cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Requirements-Based Design Evaluation

This paper presents a methodology for automating the evaluation of partial designs using black-box testing techniques. This methodology generates black-box evaluation tests using a novel semantic graph data model to maintain the relationships between the related design and requirements data. We demonstrate the utility of this technique by using the relationship information to automatically generate and run functionality tests of partial designs against the related requirements.
Superposition of transcriptional behaviors determines gene state.

We introduce a novel technique to determine the expression state of a gene from quantitative information measuring its expression. Adopting a productive abstraction from current thinking in molecular biology, we consider two expression states for a gene - Up or Down. We determine this state by using a statistical model that assumes the data behaves as a combination of two biological distributions. Given a cohort of hybridizations, our algorithm predicts, for the single reading, the probability of each gene's being in an Up or a Down state in each hybridization. Using a series of publicly available gene expression data sets, we demonstrate that our algorithm outperforms the prevalent algorithm. We also show that our algorithm can be used in conjunction with expression adjustment techniques to produce a more biologically sound gene-state call. The technique we present here enables a routine update, where the continuously evolving expression level adjustments feed into gene-state calculations. The technique can be applied in almost any multi-sample gene expression experiment, and holds equal promise for protein abundance experiments.
Effect of acute ethanol exposure on the dermal inflammatory response after burn injury.

Background: More than 100,000 people each year are admitted to U.S. hospitals for severe burn injury. Strikingly, ethanol use prior to injury is apparent in nearly 50% of burn patients, rendering them six times more likely to die from infection than patients not exposed to ethanol. We previously reported that the kinetics and magnitude of neutrophil chemokine production and subsequent accumulation of neutrophils in the lung was dramatically altered when ethanol exposure preceded injury. Here, we tested whether burn injury and ethanol exposure combined, altered susceptibility to infection, neutrophil chemoattractant production, and neutrophil accumulation at the site of the burn wound. Methods: Male B6D2F 1 mice were administered a dose of ethanol designed to achieve 90–100 mg/dl circulating levels and 30 min later subjected to a 15% total body surface area dorsal scald injury. Susceptibility to topically applied Pseudomonas aeruginosa was examined. At various times after injury, burn wound and normal tissues were collected for assessments of neutrophil counts, myeloperoxidase quantitation, and neutrophil chemoattractant (KC and MIP-2) production. Results: Ethanol exposure prior to burn injury enhanced susceptibility to infection after burn and was associated with significantly elevated production of KC, but not MIP-2, at the wound site. Despite the enhanced elevation of KC, neutrophil accumulation in the wounds of ethanol exposed, burn injured mice did not differ from those that received burn injury alone. TNFα (a potent activator of neutrophils), however, was found to be significantly elevated in the wounds of mice that received only burn injury, but not in those that received injury in combination with prior ethanol exposure. Conclusion: In the presence of ethanol, neutrophils are adequately recruited to the site of burn injury, but their host defense functions are impaired, perhaps due to the lack of proinflammatory cytokines such as TNFα.
Principles of Longevity and Aging: Interventions to Enhance Older Adulthood

Healthy aging and prevention efforts for the elderly warrant attention in a world where the average mortality rate continues to increase. The current literature review is an overview of current findings related to healthy aging and recommendations for older adults who are living longer and healthier; as well as facing the physical and psychological challenges that come with extended life. Staying active, eating right, utilizing social and environmental resources, employing coping skills developed across the lifespan, as well as developing new strategies can enhance the quality of life for older adults. Helping professionals from all disciplines who are able to recognize the needs of this growing group, and recognize the resiliency factors inherent in healthy aging, have the best chance of designing and implementing successful preventionand intervention efforts.The purpose of the present literature review is twofold: 1) To systematically review the important factors that affect an individual’s longevity and to raise awareness of the importance of those factors that are within one’s control; and 2) To inform health care providers of prevention efforts important to older adults;encouraging an integration of research and practice to preventative efforts.
Survival of a child with spinal muscular atrophy and acute respiratory distress syndrome

Summary Spinal muscular atrophy (SMA), a lower motor neuron anterior horn cell disease, causes significant respiratory morbidity and mortality in children. Acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) accounts for 1–4% of all Pediatric Intensive Care Unit (PICU) admissions. Management outcomes for ARDS in patients with SMA have not been described. We present the case of a 5-year-old boy with Type II SMA and ARDS requiring invasive mechanical ventilation. He improved with meticulous management of mechanical ventilation, airway clearance, fluid/nutrition, and sedation/analgesia. He was successfully extubated after 14 days of invasive mechanical ventilation and discharged home after a 20 day hospitalization. Pediatr Pulmonol. 2015; 50:E29–E31. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Leptin during and after preeclamptic or normal pregnancy: its relation to serum insulin and insulin sensitivity.

