cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Future Priorities for Development Informatics Research from the Post-2015 Development Agenda

At the end of 2015, the Millennium Development Goals will be replaced by the post-2015 development agenda (PTDA). The foundational content is in place for this new agenda, which will be the single most-important force shaping the future of international development. In planning our priorities for development informatics research ? the academic study of ICT4D policy and practice ? we should therefore pay close attention to the PTDA.This paper undertakes a comparative analysis of the post-2015 development agenda versus the current content of development informatics (DI) research. From this analysis, it identifies a set of post-2015 priorities in international development which have to date been under-emphasised within development informatics. In all, 16 development informatics research gaps for a post-2015 world are identified. The research agenda for each gap is described alongside the more general need for DI research to break out of the ?ICT4D bubble? and engage more with the development mainstream.Those gaps, plus other key topics, are used to create a map of post-2015 development informatics research priorities; a map which will be of significant value to academic and other researchers planning their future DI activities. The paper ends by contemplating what the key narrative will be for the coming ?fifth wave? of development informatics research: sustainable informatics, inclusive informatics, or Development 2.0.
Mediterranean Fruit Fly : Dispersal of Wild and Irradiated and Untreated Laboratory-Reared Males

Dispersal studies of wild and of irradiated and unirradiated, laboratory-reared Ceratitis capitata (Wiedemann) males were carried out in a 72.7-ha subtropical fruit orchard near Waimanalo, Hawaii. In five releases, 10.6% of 154,590 male flies which were released in the center of the orchard were recovered in all 54 Steiner traps baited with trimedlure. Of the 21,770 wild males unirradiated and released, the recovery was 8.0%. Of the 132,820 laboratory-reared males irradiated with 0, 5, 10, 15, and 20 krad and released, the recoveries were 12.7, 11.9, 11.0, 10.0, and 9.2%, respectively. Significantly fewer wild flies than laboratory-reared flies were caught for releases 1 to 3, but there were no differences for releases 4 and 5. More laboratory-reared than wild flies were recovered at almost all distances. In general, the laboratory-reared flies treated with lower irradiation levels flew farther than those treated with the higher levels.
Computational Analysis of D.C. Polarographic Waves

The computational analyses of the polarograms composed of two or three overlapping reversible waves are attempted to separate by referring the corresponding theoretical equations. Good resolution is obtained for the polarogram of Pb++-Tl+ system, the difference between whose half-wave potentials is 40 mV.
A Behavioral Study of Two Races of the Fall Webworm, Hyphantria cunea, (Lepidoptera: Arctiidae) in Louisiana

Fall webworms, Hyphantria cunea (Drury), found in Louisiana differ in appearance and morphology. Those designated as an “orange race” construct compact nests. Nests of the black race are diffuse and generally subdivided into several small nests. The “black race” infests 34 hosts, of which sweetgum, persimmon, and willow seem to be preferred, and the “orange race” infests 7 hosts, of which pecan and persimmon are preferred. Adults of the two forms will cross in the laboratory and produce viable Fi and F2 progeny. There are considerable clifferences in manner of egg deposition and larval behavior.
“Our Only Child Has Died”—A Study of Bereaved Older Chinese Parents:

Long and complicated grief is a relevant factor contributing to the deterioration of the older adults’ later life quality. In China, the unintentional consequence of the one-child policy has emerged. There, the group of older adults who lost their only child is called shiduers. The current study compared 42 older adults who lost their only child to 33 older adults who have a child, in term of their physical and mental health, and social support. The results confirmed the general deteriorating trend in those aspects of the bereaved Chinese parents’ life after their only child’s death. The results also revealed the impairments on the shiduers’ physical, mental, and social aspects were significant, compared to the clinical diagnosis cutoff points used in Western countries. Unique policy and cultural characteristics are the main factors contributing to the severe impairment of shiduers. Results have implications for policy advocacy and practice intervention in specific cultural environments.
Research on Extracting Medical Diagnosis Rules Mining Based on Rough Sets Theory

Analyze how to extract medical diagnosis rules from medical cases. Based on the rough set theory, a way to acquiring knowledge was bring forward. Using this theory, the data was analyzed, possible rules was proposed, and a optimized probability formula was showed. By analyzing instances, the implement step of the way explained, including discreting continuous information system, reducting information system, acquiring decision rules and generating decision model, and so on. In the end, the whole process of knowledge acquisition was discussed, and this option can effective solve the choke point problem of acquiring knowledge in expert system. At the same time, it also provides new brainchild to solve the artificial intelligence technology's application in the field of medicinal diagnosing.
Who's Talking Here: Finding the Voice in Gravity's Rainbow

It goes without saying that Gravity's Rainbow is one of those books which resist, almost diabolically, traditional critical approaches. It has no plot that anyone can follow. One critic, Douglas Fouler, has even gone so far as to say that, because the novel "is unsatisfactory in the resolution of its sub-plots," it is less a novel and more an enormous lyric poem or perhaps a series of "minutely detailed romantic fantasies" a la Mad Comics. The other problem with the novel is that it also has no single consistent narrative voice. The voice seems, rather, to be a veritable cacophony of fragmented voices.
Groups and Subgroups

