cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
BRINGING ORDER INTO THE SELECTION OF A COLLEGE

An approach designed to bring order into the college selection process is presented. It takes individual needs and requirements into consideration by providing a framework in which each person can make his decision based on criteria which he alone has established. First the factors are listed that affect the decision and weights are assigned to each according to their relative importance. The process is further qualified by choosing measures pertaining to each factor and sources of information about each. A number of subdecisions are then made by rating each of the possible colleges with respect to each of the factors. The results of these subdecisions are combined to arrive at a major decision, the choice of the best college. When followed to its conclusion, the method should result in the optimal utilization of available information and as a result in the choice of a college that is best for each individual. Following a step-by-step introduction of the process including some examples, suggestions are offered on ways to introduce the approach to students.
Intuition, Telepathy, and Interspecies Communication: A Multidisciplinary Perspective

For over one hundred years parapsychological and intuition research has supported the existence of cognitive “knowing” beyond the physical senses. Additional quantum physics research over the past decades has indicated a quantum field at the sub‐ atomic level of connectedness that Schrodinger described as “entanglement.” Electrophysiological evidence of intuition has shown that the heart’s and the whole body’s perceptions are constantly receiving, processing, and decoding intuitive information. Perhaps the heart, or the heart’s electromagnetic field, may be a source of intuition. Telepathic interspecies communication may be facilitated by utilizing specific meditation techniques to quiet the mind, slow the brain waves, and shift consciousness to a level outside of time and space.
Fast interpolation algorithms for real-time three-dimensional cardiac ultrasound

Real-time three-dimensional (RT3D) ultrasound technique based on matrix phased array transducers is likely to become predominant for dynamic screening in cardiac and obstetric practice. With these transducers large data volumes are acquired in spherical coordinates and require resampling to be visualized in cartesian coordinates. A fast 3D resampling method was implemented and five interpolation kernels tested on cardiac RT3D data. Downsizing and smoothing of sampling artifacts were integrated in the resampling process for improvement of the reconstructed data visual quality.
Estradiol potentiates ghrelin-stimulated pulsatile growth hormone secretion in postmenopausal women.

Context: Ghrelin and an estrogen-rich milieu individually amplify pulsatile GH secretion by increasing the amount of hormone released per burst. However, how these distinct agonists interact in controlling pulsatile GH output is not known. Objective: The objective of the study was to test the hypothesis that elevated estradiol (E2) concentrations potentiate hypothalamo-pituitary responses to a near-physiological ghrelin stimulus. Design: This was a double-blind, placebo-controlled, prospectively randomized, parallel-cohort study. Setting: The study was conducted at an academic medical center. Subjects: Twenty-one postmenopausal women participated in the study. Interventions: Eleven subjects received placebo (Pl) and 10 others E2 transdermally in escalating doses over 3 wk to mimic late follicular-phase E2 concentrations. Saline or a submaximally stimulatory amount of ghrelin (0.3 μg/kg) was infused iv on separate randomly ordered mornings fasting after 17–21 d of Pl or E2 administration. Outcomes: Outcome...
Paper to parameters: designing tangible simulation input

We present a new low-cost paper-based user interface strategy (Paper-to-Parameters) for making interaction with simulations of complex systems pragmatic within an Environmental Science curriculum. Students specify initial simulation conditions by sticking pieces of paper to a wall, and can experiment with the simulation by repositioning the pieces of paper. Computer vision recognizes the paper-based symbols and converts them into parameters used by the simulation. This tangible input approach contrasts with current slider- and programming-based approaches for interacting with simulations. We hypothesize that the affordances of this interaction strategy better supports manipulations of spatial simulation parameters. We report here on the initial prototype of the system, and present plans for future work.
Predicting food‐web structure with metacommunity models

The metacommunity framework explores the relative influence of local and regional-scale processes in generating diversity patterns across the landscape. Metacommunity models and empirical studies have focused mostly on assemblages of competing organisms within a single trophic level. Studies of multi-trophic metacommunities are predominantly restricted to simplified trophic motifs and rarely consider entire food webs. We tested the ability of the patch-dynamics, speciessorting, mass-effects, and neutral metacommunity models, as well as three hybrid models, to reproduce empirical patterns of food web structure and composition in the complex aquatic food web found in the northern pitcher plant Sarracenia purpurea. We used empirical data to determine regional species pools and estimate dispersal probabilities, simulated local food-web dynamics, dispersed species from regional pools into local food webs at rates based on the assumptions of each metacommunity model, and tested their relative fits to empirical data on food-web structure. The species-sorting and patch-dynamics models most accurately reproduced nine food web properties, suggesting that local-scale interactions were important in structuring Sarracenia food webs. However, differences in dispersal abilities were also important in models that accurately reproduced empirical food web properties. Although the models were tested using pitcher-plant food webs, the approach we have developed can be applied to any well-resolved food web for which data are available from multiple locations.
Case 2: Poor Weight Gain, Cough, Shortness of Breath, and Chest Pain in an 11-year-old Boy

