cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Some Thoughts on Liberty, Equality, and Tocqueville's Democracy in America

1. In praise of Tocqueville. The young United States was lucky – and deserving of its luck – to find as profound an interpreter of its principles as Alexis de Tocqueville (1805–1859). So deeply, so philosophically, did he comprehend this country in Democracy in America1 that today's reflections on liberty and equality in America either copy Tocqueville or fall short of understanding. The following reflections will be guilty of both plagiarism and superficiality but they do intend to capture something of Tocqueville's spirit. He gave this nation its due. He brought to his endeavors some advantages we no longer enjoy. For example, he had first-hand experience of democracy's great alternative and predecessor, aristocracy; he knew both sides because he was both sides.Of course, some advantages accrue to those of us who have come after him, even apart from having Democracy in America to study. The United States may not be old but it is older now; we can take later developments into account. Thus, we no longer lack poets or poetry; we probably suffer as much from crime as from vice; and juries do not function all that well. But no dwarfish ability to climb the shoulders of a giant nor special dispensation from history can compensate us for the lack of Tocqueville's genius: the breadth of vision that recalls Montesquieu and even Aristotle, an intimacy, reminiscent of Rousseau, with modernity's demons, a sad coming to terms with human contingency that puts one in mind of Thucydides. All honor to Alexis de Tocqueville.
Up-regulation of c-Jun-NH2-kinase pathway contributes to the induction of mitochondria-mediated apoptosis by α-tocopheryl succinate in human prostate cancer cells

Previously, α-tocopheryl succinate ( α -TOS) has been reported to induce caspase-mediated apoptosis in PC-3 human prostate cancer cells. Caspase-9 was among several initiator caspases activated by α -TOS, suggesting a potential contribution of the intrinsic apoptotic pathway in mediating the response to α -TOS. Gene expression microarray was carried out as a screen to identify novel signaling molecules modulated by α -TOS, with a special focus on those known to play a role in mitochondria-mediated apoptosis. We discovered that Ask1, GADD45 β , and Sek1, three key components of the stress-activated mitogen-activated protein kinase pathway, are novel targets of α -TOS. Western blot analysis showed increased levels of phospho-Sek1 and phospho-c- Jun -NH 2 -kinase (JNK) in addition to total Ask1, GADD45 β , and Sek1. α -TOS also altered JNK-specific phosphorylation of Bcl-2 and Bim in a manner consistent with enhanced mitochondrial translocation of Bax and Bim. Because the expression level of most Bcl-2 family members remained unchanged, the posttranslational modification of Bcl-2 and Bim by JNK is likely to be a driving force in α -TOS activation of the intrinsic apoptotic pathway. Based on our findings, we propose a working model to capture the salient features of the apoptotic signaling circuitry of α -TOS.
Teacher-Child Relationships: Contribution of Teacher and Child Characteristics.

ABSTRACTThis study investigates potential predictors of teacher-child relationships (i.e., closeness and conflict) focusing on child gender, teacher-child ethnicity match, and teacher education. Additionally, the study explores the possible moderation effect of teacher education on the associations between teacher-child relationships and child gender or teacher-child ethnic match. The participants of this study were 159 preschoolers and their 34 teachers in 20 preschools located in a suburban area in Indiana, USA. Due to the nested structure of the data, hierarchical linear modeling (HLM) was employed. The results showed that teacher-child closeness was explained by teacher- and child-level variables, whereas teacher-child conflict was explained mostly by child-level variables. Additionally, boys were found to establish less close relationships with their teachers compared to girls. On average, teachers having a bachelor’s degree (BA) showed lower teacher-child closeness compared to teachers without a BA....
Reliability, internal consistency, and validity of data obtained with the functional gait assessment.

Background and Purpose. The Functional Gait Assessment (FGA) is a 10-item gait assessment based on the Dynamic Gait Index. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the reliability, internal consistency, and validity of data obtained with the FGA when used with people with vestibular disorders. Subjects. Seven physical therapists from various practice settings, 3 physical therapist students, and 6 patients with vestibular disorders volunteered to participate. Methods. All raters were given 10 minutes to review the instructions, the test items, and the grading criteria for the FGA. The 10 raters concurrently rated the performance of the 6 patients on the FGA. Patients completed the FGA twice, with an hour's rest between sessions. Reliability of total FGA scores was assessed using intraclass correlation coefficients (2,1). Internal consistency of the FGA was assessed using the Cronbach alpha and confirmatory factor analysis. Concurrent validity was assessed using the correlation of the FGA scores with balance and gait measurements. Results. Intraclass correlation coefficients of .86 and .74 were found for interrater and intrarater reliability of the total FGA scores. Internal consistency of the FGA scores was .79. Spearman rank order correlation coefficients of the FGA scores with balance measurements ranged from .11 to .67. Discussion and Conclusion. The FGA demonstrates what we believe is acceptable reliability, internal consistency, and concurrent validity with other balance measures used for patients with vestibular disorders.
Optical Bistability with Two Serially Integrated InP-SOAs on a Chip