Group theory is the study of symmetries, with a very wide domain of applications. In this work we are interested in laying the groundwork for application to solid-state physics and other areas of technology. The basic notions developed in the first five chapters of the present work are universal and apply to many areas of application.
Barbatianus in the Later Middle Ages

The afterlife of Ravenna’s tenth-century hagiography, and in particular the Vita Barbatiani, is discussed in this chapter. The vita became source for a sermon written in the eleventh century by Peter Damian, in which the sanctity of Barbatianus becomes centered on his humility rather than his miraculous abilities. The Vita Barbatiani itself, however, remained popular throughout the twelfth century and was diffused in manuscripts beyond Ravenna’s immediate realm of influence through the patronage of monasteries by noble families with strong roots to the city.
Acoustic actuation of bioinspired microswimmers

Acoustic actuation of bioinspired microswimmers is experimentally demonstrated. Microswimmers are fabricated in situ in a microchannel. Upon acoustic excitation, the flagellum of the microswimmer oscillates, which in turn generates linear or rotary movement depending on the swimmer design. The speed of these bioinspired microswimmers is tuned by adjusting the voltage amplitude applied to the acoustic transducer. Simple microfabrication and remote actuation are promising for biomedical applications.
Interferometric phase-based dual-wavelength tomography

We describe our phase-sensitive interferometry technique implemented as phase dispersion microscopy (PDM)/optical tomography (PDOT). The technique is based on measuring the phase difference between fundamental and second harmonic low coherence light in a novel interferometer. We attain high sensitivity to subtle refractive index differences due to dispersion with a differential optical path sensitivity of 5 nm. Using PDM, we show that ballistic light in a turbid medium undergoes a phase velocity change that is dependent on scatterer size. We demonstrate that the microscopy technique performs better than a conventional phase contrast microscope in imaging dispersive and weakly scattering samples. The tomographic implementation of the technique (PDOT) can complement Optical Coherence Tomography (OCT) by providing phase information about the scanned object.
Structural and Biochemical Investigation of PglF from Campylobacter jejuni Reveals a New Mechanism for a Member of the Short Chain Dehydrogenase/Reductase Superfamily.

Within recent years it has become apparent that protein glycosylation is not limited to eukaryotes. Indeed, in Campylobacter jejuni, a Gram-negative bacterium, more than 60 of its proteins are known to be glycosylated. One of the sugars found in such glycosylated proteins is 2,4-diacetamido-2,4,6-trideoxy-α-d-glucopyranose, hereafter referred to as QuiNAc4NAc. The pathway for its biosynthesis, initiating with UDP-GlcNAc, requires three enzymes referred to as PglF, PglE, and PlgD. The focus of this investigation is on PglF, an NAD+-dependent sugar 4,6-dehydratase known to belong to the short chain dehydrogenase/reductase (SDR) superfamily. Specifically, PglF catalyzes the first step in the pathway, namely, the dehydration of UDP-GlcNAc to UDP-2-acetamido-2,6-dideoxy-α-d-xylo-hexos-4-ulose. Most members of the SDR superfamily contain a characteristic signature sequence of YXXXK where the conserved tyrosine functions as a catalytic acid or a base. Strikingly, in PglF, this residue is a methionine. Here we de...
PROFOUND VISUAL RECOVERY AT 16 MONTHS AFTER RESOLUTION OF SEROUS RETINAL DETACHMENTS SECONDARY TO THROMBOTIC THROMBOCYTOPENIC PURPURA: CASE REPORT AND LITERATURE REVIEW.

Purpose To report a unique case of dramatic improvement in objective visual function during the recovery phase, after resolution of thrombotic thrombocytopenic purpura-related serous retinal detachments and to review prognostic trends in reported cases involving the macula. Methods Observational case report and literature review. Results A 36-year-old white woman with thrombotic thrombocytopenic purpura developed vision loss from serous retinal detachments in both eyes. Over a 16-month period, after both retinae remained attached, best-corrected visual acuity improved from 20/400 to 20/50 in both eyes with dramatic improvement on optical coherence tomography and autofluorescence imaging. Conclusion Although thrombotic thrombocytopenic purpura is a life-threatening illness, visual prognosis in patients with macula off serous retinal detachments appears excellent. Most cases reviewed in literature improved to baseline visual acuity, but recovery periods ranged from days to many months. Hyperautofluorescent granularity on autofluorescence photography may be an indicator of chronic retinal detachment and a more delayed visual recovery.
Incorporating Seeds in Activated Carbon Pellets Limits Herbicide Effects to Seeded Bunchgrasses When Controlling Exotic Annuals

