cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Squaring the circle: the birth of the United Nations

The United Nations is often seen as the inevitable by-product of the failure of both isolationism and idealism. In the conventional account, both Democrats and Republicans realized after Pearl Harbor that the United States could no longer remain aloof from world affairs and needed to commit to postwar international cooperation to lay the foundations of a stable peace. However, at the same time the League had been powerless to stop aggression in the 1930s. A more realistic view of international organizations was necessary, and President Roosevelt was not the idealist that Wilson was. The United Nations was therefore based on the realities of power politics, preserving a special role for the great powers and eschewing any generic commitment to territorial integrity as the League had in Article X. FDR advocated for a United Nations based on the continuation of the wartime alliance of the same name, in which the great powers would serve as “four policeman” enforcing the postwar peace. In certain respects, this standard account is correct (Legro 2005; Patrick 2009). Isolationism as an ideology, the belief that the United States could avoid political engagement with other great powers, particularly malevolent European ones, was weakened (although not destroyed) by the war. Pure geographical isolation was impossible, and the prostrate Europeans were hardly dangerous rivals of the United States after 1945. However, as seen in Chapter 3, isolationism was not a significant force even in 1919. Conservative internationalists, predominantly in the Republican Party, continued to have objections to any form of international cooperation that required any significant transfer of American sovereignty. Again their competitive social orientation forbade them from surrendering any discretion over American foreign policy for fear of entrapment and exploitation. Conservatives again preferred a kind of concert for great-power consultation without any significant limitations on American discretion. Those who lacked generalized trust exhibited the same seeming paradox as the conservative internationalists of the interwar years. They were systematically more concerned about opportunism, but they opposed the creation of some sort of international hierarchy, either an international police force or elements of a world government, to prevent it. Dissenting voices from the liberal side of the Republican Party were completely marginalized. Indeed they often struggled to have the party officially endorse the creation of an international organization at all.
Leveling the playing field: Grounding learning with embedded simulations in geoscience

Although desktop simulations can be useful in representing scientific phenomena during inquiry activities, they do not allow students to embody or contextualize the spatial aspects of those phenomena. One learning technology that does attempt to combine embodiment and grounded experience to support learning in science is Embedded Phenomena. The objective of this research was to investigate the effectiveness of a classroom-based Embedded Phenomena activity for learning in geoscience, and to investigate whether individual differences in spatial skills had an impact on the effectiveness. The simulated scientific phenomenon was earthquakes, and 44 fifth grade (10-year old) students learned from a unit containing both content instruction and simulations. In the embedded condition, 15 earthquake events were simulated within the classroom space and students enacted the computation of epicenters with strings and their bodies. Students in the non-embedded condition received the same content instruction and did the same activities, but the epicenter computations were done with maps instead of with students’ bodies. Students in the embedded condition showed greater learning gains overall. Further, the Embedded Phenomena activity attenuated the effect of individual differences in spatial skills on learning in science such that low spatial individuals performed as well as high spatial individuals in the embedded condition.
Noninvasive ECG imaging (ECGI): Mapping the arrhythmic substrate of the human heart

This short communication accompanies my presentation at the International Congress on Sudden Cardiac Death held in Prague, March 30-April 1, 2017. It summarizes briefly studies of the cardiac electrophysiological substrate in patients with hereditary arrhythmogenic syndromes - the Long QT and Brugada syndromes - conducted noninvasively, in situ, using Electrocardiographic Imaging (ECGI). The same noninvasive approach was used to map the electrophysiological substrate of a post-infarction myocardial scar and to relate this substrate to the pattern of activation during reentrant ventricular tachycardia. My thoughts about a potential role for ECGI in cardiac research and clinical care are also expressed briefly, with examples from on-going work in my laboratory.
Diverticulitis Diagnosed in the Emergency Room: Is It Safe to Discharge Home?

Background Inpatient treatment of patients with colon diverticulitis represents a significant financial and clinical burden to the health care system and patients. The aim of this study was to compare patients with diverticulitis in the emergency department (ED), who were discharged to home vs admitted to the hospital. Study Design We reviewed all patients evaluated in the ED of a metropolitan health system, with the primary diagnosis of diverticulitis (ICD-9 562.11), from 2010 through 2012. Only patients diagnosed with CT and those with follow-up were included. Results We identified 240 patients; 132 (55%) were women and mean age was 59.1 years (SD 16.1 years). Imaging findings included extraluminal air (21%), pericolic or pelvic abscess (12%), free fluid (16%), and pneumoperitoneum (6%). One hundred forty-four (60%) were admitted to the hospital and 96 (40%) were discharged to home on oral antibiotics. Patients admitted to the hospital were more likely to be older than 65 years (p = 0.0007), have a Charlson comorbidity score ≥ 2 (p = 0.0025), to be on steroids or immunosuppression (p = 0.0019), and have extraluminal air (p Conclusions Patients diagnosed with uncomplicated diverticulitis in the emergency room can be safely discharged home on oral antibiotics, as long as CT findings are included in the decision-making process. Patients with complicated diverticulitis on CT scan should be admitted to the hospital with surgical consultation.
Developing Virtual Patients with VR/AR for a natural user interface in medical teaching

