5 of 51 mothers (10%) had CVM. Although the incidence of CVM in first-degree relatives of HLHS probands was lower in this cohort than previously reported, it remained substantial, with at least one additional member having CVM in 27% of families. The frequent occurrence of undiagnosed CVM highlights the importance of routine familial screening in HLHS. In fact, even if screening was done in childhood, it may be appropriate to screen again in the third or fourth decade to exclude isolated enlargement of the ascending aorta.
MERLIN-a factory product forecasting expert system

MERLIN is a system for forecasting a factory's product demand. The system analyzes and predicts a year-out forecast for over 500 products and product options in about an hour at a Hewlett Packard automated factory. This task previously required many days of effort by two forecasters. Because MERLIN contains embedded knowledge bases, it can make predictions using the latest reasoning process of the forecasting experts. It features a simulation mode that enables the forecasters to improve the system by allowing them to test new forecasting algorithms and analyze the results via metrics displayed in graphical format. >
Intensity and anisotropy decays of the tyrosine calmodulin proteolytic fragments, as studied by GHz frequency-domain fluorescence

Frequency-domain fluorescence measurements to 2 GHz were able to recover and account for essentially all of the intrinsic tyrosine anisotropy of calmodulin and its proteolytic fragments containing one or two tyrosine residues. Low-temperature measurements have detected a very rapid initial anisotropy decay in the 2-tyrosine species which may be attributed to radiationless energy transfer between the two tyrosines. The observed values of the rotational correlation times indicate that both tyrosines of calmodulin possess considerable mobility, which decreases in the presence of Ca2+ and at low temperatures.
Strategic segmentation of a market

Abstract When competing firms target information towards specific consumers through direct marketing activities, complete segmentation of markets can result. We analyze a two-stage duopoly where, prior to price competition, each firm targets information to specific consumers and only consumers informed by a firm can buy from it. This has the effect of endogenously determining market segments in a model of `sales'. In equilibrium, pure local monopoly emerges; firms target and sell to mutually exclusive market segments. When the cost of marketing approaches zero, market shares reflect relative production efficiency (equal shares when firms are symmetric); this may not be the case when marketing cost is high.
Note concerning the eye of a hurricane

The suggestion is made that in a developed hurricane the cylindrical vortex sheet surrounding the eye has a continuing source of vorticity in the surface friction layer in the environment farther from the center. The general convergence and upward motion is thought to provide the necessary tilting action.
A single point mutation in HIV-1 V3 loop alters the immunogenic properties of rgp120

The results of the study presented in this report show that clones of env derived from genetically divergent HIV-1 field isolates fall into two major subsets based on the predicted secondary structure of the V3 region in gp120. One subset exemplified by the clones A-UG06c, B-RT3.12 and C-UG045 is predicted to assume a β-turn conformation in the V3 loop and comprises the GPG residues. The other subset exemplified by the clones D-UG23c and D-UG042 (G ) are deficient in the expression of the β-turn in the loop. Since secondary conformations are highly likely to confer antigenic properties in a protein backbone at least for B cells, we have used nucleic acid immunization to test the effect of the β-turn deficiency on the immunogenic potential of rgp120 encoded in these field isolates. As hypothesized, inoculation of BALB/c mice with the env plasmid encoding the β-turn expressing rgp120 molecules resulted in the development of a vigorous antibody response to the homologous V3 loop peptides. In contrast, immunization with an rgp120 clone deficient in the β-turn in the V3 loop showed no evidence of antibody development to the V3 loop. Instead, the latter clones triggered T cell proliferative responses and markedly increased the level of IL-2 and IFN-γ production by T cells. Significantly, reconstitution of the β-turn conformation by site-directed mutagenesis of a single V3 loop residue yielded rgp120 molecules which restored antibody production while diminishing the cell-mediated immune (CMI) responses to the V3 residue. These observations demonstrate the marked impact of a single amino acid substitution on the immunogenic properties of V3 region in gp120 encoded by divergent HIV-1 field isolates.