Abstract Revegetation of exotic annual grass − invaded rangeland with preemergent herbicides is challenging because seeding is delayed until herbicide toxicity has diminished, but at this time, exotic annuals can be reinvading. Incorporating seeds into activated carbon pellets may allow seeding to occur at the same time as exotic annuals are controlled with a preemergent herbicide because activated carbon can neutralize the herbicide in the microsite around seeds. I evaluated using activated carbon pellets with six species seeded at the same time imazapic was applied to control exotic annual grasses at two sites. Two of the six species establish enough at one site to evaluate the effects of pellets. These two bunchgrasses had greater density and growth (height, leaf length, number of stems and leaves) when incorporated into activated carbon pellets compared with seeded as bare seed. This demonstrates activated carbon pellets can be used to protect seeded bunchgrasses from imazapic applied to control exotic annuals.
Moderate Vocabulary Visual Concept Detection for the TRECVID 2002

The explosion in multimodal content availability underlines the necessity for content management at a semantic level. We have cast the problem of detecting semantics in multimedia content as a pattern classification problem and the problem of building models of multimodal semantics as a learning problem. Recent trends show increasing use of statistical machine learning providing a computational framework for mapping low level media features to high level semantic concepts. In this chapter we expose the challenges that these techniques face. We show that if a lexicon of visual concepts is identified a priori, a statistical framework can be used to build visual feature models for the concepts in the lexicon. Using support vector machine (SVM) classification we build models for 34 semantic concepts for the TREC 2002 benchmark corpus. We study the effect of number of examples available for training with respect to their impact on detection. We also examine low level feature fusion as well as parameter sensitivity with SVM classifiers.
Glycosylation enzyme mRNA expression in dorsolateral prefrontal cortex of elderly patients with schizophrenia: Evidence for dysregulation of multiple glycosylation pathways

Altered protein post-translational modifications such as glycosylation have become a target of investigation in the pathophysiology of schizophrenia. Disrupted glycosylation associated processes including atypical sphingolipid metabolism, reduced polysialylation of cell adhesion molecules, abnormal proteoglycan expression, and irregular glycan synthesis and branching have also been reported in this disorder. These pathways are regulated by the expression of glycosidases and glycosyltransferases, classes of enzymes which comprise approximately 2% of the genome. Many glycosylation enzymes can participate in multiple glycosylation pathways and dysregulation of enzyme expression could represent a common mechanism leading to a variety of glycan processing deficits in schizophrenia. In matched pairs of elderly schizophrenia and comparison subject (N = 12 pairs) dorsolateral prefrontal cortex, we measured mRNA levels of 84 key glycosylation enzymes by qPCR array. We found dysregulated transcript expression of 36 glycosylation enzymes from 12 functional categories. All of the abnormally expressed enzymes demonstrated increased transcript expression in schizophrenia, and many altered enzymes are known to modify substrates that have been previously implicated in the pathophysiology this illness. These findings suggest that abnormal glycosylation enzyme expression in schizophrenia may contribute to dysregulation of multiple glycosylation pathways, and disruptions of these central cell signaling processes may underlie a variety of deficits in schizophrenia.
Middle-aged gay men, ageing and ageism: over the rainbow?

Addressing an existing void in lesbian, gay, bisexual and transsexual (LGBT) research, Middle-Aged Gay Men, Ageing and Ageism: Over the Rainbow? brings attention to the lived experiences of middle-...
Shifts in Soil Bacterial Communities as a Function of Carbon Source Used During Anaerobic Soil Disinfestation

Anaerobic soil disinfestation (ASD) is an organic amendment-based management practice for controlling soil-borne plant pathogens. Pathogen suppression appears to be carbon source-dependent and mediated by bacteria that proliferate and produce volatile organic compounds, as well as physico-chemical changes (i.e., elevated temperature, lowered redox potential and pH, release of metal ions) in soil. ASD is under study for adoption in tree crops as a replacement for chemical-fumigation, but its widespread use is limited by incomplete understanding of its suppression mechanisms and high economic costs. The carbon substrate is one component of the ASD process that can be optimized to enhance effectiveness and affordability. While rice bran is currently the standard carbon source used for ASD, we identified three alternative substrates (molasses, mustard seed meal, and tomato pomace) that are similar in efficacy to rice bran at generating and sustaining soil anoxia and reducing populations of introduced plant pathogens. Here, we used replicated ASD field trials to determine if rice bran and the alternative carbon substrates would elicit similar soil bacterial communities (characterized via amplicon sequencing of the 16S rRNA gene v4 region) and to assess if any observed community shifts were consistent across repeated trials. We found significant, but minimal differences in community composition between ASD carbon treatments (F4,30 = 2.80, P 5 log2 fold change) in all ASD treatments compared to untreated controls. A group of shared core genera belonging to the Clostridiales and Selenomonadales were identified in both trials and constituted 22.6% and 21.5% of the communities. Bacterial taxa that were most responsive to ASD treatments had the genomic potential for denitrification, nitrogen fixation, and fermentation reactions that produce organic acids (such as acetate and butyrate) known to inhibit in vitro growth of plant pathogens based on predicted metagenomes. Together, these results indicate that reproducible and effective implementation of ASD is achievable with alternative carbon substrates to rice bran.
Striking a balance in an antibody network: A roadmap for HIV-1 vaccines

With almost 2 million new HIV-1 infections in 2018, a highly effective vaccine is imperative. Vaccine-elicited HIV-1 antibodies contribute to protection through multiple nonneutralizing activities, but the exact mechanisms remain unknown. In this issue of the JCI, Neidich and associates sought to determine how antibodies contributed to reducing the risk of HIV-1 acquisition in a phase IIb preventative vaccine efficacy trial, HVTN 505. Their studies revealed that antibody-dependent cellular phagocytosis (ADCP) and FcγRIIa binding were strongly associated with reduced HIV-1 risk; however, HIV-1 envelope-specific IgG3, IgA; and host FcγRIIa genotype also influenced risk. This study highlights the intricate interactions between antibodies and innate immune functions in humans.
Early implementation of a postoperative nutrition support pathway for patients undergoing esophagectomy.

