cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Dermatology for the Allergist

Allergists/immunologists see patients with a variety of skin disorders. Some, such as atopic and allergic contact dermatitis, are caused by abnormal immunologic reactions, whereas others, such as seborrheic dermatitis or rosacea, lack an immunologic basis. This review summarizes a select group of dermatologic problems commonly encountered by an allergist/immunologist.
ANTIMICROBIAL ACTIVITY IN CONTINUOUS AMBULATORY PERITONEAL DIALYSIS

The antimicrobial activity of serum and dialysate from patients on continuous ambulatory peritoneal dialysis (CAPD) was assessed by performing bactericidal assays on serum and both fresh and spent ...
PATH ANALYSIS OF ENVIRONMENTAL AND GENETIC INFLUENCES ON BLOOD PRESSURE

Familial aggregation of a trait (determined by the intraclass correlation coefficient) may result from genetic influence or from environment common to a household. The authors used path analysis to separate aggregation into the proportion of population variability due to genetic influence (h2 = heritability) and the proportion due to environment common to a household (c2). They used data from full siblings and maternal half siblings, aged two to 18 years, from Bogalusa, Louisiana, a biracial community. The statistically significant aggregation they found could be explained by either h2 or c2 except for two cases: systolic measurement in the pooled (black and white) sample requires h2; diastolic measurement in the white sample requires c2. The authors present a simplified explanation of the techniques they used.
Efficacy evaluation of budesonide mixed with Bricanyl Nebulising Solution in the treatment of exacerbated asthmatic infants

Objective To evaluate the efficacy of budesonide mixed with Bricanyl Nebulising Solution in the treatment of exacerbated asthmatic infants.Methods Randomized control open trial was conducted in 15 cases as study group treated by inhalation of budesonide (0.5 mg/ml) mixed with Bricanyl Nebulising Solution(2.5 mg/ml), 18 cases as control group treated by intravenation of methapredisolone(1～2 mg/kg) plus inhalation of Bricanyl Nebulising Solution(2.5 mg/ml).Results The efficacy rate in study group and control group was 60 % and 77.78 % respectively, no significant difference (Chi-square test ,P0.05 ) between the two groups.Conclusion Inhalation of budesonide mixed with Bricanyl Nebulising Solution has the same efficacy as intravenation of methapredisolone plused inhalation of Bricanyl Nebulising Solution in the treatment of exacerbated asthmatic infants.
Design and Construction of Functional AAV Vectors

Using the basic principles of molecular biology and laboratory techniques presented in this chapter, researchers should be able to create a wide variety of AAV vectors for both clinical and basic research applications. Basic vector design concepts are covered for both protein coding gene expression and small non-coding RNA gene expression cassettes. AAV plasmid vector backbones (available via AddGene) are described, along with critical sequence details for a variety of modular expression components that can be inserted as needed for specific applications. Protocols are provided for assembling the various DNA components into AAV vector plasmids in Escherichia coli, as well as for transferring these vector sequences into baculovirus genomes for large-scale production of AAV in the insect cell production system.
Why Service Differentiation? Why Now?

The purpose of this paper is to offer a researcher’s perspective on why we need to worry about service differentiation today. We shall draw lessons from the history and examine opportunities for the future. In closing, we will briefly describe an EPRI project, PRISM, which is designed to exploit some of these opportunities. We hope this will provide a basis for better understanding how to create services that meet future utility business and customer needs.
Forces influencing generic drug development in the United States: a narrative review.

The United States (U.S.) Food and Drug Administration, as protectors of public health, encourages generic drug development and use so that patients can access affordable medications. The FDA, however, has limited mechanisms to encourage generic drug manufacturing. Generic drug manufacturers make decisions regarding development of products based on expected profitability, influenced by market forces, features of the reference listed drug, and manufacturing capabilities, as well as regulatory restrictions. Barriers to the development of generic drugs include the challenge of demonstrating bioequivalence of some products, particularly those that are considered to be complex generics. We present here a focused review describing the influences on generic manufacturers who are prioritizing drugs for generic development. We also review proposed strategies that regulators may use to incentivize generic drug development.
Blue Marble Health and the Global Burden of Disease Study 2013

The concept of blue marble health emerged as a novel framework for global health in 2013 [1, 2]. Succinctly put, today most or at least one-half of the world’s neglected diseases occur among the poor living in wealthy countries, especially in the group of 20 (G20) nations and Nigeria [1–4]. Based on data mostly compiled and released by the WHO (and other published sources), approximately one-half of the major helminth infections occur among the G20 countries and Nigeria, as well as most of the dengue, leishmaniasis, leprosy, Chagas disease, and possibly other neglected tropical diseases (NTDs) [1–3]. In addition, most (57%) of the tuberculosis (TB) cases are found in these countries, as are almost one-half of the malaria (45%) and HIV/AIDS (44%) cases [4].
Correlated Material Enhanced SRAMs With Robust Low Power Operation