Optical bistability has been achieved with two serially integrated MQW-InP SOAs in reverse-bias on a single chip. We demonstrate that switching speed in GHz range is possible and discuss performance limitations of the bistable device.
Development and Evaluation of a Three-Dimensional Multistation Cardiovascular Simulator

Background To facilitate deliberate practice, we developed and evaluated a three-dimensional multistation cardiovascular simulator with low-fidelity, anatomically correct materials. Methods Surgical educators and senior fellows at several national institutions who are a part of the Thoracic Education Cooperative Group completed expert validation surveys that feature a self-report rating scale, ranging from 0 (don't know) to 4 (highly realistic, no changes needed), and a global recommendation rating scale, ranging from 0 to 3. To analyze the survey results, we used paired Student t tests and a many-facet Rasch model. Results We analyzed the results of 18 expert validation surveys (completed by 9 senior fellows and by 9 staff surgeons). The overall realism-of-experience rating for the simulator was 3.23 (of 4), suggesting adequate realism with room remaining for improvement. Senior fellows rated the aortic graft replacement station and overall physical attributes more favorably than staff. Staff surgeons favored the simulator for realism of the mitral valve annuloplasty station and the cannulation station and for its use as a training tool. The overall global recommendation rating for the simulator was 2.38 (of 3), suggesting that the simulator can be considered for use in cardiovascular surgery training programs with minor improvements. Conclusions This three-dimensional multistation cardiovascular simulator has adequate realism and can be considered for use in cardiovascular training programs. Platforms such as this may facilitate deliberate home practice and reinforcement of technical skills.
Recent advances in the genetics of testicular failure

Infertility affects approximately 15% of couples, and male factor is responsible for 30%-50% of all infertility. The most severe form of male infertility is testicular failure, and the typical phenotype of testicular failure is severely impaired spermatogenesis resulting in azoospermia or severe oligozoospermia. Although the etiology of testicular failure remains poorly understood, genetic factor typically is an underlying cause. Modern assisted reproductive techniques have revolutionized the treatment of male factor infertility, allowing biological fatherhood to be achieved by many men who would otherwise have been unable to become father to their children through natural conception. Therefore, identifying genetic abnormalities in male is critical because of the potential risk of transmission of genetic abnormalities to the offspring. Recently, along with other intense researches ongoing, whole-genome approaches have been used increasingly in the genetic studies of male infertility. In this review, we focus on the genetics of testicular failure and provide an update on the advances in the study of genetics of male infertility.
A multi-sensor microsystem for autonomous data gathering

This dissertation describes the development of an integrated microsystem, 0.5cc in volume, which can autonomously acquire and store data from multiple sensors on and off the system platform. This work is motivated by the desire to gather environmental and biological data using systems that offer substantial reconfigurability and performance and yet are extremely compact. To overcome obstacles to microsystem miniaturization, advances have been made in microsystem packaging and interconnect, sensor-readout circuitry, and microsystem architecture. These advances are demonstrated in a microsystem that incorporates a commercial microcontroller (2 MIPS with 16-bit on-chip ADC), a 16-megabit flash memory, and a custom sensor-interface chip. The interface chip includes a 0.4–3.2mV/fF capacitive-readout circuit, a 1.5mV/ohm resistive-readout circuit, and four low-noise biopotential amplifiers with 100x gain. Serial communication from the microcontroller configures this chip and instructs circuit blocks to be powered only during sampling. Although designed for a flexible sensor population, the microsystem has been configured with on-board capacitive pressure/temperature/humidity sensors as well as off-board neural/EMG electrodes. The microsystem components are integrated into 9.5mm x 7.6mm x 2.0mm (0.16cc) (0.5cc including the battery) using a silicon platform fabricated with microelectromechanical systems (MEMS) technology. The double-sided platform implements air-isolated through-wafer interconnect structures with 25ohms series resistance and 850fF parasitic capacitance, deep-etched cavities for mounting and wire-bonding chips within the platform profile, and a reconfigurable microconnection approach that uses automatic proximity detection to initiate localized solder bonding between off-board sensor leads and thermally-isolated substrate pads with 50–400 micron pitch. Microsystem testing has demonstrated acquisition and storage of 14-bit capacitive sensor data with 0.1–1000s measurement intervals and 8-bit neural-recording data up to 11kHz. Operating under stored-program control, the microsystem performs automatic capacitive sensor calibration using a binary search algorithm and the programmable 40pF 10-bit reference capacitor. It also uses threshold-based spike detection software to accomplish neural data compression, gaining an eightfold increase in recording time and a 67% power savings. With system-level power management and flexible sleep modes, the system can operate from two silver-oxide coin cells for periods of 30 minutes to over one year, consuming an average of 3–20mW for 1–10kHz neural recording and 0.05mW for environmental measurements below 10Hz.
TISSUE CULTURE AND WETLAND ESTABLISHMENT OF THE FRESHWATER MONOCOTS CAREX, JUNCUS, SCIRPUS, AND TYPHA