344Background: A significant risk of malnutrition burdens patients with esophageal cancer undergoing esophagectomy as tumor-related dysphagia and side effects of chemoradiation impair the patients’...
Designing for Robustness: Overcoming Systemic Risk in the Political Branches

In October 2013, the President and Congress failed to agree on an appropriations bill or continuing resolution to fund government services. That inciting incident prompted a sixteen-day government shutdown. The effects of this shutdown created a chain reaction emanating from Independence Avenue to Wall Street to Main Street, crippling government services, and costing the country billions. Historically, the separation of powers has helped the U.S. political system to thrive. However, the 2013 crisis shows that sometimes the checks and balances written into the Constitution exacerbate, and are insufficient to manage, breakdowns that can grind the government to a halt and cast a shadow over the entire country.
Use of Heart Rate Index to Predict Oxygen Uptake – A Validation Study

An equation that uses heart rate index (HRI) defined as HR/HRrest to predict oxygen uptake (VO2) in METs (e.g., METs = 6 × HRI - 5) has been developed retrospectively from aggregate data of 60 published studies. However, the prediction error of this model as used by an individual has not been established. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to examine the predictive validity of the HRI equation by comparing submaximal and maximal VO2 predicted by the equation (VO2-Pred) with that measured by indirect calorimetry (VO2-Meas). Sixty healthy adults (age 20.5 ± 2.4 yr., body mass 69.4 ± 13.4 kg, height 1.7 ± 0.1 m) underwent a VO2max test and an experimental trial consisting of a 15-min resting measurement and three successive 10-min treadmill exercise bouts performed at 40%, 60% and 80% of VO2max. VO2 and HR were recorded during both the submaximal and maximal exercises and used to obtain VO2-Pred and VO2-Meas for each intensity and for VO2max. Validation was carried out by paired t-test, regression analysis, and Bland-Altman plots. A modest but significant (p < 0.05) correlation was observed between VO2-Meas and VO2-Pred at 40% (r = 0.58), 60% (r = 0.53), and 80% of VO2max (r = 0.56) and at VO2max (r = 0.50). No differences between VO2-Pred and VO2-Meas were found at 40% (5.53 ± 1.21 vs. 5.28 ± 0.98 METs, respectively) of VO2max, but VO2-Pred was higher (p < 0.05) than VO2-Meas at 60% (8.42 ± 1.77 vs. 7.96 ± 1.39 METs, respectively) and 80% (10.79 ± 2.13 vs. 10.29 ± 1.81 METs, respectively) of VO2max. In contrast, VO2-Pred was lower (p < 0.05) than VO2-Meas at VO2max (12.32 ± 2.30 vs. 13.38 ± 2.24 METs, respectively). Standard errors of the estimate were 0.81, 1.20, 1.54, and 1.97 METs at 40%, 60%, 80% of VO2max and at VO2max, respectively. These results suggest that further investigation aimed to establish the accuracy of using HRI to predict VO2 is warranted.
Should Dynamic Scoring be done with Heterogeneous Agent-Based Models? Challenging the Conventional Wisdom

Traditionally, Dynamic Scoring calculations experiments are carried out using representative agent based macroeconomic models. Existing literature does not provide any objection to this approach. In this paper, I develop a heterogeneous agent model similar to the Saver-Spenders model of Mankiw (2000). But spenders in my model are merely credit constrained and not rule-of-thumb consumers. Both groups are intertemporal optimizers because of the existence of Internal Habit Persistence. Transition path of most of the macro and fiscal variables for various tax cuts under alternative financing scheme shows pattern which are significantly different and sometimes contrasting to the representative agent model. Dynamic scoring calculations reveal a downward bias of the representative agent model. Underestimation of the dynamic response could be as large as 45%. Finally, steady state results indicate smaller impact of contractionary policies on major fiscal variables such as net tax revenue and tax base. Over all, the paper argues that the need to use heterogeneous agent based model in dynamic fiscal calculations is not only desirable, but also essential.
From Fuel-Poor to Radiant: Morocco’s Energy Geopolitics and Renewable Energy Strategy

