cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Genetic variations in neuraminidase gene of influenza H3N2 virus in Shijiazhuang area

Objective To understand the gene characteristics and variation status of neuraminidase( NA) genes of influenza A H3N2 subtype virus in Shijiazhuang area from 2006 to 2013. Methods Eighty-three H3N2 subtype isolates were randomly selected from influenza surveillance sites from 2006 to 2013. RNAs were extracted from the 83 isolates,and the NA genes were amplified by RT-PCR and then sequenced. The data obtained were compared with the vaccine strains recommended by WHO, and phylogenetic tree of these strains were constructed by using MEGA 5. 05. Results From 2006 to 2013,the length of nucleotide in NA genes of the H3N2 subtype isolates was 1407 bp in Shijiazhuang area,encoding 469 amino acids,the homogeneity of nucleotide was 96. 5% ~ 100. 0%. Compared to the vaccine strains,the disulphide bonds and enzyme active sites on NA were conserved,while different degrees of mutation frequencies were observed in antigenic sites and glycosylation sites of NA. Conclusion Genetic variations occurred in NA genes of influenza H3N2 virus isolates in Shijiazhuang during 2006-2013. The vaccine strains were found lagging behind the prevalent strains in Shijiazhuang area,except 2012-2013.
Influence of edible vaccine alfalfa transformed with HBsAg gene on the immune function of mice

Objective To investigate the effects of edible vaccine alfalfa transformed with HBsAg gene( EVATHG) on the murine immune system. Methods Different doses of EVATHG( 0. 5 g / kg ～ 2. 0 g / kg) were administered to the mice orally for 30days. The thymus / body ratio,the spleen / body ratio,the T lymphocyte proliferation of mouse spleen induced by conA,delayed type hypersensitivity,serum hemolysin antibody,the antibody-producing cells,the phagocytotic ability of peritoneal macrophages for chicken erythrocytes,the carbon clearance indexes and natural killer( NK) activity were investigated to evaluate the effects. Results Compared with the control group,EVATHG could increase the ability of T lymphocyte proliferation of mouse spleen induced by conA,the level of hemolytic antibody in serum,and the differences had statistical significances( P 0. 05).No apparent difference of the delayed type hypersensitivity,the number of hemocytolysis plaque,macrophage's activity,NK cell function,carbon clearance,the thymus / body ratio,the spleen / body ratio,and the weight gain of the mice were observed among groups( P 0. 05). Comparing EVATHG with the wild-type alfalfa,there was no significant difference on immunological index( P 0. 05). Histopathological examination showed EVATHG and wild-type alfalfa had no damages on tissues and organs. Conclusion Same as the wild-type alfalfa,EVATHG could also enhance the T lymphocyte proliferation and the level of serum hemolysin antibody,without inhibition on the immune function of mice. Under this experimental condition,the EVATHG is proved to have no immune toxicity.
Effects of aging on cerebral vascular responses to serotonin in rats.

The purpose of this study was to examine effects of aging on responses of large cerebral arteries to serotonin. We measured cerebral microvascular pressure (with a micropipette and servo-null method), diameter of pial arterioles, and cerebral blood flow (microspheres) in adult (12- to 14-mo-old, n = 15) and aged (24- to 27-mo-old, n = 14) Wistar rats. Responses to intra-atrial infusion of serotonin (5 and 50 micrograms.kg-1.min-1) were examined. Infusion of the low dose of serotonin decreased mean arterial pressure and pial arteriolar pressure in adult and aged rats to similar levels. Cerebral blood flow was not reduced in adult or aged rats during infusion of the low dose of serotonin. The high dose of serotonin did not affect mean arterial pressure but reduced pial arteriolar pressure [from 46 +/- 4 to 23 +/- 2 (SE) in adult rats and from 52 +/- 3 to 18 +/- 4 mmHg in aged rats]. The high dose of serotonin increased large-artery resistance from 0.9 +/- 0.1 to 1.6 +/- 0.2 in adult rats and from 0.9 +/- 0.1 to 2.7 +/- 0.6 mmHg.ml-1.min.100 g in aged rats. Cerebral blood flow was reduced significantly in aged rats (from 59 +/- 3 to 41 +/- 6 ml.min-1.100 g-1), but not in adult rats, during infusion of the high dose of serotonin. We conclude that aging augments constrictor responses of large cerebral arteries to intravascular serotonin, which results in a reduction of cerebral blood flow in aged but not adult rats.
A policy review of after-hours emergency dental care responsibilities

