cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Topic model methods for automatically identifying out-of-scope resources

Recent years have seen the rise of subject-themed digital libraries, such as the NSDL pathways and the Digital Library for Earth System Education (DLESE). These libraries often need to manually verify that contributed resources cover topics that fit within the theme of the library. We show that such scope judgments can be automated using a combination of text classification techniques and topic modeling. Our models address two significant challenges in making scope judgments: only a small number of out-of-scope resources are typically available, and the topic distinctions required for digital libraries are much more subtle than classic text classification problems. To meet these challenges, our models combine support vector machine learners optimized to different performance metrics and semantic topics induced by unsupervised statistical topic models. Our best model is able to distinguish resources that belong in DLESE from resources that don't with an accuracy of around 70%. We see these models as the first steps towards increasing the scalability of digital libraries and dramatically reducing the workload required to maintain them.
Use of video laryngoscopy and camera phones to communicate progression of laryngeal edema in assessing for extubation: a case series.

Video laryngoscopy has demonstrated utility in airway management. For the present case series, we report the use of video laryngoscopy to evaluate the airway of critically ill, mechanically ventilated patients, as a means to reduce the risk of immediate postextubation stridor by assessing the degree of laryngeal edema. We also describe the use of cellular phone cameras to document and communicate airway edema in using video laryngoscopy for the patients’ medical records. We found video laryngoscopy to be an effective method of assessing airway edema, and cellular phone cameras were useful for recording and documenting video laryngoscopy images for patients’ medical records.
Higher-order effects in the two-body breakup of 17F

The two-body breakup 17 F → 16 O + p on Ni and Pb targets at 10–40 MeV/u is calculated by solving the time-dependent Schrodinger equation numerically. Both Coulomb and the nuclear potentials are important in these reactions, but the Coulomb contribution cannot be calculated reliably in first-order perturbation theory. The most dramatic feature is a dynamic polarization effect, which reduces the Coulomb dissociation probability compared to first-order perturbation theory. Over most of the energy range, the correction is proportional to Z 3 , the cube of the target charge, and the relative importance is nearly inversely proportional to the beam energy. At the lowest energies in the range considered, higher-order effects ( Z 3 ) become significant as well. At the impact parameters where nuclear induced breakup is dominant, the diffraction dissociation is reduced whereas stripping is enhanced compared to the eikonal approximation. Here too the deviations decrease inversely with beam energy over most of the range considered.  2002 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.
Construction of Quasi-Cyclic LDPC Codes Based on the Primitive Elements of Finite Fields

This paper presents an algebraic method for constructing quasic-cyclic LDPC codes based on the primitive elements of finite fields. The construction gives a class of efficiently encodable quasi-cyclic LDPC codes. Experimental results show that the constructed codes decoded with iterative decoding using the sum-product algorithm perform well over the AWGN channel.
The Relationship between Illness Complaints and Degree of Crowding in a Prison Environment

Illness complaint rates were examined in relation to degree of crowding in a federal prison and a county jail. It was found that dorm inmates in the prison had higher complaint rates than those in ...
Film Cooling Effectiveness and Heat Transfer Near Deposit-Laden Film Holes

Experiments were conducted to determine the impact of synfuel deposits on film cooling effectiveness and heat transfer. Scaled up models were made of synfuel deposits formed on film-cooled turbine blade coupons exposed to accelerated deposition. Three distinct deposition patterns were modeled: a large deposition pattern (max deposit peak ≅ 2 hole diameters) located exclusively upstream of the holes, a large deposition pattern (max deposit peak ≅ 1.25 hole diameters) extending downstream between the cooling holes, and a small deposition pattern (max deposit peak ≅ 0.75 hole diameter) also extending downstream between the cooling holes. The models featured cylindrical holes inclined at 30 degrees to the surface and aligned with the primary flow direction. The spacing of the holes were 3, 3.35, and 4.5 hole diameters respectively. Flat models with the same film cooling hole geometry and spacing were used for comparison. The models were tested using blowing ratios of 0.5–2 with a turbulent approach boundary layer and 0.5% freestream turbulence. The density ratio was approximately 1.1 and the primary flow Reynolds number at the film cooling row location was 300,000. An infrared camera was used to obtain the film cooling effectiveness from steady state tests and surface convective heat transfer coefficients using transient tests. The model with upstream deposition caused the primary flow to lift off the surface over the roughness peaks and allowed the coolant to stay attached to the model. Increasing the blowing ratio from 0.5 to 2 only expanded the region that the coolant could reach and improved the cooling effectiveness. Though the heat transfer coefficient also increased at high blowing ratios, the net heat flux ratio was still less than unity, indicating film cooling benefit. For the two models with deposition between the cooling holes, the free stream air was forced into the valleys in line with the coolant holes and degraded area-averaged coolant performance at lower blowing ratios. It is concluded that the film cooling effectiveness is highest when deposition is limited to upstream of the cooling holes. When accounting for the insulating effect of the deposits between the film holes, even the panels with deposits downstream of the film holes can yield a net decrease in heat flux for some cases.Copyright © 2009 by ASME
Seismicity and tectonics of southern Central America and adjacent regions with special attention to the surroundings of Panama