Hyperleptinemia may be part of the insulin resistance syndrome. We studied serum leptin in preeclampsia, which is an insulin-resistant state, and sought associations between leptin and insulin or insulin sensitivity during and after pregnancy. Twenty-two proteinuric preeclamptic women and 16 normotensive controls were studied during the third trimester. Leptin was higher in preeclampsia (mean ± SE, 34.6 ± 3.9 v 20.0 ± 3.3 μg/L, P = .002) and correlated directly with the level of proteinuria ( r = .47, P = .03) and normal pregnancy ( r = .52, P = .04), where insulin sensitivity as assessed by an intravenous glucose tolerance test showed no relationship to leptin. Leptin was 19.0 ± 3.6 μg/L in 14 preeclamptic women and 10.1 ± 2.0 μg/L ( P = .11) in 11 controls 3 months after delivery. Leptin correlated directly with insulin both in preeclamptic puerperal women ( r = .63, P = .02) and in controls ( r = .81, P = .003). Leptin and insulin sensitivity correlated only in preeclamptic puerperal women ( r = −.59, P = .02). In conclusion, (1) serum leptin is elevated in preeclampsia, (2) insulin is an important determinant of serum leptin in preeclamptic and normotensive women both during pregnancy and in the puerperium, and (3) hyperleptinemia may be part of the insulin resistance syndrome also in women with prior preeclampsia.
Dating the detachment fault system of the Ruby Mountains, Nevada: Significance for the kinematics of low‐angle normal faults

[1] The mechanics of low-angle normal faulting and metamorphic core complexes continue to be a subject of debate. We investigate the conditions, timing, and kinematics of slip in the late, upper-crustal stages of core complex evolution of the Ruby Mountains detachment fault at the well-exposed Secret Pass locality with an X-ray diffraction (XRD) and Ar-Ar study of clay gouge samples from three separate faults, two from the low-angle detachment system and one from a high-angle normal fault that soles into the main detachment fault system. XRD analysis and modeling of XRD analysis show that authigenic illite-rich illite/smectite (I/S) in gouge at Secret Pass is distinguishable from clay phases in hanging wall rocks because the I/S in the gouges contains only one-water layer as opposed to the more common two-water I/S phases found in both the hanging wall and footwall. Ar-Ar ages for the monomineralic one-water I/S found in the hanging wall high-angle fault, the main detachment, and a low-angle normal fault structurally above the main detachment are 11.6 ± 0.1 Ma, 12.3 ± 0.1 Ma, and <13.8 ± 0.2 Ma, respectively. The not-quite-flat Ar-Ar spectra indicate the gouge illites grew over some interval of time and not in discrete events. The nearly overlapping ages indicate that gouge formation and thus the last major period of activity on the detachment were at 11–13 Ma and were active coevally as part of a kinematically linked fault system with the main detachment active at dips <45° and possibly as low as 22°.
Toward rational fresh frozen plasma transfusion: The effect of plasma transfusion on coagulation test results.

Numerous published guidelines encourage appropriate use of fresh frozen plasma (FFP). However, adherence is documented as poor. Therefore, we sought to determine the laboratory effect of FFP administration to patients with an international normalized ratio (INR) less than 1.6 (prothrombin time <1.6 times normal). We found minimally prolonged INRs decreased with treatment of the underlying disease alone. Adding FFP to the treatment failed to change the decrease in INR over time. In addition, we observed that the change in the INR per unit of FFP transfused can be predicted by the pretransfusion INR (INR change = 0.37 [pretransfusion INR] – 0.47; r 2 = 0.82). With an observed analytic variation of 3.2%, a significant amount of change in the INR following FFP transfusion is expected at an INR of more than 1.7. Indeed, only 50% of patients with an INR of 1.7 showed a significant change in INR with FFP transfusion. Therefore, transfusion for patients not meeting current FFP guidelines does not reliably reduce the INR and exposes patients to unnecessary risk.
Hepatorenal injury induced by cutaneous application of Atractylis gummifera L.

Introduction. In Mediterranean countries, intoxication by Atractylis gummifera L. is frequent and characterized principally by hepatorenal injury, often fatal. Its toxicity after a cutaneous application is unknown. We report a case of poisoning by A. gummifera L. induced by repeated cutaneous application. Case report. A 30-month-old boy was admitted in our pediatric intensive care unit in coma (Glasgow Coma Scale 8). Investigations showed hepatic cellular injury, cholestasis, decreased prothrombin level, and increased creatinine. History from the parents revealed repeated and occlusive cutaneous application of A. gummifera L. on a skin burn. Qualitative analysis of urine confirmed the diagnosis of A. gummifera poisoning. The child was discharged after 16 days of hospitalization with residual renal insufficiency. Discussion. Poisoning by A. gummifera L. after cutaneous application has not previously been reported in the literature. The prevention of this poisoning, particularly frequent in Mediterranean co...
Effect of age and salt intake on renal function of rats.