Professionalism and communication skills are important aspects of medical training, and virtual patient applications can offer cost effective, easily accessible platforms for communication practice which complement flexible, student-driven medical school curriculum design. Further, numerous virtual and augmented reality platforms have been introduced recently. This paper explores potential advantages and disadvantages Virtual and Augmented Reality (VR/AR) technologies offer to the development of a virtual patient application specifically for communication practice - the Emotive Virtual Patients - with a natural user interface. VR/AR technologies may offer highly interactive, immersive virtual patient experiences that tie to our research goals, improve presence and create a more fertile environment to practice empathy, however they may also present platform-specific challenges. A potential virtual patient design framework is discussed, and the unique benefits and limitations of VR/AR devices are analyzed. We put our research in the context of other virtual patient research, and hypothesize what benefits in terms of presence and natural user interfaces VR/AR may provide.
TEAM RELATIVE OPERATING CHARACTERISTIC: A MEASURE OF TEAM EXPERTISE IN DISTRIBUTED DETECTION TASKS1

We consider a generalized distributed binary hypothesis-testing problem within a hierarchical team. In this problem, the subordinate decisionmakers (DMs) transmit their opinions on their own local hypotheses, which are only probabilistically related to the global hypotheses at the primary DM. In a recent paper, we have shown that the normative decision strategies of all DMs are coupled likelihood-ratio tests, but the decision thresholds are also a function of the joint probability distribution of hypotheses at all DMs. In order to assess the discrimination capabilities of a team, we have introduced the concept of a “Team Relative (Receiver) Operating Characteristic (ROC) curve”. In this paper, we extend earlier results in the literature, and show that the area under the team ROC curve can be used as a measure of expertise of teams. To predict the expertise of actual teams, the normative model is tested on teams of humans using a hypothetical medical diagnosis task. Potential human biases leading to discrepancies between the normative predictions and experimental results are identified. A normative-descriptive model is developed to capture the cognitive biases of human DMs. The model provides excellent predictions with respect to the individual and team ROC operating points and the confidence estimates.
When to quit: Narrow bracketing and reference dependence in taxi drivers☆

Abstract Taxi drivers provide an ideal setting for testing various models of labor supply. Despite this, the literature studying driver behavior has produced mixed evidence of which labor supply model best applies to driver labor supply. Using a novel analysis and large datasets of taxi trips from two different cities, this paper provides a unifying analysis which reconciles previous inconsistencies in evidence for reference dependence in taxi drivers. By testing for a particular non-linear relationship between shift income and drivers’ hazard of stopping, I identify behavior that is consistent with Prospect theoretic (S-shaped) reference dependence as opposed to the more extensively examined loss aversion model of reference dependence. This particular model of reference dependence in this setting allows me to estimate individual driver reference points without an explicit functional form or ex-ante assumptions about the existence of a reference point.
Strategy learning for autonomous agents in smart grid markets

Distributed electricity producers, such as small wind farms and solar installations, pose several technical and economic challenges in Smart Grid design. One approach to addressing these challenges is through Broker Agents who buy electricity from distributed producers, and also sell electricity to consumers, via a Tariff Market-a new market mechanism where Broker Agents publish concurrent bid and ask prices. We investigate the learning of pricing strategies for an autonomous Broker Agent to profitably participate in a Tariff Market. We employ Markov Decision Processes (MDPs) and reinforcement learning. An important concern with this method is that even simple representations of the problem domain result in very large numbers of states in the MDP formulation because market prices can take nearly arbitrary real values. In this paper, we present the use of derived state space features, computed using statistics on Tariff Market prices and Broker Agent customer portfolios, to obtain a scalable state representation. We also contribute a set of pricing tactics that form building blocks in the learned Broker Agent strategy. We further present a Tariff Market simulation model based on real-world data and anticipated market dynamics. We use this model to obtain experimental results that show the learned strategy performing vastly better than a random strategy and significantly better than two other non-learning strategies.
Better Together: An Interdisciplinary Perspective on Information Retrieval