We propose a novel static random access memory (SRAM) cell employing correlated material (CM) films in conjunction with the transistors to achieve higher read stability, write ability, and energy efficiency. The design of the proposed SRAM cell utilizes orders of magnitude difference in the resistance of the insulating and metallic phases of the CM to mitigate the design conflicts. By appropriately controlling the phase transitions in the CM films during SRAM operation through device–circuit codesign, we achieve 30% higher read static noise margin and 36% increase in the write margin over standard SRAM. The proposed design also leads to a 50% reduction in the leakage current due to high insulating state of the CM. This is achieved at 28% read time penalty. We also discuss the layout implications of our technique and present techniques to sustain no area overhead.
Centering and Racial Disparities (CRADLE study): rationale and design of a randomized controlled trial of centeringpregnancy and birth outcomes

Abstract Background In the United States, preterm birth (PTB) before 37 weeks gestational age occurs at an unacceptably high rate, and large racial disparities persist. To date, medical and public health interventions have achieved limited success in reducing rates of PTB. Innovative changes in healthcare delivery are needed to improve pregnancy outcomes. One such model is CenteringPregnancy group prenatal care (GPNC), in which individual physical assessments are combined with facilitated group education and social support. Most existing studies in the literature on GPNC are observational. Although the results are promising, they are not powered to detect differences in PTB, do not address the racial disparity in PTB, and do not include measures of hypothesized mediators that are theoretically based and validated. The aims of this randomized controlled trial (RCT) are to compare birth outcomes as well as maternal behavioral and psychosocial outcomes by race among pregnant women who participate in GPNC to their counterparts in individual prenatal care (IPNC) and to investigate whether improving women’s behavioral and psychosocial outcomes will explain the potential benefits of GPNC on birth outcomes and racial disparities. Methods/design This is a single site RCT study at Greenville Health System in South Carolina. Women are eligible if they are between 14–45 years old and enter prenatal care before 20 6/7 weeks of gestational age. Eligible, consenting women will be randomized 1:1 into GPNC group or IPNC group, stratified by race. Women allocated to GPNC will attend 2-h group prenatal care sessions according to the standard curriculum provided by the Centering Healthcare Institute, with other women due to deliver in the same month. Women allocated to IPNC will attend standard, traditional individual prenatal care according to standard clinical guidelines. Patients in both groups will be followed up until 12 weeks postpartum. Discussion Findings from this project will provide rigorous scientific evidence on the role of GPNC in reducing the rate of PTB, and specifically in reducing racial disparities in PTB. Establishing the improved effect of GPNC on pregnancy and birth outcomes can change the way healthcare is delivered, particularly with populations with higher rates of PTB. Trial registration NCT02640638 Date Registered: 12/20/2015.
Value-Oriented Media Management: What, Why, and What for? An Introduction to This Volume

This chapter gives an introduction to the topic of value-oriented media management and introduces the contributions to this book.
Trennen von Stoffgemischen

Bei chemischen Reaktionen entstehen oft Stoffgemische. So fallt beispielsweisebei der Herstellung eines pharmazeutischen Wirkstoffs auch noch ein Salz als Nebenprodukt an. Da dieses physiologische Nebenwirkungen aufweisen kann, muss es entfernt werden. Die Abtrennung eines Nebenproduktes bzw. die Reinigung des Hauptproduktes kann sehr zeitaufwendig und kostenintensiv sein. Fur die okonomische Entfernung von Nebenprodukten bei industriellen Grosverfahren bedarf es Experten-Know-how und Erfahrung. Daruber hinaus muss fur das „Abfallprodukt“ eine Verwendung gefunden werden, da dessen Entsorgung unwirtschaftlich ware.
Measuring changes in radio-frequency dielectric properties of chicken meat during storage

Changes in dielectric properties of stored chicken meat were tracked by using a radio-frequency dielectric spectroscopy method. For this purpose, the dielectric properties were measured with an open-ended coaxial-line probe and a vector network analyzer over a broad frequency range from 200 MHz to 20 GHz at 23 °C. Chicken meat samples were stored in a refrigerator for 8 days at 4 °C. Dielectric constant and loss factor were measured daily over that period. The dielectric constant decreased with frequency and storage duration with a slope change at about 4 GHz. The dielectric loss factor increased with storage duration for frequencies below 3 GHz and remained almost constant above that. The frequency dependence of the dielectric loss factor was dominated by ionic conduction in the lower frequency range and dipolar relaxation of water above 3 GHz. For frequencies below 3 GHz, both the dielectric loss factor and loss tangent increased linearly with storage duration. A three-dimensional representation of the dielectric loss factor as a function of storage duration and conductivity provided analytical expressions that can be used to track chicken meat aging from measurement of the dielectric properties at a single frequency.
Development of a mixed seawater-hydrothermal fluid geochemical signature during alteration of volcanic rocks in the Archean (∼2.7 Ga) Abitibi Greenstone Belt, Canada

