cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
The Clinical Spectrum of Granulomatous Prostatitis: A Report of 200 Cases

Granulomatous prostatitis, reviewed in 200 tissue-diagnosed cases, occurred in 0.8 per cent of the benign inflammatory prostatic specimens. Often the disease followed a recent urinary tract infection (71 per cent) and was suspicious clinically for prostatic cancer (59 per cent). The diagnosis usually was made by needle biopsy or at transurethral prostatectomy (94 per cent). Most cases of granulomatous prostatitis were classified as nonspecific. The recently identified entity of post-transurethral resection granulomatous prostatitis was found in 49 patients. A proposed new category of granulomatous prostatitis that is secondary to systemic granulomatous diseases was documented in 6 patients. Most cases of granulomatous prostatitis resolved spontaneously and required no specific therapy.
Discussion of Hallock paper on reciprocal interlocks

My approach to papers on matters such as board of directors interlocks proceeds partially from my position as an adjunct professor but mostly from the vantage point of a full time practitioner who, among other things, advises boards on the reasonableness of executive pay. I view such scholarship from three perspectives. First, in the search for the truth that is the subject of the paper, I apply the classical scholarly model; do the approaches taken have the requisite intellectual rigour, was the sample well chosen, is the statistical analysis persuasive, etc. In this respect, apart from some methodological issues developed below, I believe Professor Hallock’s analysis is generally persuasive. My second perspective is a policy one. Since we deal here with a real world phenomenon, does the paper develop insights that might be useful at a policy level? Do its findings argue for a need for legislative, administrative or judicial reform? In my view, Professor Hallock’s conclusions suggest no need for such reform. Finally, as a practitioner, might the paper’s findings allow me to bring new insights to my clients or cause me to modify the kind of advice I give them on the matters that are the subject of the paper? In this instance too, I believe the answer is no.
Boston Keratoprosthesis Type 1 in the Pediatric Population

Pediatric corneal blindness is a worldwide problem that is very difficult to address. Traditional penetrating keratoplasty is considered a high-risk procedure in this population due to the host of complications that are often encountered. Even when anatomic success is achieved with penetrating keratoplasty, visual recovery is not guaranteed. Pediatric keratoprosthesis is an alternative procedure that offers rapid visual recovery in a quiet eye without the risk of allograft rejection. Visually significant complications, including glaucoma, retinal detachments, retroprosthetic membranes, and endophthalmitis, can occur. Extreme care should be taken in selecting appropriate candidates for pediatric keratoprosthesis surgery. Success with pediatric keratoprosthesis surgery can be achieved with a dedicated team of ophthalmic specialists and a motivated family.
No evidence of resource limitation to aboveground growth of blue grama (Bouteloua gracilis) on 1 ky-old semi-arid substrate

Biogeochemical theory and a substantial body of empirical data show that nitrogen (N), an atmospherically derived nutrient, limits plant growth on young substrates, while phosphorus (P), a rock-derived nutrient, limits plant growth on old substrates. In arid regions, water is also often a limiting resource to plant growth. We applied resource amendments of N, P, N + P, and water to blue grama (Bouteloua gracilis) growing on a 1 ky-old basaltic cinder substrate to test the hypothesis that N and water limit aboveground net primary production (ANPP) in a semi-arid climate, early in soil development. Contrary to our hypothesis, ANPP did not differ among treatments, suggesting that none of the resource amendments were limiting to blue grama growth. Unamended aboveground tissue N and P concentrations were three to five times lower at the 1 ky-old site than on older (55–3000 ky-old) substrates, suggesting differences in nutrient use efficiency across the substrate age gradient.
Treating Scars on the Oral Mucosa

Mucosal wounds tend to heal more rapidly than skin wounds and with minimal to no scar formation and hence have a minimal impact on function or aesthetics. This is likely due to differences in the magnitude and timing of the various factors that contribute to wound healing. Some examples of these differences are fibroblast proliferation, transforming growth factor-β, macrophages, neutrophils, and T cells. Other factors, such as the moist environment, contribute to the favorable wound-healing characteristics of mucosa.
Revised RNA Dihedral Parameters for the Amber Force Field Improve RNA Molecular Dynamics

The backbone dihedral parameters of the Amber RNA force field were improved by fitting using multiple linear regression to potential energies determined by quantum chemistry calculations. Five backbone and four glycosidic dihedral parameters were fit simultaneously to reproduce the potential energies determined by a high-level density functional theory calculation (B97D3 functional with the AUG-CC-PVTZ basis set). Umbrella sampling was used to determine conformational free energies along the dihedral angles, and these better agree with the population of conformations observed in the protein data bank for the new parameters than for the conventional parameters. Molecular dynamics simulations performed on a set of hairpin loops, duplexes and tetramers with the new parameter set show improved modeling for the structures of tetramers CCCC, CAAU, and GACC, and an RNA internal loop of noncanonical pairs, as compared to the conventional parameters. For the tetramers, the new parameters largely avoid the incorrec...
Pancreatic Adenocarcinoma in the Head of the Pancreas with Portal Vein Involvement