Abstract Ten new focal mechanisms are derived for earthquakes in southern Central America and its adjacent regions. These are combined with a study of seismicity and data of previous workers to delineate the position and nature of the plate boundaries in this complex region. The Middle America subduction zone may be divided into four or five distinct seismic segments. The plate boundary between North America and the Caribbean near the trench might be located more towards the south than previously suspected. Subduction has basically stopped south of the underthrusting Cocos Ridge. There is not much evidence for a seismically active strike-slip fault south of Panama, but its existence cannot be ruled out. More activity reveals the zone north of Panama which is identified as a subduction zone with normal fault events. Shallow seismicity induced by the interaction of the Nazca plate extends from the Colombia-Panama border south along the Pacific coast to meet a high-angle continental thrust fault system. Subduction with a pronounced slab starts only south of that point near a hot region which offsets the seismic trend at the trench. The Carnegie Ridge and/or the change of direction of subduction in Ecuador produce a highly active zone of seismicity mainly at the depth of 200 km. The area in the Pacific displays a termination of activity at a propagating rift west of the Galapagos Islands. The main eastern boundary of the Cocos plate, the Panama Fracture Zone, is offset towards the west at the southern end of the Malpelo Ridge. Its northern end consists of two active branches as defined by large earthquakes. A strike-slip mechanism near the southeastern flank of the Cocos Ridge was previously believed to be the site of an extended fracture zone. This paper proposes submarine volcanic activity as an alternative explanation.
The drama of country and city: tribalization, urbanization and theatre under apartheid

In an ironic reversal of the classic modern paradigm where the city represents progress and the agency of citizens against the ‘idiocy of rural life’, the Africanized city, especially Johannesburg, came in the apartheid period to signify barbarism for white South Africans, the very group that saw itself as the vanguard of modernity in Africa. Fearful of the hybrid urbanity of the ‘city native’ in Sophiatown, Afrikaner Nationalists and their English‐speaking fellow‐travellers in the 1950s proposed a counter‐civitas, a perverse modernity defined not by urban civility but by isolation in the country. This essay takes the tensions between and within the racial appropriations of country and city in apartheid's perverse modernity as the point of departure for a critical revaluation of the affinities and differences among African, Afrikaans, and white English drama and performance in South Africa.
Untangling topic threads in chat-based communication: a case study

Analyzing chat traffic has important applications for both the military and the civilian world. This paper presents a case study of a real-world application of chat analysis in support of team training exercise in the military. It compares the results of an unsupervised learning approach with those of a supervised classification approach. The paper also discusses some of the specific challenges presented by this domain.
The Presentation of Indigenous Society in the Schools of French West Africa and Indochina, 1918 to 1938

The historiography of French colonial educational policy and practice has advanced considerably over the past decade. Not long ago W. Bryant Mum-ford's allegation, “Africans learn to be French,” was taken literally, and most scholars presumed that France, either out of cultural arrogance or blind reflex, brought metropolitan schooling in undiluted form to her colonies. We know better now. Recent studies of education in French West Africa and Indochina have suggested that colonial schools were not only adapted to the colonial context, but taught the students a great deal about their own societies. This article focuses on the knowledge that the two basic school levels, the elementary and primary, distributed about indigenous society in two French colonial federations—French West Africa and Indochina—in the period 1918–38 and speculates as to why the content and distribution of that knowledge took the forms they did. The discussion is based on analysis of texts in use in the primary schools, government curriculum guides, and student school notebooks. It begins with a brief survey of the structure of the educational system and curriculum of the schools as a whole, then proceeds to an analysis of the presentation of indigenous society in the schools.
Retrospective dosimetric comparison of low-dose-rate and pulsed-dose-rate intracavitary brachytherapy using a tandem and mini-ovoids.

The purpose of this study was to compare the dose distribution of Iridium-192 ({sup 192}Ir) pulsed-dose-rate (PDR) brachytherapy to that of Cesium-137 ({sup 137}Cs) low-dose-rate (LDR) brachytherapy around mini-ovoids and an intrauterine tandem. Ten patient treatment plans were selected from our clinical database, all of which used mini-ovoids and an intrauterine tandem. A commercial treatment planning system using AAPM TG43 formalism was used to calculate the dose in water for both the {sup 137}Cs and {sup 192}Ir sources. For equivalent system loadings, we compared the dose distributions in relevant clinical planes, points A and B, and to the ICRU bladder and rectal reference points. The mean PDR doses to points A and B were 3% {+-} 1% and 6% {+-} 1% higher than the LDR doses, respectively. For the rectum point, the PDR dose was 4% {+-} 3% lower than the LDR dose, mainly because of the {sup 192}Ir PDR source anisotropy. For the bladder point, the PDR dose was 1% {+-} 4% higher than the LDR dose. We conclude that the PDR and LDR dose distributions are equivalent for intracavitary brachytherapy with a tandem and mini-ovoids. These findings will aid in the transfer from the current practice of LDRmore » intracavitary brachytherapy to PDR for the treatment of gynecologic cancers.« less
BUXTEHUDE AND THE DANCE OF DEATH: THE CHORALE PARTITA AUF MEINEN LIEBEN GOTT (BUXWV 179) AND THE ARS MORIENDI IN THE SEVENTEENTH CENTURY