Abstract We investigated a group of silicified volcanic rocks from the ∼2.72 Ga Hunter Mine Group (HMG), Abitibi Greenstone Belt, Canada, in order to document progressive compositional change associated with alteration in a subaqueous caldera system. Rocks of the HMG divide into three groups based on mineralogy and texture for petrographic and geochemical analyses. Volcanic features (phenocrysts, pseudomorphs after primary glass shards, lapilli, volcanic clasts) are preserved in all groups, despite changing mineralogy from primarily quartz, feldspar, chlorite (Groups 1 and 2), to quartz, hematite and carbonate (Groups 2 and 3). Compositionally, Group 1 rocks resemble volcanic rocks in the region, while Group 2 and 3 rocks show a change in mineralogy to iron, silica, and carbonate minerals, which is associated with depletion of many major and trace elements associated with volcanic rocks (Al2O3, Na2O, K2O, Zr). In addition, rare earth elements display a clear progression from volcanic signatures in Group 1 (PrSN/YbSN = 1.7–2.96, EuSN/EuSN∗ = 0.84–1.72, Y/Ho = 25.20–27.41, LaSN/LaSN∗ = 0.97–1.29, and Zr/Hf = 38.38–42.09) to transitional mixed volcanic, hydrothermal, and seawater signatures in Group 2 (PrSN/YbSN 1.33–2.89, EuSN/EuSN∗ 1.33–2.5, Y/Ho = 23.94–30, LaSN/LaSN∗ 0.93–1.34, and Zr/Hf = 40–70), to mixed hydrothermal and seawater signatures in Group 3 (PrSN/YbSN 0.62–2.88, EuSN/EuSN∗ 1.30–7.15, LaSN/LaSN∗ 1.02–1.86, Y/Ho = 25.56–55, and Zr/Hf = 35–50). We interpret that silicification of volcanic rocks (Group 1) produced transitional altered volcanic rocks (Group 2), and siliceous and jaspilitic rocks (Group 3), based on preservation of delicate volcanic features. Building on this explanation, we interpret that major, trace- and rare-earth element mobility occurred during the process of silicification, during which siliceous and jaspilitic rocks (Group 3) acquired aspects of the rare-earth element geochemical signatures of marine chemical precipitates. We conclude that seafloor silicification in hydrothermal depositional settings is capable of producing rocks that resemble marine chemical precipitates such as banded iron formation, and could be a process that is widespread in the Archean. Consequently, because silicified volcanic rocks from the HMG possess mixed seawater and hydrothermal rare-earth element characteristics similar to Archean iron formations and cherts, we suggest caution must be exercised when interpreting the geochemical information preserved in metamorphosed rocks where original genesis is unknown.
Impacts of valuing resilience on cost-optimal PV and storage systems for commercial buildings

Abstract Decreasing electric grid reliability in the US, along with increasing severe weather events, have greatly increased interest in resilient energy systems. Few studies have included the value of resilience when sizing PV and Battery Energy Storage Systems (BESS), and none have included the cost to island a PV and BESS, grid-connected costs and benefits, and the value of resilience. This work presents a novel method for incorporating the value of resilience provided by a PV and BESS into a techno-economic optimization model. Including the value of resilience in the design of a cost-optimal PV and BESS generally increases the system capacities, and in some cases makes a system economical where it was not before. For example, for a large hotel in Anaheim, CA no system is economical without resilience valued; however, with a $5317/hr value of resilience a 363 kW and 60 kWh solar and BESS provides a net present value of $50,000. Lastly, we discuss the effect of the ”islandable premium”, which must be balanced against the benefits from serving critical loads during outages. Case studies show that the islandable premium can vary widely, which highlights the necessity for case-by-case solutions in a rapidly developing market.
Absorbing Boundaries for Acoustic Wave Propagation Problems

In this article we present a summary of recent efforts at Carnegie Mellon University devoted to the development of efficient and accurate finite element procedures for the analysis in the frequency and time domains of large-scale acoustic and other wave propagation problems in unbounded domains.
The last cowboys: keeping open access in the Aleut groundfish fishery of the Gulf of Alaska

As the North Pacific Fishery Management Council prepared to rationalize the Gulf of Alaska groundfish trawlers under the guise of bycatch management beginning in 2012, a social impact assessment investigated the fishery’s operations, stresses, dependencies, and desires of the primarily local Aleut (Unangan) fleets and families in the Western Gulf villages of King Cove and Sand Point, Alaska. This article describes the historical development of the local trawl fleet, their unique status in the fishery, and their rationale for their near universal rejection of a community protection measure. For these small coastal communities, the keys to success are competition, diversification into many fisheries, and supporting their communities through local hire and investment. Aleut fishermen feared that the impending neoliberal chapter would erase their history and traditions, remove competition, reallocate quota away from those that built the fishery and made it successful, diffuse fishermen’s support of their home communities, and undermine what it means to be Aleut. This fear is compounded by ecological changes affecting marine species abundances in the Gulf of Alaska.
Cultural and Dietary Factors Influencing Traditional Latino Meal Patterns: Findings from Focus Group Discussion