AbstractThe effect of variations in salt intake on plasma composition in renal function has been studied in three populations of animals of different weights. Animals on a low salt diet were found to have lower hematocrits than control animals or animals on a high salt diet. Small animals had lower hematocrits than large ones. No changes in plasma cation concentrations were found under conditions of these experiments.Changes in urinary excretion of sodium was similar to that found by others, being related to salt intake. Potassium excretion was not meaningfully affected by changing salt intake. As animals became larger, they excreted less potassium when expressed per unit body weight. No dependence of total kidney GFR on salt intake was found. Superficial nephron GFR was no different than controls on animals on high or low salt diets for intermediate sized and the largest animals. In the smallest animals, high salt intake led to an increase in superficial single nephron GFR, while in those on a low salt d...
The allelic architecture of human disease genes: common disease–common variant… or not?

Linkage disequilibrium (LD) plays a central role in current and proposed methods for mapping complex disease genes. LD-based methods work best when there is a single susceptibility allele at any given disease locus, and generally perform very poorly if there is substantial allelic heterogeneity. The extent of allelic heterogeneity at typical complex disease loci is not yet known, but predictions about allelic heterogeneity have important implications for the design of future mapping studies, including the proposed genome-wide association studies. In this article, we review the available data and models relating to the number and frequencies of susceptibility alleles at complex disease loci-the 'allelic architecture' of human disease genes. We also show that the predicted frequency spectrum of disease variants at a gene depends crucially on the method of ascertainment, for example from prior linkage scans or from surveys of functional candidate loci.
Contrasting Effects of Oral Versus Transdermal Estrogen on Serum Amyloid A (SAA) and High-Density Lipoprotein–SAA in Postmenopausal Women

Objectives— Previous studies indicated that oral estrogen increased C-reactive protein by a first-pass hepatic effect. In this study, we determine whether the route of estrogen administration influences serum amyloid A (SAA), another acute-phase protein produced by the liver, and the SAA content of the high-density lipoprotein (HDL-SAA) in postmenopausal women. Methods and Results— In 29 postmenopausal women without coronary heart disease, we conducted a randomized crossover placebo-controlled study to compare effects of transdermal versus oral estrogen on SAA and HDL-SAA. SAA, apolipoprotein A-I, HDL, and HDL-SAA were measured before and after 8 weeks of transdermal estradiol (100 μg per day), oral-conjugated estrogens (0.625 mg per day), or placebo. We found that oral estrogen significantly increased levels of SAA, HDL, and HDL-SAA, whereas transdermal estrogen reduced both SAA and HDL-SAA but had no effect on HDL in the same women. Conclusions— Oral estrogen increased SAA and altered HDL composition to contain a higher level of SAA by a first-pass hepatic mechanism. Because elevated SAA levels predict adverse prognosis in healthy postmenopausal women, and elevated HDL-SAA levels have been shown to interfere with HDL function, the route of administration may be an important consideration in minimizing side effects of estrogen replacement therapy on cardiovascular outcomes.
Is treatment-associated hypomania rare with duloxetine: secondary analysis of controlled trials in non-bipolar depression.

Abstract Background Selective serotonin (5-HT) and norepinephrine (NE) reuptake inhibitors (SNRIs) like duloxetine have the efficacy of tricyclic antidepressants (TCAs) with a more tolerable side-effect profile. Bipolar disorder is often undetected, with the most common misdiagnosis being unipolar depression. Studies have suggested that treatment of bipolar and unipolar depression with heterocyclic TCAs may increase the risk of switch rate to mania. Studies of antidepressants in unipolar major depression show a small risk of mania or hypomania, presumably because some bipolar depressives were mistakenly studied. This study investigated the rate of hypomania, mania, and hypomanic-like symptoms observed during treatment with duloxetine in patients with major depression. Methods This was a retrospective analysis of data from eight placebo-controlled, double-blind, randomized clinical trials of duloxetine in patients with non-bipolar major depression. Limitations The studies were of limited duration. Manic or hypomanic symptoms were not elicited using standardized mania rating scale instruments. Results One case of mania occurred in the placebo group (0.1%), and two cases of hypomania were observed in the duloxetine-treated group (0.2%). Among hypomanic-like symptoms, only insomnia was significantly higher in the duloxetine group than in the placebo group (p Conclusions Duloxetine was associated with a low incidence of treatment-emergent hypomania, mania, or hypomanic-like symptoms in patients with major depressive disorder (MDD). The low incidence reported here may be due to greater diagnostic diligence on the part of the investigators. It is possible that the cases reported likely reflect inclusion of misdiagnosed bipolar II patients rather than true unipolar MDD cases. The effect of duloxetine in patients with bipolar depression is not known.
The perils of ignoring history: Big Tobacco played dirty and millions died. How similar is Big Food?