In his chorale partita Auf meinen lieben Gott (BuxWV 179) Dieterich Buxtehude combines the (sacred) genre of the chorale with the (secular) genre of a dance suite by modelling the variations of the partita on popular dances. This essay explores the Sitz im Leben of the composition and shows that it was part of a larger trend to turn hymn settings into keyboard pieces that borrowed stylistic features from contemporary dances. At the same time, the choice of the hymn has to be understood within the context of contemporary piety and the ars moriendi in particular. Both aspects converge in the musical and religious practices of the educated middle class in the second half of the seventeenth century in northern Germany.
Transcriptional Regulators and the Evolution of Plant Form

The modern or neo-Darwinian theory of evolution was formulated well over half a century ago at a time when genes were abstractions and development was understood only as the transition between a series of phenotypic states. Since that time, our knowledge of the gene, the diversity of types of genes
The Philadelphia Brief Assessment of Cognition (PBAC): A Validated Screening Measure for Dementia

The Philadelphia Brief Assessment of the Cognition (PBAC) is a brief dementia-screening instrument. The PBAC assesses five cognitive domains: working memory/executive control; lexical retrieval/language; visuospatial/visuoconstructional operations; verbal/visual episodic memory; and behavior/social comportment. A revised version of the PBAC was administered to 198 participants including patients with Alzheimer's disease (AD) (n=46) and four groups of patients with frontotemporal dementia (FTD) syndromes: behavioral-variant FTD (bvFTD; n=65), semantic-variant primary progressive aphasia (PPA) (svPPA; n=22), non-fluent/agrammatic-variant PPA (nfaPPA; n=23), and corticobasal syndrome (CBS; n=42), and a group of normal controls (n=15). The total PBAC score was highly correlated with the MMSE. The criterion validity of the PBAC was assessed relative to standard neuropsychological test performance. Using standard neuropsychological test performance as a criterion, the total PBAC score accurately identified the presence and severity of dementia. Intra-class correlations between PBAC subscales and standard neuropsychological tests were highly significant. PBAC subscales demonstrated good clinical utility in distinguishing AD and FTD subtypes using receiver operating characteristic analysis and standard diagnostic performance statistics to determine optimal subscale cut scores. The PBAC is a valid tool and able to assesses differential patterns neuropsychological/behavioral impairment in a broad range of neurodegenerative conditions.
The Effect of Development Impact Fees on Housing Values

This paper examines the effects of impact fees on housing prices using data from 46,420 properties in 63 Texas cities, 38 of which impose an impact fee. After controlling for self-selection of the ...
Dissociating Statistically-Determined Alzheimer's Disease/Vascular Dementia Neuropsychological Syndromes Using White and Gray Neuroradiological Parameters.

BACKGROUND There is remarkable heterogeneity in clinical Alzheimer's disease (AD) or vascular dementia (VaD). OBJECTIVES 1) To statistically examine neuropsychological data to determine dementia subgroups for individuals clinically diagnosed with AD or VaD and then 2) examine group differences in specific gray/white matter regions of interest. METHODS A k-means cluster analysis requested a 3-group solution from neuropsychological data acquired from individuals diagnosed clinically with AD/VaD. MRI measures of hippocampal, caudate, ventricular, subcortical lacunar infarction, whole brain volume, and leukoaraiosis (LA) were analyzed. Three regions of LA volumes were quantified and these included the periventricular (5 mm around the ventricles), infracortical (5 mm beneath the gray matter), and deep (between periventricular and infracortical) regions. RESULTS Cluster analysis sorted AD/VaD patients into single domain amnestic (n = 41), single-domain dysexecutive (n = 26), and multi-domain (n = 26) phenotypes. Multi-domain patients exhibited worst performance on language tests; however, multi-domain patients were equally impaired on memory tests when compared to amnestic patients. Statistically-determined groups dissociated using neuroradiological parameters: amnestic and multi-domain groups presented with smaller hippocampal volume while the dysexecutive group presented with greater deep, periventricular, and whole brain LA. Neither caudate nor lacunae volume differed by group. Caudate nucleus volume negatively correlated with total LA in the dysexecutive and multi-domain groups. CONCLUSIONS There are at least three distinct subtypes embedded within patients diagnosed clinically with AD/VaD spectrum dementia. We encourage future research to assess a) the neuroradiological substrates underlying statistically-determined AD/VaD spectrum dementia and b) how statistical modeling can be integrated into existing diagnostic criteria.
Weight of adrenal glands of cats.