Background: Despite a high prevalence of nutrition-related health disparities experienced by Latinos in the United States, there is limited recent information that can be used by health professionals to develop effective nutrition interventions for this diverse population. Purpose: The purpose of this study was to obtain qualitative information regarding usual dietary patterns of Latinos from Pomona, California, and utilize this data in the development of a tailored nutrition intervention. Methods: Latina women ages 30- 70, from a low socio-economic community sample, participated in one of three focus groups, and discussed eating patterns, recipes, and dietary concerns. Participants self-identified as the primary household food purchaser and preparer. Demographics and acculturation were assessed using validated surveys. Results: All participants (n=17) were considered less acculturated to the United States. Participants reported that traditional recipes and family preferences have the greatest influence on foods prepared, however they tend to be less healthy items. Motivators for eating healthy included maintaining family health and preventing weight gain. Barriers included conflicting meal schedules among family members and individual food preferences. Conclusion: To reduce health disparities for Latinos, cultural and dietary factors of communities, along with perceived motivators and barriers to making healthy choices, should be considered when developing tailored nutrition interventions.
Essential Concepts in Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning

This chapter is a treatise on various fundamental principles that lie at the heart of machine learning theory and are quite often used in practice implicitly or explicitly. A new comer to this area of machine learning will find this chapter of immense value and will suddenly feel lot more confident in understanding the multitude of concepts that are built on top of these principles. I would strongly advise to not skip this chapter. All these concepts will be visited in the rest of the book multiple times as well as in many other books/articles the reader will encounter in the field.
Cohort profile: the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit Hospital Exposures and Long-Term Health (NICU-HEALTH) cohort, a prospective preterm birth cohort in New York City.

Purpose The Neonatal Intensive Care Unit Hospital Exposures and Long-Term Health (NICU-HEALTH) longitudinal preterm birth cohort studies the impact of the NICU exposome on early-life development. NICU-HEALTH collects multiple biospecimens, complex observational and survey data and comprehensive multisystem outcome assessments to allow measurement of the impact of modifiable environmental exposures during the preterm period on neurodevelopmental, pulmonary and growth outcomes. Participants Moderately preterm infants without genetic or congenital anomalies and their mothers are recruited from an urban academic medical centre level IV NICU in New York City, New York, USA. Recruitment began in 2011 and continues through multiple enrolment phases to the present with goal enrolment of 400 infants. Follow-up includes daily data collection throughout the NICU stay and six follow-up visits in the first 2 years. Study retention is 77% to date, with the oldest patients turning age 8 in 2019. Findings to date NICU-HEALTH has already contributed significantly to our understanding of phthalate exposure in the NICU. Phase I produced the first evidence of the clinical impact of phthalate exposure in the NICU population. Further study identified specific sources of exposure to clinically relevant phthalate mixtures in the NICU. Future plans Follow-up from age 3 to 12 is co-ordinated through integration with the Environmental Influences on Child Health Outcomes (ECHO) programme. The NICU-HEALTH cohort will generate a wealth of biomarker, clinical and outcome data from which future studies of the impact of early-life chemical and non-chemical environmental exposures can benefit. Findings from study of this cohort and other collaborating environmental health cohorts will likely translate into improvements in the hospital environment for infant development. Trial registration numbers This observational cohort is registered with ClinicalTrials.gov (NCT01420029 and NCT01963065).
Gene Regulatory Strategies that Decode the Duration of NFκB Dynamics Contribute to LPS- versus TNF-Specific Gene Expression.

Summary Pathogen-derived lipopolysaccharide (LPS) and cytokine tumor necrosis factor (TNF) activate NFκB with distinct duration dynamics, but how immune response genes decode NFκB duration to produce stimulus-specific expression remains unclear. Here, detailed transcriptomic profiling of combinatorial and temporal control mutants identified 81 genes that depend on stimulus-specific NFκB duration for their stimulus-specificity. Combining quantitative experimentation with mathematical modeling, we found that for some genes a long mRNA half-life allowed effective decoding, but for many genes this was insufficient to account for the data; instead, we found that chromatin mechanisms, such as a slow transition rate between inactive and RelA-bound enhancer states, could also decode NFκB dynamics. Chromatin-mediated decoding is favored by genes acting as immune effectors (e.g., tissue remodelers and T cell recruiters) rather than immune regulators (e.g., signaling proteins and monocyte recruiters). Overall, our results delineate two gene regulatory strategies that decode stimulus-specific NFκB dynamics and determine distinct biological functions.
The signaling pathways implicated in impairment of hepatic autophagy in glycogen storage disease type Ia.