The success of information retrieval systems depends critically on both the ability of systems to efficiently and effectively retrieve information, and to support people in articulating their information needs and making sense of the results. This interdisciplinary, user-centered perspective on information systems motivated my early work on Latent Semantic Indexing (LSI), which sought to mitigate the disagreement between the vocabulary that authors use in writing and searchers use to express their information needs, and continues to shape my research today. Over the last two decades, search has become a core fabric of people's everyday lives, driven by advances in understanding context, natural language, and speech. I will illustrate how new capabilities in email and virtual assistants are driven by advances in both algorithms and user modeling. As we look forward to new types of information systems that anticipate information needs, interact via richer dialogs, and integrate physical and digital information, it is more important than ever to understand and support information seekers using interdisciplinary methods and perspectives.
In Vitro Antibacterial Activity of Oral Cephalosporins

The in vitro activity of orally active first generation (cefalexin), second generation (cefaclor and cefuroxime) and third generation (cefdinir, cefixime, ceftibuten, cefpodoxime, cefprozil, and cefetamet) cephalosporins was reviewed. All of these cephalosporins inhibit community-acquired respiratory pathogens (i.e. Streptococcus pneumoniae, Haemophilus influenzae, Moraxella catarrhalis and S. pyogenes) and Neisseriaceae, but have little or no clinically relevant activity against oxacillin-/methicillin-resistant staphylococci, enterococci, Gramnegative rods (i.e. Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Xanthomonas maltophilia), or anaerobic rods (i.e. Bacteroides fragilis and Clostridium species). Cefalexin, cefaclor and cefuroxime are less potent inhibitors and have a narrower spectrum of activity than the third generation cephalosporins reviewed. Among the third generation cephalosporins, cefixime inhibits the broadest spectrum of Enterobacteriaceae, but cefixime, ceftibuten, and cefetamet lack any clinically meaningful antistaphylococcal activity, and cefpodoxime and cefprozil are several dilution-folds less active against staphylococci than cefdinir. Cefdinir matches the potent inhibitory activity of cefixime against the most common community-acquired respiratory tract pathogens and the most common community-acquired Enterobacteriaceae (i.e. Escherichia coli, Proteus mirabilis and Klebsiella pneumoniae). In addition, of the third generation cephalosporins reviewed, cefdinir is the most potent inhibitor of the common community-acquired staphylococcal pathogens, Staphylococcus aureus, coagulase-negative staphylococci and S. saprophyticus. Thus, the spectrum of activity of cefdinir encompasses most clinically significant community-acquired pathogens.
Fundamental forms of information: Research Articles

Fundamental forms of information, as well as the term information itself, are defined and developed for the purposes of information sciencesstudies. Concepts of natural and represented information (taking an unconventional sense of representation), encoded and embodied information, as well as experienced, enacted, expressed, embedded, recorded, and trace information are elaborated. The utility of these terms for the discipline is illustrated with examples from the study of information-seeking behavior and of information genres. Distinctions between the information and curatorial sciences with respect to their social (and informational) objects of study are briefly outlined. © 2006 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
BIOCHEMICAL STUDIES OF SOLUBLE AND IMMOBILIZED ALDEHYDE DEHYDROGENASE FROM YEAST

Aldehyde dehydrogenase from baker’s yeast was purified to homogeneity. The soluble and immobilized forms of this enzyme were characterized and compared biochemically. These included steady state kinetics, stability study, fluorescence, and NMR spectroscopy. Evidence of the coenzyme binding to this enzyme in the absence of aldehyde substrates was obtained by fluorescence and NMR studies. A significant quenching of protein fluorescence was observed upon the addition of coenzymes to the aldehyde-free enzyme solution. Significant shifts and broadening of coenzyme proton resonances in the presence of enzyme also indicate the enzyme-coenzyme interactions in the aldehyde-free solution. the enzyme was immobilized on glass beads by three different methods. The immobilized enzyme was found to exhibit physical and biochemical properties similar to those of the soluble enzyme. A system in which the immobilized alcohol, aldehyde, and steriod dehydrogenases are included in an enzyme reactor is described.
CHAPTER 7 – MISCELLANEOUS GAMES*

Publisher Summary To secure information concerning the optimal strategies of a continuous game, it is necessary to impose special assumptions on the kernel of the game. Usually the necessary assumptions are suggested naturally by the model on which the game is founded. In such cases, the solutions can be guessed approximately from intuitive considerations. This chapter reviews games whose kernels are analytic or rational functions. While it is possible to obtain some information about their optimal strategies, this information is necessarily limited. There are some rational games whose unique solutions are extremely complex distributions—for example, the Cantor distribution. The chapter also discusses games whose kernels are bell-shaped. In this case, one can give a fairly complete description of the optimal strategies.
Deceased Brain Dead Donor Liver Transplantation and Utilization in the United States: Nighttime and Weekend Effects.

