cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Structural analysis of the basal ganglia in schizophrenia

Increases in the total volume of basal ganglia structures have been reported in schizophrenia. However, patterns of basal ganglia shape change, which can reveal localized changes in substructure volumes, have not been investigated. In this study, the total volume and shape of several basal ganglia structures were compared in subjects with and without schizophrenia. T1-weighted magnetic resonance scans were collected in 54 schizophrenia and 70 comparison subjects. High-dimensional (large-deformation) brain mapping was used to assess the shape and volume of several basal ganglia structures. The relationships of shape and volume measures with psychopathology, cognition and motor function were also assessed. Left and right volumes of the caudate and putamen, as well as the right globus pallidus volume, were significantly increased in subjects with schizophrenia as compared to comparison subjects after total brain volume was included as a covariate. Significant differences in shape accompanied these volume changes in the caudate, putamen and globus pallidus, after their total volumes were included as covariates. There were few significant correlations between volume or shape measures and either cognitive function or clinical symptoms, other than a positive correlation between an attention/vigilance cognitive dimension and the volume of the caudate and putamen, and a negative correlation between nucleus accumbens volume and delusions. In conclusion, basal ganglia volumes relative to total brain volume were larger in schizophrenia subjects than healthy comparison subjects. Specific patterns of shape change accompanied these volume differences.
Quantitative Differences in Nuclear β-catenin and TCF Pattern Embryonic Cells in C. elegans.

The Wnt signaling pathway plays a conserved role during animal development in transcriptional regulation of distinct targets in different developmental contexts but it remains unclear whether quantitative differences in the nuclear localization of effector proteins TCF and β-catenin contribute to context-specific regulation. We investigated this question in Caenorhabditis elegans embryos by quantifying nuclear localization of fluorescently tagged SYS-1/β-catenin and POP-1/TCF and expression of Wnt ligands at cellular resolution by time-lapse microscopy and automated lineage tracing. We identified reproducible, quantitative differences that generate a subset of Wnt-signaled cells with a significantly higher nuclear concentration of the TCF/β-catenin activating complex. Specifically, β-catenin and TCF are preferentially enriched in nuclei of daughter cells whose parents also had high nuclear levels of that protein, a pattern that could influence developmental gene expression. Consistent with this, we found that expression of synthetic reporters of POP-1-dependent activation is biased towards cells that had high nuclear SYS-1 in consecutive divisions. We identified new genes whose embryonic expression patterns depend on pop-1. Most of these require POP-1 for either transcriptional activation or repression, and targets requiring POP-1 for activation are more likely to be expressed in the cells with high nuclear SYS-1 in consecutive divisions than those requiring POP-1 for repression. Taken together, these results indicate that SYS-1 and POP-1 levels are influenced by the parent cell’s SYS-1/POP-1 levels and this may provide an additional mechanism by which POP-1 regulates distinct targets in different developmental contexts.
4/spl pi/ Compton imaging using a 3-D position-sensitive CdZnTe detector via weighted list-mode maximum likelihood

In this work we describe a 4/spl pi/ Compton imager composed of a single 15 mm /spl times/ 15 mm /spl times/ 10 mm CdZnTe detector. The anode is pixellated into an 11 /spl times/ 11 array to provide position sensitivity in two dimensions. The third coordinate is determined from the observed timing of signals in the detector. The position resolution is approximately 1.2 mm in each dimension. The energy resolution is about 2% for two-pixel events at 662 keV. Images are reconstructed via list-mode maximum likelihood (ML). A new weighting method for ML reconstruction is proposed in which the contributions of small-uncertainty sequences are enhanced relative to sequences with large uncertainties. The new reconstruction method is compared with traditional ML techniques for measured imaging data.
Allosteric Regulation of Eukaryotic Initiation Factor eIF-2B by Adenine Nucleotides

Abstract Previous studies have shown that eIF-2B purified from rabbit reticulocytes binds ATP and that the binding is prevented by NADP+. Because NADP+ inhibits the activity of eIF-2B in in vitro reactions we have examined whether or not the activity of eIF-2B is modulated by ATP. In these studies, eIF-2B, purified from rat liver, was incubated with ATP prior to assay. We found that the activity of eIF-2B was inhibited with an IC50 of approximately 0.8 mM. The inhibition was not due to phosphorylation of the factor. However, the inhibition of eIF-2B activity caused by ATP could be prevented by coincubation with either NADPH or fructose-1,6-bisphosphate. The activity of eIF-2B was also inhibited following addition of either ATP or AMPPNP to a postmitochondrial supernatant prepared from rat liver. Therefore, it is possible that the activity of eIF-2B might be allosterically regulated in vivo not only by changes in the redox state of pyridine dinucleotides but also by changes in the relative amounts of NADPH and ATP.
Vav and Rac Activation in B Cell Antigen Receptor Endocytosis Involves Vav Recruitment to the Adapter Protein LAB