SummaryAdrenal weight-body weight ratios of 89 male and 102 female cats were determined. The ratio for males is 0.147 g/ kg; for females, 0.162. The difference is statistically significant, and is due to a difference in average body weight of the 2 groups. A similar difference in ratios is seen between large and small male and large and small female cats.
Ceramic Coatings for PBR Components

Particle bed reactors (PBRs) have the potential for providing compact power sources for both space power and propulsion applications. The reactors operate in the temperature range of 2000 to 3000 K and, for propulsion systems, utilize hydrogen as a coolant. Given these overall operating conditions, the need exists to develop and verify the performance of various reactor components, particularly those which must operate at the more extreme conditions of temperature and hydrogen flow rate. These components must undergo multiple thermal cycles between cryogenic and exit temperatures. In addition, some of the components are subject to a thermal gradient of thousands of degrees Kelvin over a few centimeters. A number of approaches directed towards meeting these needs have been developed. These include both monolithic ceramics (e.g. boron nitride) as well as coated composites consisting of refractory carbides (ZrC, NbC and TaC) on carbon-based substrates. Full and partial scale components have been fabricated and tested under prototypic conditions. The results of this developmental effort will be described.
Effect of Microstructure on the Properties of MoSi2 and its Composites

The effects of processing on the microstructure and properties of MoSi2 are examined. A diverse array of samples, processed through a variety of means, were investigated for their microstructural features and indentation fracture behavior. Results from this study indicate that a finely dispersed secondary phase enhances tortuous crack paths, crack branching, and microcracking, thereby improving fracture toughness. The effects of substitutional alloying (Re, Al) and composite additions (SiC) have also been investigated.
Note on the mathematical biophysics of temporal sequences of stimuli

Some general considerations are given regarding the effects of temporal sequences of stimuli in a neuronic network, which consists of a set of parallel chains of excitatory fibers with cross-connections made of inhibitory fibers. It is shown that, in general, the excitation produced by any individual stimulus of the series is a function of the order and duration of the previous stimuli, and that the effect of each stimulus thus depends on the whole temporal pattern considered.
Hybrid Analysis of Blue Water Consumption and Water Scarcity Implications at the Global, National, and Basin Levels in an Increasingly Globalized World

As the fifth global water footprint assessment, this study enhanced previous estimates of national blue water consumption (including fresh surface and groundwater) and main economic activities with (1) improved spatial and sectoral resolution and (2) quantified the impacts of virtual water trade on water use and water stress at both the national and basin level. In 2007, 1194 Gm3 of blue water was consumed globally for human purposes. The consuming (producing) of primary and manufactured goods and services from the sectors of “Primary Crops and Livestock”, “Primary Energy and Minerals”, “Processed Food and Beverages”, “Non-food Manufactured Products”, “Electricity”, “Commercial and Public Services”, and “Households” accounted for 33% (91%), ∼ 0% (1%), 37% (<1%), 13% (1%), 1% (2%), 15% (3%), and 2% (2%) of the world’s total blue water consumption, respectively. The considerable differences in sectoral water consumption accounted for by the two perspectives (consumption- vs production-based) highlight the s...
Rapid detection of blaOXA in carbapenem-susceptible Acinetobacter radioresistens bacteremia leading to unnecessary antimicrobial administration

Rapid molecular techniques to identify resistant pathogens are revolutionizing antibiotic stewardship; however, it is important to recognize the limitations of these techniques. Herein we describe two cases of bacteremia that were both initially identified by genotypic testing as carbapenem-resistant Acinetobacter spp. and subsequently identified phenotypically as carbapenem-susceptible A. radioresistens. The genotypic results prompted unnecessary broad-spectrum antibiotic use and infection control concerns.
Angiotensin II Stimulate the Expression of Integrin-Linked Kinase in Rat Glomerular Mesangial Cell

Objective To investigate the effect of angiotensin Ⅱ(Ang Ⅱ)on the expression of integrin-linked kinase(ILK)in rat glomerular mesangial cells.Methods SD rat glomerular mesangial cells were separated and cultured.They were treated with 10-7 mol/L Ang Ⅱ in various time-point(0,12,24,48,72 h),and then cultured rat glomerular mesangial cells were treated 48 h with Ang Ⅱ in various concentration(0,10-11,10-9,10-7,10-5 mol/L).Then total protein expression in rat glomerular mesangial cells stimulated by Ang Ⅱ at every time-point and every concentration-point was extracted.The expression of ILK protein was measured by Western blot.Results 1.Expression of ILK protein in rat glomerular cells stimulated by Ang Ⅱ in various time-point,or various concentration was significantly increased.In group of 10-7 mol/L Ang Ⅱstimulated cells,the protein semiquantity of ILK at 0,12,24,48,72 h respectively was 0.18±0.02,0.37±0.07,0.90±0.10,1.73±0.12,and 1.72±0.13(F=166.78 P0.05).2.In various concentration(0,10-11,10-9,10-7,10-5 mol/L)Ang Ⅱ stimulated cells at 48 h.The protein semiquantity of ILK respectively was 0.20±0.02,0.38±0.04,0.76±0.06,1.81±0.09,2.01±0.16(F=252.12 P0.05).Conclusions Ang Ⅱ stimulate the expression of ILK in rat glomerular mesangial cells.The study suggests that the passage of ILK-Ang Ⅱ may have important effect on the progression of renal disease.
Stroke risk factors.