BACKGROUND Understanding factors that contribute to liver discards and nonusage is urgently needed to improve organ utilization. METHODS Using Scientific Registry of Transplant Recipient data, we studied a national cohort of all US adult, deceased brain dead donor, isolated livers available for transplantation from 2003 to 2016, including organ-specific and system-wide factors that may affect organ procurement and discard rates. RESULTS Of 73 686 available livers, 65 316 (88.64%) were recovered for transplant, of which 6454 (9.88%) were ultimately discarded. Livers that were not procured or, on recovery, discarded were more frequently from older, heavier, hepatitis B virus (HCV)+, and more comorbid donors (P < 0.001). However, even after adjustment for organ quality, the odds of liver nonusage were 11% higher on the weekend (defined as donor procurements with cross-clamping occurring from 5:00 PM Friday until 11:59 AM Sunday) compared with weekdays (P < 0.001). Nonuse rates were also higher at night (P < 0.001), defined as donor procurements with cross-clamping occurring from 5:00 PM to 5:00 AM; however, weekend nights had significantly higher nonuse rates compared with weekday nights (P = 0.005). After Share 35, weekend nonusage rates decreased from 21.77% to 19.51% but were still higher than weekday nonusage rates (P = 0.065). Weekend liver nonusage was higher in all 11 United Network of Organ Sharing regions, with an absolute average of 2.00% fewer available livers being used on the weekend compared with weekdays. CONCLUSIONS Although unused livers frequently have unfavorable donor characteristics, there are also systemic and operational factors, including time of day and day of the week a liver becomes available, that impact the chance of liver nonprocurement and discard.
Allergy may confer better survival on patients with gliomas.

Abstract Objectives Glioma susceptibility is inversely related to a history of allergies and atopy. Lung allergies are associated with 30% lower glioma susceptibility, compared to no lung allergies. Asthma and eczema also reduce the chance of glioma. However, the effect of allergy on glioma survival is not well characterized. Because of the allergy-glioma inverse relationship we examined the association of allergy with glioma survival in The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA). Patients and methods We evaluated the association between allergy and overall survival in TCGA Glioma (LGG) dataset. In order to have a sample of sufficient size to analyze, we classified as allergic any patient who answered yes to any of the manifestations of allergy that were queried. Results We analyzed data from 526 patients with glioma. History of allergy conferred a survival advantage on glioma patients, when stratified by tumor histologic grade (p = 0.049). Because allergy confers a favorable prognosis, we performed Cox regression. The effect of allergy on survival was significant (p = 0.025, HR 0.525, 95% CI 0.299–0.924), independent of the effect of chromosome 1p (p Conclusion Our finding of the improved prognosis that allergy confers on glioma increases the potential importance of understanding the allergy-glioma inverse association. If the mechanism could be more clearly elucidated, new, more effective treatments and preventive measures may be developed. Further studies are warranted.
Computational Analysis of Epigenetic Modifications in Melanoma

Abstract Cancer cells utilize genetic and epigenetic aberrations to drive excessive proliferation. Although our understanding of genetic alterations has drastically increased, we have limited understanding of epigenomic features of cancer. In this chapter, we focus on the most aggressive skin cancer—cutaneous melanoma—and present the progress made in our understanding of epigenome of melanoma tumors. We first describe the current knowledge on epigenetic features of melanoma cells discovered using classical methods and more recent sequencing-based methodologies. We present the concepts, the methodologies, and computational analysis of epigenomic methods that are currently being utilized for defining epigenomic aberrations in melanoma. We focus on most popular methods such as RRBS for DNA methylation analyses, ChIP-Seq for histone modification and transcription factor binding, ATAC-Seq for chromatin accessibility and nucleosome positioning, and Hi-C for higher-order chromatin structure determination. Finally, we provide perspective on future studies needed to comprehensively define melanoma epigenome.
Identifying the importance of integrating routine pharmacogenomic testing for UGT1A1 and DPYD/tyms genetic variants in patients receiving irinotecan and/or 5-fluorouracil chemotherapy.

660Background: Adverse toxicities to chemotherapy remain a limiting factor for patients receiving treatment for malignancies. In gastrointestinal cancers, particularly metastatic colorectal cancer,...
Axial motion corrected constant linear velocity spiral scan OCT with dynamic focusing for high resolution wide field corneal and anterior chamber imaging (Conference Presentation)