Cell cultures of freshwater wetland monocots were regenerated, plants were grown in the greenhouse, and then established and evaluated in wetlands. Typha (cattail), Juncus (rushes), Scirpus (bulrushes), and Carex (sedges) were studied because they are common, dominant, high biomass wetland-adapted plants, tolerant of chemically diverse ecosystems. The goal was to define micropropagation and wetland establishment protocols. Tissue culture systems defined for numerous monocot crop species can be readily applied to wetland plants, with a few modifications. Issues addressed were selection of explant material, shoot and root regeneration conditions, culture age verses regenerability, greenhouse acclimatization needs, plant uniformity and requirements for wetland establishment. In vitro-germinated seedlings were an excellent source of pathogen-free regenerable tissue. T. latifolia, T. angustifolia, and J. accuminatus were regenerated from callus induced in the dark with picloram, then transferred to medium with benzyladenine in the light to promote shoot organogenesis. J. effusus, S. polyphyllus, and C. lurida could not be regenerated from callus, which turned black. They could be regenerated directly by culturing intact seedlings directly on cytokinin media in the light. Shoots rooted with little or no auxin. J. effusus rooting was promoted by the addition of charcoal to the medium. Covering plants for the first 2 wk with plastic facilitated greenhouse establishment. There were high rates of greenhouse and wetland survival. No abnormal plants were observed. These regeneration systems could be utilized for the production of wetland plants for potential application in habitat restoration and wetland creation, and would provide an alternative to field collection.
Enzyme Variation in Some Mosquito Species Related to Aedes (Ochlerotatus) Stimulans (Diptera: Culicidae)

Isozyme patterns were studied by polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis in 7 North American mosquito populations comprising 4 species of the Aedes stimulans group of the subgenus Ochlerotatus. Seventeen enzyme loci were examined. All 4 species could be separated on the basis of differences in allelic frequencies for 5 loci [fumarate hydratase, hydroxybutyrate dehydrogenase, isocitrate dehydrogenase (2 forms), and octanol dehydrogenase]. Although no single locus was diagnostic for all 4 species (i.e., no overlap in allele frequency with other species), the use of 2 loci in combination permitted the correct identification of nearly all individuals of even the 2 most closely related species. Cluster analysis of gene frequencies was consistent with affinities previously described by conventional morphological characters. On the basis of enzyme phenotypes, Ae. euedes appeared more closely related to Ae. fitchii than to Ae. excrucians, a species with which Ae. euedes has been synonymized in the past.
Computational Models of Social Influence And Collective Behavior

This chapter provides an overview of computational modeling of conformity, group deliberation, and social diffusion processes, with an emphasis on social psychological perspectives rather than the kinds of structural and institutional issues modeled in political science and sociology. The chapter attempts to illustrate the benefits of building maps of "parameter space" as a way to generalize across single studies and to develop out-of-sample new predictions.
Human Responsibility, Not Legal Personhood, for Nonhuman Animals

Three lawsuits filed in New York in late 2013 assert that chimpanzees should be declared legal persons for purposes of seeking a common law writ of habeas corpus: The Nonhuman Rights Project v. Lavery, The Nonhuman Rights Project v. Presti, and The Nonhuman Rights Project v. Stanley. This paper outlines a number of concerns about the legal personhood arguments asserted in the lawsuits. Courts and legislatures should focus on human legal accountability for responsible treatment of nonhuman animals rather than radically restructuring our legal system to make them legal persons. Evolving societal values require evolution of our laws and enforcement of laws to provide more protections to nonhuman animals, and while this evolution should be applauded, it should be processed within an animal welfare paradigm rather than within an animal personhood paradigm.
Anesthesia for laparoscopic surgery.

The use of laparoscopic techniques in general surgery is increasing in popularity. Many painful operations that once required prolonged hospitalizations are now being performed on an outpatient or short-stay basis. The implications for the anesthesiologist are to use a technique that not only allows for optimal surgical conditions, but intraoperative patient comfort and safety, and a rapid anesthetic recovery. This article discusses anesthetic alternatives; the pulmonary, cardiovascular, and gastrointestinal changes associated with laparoscopic surgery; and their potential complications and management.
Acidic pH-Targeted Chitosan-Capped Mesoporous Silica Coated Gold Nanorods Facilitate Detection of Pancreatic Tumors via Multispectral Optoacoustic Tomography

We present a cancer nanomedicine based on acidic pH targeted gold nanorods designed for multispectral optoacoustic tomography (MSOT). We have designed gold nanorods coated with mesoporous silica and subsequently capped with chitosan (CMGs). We have conjugated pH-sensitive variant 7 pHLIP peptide to the CMGs (V7-CMG) to provide targeting specificity to the acidic tumor microenvironment. In vitro, treatment of S2VP10 and MiaPaca2 cells with V7-CMG containing gemcitabine resulted in significantly greater cytotoxicity with 97% and 96.5% cell death, respectively than gemcitabine alone 60% and 76% death at pH 6.5 (S2VP10 pH 6.5 p = 0.009; MiaPaca2 pH 6.5 p = 0.0197). In vivo, the V7-CMGs provided the contrast and targeting specificity necessary for MSOT of retroperitoneal orthotopic pancreatic tumors. In the in vivo S2VP10 model, the V7-CMG particle preferentially accumulated within the tumor at 17.1 MSOT a.u. signal compared with 0.7 MSOT a.u. in untargeted CMG control in tumor (P = 0.0002). Similarly, V7-CMG ...
Sexting coercion as a component of intimate partner polyvictimization