Objectives To examine professional guidelines and/or requirements of state and national dental organizations regarding the responsibility of dentists for after-hours emergency care. Methods Guidelines of national dental professional organizations, specialties, and all 50 state dental boards were examined for language pertaining to after-hours emergency care. Guidelines were categorized as: a) no guidelines; b) deferral to American Dental Association (ADA) guidelines; c) specific guidelines outlined. Results Most states and national guidelines were similar to the ADA: dentists are obliged to make reasonable arrangements for the emergency dental care of patients of-record and not-of-record. Oral surgery maintains the most stringent guidelines of all specialties. Results of the 50 states reviewed: no guidelines-16 states (32 percent), deferral to ADA guidelines-21 states (42 percent), and specific guidelines outlined-13 states (26 percent). Conclusions Current after-hours emergency guidelines are nonspecific and open to interpretation. Variability between state guidelines likely contribute to unnecessary hospital emergency visits and increased healthcare costs, undermining the goal of establishing and maintaining dental homes.
Next-generation solid-state detectors for charged particle spectroscopy

The performance of silicon avalanche photodiodes (APDs) and single crystal chemical vapor deposit diamond detectors (DDs) are reviewed in comparison with conventional silicon based solid-state detectors (SSDs) from the perspective of space plasma applications. Although the low-energy threshold and the energy resolution are equivalent to SSDs, DDs offer a high radiation tolerance and very low leakage currents due to a wider band gap than silicon. In addition, DDs can operate at higher temperatures, are insensitive to light (>226 nm), and are capable of timing analysis due to the higher intrinsic carrier mobility. APDs also offer several advantageous features. Specificially, APDs have a lower energy threshold (<0.9 keV) and a higher energy resolution (<0.7 keV FWHM at room temperature), along with a linear response due to a strong electric field causing signal amplifications within the detector. Therefore APDs can be used to detect lower-energy particles, covering a larger portion of the energy spectrum than conventional SSDs. Further, the strong internal electric field gives them a sub-nanosecond response time by the charge mobility saturation, allowing them to make precise timing measurements of ions. These novel detector techniques can be potentially applied to improve the measurements of suprathermal particles, whose energies lie between typical ranges of conventional sensors for low-energy plasmas and energetic particles. Although the origin and evolution of the suprathermal particles are the key to understanding the acceleration and heating processes in space plasma, they are not well understood due to the technical difficulties of making the measurement.
Posttraumatic Stress Disorder – Neurobiological basis for

Research into the neurobiological bases of posttraumatic stress disorder has taken two approaches. The biological approach has identified various derangements in stress hormone and neurotransmitter levels and responses to probe stimuli. The imaging approach has identified changes in brain structure and function associated with this disease.
A Novel direct AC/DC converter for efficient low voltage energy harvesting

In this paper, a direct ac-to-dc power converter is proposed for efficient energy harvesting from the low voltage inertial microgenerators. The conventional power converters use diode bridge rectifiers and condition the microgenerator outputs in two stages. Hence, they are inefficient and may not be a feasible option for very low voltage microgenerators. Moreover, they are not conducive for optimum energy harvesting. The proposed converter avoids the use of bridge rectifiers, and directly converts the ac input to the required dc output. This converter uses a boost converter and a buck-boost converter to process the positive and negative half cycles of the ac input voltage, respectively. Furthermore, using this converter, maximum energy harvesting can be implemented effectively. Analysis of the converter is carried out. Based on the analysis, two schemes are proposed to control the converter. Simulation results are presented to validate the proposed converter topology and control scheme. Experimental results are also presented for verification.
Manuscripts Based on Datasets Shared by Clinical Research Studies.

![Figure][1] ![Figure][1] Individual patient data from clinical research studies are increasingly becoming available to researchers who were not investigators in the original study that collected the primary data. The trend toward data sharing has been driven in part by the Internet-
Training in Automated Offices: An Empirical Study of Design and Methods

Abstract Although the drive toward computerization in U.S. offices is well underway, the training implications are just beginning to be felt. This paper reports some of the training experiences of 55 automated offices in the United States. Still in progress, the project has collected a multi-faceted database of information on a wide range of firms, equipment, and software applications, and organizational and individual reactions to the technologized office. The data show that, in general, training is given relatively low priority in these firms and where it exists, it is rarely evaluated. The training methods, settings, and procedures available vary greatly among the offices. Although no single best training procedure emerges, characteristics of training, are related to reports of satisfaction with trainin8, user friendliness of the computer, and incorporation of the computer into job functions.
Connecting through Engagement: Latinx Student-Faculty Interaction in Community College

Student engagement with faculty has received increased attention from scholars and practitioners alike. However, much of the focus has been on the engagement experiences of students enrolled at four-year institutions, often excluding the experiences of Latinx1 students enrolled at two-year public institutions. The present study centers faculty, who are situated within positions of power, as institutional agents (Stanton-Salazar, 2011) and examines their formal and informal contacts with Latinx students who began higher education at community colleges. This study utilizes data from the 2004–09 Beginning Postsecondary Survey and employs descriptive analyses and blocked hierarchical regression to gain greater knowledge of the factors that impact Latinx students’ frequency of interaction with institutional agents. This study highlights the need to further disaggregate Latinx ethnic subgroups. Findings show that peer, academic, and social engagement are predictors of increased interaction with institutional agents. Of particular interest is the role of institutional contexts, as results reveal unrealized potential for Hispanic-Serving Institutions in promoting opportunities for interaction among Latinx and institutional agents. Implications for creating environments that foster student-faculty relationships are explored.
Nearly Half Of Small Employers Using Tobacco Surcharges Do Not Provide Tobacco Cessation Wellness Programs