Context: In 1954 the tobacco industry paid to publish the “Frank Statement to Cigarette Smokers” in hundreds of U.S. newspapers. It stated that the public’s health was the industry’s concern above all others and promised a variety of good-faith changes. What followed were decades of deceit and actions that cost millions of lives. In the hope that the food history will be written differently, this article both highlights important lessons that can be learned from the tobacco experience and recommends actions for the food industry. Methods: A review and analysis of empirical and historical evidence pertaining to tobacco and food industry practices, messages, and strategies to influence publicopinion,legislationandregulation,litigation,andtheconductofscience. Findings: The tobacco industry had a playbook, a script, that emphasized personal responsibility, paying scientists who delivered research that instilled doubt,criticizingthe“junk”sciencethatfoundharmsassociatedwithsmoking, making self-regulatory pledges, lobbying with massive resources to stifle governmentaction,introducing“safer”products,andsimultaneouslymanipulating and denying both the addictive nature of their products and their marketing to children. The script of the food industry is both similar to and different from the tobacco industry script. Conclusions: Food is obviously different from tobacco, and the food industry differs from tobacco companies in important ways, but there also are significant similaritiesintheactionsthattheseindustrieshavetakeninresponsetoconcern that their products cause harm. Because obesity is now a major global problem,
Protein location and elemental composition of urine spheres in different avian species.

We examined the internal morphology, location of protein, and identity and location of elements, in avian urate-containing spheres in 9 species of birds. The urine spheres were collected from voided samples. The spheres ranged in size from 0.5-5.0 mm, except in the domestic fowl, where they ranged up to 10 mm in diameter. The internal morphology of the spheres was examined using freeze-fracture microscopy. Protein location within the spheres was identified using fluorescein isothiocyanate (FITC). The urine spheres were analyzed for content and internal location of elements using Energy Dispersal System Analysis (EDS). Internally, the spheres consisted of a central nidus surrounded by 3-4 concentric narrow rings of protein. Elements found within the spheres included nitrogen, potassium, calcium, sodium, phosphorus, chloride and sulfur; however, only nitrogen, potassium and chloride were common in the spheres of all species. Nitrogen comprised the majority of the elemental content of the spheres (77-90%) followed by potassium (8-45%), with all other ions present in trace amounts. Unlike protein, the location of elements was random within the spheres. Protein and urate are both negatively charged and known to associate to form the spheres and as potassium is the only cation common to all spheres, it too may play a role in their formation. J. Exp. Zool. 301A:579-587, 2004. r 2004 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
First Trimester Hemolysis, Elevated Liver Enzymes, Low Platelets Syndrome in a Surrogate Pregnancy.

Background The occurrence of hemolysis, elevated liver enzymes, low platelets (HELLP) syndrome before 20 weeks of gestation is rare. HELLP is a possible but rare syndrome in gestational surrogate pregnancies for surrogates with risk factors for development of preeclampsia. Case A 32-year-old patient with chronic hypertension and positive antinuclear antibody presented for prenatal care at 13 weeks and 1 day. She was a surrogate for the embryo of a 43-year-old couple. By 15 weeks she developed uncontrolled hypertension requiring hospitalization. She was expectantly managed until her condition deteriorated. At 16 weeks and 1 day she developed hemolysis, elevated liver enzymes, thrombocytopenia, and fetal demise. Conclusions HELLP syndrome is rare and carries a significant morbidity and mortality for the mother and fetus. Clinicians should encourage the surrogate to share her medical history with the embryo donor for appropriate counseling on pregnancy risks.
A 12 mGauss (1.2μT) Magnetic Field Inhibits Tamoxifen’s Oncostatic Action in a Second Human Breast Cancer Cell Line: T47D

Previously we have demonstrated that continuous exposure of MCF-7 human breast cancer cells in vitro to an environmental-level 12 mG (1.2 (T) 60Hz magnetic field, but not a 2 mG (0.2 uT), significantly reduces the growth-inhibitory action of the drug tamoxifen and the hormone melatonin 1-4. Our melatonin findings have recently been independently replicated by Dr. Carl Blackman5 and Dr. Richard Luben6. The drug tamoxifen is a synthetic nonsteroidal antiestrogen and the drug of choice for the post-surgical management of human breast cancer recurrence. Therefore we have decided to extend our original studies to a second human breast cancer cell line.
O11.4 Population-Based HIV Incidence Among Men Diagnosed with Infectious Syphilis, 2000–2011

Background Cohort and cross-sectional studies have shown syphilis is associated with risk for HIV infection. However, population-based estimates of the actual risk for HIV following syphilis infections are lacking. Methods In New York City, HIV and STD surveillance registries are separately maintained. Cases reported to these registries with diagnoses from 2000-June 2010 were matched using a deterministic algorithm. We measured HIV incidence among men following primary or secondary syphilis diagnoses. We calculated time at risk for HIV among men diagnosed with HIV ≥ 60 days after syphilis diagnosis; men without reported HIV were presumed uninfected and censored on 3/31/2011. Results Of 2,805 men with syphilis who contributed 11,714 person-years of follow-up, 423 (15.1%) subsequently acquired HIV; annual incidence was 3.61% (95% CI: 3.27%, 3.97%). Median time to HIV diagnosis was 582 days (range 60–3150). HIV incidence was highest among men who have sex with men (MSM) (5.56%, 95% CI: 5.02%–6.13%), relatively uniform across race/ethnicity and year of syphilis diagnosis, and decreased with increasing age at syphilis diagnosis. HIV incidence was higher among males with secondary compared with primary syphilis (4.10% vs. 2.64%, p Conclusions On a population level, one in 20 MSM with syphilis are diagnosed with HIV within a year; highly frequent HIV testing and HIV pre-exposure prophylaxis should be considered for HIV-negative syphilis cases. Secondary syphilis suggests untreated primary lesions; the higher HIV incidence among these cases underscores the importance of appropriate STD/HIV screening and early syphilis detection. Registry matching/integration permits identification of high-risk individuals, such as men repeatedly acquiring STD, for targeting prevention activities.
The Efficacy of Two Azidotriazine Compounds as Poultry Feed-Through Fly Larvicides

