cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Glucagon-Like Peptide-1 (7–36) Amide Administered into the Third Cerebroventricle Inhibits Water Intake in Rats

Intracerebroventricular (icv) injection of glucagon-like peptide-1 (7-36) amide (GLP-1) has been shown to reduce food intake in rats. In these studies, we confirmed that injection of 10 microg of GLP-1 into the third cerebroventricle suppressed food intake. Moreover, we observed a reduction in water intake associated with the decreased food intake. We further examined whether GLP-1 injected icv in rats has a specific inhibitory effect on water intake. It was found that GLP-1 reduced water deprivation-induced drinking. Furthermore, the same dose of GLP-1 (10 microg) was sufficient to condition taste aversion. Finally, when 2 microg of GLP-1 were injected into the third ventricle, it only suppressed water deprivation-induced water intake and failed to influence spontaneous food and water intakes or induce conditioned taste aversion. These observations indicate that GLP-1 is a potent inhibitor of water intake in the rat and may play a role in the control of fluid homeostasis.
Scattering of a plane electromagnetic wave by a perfectly conducting cylinder in a spherically symmetric radially inhomogeneous absorbing plasma formation

The problem of diffraction of a plane electromagnetic wave by an ideally conducting cylinder of a finite dimensions is solved by the edge wave method. The cylinder is situated in an absorbing radially inhomogeneous plasma formation. The edge wave method is applied for bodies situated in an inhomogeneous medium. Analytic expressions for determination of the dependence of the effective radar cross section of a cylinder that depend on the irradiation angle are obtained, and the corresponding graphical dependences are calculated on the basis of these dependences.
Epidemiological Analysis of Reported Acute Hepatitis B Cases in Jiangxi Province,2005-2012

Objective By analyzing the epidemiological characteristics of acute Hepatitis B cases in Jiangxi province in 2005- 2012,we sought to develop a guideline on prevention and control of Hepatitis B.Methods We conducted epidemiological analysis using data from Jiangxi acute Hepatitis B cases reported during 2005-2012 that were in the China information system for disease control and prevention.Results The reported incidence of Hepatitis B increased between 1990 and 2012 in Jiangxi.The incidence rate of Hepatitis B during 2004 to 2012 varied from 71.79 /100 000 to 81.33 /100 000.Among all the reported cases of hepatitis B during 2005-2012,the percent of cases that were acute hepatitis B case varied from 5.71% to 12.46%,and during this time,the incidence rate dropped from 8.00 /100 000 in 2005 to 4.50 /100 000 in 2012.The incidence among 15-39 years old was the highest,and that of children under 15 years of age was the lowest( less than 1/100 000 in2011 and2012).Among children under 9 years old,the incidence among infants was relatively high,and ranked first every year from 2009 to 2012.The incidence by gender was statistically significantly different( χ2=6816.90,P 0.05).Among all acute hepatitis B cases,farmers had the largest number of cases,accounting for 52.25% of cases.The incidence of acute hepatitis B in Pingxiang municipality was more than 10 /100 000 in the past 7 years,and ranked first every year among 11 municipalities,with a peak of 31.72 /100 000.Conclusion There was a decreasing trend of acute hepatitis B incidence in Jiangxi province,especially among children under15 years of age.It is necessary to strengthen prevention and control of hepatitis B in high incidence areas.The incidence of acute cases is representative of current hepatitis B transmission.
The Financial Policy Dimension: Competition for Deposits

The role of monetary balances in economic growth has long been a topic of macroeconomic research; see, among others, Levhari and Patinkin (1968). Following the work of Sinai and Stokes (1972), a number of studies have given this perspective empirical content. By demonstrating the significance of the role of monetary balances in an aggregate production function, this work has shown that money and financial policy need to be carefully considered in studies of growth. More recently this type of empirical analysis has been extended to the production function of a developing country. Pakistan, by Khan and Ahmad (1985). Their results are consistent with the findings for the US and Japan—that is, real money balances are an important factor of production.
Conclusion: Globalisation, Economic Growth, and Labour

Southeast Asia consists of a multiplicity of states at varying levels of development, and does not have a single dominant socio-economic feature that can be said to characterise the region. In broad economic terms, therefore, the study concentrates on two bipolar states — Malaysia and Indonesia — as representative of ‘labour-scarce’ and ‘labour-surplus’ economies, to examine the development of wage labour in the region. From this perspective, Malaysia, a well-endowed labour-scarce country, has been, and continues to be a, labour importer. Moreover, although land development schemes were introduced (especially after 1970) to reduce rural inequalities, land issues and rural development have remained largely secondary. The polar opposite is Java, with its huge poverty-stricken population. Non-farm employment was critical for survival strategies and workers migrated to other islands or nearby countries to earn a living. Indonesia continues to be a labour exporter, and the export of labour forms an essential feature of its development plans. The other countries examined in this book fit somewhere in a continuum between the two.
HISTORICAL AND CURRENT SCLERODERRIS SITUATIONS IN THE UNITED STATES