The Affordable Care Act (ACA) allowed employer plans in the small-group marketplace to charge tobacco users up to 50 percent more for premiums—known as tobacco surcharges—but only if the employer offered a tobacco cessation program and the employee in question failed to participate in it. Using 2016 survey data collected by the Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation and Health Research and Educational Trust on 278 employers eligible for Small Business Health Options Program, we examined the prevalence of tobacco surcharges and tobacco cessation programs in the small-group market under this policy and found that 16.2 percent of small employers used tobacco surcharges. Overall, 47 percent of employers used tobacco surcharges but failed to offer tobacco cessation counseling. Wellness program prevalence was lower in states that allowed tobacco surcharges, and 10.8 percent of employers in these states were noncompliant with the ACA by charging tobacco users higher premiums without offering cessation programs. Effor...
RELATIONSHIP OF CLINICAL FEATURES AND BASELINE TUMOR SIZE WITH GENE EXPRESSION PROFILE STATUS IN UVEAL MELANOMA: A Multi-institutional Study.

Purpose:To study the relationship between gene expression profile subclass and clinical features in a multicenter cohort of patients with uveal melanoma.Methods:A retrospective, multicenter study was undertaken with patients entered from nine major ocular oncology centers from across the United Stat
‘It’s an adjustment’: The experiences of stay-at-home mothers in graduate teacher education programs

It is important that teacher education programs be aware of their students’ lives and experiences both inside and outside of the classroom. This is especially true in the case of students who are also stay-at-home mothers who are trying to balance the demands of their personal and professional lives and to adjust to the differing expectations for each. This study was designed to explore the experiences of 10 stay-at-home mothers who decided to return to school to become teachers. Results indicate that the students felt that motherhood helped them to be more tolerant and understanding, but that it was often difficult to balance their dual roles of mother and student. Implications for graduate teacher education programs and recommendations for future research are discussed.
Design Theorizing Individual Information Systems

An individual information system is an activity system in which individual persons, according to idiosyncratic needs and preferences, perform processes and activities using information, technology, and other resources to produce informational products and/or services for themselves or others. These small information systems have evolved with increasing complexity around the increasing computing power available to individuals. This paper provides an influence model of premises for theorizing the design activity in these individual systems. The influence model is grounded on previous research related to such systems.
Case of early right ventricular pacing lead perforation and review of the literature

We report a case of a 77-year-old patient with complete atrioventricular block. She underwent permanent pacemaker implantation complicated by right ventricular lead perforation. This was suspected on transthoracic echocardiogram and confirmed by chest computed tomography. The lead was repositioned in the cardiac electrophysiology lab followed by an uneventful course thereafter.
Alkali-Oxygen Batteries Based on Reversible Superoxide Chemistry

Rechargeable superoxide (O2 - ) batteries have the potential to surpass current lithium-ion technology due to their high theoretical energy densities. The use of superoxides as an energy storage material is highly advantageous when compared to their close relatives, peroxides. This is due to enhanced reversibility of the 1-electron redox process. To efficiently stabilize superoxides, larger metal cations are required such as sodium and potassium. Therefore, the two most studied systems are sodium and potassium-oxygen batteries. Both batteries present unique advantages and challenges. In this minireview, we summarize the current research for each superoxide-based battery and offer perspective for further research.
Carbon Black Tinted Contact Lenses for Reduction of Photophobia in Cystinosis Patients

Purpose: To examine if current development on using contact lenses for drug delivery of cysteamine to treat ocular symptoms of cystinosis can be tinted to mitigate photophobia common in patients by...
Director Diversity, Turnover, and Promotion

The issue of the presence of diverse directors on boards has attracted considerable attention among policymakers, practitioners, and academics. There is relatively less attention to the inclusion of diverse directors, or their onward trajectory after appointment. We study two outcomes related to inclusion, the retention of directors and their promotion to board leadership positions. While gender is a key focus of many diversity discussions, we find significant inclusion results on skill diversity and non-gender diversity dimensions. Retention and promotion are less likely for age- and ethnicity-diverse directors but both outcomes are more likely for skill-diverse directors.
Deactivation of Sn-Beta zeolites caused by structural transformation of hydrophobic to hydrophilic micropores during aqueous-phase glucose isomerization