Abstract The azidotriazine compounds CGA 19255 (6-azido-N-cyclopropyl-N-ethyl-1, 3, 5 triazine 2, 4-diamine) and CGA 34296 (2-[[4-azido-6-(cyclopropylamino)-1, 3, 5-triazine-2-yl] amino] propanenitrile) were fed to White Leghorn hens at 2.5, 5.0, and 10.0 ppm to evaluate their efficacy as feed-through fly larvicides and were compared with methoprene fed at 10.0 ppm. Hens fed untreated feed were the controls. Flies reared from manure produced by the various treatment groups were Musca domestica L., Fannia scalaris (F.), Ophyra aenescens (Wiedemann), Lucillia illustris (Meigen), Hermetia illuscens (L.), and Sarcophaga sp. Analysis of variance indicated a significant chemical effect on M. domestica, F. scalaris, and O. aenescens. Nonorthogonal contrasts indicated that both CGA compounds at all treatment levels were significantly more effective in controlling M. domestica than methoprene or no treatment. Higher levels of the CGA compounds were more effective than lower levels. Methoprene was the least effective fly larvicide but still gave significant control. Neither CGA compound was effective in controlling F. scalaris. Both CGA compounds and methoprene gave significant control of O. aenescens. Evaluation of the entire fly population indicated that the higher levels of CGA 19255 were most effective in controlling flies.
MOLECULAR PHYLOGENY OF AMANITA BASED ON LARGE-SUBUNIT RIBOSOMAL DNA SEQUENCES: IMPLICATIONS FOR TAXONOMY AND CHARACTER EVOLUTION

Phylogenetic relationships in the genus Amanita were investigated using sequence data from the nuclear-encoded large subunit ribosomal DNA. Exemplar taxa were selected to represent the all sec- tions from the current classifications of Singer, Bas and Jenkins. Phylogenetic analysis of the nuc-LSU re- gion supports the taxonomic distinction of subgen- era Amanita and Lepidella, as well as all nine sections previously recognized by Singer (R. Singer, 1986, The Agaricales in Modern Taxonomy, 4th ed.) including sections Amanita, Amidellae, Caesareae, Lepidella, Mappae, Phalloideae, Ovigerae, Vaginatae, Validae. Phylogenetic analyses among these nine terminal groups reveal several higher-level relationships which are also supported by morphological and biochemi- cal characters. A phylogenetic classification is pro- posed which recognizes two subgenera (Amanita, Lepidella), four sections (Amanita, Vaginate, Phallo- ideae, Lepidella), seven subsections (Amanita, Oviger- ae, Amidellae, Caesareae, Phalloideae, Vaginatae, Vali- dae), and two series (Mappae, Validae).
Ethnographic field work in requirements engineering

The requirements engineering RE processes have become a key in developing and deploying enterprise information system EIS for organisations and corporations in various fields and industrial sectors. Ethnography is a contextual method allowing scientific description of the stakeholders, their needs and their organisational customs. Despite the recognition in the RE literature that ethnography could be helpful, the actual leverage of the method has been limited and ad hoc. To overcome the problems, we report in this paper a systematic mapping study where the relevant literature is examined. Building on the literature review, we further identify key parameters, their variations and their connections. The improved understanding about the role of ethnography in EIS RE is then presented in a consolidated model, and the guidelines of how to apply ethnography are organised by the key factors uncovered. Our study can direct researchers towards thorough understanding about the role that ethnography plays in EIS RE, and more importantly, to help practitioners better integrate contextually rich and ecologically valid methods in their daily practices.
Errors in Crystal structure of HINT from Helicobacter pylori

Inaccuracies in the article, Crystal structure of HINT from Helicobacter pylori by Tarique et al. [(2016) Acta Cryst. F72, 42–48] are presented, and a brief history of HINT nomenclature is discussed.
Expressed emotion and the escalation of depressive symptoms in individuals with recent-onset schizophrenia.