Patients with otherwise resectable pancreatic adenocarcinoma not infrequently present with involvement of the portal vein and/or superior mesenteric vein. Here we discuss the rationale, approach, and technique for performing portal venous and superior mesenteric venous resections. When performed by an experienced surgeon at a high-volume center, the addition of venous resection and reconstruction to standard pancreaticoduodenectomy can allow for successful resection with acceptable morbidity and mortality. Patient selection, in combination with appropriate preoperative and intraoperative planning, is key to successful outcomes.
Risky Business: When Humor Increases and Decreases Status

Across six experiments, we investigate the relationship between humor and status in the workplace. The successful use of humor can increase perceptions of status. However, the use of humor is risky...
Evolution of a Parallel Performance System

The TAU Performance System® is an integrated suite of tools for instrumentation, measurement, and analysis of parallel programs targeting large-scale, high-performance computing (HPC) platforms. Representing over fifteen calendar years and fifty person years of research and development effort, TAU’s driving concerns have been portability, flexibility, interoperability, and scalability. The result is a performance system which has evolved into a leading framework for parallel performance evaluation and problem solving. This paper presents the current state of TAU, overviews the design and function of TAU’s main features, discusses best practices of TAU use, and outlines future development.
Interpretable models for fast activity recognition and anomaly explanation during collaborative robotics tasks

In this paper, we present Rapid Activity Prediction Through Object-oriented Regression (RAPTOR), a scalable method for performing rapid, real-time activity recognition and prediction that achieves state-of-the-art classification accuracy on both a generic human activity dataset and two domain-specific collaborative robotics manufacturing datasets. Our approach is designed to be human-interpretable: able to provide explanations for its reasoning such that non-experts can better understand and improve its activity models. We incorporate methods to increase RAPTOR's resilience against confusion due to temporal variations, as well as against learning false correlations between features. We report full and partial trajectory classification results across three datasets and conclude by demonstrating our model's ability to provide interpretable explanations of its reasoning using outlier detection techniques.
Revision of Gyalideopsis ozarkensis and G. subaequatoriana (Gomphillaceae; lichenized Ascomycetes), leads to the description of an overlooked new species

Recent collections from southeastern North America prompted a revision of Gyalideopsis ozarkensis and G. subaequatoriana. The protologues and original material of these names are shown to comprise elements of three seemingly allopatric taxa that can be recognized based on differences in diahyphae morphology that appear to be correlated to different biogeographic patterns. Gyalideopsis ozarkensis is restricted to specimens with long multi-septate diahyphae from the Ozarks, Ouachitas, and the southwestern Appalachian Mountains. Gyalideopsis subaequatoriana is restricted to collections from tropical central Florida with moniliform diahyphae. A third species, G. bartramiorum, is described as new to science for material from the Mid-Atlantic Coastal Plain and southern Appalachians Mountains. All three taxa are illustrated and maps of their geographic distributions are presented.
Content to be Assessed Across the History of the National Assessment of Educational Progress

Performance of US students on large-scale assessments influences the nation’s educational policy and curriculum. Both performance changes over time and comparisons of US students with students from other nations influence federal and state policies and ultimately the curriculum enacted in the classroom. Policy makers are aware of performance differences and explanations for differences posited by policy analysts but are generally ignorant of the science knowledge and skills measured by the assessment instruments that produce the data on which performance comparisons are based. For the most part teachers are familiar with the science knowledge and skills measured by their state’s assessment but not with the science knowledge and skills measured by the US National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) or international assessments such as the Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) and the Trends in Mathematics and Science Study (TIMSS). This chapter is based on the premise that data on which progress is measured and international comparisons are made should be evaluated using the knowledge and abilities measured by the items as well as statistical criteria that define measurement quality. It describes and compares the science knowledge and abilities to be assessed by Science NAEP from its first administration in 1969 to the present time. This chapter begins with the science knowledge and abilities described in the document Science Objectives (Committee on Assessing the Progress of Education 1969) which provided the specifications for the first Science NAEP assessment and ends with the Science Framework for the 2009 National Assessment of Educational Progress (National Assessment Governing Board 2008). Changes in the knowledge and abilities and the factors such as the US economy and the status of US science that influenced the changes as well as federal/state policy debates surrounding where responsibility for the school curriculum resides are included in this chapter.
An overview of assessment methodology for obesity-related variables in infants at risk.

Background:The first 2 years of a child’s life are a particularly critical time period for obesity prevention.Aim:An increasing amount of research across the world is aimed at understanding factors...
If They Are, Where Are They?