The signal transduction events supporting B cell antigen receptor (BCR) endocytosis are not well understood. We have identified a pathway supporting BCR internalization that begins with tyrosine phosphorylation of the adapter protein LAB. Phosphorylated LAB recruits a complex of Grb2-dynamin and the guanine nucleotide exchange factor Vav. Vav is required for activation of the small GTPases Rac1 and Rac2. All these proteins contribute to (and dynamin, Vav, and Rac1/2 are required for) BCR endocytosis and presentation of antigen to T cells. This is the first description of a sequential signal transduction pathway from BCR to internalization and antigen presentation.
Establishing public confidence in the security of fingerprint biometrics

The most common personal authentication techniques used for identity management employ a secret PIN or password that must be remembered. Password mania prevails. Fingerprint biometric technology is an ideal alternate solution to the password recall problem. However, fingerprint biometric systems still remain uncommon in public sectors of industry such as banking, healthcare, and education. Two proposed reasons for this lack of deployment are: 1) society's misunderstanding regarding the personal privacy, security, and function of the technology, and 2) inadequate education regarding the technology. The objective of this research was to test these hypotheses, and attempt to identify the major societal factors that have limited fingerprint biometric deployment in IT authentication systems. An additional goal was to confirm that education on security issues improves personal confidence in and acceptance of the technology. With this renewed validation, fingerprint biometric authentication was deployed in the IT security labs of Brigham Young University to control access to physical facilities and computers.
How do prokaryotic cells cycle

This issue of Current Biology features five reviews covering various key aspects of the eukaryotic cell cycle. The topics include initiation of chromosome replication, assembly of the mitotic spindle, cytokinesis, the regulation of cell-cycle progression, and cell-cycle modeling, focusing mainly on budding yeast, fission yeast and animal cell model systems. The reviews underscore common themes as well as key differences in the way these processes are carried out and regulated among the different model organisms. Consequently, an important question is how cell-cycle mechanisms and controls have evolved, particularly in the broader perspective of the three domains of life.
Passive monitors to measure hydrogen sulfide near concentrated animal feeding operations

Hydrogen sulfide (H2S) is one of many airborne pollutants emitted by concentrated animal feeding operations (CAFOs). However, few studies have characterized ambient H2S levels near these facilities, largely due to the lack of low-cost, reliable, and easily transportable instrumentation available to researchers. We determined intermediate environmental H2S exposure near CAFOs using Radiello passive monitors. First, a laboratory study was performed to determine the accuracy of the device. Next, a total of eight passive H2S monitors were deployed bi-weekly in close proximity (<40 m) to a medium-sized swine confinement for seven months in order to determine the temporal and spatial variability of H2S. Finally, we measured H2S concentrations across two rural Iowa counties to characterize ambient exposure near thirteen CAFOs and two schools. The value of the temperature-adjusted H2S passive diffusion rate provided by the supplier was 29% larger than the 24 h rate determined experimentally. Concentrations of H2S measured near the medium-sized confinement were varied and ranged from 0.2 to 48.6 ppb depending on the sampling period and proximity to a lagoon on the property. Two-week concentrations near the schools were low (<1 ppb), while concentrations near the thirteen CAFOs ranged from 0.1 to 42.9 ppb. The passive monitors were effective in measuring H2S concentrations near a swine CAFO as long as they were exposed for a sufficient period of time (two weeks). Radiello passive monitors are a promising new device in measuring intermediate H2S exposure in rural populations. Measured values in excess of an Iowa state limit of 30 ppb (24 h average) suggest that enforcement actions are needed to mitigate H2S migration from swine CAFOs.
Intraday periodicity and volatility persistence in financial markets

Abstract The pervasive intraday periodicity in the return volatility in foreign exchange and equity markets is shown to have a strong impact on the dynamic properties of high frequency returns. Only by taking account of this strong intraday periodicity is it possible to uncover the complex intraday volatility dynamics that exists both within and across different financial markets. The explicit periodic modeling procedure developed here provides such a framework and thus sets the stage for a formal integration of standard volatility models with market microstructure variables to allow for a more comprehensive empirical investigation of the fundamental determinants behind the volatility clustering phenomenon.
A comprehensive model study for Flash Nanoprecipitation: Computational fluid dynamics, micro-particle image velocimetry, and population balance modeling

Flash NanoPrecipitation (FNP) is a novel approach for producing functional nanoparticles stabilized by amphiphilic block copolymers. FNP involves the rapid mixing of a hydrophobic active (organic) and an amphiphilic di-block copolymer with a non-solvent (water) and subsequent co-precipitation of nanoparticles composed of both the organic and copolymer. During this process, the particle size distribution (PSD) is frozen and stabilized by the hydrophilic portion of the amphiphilic di-block copolymer residing on the particle surface. That is, the particle growth is kinetically arrested and thus a narrow PSD can be attained. To model the co-precipitation process, a bivariate population balance equation (PBE) has been formulated to account for the competitive aggregation of the organic and copolymer versus pure organic-organic or copolymer-copolymer J. C. Cheng, R. D. Vigil, and R. O. Fox. A competitive aggregationmodel for flash nanoprecipitation. Journal of Colloid and Interface Science, 2010, doi:10.1016/j.jcis.2010.07.066. (48) Department of Chemical & Biological Engineering, Iowa State University, 2114 Sweeney Hall, Ames, Iowa 50011-2230, USA Primary researcher, author Model developer, instructor Author for correspondence
Collaboration in the Community: A Capstone Experience