Aim This study examined whether expressed emotion (EE) predicts the emergence of depressive symptoms over a 1-year period in 109 individuals with recent-onset schizophrenia. Methods and Results Cox proportional hazards regression analyses indicated that EE did not predict the emergence of depressive symptoms. The results also indicated that the EE factors (criticism, hostility and emotional overinvolvement), when examined individually, also did not predict the emergence of depressive symptoms. Conclusions Given the large number of patients in the study who were followed up for 1 year and another study's finding, using a subset of patients from the current study, of a significant relationship between EE and psychotic relapse, the data suggest that whereas EE is related to both psychotic relapse in individuals with recent-onset schizophrenia and depressive relapse in individuals with major depressive disorder, EE does not appear to predict depressive exacerbation in individuals with recent-onset schizophrenia.
A Novel Approach to Identify Sources of Errors in IMERG for GPM Ground Validation

AbstractThe comparison of satellite and high-quality, ground-based estimates of precipitation is an important means to assess the confidence in satellite-based algorithms and to provide a benchmark for their continued development and future improvement. To these ends, it is beneficial to identify sources of estimation uncertainty, thereby facilitating a precise understanding of the origins of the problem. This is especially true for new datasets such as the Integrated Multisatellite Retrievals for GPM (IMERG) product, which provides global precipitation gridded at a high resolution using measurements from different sources and techniques. Here, IMERG is evaluated against a dense network of gauges in the mid-Atlantic region of the United States. A novel approach is presented, leveraging ancillary variables in IMERG to attribute the errors to the individual instruments or techniques within the algorithm. As a whole, IMERG exhibits some misses and false alarms for rain detection, while its rain-rate estimate...
Underwriting Government Debt Auctions

We examine a novel two-stage mechanism for selling government securities, wherein the dealers underwrite in the first stage the sale of securities, which are auctioned in stage 2, via either a Discriminatory Auction (DA) or a Uniform Price Auction (UPA). Using proprietary data on auctions during 2006-2012, we find under DAs (a) The underwriting commissions are higher and exhibit more volatility, (b) Stage 1 award concentrations are higher, and (c) Stage 2 bid-shading and the degree of underpricing are higher. Stage 1 outcomes are powerful in explaining Stage 2 auction outcomes including the likelihood of devolvement, and bid shading.
Facing Catastrophe: Environmental Action for a Post-Katrina World, Introduction

As Hurricane Katrina vividly revealed, disaster policy in the United States is broken and needs reform. What can we learn from past disasters - storms, floods, earthquakes, tsunamis, landslides, and wildfires - about preparing for and responding to future catastrophes? How can these lessons be applied in a future threatened by climate change?In this bold contribution to environmental law, Robert Verchick argues for a new perspective on disaster law that is based on the principles of environmental protection. His prescription boils down to three simple commands: Go Green, Be Fair, and Keep Safe. “Going green” means minimizing exposure to hazards by preserving natural buffers and integrating those buffers into artificial systems like levees or seawalls. “Being fair” means looking after public health, safety, and the environment without increasing personal and social vulnerabilities. “Keeping safe” means a more cautionary approach when confronting disaster risks.Verchick argues that government must assume a stronger regulatory role in managing natural infrastructure, distributional fairness, and public risk. He proposes changes to the federal statutes governing environmental impact assessments, wetlands development, air emissions, and flood control, among others. Making a strong case for more transparent governmental decision-making, Verchick offers a new vision of disaster law for the next generation.
Gender socialization: From L1 to L2 languacultures

This study provides a multilayered analysis of one critical variable that recently has come to the fore in scholarly debates in applied linguistics. It takes the vantage point of 281 Asian millennials and examines how and why some challenge the socio-cultural notions of gender outside their immediate languacultures. Using a mixed-method approach, the study adduces quantitative and qualitative data. Our statistical findings show the centrality of family and L1 socialization in developing equitable understanding of gender; it shows cultural variability in L1 socialization and traces its impact on English classroom interactions. Case studies show that female students considerably invest in English learning to pursue gender and social equality. The study draws implications for language socialization theory and classroom pedagogy in higher education contexts.
Impact of large field angles on the requirements for deformable mirror in imaging satellites

Abstract For certain imaging satellite missions, a large aperture with wide field-of-view is needed. In order to achieve diffraction limited performance, the mirror surface Root Mean Square (RMS) error has to be less than 0.05 waves. In the case of visible light, it has to be less than 30 nm. This requirement is difficult to meet as the large aperture will need to be segmented in order to fit inside a launch vehicle shroud. To reduce this requirement and to compensate for the residual wavefront error, Micro-Electro-Mechanical System (MEMS) deformable mirrors can be considered in the aft optics of the optical system. MEMS deformable mirrors are affordable and consume low power, but are small in size. Due to the major reduction in pupil size for the deformable mirror, the effective field angle is magnified by the diameter ratio of the primary and deformable mirror. For wide field of view imaging, the required deformable mirror correction is field angle dependant, impacting the required parameters of a deformable mirror such as size, number of actuators, and actuator stroke. In this paper, a representative telescope and deformable mirror system model is developed and the deformable mirror correction is simulated to study the impact of the large field angles in correcting a wavefront error using a deformable mirror in the aft optics.
Using machine learning techniques to develop forecasting algorithms for postoperative complications: protocol for a retrospective study