Serious people have speculated for eons about the possibility of life and intelligence in not-Earth. Democritus (Greece, 460 BCE-370 BCE) said with amazing foresight: “In some worlds there is no Sun and Moon, in others they are larger than in our world, and in others more numerous. In some parts there are more worlds, in others fewer (…); in some parts they are arising, in others falling. There are some worlds devoid of living creatures or plants or any moisture.”
Fabricating patch antennas within complex dielectric structures through multi-process 3D printing

Abstract In this work, a 3D printed patch antenna is fabricated within a complex dielectric structure relevant to the construction of satellites – an isogrid panel. The antenna was fabricated via a multi-process, hybrid, additive manufacturing system that included polymer material extrusion enhanced with complementary manufacturing capabilities of foil placement and patterning, wire integration and component placement. The antenna design targeted the commercial frequency of Bluetooth communication at 2.4 GHz by introducing a rectangular conductor of precise width, height and thickness from ground plane for the specific resonance. The measured reflection and gain coefficients were reasonable, however, two challenges were identified with the fabrication related to (1) imperfections typical of material extrusion additive manufacturing processes including unintentional porosity and (2) the insecure mechanical bonding between the output connector and substrate. Porosity impacted the dielectric features (permittivity) of the substrate and consequently introduced error in final antenna resonance (2.13 GHz versus the target of 2.4 GHz). The bonding affected mechanical reliability and caused changes in input impedance which affected signal quality for some orientations depending on cable flexing. Several remediations were identified, all of which included reinforcing the connector during embedding with a bonding agent. In the end, the antenna was compared to a commercial dipole antenna and the signal-to-noise ratios were within 6%.
The changing face of work in the West: Some introductory comments

Between the 18th and 20th centuries, a variety of work communities sprang up as an outgrowth of the expanding global economy in what is now the western United States. These communities typically served as outposts of distant moneyed interests, providing living quarters for the workers who extracted raw materials or constructed the infrastructure needed to transport such materials to urban centers. Unlike communities with more permanent and diversified economic foundations, life in such temporary settlements had as its backdrop relations among workers, employers, and the resources they sought to exploit. Dialogs between workers and capitalists continued to evolve over time as the West became industrialized, class relations were transformed, and resources were depleted. The articles in this volume explore various facets of those transformations and their broader implications.
Peripheral Vascular Compliance

The purpose of this paper is to describe some recent advances in the field of vascular compliance with particular reference to a noninvasive method to compute distensibility of small blood vessels in man. Vascular compliance is defined in physiology as the ratio of a change in volume (∆V) for a given change in pressure (∆P) in any region of the vascular bed. Its value depends on the size of the vascular bed and the elastic properties of vascular wall. If the wall properties are of primary importance, then a correction is made in the compliance calculation for size and one calculates vascular distensibility, D, defined as $$ D=100\left( \Delta V/V \right)/\left( \Delta P \right) $$ (1) where V is the initial volume of the bed.
Targeting MEK in a translational model of histiocytic sarcoma

Histiocytic sarcoma in humans is an aggressive orphan disease with a poor prognosis as treatment options are limited. Dogs are the only species that spontaneously develops histiocytic sarcoma with an appreciable frequency, and may have value as a translational model system. In the current study, high-throughput drug screening utilizing histiocytic sarcoma cells isolated from canine neoplasms identified these cells as particularly sensitive to a MEK inhibitor, trametinib. One of the canine cell lines carries a mutation in PTPN11 (E76K), and another one in KRAS (Q61H), which are associated with the activation of oncogenic MAPK signaling. Both mutations were previously reported in human histiocytic sarcoma. Trametinib inhibited sensitive cell lines by promoting cell apoptosis, indicated by a significant increase in caspase 3/7. Furthermore, in vitro findings were successfully recapitulated in an intrasplenic orthotopic xenograft mouse model, which represents a disseminated aggressive form of histiocytic sarcoma. Mice with histiocytic sarcoma xenograft neoplasms that were treated with trametinib had significantly longer survival times. Target engagement was validated as activity of ERK, downstream of MEK, was significantly downregulated in neoplasms of treated mice. Additionally, trametinib was found in plasma and neoplastic tissues within projected therapeutic levels. These findings demonstrate that in dogs, histiocytic sarcoma may be associated with a dysfunctional MAPK pathway, at least in some cases, and may be effectively targeted through MEK inhibition. Clinical trials to test safety and efficacy of trametinib in dogs with histiocytic sarcoma are warranted, and may provide valuable translational information to similar diseases in humans. Mol Cancer Ther; 17(11); 2439-50. ©2018 AACR.
Back to Basics: Citizenship, Public Affairs, and the Constitution/The Founders, the Constitution, and Public Administration: A Conflict in World-Views Michael W. Spicer/Public Service, Ethics and Constitutional Practice John A. Rohr/A Republic If You Can Keep It: Constitutional Politics and Public Policy William L. Morrow/Constitutional Competence for Public Managers: Cases and Commentary David H. Rosenbloom, James D. Carroll, and Jonathan D. Carroll