Imaging the entire human cornea with a conventional OCT system configuration requires trade-offs between resolution and depth-of-focus because the cornea is curved over a depth of approximately 4 mm. These system trade-offs result in image quality variations in the corneal image such as a bright apex surrounded by decreasing intensity as the cornea curves away from the apex. These intensity changes cause non-biological ambiguities in interpreting the image, make it difficult to see anatomy in the dim areas, and make automated surface detection difficult in the periphery. To address this problem, we developed a continuously focusing corneal OCT system coupled with a constant linear velocity (CLV) spiral scan pattern that is able to better maintain focus from the apex to the deeper cornea during a scan. The continuous focusing was implemented by introducing a focusing telescope on a motorized stage into the sample arm and matching the translation of the telescope with the CLV scan as it spiraled from the corneal apex outwards. Orthogonal B-scans prior to volume acquisition were used as a reference to estimate and correct motion that occurred during the subsequent CLV scan. A consented subject was imaged, and the resultant image showed increased intensity in the peripheral and deeper cornea and anterior chamber. Continuous focusing with CLV spiral scanning is a promising design change to OCT systems allowing adequate focus over relatively large depths such as for scanning the human cornea.
Employers’ Perspectives on Workplace Communication Skills: The Meaning of Communication Skills

Employers provide their interpretation of the meaning of communication skills in this qualitative study of 22 managers. Employers understand written communication to be types of documents, a way to...
Wearables and mobile technologies in Autism Spectrum Disorder interventions: A systematic literature review

Abstract Background Nowadays, in the Internet of Things era, wearables, mobile technologies and enhanced communication and computing capabilities has led to the upsurge of innovative mobile health solutions. Many research efforts have taken place recently in the domain of autism spectrum disorders (ASD). Method The current paper presents a thorough review of the literature on the use of wearables and mobile technologies for ASD-related interventions. It intends to give insights and guidelines to researchers in order to develop more useful and closer to market products. Results We searched seven databases for research articles published after 2000. Of 4,722 articles initially retrieved, only 83 papers met the inclusion criteria. Several challenges still exist in the research efforts towards the development of applications exploiting the latest wearables and mobile technologies for ASD interventions: small number of participants in the studies, non-generalizable results, technology considerations, privacy, legal and ethical issues, etc. Subjective assessment is also another significant barrier for further adoption of the developed solutions. Conclusions The findings support the notion that this is a very promising sector which is expected to undergo an important increase in the coming years. There is a great need for highly customizable solutions. In parallel, researchers should focus on the importance of developing applications for the real world and not only for controlled environments. Further studies employing artificial intelligence and affective computing are needed to support both diagnosis and therapeutic interventions as well.
Resistance Spot Welding of Aluminum Alloy to Steel with Transition Material - Part II: Finite Element Analyses of Nugget Growth

This paper summarizes work on finite element modeling of nugget growth for resistance spot welding of aluminum alloy to steel. It is a sequel to a previous paper on experimental studies of resistance spot welding of aluminum to steel using a transition material. Since aluminum alloys and steel cannot be readily fusion welded together due to their drastically different thermal physical properties, a cold-rolled clad material was introduced as a transition to aid the resistance welding process. Coupled electrical-thermal-mechanical finite element analyses were performed to simulate the nugget growth and heat generation patterns during the welding process. The predicted nugget growth results were compared to the experimental weld cross sections. Reasonable comparisons of nugget size were achieved. The finite element simulation procedures were also used in the electrode selection state to help reduce weld expulsion and improve weld quality.
LSU Computational System Biology Gateway for Education

Science gateways are a mechanism for delivering scientific software as a service, especially when the software requires high performance computing (HPC) resources to run effectively. The existence of a science gateway eliminates the user's need to learn to work with HPC systems and to manage software installations and updates. With well-designed user interfaces, users can more quickly become effective users of scientific applications and can manage information needed for replicating, modifying, and sharing results. All of these efficiency gains enable users to focus more on their research. In addition, science gateways are being identified as an effective educational tool, a tool to be used in classroom environments as a method to get students quickly into research on domain specific questions. In the absence of a science gateway, students are likely to need a considerable time to learn to work with HPC systems, and any time spent on such will reduce their time on the actual science. This poster presents how the Louisiana State University (LSU) gateway for the Computational System Biology Group (CSBG) - (www.brylinski.org) was updated and improved to be a classroom teaching tool. This work makes extensive use of Apache Airavata's group management capabilities.
Gut Luminal and Clinical Benefits of Early Enteral Nutrition in Shock

Circulatory shock and subsequent gut hypoperfusion turn on the ‘gut motor,’ which impairs gut barrier function, promotes dysbiosis, and generates immune dysfunction to perpetuate inflammation. Clinicians may be reluctant to commence enteral nutrition in circulatory shock out of concern for bowel ischemia and splanchnic steal syndrome. Here, we identify contemporary studies which have evaluated the impact of enteral nutrition during circulatory shock on gut lumen functions and clinical outcomes. Recent studies show enteral nutrition has luminal benefits and is safe. Observational and pilot randomized controlled trial data evaluating early enteral nutrition in circulatory shock suggest an association between early enteral nutrition and improved clinical outcomes. Contemporary literature suggests enteral nutrition continues to have gut lumen benefits and is associated with improved clinical outcomes. Future trials are needed to evaluate optimal dose, timing, and composition of enteral nutrition in circulatory shock.
Logging costs and cutting methods in young-growth ponderosa pine in California