1. Ivana Kalanovic Dylag, MD* 2. Ross E. Myers, MD* 1. *Rainbow Babies and Children’s Hospital, Cleveland, OH. An 11-year-old boy presents with a 2-week history of dry cough, chest pain, and shortness of breath. He denies fever and other constitutional symptoms. The only finding of note on his past medical history is chronic poor weight gain. Social history reveals smoke exposure and a father who has been incarcerated. He has a brother with asthma. Findings on initial physical examination include temperature 101.5°F (38.6°C), heart rate 139 beats/min, respiratory rate 18 breaths/min, blood pressure 125/66 mm Hg (normalized with the next check to 98/69 mm Hg), oxygen saturation 96% on room air, weight 23.2 kg (<3rd percentile), and height 127 cm (<3rd percentile). He is generally alert and in mild respiratory distress. Respiratory examination demonstrates suprasternal retractions, diffuse crackles bilaterally without wheezes, and tenderness to palpation at the left lower chest. Cardiovascular examination shows tachycardia. Findings on the rest of the physical examination are normal. The white blood cell count is 12,200/μL (12.2×109/L) with 73% neutrophils, 12.1% lymphocytes, 14.2% monocytes, 0.3% eosinophils, and 0.2% basophils. Hemoglobin is 11.2 g/dL (112 g/L), hematocrit is 33.4% (0.334), and mean corpuscular volume is 82 μm3 (82 fL). Platelet count is 377×103/μL (377×109/L). C-reactive protein measures 4.93 mg/L (46.95 nmol/L) and erythrocyte sedimentation rate is 36 mm/h. Results of a complete metabolic panel are within normal parameters. Chest radiography results are …
Protein utilization by young women consuming animal or plant protein diets at various levels of vitamin B-6 intake.

Eight young women consumed a vitamin B-6 depletion diet (egg albumen formula, < 0.05 mg vitamin B-6/d) for 1 1-28 d. Subjects (n = 4) then consumed either animal protein (AP, mainly dairy and poultry products) or plant protein (PP, mainly various types of beans) diets with increasing vitamin B-6 intake (0.5, 1.0, 1.5, and 2.0 mg/d) for periods of 14- 2 1 d. All diets provided 1.55 g protein/kg body wt. Apparent protein digestibility of AP(94.6%) was significantly higher than that ofPP (88.4%) diets (p < 0.001). Protein digestibility was not significantly affected by vitamin B-6 intake. Apparent nitrogen balance ofsubjects consuming AP diets was slightly, though not significantly, higher than that of subjects fed PP diets. N balance was not influenced by vitamin B-6 intake. Data suggest that short-term low vitamin B-6 intake does not affect protein utilization in humans as determined by digestibility and N balance. AmfClinNutr l989;49:636-40.
Getting Even or Being at Odds? Cohesion in Even-and Odd-Sized Small Groups

We propose that even-sized small groups often experience lower cohesion than odd-sized small groups. Studies 1 and 2 demonstrate this effect within three-to six-person groups of freshman roommates and sibling groups, respectively. Study 3 replicates the basic even/odd effect among three-to five-person groups in a laboratory experiment that examines underlying mechanisms. To account for the even/odd effect, Study 3 focuses on the group's ability to provide members with certainty and identifies majority influence as the key instrument. We argue that groups struggle to provide certainty when they lack majorities (e.g., deadlocked coalitions) or contain unstable majorities (i.e., where small changes in opinion readily overturn existing power arrangements). Member uncertainty mediated the effects of coalition structure on cohesion. The results link structural variables (i.e., even/odd size and coalition structure) to psychological outcomes (i.e., member uncertainty and relational outcomes).
The Prevention of Chick Growth Depression due to Dietary Lead by Increased Dietary Calcium and Phosphorus Levels

Increasing dietary lead concentrations from 0 to 2000 ppm linearly decreased the weight of two-week-old chicks to approximately 70% of that of the controls. The growth depression caused by the lead was lessened by increasing the dietary calcium and phosphorus levels and was completely counteracted by approximately 2.1% calcium with 1.4% phosphorus. As expected, increasing calcium and phosphorus levels up to 1.2% calcium and .8% phosphorus increased bone ash. Lead had no effect on bone ash.
Acculturation and Plasma Fatty Acid Concentrations in Hispanic and Chinese-American Adults: The Multi-Ethnic Study of Atherosclerosis.