Introduction Mortality and morbidity following surgery are pressing public health concerns in the USA. Traditional prediction models for postoperative adverse outcomes demonstrate good discrimination at the population level, but the ability to forecast an individual patient’s trajectory in real time remains poor. We propose to apply machine learning techniques to perioperative time-series data to develop algorithms for predicting adverse perioperative outcomes. Methods and analysis This study will include all adult patients who had surgery at our tertiary care hospital over a 4-year period. Patient history, laboratory values, minute-by-minute intraoperative vital signs and medications administered will be extracted from the electronic medical record. Outcomes will include in-hospital mortality, postoperative acute kidney injury and postoperative respiratory failure. Forecasting algorithms for each of these outcomes will be constructed using density-based logistic regression after employing a Nadaraya-Watson kernel density estimator. Time-series variables will be analysed using first and second-order feature extraction, shapelet methods and convolutional neural networks. The algorithms will be validated through measurement of precision and recall. Ethics and dissemination This study has been approved by the Human Research Protection Office at Washington University in St Louis. The successful development of these forecasting algorithms will allow perioperative healthcare clinicians to predict more accurately an individual patient’s risk for specific adverse perioperative outcomes in real time. Knowledge of a patient’s dynamic risk profile may allow clinicians to make targeted changes in the care plan that will alter the patient’s outcome trajectory. This hypothesis will be tested in a future randomised controlled trial.
Care as a Corporate Virtue

Bill Gates has called for more philanthropic capitalism, noting that although there are strong mechanisms for the generation of profit in capitalism, there are few incentives to meet the basic needs of others when doing so does not seem financially profitable (Gates 2009). What is needed, according to Gates, are caring individuals to use capitalism creatively to generate broad social welfare in profitable ways. In this paper, I use a feminist care ethic to expand on Gate's suggestion in a specific way, arguing for care to be understood as a corporate virtue, or a morally admirable trait conducive to individual and social flourishing, that inclines business agents to care-about and for others. More precisely, I argue that virtuously caring corporations should support the care responsibilities of their employees, especially women, and care broadly about the welfare of those vulnerable to their policies. In the first section I explain why understanding care as a corporate virtue is justified. In the second section I explore the conceptual aspects of care as a corporate virtue and give some examples of caring corporate policies. Finally, I outline the scope of care as a corporate virtue, defend against the charge that this proposal is unjust to corporations, and explain how such a virtue might be motivationally implemented.
Photoluminescence Studies of Deep Impurity States in Fe-Doped InP

Photoluminescence, photoluminescence excitation, and optical absorption measurements have been carried out on semi-insulating and n-type InP:Fe. Interband excitation of the ~0.35 eV intracentre Fe2+ transition is interpreted in terms of electron capture by an Fe3+, resulting in an Fe24+ centre in the 5T2 excited state, which relaxes radiatively to the 5E ground state. An extrinsic band in the photo luminescence excitation spectrum of the ~ 0.35 eV luminescence exhibits an onset at ~ 1.13–1.15 eV, which is attributed to transitions from the valence band to the 5T2 excited state of Fe2+. This assignment is found to be consistent with the energy level scheme for InP:Fe proposed by Fung, Nicholas and Stradling.
Immunology of Schistosomes

The Rockefeller Foundation in 1969 stated that schistosomiasis is “the greatest unconquered parasitic disease now affecting man and animals” (Weir, 1969). Three major species of schistosomes, Schistosoma mansoni (in Africa, South America, and the Caribbean), S. haematobium (in Africa and the Middle East), and S. japonicum (in Japan, China, Philippines, and the Celebes), infect man. While S. intercalatum is also a human parasite, it has a limited distribution in West Africa. In addition, many different species of animal and bird schistosomes may penetrate the skin of man within which they die and produce a dermatitis known as swimmer’s itch. The schistosomes are multicellular organisms, and several different stages of the life cycle occur within the human definitive host: the cercariae released in bodies of water by infected snails penetrate the skin, changing into schistosomula. These immature schistosomes pass from the skin into the lungs and then down into the blood vessels of the liver where they develop into adult male or female worms, mate, and migrate into the intestinal (S. mansoni and S. japonicum) or vesical (S. haematobium) venules, where they produce 300–3000 eggs daily over periods of many years.
Choroidal Ischemia Sparing the Watershed Zone following Intra-Arterial Chemotherapy for Retinoblastoma.