Scleroderris canker was first noticed in North America in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan in 1951. When the causal organism, Gremmeniella abietina (North American race), was identified in 1964, the disease was already widespread there and in northern Wisconsin, and in 1969 it was discovered in Minnesota. Most infection was traced to a nursery in Michigan, and spread declined once nursery infection was arrested.
Oculomotor Paresis and Basilar Aneurysm

The clinical and pathologic findings in a 10 month old girl with congenital heart diseasewho died after rupture of a congenital distal basilar artery aneurysm are reported from the University of Connecticut Health Center, Farmington, CT and the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, PA.
The Basal Ganglia and Hierarchical Control in Voluntary Behavior

Damage to the basal ganglia (BG) can produce diverse symptoms, such as neglect, abulia, akinesia, chorea, and tremor. Accordingly, these nuclei have been assigned diverse functions, but there is still no model that can explain the full range of BG contributions to behavior. Here I propose a new model of the BG based on the principles of hierarchical control. According to this model, the cerebral cortex and BG implement transition control, in particular the rate of change in various perceptual configurations. Each closed loop controller receives perceptual inputs representing the current rate of change and reference signals representing the desired rate. The BG outputs, in turn, generate transition errors to adjust the reference signals of position controllers in the midbrain and brainstem. The cortico-BG network also implements a special functional mode unique to the transition level of the control hierarchy, namely imagination. The imagination mode is the basis for planning, simulation, and working memory.
Semi-Resonant Interactions and Frequency Dividers

A theory describing the behavior of a system as it evolves slowly through internal nonlinear resonances is presented. The energy sharing process is seen to be quite complex as it depends crucially on both nonlinear and frequency detuning effects. Two phenomena are discussed in detail although the general ideas are applicable to many situations. Firstly we examine the interaction between the quadratically coupled oscillators whose natural frequencies are in the ratio 2:1 for a limited period of time. Such a system is shown to be an extremely useful switching device. Secondly we examine the time dependent Duffing equation and find that smooth forward and reverse transitions occur without the presence of dissipation.
Assessing Students in Human‐to‐Agent Settings to Inform Collaborative Problem‐Solving Learning

In order to understand potential applications of collaborative problem-solving (CPS) assessment tasks, it is necessary to examine empirically the multifaceted student performance that may be distributed across collaboration methods and purposes of the assessment. Ideally, each student should be matched with various types of group members and must apply the skills in varied contexts and tasks. One solution to these assessment demands is to use computer-based (virtual) agents to serve as the collaborators in the interactions with students. This article proposes a human-to-agent (H-A) approach for formative CPS assessment and describes an international pilot study aimed to provide preliminary empirical findings on the use of H-A CPS assessment to inform collaborative learning. Overall, the findings showed promise in terms of using a H-A CPS assessment task as a formative tool for structuring effective groups in the context of CPS online learning.
The Way Forward – Closing Remarks at Quark Matter 2017

Abstract This contribution is a written version of my closing talk [ https://indico.cern.ch/event/433345/contributions/2321629/attachments/1411355/2158856/ZajcQM17.pdf ] presented at the Quark Matter 2017 [ https://indico.cern.ch/event/433345/ ] conference. Neither the talk nor this contribution to the conference proceedings is intended as a comprehensive summary 1 . Rather, a brief discussion is presented of emerging themes and challenges in the field of relativistic heavy ion physics.
The Clinical and Technical Effectiveness of Endovascular Embolization in Patients with Nonvariceal Gastrointestinal Bleeding

Background and Aim Endovascular embolization is a well-established option in the management of acute gastrointestinal bleeding (GIB) after failed therapeutic endoscopy; however, questions remain concerning the outcomes and the various predictors of clinical and technical success of this therapy. The authors aimed to assess the effectiveness of endovascular embolization in patients with nonvariceal GIB. Method Clinical records of 88 patients (mean age: 67.8 years) who underwent endovascular embolization for GIB were reviewed. Patient demographics, history, angiographic findings, treatment, and outcomes were recorded. The technical success of embolization, and the 24-hour and 30-day rebleeding and mortality rates were calculated. Multivariate analysis was performed to assess the factors associated with 24-hour and 30-day rebleeding. Results Angiography demonstrated signs of bleeding in 63 (71.6%) patients and all underwent selective embolization of the abnormal artery. Empiric embolization was performed in 25 patients. Embolization was performed with coils ( n = 45), Gelfoam ( n = 12), microparticles ( n = 14), glue ( n = 2), or a combination of these ( n = 15). The technical success rate was 96.6%. The 24-hour and 30-day rebleeding occurred in 13 (14.7%) and 16 (18.2%) patients, respectively. The 24-hour and 30-day mortality rates were 9.1 and 11.3%, respectively. Ischemic complications following embolization were seen in three patients, of which two required surgery. Based on the multivariate analysis, the need for continued transfusion after embolization and prior GIB were independent variables associated with 24-hour and 30-day rebleeding, respectively. Conclusions Endovascular embolization has a high technical and clinical success in patients presenting with nonvariceal GIB.
MR Spectroscopy and Spectroscopic Imaging of the Brain