At York College, a six-week capstone experience, focused on community-based intervention, is required of all occupational therapy students following their traditional fieldwork placements. In this article, the program is described, and implications for the future of occupational therapy are discussed.
The Simultaneous Activation Hypothesis: Explaining Recovery from Deep to Phonological Dyslexia☆

Deep dyslexia evolved into phonological dyslexia in one patient. Semantic errors resolved while phonological and derivational errors persisted in reading. Nonword reading improved but remained inferior to word reading. Despite a residual semantic deficit naming improved. The Simultaneous Activation Hypothesis explains recovery from deep to phonological dyslexia and the continued dissociation between reading and naming errors. Partial recovery to all three reading routes increased constraints for word selection at the phonological output lexicon (POL) improving word reading. With recovery, the POL receives additional supportive information from the partially recovered direct oral reading route and grapheme-to-phoneme conversion (GPC) eliminating semantic errors in oral reading. Nonword reading also improved because of partial recovery to all three routes. Semantic errors in naming persisted because additional constraints were unavailable at the POL to activate a phonological entry. Phonological and derivational errors were more frequent in reading than in naming the result of incomplete GPC recovery. Residual nonword reading deficits resulted from incomplete GPC recovery, indicated by the persistence of neologisms in nonwords. The Simultaneous Activation Hypothesis readily accounts for the evolution from deep to phonological dyslexia.
Auditory Affect Perception in a Dichotic Listening Paradigm as a Function of Verbal Fluency Classification

This study evaluated cerebral asymmetry for affect perception as a function of fluency classification. After being assigned to a fluency category using scores on the FAS test (Borkowski, Benton, & Spreen, 1967), forty-five right-handed subjects with normal auditory acuity listened to the Bryden and MacCrae (1989) Dichotic Emotional Words Tape. Subjects higher in fluency exhibited significantly greater right and left ear advantages than subjects lower in fluency. Conversely, REA scores for words were significantly greater than REA scores for affect, while LEA scores for affect were significantly greater than LEA scores for words.
PAIR: paired allelic log-intensity-ratio-based normalization method for SNP-CGH arrays

Motivation: Normalization is critical in DNA copy number analysis. We propose a new method to correctly identify two-copy probes from the genome to obtain representative references for normalization in single nucleotide polymorphism arrays. The method is based on a two-state Hidden Markov Model. Unlike most currently available methods in the literature, the proposed method does not need to assume that the percentage of two-copy state probes is dominant in the genome, as long as there do exist two-copy probes. Results: The real data analysis and simulation study show that the proposed algorithm is successful in that (i) it performs as well as the current methods (e.g. CGHnormaliter and popLowess) for samples with dominant two-copy states and outperforms these methods for samples with less dominant two-copy states; (ii) it can identify the copy-neutral loss of heterozygosity; and (iii) it is efficient in terms of the computational time used. Availability: R scripts are available at http://publichealth.lsuhsc.edu/PAIR.html. Contact: ude.cshusl@gnafz Supplementary information: Supplementary data are available at Bioinformatics online.
Extensively drug-resistant tuberculosis

Extensively drug-resistant (XDR) tuberculosis is defined as disease caused by Mycobacterium tuberculosis with resistance to at least isoniazid and rifampicin, any fluoroquinolone, and at least one of three injectable second-line drugs (amikacin, capreomycin, or kanamycin). The definition has applicable clinical value and has allowed for more uniform surveillance in varied international settings. Recent surveillance data have indicated that the prevalence of tuberculosis drug resistance has risen to the highest rate ever recorded. The gold standard for drug-susceptibility testing has been the agar proportion method; however, this technique requires several weeks for results to be determined. More sensitive and specific diagnostic tests are still unavailable in resource-limited settings. Clinical manifestations, although variable in different settings and among different strains, have in general shown that XDR tuberculosis is associated with greater morbidity and mortality than non-XDR tuberculosis. The treatment of XDR tuberculosis should include agents to which the organism is susceptible, and should continue for a minimum of 18-24 months. However, treatment continues to be limited in tuberculosis-endemic countries largely because of weaknesses in national tuberculosis health-care models. The ultimate strategy to control drug-resistant tuberculosis is one that implements a comprehensive approach incorporating innovation from the political, social, economic, and scientific realms.
Modification of the Osher Upwind Scheme for Use in Three Dimensions