Morocco is a leader in the Middle East and North African region in renewable energy. It seeks to source 52% of its electricity capacity from renewable energy by 2030. A traditionally fuel-poor country, Morocco aims to improve its energy security and to reframe itself as an energy-wealthy country awash with renewable energy resources. It has reorganized its energy organizations to institutionalize and rapidly scale up renewable energy development. The state grapples with multiple, sometimes competing forces in its energy policy. Nearly half of its portfolio will still come from fossil fuels, impeding energy independence and constraining budgets. Its closest neighbor, Algeria, is rich in hydrocarbons, but the countries have poor relations because of the conflict over Western Sahara. This has left Morocco in search of alternatives for natural gas imports and impeded political and economic cooperation, as well as grid integration, in the Maghreb. Moreover, the Moroccan government must balance its need for securing international financing and meeting international goals with domestic pressure to achieve an inclusive energy transition that benefits marginalized stakeholders. This chapter argues that all of these complex factors must be taken into consideration to understand Morocco’s renewable energy policy, overall energy policy, and geopolitical calculus.
Assessing the impact of collaborative inquiry on teacher performance and effectiveness

This study tests the hypothesis that teacher-led collaborative inquiry cycles, guided by instructional standards, lead to improved teacher performance and effectiveness. We examine the impact of te...
A Need for Updating the Research Agenda for Cleft Lip and Palate and Extending the Cleft Team Model to Dental Medicine

Care for individuals born with cleft lip and palate is done by a team approach, including dental medicine. However, oral health is not integrated in other situations that affect overall health. This perspective essay makes the case for a universal team approach, having dental medicine integrated regardless of the overall health issue, much like how cleft lip and palate is managed. Furthermore, future research agenda on the etiology of cleft lip and palate in particular will need to be adjusted for a major roadblock: the lack of more sophisticated clinical descriptions for the cases ascertained at birth.
Insurance reimbursements for recombinant zoster vaccine in the private sector

Abstract A two-dose series of the recombinant zoster vaccine (RZV, Shingrix) was licensed by the Food and Drug Administration in 2017 and recommended by the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices in 2018 for adults in the United States age 50 years and older. Despite the health benefits of shingles vaccination, coverage has remained low, with financial barriers among healthcare providers identified as one potential factor. This study estimates the reimbursement levels for RZV among a large sample of privately insured individuals in the US from the 2018 IBM® MarketScan® Commercial Claims and Encounters database. Of 198,534 claims for an RZV dose, the mean reimbursement was $149. Most claims (83%) exceeded $140, which was the private sector vaccine price reported on the CDC vaccine price list in April 2018. These results can be useful for providers considering procuring RZV and for state immunization programs considering ways to improve vaccination coverage.
Defense Suppression through Interplant Communication Depends on the Attacking Herbivore Species.

In response to herbivory, plants emit volatile compounds that play important roles in plant defense. Herbivore-induced plant volatiles (HIPVs) can deter herbivores, recruit natural enemies, and warn other plants of possible herbivore attack. Following HIPV detection, neighboring plants often respond by enhancing their anti-herbivore defenses, but a recent study found that herbivores can manipulate HIPV-interplant communication for their own benefit and suppress defenses in neighboring plants. Herbivores induce species-specific blends of HIPVs and how these different blends affect the specificity of plant defense responses remains unclear. Here we assessed how HIPVs from zucchini plants (Cucurbita pepo) challenged with different herbivore species affect resistance in neighboring plants. Volatile “emitter” plants were damaged by one of three herbivore species: saltmarsh caterpillars (Estigmene acrea), squash bugs (Anasa tristis), or striped cucumber beetles (Acalymma vittatum), or were left as undamaged controls. Neighboring “receiver” plants were exposed to HIPVs or control volatiles and then challenged by the associated herbivore species. As measures of plant resistance, we quantified herbivore feeding damage and defense-related phytohormones in receivers. We found that the three herbivore species induced different HIPV blends from squash plants. HIPVs induced by saltmarsh caterpillars suppressed defenses in receivers, leading to greater herbivory and lower defense induction compared to controls. In contrast, HIPVs induced by cucumber beetles and squash bugs did not affect plant resistance to subsequent herbivory in receivers. Our study shows that herbivore species identity affects volatile-mediated interplant communication in zucchini, revealing a new example of herbivore defense suppression through volatile cues.
Theoretically and Practically Efficient Parallel Nucleus Decomposition

This paper studies the nucleus decomposition problem, which has been shown to be useful in finding dense substructures in graphs. We present a novel parallel algorithm that is efficient both in theory and in practice. Our algorithm achieves a work complexity matching the best sequential algorithm while also having low depth (parallel running time), which significantly improves upon the only existing parallel nucleus decomposition algorithm (Sariyuce et al., PVLDB 2018). The key to the theoretical efficiency of our algorithm is a new lemma that bounds the amount of work done when peeling cliques from the graph, combined with the use of a theoretically-efficient parallel algorithms for clique listing and bucketing. We introduce several new practical optimizations, including a new multi-level hash table structure to store information on cliques space-efficiently and a technique for traversing this structure cache-efficiently. On a 30-core machine with two-way hyper-threading on real-world graphs, we achieve up to a 55x speedup over the state-of-the-art parallel nucleus decomposition algorithm by Sariyuce et al., and up to a 40x self-relative parallel speedup. We are able to efficiently compute larger nucleus decompositions than prior work on several million-scale graphs for the first time.
Epigenetics and Vasculitis: a Comprehensive Review