Despite advances in the treatment of acute cerebral infarction, the most effective method of reducing stroke morbidity and mortality is the identification and modification of stroke risk factors. Modifiable stroke risk factors include hypertension, atrial fibrillation, hypercholesterolemia, cigarette smoking, hyperhomocystinemia, and carotid stenosis. Improved identification of individuals at increased stroke risk due to these factors can reduce individual risk and the cost to society of the consequences of stroke.
Activins and Inhibins: Roles in Development, Physiology, and Disease

Since their original discovery as regulators of follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH) secretion and erythropoiesis, the TGF-β family members activin and inhibin have been shown to participate in a variety of biological processes, from the earliest stages of embryonic development to highly specialized functions in terminally differentiated cells and tissues. Herein, we present the history, structures, signaling mechanisms, regulation, and biological processes in which activins and inhibins participate, including several recently discovered biological activities and functional antagonists. The potential therapeutic relevance of these advances is also discussed.
Hearing loss in Down Syndrome revisited - 15 years later.

Abstract Objective In 2001, the senior authors published a study investigating hearing loss in young children (ages 11 months to 3.8 years) with Down Syndrome (DS). We re-visit this same study population to review current audiologic status, the incidence of pressure equalization tube (PET) placement(s), and rate of tympanic membrane (TM) perforations. We aim to better understand the natural history of ear disease and hearing loss in DS and assess potential complications. Methods This retrospective chart review included 57 children with DS who previously completed in 2006, a 5 year, longitudinal study investigating otolaryngologic problems in DS. Updated audiologic data was available for 54. Audiograms, age of ear specific testing, PET placement(s), and tympanic membrane(TM) descriptions were reviewed. Results Ages ranged from 14 to 18 years (mean 16.34 years). PET placement occurred in 88.8%, with mean of 3.5 procedures. 30% of PET's were placed after age 6. Ear specific testing was obtained in 92.5% (mean age 4.54 years). Normal hearing was present in 44% (right ear) and 38% (left ear). “Functional” hearing levels, defined as normal or mild hearing loss and speech reception threshold ≤ 30 dB, occurred in 83.3%. Sensorineural/mixed hearing loss was present in 11% (right ear) and 9% (left ear). TM perforations rate was 17%. No cholesteatomas were found. Conclusion Chronic otitis media and indications for PET's persist as children with DS age. Although functional hearing occurred in 83.3%, there was an overall decrease in hearing levels as the children aged. Tympanic membrane perforations occurred in 17%. Continued surveillance of otologic and audiologic status in patients with Down syndrome is recommended.
Aerococcus urinae, a rare cause of infective endocarditis.

We present the case of an elderly male who was initially seen in our hospital for a urinary tract infection that was treated with oral ciprofloxacin. He was admitted 2 weeks later with altered mental status and fever, and was found to have bacteraemia with Aerococcus urinae. Owing to altered mental status a brain MRI was performed which showed evidence of embolic stroke. Following this, a transesophageal echocardiogram showed severe mitral regurgitation and a vegetation >1 cm involving the mitral valve with associated destruction of posterior valve leaflets. The patient was started on antibiotics intravenous penicillin G and intravenous gentamicin for a total duration of 6 weeks. He underwent mitral valve replacement on day 4 of hospitalisation. The postoperative course was complicated by ventilator-dependent respiratory failure, requiring tracheostomy and eventual transfer to a skilled nursing facility. Unfortunately, he died after 2 weeks of stay at the facility.
Spinal Cord Injury After Chest Compressions

The authors report the first case of an infant who had asystole and ventricular fibrillation needing resuscitation. There have been sporadic reports spinal cord injury after chest compressions, including a case by Azuma et al. in 1986 and the case presented, by Samson et al. in 2012.
Longitudinal trajectories of cortical thickness as a biomarker for psychosis in individuals with 22q11.2 deletion syndrome.

Abstract Objective. 22q11.2 deletion syndrome (DS) or velo-cardio-facial syndrome (VCFS) is a genetic condition that has been identified as the highest genetic risk factor for developing psychotic illnesses. This unique biological nature of 22q11DS provides a valuable opportunity to explore predictive biomarkers of psychosis. In this study, we examined the relationship of cortical thickness and surface area between various brain regions and prodromal symptoms of psychosis. Methods 75 probands with 22q11DS, 32 age-matched controls and 28 siblings underwent MRIs over 2 or 3 timepoints. Longitudinal mixed model regression analyses, with age as an interaction variable, were carried out to study the differences in longitudinal trajectories of change in average cortical thickness and surface area over 6–9 years. Similar analyses were carried out to examine the relationship with positive prodromal symptoms of psychosis. Results Significant differences were noted in the inferior and superior parietal regions in both the average thickness and longitudinal change in cortical thickness with age between the probands and controls. Significant associations were also noted between regions in the frontal cortex and positive prodromal symptoms among probands. No associations were noted with cortical surface area. Conclusion Our results indicate that individuals with 22q11DS who develop positive prodromal symptoms demonstrate differential longitudinal trajectories of cortical thickness in some regions of the frontal lobe. Our results suggest that the pruning stage associated with adolescent brain development may be disrupted.
A pseudo-supervised machine learning approach to broadband LTI macro-modeling