The Osher upwind scheme, a shock-capturing algorithm based on an approximate Riemann solver, which has been developed for the solution of hyperbolic conservation laws, is briefly described, and the need for modification of the scheme for use in three dimensions is demonstrated. Two forms of a scheme modification for use on a three-dimensional arbitrary grid are then presented.
Targeting youth at risk for gang involvement: Validation of a gang risk assessment to support individualized secondary prevention☆

Abstract Objective/Purpose A major challenge in economically marginalized neighborhoods across the United States and around the world is the proliferation of local street gangs and the violence they perpetuate. While estimates vary from place to place, in the United States approximately 10% to 19% of youth between the ages of 12 and 16 are likely to join a local street gang in these high-risk areas. While a substantial proportion of those who join a gang drop out relatively quickly (within a year or so), others remain involved over several years. Prolonged involvement in a street gang frequently results in violent injury or death among gang-involved youth and among innocent victims. Communities and families facing these problems are looking for ways to discourage gang involvement before it starts. Methods Here we report a test of the prospective validity of an assessment that supports concentrated prevention efforts focused on the youth most likely to join a gang. This approach, called secondary gang prevention, works intensively to remediate influences that motivate high-risk youth to join a neighborhood gang. The prospective validity of the Gang Risk of Entry Factors (GREF) assessment was tested over a 12 to 18 month period (baseline to retest) in a high-risk sample of 11 to 16 year old youth in Los Angeles County. Results The findings confirm the assessment's effectiveness in prospectively identifying the youth most likely to join a gang within impacted communities. In the study sample, 100% of the boys who reported current gang membership, 81% of boys who report former gang membership, and 74% of the boys who reported hanging out with the gang at the posttest had been identified as high-risk 12 to 18 months earlier on the baseline assessment. All but one of the 14 girls in the study who reported any gang involvement (including just hanging out) on the posttest had been assessed as high-risk on the baseline interview. Conclusions The findings confirm the assessment's effectiveness in prospectively identifying the youth most likely to join a gang within impacted communities.
Piecewise planar super-resolution for 3D scene

For super resolution (SR) of a 3D scene from multi-view low resolution (LR) images, subpixel registration is one of the main problems due to the difference of the depth for different objects, especially for hand-held uncalibrated cameras. In this paper we proposed a method to solve this problem by estimating the depth map for the LR images and treating the registration as a planar segmentation problem. Thus we can estimate the homogeneous transforms for each plane among all the LR images. Besides that, the occlusion problem can be well handled according to the depth information. Moreover, we find an approach that combines both the multi-view reconstruction and single view reconstruction. By using the result of multi-view SR reconstruction, we can plug in the high frequency information via dictionary learning method. The experiments show that the combination of the multi-view and single view reconstruction performs better than both these two individual methods.
Glioma grading using cell nuclei morphologic features in digital pathology images

This work proposes a computationally efficient cell nuclei morphologic feature analysis technique to characterize the brain gliomas in tissue slide images. In this work, our contributions are two-fold: 1) obtain an optimized cell nuclei segmentation method based on the pros and cons of the existing techniques in literature, 2) extract representative features by k-mean clustering of nuclei morphologic features to include area, perimeter, eccentricity, and major axis length. This clustering based representative feature extraction avoids shortcomings of extensive tile [1] [2] and nuclear score [3] based methods for brain glioma grading in pathology images. Multilayer perceptron (MLP) is used to classify extracted features into two tumor types: glioblastoma multiforme (GBM) and low grade glioma (LGG). Quantitative scores such as precision, recall, and accuracy are obtained using 66 clinical patients’ images from The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) [4] dataset. On an average ~94% accuracy from 10 fold crossvalidation confirms the efficacy of the proposed method.
Nonideality Effects on the Ion Exchange Behavior of the Zeolite Mineral Clinoptilolite

The presence of laterally-extensive zones of zeolitized tuff underlying the proposed high-level nuclear waste repository at Yucca Mt., Nevada, has focused attention on the potential role of zeolite minerals, particularly clinoptilolite, in sorbing radionuclides and thereby retarding their migration. Ion exchange between zeolites and aqueous solutions depends on factors including compositions of the aqueous and zeolite phases and solution concentration. In addition, the thermodynamic stability of zeolite minerals and their susceptibility to diagenetic alteration also depend on aqueous and solid phase compositions. Therefore, spatial variations in zeolite compositions which have been observed at Yucca Mt., as well as natural or repository-induced changes in groundwater chemistry, may result in variations in the effectiveness of the zeolite minerals as retardation agents. p]Ion exchange experiments were conducted to obtain isotherm data and to evaluate the use of thermodynamic models in describing and predicting the solid solution and ion exchange properties of clinoptilolite. The experimental data were interpreted using excess Gibbs energy models for the aqueous solution and zeolite phases to account for nonideality in the system. The results indicate that the thermodynamic models allow predictions of clinoptilolite ion exchange behavior at ionic strengths and relative concentrations for which data are absent, and provide a foundation for the interpretation of ion exchange equilibria in multicomponent geochemical systems.
Fast Pyroprobe-Heating-Induced Structural Changes of Y2O3:Eu Precursors and Their Optical Signatures