(2000). Back to Basics: Citizenship, Public Affairs, and the Constitution/The Founders, the Constitution, and Public Administration: A Conflict in World-Views Michael W. Spicer/Public Service, Ethics and Constitutional Practice John A. Rohr/A Republic If You Can Keep It: Constitutional Politics and Public Policy William L. Morrow/Constitutional Competence for Public Managers: Cases and Commentary David H. Rosenbloom, James D. Carroll, and Jonathan D. Carroll. Journal of Public Affairs Education: Vol. 6, No. 4, pp. 267-274.
Quantifying the probabilistic divergences related to time-space scales for inferences in water resource management

Abstract Studies focusing on time-space scaling issues have not yet established guidelines for choosing a time-space scale for water resources management. This study attempts to develop a methodology to understand the deviations induced by the scaling framework on water resource variables. The study addresses eight variables: streamflow, groundwater level, precipitation, air temperature, soil moisture, solar radiation, wind speed, and relative humidity. For each variable, a 10-year (2001 to 2010) daily time-series data were retrieved from weather and hydrologic stations selected across Oklahoma. The methodology entailed three phases, including a variable rescaling, a probability analysis, and a divergence quantification. Hence, daily time-series of the selected variables were rescaled to weekly, biweekly, monthly, bimonthly, and trimonthly scales. To derive the probability density function of each variable, a kernel density estimator was applied to the rescaled time-series. The Kullback–Leibler divergence was used to evaluate the deviations pertaining to the time-space scaling. Results showed meaningful divergences that were a consequence of time-space scale variations. However, the sensitivity of variables to the scaling framework differed. For instance, air temperature was less sensitive to time-space scaling, while wind speed, soil moisture, and precipitation were highly sensitive. Correlation analysis showed that correlations tended to gradually increase with the increase in scale, even though the strength of the relation varied, depending on the variable involved. The methodology was tested via a case study where data obtained from a location outside of the study region were used to address the scaling effect on the Normalized Difference Vegetation Index’s response to precipitation and soil moisture. It was concluded that understanding the divergences associated with time-space scales was critical for interpreting results in water resource studies.
What is the role of peptide fragments of collagen I and IV in health and disease

Collagen is the most abundant protein in mammalian systems; it can be found in organs such as bones, the liver, kidney, heart, teeth, and skin. Collagen provides the necessary structural framework for tissues in which it is found. However, if there are any alterations in the delicate balance of collagen types in the extracellular matrix (ECM), then problems arise. For example, increasing collagen I:III ratio would provide additional rigidity to tissue structure, whereas decreasing this ratio would provide elasticity and flexibility to the tissue. The proper function of tissues is reliant on this scale not tipping too far in either direction. Major players in the process of ECM remodeling, both normal and adverse, are the fibroblast cells via the secretion of collagen precursors and matrix metalloproteinases, with the latter responsible for ECM degradation. The collagen peptides created by the proteolytic cleavage of these collagen fibrils, while once thought to have an absence of function, have been shown over recent years to potentiate and regulate a variety of cellular processes acting through integrin receptors. Many collagen peptides have been identified from many different collagen types and have been shown to regulate processes such as cell proliferation, migration, apoptosis, and reduce angiogenesis. The collagen peptides of interest are those generated from the primary collagen type of tissue interstitial matrix, collagen type I, and the basement membrane, collagen type IV. Thus, this review looks to highlight some examples of unorthodox functional roles of collagen and its peptides in regulating physiological health and disease.
Development of Gas Permeable Parylene HT as a Substrate for Cell-Culture-on-a-Chip Applications

Here we report on the production of highly gas permeable Parylene HT through a cryogenic deposition process. The unique combination of biological and chemical inertness of Parylene, and gas permeability of this porous variant make it interesting for cell culture and biology-on-a-chip applications. The dependence of porosity, density, and permeability on the deposition temperature allows for tunable control of material properties. Culture of HEK-293 cells on cryogenically deposited Parylene HT demonstrates viability for biological applications.
The unsteady Kutta condition on an airfoil in a surging flow

This work presents an experimental validation study of Isaacs’ incompressible unsteady-airfoil theory at Reynolds numbers above , and explores the validity of the classical Kutta condition applied to surging flows. Harmonic variation of the free-stream velocity was produced by rotating choke vanes in an unsteady transonic wind tunnel, with time-resolved lift coefficients determined from surface pressure measurements on a NACA 0018 airfoil. Unsteady lift results demonstrate the same trends with reduced frequency and velocity amplitude ratio that are predicted by Isaacs’ theory. However, significant deviations of the lift magnitude and phase angle are observed. In order to understand the cause of these deviations, the background-oriented schlieren technique was used to visualize density gradients in the immediate vicinity of the airfoil trailing edge. The time-resolved background-oriented schlieren displacement field indicates oscillatory behaviour of the trailing-edge stagnation streakline, which violates the classical Kutta condition for this unsteady surging flow.
Interleukin-8: A chemokine at the intersection of cancer plasticity, angiogenesis, and immune suppression.