Neural networks have been popularized by their ability to learn complex, non-linear mappings between features and output spaces. They have been used for learning the mapping between geometry and network parameters for various electrical structures such as interconnects. In this work, a novel neural network architecture is applied to black-box identification problems in which poles and residues of a dynamical system are the quantities to be extracted from frequency domain network parameters. Once poles and residues are extracted, time-domain simulation can be performed using well-establish time-domain simulation techniques.
Measurements and Models to Identify Agroecosystem Practices That Enhance Soil Organic Carbon under Changing Climate

A the anticipated impacts of climate change is a pressing issue facing agriculture, as precipitation and temperature changes are expected to have major effects on agricultural production in many regions of the world. These changes will also affect soil organic matter decomposition and associated stocks of soil organic C (SOC), which have the potential to feed back to climate change and affect agroecosystem resiliency. This special section brings together multiple efforts to assess effects of climate change on SOC stocks around the globe in grassland, pasture, and crop agroecosystems under varying management practices. The overall goal of these efforts is to identify optimum practices to enhance SOC accumulation. In this article, we summarize the highlights of these papers and assess their broader implications for future research to enhance agroecosystem SOC accumulation and resiliency to climate change. Fourteen of the twenty contributions apply dynamic process-based models to assess climate and/or long-term management impacts on SOC stocks, and four papers use statistical SOC models across landscapes or regions. Also included are one meta-analysis and one long-term study. The models applied in this collection performed well when reliable input data were available, underlining the usefulness of modeling efforts to inform management decisions that enhance SOC stocks. Overall, the findings confirm that most agroecosystems have the potential to store SOC through improved management. However, this will be challenging, particularly for dryland agriculture, unless crop yield and crop biomass increase under projected climate change.
Prostatic Steroid-Binding Protein (PSB)

The ventral prostate of the rat secretes relatively large amounts of a steroidbinding protein whose synthesis is androgen-dependent, and which is distinct from steroid receptors. It is generally called prostatic steroid-binding protein or simply prostatic binding protein. This latter name has generated the abbreviation PBP, unfortunately, because PBP has been proposed years ago and is being used as a short term for the progesterone-binding protein of the pregnant guinea pig, a globulin that is abbreviated PBG in this monograph. For convenience and to avoid confusion with any other steroid binding protein, the abbreviation PSB, prostatic steroid binder, will be used in the present volume.
Nitric Oxide Donors in Endotoxic and Septic Shock: Evidence Against Nitric Oxide as a Mediator of Shock.

Although nitric oxide (NO) has been postulated to be a mediator of endotoxic or septic shock, a signi~cant body of evidence has accumulated that is inconsistent with this notion. Therefore, the purpose of this chapter will be to present evidence showing that not only is there a reasonable doubt about many of the tenets underpinning the NO hypothesis, but that considerable data exist showing that NO actually counteracts the pathophysiology of shock states. I will discuss ~ve key suppositions regarding the role of nitric oxide as a key mediator of endotoxic or septic shock. These ~ve suppositions are:
Automatic Prediction of Surface Phase Diagrams Using Ab Initio Grand Canonical Monte Carlo

The properties of a material are often strongly influenced by its surfaces. Depending on the nature of the chemical bonding in a material, its surface can undergo a variety of stabilizing reconstructions that dramatically alter the chemical reactivity, light absorption, and electronic band offsets. For decades, ab initio thermodynamics has been the method of choice for computationally determining the surface phase diagram of a material under different conditions. The surfaces considered for these studies, however, are often human-selected and too few in number, leading both to insufficient exploration of all possible surfaces and to biases toward portions of the composition–structure phase space that often do not encompass the most stable surfaces. To overcome these limitations and automate the discovery of realistic surfaces, we combine density functional theory and grand canonical Monte Carlo (GCMC) into “ab initio GCMC.” This paper presents the successful application of ab initio GCMC to the study of o...
Abstract WP438: The Role of Transforming Growth Factor-beta in Post-Stroke Glymphatic Impairment

Introduction: The recently discovered glymphatic system may protect the brain from dementia by clearing toxic amyloid-β (Aβ) along the basement membrane (BM) via bulk flow of cerebrospinal fluid (C...
Postoperative Chemotherapy Benefits Patients Who Received Preoperative Therapy and Pancreatectomy for Pancreatic Adenocarcinoma

Objective We sought to determine whether postoperative chemotherapy after preoperative therapy and pancreatectomy for pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) prolongs survival. Background Data to support administering postoperative chemotherapy to patients who received preoperative therapy are lacking. Methods All patients with PDAC who underwent pancreatectomy after preoperative therapy between 2010 and July 2017 at The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center were identified. To control for selection bias, patients who received postoperative therapy and patients who did not were matched by propensity scores based on factors associated with the use of postoperative chemotherapy. Results Among 245 patients treated with a median of 4 cycles of preoperative treatment and pancreatectomy, 155 (63%) initiated postoperative chemotherapy and 90 (37%) did not. Patients who received postoperative therapy had a higher median cancer antigen 19-9 level before surgery, larger median tumor diameter, higher rate of extrapancreatic invasion, and lower rate of pathologic major response. The propensity-matched cohort comprised 122 patients: 61 who received postoperative chemotherapy and 61 who did not. The median overall survival (OS) and recurrence free survival (RFS) for patients who received postoperative therapy were 42 and 17 months, respectively, versus 32 and 12 months for patients who did not (OS: P = 0.06; RFS: P = 0.04). Postoperative therapy was marginally associated with a longer OS (hazard ratio 0.55, 95% confidence interval 0.29-1.01; P = 0.05) and significantly associated with a longer RFS (hazard ratio 0.55, 95% confidence interval 0.29-0.96; P = 0.04). Conclusions Despite being administered more frequently to patients with poor prognostic factors, postoperative chemotherapy after preoperative therapy and pancreatectomy for PDAC was of clinical benefit.
Laboratory study of cryogenic treatment induced pore-scale structural alterations of Illinois coal and their implications on gas sorption and diffusion behaviors