Mixed-conifer stands at the Challenge Experimental Forest, Calif., were cut to four specifications: seed-tree, group selection, single tree selection, and clearcut. Logging costs and production rates were compared and evaluated. Cutting method had little effect on felling or skidding production; felling ranged from 1,802 to 2,019 bd ft per hour, and skidding from 3,138 to 3,761 bd ft per hour. Felling cost $3.86 per M bd ft and skidding averaged $4.57. Loading production was 5,286 bd ft per hour and averaged $2.72 per M bd ft. It varied greatly with the number of logs per load; for example, a three-log load contained 42 percent more volume but took only half the loading time of that for a 27-log load.
Women and Coronary Artery Disease

Coronary artery disease was long considered to be a disease primarily affecting men. However, recent statistics indicate that it is also the most frequent cause of death in women. Awareness campaigns have tried to address the disparities in knowledge regarding women and coronary artery disease. This chapter highlights some of the differences and similarities in treatment strategies for women compared with those for men. It also reviews some of the causes of chest pain in women and various diagnostic modalities.
Heme oxygenase-1 promoter (GT) n polymorphism associates with HIV neurocognitive impairment.

Objective To determine whether regulatory variations in the heme oxygenase-1 (HO-1) promoter (GT)n dinucleotide repeat length could identify unique population genetic risks for neurocognitive impairment (NCI) in persons living with HIV (PLWH), we genotyped 528 neurocognitively assessed PLWH of European American and African American descent and linked genotypes to cognitive status. Methods In this cross-sectional study of PLWH (the CNS HIV Antiretroviral Therapy Effect Research cohort), we determined HO-1 (GT)n repeat lengths in 276 African Americans and 252 European Americans. Using validated criteria for HIV-associated NCI (HIV NCI), we found associations between allele length genotypes and HIV NCI and between genotypes and plasma markers of monocyte activation and inflammation. For comparison of HO-1 (GT)n allele frequencies with another population of African ancestry, we determined HO-1 (GT)n allele lengths in African PLWH from Botswana (n = 428). Results PLWH with short HO-1 (GT)n alleles had a lower risk for HIV NCI (OR = 0.63, 95% CI: 0.42–0.94). People of African ancestry had a lower prevalence of short alleles and higher prevalence of long alleles compared with European Americans, and in subgroup analyses, the protective effect of the short allele was observed in African Americans and not in European Americans. Conclusions Our study identified the short HO-1 (GT)n allele as partially protective against developing HIV NCI. It further suggests that this clinical protective effect is particularly relevant in persons of African ancestry, where the lower prevalence of short HO-1 (GT)n alleles may limit induction of HO-1 expression in response to inflammation and oxidative stress. Therapeutic strategies that enhance HO-1 expression may decrease HIV-associated neuroinflammation and limit HIV NCI.
Therapeutic use of interleukins: experimental results.

The work discussed above provides some preliminary evidence that interleukins or their analogues may be developed into important therapeutic agents in the treatment of immune deficiency states and/or malignancies. The finding that IL-1 is effective in vivo is especially exciting and suggests that when pure human IL-1 is available, toxicity studies and, subsequently, therapeutic trials may be warranted. The findings that IL-2 can bypass a more profound defect in murine APC function (GR plus UV radiation) compared to IL-1 in vitro and its striking effect on natural killer activity and cytotoxicity in vitro on lymphocytes from AIDS patients is even more exciting. The clinical trial byBindon et al. [20] suggests that side effects of IL-2 administration in humans may be acceptable. Therapeutic trials of this agent to establish its safety and optimum mode of administration certainly seem warranted. Such agents can perhaps be combined with other substances that modulate immunity, such as cyclophosphamide, to obtain maximum effects. The gene encoding IL-2 has been cloned, and recent work suggests that the IL-1 gene may have been isolated [Mizel, pers. commun.]. It may thus be possible to isolate portions of these genes which encode active polypeptides that are free from many of the undesirable side effects seen with the entire molecule. Furthermore, it may be possible to construct new interkeukins by mutating the already isolated genes. Finally it is possible that new interleukin gene products may be isolated that have more specific effects on the growth of a variety of hematopoietic elements.
Managing a Craft Brewery: Competitive, Legal, and Environmental Forces:

The number of craft breweries and the volume of beer they produce continue to increase in the United States. Small entrepreneurial craft brewery businesses produce limited quantities of specialty b...
Effectiveness, efficiency, and fee premiums in audits led by industry specialist partners

We use engagement‐level data from a Big 4 firm to examine whether industry specialist partners are associated with audit effectiveness, audit efficiency and fee premiums. First, we examine the relation of partner industry specialisation to audit effectiveness ratings made by the firm’s internal quality inspectors and find a positive association. Next, in tests using the effective audits subsample, we find that audits led by industry specialist partners have lower audit hours (i.e., audits are more efficient), higher total audit fees and audit fees per hour, and that both fee measures increase as efficiency increases.
Paired cognitive flexibility task with symptom factors improves detection of sports-related concussion in high school and collegiate athletes.