Abstract Tumor progression relies on the ability of cancer cells to effectively invade surrounding tissues and propagate. Among the many mechanisms that contribute to tumor progression is the epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EMT), a phenotypic plasticity phenomenon that increases the cancer cells' motility and invasiveness and influences their surrounding microenvironment by promoting the secretion of a variety of soluble factors. One such factor is IL-8, a chemokine with multiple pro-tumorigenic roles within the tumor microenvironment (TME), including stimulating proliferation or transformation of tumor cells into a migratory or mesenchymal phenotype. Further, IL-8 can increase tumor angiogenesis or recruit larger numbers of immunosuppressive cells to the tumor. Prognostically, observations in many tumor types show that patients with higher levels of IL-8 at baseline experience worse clinical outcomes. Additionally, studies have shown that the chemokine directly contributes to the development of resistance to both chemotherapy and molecularly targeted agents. More recently, clinical studies evaluating levels of IL-8 in patients receiving immune checkpoint inhibition (ICI) therapy deduced that myeloid tumor infiltration driven by IL-8 contributes to resistance to ICI agents and that peripheral IL-8 can predict outcomes to ICI therapy. Further, pre-clinical data demonstrate that targeting IL-8 or its receptors enables improved tumor killing by immune cells, and treatment strategies combining blockade of the IL-8/IL-8R axis with ICI ultimately improve anti-tumor efficacy. Based on these results and the prognostic capacity of IL-8, there are a number of ongoing clinical trials evaluating the addition of IL-8 targeting strategies to immune-based therapies.
Metabolomic signatures of the long-term exposure to air pollution and temperature

Long-term exposures to air pollution has been reported to be associated with inflammation and oxidative stress. However, the underlying metabolic mechanisms remain poorly understood. We aimed to determine the changes in the blood metabolome and thus the metabolic pathways associated with long-term exposure to outdoor air pollution and ambient temperature. We quantified metabolites using mass-spectrometry based global untargeted metabolomic profiling of plasma samples among men from the Normative Aging Study (NAS). We estimated the association between long-term exposure to PM2.5, NO2, O3, and temperature (annual average of central site monitors) with metabolites and their associated metabolic pathways. We used multivariable linear mixed-effect regression models (LMEM) while simultaneously adjusting for the four exposures and potential confounding and correcting for multiple testing. As a reduction method for the intercorrelated metabolites (outcome), we further used an independent component analysis (ICA) and conducted LMEM with the same exposures. Men (N = 456) provided 648 blood samples between 2000 and 2016 in which 1158 metabolites were quantified. On average, men were 75.0 years and had an average body mass index of 27.7 kg/m2. Almost all men (97%) were not current smokers. The adjusted analysis showed statistically significant associations with several metabolites (58 metabolites with PM2.5, 15 metabolites with NO2, and 6 metabolites with temperature) while no metabolites were associated with O3. One out of five ICA factors (factor 2) was significantly associated with PM2.5. We identified eight perturbed metabolic pathways with long-term exposure to PM2.5 and temperature: glycerophospholipid, sphingolipid, glutathione, beta-alanine, propanoate, and purine metabolism, biosynthesis of unsaturated fatty acids, and taurine and hypotaurine metabolism. These pathways are related to inflammation, oxidative stress, immunity, and nucleic acid damage and repair. Using a global untargeted metabolomic approach, we identified several significant metabolites and metabolic pathways associated with long-term exposure to PM2.5, NO2 and temperature. This study is the largest metabolomics study of long-term air pollution, to date, the first study to report a metabolomic signature of long-term temperature exposure, and the first to use ICA in the analysis of both.
Nearly Minimax Optimal Regret for Learning Infinite-horizon Average-reward MDPs with Linear Function Approximation.

We study reinforcement learning in an infinite-horizon average-reward setting with linear function approximation, where the transition probability function of the underlying Markov Decision Process (MDP) admits a linear form over a feature mapping of the current state, action, and next state. We propose a new algorithm UCRL2-VTR, which can be seen as an extension of the UCRL2 algorithm with linear function approximation. We show that UCRL2-VTR with Bernstein-type bonus can achieve a regret of $\tilde{O}(d\sqrt{DT})$, where $d$ is the dimension of the feature mapping, $T$ is the horizon, and $\sqrt{D}$ is the diameter of the MDP. We also prove a matching lower bound $\tilde{\Omega}(d\sqrt{DT})$, which suggests that the proposed UCRL2-VTR is minimax optimal up to logarithmic factors. To the best of our knowledge, our algorithm is the first nearly minimax optimal RL algorithm with function approximation in the infinite-horizon average-reward setting.
Vicious Regresses, Conceptual Analysis, and Strong Awareness Internalism