Magnetic resonance spectroscopy (MRS) and the related technique of magnetic resonance spectroscopic imaging (MRSI) are widely used in both clinical and preclinical research for the non-invasive evaluation of brain metabolism. They are also used in medical practice, although their ultimate clinical value continues to be a source of discussion. This chapter reviews the general information content of brain spectra and commonly used protocols for both MRS and MRSI and also touches on data analysis methods and quantitation. The main focus is on proton MRS for application in humans, but many of the methods are also applicable to other nuclei and studies of animal models as well.
The Geography of Glaciers and Perennial Snowfields in the American West

ABSTRACT A comprehensive mid-20th century inventory of glaciers and perennial snowfields (G&PS) was compiled for the American West, west of the 100° meridian. The inventory was derived from U.S. Geological Survey 1:24,000 topographic maps based on aerial photographs acquired during 35 years, 1955–1990, of which the first 20 years or more was a cool period with little glacier change. The mapped features were filtered for those greater than 0.01 km2. Results show that 5036 G&PS (672 km2, 14 km3) populate eight states, of which about 1276 (554 km2, 12 km3) are glaciers. Uncertainty is estimated at ±9% for area and ±20% for volume. Two populations of G&PS were identified based on air temperature and precipitation. The larger is found in a maritime climate of the Pacific Northwest, characterized by warm winter air temperatures and high winter precipitation (~2100 mm). The other population is continental in climate, characterized by cold winter air temperatures, relatively low winter precipitation (~880 mm), an...
A Thesaurus-Guided Framework for Visualization of Unstructured Manufacturing Capability Data

Manufacturing companies advertise their manufacturing capabilities and services on their company website using unstructured natural language text. The unstructured capability data published on the web is a rich source of formal and informal manufacturing terms and knowledge patterns. Through systematic mining of a large collection of capability text, new semantic models and knowledge graphs can be extracted that can be used as the stepping stone of more formal ontologies. The objective of this research is to develop a framework for better understanding, analyzing, and summarizing manufacturing capability data that is available on the websites of manufacturing companies. The findings can support supply chain decisions and may result in the discovery of new trends and associativity patterns in the data. The focus of this paper is on demonstrating how visual analytics (VA) tools can be used for gaining insights into manufacturing capability and the associativity pattern among the capability entities labeled by various terms. A visual analytics system, named Jigsaw, is used for exploring the connections between various entities such as process, material, industry, and equipment across the documents in the experimental dataset.
Interleukin 1α Is Critical for Resistance against Highly Virulent Aspergillus fumigatus Isolates.

ABSTRACT Heterogeneity among Aspergillus fumigatus isolates results in unique virulence potential and inflammatory responses. How these isolates drive specific immune responses and how this affects fungally induced lung damage and disease outcome are unresolved. We demonstrate that the highly virulent CEA10 strain is able to rapidly germinate within the immunocompetent lung environment, inducing greater lung damage, vascular leakage, and interleukin 1α (IL-1α) release than the low-virulence Af293 strain, which germinates with a lower frequency in this environment. Importantly, the clearance of CEA10 was consequently dependent on IL-1α, in contrast to Af293. The release of IL-1α occurred by a caspase 1/11- and P2XR7-independent mechanism but was dependent on calpain activity. Our finding that early fungal conidium germination drives greater lung damage and IL-1α-dependent inflammation is supported by three independent experimental lines. First, pregermination of Af293 prior to in vivo challenge drives greater lung damage and an IL-1α-dependent neutrophil response. Second, the more virulent EVOL20 strain, derived from Af293, is able to germinate in the airways, leading to enhanced lung damage and IL-1α-dependent inflammation and fungal clearance. Third, primary environmental A. fumigatus isolates that rapidly germinate under airway conditions follow the same trend toward IL-1α dependency. Our data support the hypothesis that A. fumigatus phenotypic variation significantly contributes to disease outcomes.
The Twilight of Liberalism

The deep crisis that afflicted developed countries in 2008 a new era of structural changes whose implications are not fully understood. The emergence of China as a leading economic power with a system which can probably best be characterized as 'state capitalism' has raised questions about the prospects of liberalism. More questions were raised by the new US President who in his inaugural speech in early 2017 stated that "Protection will lead to great prosperity and strength".It is not clear how these changes will affect actual trade and aid policy and institutions. But it is clear that a new look at the fundamental tenets of the global economic system is in order. This chapter will review global developments in trade and aid since 2008 and identify the main future challenges for economic development.
MAPK and PI3K signaling: At the crossroads of neural crest development.