Abstract Determining the sensitivity and specificity of short neurocognitive assessments to objectively detect concussion will help clinicians more confidently integrate such tools in clinical management decisions. This study quantified the sensitivity and specificity of a computerized cognitive flexibility task isolating shifts of visuospatial attention in combination with clinical symptoms acutely (
The Cumulative Distribution Function

All of the arithmetic associated with testing in the hyper-geometric distribution and with confidence intervals in the binomial distribution (respectively, Lessons 15, 19, Part I) was based on their CDFs. Here the extension of this latter concept will be made in two steps, one emphasizing the type of function which is “random”, the other emphasizing its “distribution”; the first step (definition) is actually a technical matter needed in the second: only measurable functions have distributions.
Using a Lexical Approach to Investigate User Experience of Social Media Applications

The objective of this research is to examine the most important issues in user experience about social media applications (SMAs) by using a lexical approach. After reviewing prior studies about user interactions with SMA, a process based on the revised lexical approach [52] is adopted to explore patterns among the adjectives in online reviews of SMAs. This process includes four stages: Stage 1: Collecting online reviews, Stage 2: Building a dictionary of SMA descriptive adjectives, Stage 3: Extracting user ratings of adjectives, and Stage 4: Factor analyses. The detailed development process is discussed.
Assessing Test Takers With Communication Disorders

Communication disorders involve difficulties in understanding or getting messages across—difficulties that are either abnormally severe, or persistent, or both. The complexity of testing any knowledge, skill, or ability is increased when the persons assessed have one or several communication disorders. The valid identification and diagnosis of such disorders requires prior understanding of development and communication and, in most instances, also a prior language assessment. Because accidental success in ordinary discourse processing becomes vanishingly unlikely as tasks increase in complexity, successes in discursive tasks are more informative than failures. The severity of any disorder cannot be greater than the highest level of success attained in whatever performance the disorder tends most to disrupt. Keywords: Assessment evaluation; Assessment methods; Discourse analysis; Neurolinguistics; Pragmatics
A connectionless approach to mobile ad hoc networks

Today's communication techniques for mobile ad hoc networks take a connection-oriented approach. Mobile nodes need to discover routes and establish a connection before they can communicate. This strategy is not robust as it cannot adapt to frequent unpredictable topology changes due to high mobility. Constant reconnections incur significant overhead making these schemes unsuitable for applications such as voice and video. To address these issues, we explore a connectionless paradigm in this paper. We leverage technology such as GPS (global positioning system) to allow a source node to discover a grid path to the destination node. Data packets are relayed along this path toward the destination using different intermediate nodes at different times without having to first establish connections between them. The performance of this new solution is essentially unaffected by node mobility. As a result, it is suitable for a wide range of mobile applications.
Cystadenofibromas: Can transvaginal ultrasound appearance reduce some surgical interventions?

Purpose Cystadenofibromas are benign ovarian neoplasms. Their most typical features on sonography (US) are unilocular cysts with small, shadowing hyperechoic, solid papillae without internal vascularity. In the past, they were virtually always surgically removed to exclude malignancy. This study was undertaken to review the sonographic appearances of benign cystadenomas. Methods We retrospectively reviewed the transvaginal US studies of 32 cases of pathologically proven ovarian cystadenofibromas. Results Twenty-two of the tumors presented as unilocular cystic structures with one or more solid, hyperechoic, shadowing, mural nodules with no discernible blood flow projecting from the inner cyst wall. Ten lesions were multiloculated with multiple small solid areas, with scant or no blood vessels. Conclusions Cystadenofibromas do not always have a classic appearance on transvaginal US and color Doppler imaging. In our series, however, the majority (69%) presented as unilocular cysts with one or more small solid, avascular projections from the inner cyst wall. These features had 100% reliability for a diagnosis of benign cystadenofibroma in this small series. Further study is necessary to confirm the reliability of this finding for benign cystadenofibroma, thus possibly avoiding or minimizing any surgical exploration. © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Clin Ultrasound 43:393–396, 2015
An automated method for simultaneous detection of left and right coronary borders