The structural changes underlying the deactivation of Sn-Beta zeolites under aqueous-phase reaction conditions at elevated temperatures (373 K) are investigated using spectroscopic characterization and site titration techniques together with turnover rates for glucose isomerization, a well-understood probe reaction for which changes in measured rates can be ascribed to specific changes in catalyst structure. In the case of hydrophobic, low-defect Sn-Beta zeolites (Sn-Beta-F), treatment in hot liquid water (373 K) for short times ( 3 h) to hot liquid water causes turnover rates to decrease and approach values characteristic of hydrophilic, defect-rich Sn-Beta zeolites (Sn-Beta-OH). In contrast, turnover rates on hydrophilic Sn-Beta-OH zeolites are insensitive to the duration of hot liquid water exposure prior to reaction. Activation and deactivation phenomena on Sn-Beta-F zeolites occur concomitantly with the formation of silanol defects (by ∼2–10×) with increasing durations (0–24 h) of hot water treatment, despite negligible differences in open and closed Sn site speciation as quantified ex situ by CD3CN IR spectra. Mechanistic interpretations of these phenomena suggest that silanol groups present at low densities serve as binding sites for water molecules and clusters, which confer enthalpic stability to kinetically-relevant hydride-shift transition states and increase turnover rates, while silanol groups present in higher densities stabilize extended hydrogen-bonded water networks, which entropically destabilize kinetically-relevant transition states and decrease turnover rates. Intraporous voids within hydrophobic Sn-Beta-F zeolites become increasingly hydrophilic as silanol groups are formed by hydrolysis of framework siloxane bridges with increasing durations of water treatment, thereby decreasing aqueous-phase glucose isomerization turnover rates (per open Sn site). These findings suggest design strategies that suppress framework hydrolysis would attenuate the deactivation of Lewis acid zeolites in aqueous media.
Using the log-linear cognitive diagnosis model to classify individuals in career and educational assessment

The log-linear cognitive diagnosis model (LCDM) is a modern technique that dichotomously classifies individuals (e.g., possession and non-possession) on attributes of a multidimensional construct, which is particularly suited to diagnostic and formative assessments where a classification decision is desired (e.g., to assign intervention or not). This article provides a tutorial for conducting analyses using the LCDM and illustrates an application in career assessment with simulated data to showcase the unique types of diagnostic feedback the LCDM provides. The article concludes with a discussion of the ideal contexts in which to apply the model and its implications in career and educational assessment.
Use of public health service increased risk kidneys in pediatric renal transplant recipients

With the opioid epidemic and expansion of "IR" classification, 25% of deceased donors are categorized PHS-IR. Studies have assessed utilization of PHS-IR organs among adults, but little is known about pediatric recipients. This retrospective cohort study from 2004-2016 (IR period) aimed to: (a) assess IR kidney utilization patterns between adults and children; (b) identify recipient factors associated with transplant from IR donors among pediatric kidney recipients; and (c) determine geography's role in IR kidney utilization for children. The proportion of pediatric recipients receiving IR kidneys was significantly lower than adults (P < 0.001), even when stratified by donor mechanism of death (non-overdose/overdose) and era. In mixed effects models accounting for clustering within centers and regions, older recipient age, later era (post-PHS-IR expansion), and blood type were associated with significantly higher odds of receiving an IR kidney (17 years era 5: OR 5.16 [CI 2.05-13.1] P < 0.001; 18-21 years era 5: OR 2.72 [CI 1.05-7.06] P = 0.04; blood type O: OR 1.32 [CI 1.06-1.64] P = 0.013). The median odds ratio for center within region was 1.77 indicating that when comparing two patients in a region, the odds of receiving an IR kidney were 77% higher for a patient from a center with higher likelihood of receiving an IR kidney. Utilization of PHS-IR kidneys is significantly lower among pediatric recipients versus adult counterparts. More work is needed to understand the reasons for these differences in children in order to continue their access to this life-prolonging therapy.
Possible observation of Kondo screening cloud in Yb14MnSb11

ABSTRACTSingle crystals of the underscreened Kondo ferromagnet Yb14MnSb11 were investigated using polarised neutron diffraction and magnetisation measurements. The magnitude and direction of the ma...
Estimation of Theory-Implied Correlation Matrices

Correlation matrices are ubiquitous in finance. Some key applications include portfolio construction, risk management, and factor/style analysis. Correlation matrices are usually estimated from historical empirical observations or derived from historically estimated factors. It is widely acknowledged that empirical correlation matrices: (a) have poor numerical properties that lead to unreliable estimators; and (b) have poor predictive power. Additionally, factor-based correlation matrices have their own caveats. In particular, estimated factors are typically non-hierarchical and do not allow for interactions at different levels. This contravenes the fact that financial instruments typically exhibit a nested cluster structure (e.g., MSCI’s GICS levels 1-4). This paper introduces a machine learning (ML) algorithm to estimate forward-looking correlation matrices implied by economic theory. Given a particular theoretical representation of the hierarchical structure that governs a universe of securities, the method fits the correlation matrix that complies with that theoretical representation of the future. This particular use case demonstrates how, contrary to popular perception, ML solutions are not black-boxes, and can be applied effectively to develop and test economic theories.
Using Google Search Volume to Inform Early Detection Interventions for Public Health Crises: A Policy Brief

Google search volume offers a novel, efficient, and affordable way of informing early detection and intervention efforts for public health issues, including but not limited to suicide, skin cancer,...
Chapter 33 – Antifungal Drugs