We examined the role of sexting coercion as a component of the intimate partner abuse (IPA) construct among young adults to determine whether sexting coercion would emerge alongside other forms of partner aggression as a cumulative risk factor for psychological, sexual, and attachment problems. In a sample of 885 undergraduates (301 men and 584 women), 40% had experienced some type of coercion. Although there was some overlap between sexual coercion and sexting coercion (21% of participants had experienced both), some individuals had experienced only sexting coercion (8%) and some only sexual coercion (11%). Women were more likely than men to be coerced into sexting. Both sexting coercion and sexual coercion were significantly and independently related to negative mental health symptoms, sexual problems, and attachment dysfunction, and, notably, sexting coercion was found to be a cumulative risk factor for nearly all of these negative effects. These data support the idea that digital sexual victimization is a new component of IPA polyvictimization, potentially increasing the negative effects experienced by victims of multiple forms of partner aggression.
Information Theoretic Measures for Visual Analytics: The Silver Ticket?

In this paper, we argue that information theoretic measures may provide a robust, broadly applicable, repeatable metric to assess how a system enables people to reduce high-dimensional data into topically relevant subsets of information. Explosive growth in electronic data necessitates the development of systems that balance automation with human cognitive engagement to facilitate pattern discovery, analysis and characterization, variously described as "cognitive augmentation" or "insight generation." However, operationalizing the concept of insight in any measurable way remains a difficult challenge for visualization researchers. The "golden ticket" of insight evaluation would be a precise, generalizable, repeatable, and ecologically valid metric that indicates the relative utility of a system in heightening cognitive performance or facilitating insights. Unfortunately, the golden ticket does not yet exist. In its place, we are exploring information theoretic measures derived from Shannon's ideas about information and entropy as a starting point for precise, repeatable, and generalizable approaches for evaluating analytic tools. We are specifically concerned with needle-in-haystack workflows that require interactive search, classification, and reduction of very large heterogeneous datasets into manageable, task-relevant subsets of information. We assert that systems aimed at facilitating pattern discovery, characterization and analysis -- i.e., "insight" - must afford an efficient means of sorting the needles from the chaff; and simple compressibility measures provide a way of tracking changes in information content as people shape meaning from data.
Ring array transducers for real-time 3D ultrasound guidance of prosthetic heart valve deployment

We have previously developed 2D ring array transducers for real-time volumetric imaging guidance of minimally invasive procedures. These transducers were integrated with an 11 French catheter sheath of a Cook Medical, Inc. vena cava filter deployment kit. We have expanded on these devices and developed a 2D ring array integrated with a 30 French catheter that is used for trans-apical prosthetic heart valve implantation. This transducer consists of 210 elements at. 157 mm inter-element spacing and operates at 5 MHz. Average measured element bandwidth was 26% and average round-trip 50 ohm insertion loss was −81.1 dB.
Trail-blAIZin new directions for conditional proteomics.

A reagent that labels proteins in close proximity to high concentrations of zinc is used to identify proteins with a role in zinc homeostasis.
A Big-Data platform for Medical Knowledge Extraction from Electronic Health Records: Automatic Assignment of ICD-9 Codes

In this paper, we present a big data plarform for knowledge categorization in Electronic Health Records and examine its application to automatic assignment of ICD-9 codes. Our platform relies on reusable, adaptable components that can perform knowledge extraction at a large scale. For the ICD-9 automatic assignment, we build and validate our approach using data from the MIMIC II Clinical Database that contains over 20,000 discharge summaries. We show that our platform can achieve state of the art performance in this dataset and that the classification results improve with more data. Overall, in the first level of the ICD-9 hierarchy our algorithm achieves an average precision of 79.7% for an average recall of 70.2%.
Electrocardiogram Trace Paradoxically Filtered by Activation of an Electrosurgical Unit

Interference in the electrocardiogram (ECG) signal in an operating roomenvironment is common. Interference from a variety of sources, includingelectrosurgical units and blood warmers, have been reported. We report theoccurrence of an ECG signal that was cleared of interference whenever theelectrosurgical unit (ESU) was activated.
The Interconnection Between Langland, Scotus, and Ockham

This chapter introduces the three key philosophical positions illuminating Will’s sojourn: natural rights, intuitive cognition, and a voluntarism founded upon the will’s freedom to act against reason’s dictates and initiate a moral action. After discussing their applicability to the sojourn, a discussion of Scholasticism’s historical import provides a foundation to show the innovation of Scotus and Ockham. Their epistemology and theories of the will establish new ways of conceiving cognitive surety and how this knowledge aids in generating charitable acts. Isolating one theory from another one limits their full meaning, for each acquires a greater significance when understood in relation to the other. This matrix of thought generates a profound understanding of the individual, namely Will, and what he is capable of achieving. Their interdependence not only serves as a vital hermeneutic for Piers but also proves that a literary expression of philosophy works bilaterally, fostering a deepened awareness of the other discipline. The text’s overriding question, thus, lies not in how faith drives Will’s search forward, but which choices respond most efficaciously to God’s goodness.
Home-based exercise during preoperative therapy for pancreatic cancer.