Luminescent europium-doped Y2O3 precursors are evaluated as potential ex situ thermal sensors for rapid heating events. The material is heated via pyroprobe for periods between 1 and 100 s. The mor...
Public Institutions: Louis I. Kahn's Reading of Volume Zero

In the work of architects like Louis I. Kahn or Frank Lloyd Wright, we discover imagination and profound understanding not only of architecture, but also of the societal forces that enable and employ architecture. Such imagination and understanding require critical, reflective, and imaginative minds—fueled by criticism of our present condition and hypotheses of what is best and most sustaining in our experience. Difficult as such an enterprise is, we have a right to expect this ambition in architects, particularly when they are entrusted to shape our civic and public realm.
"What is... Dengue Fever?" - Modeling and Predicting Pronunciation Errors in a Text-to-Speech System.

We propose a system to predict baseform-generation errors in a text-to-speech (TTS) front-end, and aid in the process of customizing the synthesis engine to a novel application with a large, open-ended vocabulary. We motivate the use of the system by using data collected during the deployment of the IBM TTS engine in the Watson Deep Question-Answering system customized to play a game of Jeopardy!. We propose a set of features derived from a lexeme’s orthography and candidate baseform, and use a variety of learning schemes and data sampling algorithms to address the issue of skewed class priors in the training data. We show that 1) these different approaches provide complementary information that can then be exploited by fusion schemes to improve on the baseline performances, and 2) it is possible to use these techniques to retrieve a list of likely incorrect lexemes so as to reduce the number of tokens that must be vetted before finding and fixing an error.
Ontogeny of normal human B-cell and T-cell precursors and its relation to leukemogenesis.

The precise developmental relationship between pluripotentstem cells and the earliest stages of B-cell and T-cell development are still obscure.Patterns of gene expression in normal B-cell and T-cell precursors are being elucidated, as are the regulatory variable that influence their selfrenewal and differentiation. These studies have important implications for childhood acute lymphoblastic leukemia because these cells almost always manifest a cellular phenotype consonant with an immature lymphoid cell. A comprehensive understanding of the cause of acute lymphoblastic leukemia will therefore likely be hastened by a more thorough understanding of normal lymphopoiesis.
Body waves in a layered anelastic solid

abstract A formulation extending the Haskell-Thompson matrix method to include the effects of anelastic attenuation is presented. The formulation is exact in that no low-loss approximations are made. Consideration is given to nonparallel propagation and attenuation directions with corresponding velocity anisotropy. Examples are presented for models representing soils, the crust, and the core-mantle boundary.
Effect of Surface Roughness in Model and Fresh Fruit Systems on Microbial Inactivation Efficacy of Cold Atmospheric Pressure Plasma.

ABSTRACT This study investigates the efficacy of cold atmospheric pressure plasma (CAPP) on microbial inactivation as influenced by surface roughness of two types of surfaces: sandpaper and fresh fruit peel. Different grits of closed-coat sandpaper were selected, with their roughness (Pq) values ranging from 6 to 16 μm. Apple, orange, and cantaloupe peels were selected for roughness values that were similar to the sandpapers. The sandpapers and the fruit peel surfaces were spot inoculated with Enterobacter aerogenes (109 CFU/63.64 cm2) and exposed to CAPP for 492 s. Similar microbial enumeration techniques were used for both systems to quantify the microbial inactivation. The smoothest sandpaper showed a 0.52-log higher inactivation of E. aerogenes (2.08 log CFU/63.64 cm2 sandpaper surface inactivation) than did the roughest sandpaper (1.56 log CFU/63.64 cm2 sandpaper surface inactivation), and the difference was statistically significant (P < 0.05). The smoothest fresh fruit peel surface (apple) showed a...
Chronic Invasive Mechanical Ventilation

Invasive mechanical ventilation, or chronic positive pressure ventilation via tracheostomy, is used in select children when noninvasive ventilation is not feasible. The presence of a tracheostomy adds complexity to the care of these children and requires caregivers to learn an additional set of skills related to the tracheostomy itself. Nevertheless, outcomes for children supported by invasive mechanical ventilation are generally good. This chapter reviews the common modes of mechanical ventilation used via tracheostomy, special considerations that direct the type of ventilator support in certain children, and the characteristics of the machines used to provide the support. Outcomes for this population are also briefly discussed.
Schwartz duality of the Dirac delta function for the Chebyshev collocation approximation to the fractional advection equation

Abstract Singular source terms represented by the Dirac delta function are found in various applications modeling natural problems. Solutions to differential equations perturbed by such singular source terms have jump discontinuity and their high order numerical approximations suffer from the Gibbs phenomenon. We use the Schwartz duality to approximate the Dirac delta function existent in fractional differential equations. The singular source term is approximated by the fractional derivative of the Heaviside function. We provide a Chebyshev spectral collocation method for solving the fractional advection equation with the singular source term and show that the Schwartz duality yields the consistent formulation resulting in vanishing Gibbs phenomenon. The numerical results show that the proposed approximation of the Dirac delta function is efficient and accurate, particularly for linear problems.
How to Implement Therapeutic Evaluative Conditioning in a Clinical Setting.