Purpose Intra-arterial chemotherapy (IAC) has become a mainstay in the management of retinoblastoma, especially in advanced or refractory disease. However, IAC is not without complications, and chemotherapy toxic effects can lead to partial or complete choroidal ischemia, often causing vision loss. Methods This is a case report. Results A 4-month-old girl with bilateral retinoblastoma was treated with secondary IAC (melphalan 5 mg) for recurrent tumor following intravenous chemotherapy. One month later, complete tumor control was achieved. However, she demonstrated broad choroidal ischemia in the nasal and temporal quadrants but sparing of the watershed zone superior and inferior to the optic disc and in the papillomacular region. Fluorescein angiography revealed poor perfusion of the choriocapillaris with visibility of the large choroidal vessels in the nasal and temporal areas but preserved perfusion of the watershed zone. The watershed zone remained intact on the 10-month follow-up, and the final visual acuity was fix and follow without strabismus. Conclusion The pathophysiology of choroidal ischemia is not well understood, but the fortuitous watershed zone preservation in this case could represent uneven distribution of the chemotherapeutic drug, resulting in partial chemo-dilution of the medication in the watershed region, which represents the final downstream overlapping choroidal perfusion from both medial and lateral posterior ciliary arteries.
Infectious Complications in Pancreas Transplantation

In addition to the infectious risk associated with all solid organ transplants, pancreas transplantation poses some unique risks associated with surgical technique and host risk factors. This review highlights several key areas of infectious diseases that physicians must consider in patients undergoing pancreas transplantation. Surgical site infections are common after pancreas transplantation, and empiric antimicrobials, including antifungal coverage, are often needed to reduce the risk of these infections. Cytomegalovirus and Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) infections require close monitoring post-transplant, and we are just beginning to understand risk factors for post-transplant lymphoproliferative disorder, which is often associated with EBV infection in these patients. Pancreas transplantation can be a successful cure for diabetes, if post-transplant complications, including rejection and infection, can be appropriately managed. Recent use of pancreata from HIV- and HCV-positive donors has increased the pool of possible donors, and ideally, more centers will begin to use these organs. Islet cell transplantation and xenotransplantation are exciting new avenues of research for potential diabetes cures.
Climate Change and Food Security Current and Future

Since the mid-eighteenth century, the Earth’s climate has been generally warming up. In the past 60-year, Earth warmed up intensively, leading to never before experienced environmental, economic, and social events. One of the biggest climate warming concerns is how these changes have affected agricultural production and food security (FS) and what to expect in the near and distant future, considering an intensive population growth and a gradual leveling off trends in agricultural production. In recent decades, the United Nations’ (WMO, UNEP) climate change actions, IPCC reports, and other scientific publications have strongly emphasized that CO2 increase was “very likely” triggering global warming, which has already led to negative consequences for the environment and society. The past 50 years of environmental observations showed global changes in snow and ice areas, sea level, natural disasters, biological systems (plants, birds, etc.), and others. Some observations showed that climate warming has negatively affected crop yield, especially in underdeveloped countries of Africa, Asia, and Latin America. Since climate warming anticipates drought intensification, expansion, and increasing impacts on crops and pasture, one of the biggest concerns is what changes has occurred in land cover, agricultural production and their corresponding consequences for food security (FS) and what to expect in the near and distant future. Will FS intensify, leading to more people suffering from a lack of food and hunger, especially considering the disproportion between the Earth’s population and food production increases. In addition, it is important to understand if short-term (17–35 years) climate tendencies would continue, considering that between 1998 and 2014 the global mean temperature experienced a flat trend or so-called “hiatus” and that in the last 3 years (2015–2017) the global mean temperature was warmer than normal. This chapter discusses the current climate warming views, emphasizing matching upcoming trends in global CO2 and a general warming trend in global mean temperature anomaly (TA). It also indicates that there are some mismatches between TA and CO2 trends and discusses other causes for temperature warm up. The most important part of this chapter is analysis of land surface changes in the past four to six decades based on remote sensing and in situ data. These observations include a trend analysis of more than a 35-year time series of land surface remote-sensing-based greenness from NDVI, Brightness temperature, vegetation health indices (VCI, TCI, and VHI), droughts and in situ-based precipitation, temperature, yield, and others. Based on these tendencies the current and future food security assessments are predicted.
Exploring the Potential of Diarylacetylenediols as Hydrogen Bonding Catalysts.

Title compounds possessing an electron-withdrawing group show increased activity as catalysts in Diels—Alder reactions but they also undergo facile, spontaneous cyclization into benz[b]furans.
The Blank Slate E-State: Estonian Information Society and the Politics of Novelty in the 1990s

This article looks at how the discourse of an emerging information society in 1990s Estonia both rejected and depended on expertise from the Soviet Period. It traces the influence 1960s-trained cyberneticians and sociologists had on expanding the concept of an information society in the 1990s, to encompass issues such as regional inequality, national culture, and poverty, instead of focusing solely on hardware purchasing and telecomms liberalization. This process was both enabled and occluded through "rupture-talk,” a rhetorical strategy emphasizing the novelty of digital infrastructure development compared to the Soviet past. The article argues that a shared belief in the power of information processing for both empowering and containing civil society enabled ideologically divergent actors to work together. The resulting vision diverged from neoliberal visions of information societies in hitherto unacknowledged ways.
RESPONSE: From Cardiology to COVID: The Impact of a Pandemic on Fellowship Training.

In the middle of every difficulty lies an opportunity for growth.—Dalai Lama No doubt that the past few months have had a major impact on the health care community, and the effects of coronavirus disease-2019 (COVID-19) will be with us for years to come. Trainees in graduate medical education