Exercise concurrent with neoadjuvant chemotherapy and/or chemoradiation for pancreatic adenocarcinoma (PDAC) may mitigate the decline in function that may occur as a result of the disease or its treatment in the preoperative period. The primary objective of this single-arm prospective trial was to determine adherence to a home-based exercise program administered during preoperative therapy. Twenty patients from a quaternary cancer center with potentially resectable PDAC were enrolled. Patients were prescribed a minimum of 120 min of moderate-intensity exercise weekly: at least 60 min of aerobic exercise and 60 min of resistance exercise. Self-reported exercise was recorded in daily logs. Functional and survey measures were collected upon enrollment, following preoperative therapy, and 1 month after surgery. Fifteen out of 20 patients participated in the program. They reported a mean (standard deviation (SD)) of 98.6 (69.8) min of aerobic exercise weekly and 57.4 (36.0) min of strengthening exercise weekly over a median of 17 weeks (range, 5–35 weeks) of preoperative therapy, for a mean (SD) of 156.0 (64.5) min of total exercise weekly. Eighty percent reported a mean of least 120 min of total exercise weekly during preoperative therapy. Patients with low baseline physical activity based on the International Physical Activity Questionnaire significantly increased their preoperative physical activity (p = .01). There were no adverse events associated with the exercise program. Patients with PDAC will participate in a home-based exercise program of aerobic and strengthening exercise and will increase physical activity, concurrent with preoperative chemotherapy and/or chemoradiation.
Safety of Fertility-Sparing Surgery for Premenopausal Women With Sex Cord-Stromal Tumors Confined to the Ovary.

Objective The aim of this retrospective population-based study was to investigate the oncologic safety of fertility-sparing surgery (FSS) for premenopausal women with malignant sex cord-stromal tumors (SCSTs) confined to the ovary. Methods A cohort of women aged 18 to 49 years and diagnosed with a stage I malignant SCST between 1984 and 2013 was drawn from the National Cancer Institute9s Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results database. Based on site-specific surgery codes, women who had FSS, defined as unilateral oophorectomy/tumor resection without hysterectomy, and definite surgery were identified. Cancer-specific survival and overall survival were evaluated after generation of Kaplan-Meier curves, whereas comparisons between the 2 groups were made with the log-rank test. Results A total of 255 women who met the inclusion criteria were identified; 161 (63.1%) underwent FSS whereas 94 (36.9%) had definitive surgery (bilateral salpingo-oophorectomy and hysterectomy). Median follow-up was 104 months. Cancer-specific survival (P = 0.015) but not overall survival (P = 0.76) was superior for women who had definite surgery. Conclusions In this retrospective population-based cohort of premenopausal women with SCSTs confined to the ovary, FSS was associated only with a worse long-term cancer-specific survival compared with definitive surgery. Women undergoing FSS for early stage SCSTs should be extensively counseled and closely monitored.
Arizona’s “Zombie” Uranium Mines: Lax Regulations Threaten Los Angeles Tap Water

In Center for Biological Diversity v. Salazar, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit held that the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) was not required to approve a new plan of operations before allowing a uranium mine to resume production after nearly two decades of cessation. The court reasoned that the reopening of an abandoned mine did not constitute the requisite major federal action required to trigger an environmental analysis under the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA). This Comment argues that although the Ninth Circuit correctly affirmed that the BLM complied with NEPA, the ruling exposes an environmentally dangerous loophole that requires statutory revisions. The court’s holding essentially permits mining operators to restart production at mines dormant for decades without undertaking any new environmental reviews. The determination of whether a mine poses a significant threat to the environment is based upon an assessment that could potentially date back several decades.
Fragile Families and the Marriage Agenda

The Bush Administration is proposing to spend 1.5 billion dollars over the next five years on programs to promote “healthy marriages.” The new programs are based on three assumptions: (1) that unmarried parents will participate in programs designed to promote marriage, (2) that participating in the programs will increase marriage, and (3) that children will be better off if their parents marry. This paper uses data from the Fragile Families and Child Wellbeing Study to assess whether these assumptions are consistent with what we know about unmarried parents and whether the new marriage programs are likely to be successful. I argue that parents are likely to participate if services are provided around the time of the birth, that improving parents’ relationship skills is likely to increase marriage, and that we can be guardedly optimistic about the effects on children.
Responses of Small Mammals to Predator Odors in the Field

While we are asleep, forests, meadows, and fields teem with nocturnal mammals. Dramatic scenes of predation take place, all unseen by humans. In this exercise, we will learn how to indirectly record such nocturnal interactions between predator and prey.
Curvature determination in range images: new methods and comparison study