Glucose-6-phosphatase-α (G6Pase-α or G6PC) deficiency in glycogen storage disease type-Ia (GSD-Ia) leads to impaired hepatic autophagy, a recycling process important for cellular metabolism and homeostasis. Autophagy can be regulated by several energy sensing pathways, including sirtuin 1 (SIRT1), forkhead box O (FoxO), AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK), peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor-α (PPAR-α), and mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR). Using 10-day old global G6pc-deficient (G6pc-/-) mice, hepatic autophagy impairment was attributed to activation of mTOR and inhibition of AMPK signaling. In other studies, using adult liver-specific G6pc-deficient mice at both pre-tumor and tumor stages, hepatic autophagy impairment was attributed to downregulation of SIRT1 signaling and mTOR was not implicated. In this study, we provide a detailed analysis of the major autophagy pathways in young G6pc-/- mice over the first 4 weeks of life. We show that impaired SIRT1, FoxO3a, AMPK, and PPAR-α signaling are responsible for autophagy impairment but mTOR is involved minimally. Hepatic SIRT1 overexpression corrects defective autophagy, restores the expression of FoxO3a and liver kinase B1 but fails to normalize impaired PPAR-α expression or metabolic abnormalities associated with GSD-Ia. Importantly, restoration of hepatic G6Pase-α expression in G6pc-/- mice corrects defective autophagy, restores SIRT1/FoxO3a/AMPK/PPAR-α signaling and rectifies metabolic abnormalities. Taken together, these data show that hepatic autophagy impairment in GSD-Ia is mediated by downregulation of SIRT1/FoxO3a/AMPK/PPAR-α signaling.
Toward a Pedagogy Compatible with Equitable Grading: Tenets, Difficulties, and Suggestions

Improving one's understanding of teaching and learning and applying it to instructional practice is a continuous process. While a few of us may be natural teachers, most of us need guidance to follow when planning and implementing instruction for the courses we teach. As we have examined our practice, we've discovered that we typically begin planning with instructional activity, but our plans are not done until we have explicated a grading plan (and then revised instructional plans to fit it). Recently, we have begun working with a grading plan motivated by equitable grading, an idea we first encountered in the book Grading for Equity by Joe Feldman. We have found that adopting an equitable grading plan has provided us with a framework for course design that has significantly improved our pedagogy. In this poster, we present the first work on implementing equitable grading in computer science education.
Rapid block of pre‐mRNA splicing by chemical inhibition of analog‐sensitive CRK9 in Trypanosoma brucei

Trypanosoma brucei CRK9 is an essential cyclin-dependent kinase for the parasite-specific mode of pre-mRNA processing. In trypanosomes, protein coding genes are arranged in directional arrays that are transcribed polycistronically, and individual mRNAs are generated by spliced leader trans splicing and polyadenylation, processes that are functionally linked. Since CRK9 silencing caused a decline of mRNAs, a concomitant increase of unspliced pre-mRNAs and the disappearance of the trans splicing Y structure intermediate, CRK9 is essential for the first step of splicing. CRK9 depletion also caused a loss of phosphorylation in RPB1, the largest subunit of RNA polymerase (pol) II. Here, we established cell lines that exclusively express analog-sensitive CRK9 (CRK9AS). Inhibition of CRK9AS in these cells by the ATP-competitive inhibitor 1-NM-PP1 reproduced the splicing defects and proved that it is the CKR9 kinase activity that is required for pre-mRNA processing. Since defective trans-splicing was detected as early as 5 min after inhibitor addition, CRK9 presumably carries out reversible phosphorylation on the pre-mRNA processing machinery. Loss of RPB1 phosphorylation, however, took 12-24 hours. Surprisingly, RNA pol II-mediated RNA synthesis in 24 hours-treated cells was upregulated, indicating that, in contrast to other eukaryotes, RPB1 phosphorylation is not a prerequisite for transcription in trypanosomes.
Psychological insights for understanding COVID-19 and families, parents, and children

With specially commissioned introductions from international experts, the Psychological Insights for Understanding COVID-19 series draws together previously published chapters on key themes in psychological science that engage with people's unprecedented experience of the pandemic. This volume collects chapters that address prominent issues and challenges presented by the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic to families, parents, and children. A new introduction from Marc H. Bornstein reviews how disasters are known to impact families, parents, and children and explores traditional and novel responsibilities of parents and their effects on child growth and development. It examines parenting at this time, detailing consequences for home life and economies that the pandemic has triggered;considers child discipline and abuse during the pandemic;and makes recommendations that will support families in terms of multilevel interventions at family, community, and national and international levels. The selected chapters elucidate key themes including children's worry, stress and parenting, positive parenting programs, barriers which constrain population-level impact of prevention programs, and the importance of culturally adapting evidence-based family intervention programs. Featuring theory and research on key topics germane to the global pandemic, the Psychological Insights for Understanding COVID-19 series offers thought-provoking reading for professionals, students, academics, policy makers, and parents concerned with the psychological consequences of COVID-19 for individuals, families, and society. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2021 APA, all rights reserved)
Distributed Solution Approach for a Stackelberg Pricing Game of Aggregated Demand Response