That a philosophical thesis entails a vicious regress is commonly taken to be decisive evidence that the thesis is false. In this paper, I argue that the existence of a vicious regress is insufficient to reject a proposed analysis provided that certain constraints on the analysis are met. When a vicious regress is present, some further consequence of the thesis must be established that, together with the presence of the vicious regress, shows the thesis to be false. The argument is provided largely through the examination of Michael Bergmann's (2006) vicious regress argument against strong awareness internalism and a partial defense of that thesis against Bergmann.1
Sharing among clubs: A club of clubs theory

This article investigates interclub sharing arrangements as a means for coping with random utilization without imposing capacity constraints that require members to be turned away. The optimal sharing rule and toll are identified for a two-club sharing scheme. When optimal sharing is invoked, the Pareto-optimal provision and membership size are determined for the two clubs and then contrasted with the Nash equilibrium, characterized by interclub easy riding. The use of a nonzero toll is shown to curtail easy riding but at the expense of too little sharing. An institutional arrangement, in which the club rather than the members pays the sharing toll, is shown to cause less distortion. Copyright 1992 by Royal Economic Society.
Molecular Evolution of Dengue Viruses: Contributions of Phylogenetics to Understanding the History and Epidemiology of the Preeminent Arboviral Disease

Dengue viruses (DENV) are the most important arboviral pathogens in tropical and subtropical regions throughout the world, putting at risk of infection nearly a third of the global human population. Evidence from the historical record suggests a long association between these viruses and humans. The transmission of DENV includes a sylvatic, enzootic cycle between nonhuman primates and arboreal mosquitoes of the genus Aedes, and an urban, endemic/epidemic cycle between Aedes aegypti, a mosquito with larval development in peridomestic water containers, and human reservoir hosts. DENV are members of the genus Flavivirus in the Family Flaviviridae and comprise of 4 antigenically distinct serotypes (DENV-1-4). Although they are nearly identical epidemiologically, the 4 DENV serotypes are genetically quite distinct. Utilization of phylogenetic analyses based on partial and/or complete genomic sequences has elucidated the origins, epidemiology (genetic diversity, transmission dynamics and epidemic potential), and the forces that shape DENV molecular evolution (rates of evolution, selection pressures, population sizes, putative recombination and evolutionary constraints) in nature. In this review, we examine how phylogenetics have improved understanding of DENV population dynamics and sizes at various stages of infection and transmission, and how this information may influence pathogenesis and improve our ability to understand and predict DENV emergence.
Starting a Research Data Management Program Based in a University Library

As the need for research data management grows, many libraries are considering adding data services to help with the research mission of their institution. The Virginia Commonwealth University (VCU) Libraries created a position and hired a director of research data management in September 2013. The position was new to the libraries and the university. With the backing of the library administration, a plan for building relationships with VCU faculty, researchers, students, service and resource providers, including grant administrators, was developed to educate and engage the community in data management plan writing and research data management training.
On the Limits of Performed Compliance: Jill Carroll and the Rhetoric of Entrepreneurial Adjuncts

This essay explores the rhetoric of “performed compliance” through an analysis of Jill Carroll's advice columns and manuals for adjunct faculty. Carroll attempts to invert the relationship of domination experienced by most adjuncts and calls for adjunct faculty to accept their fate through a performance that she labels “entrepreneurial.” Central to this idea is the acceptance of the economic inequalities that adjuncts are subjected to and the importance of not calling attention to the marginalized condition of the work they perform. This essay argues that this version of temp performativity offers little space for adjunct faculty to resist the conditions of their own marginalization and makes adjuncts complicit in their own oppression, with devastating consequences not only for adjuncts but for all those who toil in the academy.
Resource Consumption of New Urban Construction in China

The volume of China's recent additions to its urban-built environment is unprecedented. China now accounts for half of all new building area in the world. Increases in building stocks of all types have occurred during an extended period of accelerated growth of the national economy. This expansion promises to continue through 2030. As a result, the rapid conversion of land from low-density agricultural and light manufacturing to new urban zones of high density and material-intensive commercial and residential buildings has consumed enormous quantities of domestic and imported resources and has irreversibly altered the Chinese landscape. This article examines the consumption of material resources dedicated to Chinese building construction through a survey and analysis of the material intensity of three major building types. This provides a basis for outlining the emerging life-cycle issues of recent additions to the built environment and of continued construction. With this as the starting point, the field of industrial ecology can work toward formulating strategies for a circular economy that include a resource-efficient urban China.
strengthening and fracture in fatigue (approaches for achieving high fatigue strength)