A study of methods that determine surface curvature in real and synthetic range images is considered here. Four new determination methods are introduced (two convolution-based and two spline-based). These new methods, as well as a number of existing determination methods, are comparatively evaluated in terms of their (1) accuracy and (2) computational performance (i.e., run time). Their behavior in two common but challenging multimedia tasks (surface rendering and object discrimination based in whole or part on curvature determination) is also considered. Our evaluations also include an analysis of (1) which methods are most suitable for application in particular scenarios and (2) behavior of the methods with respect to parameter settings. One of the considered use cases includes application to consumer-grade Kinect sensor data.
Implementing InTeGrate Materials in an Upper-Division Undergraduate Engineering Course

A Geology for Engineers course is designed and taught for juniors majoring in civil engineering between 2012 and 2017. Many aspects of the course focused on how engineers help to address the grand challenges facing society and are a natural fit for the use of InTeGrate materials. The first 2 years of the course was taught prior to the availability of InTeGrate materials, but we used active learning methods and group activities. In the remaining 4 years, we used InTeGrate materials in 33–40% of class group activities. We each taught the course for two consecutive years. Results show that students enjoyed the quantitative and data-rich aspects of InTeGrate materials, retaining information from the materials well after completing the activities. Comparable final course grades were obtained by both instructors and showed overall higher grades than obtained from 2012 to 2013 when InTeGrate activities were not used. Grades for our course were also higher than those in the junior-level Geotechnical Engineering course that follows our course. Students in our course had the most difficulty with InTeGrate-related quiz and exam questions that had multiple correct answers and with calculations of groundwater flow.
Arbitration Case Law Update 2016

This chapter in the PLI Securities Arbitration 2016 Coursebook identifies court decisions in the past year interpreting the FAA that could have an impact on securities arbitration practice.
The Impact of Post-tsunami Surveys on the NCEI/WDS Global Historical Tsunami Database

Since the late nineteenth century, post-tsunami survey teams have been collecting water height data (e.g. maximum inundation, runup, flow depth) as well as other types of data, including geologic and socio-economic effects. The NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information (NCEI) and co-located World Data Service (WDS) for Geophysics provide data management and access to global tsunami data. NCEI’s Global Historical Tsunami Database includes information on over 2200 tsunami sources and over 26,000 runup points. The tsunami database has adapted to capture the advancements of post-tsunami survey data collection and distribution methods. The first International Tsunami Survey Team (ITST), which surveyed the impacts of the 02 September 1992 Nicaragua tsunami, spurred the formalization of standards and guidance for post-tsunami surveys. The post-tsunami survey data analyzed are a significant contribution, in quality and quantity, to the runup database. The 26 December 2004 Indonesia and 11 March 2011 Japan events alone account for over 25% of the total number of runup points in the database. Further, the analysis indicates that post-tsunami survey data capture a more complete representation of the tsunami that is being documented, not just the highest runup measurements. This range in post-tsunami survey runup heights for events, in the NCEI/WDS tsunami database, provides a more reliable historical tsunami dataset to test tsunami models against. This study also provides readers an understanding of the evolution of the tsunami database, particularly regarding the ongoing need to adapt to emerging scientific advances and standards.
Trends in financial relationships between industry and individual medical oncologists in the United States from 2014 to 2017: A cohort study.

6520Background: Industry-physician financial relationships in medical oncology are common and introduce conflicts of interest. The Open Payments (OP) program collects and discloses data on industry...
How Medical Students Discover and Use Medical Information Tools

Many studies have examined how medical faculty and fourth-year medical students use information tools. Few studies have investigated how first, second, and third-year medical students discover and use information tools. In fall 2018, first, second, and third-year medical students received emails describing a study, which included a three-question survey and four interview questions. Of the 525 students, 122 completed the survey and 18 completed interviews. Results showed that clinical students most frequently use UpToDate, but preclinical students use multiple information tools. This report shows librarians can positively influence how preclinical students use information tools during medical school.
Probing ML models for fairness with the what-if tool and SHAP: hands-on tutorial

As more and more industries use machine learning, it's important to understand how these models make predictions, and where bias can be introduced in the process. In this tutorial we'll walk through two open source frameworks for analyzing your models from a fairness perspective. We'll start with the What-If Tool, a visualization tool that you can run inside a Python notebook to analyze an ML model. With the What-If Tool, you can identify dataset imbalances, see how individual features impact your model's prediction through partial dependence plots, and analyze human-centered ML models from a fairness perspective using various optimization strategies. Then we'll look at SHAP, a tool for interpreting the output of any machine learning model, and seeing how a model arrived at predictions for individual datapoints. We will then show how to use SHAP and the What-If Tool together. After the tutorial you'll have the skills to get started with both of these tools on your own datasets, and be better equipped to analyze your models from a fairness perspective.
Estimation of gas solubility in petroleum fractions using PR-UMR and group contributions methods