Fungi are a diversified group of microorganisms that are present in the environment, being a part of the normal flora of human and animals, and have the ability to cause injury ranging from mild superficial infections to severe life-threatening invasive infections. Antifungal drugs are agents that selectively eliminate fungal pathogens from a host with minimal toxicity to the host. The common fungal infections are superficial and are treated with one or several topical drugs. The systemic mycoses are very difficult to treat. When compared to antibacterials, the armamentarium of antifungal drugs is very limited and includes five major classes of antifungal medications: polyenes; azoles; echinocandins, allylamines, antimetabolitesand some miscellaneous compounds. None of antifungal drugs is included in the list of Top 200 Drugs by sales for the 2010s.
Recovering the Moral Economy Foundations of the Sherman Act

This paper deepens and seeks to provide a foundation for the current broadening in the antitrust debate and ultimately, in adjacent areas relating to market organization. As normative reconstruction, it is aimed both at current reform efforts and at the interpretation and implementation of the existing antitrust laws. The paper traces a thread beginning with the “moral economy” origins of antitrust and the common law of restraint of trade; continues through the American antimonopoly coalition’s distinctive and egalitarian moral economy vision; and culminates in a reinterpretation of the legislative history of the Sherman Act, both as to affirmative purpose and as to judicial role. I propose a core prescription: the command to disperse economic coordination rights. This core prescription in turn implies three key tasks: taking affirmative steps to contain domination, to accommodate and promote democratic coordination, and to set rules of fair competition. The normative thread traced here, culminating in an argument about legislative purpose, is interwoven with an argument about institutional roles. The widely held conventional wisdom is that the Sherman Act is the paradigmatic “common-law statute,” entailing a delegation of lawmaking power by Congress to the courts that spans the field of antitrust. The common-law-statute thesis is more than just the proposition that the courts should guide the application of the law as circumstances change. Instead, it has been understood as an effective “blank check” to federal courts to generate the foundational normative criteria according to which the statutory framework will function. But the legislative history of the Sherman Act undermines both the argument for judicial supremacy and the particular prescriptions with which the most pronounced, current episode of judicial law-making has been associated. Finally, the paper briefly sketches first steps on an alternative path for implementing antitrust’s core prescription, emphasizing the potential role of the Federal Trade Commission in administering the moral economy.
Aspekte der Entwicklung und Verbreitung der Evaluationsstandards

Die erste Auflage der Program Evaluation Standards (1994) ist 1981 unter dem Titel „Standards for evaluation of educational programs projects and materials“ veroffentlicht worden. Sie sind durch das Joint Committee an Standards for Educational Evaluation entwickelt worden. Zwolf Fachorganisationen in den Vereinigten Staaten von Amerika haben zur Erarbeitung von Kriterien, anhand derer die Qualitat von Programmevaluationen beurteilt werden kann, das Joint Committee gegrundet. Das Joint Committee war damals wie heute hauptsachlich aus Bildungsfachleuten zusammengesetzt und die Standards waren fur den Einsatz in Bildung und Erziehung vorgesehen.
Practical Guidelines for Injury Prevention in Basketball: How to Get it Right

Musculoskeletal injury is one of the major adverse events from physical activity and competitive basketball. Time loss away from the court has the potential to physically and mentally impair athletes and impact numerous stakeholders involved [1, 2]. Additionally, prior injury history has been identified as a risk factor for future injury [3]. With these key considerations, reducing the risk of initial injury or future injury following a rehabilitation is of significant interest to all vested parties. While identifying common injuries and risk factors involved in basketball participation may be of clinical importance, the current evidence-base suggests that a strong focus of injury prevention should be placed on properly dosed exercise strategies.
Pyomyositis and Infectious Myositis: A Comprehensive, Single-Center Retrospective Study.

Background Pyomyositis is a bacterial infection of skeletal muscle that classically leads to abscess formation. A related, but distinct, entity is infectious myositis. The epidemiology of these infections has changed in recent years. Methods To better characterize both pyomyositis and infectious myositis, we conducted a retrospective study at our tertiary care institution. We identified 43 cases of pyomyositis and 18 cases of infectious myositis treated between January 2012 and May 2020. Results The mean age of patients was 48 years, and 66% were male. Diabetes mellitus affected one third of patients, and 16% had other immunocompromising comorbidities. Staphylococcal species accounted for 46% of all infections, and common symptoms included muscle pain (95%) and subjective fever (49%). Altered mental status was a presenting symptom in 16% of cases. Approximately half of all patients received >1 class of antibiotic, and the median length of antimicrobial therapy was 18 days. Open and percutaneous drainage procedures figured prominently in the management of these infections, with 28% of patients requiring multiple procedures. Pathology specimens were available for 12 of 61 cases. Overall, the treatment success rate was 84%. Conclusions Gram-positive bacteria accounted for most infections at our institution, and management commonly involved open or percutaneous drainage procedures. Future studies that prospectively evaluate treatment strategies for pyomyositis and infectious myositis are warranted.
Codes for high-noise memoryless channels