Vasculitides represent a group of relatively rare systemic inflammatory diseases of the blood vessels. Despite recent progress in understanding the genetic basis and the underlying pathogenic mechanisms in vasculitis, the etiology and pathogenesis of vasculitis remain incompletely understood. Epigenetic dysregulation plays an important role in immune-mediated diseases, and the contribution of epigenetic aberrancies in vasculitis is increasingly being recognized. Histone modifications in the PR3 and MPO gene loci might be mechanistically involved in the pathogenesis of anti-neutrophil cytoplasmic antibody (ANCA)-associated vasculitis. Similarly, other studies revealed important epigenetic contribution to other vasculitides, including Kawasaki disease and IgA vasculitis. More recently, genome-wide epigenomic studies have been performed in several vasculitides. A recent genome-wide DNA methylation study uncovered an important role for epigenetic remodeling of cytoskeleton-related genes in the pathogenesis of Behcet's disease and suggested that reversal of some of these DNA methylation changes associates with disease remission. Genome-wide DNA methylation profiling characterized the inflammatory response in temporal artery tissue from patients with giant cell arteritis and showed increased activation of calcineurin/nuclear factor of activated T cells (NFAT) signaling, prompting the suggestion that a specific calcineurin/NFAT inhibitor that is well tolerated and with the added beneficial anti-platelet activity, such as dipyridamole, might be of therapeutic potential in giant cell arteritis. While epigenetic studies in systemic vasculitis are still in their infancy, currently available data clearly indicate that investigating the epigenetic mechanisms underlying these diseases will help to better understand the pathogenesis of vasculitis and provide novel targets for the development of disease biomarkers and new therapies.
Screening for Pediatric Blunt Cerebrovascular Injury: Review of Literature and a Cost-Effectiveness Analysis.

Abstract Background Timely and accurate screening for pediatric blunt cerebrovascular injury (BCVI) is important in order to administer appropriate anticoagulation therapy thus preventing stroke. The recommended criteria for screening in children are not clear. We performed a systematic review of the literature for screening and management of BCVI in children and designed a cost-effectiveness analysis in order to determine the optimal strategy for managing pediatric BCVI from a societal perspective. Methods Comprehensive review of studies citing BCVI in pediatric patients was carried out with data extraction and compilation. An economic evaluation of 5 possible screening strategies was performed by designing a decision tree over a 1-year horizon using parameters derived from literature review. Base case calculations were made to compare cost effectiveness for each strategy. Monte Carlo simulation and extensive sensitivity analyses were performed to examine the robustness of the conclusion against key variables. Results Selective anticoagulation therapy in patients with high-risk factors was found to be the most cost-effective strategy and selective computed tomography angiography (CTA) in high-risk patients was the optimal imaging strategy. This conclusion was corroborated by a Monte Carlo simulation of 10,000 iterations. In all sensitivity analyses, selective anticoagulation and selective CTA continue to be the optimal strategy until the risk of anticoagulation complications rises above 3.9%. Conclusions Our study demonstrated selective CTA to be the optimal imaging strategy in order to assess BCVI in children. Further studies are needed for more clearly defined screening criteria.
Haciendo fila para ver "La guerra de las galaxias": ¿fanatismo extremo o devoción religiosa?

El articulo se basa en una serie de entrevistas y observaciones de las personas que acamparon por seis dias para hacer la fila para comprar los boletos de la pelicula "Star Wars", Episode I: The Phantom Menace#" del director George Lucas.
Coprocessor-based hierarchical trust management for software integrity and digital identity protection

Malware and rootkits are serious security threats. They can be designed to be resistant to anti-virus and security software and even remain totally undetectable. This paper describes a hierarchical trust management scheme, where the root of trust is in a non-tamperable hardware co-processor on a PCI bus. The security device checks a part of the OS kernel for integrity, which in turn checks other parts until we ensure the entire system is free of rootkits. The checker can be extended to encompass all applications and anti-virus software. Our system can detect any illegal modifications to kernel, loadable kernel modules and user applications. It also provides a secure communication line for user interaction to manage legal software updates. Moreover, this device can securely perform user authentication and protect digital identity against identity theft. Our tests show that we can correctly detect different real-world and synthetic rootkits even though the host kernel is compromised.
Deriving Categories to Achieve Goals

Publisher Summary This chapter discusses that categorization focuses on the issue of access. Prototype models, exemplar models, and connectionist models are all attempts to address this issue. Certainly, the issue of access is important and challenging, and solving it has significant implications for both theoretical and applied research. Models of categorization seem to view categorization as an end in itself. The purpose of categorization is not to know an entity's category. Instead, the purpose of categorization is to identify information in memory that provides useful inferences. Upon accessing a category for an entity, a tremendous amount of knowledge becomes available that is useful in a variety of ways. This knowledge may specify the origins of the entity, its physical structure, its probable behavior, its implications for the perceiver's goals, or actions for interacting with it successfully. Accessing a category is not an end in itself but is instead the gateway to knowledge for understanding an entity and interacting with it appropriately. The chapter focuses on the roles that categories play in the cognitive system following their access. For example, it has been proposed that goal-derived categories provide sets of instantiations for frame attributes during planning and that common taxonomic categories constitute the building blocks of world models. To make significant progress, it is necessary to explore important issues for which meticulous answers do not exist initially but exist eventually.
Interactions among Adriatic continental margin morphology, deep circulation and bedform patterns