Abstract Solubility of N2, CO2 and CH4 in petroleum fluids is estimated using the Peng-Robison cubic equation of state and three different mixing rules: the classical mixing rule of van der Waals (vdW), the modified Huron-Vidal of order one (MHV1) mixing rule and the universal mixing rule (UMR). The petroleum fluids were split out in pseudocomponents using a mass distribution procedure. Then, to determine equation-of-state parameters, pseudocomponents were characterized by a group contribution method, where the Gibbs free energy is minimized. In the proposed methodology, mixing-rule parameters for predicting gas solubility from binary mixtures of identifiable components were used in unidentifiable petroleum fluids. Twenty-two systems, which include bitumens, heavy oils, refinery cuts and coal liquids, were considered in order to assess the methodology. Good agreement between experimental data and predicted values were obtained for the UMR and vdW mixing rules, but significant deviations are obtained with the MHV1 mixing rule. The total absolute average deviations are 13%, 15% and 30% for the UMR, vdW and MHV1 mixing rules, respectively.
Interference between rhinovirus and influenza A virus: a clinical data analysis and experimental infection study

Summary Background During the 2009 pandemic of an emerging influenza A virus (IAV; H1N1pdm09), data from several European countries indicated that the spread of the virus might have been interrupted by the annual autumn rhinovirus epidemic. We aimed to investigate viral interference between rhinovirus and IAV with use of clinical data and an experimental model. Methods We did a clinical data analysis and experimental infection study to investigate the co-occurrence of rhinovirus and IAV in respiratory specimens from adults (≥21 years) tested with a multiplex PCR panel at Yale-New Haven Hospital (CT, USA) over three consecutive winter seasons (Nov 1 to March 1, 2016–17, 2017–18, and 2018–19). We compared observed versus expected co-detections using data extracted from the Epic Systems electronic medical record system. To assess how rhinovirus infection affects subsequent IAV infection, we inoculated differentiated primary human airway epithelial cultures with rhinovirus (HRV-01A; multiplicity of infection [MOI] 0·1) or did mock infection. On day 3 post-infection, we inoculated the same cultures with IAV (H1N1 green fluorescent protein [GFP] reporter virus or H1N1pdm09; MOI 0·1). We used reverse transcription quantitative PCR or microscopy to quantify host cell mRNAs for interferon-stimulated genes (ISGs) on day 3 after rhinovirus or mock infection and IAV RNA on days 4, 5, or 6 after rhinovirus or mock infection. We also did sequential infection studies in the presence of BX795 (6 μM), to inhibit the interferon response. We compared ISG expression and IAV RNA and expression of GFP by IAV reporter virus. Findings Between July 1, 2016, and June 30, 2019, examination of 8284 respiratory samples positive for either rhinovirus (n=3821) or IAV (n=4463) by any test method was used to establish Nov 1 to March 1 as the period of peak virus co-circulation. After filtering for samples within this time frame meeting the inclusion criteria (n=13 707), there were 989 (7·2%) rhinovirus and 922 (6·7%) IAV detections, with a significantly lower than expected odds of co-detection (odds ratio 0·16, 95% CI 0·09–0·28). Rhinovirus infection of cell cultures induced ISG expression and protected against IAV infection 3 days later, resulting in an approximate 50 000-fold decrease in IAV H1N1pdm09 viral RNA on day 5 post-rhinovirus inoculation. Blocking the interferon response restored IAV replication following rhinovirus infection. Interpretation These findings show that one respiratory virus can block infection with another through stimulation of antiviral defences in the airway mucosa, supporting the idea that interference from rhinovirus disrupted the 2009 IAV pandemic in Europe. These results indicate that viral interference can potentially affect the course of an epidemic, and this possibility should be considered when designing interventions for seasonal influenza epidemics and the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. Funding National Institutes of Health, National Institute of General Medical Sciences, and the Yale Department of Laboratory Medicine.
Streamflow partitioning using the Budyko framework in a northern glaciated watershed under drought to deluge conditions

Abstract We use the Budyko framework to examine streamflow changes due to climate variation and human activities in the Mauvais Coulee Basin, a 1002 km2 sub-basin that contributes streamflow to Devils Lake, a terminal lake that has experienced catastrophic flooding over the past three decades. The basin lies within the northern glaciated prairies, contains innumerable wetland complexes that follow fill-spill hydrological principles, has undergone extensive land use change to support dryland farming, and has experienced a drought to deluge hydroclimatic transition over the last century. We implement the Budyko framework to partition the runoff increase to the lake between its climatic or human components. Initial results attribute 45% of the streamflow increase to climate factors, and 55% to human activities. Implementation of the Budyko framework to examine streamflow partitioning, however, rests upon a series of assumptions that are usually not directly verified. We then examine each Budyko framework assumption to determine its suitability for our study site and study period. None of the required assumptions are fully satisfied. Our study site and study period encompass two distinct hydroclimatic modes, contain no clear single inflection point separating baseline and altered periods, experience root zone soil moisture storage changes during the study period, and exhibit a non-stationary precipitation-streamflow relationship during the transitional period between the two hydroclimatic modes. Streamflow attribution produced by the standard application of the Budyko framework is not applicable to our study site or study period. We recommend that local-scale investigations of streamflow partitioning based upon the Budyko framework be more intentional in verifying model assumptions as a standard practice in implementing the method.
Recently Developed Carbohydrate Based Gelators and Their Applications