Self-injurious behaviors (SIBs), including both suicidal and nonsuicidal self-injury, are major public health problems that have been on the rise in recent decades. There are few effective SIB interventions, and those that are effective cannot reach most people who are in need of help–that is, these interventions are not scalable. To address this need, we recently developed a scalable, app-based treatment called Therapeutic Evaluative Conditioning (TEC) that preliminary studies have shown causes reductions in SIBs (Franklin et al., 2016). Although TEC was developed and evaluated as a standalone, self-administered intervention, it may also be a valuable therapeutic tool within traditional clinical settings. Here we provide a case illustration of a young adult female who presented at an outpatient clinic with a long history of self-injurious behaviors and multiple failed treatment attempts. In discussing this case, we describe how to implement TEC within such a setting and what might be expected as a result.
Cultural Schemas of Religion, Science, and Law in Talk About Social Controversies†

We analyze cultural schemas of religion, science, and law reflected in the way ordinary citizens discuss contemporary social controversies and assess whether these schemas accord with a modernization narrative or whether people's experiences with each of these institutional arenas lead them to adopt realistic or critical schemas not predicted by modernization accounts. Focus group participants in three metropolitan areas were asked to talk about one of three vignettes on faith-based prison ministries, parents’ refusal of medical treatment for a child on religious grounds, or preimplantation genetic diagnosis of human embryos. We find that people's everyday experiences, grounded in specific institutional contexts, produce perceptions of the domains of religion, science, and law that are not fully captured by the modernization account. Further, our findings illustrate that schemas of law, science, and religion are varied and evoked by social context and the specific issues under consideration. Schemas that do not fit the modernization framework provide a way for people to address concerns about power and effectively level the playing field between more and less rationalized social domains. Future research on a broader range of issues is needed to develop a theory of when different schemas of law, science, and religion are activated.
Implementing an Intervention in Special Education to Promote Social Skills in an Inclusive Setting.

Abstract This study examined the effects of instruction, delivered in a special education classroom, to improve classroom behaviors and support the emergence of social skills in an inclusive classr...
Sequential organization of movement kinematics is associated with spatial orientation across scales and species

Abstract A large part of an animals’ behavioral repertoire involves non-conditioned or spontaneously occurring behaviors (e.g., exploration, food hoarding, food protection, food handling). These behaviors are highly organized sequences of movement. In general, these movement sequences alternate between periods of fast linear speeds with little change in heading and periods of slow linear speeds with larger change in heading. This sequential organization or movement segmentation can be quantified as the correlation between linear and angular speeds. This review examines evidence that the strength of movement segmentation is related to direction estimation independent of scale when humans or rats are restricted to using self-movement cues to guide navigation and may be a novel measure of spatial orientation.
Adaptation to a latitudinal thermal gradient within a widespread copepod species: the contributions of genetic divergence and phenotypic plasticity

Understanding how populations adapt to heterogeneous thermal regimes is essential for comprehending how latitudinal gradients in species diversification are formed, and how taxa will respond to ongoing climate change. Adaptation can occur by innate genetic factors, by phenotypic plasticity, or by a combination of both mechanisms. Yet, the relative contribution of such mechanisms to large-scale latitudinal gradients of thermal tolerance across conspecific populations remains unclear. We examine thermal performance in 11 populations of the intertidal copepod Tigriopus californicus, ranging from Baja California Sur (Mexico) to British Columbia (Canada). Common garden experiments show that survivorship to acute heat-stress differs between populations (by up to 3.8°C in LD50 values), reflecting a strong genetic thermal adaptation. Using a split-brood experiment with two rearing temperatures, we also show that developmental phenotypic plasticity is beneficial to thermal tolerance (by up to 1.3°C), and that this effect differs across populations. Although genetic divergence in heat tolerance strongly correlates with latitude and temperature, differences in the plastic response do not. In the context of climate warming, our results confirm the general prediction that low-latitude populations are most susceptible to local extinction because genetic adaptation has placed physiological limits closer to current environmental maxima, but our results also contradict the prediction that phenotypic plasticity is constrained at lower latitudes.
Interactions and self-healing of Cu vias during stress migration tests and implications for burn-in and design rule formulations