Abstract Within the Mediterranean region, the Adriatic basin is one of the key sites for the formation and spreading of dense shelf water. Once formed in the northern shallow region as a response to strong, wintry cold air outbreaks, dense water masses move southeastwards as bottom-hugging gravity currents, eventually reaching the south Adriatic continental margin. A fraction of the dense water mass is thus intercepted by the shelf break, whence it flows down the continental slope driven by its negative buoyancy and interacting with ambient water and seafloor topography. This process generates a wide variety of dynamics and morphological features, such as erosional moats, furrows, giant comet marks, sediment drifts, and sediment waves. In this study we merge the outcomes of a state-of-the-art wave-ocean coupled numerical model with the geological evidence from the analysis of southern Adriatic bedform patterns. The model was run to reproduce an exceptional cold event that occurred in winter 2012, and benefits from a high-resolution bottom topography produced from data collected during recent bathymetric surveys. Model results allow the identification of flow pathways along and across the continental shelf and slope, with particular emphasis on the role of large-scale margin geometry in controlling morphodynamic processes and its implications in terms of resolution requirements for modelling purposes. Although modelled overall water fluxes and basin renewal ratios are mostly controlled by regional circulation and large-scale morphology, local topographic features and singularities appear crucial in triggering, concentrating and modulating bottom currents dynamics and sediment transport towards the South Adriatic Pit, as well as enhancing mixing and entrainment of ambient water. As long as this degree of information is provided within the bathymetric constraint, modelled hydrodynamic pathways in the study case are consistent with observed bedform morphology and their spatial pattern. For different zones in the continental slope, temporal variability of the flows has been investigated, permitting to disentangle the relative contribution of dense water cascading and background circulation at the basin and sub-basin scale in controlling bedform dynamics. This study gives a first quantitative insight on the hydrodynamic mechanisms responsible for South Adriatic Margin reshaping, suggesting a modelling approach to the interpretation of the high-resolution bathymetric and stratigraphic data made available by recent survey technologies.
Obturator Internus and Obturator Externus Strain in a High School Quarterback

Introduction: Buttock pain is a relatively common complaint among adolescent athletes and can have a very broad differential diagnosis. Case Presentation: The authors present a previously unreported case of acute obturator internus and obturator externus strain in an adolescent male American football player. The diagnosis was made by MRI. The patient was treated with relative rest, physical therapy, and gradual return to physical activities as tolerated. Conclusions: Despite rarity of the hip external rotator muscles strains, it should be considered in the differential diagnosis of athletes with proximal posterior thigh and buttock pain.
Design for Recycling

Summary As design for recycling becomes more broadly applied in material and product design, analytical tools to quantify the environmental implications of design choices will become a necessity. Currently, few systematic methods exist to measure and direct the metallurgical alloy design process to create alloys that are most able to be produced from scrap. This is due, in part, to the difficulty in evaluating such a context-dependent property as recyclability of an alloy, which will depend on the types of scraps available to producers, the compositional characteristics of those scraps, their yield, and the alloy specification itself. This article explores the use of a chance-constrained based optimization model, similar to models used in operational planning in secondary production today, to (1) characterize the challenge of developing recycling-friendly alloys due to the contextual sensitivity of recycling, (2) demonstrate how such models can be used to evaluate the potential scrap usage of alloys, and (3) explore the value of sensitivity analysis information to proactively identify effective alloy modifications that can drive increased potential scrap use. These objectives are demonstrated through two cases that involve the production of a broad range of alloys utilizing representative scraps from three classes of industrial end uses.
Universal relationship between Tc and the hole content in p-type cuprate superconductors.

A critical analysis of experimental data reveals a universal relationship between T c /T c,max and hole content among the p-type high-T c cuprate superconductors. Each individual compound is characterized by the value of its maximum T c , T c,max , while the variation of T c /T c,max , with the hole content is independent of the compound considered. The universal curve is characterized by a plateau, rather than a parabola, with sharp bends at both sides. The T c versus hole content curve has a close relation to hole contents determined by ordered arrangements of holes in the two-dimensional CuO 2 layer
The isotopic effects of deuteration on optoelectronic properties of conducting polymers