Abstract Receptor tyrosine kinase-mediated growth factor signaling is essential for proper formation and development of the neural crest. The many ligands and receptors implicated in these processes signal through relatively few downstream pathways, frequently converging on the MAPK and PI3K pathways. Despite decades of study, there is still considerable uncertainty about where and when these signaling pathways are required and how they elicit particular responses. This review summarizes our current understanding of growth factor-induced MAPK and PI3K signaling in the neural crest.
Region Specific Central Arbor Morphologies of Nociceptive Afferents Develop Independently of Their Peripheral Target Innervation

Functionally important regions of sensory maps are overrepresented in the sensory pathways and cortex, but the underlying developmental mechanisms are not clear. In the spinal cord dorsal horn (DH), we recently showed that paw innervating Mrgprd+ non-peptidergic nociceptors display distinctive central arbor morphologies that well correlate with increased synapse transmission efficiency and heightened sensitivity of distal limb skin. Given that peripheral and central arbor formation of Mrgprd+ neurons co-occurs around the time of birth, we tested whether peripheral cues from different skin areas and/or postnatal reorganization mechanisms could instruct this somatotopic difference among central arbors. We found that, while terminal outgrowth/refinement occurs during early postnatal development in both the skin and the DH, postnatal refinement of central terminals precedes that of peripheral terminals. Further, we used single-cell ablation of Ret to genetically disrupt epidermal innervation of Mrgprd+ neurons and revealed that the somatotopic difference among their central arbors was unaffected by this manipulation. Finally, we saw that region-specific Mrgprd+ central terminal arbors are present from the earliest postnatal stages, before skin terminals are evident. Together, our data indicate that region-specific organization of Mrgprd+ neuron central arbors develops independently of peripheral target innervation and is present shortly after initial central terminal formation, suggesting that either cell-intrinsic and/or DH local signaling may establish this somatotopic difference.
A Methodology to Empirically Compare Computational Bioelectromagnetics Methods: Evaluation of Three Competitive Methods

A methodology for objective empirical comparisons of competitive computational methods for solving bioelectromagnetics problems is presented. The proposed comparison methodology consists of three steps: 1) a problem of interest is identified, models that represent the range of possible model fidelities are chosen, quantities of interest are clearly specified, and precise quantitative measures of computational costs and errors (including when a reliable reference is missing) are defined; 2) multiple methods are used to solve the problem; for each solution, computational costs are measured and errors in the quantities of interest are calculated; and 3) error-versus-cost tradeoffs of the methods are compared. To demonstrate the methodology’s effectiveness, the power absorbed in a human model illuminated by an impressed time-harmonic Hertzian dipole in the ultrahigh-frequency band is computed by solving the problem of interest using three competitive methods [adaptive integral method (AIM), generalized minimal residual fast Fourier transform method, and finite-difference time-domain method], and the methods’ performances are compared. For example, the comparison reveals that for the baseline case of a spherical head phantom, AIM with a surface-based model has 100–300 $\times$ faster solution time for ~5% error or, alternatively, has 2.5–3 $\times$ less error for ~104 s solution time versus the other numerical methods.
Team-Based Learning: An Approach to Teaching Leisure Service Management and Leadership

The practice of management continues to be important in leisure service delivery and in the academic preparation of future practitioners. As leisure and business research direct a conscious eye to ...
Valvular Heart Disease

Valvular heart disease is an important consideration in patients with different clinical presentations such as shortness of breath, chest pain, syncope, and hypotension [1]. Correct identification of valvular heart disease requires good knowledge of anatomy, pathophysiology and advanced ultrasound applications(such as color and spectral Doppler), as well as excellent ultrasound examination skills. In most cases, precise quantification of the valvular pathology requires comprehensive echocardiography using a high-end ultrasound platform [2]. Point-of-care ultrasound may assist in identification of common valvular diseases, but caution should be exercised in interpreting the abnormalities by less experienced examiners, especially ruling out significant valvular heart disease based on limited ultrasound examination (Figs. 20.1, 20.2, 20.3, 20.4, 20.5, 20.6, 20.7, 20.8, 20.9, 20.10, and 20.11; Videos 20.1, 20.2, 20.3, 20.4, 20.5, 20.6, 20.7, 20.8 and 20.9) [3].
How Mathematizing Reality is Different from Realizing Mathematics

The kinds of mathematical processes, understandings, and abilities that are used in modeling are seldom emphasized in traditional mathematics textbooks, tests, and teaching. In a class of problems that 1 call model-eliciting activities, students engage in activities that are recognized and valued in the world outside the classroom. These activities include higher-level reasoning, planning, monitoring, and the use of multiple representations and technological tools.
Chapter 1 Separate representations of visual space for perception and visually guided behavior