Demand-side management is a fundamental up-to-date strategy that transforms the traditional power grid to a modern smart grid where the flexible pricing mechanisms play a critical role in its successful implementation. In this paper, the pricing-demand response between a distribution system operator (DSO) and load aggregators (LAs) is modeled as a Stackelberg game, where the DSO is the price maker that adjusts its strategy based on observed responses from LAs. With the concerns of computational cost and privacy protection, two distributed solution approaches, particle swarm optimization and pattern search algorithm, are investigated and compared with the classical centralized backward induction approach. Numerical results on a small case study demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed distributed solution approaches in leveraging flexible demand response potential.
A systematic approach to imaging the pelvis in amenorrhea

This is a pictorial review on the radiological approach to patients with amenorrhea using a level-based framework. The prevalence of amenorrhea is 3 to 4% with wide-ranging causes involving multiple clinical disciplines. Normal menstruation depends on complex coordinated hormonal functions of the hypothalamic-pituitary-ovarian axis exerting its effect on an intact uterine end-organ and outflow tract. A disruption of any of these factors may result in amenorrhea. Categorizing the causes of primary and secondary amenorrhea into uterine, ovarian/gonadal, and intracranial levels provides a logical framework for its evaluation. A systematic level-based approach by targeted ultrasound of the pelvic structures is suggested, with different aims in primary versus secondary amenorrhea. Pelvic sonographic findings of various conditions within the uterine and ovarian/gonadal levels are illustrated. Conditions due to an intracranial cause result in downstream effects on the uterus and ovaries and can often be suspected based on a combination of clinical assessment, ultrasound findings, and laboratory investigations. By correlating pelvic ultrasound findings with underlying pathology, the clinical radiologist is able to provide useful diagnostic information in the management of these patients.
The Cardiovascular History and Examination

The cardiovascular history and physical examination are considered essential components of the preparticipation screening of competitive athletes. They are specifically incorporated into recommendations for the overall cardiovascular screening of athletes by all major North American and European medical societies. This chapter reviews the rationale, organizational aspects, and specific elements of the history and the exam. Limitations of the history and exam, as well as issues related to clearance for participation, are also discussed.
Dispersion-Constrained Martingale Schrödinger Problems and the Exact Joint S&P 500/VIX Smile Calibration Puzzle

We solve for the first time (*) a longstanding puzzle of quantitative finance that has often been described as the Holy Grail of volatility modeling: build a model that jointly and exactly calibrates to the prices of S&P 500 (SPX) options, VIX futures, and VIX options. So far the best attempts, which used parametric continuous-time (jump-)diffusion models on the SPX, only produced approximate fits. We use a very different, nonparametric and discrete-time approach. Given a VIX future maturity T1, we consider the set P of all joint probability measures on the SPX at T1 the VIX at T1, and the SPX at T2 = T1 + 30 days which are perfectly calibrated to the full SPX smiles at T1 and T2, and the full VIX smile at T1, and which also satisfy the martingality constraint on the SPX as well as the requirement that the VIX is the implied volatility of the 30-day log-contract on the SPX. We first consider robust hedging in this setting. By casting the superreplication problem as what we call a dispersion-constrained martingale optimal transport problem, we establish a strong duality theorem and, as a result, prove that the absence of joint SPX/VIX arbitrage is equivalent to the set P of jointly calibrating models being nonempty. Should they arise, joint arbitrages are identified using classical linear programming. In the absence of joint arbitrage, we then provide a solution to the joint calibration puzzle by solving what we call a dispersion-constrained martingale Schrodinger problem: we choose a reference measure and build the unique jointly calibrating model that minimizes the relative entropy. We establish several dual versions of the problem, one of which has a natural financial interpretation in terms of exponential utility indifference pricing, and prove absence of duality gaps. The minimum entropy jointly calibrating model is explicit in terms of what we call the dual Schrodinger portfolio, i.e., the maximizer of the dual problems, should it exist. We numerically compute this Schrodinger portfolio using an extension of the Sinkhorn algorithm, in the spirit of De March and Henry-Labordere (2019). Our numerical experiments show that the algorithm performs very well in both low and high volatility regimes. Along the way, we provide new variants, as well as a new proof, of strong duality theorems for the classical Schrodinger problem and for a mixed Schrodinger-Monge-Kantorovich problem (also known as entropic optimal transport problem) that has recently attracted a lot of attention in the optimal transport community, which are interesting in themselves. Our methodology applies not only to the VIX, but also to any index computed as a function of the price of an option on some underlying asset. (*) A first, much shorter version of this article was published in Risk in April 2020. This version includes new theorems, proofs, analysis, and numerical tests. In particular it develops a theory of dispersion-constrained martingale Schrodinger problems and proves strong duality results for them.
Trust in Government and Willingness to Pay Taxes in Transition Countries