During High Temperature Storage (HTS), previously failed vias due to open failures from voids subsequently self-heal. Likewise, the resistance shifts appear to saturate and reverse direction over long times. The propensity for self-healing and subsequent “immortality” can be explained in a physical model by an interaction between voids and material sinks (such as grain boundaries) analogous to growing second-phases in late-stage precipitation — also called Ostwald ripening. HTS data is collected from a 130 nm Cu/low-k BEOL process, with various geometrical variations, single and multiple vias, initial resistances and processing. Resistance shifts and open failures are tracked and modeled. The model is based on formulating a mean-field, which is the volume averaged stress due to the arrays of voids and the material shed during their growth. This model takes into account the surface energy of the growing void through the sintering stress as a boundary condition. A key outcome of this formulation is a critical void radius in equilibrium with the mean stress, where, voids with a supercritical radius will grow at the expense of voids with subcritical radius. The maximum void size is modified by the surface energy and the elastic modulus. We show that the saturated void radius (SVR) is truly an upper bound on the size of any particular void. We demonstrate the implications for reliability and engineering design through scaling relationships well as indicate directions for further experimental and theoretical study.
Patron–Client Relations, Social and Anthropological Study of

Patron–client relations (PCR) involve asymmetric but mutually beneficial, open-ended transactions based on the differential control by individuals or groups over the access and flow of resources in stratified societies. Patrons provide selective access to resources they control, or place themselves or the clients in positions from which they can divert resources in their favor. In exchange, the clients are supposed to provide resources and services, while sometimes boosting the patron's reputation. The study of PCR has revealed the persisting impact of hierarchical networks in contemporary societies, contributing to the reevaluation of paradigms in social science. Debates continue about the institutional viability and significance of PCR and clientelism in late modernity.
Incremental public key cryptography with Mailvelope

This is an assignment I use to illustrate public key cryptography by isolating the different uses of a public key and a private key. The main tool is Mailvelope (https://www.mailvelope.com/en/) a free browser plugin for Firefox and Chrome that provides OpenPGP functionality. Mailvelope is pre-configured to work with popular webmail providers GMail, Yahoo! Mail, and Outlook.com.
DEM modeling of high shear wet granulation of a simple system

High shear wet granulation (HSWG) is one of the most poorly understood processes with known difficulties in optimization and scale up. The purpose of the current study is to develop a DEM model which can be applied under dynamic process conditions with high predictive capacity to improve process insight. The DEM model is used to predict agglomeration as a function of impeller speed and liquid addition rate in a high shear wet granulator. The DEM model tracks dynamic formation and breakage of liquid bridges between particles as liquid binder in the system is added, and corrects for the change in material properties as a function of the binder content.
Women's asset ownership and children's nutritional status: Evidence from Papua New Guinea.

Abstract This study examines how women's asset ownership is associated with children's nutritional status in Papua New Guinea, a country with some of the most severe child malnutrition in the world. The 2009–2010 Household Income and Expenditure Survey is employed, but restricted to children under the age of 72 months living with married mothers, leaving a final analytic sample of 1651. Asset ownership is expected to strengthen mothers' income-generating capacity and their bargaining power within the home, which increases investments in children's health. Women's ownership of fishing and agricultural equipment (important for meeting subsistence needs and for generating cash earnings) appears to be driving most of the results. OLS regression results point to beneficial effects of maternal asset ownership for children's height-for-age, weight-for-height, and weight-for-age Z-scores, and results from detailed quantile regressions indicate that these effects occur at various parts of the distribution, especially for children's WAZ scores.
The Non-Surgical Treatment of Diplopia in Adults

Adult patients with diplopia present a difficult management problem. The four main non-surgical approaches to treatment are discussed: patient compensation, diminishing an image's intensity with pa...
Passive state preparation in continuous-variable quantum key distribution

We propose a passive continuous-variable quantum key distribution scheme, where Alice splits the output of a thermal source into two spatial modes, measures one locally and transmits the other mode to Bob after applying attenuation.
An Experiential Investigation of Tax Professionals' Contentious Interactions with Clients

ABSTRACT This paper is a descriptive exploration of the under-researched area of contentious interactions between tax professionals in public accounting and their clients. We collect data in two wa...
Option Trading Strategies

Although originally conceived as a tool to alleviate risk, once introduced, options quickly became a vehicle for speculative investment. For the trader who believes himself or herself capable of predicting the direction of the market, either short or long term, puts and calls offer financial leverage. For a fraction of the cost of owning 100 shares of stock, an option contract bestows a kind of temporary ownership suitable for profiting should the prediction prove out.
Using C# to teach advanced topics: tutorial presentation

This tutorial will discuss the use of C# for covering three main topics at the intermediate and advanced stages of CS study. Topics to be covered include objects and inheritance, threads and concurrency, and network communications. Relevant code examples will be given in each topic area and participants will investigate, run, and modify the code samples.
Sandbagged: Exploring the Political Challenges of Coastal Infrastructure:

The political, technical, social, and economic challenges related to climate change are well documented. As policy makers are increasingly experiencing the reality of rising sea levels, they are al...
A paraneoplastic potassium and acid-base disturbance.

A 55-year-old man is admitted to the hospital with generalized malaise, paresthesias, and severe hypertension. He says he had experienced agitation along with weakness on exertion 24 hours before presentation to the emergency department, with subsequent onset of paresthesias in his lower extremities
Relationship between cannabis use frequency and major depressive disorder in adolescents: Findings from the National Survey on Drug Use and Health 2012-2017.