Summary form only given. An automated method for simultaneous detection of both coronary borders from angiograms is developed that produces detected borders that are optimal when taken as a pair. In this method, a two-dimensional edge operator was applied to cine frames digitized at 3* into a 512*512*8 matrix. The resulting edge images were resampled perpendicular to the vessel center-line and the resampled profiles were used to construct a three-dimensional directed graph. An optimal path through the graph, representing a pair of coronary borders, was found using a minimum cost search algorithm. Coronary borders detected by the method were visually compared by an observer who was unaware of the method of analysis. In the set of 19 'difficult' images, the method yielded superior results in 8 of 19 images, equivalent results in 10 images, and a poorer result in 1 image. >
Reconceptualizing the Fifth Amendment Prohibition of Adverse Comment on Criminal Defendants' Trial Silence

Griffin v. California holds that the Fifth Amendment privilege against compelled self-incrimination prohibits a prosecutor from arguing that a defendant’s failure to testify supports an inference of guilt. In the four decades since Griffin was decided, Griffin’s doctrinal underpinnings have been strongly criticized by prominent jurists and commentators, and even Griffin’s contemporary defenders struggle to place the constitutional prohibition of adverse comment on defendant silence within a coherent doctrinal framework. In light of these largely unanswered criticisms, this Article posits that the current Fifth Amendment-based prohibition of adverse comment is untenable and must be recast in a more narrowly tailored form. Relying on a fairness rationale implicit in existing case law, this Article constructs a limited Fifth Amendment prohibition of adverse comment on defendant trial silence and suggests a mechanism by which this tailored constitutional prohibition could be implemented.
Autonomous space shuttle

The continued assembly and operation of the International Space Station (ISS) is the cornerstone within NASA's overall strategic plan. As indicated in NASA's Integrated Space Transportation Plan (ISTP), the International Space Station requires shuttle to fly through at least the middle of the next decade to complete assembly of the station, provide crew transport, and to provide heavy lift up and down mass capability. There is a new emphasis for the need to achieve greater efficiency and safety in transporting crews to and from the space station. One concept under discussion to better fulfill this role of a heavy lift carrier, is the transformation of the shuttle to an "unpiloted" autonomous system. This concept would eliminate the loss of crew risk, while providing a substantial increase in payload to orbit capability. When addressing the transformation to an unpiloted shuttle system, numerous hardware, software and procedural changes will be required to both flight and ground systems. Converting the shuttle fleet to an autonomous system will be challenging and expensive. Projected implementation cost estimates for an autonomous shuttle system would be in the low $ billions, depending on the degree of modification and system redundancy required. Although an autonomous shuttle eliminates the risk for loss of crew, the risk to a loss of vehicle or mission success could potentially be increased. Previous shuttle experience in space has demonstrated that the human presence provides an invaluable capability to successfully react to any situation that may arise. This important capability cannot be easily "automated" or replaced.
Flux-concentration duality in dynamic nonequilibrium biological networks.

The structure of dynamic states in biological networks is of fundamental importance in understanding their function. Considering the elementary reaction structure of reconstructed metabolic networks, we show how appreciation of a gradient matrix, G = dv/dx (where v is the vector of fluxes and x is the vector of concentrations), enables the formulation of dual Jacobian matrices. One is for concentrations, Jx = S·G, and the other is for fluxes, Jv = G·S. The fundamental properties of these two Jacobians and the underlying duality that relates them are delineated. We describe a generalized approach to decomposing reaction networks in terms of the thermodynamic and kinetic components in the context of the network structure. The thermodynamic and kinetic influences can be viewed in terms of direction-driver relationships in the network.
Speech and Neanderthal Man: A Reply to Carlisle and Siegel

Since Carlisle and Siegel bring up a number of wide ranging questions we thought it best to structure our reply in a number of parts which, though related, address specific issues. (1) We are indebted to Carlisle and Siegel for pointing out a number of similarities that obtain between modern adult humans and human newborn, and classic Neanderthal. These similarities reaffirm the observation that we made concerning the similarities that exist between classic Neanderthal and newborn humans. Vl1ek (1970) independently arrived at the same conclusion in his com-
Potentiation of apomorphine-induced stereotypies by naloxone and L-prolyl-L-leucyl-glycinamide

Abstract We compared the influences of pretreatment with the narcotic antagonist drug naloxone and the neuropeptide L- prolyl-L-leucyl-glycinamide (PLG) upon apomorphine-induced stereotypic climbing activity in mice and apomorphine-induced contralateral ratational behavior in rats with unilateral 6-hydroxydopamine lesions of the substantia nigra. Naloxone produced dose-related potentiation in the mouse climbing model, while PLG was without effect. On the other hand, PLG produced dose-related potentiation in the rat rotational paradigm, while naloxone was without appreciable influence. These findings show an asymetrical potentiation of apomorphine by naloxone and PLG in these two standard experimental models of striatal dopaminergic activity.