We consider code design for high-noise memoryless channels, which emerge in various low-power applications, such as IoT or sensor networks. To address this case, we design simple LDPC-type codes that have growing dimension m and length m(m + 1)/2. These codes can be regarded as a "weakly-coded" modulation: they outperform uncoded modulation for the signal-to-noise ratios (SNR) above −3 dB per information bit and achieve a 3 dB gain as SNR grows. Similar to uncoded modulation, these codes also exhibit a floor on the output bit error rate (BER) for any m. To improve code performance, information bits are further protected with some polar code of length m. The overall design has low complexity of order m2 log m and a vanishing BER of order exp{−m1/2}. It substantially outperforms biorthogonal codes for any SNR > 0 dB given the same code rate or blocklength.
Neu(ronal) custodians of cutaneous immunity.

Sensory neurons have surfaced as key instigators of skin inflammation. In this issue of Cell, Zhang et al. define an anti-inflammatory Langerhans cell (LC)-neuron-mast cell (MC) circuit that underlies skin immune homeostasis. They uncover a role for LCs in maintaining innervation of MrgprD+ nonpeptidergic neurons that restrain MC activation via glutamate secretion.
Dr. Robert Butler’s Legacy in Defining and Fighting Ageism

Robert N. Butler, MD (1927–2010), coined the term “ageism” in 1969 to define an age-driven bigotry that disengaged older persons from virtually all sectors of American life. As founding director of...
Predicting sintering window during supersolidus liquid phase sintering of steels using feedstock analysis and CALPHAD

Abstract Binder jet 3D printing results in carbon pickup from the binder at the inter-particle regions during binder burnout. The excess carbon lowers the solidus temperature of the green part locally during supersolidus liquid phase sintering (SLPS). Currently, thermodynamic calculations rely on the use of bulk powder compositions to predict the sintering window. This can overestimate the sintering temperature since the local increase in carbon on powder surfaces is not accounted for, that can locally lower the solidus temperature during SLPS. Here we show that using the inputs from feedstock and binder analysis, the excess carbon and hence the sintering window for the alloy can be predicted using CALPHAD. We present a case study on applying the proposed approach for pressureless sintering of binder jet additive manufactured (BJAM) of H13 steel via SLPS.
Renovating and Expanding Special Collections Facilities at Towson University

In order to provide the university archives at Towson University with more space, the Library undertook a renovation of the archives. This article provides a brief history and overview of the Library and archives and details the renovation project which included some eco-friendly changes.
Chapter 2 Aerosol-Cloud Interactions

Publisher Summary This chapter presents a review of two of the aerosol–cloud–climate interactions: the effects of atmospheric aerosol on clouds, and the effects of clouds on atmospheric aerosol. The corresponding aerosol–cloud interactions over the continents are depicted. The main sources of sulfur and nitrogen gases are from anthropogenic and biomass combustion. These gases can be absorbed into cloud particles; they are oxidized to form aerosol, some of which can serve as cloud condensation nuclei (CCN). CCN are also injected directly into the atmosphere from the Earth's surface. Aqueous-phase chemical reactions in clouds can enhance the activity of CCN released from evaporating clouds. Also, in-cloud chemical reactions are probably often the main mechanism for acidifying cloud water and precipitation in polluted air, with nucleation scavenging and below-cloud removal generally playing important but lesser roles. Clouds and precipitation are important sinks for atmospheric aerosol. This affects the size distribution and chemical nature of atmospheric aerosol and the chemical composition of clouds and precipitation. In addition to modifying existing aerosol, some recent research indicates that clouds can be involved in the nucleation of new aerosol.
Redesigning the rationale for design rationale

One goal of design rationale systems is to support designers by providing a means to record and communicate the argumentation and reasoning behind the design process. However, there are several inherent limitations to developing systems that effectively capture and utilize design rationale. The dynamic and contextual nature of design and our inability to exhaustively analyze all possible design issues results in cognitive, capture, retrieval, and usage limitations. In addition, there are the organizational limitations that ensue when systems are deployed. In this paper we analyze the essential problems that prevent the successful development and use of design rationale systems. We argue that useful and effective design rationale systems cannot be built unless we carefully redefine the goal of design rationale systems.
EventNet: inferring temporal relations between commonsense events

In this paper, we describe EventNet, a toolkit for inferring temporal relations between Commonsense events. It comprises 10,000 nodes and 30,000 temporal links mined from the Openmind Commonsense Knowledge Base. It enables applications to deduce "obvious" (to people) temporal relations between commonly occurring events, for example: First, you wake up, then you can leave the house in the morning. The temporal relation might be one of cause and effect, of action/goal or prerequisite relations, or simply that they tend to follow each other in a commonly occurring “script”. In addition, the algorithm has some built-in heuristics to infer when its information is not enough. It then finds semantically similar nodes to dynamically search the knowledge base. EventNet has been used in projects such as an intelligent kitchen, and in intelligent interfaces for consumer electronics devices.
The Individuation of Events