Abstract Cryogenic fracturing using liquid nitrogen is a choice for CBM reservoir stimulation. However, the development of cryogenic fracturing is still at its infancy. This work focused on induced pore structural alterations due to cryogenic treatment and their effects on gas sorption and diffusion behaviors. The changes in the pore structure of coal induced by cyclic nitrogen injections were studied by physical adsorption at low temperatures. A micromechanical model is proposed to simulate the microscopic process and predict the degree of deterioration due to low temperature treatments. As a common characteristic of modeled results and experimental results, the total volume of mesopore and macropore increased with cryogenic treatment, but the growth rate of pore volume became much smaller as freezing-thawing were repeated. Pores of different sizes experienced different degrees of deterioration. In the range of micropores, no significant alteration of pore volume occurred with the repetition of freezing and thawing. In the range of mesopores, pore volume increased with the repetition of freezing and thawing. In the range of macropores, pore volume increased after the first cycle of freezing and thawing but decreased after three cycles of freezing and thawing. Because of pore structural alteration, cryogenic treatment enhanced gas transport process as the diffusion coefficients of the freeze-thawed coal samples were increased by 18.76% and 30.18% in the adsorption and desorption process. The effect of cyclic cryogenic treatment on the pore structure of tested coal varied depending on coal properties. For the studied Illinois coal sample, repetitive applications of cryogenic treatment reduced macropore volume and increase mesopore volume. For the tested sample, the diffusion coefficient of the coal sample that underwent three cycles of freezing-thawing was lower than that of the coal sample that underwent a single cycle of freezing and thawing. The outcome of this study provides justification for a post-cryogenic fracturing effect on diffusion improvement and gas production enhancement, especially for high “sorption time” CBM reservoirs.
Not All Septal Defects Are Equal: Outcomes of Bilateral Lung Transplant With Cardiac Defect Repair vs Combined Heart-Lung Transplant in Patients With Eisenmenger Syndrome in the United States.

Background Thoracic transplantation is considered for patients with Eisenmenger syndrome (ES) who have refractory right ventricular failure despite optimal therapy for pulmonary arterial hypertension. This study compared the outcomes of bilateral lung transplantation (BLT) with cardiac defect repair vs combined heart-lung transplantation (HLT). Research Question This study presents an updated analysis using a US national registry to evaluate the outcomes of patients diagnosed with ES who underwent HLT or BLT with repair of cardiac defects. Study Design and Methods This study identified patients with ES who underwent thoracic transplantation from 1987 to 2018 from the United Network for Organ Sharing database. Survival curves were estimated by using the Kaplan-Meier method and were compared by using the log-rank test. Results During the study period, 442 adults with ES underwent thoracic transplantation (316 HLTs and 126 BLTs). Following BLT, overall survival 1, 5, and 10 years’ posttransplant was 63.1%, 38.5%, and 30.2%, respectively. Following HLT, overall survival 1, 5, and 10 years’ posttransplant was 68.0%, 47.3%, and 30.5% (P = .6). When survival analysis was stratified according to type of defect, patients with an atrial septal defect had better survival following BLT than following HLT (88.3% vs 63.2% 1 year posttransplant, P Interpretation This study suggests that the best transplant option for patients with VSD remains HLT, which prevents subsequent development of ventricular failure. BLT with cardiac defect repair should be considered as the first-line treatment option in patients with ES due to an uncorrected atrial septal defect. These patients can be considered to have isolated and reversible right ventricular failure akin to patients with advanced pulmonary arterial hypertension.
A Content Analysis of Identity Expressions from Female Cast Members on the Reality Television Series WAGs (Wives and Girlfriends of Sports Stars): A Case Study

Ayesha Alexander is a Canadian–American chef, cookbook author, television personality, actress, and model. She has held several roles on multiple television shows and movies and began hosting her o...
Imagining Environmental Justice “Across the Street”: Zine-making as Creative Feminist Geographic Method

This article builds on and extends geographic calls for creative methodologies and critical geographic pedagogies, by tracing the formation of the zine, “Across the Street: An Environmental Justice...
Infusing geriatrics expertise in health professions education through interprofessional faculty development.

As the population of older adults continues to grow, the need for health care professionals trained in the delivery of interprofessional care for older adult patients is critical. The purpose of th...
Targeted next-generation sequencing supports serrated epithelial change as an early precursor to inflammatory bowel disease-associated colorectal neoplasia.