This paper examines citizen trust in government institutions and the effect of trust on willingness to pay taxes for public goods/services in transition countries. Empirical models are estimated to test whether trust in government has a positive effect on WTP for improved public education, improved public health system, combating climate change, and helping the needy. Data are from the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development’s Life in Transition Survey, 2010. Results indicate that trust in government generally has a significant positive effect on WTP for public goods, although differences are found among government institutions and across public goods.
Research on Classification of Motor Imagination EEG Signals Based on Multi-domain Features

In view of the non-stationary and nonlinear characteristics of motor imagination EEG signals, single Angle features cannot effectively reflect the comprehensiveness of signal characteristics. In this paper, a method combining time-domain features, nonlinear dynamics and spatial features is proposed. First, the original EEG signals were decomposed by variational mode (VMD), then all the modal components (IMF) were decomposed by Hilbert transform, and the average instantaneous energy of each mode was calculated as a set of features; The EEG data of each experiment were segmented to obtain the sample entropy value as a group of features. Then the common spatial pattern (CSP) processing of the EEG signals is carried out, and the CSP projection matrix is obtained through the spatial filter, and the root mean square of this matrix is taken as the third set of features. Finally, support vector machine (SVM) was used to classify EEG signals. The experimental results show that the accuracy rate reaches 94.28%, which is greatly improved compared with other methods and has a good effect.
Teaching the Pilots of the New Millennium: Adult Cooperative Education in Aviation Education

Aviation is a very dynamic field that requires great dedication on the part of those who choose professional flying for their careers. Students must acquire a great amount of knowledge to include technical data, procedural information, social skills and more. There is much for the potential aviator to learn; sometimes it seems overwhelming to the initiate. One means of learning this vast amount of information involves the technique of cooperative education. The mixing of adult educational techniques and cooperative learning may be particularly useful in aviation. Using cooperative education in acquiring the required knowledge can teach them discipline and social skills required in surviving today's active aviation environment. The challenge then, becomes one for the college-level aviation instructor. This paper addresses techniques for teaching potential pilots the fundamentals required for the job based on adult and cooperative educational techniques.
Molecular role(s) for integrins in human melanoma invasion

There are fundamental issues regarding the role of integrins in human disease which remain to be elucidated. Human cutaneous melanoma is an attractive model for studying integrin involvement in tumor progression because it generally follows a sequential series of definable stages. Furthermore, the most specific marker for the transition of cells from the more benign, non-metastatic radial growth phase stage to the more malignant, metastatically competent vertical growth phase stage is associated with the onset of alpha v beta 3 integrin expression and function. This same pattern, however, does not hold true for human ocular/uveal melanomas which do not progress through these stages, but preferentially metastasize to the liver by dissemination of the cells via a direct hematogenous pathway. It is also unclear whether the alpha v beta 3 integrin is functionally involved in uveal melanoma metastasis or not. Our results show that perturbation of the alpha v beta 3 integrin on moderately invasive A375M human cutaneous melanoma cells with either specific antibodies or ligands results in an increase in the cells' ability to invade in vitro coincident with an increase in the cells' expression and extracellular levels of matrix metalloproteinase-2 (MMP-2, gelatinase A). The highly invasive C8161 human cutaneous melanoma cells express little-to-no alpha v beta 3 integrin, but are more invasive and express higher levels of MMPs after perturbation of their alpha 5 beta 1 integrin. This augmented invasiveness could subsequently be abrogated with a function-blocking anti-MMP-2 antibody. Primary uveal melanoma cells and cells derived from uveal metastases appear to grow in either a spindle or epithelioid morphology. The less invasive uveal melanoma cells are spindle shaped and express higher levels of the alpha v beta 3 integrin, while the more invasive cell lines are epithelioid shaped and express reduced levels of the alpha v beta 3 integrin. The apparent conflict between these results and the current model for cutaneous melanoma progression may be addressed as follows: The expression and function of the alpha v beta 3 integrin plays an important role(s) during the transition of cells from the radial growth phase stage to the vertical growth phase stage. However, further progression leading to metastases may require changes in the cells' integrins that would facilitate their ability to leave the primary tumor, and aid in their ability to invade and ultimately form metastases. It is also conceivable that the alpha v beta 3 integrin is reexpressed during various stages of metastatic dissemination, and, in particular, during tumor reestablishment.
Discriminant Analysis for Marketing Research Applications