When are events identical, when distinct? What criteria are there for deciding one way or the other in particular cases?
Constraint Prioritization for Efficient Analysis of Declarative Models

The declarative modeling language Alloy and its automatic analyzer provide an effective tool-set for building designs of systems and checking their properties. The Alloy Analyzer performs bounded exhaustive analysis using off-the-shelf SAT solvers. The analyzer's performance hinges on the complexity of the models and so far, its feasibility has been shown only within limited bounds. We present a novel optimization technique that defines program slicing for declarative models and enables efficient analyses exploiting partial solutions. We present an algorithm that computes transient slices for Alloy models by partitioning them into a base and a derived slice. A satisfying solution to the base slice is systematically extended to generate a solution for the entire model, while unsatisfiability of the base implies unsatisfiability of the entire model. By generating slices, our approach enables constraint prioritization, where the base slice assumes higher priority than the derived slice. Compared to the complete model, base and derived slices represent smaller and, ideally, simpler sub-problems, which, in turn, enables efficient analyses for the underlying SAT solvers. Our approach analyzes the structure of a given model and constructs a set of candidate slicing criteria. Our prototype tool, Kato, performs a small-scope analysis for each criterion to determine whether declarative slicing optimization provides any performance gain and, if so, to select a criterion that is likely to provide an optimal performance enhancement. The experimental results show that, with declarative slicing, it is possible to achieve significant improvements compared to the Alloy Analyzer.
Short-time windows of correlation between large-scale functional brain networks predict vigilance intraindividually and interindividually.

A better understanding of how behavioral performance emerges from interacting brain systems may come from analysis of functional networks using functional magnetic resonance imaging. Recent studies comparing such networks with human behavior have begun to identify these relationships, but few have used a time scale small enough to relate their findings to variation within a single individual's behavior. In the present experiment we examined the relationship between a psychomotor vigilance task and the interacting default mode and task positive networks. Two time-localized comparative metrics were calculated: difference between the two networks' signals at various time points around each instance of the stimulus (peristimulus times) and correlation within a 12.3-s window centered at each peristimulus time. Correlation between networks was also calculated within entire resting-state functional imaging runs from the same individuals. These metrics were compared with response speed on both an intraindividual and an interindividual basis. In most cases, a greater difference or more anticorrelation between networks was significantly related to faster performance. While interindividual analysis showed this result generally, using intraindividual analysis it was isolated to peristimulus times 4 to 8 s before the detected target. Within that peristimulus time span, the effect was stronger for individuals who tended to have faster response times. These results suggest that the relationship between functional networks and behavior can be better understood by using shorter time windows and also by considering both intraindividual and interindividual variability. Hum Brain Mapp 34:3280–3298, 2013. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Racial Socialization, Racial Identity, and Academic Attitudes Among African American Adolescents: Examining the Moderating Influence of Parent–Adolescent Communication

A significant gap remains in our understanding of the conditions under which parents’ racial socialization has consequences for adolescents’ functioning. The present study used longitudinal data to examine whether the frequency of communication between African American parents and adolescents (N = 504; 49 % female) moderates the association between parent reports of racial socialization (i.e., cultural socialization and preparation for bias) at 8th grade and adolescent reports of racial identity (perceived structural discrimination, negative public regard, success-oriented centrality) at 11th grade, and in turn, academic attitudes and perceptions. Parents’ racial socialization practices were significant predictors of multiple aspects of adolescents’ racial identity in families with high levels of communication, but they did not predict any aspects of adolescents’ racial identity in families with low levels of communication. Results highlight the importance of including family processes when examining the relations between parents’ racial socialization and adolescents’ racial identity and academic attitudes and perceptions.
Released lipids regulate Transient Receptor Potential Channel (TRP)-dependent oral cancer pain

Pain in the head neck area is an early symptom in oral cancer, supporting the hypothesis that cancer cells control the activities of surrounding nociceptors at the site of the tumor. Several reports implicate TRPV1 and TRPA1 in cancer pain, although there is a large gap in knowledge since the mechanisms for tumor-induced activation of these TRP receptors are unknown. Interestingly, TRP-active lipids such as linoleic acid, arachidonic acid, hydroxyoctadecadienoic acid and hydroxyeicosatetraenoic acid are significantly elevated in the saliva of oral cancer patients compared to normal patients, supporting a possible linkage between these lipids and oral cancer pain. We therefore hypothesize that oral squamous cell carcinomas release certain lipids that activate TRPV1 and/or TRPA1 on sensory neurons, contributing to the development of oral cancer pain. Lipid extracts were made from conditioned media of three human oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) cell lines as well as one normal human oral keratinocytes cell line. These were then injected intraplantarly into rat hindpaws to measure spontaneous nocifensive behavior, as well as thermal and mechanical allodynia. For interventional experiments, the animals were pretreated with AMG517 (TRPV1 antagonist) or HC030031 (TRPA1 antagonist) prior to extract injection. These studies demonstrate that lipids released from the three OSCC cell lines, but not the normal cell line, were capable of producing significant spontaneous nocifensive behaviors, as well as thermal and mechanical allodynia. Notably each of the cell lines produced a different magnitude of response for each of three behavioral assays. Importantly, pre-treatment with a TRPVI antagonist blocked lipid-mediated nocifensive and thermal hypersensitivity, but not mechanical hypersensitivity. In addition, pre-treatment with a TRPA1 antagonist only reversed thermal hypersensitivity without affecting lipid-induced nocifensive behavior or mechanical allodynia. These data reveal a novel mechanism for cancer pain and provide strong direction for future studies evaluating the cellular mechanism regulating the TRP-active lipids by OSCC tumors.
Discounting by Probabilistic Waiting