Summary Serrated epithelial change (SEC) manifests in patients with long-standing inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) and is characterized by disorganized crypt architecture, irregular serrations, and goblet cell–rich epithelium. The serrated nature of SEC is reminiscent of serrated colorectal polyps, which frequently harbor KRAS/BRAF mutations. SEC is, however, not only histologically distinct from sporadic serrated polyps but also associated with colorectal neoplasia. Whether SEC is a precursor to IBD-associated neoplasia remains unclear. To further define the relationship of SEC with serrated colorectal polyps and IBD-associated neoplasia, we performed targeted next-generation sequencing on colorectal specimens to include the following: SEC without dysplasia/neoplasia (n = 10), SEC with separate foci of associated dysplasia/adenocarcinoma from the same patients (n = 17), and uninvolved mucosa (n = 10) from 14 patients. In addition, we molecularly profiled sessile serrated lesion (SSL)–like or serrated lesion, not otherwise specified (SL-NOS), specimens, from 11 patients who also had IBD. This control cohort included SSL-like/SL-NOS without dysplasia/neoplasia (n = 11), SSL-like/SL-NOS with associated low-grade dysplasia (n = 2), and uninvolved mucosa (n = 8). By next-generation sequencing, the most frequently mutated gene in SEC without neoplasia and associated dysplasia/adenocarcinoma from separate foci in the same patients was TP53. Recurrent TP53 mutations were present in 50% of SEC specimens without dysplasia/neoplasia. In addition, alterations in TP53 were detected at a prevalence of 71% in low-grade dysplasia, 83% in high-grade dysplasia, and 100% in adenocarcinoma. Paired sequencing of SEC and associated neoplasia revealed identical TP53 missense mutations for 3 patients. In contrast, 91% of SSL-like/SL-NOS specimens without dysplasia/neoplasia harbored KRAS/BRAF mutations, which were conserved in associated low-grade dysplasia. No genomic alterations were found in uninvolved mucosa from either patients with SEC or patients with SSL-like/SL-NOS. Based on our findings, we conclude SEC is distinct from SSL-like serrated colorectal lesions in patients with IBD and an early precursor to IBD-associated neoplasia that warrants colonoscopic surveillance.
Rapid Optimization of Antibiotic Therapy for Multidrug-Resistant Gram-Negative Infections Using Nanopore Whole Genome Sequencing

Background: Standard antimicrobial susceptibility testing (AST) approaches lead to delays in the selection of optimal antimicrobial therapy. We sought to determine the accuracy of antimicrobial resistance (AMR) determinants identified by Nanopore whole genome sequencing in predicting AST results. Methods: Using a cohort of 40 clinical Klebsiella pneumoniae isolates, three separate sequencing and analysis pipelines were performed: (1) a real-time Nanopore analysis approach that identified acquired AMR genes, (2) an assembly-based Nanopore approach that identified acquired AMR genes and chromosomal mutations, and (3) a Pilon-corrected Nanopore-Illumina hybrid approach. The Pilon-corrected assemblies served as the reference standard to determine the accuracy of Nanopore sequencing results. Findings: With the real-time analysis approach, full annotation of acquired AMR genes occurred within 8 hours of subcultured isolates. Assemblies sufficient for full resistance gene and single nucleotide polymorphism annotation were available within 14 hours from subcultured isolates. The overall agreement of genotypic results and anticipated AST results for the 40 K. pneumoniae isolates was 75% (range 30-95%) and 91% (range 80-98%) for the real-time approach and the assembly approach, respectively. Evaluating the patients contributing the 40 isolates, the real-time approach and assembly approach could substantially shorten the median time to effective antibiotic therapy by 20 hours and 26 hours, respectively, compared to standard AST. Interpretations: Nanopore sequencing offers a rapid approach to both accurately identify resistance mechanisms as well as to predict AST results. Bioinformatics improvements enabling real-time alignment coupled with rapid extraction and library preparation will further enhance the accuracy and workflow of the Nanopore real-time approach. Funding Statement: The work was supported by funding from the National Institutes of Health K23-AI127935 awarded to PDT, a Canadian Institutes of Health Research fellowship awarded to YF, an R01-HG009190 awarded to WT, an R01-HG006677 awarded to MCS, and an R21-AI130608 awarded to PJS. Declaration of Interests: PDT has received research funding from Merck, outside of the submitted work. KCC has received research funding from GenMark, Inc. and Singulex outside of the submitted work. WT has two patents (8,748,091 and 8,394,584) licensed to Oxford Nanopore. WT, YF, PJS have received travel funds from Oxford Nanopore Technologies. PJS has received grants and personal fees from Accelerate Diagnostics, grants from BD Diagnostics, Inc., grants from bioMerieux, Inc., grants from Check-Points Diagnostics, BV, grants from Hardy Diagnostics, personal fees from Roche Diagnostics, personal fees from Opgen Inc, outside the submitted work. All other authors declare no competing interests. Ethics Approval Statement: The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine Institutional Review Board approved this study, with a waiver of informed consent.