There are two independent representations of visual space in humans and primates. One, the cognitive or “what” system, processes image information that we use in pattern recognition and normal visual experience. The other, a sensorimotor or “how” system, controls visually guided behavior. Its memory is very brief, only long enough to execute an act, but it possesses an egocentrically calibrated metric of visual space that the cognitive system lacks. We have separated the two systems with an illusion of static position, the Roelofs effect, in which an eccentrically located background biases perception of a target's location. Open-loop pointing to the target, however, is unaffected by the background. In some circumstances the two systems must communicate with one another. For example, motor activities are usually initiated when the cognitive system informs the sensorimotor system about what to do — to grasp one of several available objects, to poke a particular button, etc. But the object-centered code of the cognitive system should be incompatible with the egocentric spatial code of the sensorimotor system. Using the lack of a Roelofs effect as an indicator of the use of sensorimotor system information, we have found that making a decision about which of two targets to strike does not prevent subjects from using accurate sensorimotor information to guide their movements. One possible way the nervous system might link the codes is to direct spatially specific visual attention on the object of action, using eye movements and the eye movement control system to collapse visual space onto a single object.
Interspecies Communication with Grey Parrots: A Tool for Examining Cognitive Processing

For over 35 years, I have examined Grey parrot cognition via a modeling technique, whereby birds are trained to use elements of English speech referentially, so they can be questioned vocally, much like young children. The oldest bird, Alex, labeled >50 objects, seven colors, five shapes, quantities to eight, three categories (color, shape, material) and used “no,” “come here,” “wanna go X,” and “want Y” (X, Y being appropriate location or item labels) intentionally. He combined labels to identify, request, comment on, or refuse >150 items and to alter his environment. He understood concepts of category, relative size, quantity, presence or absence of similarity/difference in attributes, showed label comprehension and a zero-like concept; he demonstrated some understanding of phonological awareness and a numerical competence more like that of young children than other nonhumans. He could be queried about optical illusions in ways directly comparable to humans. Younger birds are acquiring similar competence.
Open 12-Vertex and Supra-Icosahedral Carboranes

The open-cage C 2 B 10 mono- and dianions mentioned in Chapter 10 are discussed in greater detail, and the formation of carbon-bridged 12-vertex clusters is described. The synthesis of nido -C 4 B 8 cages via facile metal-promoted oxidative fusion of 2,3-R 2 C 2 B 4 H 4 2− (R = alkyl, aryl, or silyl) ligands is discussed, and the unusual structures and fluxional behavior of R 4 C 4 B 8 H 8 clusters are correlated with the choice of R groups. The reactivity of the R 4 C 4 B 8 H 8 systems, including their reduction to mono- and dianions, conversion to neutral arachno -C 4 B 8 clusters, deboronation, and generation of metallacarboranes, is outlined. The synthesis of arachno -C 6 B 6 carboranes and of the first characterized supra-icosahedral 13-vertex C 2 B 11 and 14-vertex C 2 B 12 clusters is described together with supporting structural studies.
Ultrasound diagnosis of tracheal cartilaginous sleeve in a patient with Pfeiffer syndrome

There is an association between tracheal cartilaginous sleeve and syndromic craniosynostosis. We present a case of tracheal cartilaginous sleeve diagnosed by ultrasound (US) in a patient with Pfeiffer syndrome. The patient developed respiratory failure and was suspected at bronchoscopy to have tracheal cartilaginous sleeve. US performed before tracheostomy placement demonstrated continuous hypoechoic cartilage along the anterior surface of the trachea, confirming the diagnosis. Our report shows that US can make a definitive diagnosis of tracheal cartilaginous sleeve and raises the possibility of using US to screen for the condition in patients with syndromic craniosynostosis without the need for anesthesia or ionizing radiation.
Absorptive capacity in child welfare: measurement challenges and item development

ABSTRACTPromoting successful implementation of evidence-based practices within child welfare agencies necessitates accurately measuring absorptive capacity (i.e., the ability to acquire, assimilate...
Direct Determination of Aerosol pH: Size-Resolved Measurements of Submicrometer and Supermicrometer Aqueous Particles.

Measuring the acidity of atmospheric aerosols is critical, as many key multiphase chemical reactions involving aerosols are highly pH-dependent. These reactions impact processes, such as secondary organic aerosol (SOA) formation, that impact climate and health. However, determining the pH of atmospheric particles, which have minute volumes (10–23–10–18 L), is an analytical challenge due to the nonconservative nature of the hydronium ion, particularly as most chemical aerosol measurements are made offline or under vacuum, where water can be lost and acid–base equilibria shifted. Because of these challenges, there have been no direct methods to probe atmospheric aerosol acidity, and pH has typically been determined by proxy/indirect methods, such as ion balance, or thermodynamic models. Herein, we present a novel and facile method for direct measurement of size-resolved aerosol acidity from pH 0 to 4.5 using quantitative colorimetric image processing of cellular phone images of (NH4)2SO4–H2SO4 aqueous aeros...
Older hospital inpatients' fall risk factors, perceptions, and daily activities to prevent falling.