In everyday life, many probabilistic situations may be characterized as probabilistic waiting. A gambler, for example, bets repeatedly at the racetrack, the casino, or the card table. The gambler may not win on the first try, but if a gamble is repeated enough times, a win is almost certain to occur eventually. If repeated gambles are structured as strings of losses ending in a win (probabilistic waiting) and the amount won is discounted by the delay caused by the series of losses, then strings with many losses will be discounted more than those with fewer losses, thereby causing subjective value of the series of gambles as a whole to increase. The current study used the opposite effect that amount has on the degree of delay and probability discounting as a marker to determine whether people evaluate situations involving probabilistic waiting as they evaluate situations involving delayed outcomes or as situations involving probabilistic outcomes. We find that the more likely a probabilistic waiting situation is to end in reward (e.g., a gamble is repeated indefinitely until reward is obtained), the more that situation conforms to delay discounting; the less likely a probabilistic waiting situation is to end in reward (e.g., a fixed, small number of gambles), the more that situation conforms to probability discounting. We argue that the former situation is applicable to pathological gambling, and that people with steep delay discount functions would therefore be more likely to have gambling problems. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Mechanisms and Consequences of Small Supernumerary Marker Chromosomes: From Barbara McClintock to Modern Genetic-Counseling Issues

Supernumerary marker chromosomes (SMCs) are common, but their molecular content and mechanism of origin are often not precisely characterized. We analyzed all centromere regions to identify the junction between the unique chromosome arm and the pericentromeric repeats. A molecular-ruler clone panel for each chromosome arm was developed and used for the design of a custom oligonucleotide array. Of 27 nonsatellited SMCs analyzed by array comparative genomic hybridization (aCGH) and/or fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH), seven (approximately 26%) were shown to be unique sequence negative. Of the 20 unique-sequence-positive SMCs, the average unique DNA content was approximately 6.5 Mb (range 0.3–22.2 Mb) and 33 known genes (range 0–149). Of the 14 informative nonacrocentric SMCs, five (approximately 36%) contained unique DNA from both the p and q arms, whereas nine (approximately 64%) contained unique DNA from only one arm. The latter cases are consistent with ring-chromosome formation by centromere misdivision, as first described by McClintock in maize. In one case, a r(4) containing approximately 4.4 Mb of unique DNA from 4p was also present in the proband's mother. However, FISH revealed a cryptic deletion in one chromosome 4 and reduced alpha satellite in the del(4) and r(4), indicating that the mother was a balanced ring and deletion carrier. Our data, and recent reports in the literature, suggest that this “McClintock mechanism” of small-ring formation might be the predominant mechanism of origin. Comprehensive analysis of SMCs by aCGH and FISH can distinguish unique-negative from unique-positive cases, determine the precise gene content, and provide information on mechanism of origin, inheritance, and recurrence risk.
MORALITY AND WAR: CAN WAR BE JUST IN THE TWENTY-FIRST CENTURY?

While contemporary wars are trending away from conventional methods and governments are faced with increasingly difficult decisions about how to wage war, Fisher declares nonetheless that the just war tradition continues to offer a valid standard for determining the moral justification of acts of war. Fisher declares the aim of his book to be –
Craniofacial-deafness-hand syndrome revisited.

In 1983 Sommer described a new syndrome in a mother and her infant daughter which was subsequently called the syndrome of craniofacial, hand anomalies and sensorineural deafness. The syndrome consisted of a normal calvarium with a flat facial profile, hypertelorism and small palpebral fissures with an antimongoloid slant, a depressed nasal bridge with a button tip and slitlike nares and a small "pursed" mouth. Profound sensorineural hearing loss and ulnar deviation of the hands with flexion contractures of digits three, four and five was evident. The family had another child, a son, two years after the birth of the index case that had the exact manifestations as his mother and sister. Because of three affected family members in two generations and a phenotype of midfacial anomalies and dystopia canthorum resembling Waardenburg syndrome, a search for mutations in the PAX3 gene was undertaken. A missense mutation in the paired domain of PAX3 (Asn47Lys) was detected. We have provided a 20-year follow-up of a syndrome characterized by craniofacial anomalies, hearing loss and hand deformities and which is caused by a PAX3 missense mutation.