Carbohydrate based low molecular weight gelators have been an intense subject of study over the past decade. The self-assembling systems built from natural products have high significance as biocompatible materials and renewable resources. The versatile structures available from naturally existing monosaccharides have enriched the molecular libraries that can be used for the construction of gelators. The bottom-up strategy in designing low molecular weight gelators (LMWGs) for a variety of applications has been adopted by many researchers. Rational design, along with some serendipitous discoveries, has resulted in multiple classes of molecular gelators. This review covers the literature from 2017–2020 on monosaccharide based gelators, including common hexoses, pentoses, along with some disaccharides and their derivatives. The structure-based design and structure to gelation property relationships are reviewed first, followed by stimuli-responsive gelators. The last section focuses on the applications of the sugar based gelators, including their utilization in environmental remediation, ion sensing, catalysis, drug delivery and 3D-printing. We will also review the available LMWGs and their structure correlations to the desired properties for different applications. This review aims at elucidating the design principles and structural features that are pertinent to various applications and hope to provide certain guidelines for researchers that are working at the interface of chemistry, biochemistry, and materials science.
Optimal sizing of a concentrated solar power system powering an autonomous water pumping system using the modified electric systems cascade analysis

Abstract The optimal sizing by the Modified Electric Systems Cascade Analysis method (MESCA) of an autonomous water pumping system powered by the electrical energy produced by a parabolic trough power plant is the main objective of this work. The desired pumping system consists of pumps powered by the CSP system without thermal energy storage. Also, a water storage tank is used to guarantees the autonomy of the system. The climatic data of the Oujda city (our case study) and the technical and economic data of the system components are used as inputs for the MESCA algorithm, to obtain the size of the parabolic trough power plant and the capacity of the various system components corresponding to the optimal configuration with the minimum Life Cycle Cost as economic criteria.
Sorting Out JapanAS Financial Crisis

This paper makes three contributions. First, I report information on the size of the Japanese financial crisis. Drawing principally on work by Fukao (2003) and Doi and Hoshi (2003) I estimate that the current taxpayer liability for losses incurred but yet to be recognized is likely to be at least 24% of GDP. Second, I explain why it has been so difficult to end the crisis. Third, I sketch the likely ingredients of what will be required to successfully resolve the crisis. The overarching principle is that Japan's banks, insurance companies, and government financial agencies all suffer different problems and require different solutions. But all three sectors are connected, and a failure to tackle concurrently the problems of all three promises to doom any reform plan.
Mechanism of the Inactivation of Guinea Pig Liver Transglutaminase by 5,5'-Dithiobis-(2-nitrobenzoic Acid)

Abstract Reaction of 5,5'-dithiobis(2-nitrobenzoic acid) (DTNB) with transglutaminase in the absence of calcium ion results in losses in the transferase and hydrolysis activities of the enzyme toward the substrate, benzyloxycarbonyl-l-glutaminylglycine (Z-l-glutaminylglycine). These activities are reduced 70 to 100% by reaction with 1 to 1.5 eq of DTNB. The calcium-dependent esterase activity of transglutaminase toward p-nitrophenyl acetate is not lost by this treatment. However, the activator constant of Ca++ for this esterase activity, 1.7 x 10-3 m at pH 7, is several fold higher than that observed for the esterase activity of native enzyme. The esterase activity of DTNB-modified enzyme is not inhibited by Z-l-glutaminylglycine. This is in contrast to the effective inhibition afforded by this substrate toward the esterase activity of native transglutaminase. Z-l-Glutaminylglycine protects the enzyme against inactivation by DTNB. This protection is observed only in the presence of Ca++, which is essential for the binding of this substrate. Complete loss in transferase and hydrolysis activities is accompanied by the loss of 2 sulfhydryl residues in the enzyme and the concomitant release of 2 eq of 5-thio-2-nitrobenzoic acid (or its thioquinone) for each equivalent of DTNB used for the modification. The loss in —SH groups appears to be the result of formation of a single intramolecular disulfide bridge in the enzyme. The DTNB-inactivated enzyme is readily reactivated by treatment with dithiothreitol. Peptide mapping studies show that a single —SH group of transglutaminase previously identified as essential for all catalytic activities is not a component of the disulfide bridge formed as a result of DTNB treatment. These findings suggest that the changes that occur in transglutaminase upon treatment with DTNB in the absence of Ca++ result in a loss in binding properties for glutamine substrate. In contrast to the inactivation of transglutaminase by low levels of DTNB in the absence of Ca++, inactivation of the enzyme at a high Ca++ concentration (50 mm) requires several fold higher DTNB levels. Furthermore, DTNB treatment at high Ca++ levels results in parallel losses in all three catalytic activities of the enzyme. This finding is in accord with earlier observations that a Ca++-induced conformational change in transglutaminase affects the reactivity of the enzyme protein toward modifying agents.