The attractive optoelectronic properties of conducting polymers depend sensitively upon intra- and inter-polymer chain interactions, and therefore new methods to manipulate these interactions are continually being pursued. Here, we report a study of the isotopic effects of deuterium substitution on the structure, morphology and optoelectronic properties of regioregular poly(3-hexylthiophene)s with an approach that combines the synthesis of deuterated materials, optoelectronic properties measurements, theoretical simulation and neutron scattering. Selective substitutions of deuterium on the backbone or side-chains of poly(3-hexylthiophene)s result in distinct optoelectronic responses in poly(3-hexylthiophene)/[6,6]-phenyl-C61-butyric acid methyl ester (PCBM) photovoltaics. Specifically, the weak non-covalent intermolecular interactions induced by the main-chain deuteration are shown to change the film crystallinity and morphology of the active layer, consequently reducing the short-circuit current. However, side-chain deuteration does not significantly modify the film morphology but causes a decreased electronic coupling, the formation of a charge transfer state, and increased electron-phonon coupling, leading to a remarkable reduction in the open circuit voltage.
Synaptic and extrasynaptic transmission of kidney-related neurons in the rostral ventrolateral medulla

The rostral ventrolateral medulla (RVLM) is a critical component of the sympathetic nervous system regulating homeostatic functions including arterial blood pressure. Using the transsynaptic retrog...
Minimizing artifacts resulting from respiratory and cardiac motion by optimization of the transmission scan in cardiac PET/CT

The introduction of positron emission/computed tomography (PET/CT) systems coupled with multidetector CT arrays has greatly increased the amount of clinical information in myocardial perfusion studies. The CT acquisition serves the dual role of providing high spatial anatomical detail and attenuation correction for PET. However, the differences between the interaction of respiratory and cardiac cycles in the CT and PET acquisitions presents a challenge when using the CT to determine PET attenuation correction. Three CT attenuation correction protocols were tested for their ability to produce accurate emission images: gated, a step mode acquisition covering the diastolic heart phase; normal, a high-pitch helical CT; and slow, a low-pitch, low-temporal-resolution helical CT. The amount of cardiac tissue in the emission image that overlaid lung tissue in the transmission image was used as the measure of mismatch between acquisitions. Phantom studies simulating misalignment of the heart between the transmission and emission sequences were used to correlate the amount of mismatch with the artificial defect changes in the emission image. Consecutive patients were studied prospectively with either paired gated (diastolic phase, 120 kVp, 280 mA, 2.6 s) and slow CT (0.562:1 pitch, 120 kVp, Auto-mA, 16 s) or paired normal (0.938:1 pitch, 120 kVp, Auto-mA,more » 4.8 s) and slow CT protocols, prior to a Rb-82 perfusion study. To determine the amount of mismatch, the transmission and emission images were converted to binary representations of attenuating tissue and cardiac tissue and overlaid using their native registration. The number of cardiac tissue pixels from the emission image present in the CT lung field yielded the magnitude of misalignment represented in terms of volume, of where a small volume indicates better registration. Acquiring a slow CT improved registration between the transmission and emission acquisitions compared to the gated and normal CT protocols. The volume of PET cardiac tissue in the CT lung field was significantly lower (p<0.03) for the slow CT protocol in both the rest and stress emission studies. Phantom studies showed that an overlaying volume greater than 2.6 mL would produce significant artificial defects as determined by a quantitative software package that employs a normal database. The percentage of patient studies with overlaying volume greater than 2.6 mL was reduced from 71% with the normal CT protocol to 28% with the slow CT protocol. The remaining 28% exhibited artifacts consistent with heart drift and patient motion that could not be corrected by adjusting the CT acquisition protocol. The low pitch of the slow CT protocol provided the best match to the emission study and is recommended for attenuation correction in cardiac PET/CT studies. Further reduction in artifacts arising from cardiac drift is required and warrants an image registration solution.« less
Proof of the Invariance under the Lorentz Transformation of the Equation of Motion of the Electron

The equation of motion of the electron relative to an inertial system ${S}^{\ensuremath{'}}$ in which it is momentarily at rest is $e{\mathbf{E}}^{\ensuremath{'}}=m{\mathbf{f}}^{\ensuremath{'}}\ensuremath{-}n{\stackrel{\ifmmode \dot{}\else \.{}\fi{}}{\mathbf{f}}}^{\ensuremath{'}}\dots{}+{a}_{n}{\mathbf{f}}^{\ensuremath{'}(n)}\dots{}$ where E' is the electric intensity, f' the acceleration, etc. To obtain the equation of motion relative to a system $S$ with respect to which the electron has a velocity V, it is necessary to substitute for the components of E', f', etc. their values in terms of the components of E, H, V, f, etc. measured in $S$ as specified by the usual transformations. In this paper it is shown that the equation of motion thus obtained is invariant under the Lorentz transformation. The method of proof consists in writing down an equation, all the terms of which are shown to be four-dimensional-vectors, which reduces to (1) when referred to the system ${S}^{\ensuremath{'}}$ in which the instantaneous velocity V' of the electron is zero.
Psychosocial health screening and recognizing early signs of psychosocial distress

Abstract Mental health issues are a common cause of psychosocial distress in men over the age of 55, and are a common cause of disability due to problems of disturbance of mood, substance use issues, and cognitive difficulties. The physician's ongoing relationship with the older male patient is highly personal and enables the clinician to key in on events and changes in his life that may predispose to mental illness. Doctors have the opportunity to reduce long-term disability and suffering caused by mental and emotional distress through early recognition and anticipation of common mental health problems.