Abstract Purpose To identify associations among patient fall risk factors, perceptions, and daily activities to improve patient engagement with fall prevention among hospitalized older adults. Background The risk of falling increases for older patients but few researchers have reported patient-centered measures on this topic. Methods Surveys and chart reviews of inpatients aged ≥ 65 with Morse Falls Scale scores of ≥ 45. Measurements included validated tools and the modified Fall Behavioral Scale-Inpatient (FaB-I). Results A fall within 3 months before hospitalization was associated with an increased level of importance to preventing falls and higher FaB-I score (more fall prevention behaviors) but decreased level of confidence related to preventing falls ( p r = 0.52; patient activation: r = 0.46) were positively associated with FaB-I ( p Conclusions Addressing patient-centered measures such as perceptions of and daily activities for fall prevention could add value to existing fall prevention programs.
Higher Pre-Transplant IL-2 Levels Correlate with Higher Incidence of Acute Graft-Versus-Host Disease

Introduction The role of T-cell helper 1 cytokines, including TNF-α and IL-6, in the pathophysiology of acute graft-versus-host disease (aGVHD) is well established. Emerging data have also implicated IL-2, a marker of activated T-cells, in the GVHD reaction. 1 We hypothesized that pre-transplant IL-2 levels may correlate with the incidence of aGVHD. We tested our hypothesis in a cohort of 16 patients who received allogeneic stem cell transplantation (SCT) following fludarabine/busulfan based conditioning regimen and tacrolimus/methotrexate GVHD prophylaxis at our institution between 7/2012 and 1/2013. Methods TNF-α, IL-6, and IL-2 plasma levels were measured by ELISA day -13 (pre-SCT), day of SCT, days +7 and +14. Results Median age of patients was 61 years (range 47-70). The majority (62%) were treated for AML/MDS, and 81% had active disease at transplant. Median comorbidity index score was 3 (range 0-6). Donors were HLA-matched related (44%) or unrelated (56%), and peripheral blood was the stem cell source for all related donors and for 50% of unrelated donors. A quarter of the donor/recipient pairs were sex-mismatched (female donor to male recipient). The majority of donors (69%) were CMV seronegative, while 75% of recipients were CMV seropositive. Of 16 patients, 6 were diagnosed with grade II-IV aGVHD at a median of 28 days (range 18-83). Median follow-up was 24 months (range 3-64) in grade II-IV aGVHD-free patients. IL-2 levels (µg/mL) pre-SCT correlated with day of SCT, day +7, and day+14 levels. Median IL-2 was 0 (undetectable) pre-SCT (range 0-3.2) and on day of SCT (range 0-4.9). Patients with detectable (>0) IL-2 levels pre-SCT (n=5, median IL-2: 1.2, range 0.3-3.2) or on day of SCT (n=6, median IL-2: 2.6, range 0.2-4.9) were at high-risk of developing grade II-IV aGVHD. The incidence of grade II-IV aGVHD was 75% in patients (n=8) with detectable IL-2 levels pre-SCT and/or on the day of SCT (Figure). In contrast, none of the patients (n=8) who had undetectable IL-2 levels at both time points developed grade II-IV aGVHD (p=0.002). TNF-α and IL-6 levels (evaluated at the median) pre-SCT or on day of SCT were not associated with the incidence of grade II-IV aGVHD. Detectable pre-SCT IL2-were not correlated with ALC (K/µL) (median: 0.65 vs 0.87, p=0.6), but were correlated with longer duration since the last chemotherapy treatment (median 101 vs 47, p=0.02). Recipient age, disease status at SCT, CMV status, comorbidity index, and sex-mismatch did not correlate with pre-SCT IL-2 levels or with the incidence of grade II-IV aGVHD. Conclusion Our data suggest that elevated IL-2 before transplant may be associated with increased risk of aGVHD. Validation of these findings in larger datasets is warranted, as they may identify patients for trials of alternative GVHD prophylaxis.
Nonlocal Hardening-Damage Beam Model and Its Application to a Force-Based Element Formulation

AbstractThis paper introduces a novel nonlocal hardening-damage model for beams and integrates it within a flexibility-based frame element formulation. The proposed formulation eliminates strain si...
Assessing the Reliability of Highly Stretchable Interconnects for Flexible Hybrid Electronics

Highly stretchable, bio-compatible interconnects are of particular interest for medical and military applications as Wearable Performance Monitors (WPMs) and sensors. Screen printed trace interconnects on highly compliant Thermoplastic Polyurethanes (TPU) provides a low cost, viable option. But these stretchability has high ramification on the reliability aspects of WPM construction. In this paper, we perform the reliability testing of two screen printed inks under repeated mechanical loads 'as-printed' and after exposure to temperature and humidity.
Response to Intervention (RTI) and Changes in Special Education Categorization.