Among marketers' main tasks is segmentation: breaking consumers, products, and firms into meaningful groupings. Marketing data often appear in discrete buckets, like “light,” “medium,” and “heavy” users, and marketers need to understand and predict which consumers (or products, or firms, etc.) fit into which group. That is, they would like to use available information (predictor variables) help explain how, and perhaps why, these groupings come out the way they do. Common examples include distinguishing new versus returning customers, explaining which stores different consumers chose to shop at, using demographics to predict various kinds of shopping behavior, or how to entice “loyal” versus “switcher” customer groups. Multiple discriminant analysis (MDA) allows marketers to do several important things: distinguish among two or more known groups, using available predictor variables; classify new items into those known groups; verify whether there actually are significant differences across the groups; and test for which specific predictor variables best account for between-group differences. We illustrate the meaning and use of the linear discriminant function in marketing applications, as well as how managers can interpret DA output to make better segmentation decisions. Connections to other methods included in this volume are highlighted throughout. Keywords: cluster analysis; decision-making; discriminant analysis; econometrics; marketing research; marketing; segmentation; statistical methods
Necrotizing Soft Tissue Infections

Necrotizing soft tissue infections (NSTIs) are a group of rare but fulminant type of complicated skin and soft tissue infection. Despite advances in critical care, the mainstays of therapy remain prompt recognition, early and aggressive debridement, and broad spectrum antibiotics. Recent advances in the diagnosis and treatment of NSTIs include improvements in imaging techniques, laboratory testing to evaluate for persistence of infection, prognostic modeling based on large datasets, and immunotherapy. Additionally, there is an increased focus on quantifying and improving longer term outcomes amongst NSTI survivors such as functional status and psychosocial health.
Reprogramming fibroblasts toward cardiomyocytes, neural stem cells and hepatocytes by cell activation and signaling-directed lineage conversion

Induction of tissue-specific cell types via a conventional transdifferentiation strategy typically uses overexpression of the corresponding lineage-specific transcription factors. Alternatively, somatic cells can be temporarily activated via a common set of reprogramming factors into a transition state, which can then be directed into various cell types via soluble lineage-specific signals, without establishing a pluripotent state. Here, we provide protocols for the generation of cardiomyocytes, neural stem cells and hepatocytes from fibroblasts with such a cell activation (CA) and signaling-directed (SD; CASD) strategy. In these protocols, beating cardiomyocytes can be induced from mouse fibroblasts in 2-5 weeks; expandable neural stem cells and definitive endoderm progenitors can be obtained from human fibroblasts as early as 2.5 weeks; and human definitive endoderm progenitors can be differentiated into functional hepatocytes in 2 weeks. Through further developments, the CASD strategy can serve as a unique avenue for generating diverse functional cell types for biomedical research and therapeutic applications.
Designing an online learning environment to support the development of rhetorical skills

This short paper presents the design of Practikon, an experimental online learning environment, aimed at providing students and professionals, primarily in engineering and technical disciplines, with practice on technical communication skills and rhetorical strategies. The primary focus of this article is on the design and implementation of Practikon's learning activities. The high-level design requirements are presented, followed by an overview of specific design choices. The results of the two exploratory pilot studies are then presented, along with the iterative design changes made based on the findings.
A CTW scheme for non-tree sources

This paper addresses a modified version of the context tree weighting (CTW) scheme for FV noiseless universal coding. The CTW assumes that the source is some tree source. Although it is known that the computation of the CTW in coding/decoding is O(Dn), the redundancy gets worse in the case where the source is outside the tree sources. The proposed scheme deals with a more wider source class.
Distribution and phosphorylation of the growth-associated protein GAP- 43 in regenerating sympathetic neurons in culture

Sympathetic neurons regenerating in culture were studied in order to gain further insight into the intracellular distribution and phosphorylation of GAP-43, a protein that has been suggested to have a role in axonal outgrowth and neuronal plasticity (Willard et al., 1987). Superior cervical ganglion neurons from embryonic rats were highly reactive with a polyclonal antibody against the growth- associated protein GAP-43 soon after they were placed in culture on a laminin substrate. As these neurons extended neurites, the distribution of GAP-43 reactivity changed. The cell body became progressively less reactive, whereas the growth cone at the tip of the growing neurite reacted strongly. The pattern of immunofluorescence was punctate both in the growth cone and the adjacent neurite, but appeared more diffusely distributed in the cell body. The antibody reacted only with cells that had been subjected to treatment that permeabilized the plasma membrane. When antibody was supplied in the medium of growing neurons, it neither bound to the cells nor altered normal neurite initiation or elongation. Of the different types of cells in these cultures, the antibody reacted only with neurons; it did not react with Schwann cells or fibroblasts. The stimulation of protein kinase C in these cultures resulted in a 7-fold stimulation of the phosphorylation of a protein of similar electrophoretic mobility to GAP-43. These observations demonstrate that GAP-43 is neuron-specific, is present throughout the neuron but at higher levels in the growth cone, and is a major substrate of protein kinase C. The high concentration of GAP-43 in the growth cones may necessitate its increased synthesis in neurons with elongating axons. Its location and phosphorylation by kinase C suggest that it could perform a function in the growth cone that is modulated by extracellular signals, such as those used in pathfinding or in the control of axonal elongation.