Three approaches to the problem of fatigue-resistant materials are reviewed and discussed. The macroparametric approach, which utilizes semiempirical equations to predict the effects of fracture stress, fracture ductility, and the cyclic strain-hardening exponent on fatigue, is useful for screening and selecting fatigue-resistant materials. The microstructural approach, which relates microstructure to the various stages of fatigue, is useful for designing new alloys and thermomechanical treatments to achieve fatigue resistance. The third approach utilizes fundamental deformation characteristics of materials to form a unifying rationale with which to describe fatigue behavior. Such concepts as slip-mode, stacking fault energy, and slip homogenization are discussed. Examples from the literature are cited to illustrate the degree of success which has been achieved with each approach. Some of the more promising future directions for developing fatigue resistance are also discussed.
Decentralized control with structural and information flow constraints

In this tutorial paper we give an up to date presentation of norm optimal controller synthesis for linear and time invariant systems under information constraints. The conventional type of constraints arises from imposing the computation of the output feedback control law to be made having access to only a specified subset of measurements. This in turn translates to imposing a certain sparsity pattern on the input—output map of the controller. A novel approach is to allow the controller to be implemented as an interconnection of linear and time invariant sub-controllers, i.e. as a linear and time invariant network that routes the available measurements between the sub-controllers. The topology of the controller's network is given as a pre-specified adjacency matrix (of a graph), which this time translates into imposing sparsity constraints on a certain left factorization of the stabilizing controller.
Literacy Practice and the Dialogical Self: Isaac Making Meaning

In this article I make an argument for literacy practice as a means for self and other dialogue. Through a theoretical framework that examines the concepts of heteroglossia and the dialogical self, I explore the literacy practices of Isaac, a working-class adolescent diagnosed with bipolar disorder, and his attempts to bring meaning to his life struggles. I argue that, particularly for those learners whose lives are marginalized from the cultural center, reading, writing, and other forms of expression are valuable media through which learners seek understanding of the chaos around them. Given this existential need to make meaning, I then argue that the teaching of reading and writing needs to be seen as more than the learning of discrete skills and instead should be viewed as providing learners ways to call their own lives and the lives of others into dialogue.
Radiating folds in Descemet's membrane as a sign of impending corneal perforation.

T he J ournal invites letters that describe unusual clinical or pathologic findings, experimental results, and new instruments or techniques. The title and the names of all authors appear in the Table of Contents and are retrievable through the Index Medicus and other standard indexing services. These brief reports must not duplicate data published or submitted for publication elsewhere. Each letter must be accompanied by T he J ournal copyright transfer agreement of the Ophthalmic Publishing Company printed elsewhere in each issue. Letters must be typed, double-spaced, on 8½ × 11-inch bond paper with 1½-inch margins on all four sides. They should be no more than two typewritten pages in length. A maximum of two black and white figures may be used; they should be cropped to a width of 2⅔ inches (one column). Color figures cannot be used. References should be limited to five. Letters may be referred to outside editorial referees for evaluation or may be reviewed by members of the Editorial Board. All letters are published promptly after acceptance. Authors do not receive galley proofs, but if the editorial changes are extensive, the typescript is sent for approval.
Efficacy of oral antibiotics for the treatment of persistent otitis media with effusion

Summary We followed 137 children who were found to have persistent otitis media with effusion (POME) one month after the diagnosis of acute otitis media. Subjects were randomly assigned to either treatment with erythromycin ethylsuccinate and sulfisoxizole or to no treatment. Follow-up utilizing pneumatic otoscopy and tympanometry showed that treated patients were more likely to have normal findings, and less likely to develop acute otitis media during the month following treatment. These data indicate that children with POME one month following acute otitis media may benefit from an additional course of antibiotics.
Stat3 modulates heat shock 27 kDa protein expression in breast epithelial cells

The constitutive activation of signal transducer and activator of transcription 3 (Stat3) is frequently detected in breast carcinoma cell lines but not in normal breast epithelial cells. Stat3 has been classified as an oncogene because activated Stat3 can mediate oncogenic transformation in cultured cells and tumor formation in nude mice. In this study, we investigated potential Stat3 regulated genes in breast cells. Upon expression of Stat3-C, a constitutively active Stat3 form, in nonmalignant telomerase immortalized breast cells (TERT), cell lysate was subjected to 2-dimensional (2-D) protein gel analysis. Our results showed that heat shock 27kDa protein (HSP27) was markedly induced by Stat3-C expression. Further analysis demonstrated that phosphorylation of HSP27 at serine residue 78 was induced by Stat3-C in TERT breast cells as well as in MCF-10A and MDA-MB-453 breast cells. RT-PCR result confirmed that HSP27 mRNA was induced by Stat3-C in TERT cells. As the result of Stat3 knock-down by Stat3 short interfering RNA oligonucleotides in MDA-MB-468 human breast carcinoma cells, HSP27 was markedly reduced consistent with Stat3 reduction. Furthermore, we observed that Stat3 was physically associated with HSP27 and HSP90 in MDA-MB-468 breast carcinoma cells. Taken together, our findings demonstrate that constitutively activated Stat3 up-regulates HSP27 and may facilitate phosphorylation of HSP27 at serine residue 78. The up-regulation of HSP27 may be one of the underlying mechanisms with which aberrant Stat3 signaling induces cell malignancies.
Response to Dr Norris and Dr McCulloch