Abstract Background Cannabis use and major depressive disorder (MDD) are common and often co-morbid in adolescents, but the nature and directionality of the relationship between these two conditions remains obscure. Methods We examined results from the National Survey on Drug Use and Health. Weighted demographics were compared between adolescents with a history of cannabis use (N = 14,873) and never users (N = 73,079). Weighted logistic regression controlling for demographic variables and other substance use was used to determine the relationship between cannabis use frequency and MDD. Results Adolescents with any history of cannabis use had significantly higher rates of lifetime and past year MDD, MDD with severe role impairment, and past year suicide attempt (p 1 year ago. Rates of reported past year suicide attempt did not differ significantly by cannabis use frequency. Conclusions Adolescents with any cannabis use history have significantly higher rates of MDD. However, the directionality between frequency of use and MDD is counter to what was expected.
IL-2/IL-2R, TL1A/TNFRSF25 or Their Combined Stimulation Results in Distinct CD4+FoxP3+ Regulatory T Cell Phenotype and Suppressive Function

CD4+Foxp3+ regulatory T cells (Tregs) are non-redundant mediators of immunity and tolerance. Transfer of Tregs has emerged as a promising therapy for graft-versus-host disease (GVHD) following allogeneic HSCT (aHSCT). Our prior work demonstrated that a 2-pathway in vivo strategy targeting TNFRSF25 (with TL1A-Ig) and IL-2 receptor (with low-dose IL-2, IL-2LD) can elicit a strong increase in Treg numbers and function. In fact, very low numbers of these in vivo expanded donor Tregs suppressed GVHD post-aHSCT. Based on these findings and the success of IL-2 in pre-clinical and clinical studies, we asked: are there phenotypic/functional differences between Tregs expanded via IL-2 LD, TL1A-Ig or their combined application? Mice were administered IL-2LD, TL1A-Ig or TL1A-Ig+IL-2LD over 6 days. Splenic and lymph node (LN) Treg phenotype was determined by flow cytometry. Treg functionality was assessed with sorted populations using an in vivo MHC-mismatched aHSCT. Treatment of B6-FoxP3RFP mice with TL1A-Ig+IL-2LD vs. IL-2LD only resulted in significantly higher levels of Treg activation/differentiation and functional markers, i.e. KLRG1, CD103, Nrp1, ICOS (Fig. 1A). Ki67 expression was higher in 2-pathway vs. IL-2LD stimulation alone (Fig.1B). Notably, TL1A-Ig treatment alone induced the above phenotype. CD25 (IL-2Rα) expression was reduced after TL1A-Ig vs. IL-2-mediated expansion further emphasizing the difference between the TNFRSF25 and IL-2 receptor stimulation (Fig. 1A). Results were corroborated using a second independent mouse strain, BALB/c, following use of these protocols. To test if the observed phenotypic differences could be related to more potent Treg function in vivo, an MHC-mismatched aHSCT (B6→BALB/c) was performed using 200,000 sorted Tregs (>98% purity by CD4+FoxP3+ selection from C57BL/6-FoxP3RFP reporter mice) from donor unexpanded, IL-2LD, or TL1A-Ig+IL-2LD treated mice + T cells. As anticipated, transfer 200,000 TL1A-Ig+IL-2LD stimulated Tregs ameliorated acute GVHD (Fig. 1C). Interestingly, lower GVHD clinical scores were obtained using the same number of IL-2LD only vs.TL1A-Ig+IL-2LD stimulated Tregs (Fig. 1C). Moreover, early post-transplant, higher LN and splenic CD4/CD8 ratios were detected in aHSCT recipients treated with IL-2LD expanded Tregs vs. TL1A-Ig+IL-2LD (Fig. 1D). Overall, TL1A-Ig+IL-2LD promotes a more activated/differentiated and proliferative Treg phenotype accompanied by less effective long-term GVHD inhibition vs. IL-2LD only stimulated Tregs. We posit that these different 1- and/or 2-pathway driven Tregs may promote development of new strategies utilizing one or both populations dependent on the desire for GVHD prophylaxis or therapeutic treatment following aHSCT.
Reconstructing the angiome: a new platform for characterizing disease progression and drug efficacy

A comprehensive understanding of microvascular networks is required to generate platforms that track treatment efficacy. Current approaches are labor intensive and limited to small tissue volumes. In this work we describe an acquisition and segmentation framework for low-cost imaging and microvascular modeling at resolution comparable to confocal with data rates comparable to light-sheet microscopy. Segmentation is performed using a GPU-based method that extracts microvascular structure and connectivity embedded in these images. The microvasculature network is stored such that the graph [G = V, E] structure can be exploited to quantify large-scale angiomes and facilitate data mining at the terabyte scale.
Teaching Severe Weather: Examining Teacher Candidates’ Early Field Experience in a Makerspace Environment:

This qualitative study examines first-year teacher candidates early field experience designing and implementing maker workshops for an afterschool program. The maker workshops were offered as part ...