Response to intervention (RTI) is used as a prerequisite to referring children for special education eligibility for learning disabilities (LD). RTI provides schools with a framework for helping students with learning challenges. In the United States, while the number of students receiving services through RTI has remained consistent, the overall number of students receiving some educational intervention through an alternate path has increased. The purpose of this study was to determine the influence that the RTI model had upon eligibility numbers in a large special education co-operative spanning 21 rural school districts in southern Illinois that represented 15,128 students. Each of the school districts maintained its own policies and procedures governing RTI implementation, special education referral, and special education eligibility. The study revealed that while the number of students with LD dropped significantly over the past decade, the numbers of children eligible for other disability categories increased in a similar proportion. This changing trend may be the result of several factors including changes in school district policy, parent advocates pressing for quicker paths to treatment, treatment providers shifting categories for a wide variety of reasons, or some yet unknown factor. These possible explanations suggest that family issues, time, finances, and procedural dynamics may play a role in the changing categorizations and should be better understood. Future studies should focus on the inclusion of more culturally and economically diverse students, within and outside the Unites States. Last, school district policies and RTI implementation procedures should be investigated to better uncover any potential relationship to this shifting data trend.
Escaping the Social Pull: Nonconformists and Self-Censorship

Chamlee-Wright (2019) argues that Adam Smith’s moral psychology can help us understand the phenomenon of self-cenorship in today’s academy. But the lynchpin of Smith’s psychology, the desire for mutual sympathy of sentiments, can serve at least two purposes: pulling us into beneficial community with others, but also creating–and solidifying–social division. These two purposes can conflict and lead to potential problems: they can make it more difficult to nurture creativity, and they can lead to stigmatizing, ostracizing, and otherizing those outside the community. These problems can lead to stifling of, and underinvestment in, the innovative thinking necessary for a robust “life of the mind.” I diagnose the problem, explain the dynamics involved, and suggest a potential way out of the impasse.
Racial exclusion causes acute cortisol release among emerging-adult African Americans: The role of reduced perceived control

Racial discrimination contributes to stress-related health disparities among African Americans, but less is known about the acute effects of racial exclusion on the hypo-pituitary-adrenocortical re...
An Interactive Game for Changing Youth Behavior Regarding E-cigarettes

The aim of this study is to develop an educational video game and to assess its feasibility to influence youths’ interest in e-cigarettes. We first built a prototype storytelling game with facts about e-cigarettes, and then recruited 30 participants to evaluate the game. Each participant took pre- and post-game surveys on their knowledge, risk awareness, and susceptibility to using e-cigarettes. In addition, usability of the game was also evaluated in post-game survey. After playing the game, the participants demonstrated increased knowledge and perceived risk of e-cigarettes. The non-e-cigarette users reduced willingness to use e-cigarettes in post-game surveys. Results from this study demonstrated that using interactive video games can increase the users’ perception of vaping risk and thus potentially lower nicotine interest in youth.
Natural inflation, strong dynamics, and the role of generalized anomalies

We revisit models of natural inflation and show that the single-field effective theory described by the potential $V(a)\ensuremath{\sim}\mathrm{cos}\frac{a}{f}$ breaks down as the inflaton $a$ makes large-field excursions, even for values of $f$ smaller than the Planck scale. To remedy the problem, we modify the potential in order to account for the heavy degrees of freedom (hadrons) that become intertwined with the light inflaton as the latter rolls down its potential. By embedding the low-energy degrees of freedom into an ultraviolet-complete gauge theory, we argue that the intertwining between the two scales can be explained as the result of a generalized mixed 't Hooft anomaly between the discrete chiral symmetry and background fractional fluxes in the baryon number, color, and flavor directions. Further, we study the multifield inflation and show that it entertains rich dynamics. Inflating near the hilltop excites the hadrons and spoils the slow-roll parameters, in contradistinction with the expectations in the single-field inflation. Nevertheless, we identify a safe zone where inflation can proceed successfully. We determine the conditions under which the Universe inflates by at least 60 $e$-foldings and inflation leads to a power spectrum and tensor to scalar ratio that are consistent with the cosmic microwave background data.
Rejoinder to Discussions on "Approval policies for modifications to machine learning-based software as a medical device: A study of bio-creep".

We thank the discussants for sharing their unique perspectives on the problem of designing automatic algorithm change protocols (aACPs) for machine learning-based software as a medical device. Both Pennello et al. and Rose highlighted a number of challenges that arise in real-world settings, and we whole-heartedly agree that substantial extensions of our work are needed to understand if and how aACPs can be safely deployed in practice. Our work demonstrated that aACPs that appear to be harmless may allow for biocreep, even when the data distribution is assumed to be representative and stationary over time. While we investigated two solutions that protect against this specific issue, many more statistical and practical challenges remain and we look forward to future research on this topic.
Toward an RF side-channel reverse engineering tool