Sir, We thank Dr Norris and Dr McCulloch1 for their interest in our paper2 and for their very informative comments. We fully agree with them on the issues and potential difficulties in designing a randomised controlled trial (RCT) when one of the modalities of treatment (oral propranolol) has a very high ‘success' rate in published literature. We have highlighted this in our paper under the subheading ‘areas for future research'. We collude with the authors on the need for an RCT to further explore dosage and duration of oral propranolol therapy and to monitor adverse effects.
Validation of a Measure of Physical Illness Burden at Autopsy: The Cumulative Illness Rating Scale

Objective: To further validate an objective measure of physical illness burden, the Cumulative Illness Rating Scale (CIRS). Design: Survey with correlation of CIRS ratings made from physician interviews and review of medical records with postmortem ratings made independently at tissue autopsy. Subjects: Victims of completed suicide investigated by both psychological and tissue autopsy (n = 72). Results: CIRS ratings made by examination of tissue at autopsy were highly predictive of analogous ratings based on historical data, accounting for 75% of the variance in CIRS scores. Taking autopsy findings as the gold standard of objective health assessment, historical ratings tend to underestimate physical illness at high levels of tissue pathology and to overestimate burden at lower levels. Conclusions: The CIRS score, when derived from all available sources of medical information, is a valid objective measure of physical illness burden and has broad applicability to research in geriatrics.
Interdiffusion kinetics in the Mo5SiB2 (T2) phase

Diffusion couples based on Mo2B and Mo5Si3 were used to determine the diffusion kinetics of T2 phase development and the relative diffusivities controlling the kinetics. Annealing the Mo2B/Mo5Si3 diffusion couple above 1600 °C yielded an initial diffusion path sequence of Mo2B/T2/Mo3Si/Mo5Si3, which was subsequently transformed to Mo2B/T2/(Mo3Si+Mo5Si3)/Mo5Si3 by shrinkage of the Mo3Si phase upon long-term annealing. The T2 phase developed from Mo2B and during the growth of the T2 phase, Si and B atom movements were driven by the Si concentration gradient. The activation energy for Si interdiffusion in the T2 phase was evaluated to be 355 kJ/mole compared with about 300 kJ/mole for Mo5Si3 in both Mo/Si and MoSi2/T2 diffusion couples. The larger activation energy is mainly responsible for the 103 lower diffusivity for Si in the T2 phase compared with Mo5Si3. The relatively slow diffusion in the T2 phase is consistent with the enhanced creep resistance exhibited by T2 phase microstructures.
Transport in hydrogenated amorphous silicon

Abstract We investigate a model for dc transport in hydrogenated amorphous silicon (α-Si:H) in which the addition of phosphorus or boron only increases the extent of the conduction or valence band tails. We show that such a model is capable of fitting the observed variation of electrical conductivity with temperature for a wide range of impurity concentrations. The Meyer-Neldel rule, which is difficult to understand with constant band tails, is easily explained by our assumptions. In addition, the Staebler-Wronski effect can be interpreted as a photo-induced sharpening of the band tails, and the Hall-thermopower sign anomaly can be a simple consequence of ambipolar conduction. The fit is consistent with, but does not require, high values of the band mobility, μ, and a negative effective correlation energy, U eff , for the dangling-bond (T 3 ) defect.
Climatic Variability and Tree Response within the Forest‐Alpine Tundra Ecotone

Abstract Relationships between climatic variables and tree-ring widths (1954–79) were determined for three sites in the forest-alpine tundra ecotone on Niwot Ridge of the Colorado Front Range. Correlations were tested using regression techniques and results are displayed by response surfaces. Climatic data from within the ecotone (1978–84) indicate the occurrence of large temperature gradients over short distances and frequent inversions. This finding demonstrates that frost-free seasons are shorter in the lower ecotone, although critical winter minima may be experienced in the upper ecotone. Regression techniques indicate that tree-ring widths are significantly and negatively correlated with autumn precipitation of the previous calendar year and significantly and positively correlated with the previous calendar year's autumn temperature and the actual year's late spring/early summer temperature. High winter temperatures as well as large amounts of snow in the early spring show negative correlations with ...
A comparative experiment on record match algorithms: naïve Bayesian versus distance

With the constantly expansion of the interconnectedness of database systems, the importance of record match technologies has been widely recognized. This paper made an experimental comparison of a distance-based algorithm and a Naive Bayesian Classifier Algorithm in supervised learning on precision, recall and f-measure. The experiment results were reported and a subset of the most critical parameters involved in the experiment was analyzed.