Digital technology advances quickly. New versions of both processors and software are released on a timescale of months, and each modification brings the potential for new security threats. We investigate here the use of RF side channel collection and a machine learning-based classifier for a general-purpose reverse-engineering tool. Ideally, such a tool would enable a user to learn as much as possible about the device under test (DUT) with minimal interaction with that DUT. Furthermore, to enable rapid updates, training of the tool to classify new hardware and software should not require detailed knowledge of the new DUT. We demonstrate identification of various processes running on an Intel Atom single-core processor using RF side channel analysis and machine learning. One classifier was able to distinguish among BIOS, Windows 10, and Ubuntu Linux, and another among Ubuntu Linux 16.04, 18.04, and 20.04. A classifier was built that can detect processes running in the background on Windows or Linux, including a web browser and word processor on each. Finally, a classifier was built that detects the WannaCry ransomware operating. For all of these capabilities, for both training and testing, collection of RF leakage was done with minimal interaction with the DUT; the DUT was booted and the probe was placed by hand near the CPU to collect the RF side-channel leakage asynchronously and without a trigger. Performance was above 99.9% with a fixed probe position, and above 99% for probe that was placed for each measurement. We describe the application of 1D deep convolutional neural networks inspired by natural language processing algorithms to the RF data, and how very high performance classification of even very subtle RF signatures can be achieved.
The Knowledge Problem in Monetary Policy: The Case for Nominal GDP Targeting

Monetary policy is hard. In the best of times, it requires a well-informed understanding of the economy and the ability to respond in a timely manner. In less favorable conditions, monetary policy requires near omniscience and the herculean power to stop economic disasters from unfolding. This knowledge problem has been at the heart of the many failures of monetary policy, including the high inflation of the 1970s and the Great Recession of 2007–2009. In both cases, Federal Reserve (Fed) officials lacked the real-time knowledge of the economy they needed to make informed decisions. As a result, their decisions worsened the business cycle. This policy brief shows that a monetary policy rule that aims to stabilize the price level, such as either a simple inflation target or a flexible inflation target (FIT), will often fail to solve the knowledge problem. In contrast, a monetary policy that aims to stabilize the growth of total dollar spending, such as a nominal GDP (NGDP) level target, does solve the knowledge problem and therefore could serve as an effective monetary policy rule.
Influence of water activity and acidity on Bacillus cereus spore inactivation during combined high pressure-thermal treatment

Abstract Understanding the inactivation kinetics of bacterial spores during combined pressure-thermal processing is essential for process design. The knowledge on the influence of pH and water activity (aw) during combined pressure-thermal treatment is limited. Experiments were conducted using Bacillus cereus spores suspended in citrate-phosphate buffers, adjusted to different levels of pH (3.8–7.3) and aw (0.80–0.99). Spores were then treated with a pressure-heat combination (600 MPa, 70 °C) using a laboratory-scale high-pressure kinetic tester. Linear regression and Weibull models were used to fit the experimental data. The kinetic parameters of the spores inactivation estimated from the models were plotted as a function of pH and aw. Results showed that the inactivation kinetic curves were characterized by tailing, particularly at low aw levels. The log reduction of B. cereus spores decreased with the decrease of aw. During pressure-thermal treatment, the changes in acidity values for a given water activity have limited influence on decimal reduction values of the spores. Study findings will be helpful for designing pressure-thermal processes to produce microbially safe products with varying water activity and acidity levels.
The Impact of Pandemic on Couples With Cancer: Examining the Role of Cancer-Related Communication on Cancer-Related Distress Via the Actor–Partner Interdependence Model

The present study draws attention to the significance of considering cancer-related communication on cancer-related distress through the vulnerability–stress–adaptation model among couples with can...
Analysis of pharmacy student communication self-evaluation skills during standardized patient encounters.

Abstract Introduction The objective of this study was to evaluate pharmacy students' communication self-evaluation skills by comparing student self-evaluations with those completed by course graders and standardized patients (SP). Methods As part of a required communications course, third-year pharmacy students completed a medication counseling encounter with a SP during a midpoint encounter and final assessment. Students' communication skills were evaluated by course graders and SPs. Students used the same assessment rubric to also complete self-evaluations immediately after each event and after reviewing a recording of their midpoint encounter. Agreement among student, SP, and course grader ratings on individual items were examined using the kappa statistic. Results A total of 206 students completed the midpoint encounter, and 208 completed the final assessment. Agreement between students' and SPs' evaluations was high during both the midpoint and final encounters, with >90% agreement on 14 out of 17 items at the midpoint encounter and 16 out of 17 during the final assessment. There were diffiences in scoring for the use of verbal distractors/fillers, with SPs' evaluations showing more favorable scores when differences existed [at midpoint 69 (33.7%) SP vs. 7 (3.4%) student; at final 31 (15%) SP vs. 3 (1.5%) student]. Agreement improved from the midpoint to final assessment (62.9% vs. 83.7%, respectively). Conclusions Self-evaluation of communication skills may be an acceptable alternative to faculty or SP evaluations, when appropriate for the purpose of the activity, based on the high agreement observed among communication skills evaluations completed by students, course graders, and SPs.
Connections—Nails, Screws, and Bolts

It is important that structural members—beams, columns, and tension members—be designed with due regard to safety and economy. But, no chain being stronger than its weakest link, it is equally important that the connections joining these members to each other be carefully designed. A connection must be able to transfer load from member to member without the connection material itself failing and also without damaging the wood of the members it joins. Design of structural members, addressed in later chapters, may be easier if the designer knows how the member will be connected and knows how the member in question may be weakened by the connection.