Background Acculturation to the U.S. is associated with increased risk of cardiovascular disease, but the etiologic pathways are not fully understood. Plasma fatty acid levels exhibit ethnic differences and are emerging as biomarkers and predictors of cardiovascular disease risk. Thus, plasma fatty acids may represent one pathway underlying the association between acculturation and cardiovascular disease. We investigated the cross-sectional relationship between acculturation and plasma phospholipid fatty acids in a diverse sample of Hispanic- and Chinese-American adults. Methods and Findings Participants included 377 Mexican, 320 non-Mexican Hispanic, and 712 Chinese adults from the Multi-Ethnic Study of Atherosclerosis, who had full plasma phospholipid assays and acculturation information. Acculturation was determined from three proxy measures: nativity, language spoken at home, and years in the U.S., with possible scores ranging from 0 (least acculturated) to 5 (most acculturated) points. α-Linolenic acid, linoleic acid, eicosapentaenoic acid, docosahexaenoic acid, and arachidonic acid were measured in fasting plasma. Linear regression models were conducted in race/ethnicity-stratified analyses, with acculturation as the predictor and plasma phospholipid fatty acids as the outcome variables. We ran secondary analyses to examine associations between acculturation and dietary fatty acids for comparison. Covariates included age, gender, education, and income. Contrary to our hypothesis, no statistically significant associations were detected between acculturation and plasma phospholipid fatty acids for Chinese, non-Mexican Hispanic, or Mexican participants. However, acculturation was related to dietary total n-6 fatty acids and dietary n-3/n-6 ratios in expected directions for Mexican, non-Mexican Hispanic, and combined Hispanic participants. In Chinese individuals, acculturation was unexpectedly associated with lower arachidonic acid intake. Conclusion Absence of associations between acculturation and plasma phospholipid fatty acids suggests that changes in the plasma phospholipid fatty acids studied do not account for the observed associations of acculturation to the U.S. and cardiovascular disease risk. Similar findings were observed for eicosapentaenoic acid and docosahexaenoic acid, when using dietary intake. However, the observed associations between dietary n-6 fatty acids and acculturation in Hispanic individuals suggest that dietary intake may be more informative than phospholipids when investigating acculturation effects. In Chinese individuals, acculturation may have a possible protective effect through decreased arachidonic acid intake. Further research on dietary fatty acids and other cardiovascular disease biomarkers is needed to identify possible etiologic mechanisms between acculturation and cardiovascular disease.
Magnetism, electron transport and effect of disorder in CoFeCrAl

Structural, electronic, and magnetic properties of a Heusler-type CoFeCrAl alloy have been investigated experimentally and by model calculations, with a focus on the alloy's spin-gapless semiconductivity. The as-quenched samples are ferrimagnetic at room temperature with a Curie temperature of about 456 K, which increases to 540 K after vacuum annealing at 600 °C for 2 h. The saturation magnetizations of the as-quenched and 600 °C-annealed samples are 1.9 µB/f.u. and 2.1 µB/f.u., respectively, which are very close to the value predicted by the Slater–Pauling curve. The resistivity shows a nearly linear decrease with increasing temperature, from about 930 µΩ cm at 5 K to about 820 µΩ cm at 250 K, with dρ/dT of about −5 × 10−7 Ω cm K−1. We explain this high resistivity and its temperature dependence as imperfect spin-gapless semiconducting behavior, with a negative band-gap parameter of 0.2 eV.
Transmission and control of respiratory disease in army barracks. IV. The effect of oiling procedures on the incidence of respiratory diseases and hemolytic streptococcal infections.

Received for publication July 18, 1951. * Present address: Evans Memorial Hospital, 65 E. Newton St., Boston, Mass. t Present address: Dept. of Internal Medicine, Cincinnati General Hosp., Cincinnati 29, Ohio. The authors wish to express their thanks to the many persons whose interest and help made this work possible: Col. W. M. Blunt, Commanding Officer, Camp Carson; Col. T. E. Harwood, Jr., Post Surgeon; Lt. Col. James M. Blanton, Chief of the Medical Service; Capt. Howard C. Coggeshall, Officer in Charge of Acute Respiratory Diseases; Col. H. H. Twitchell, Chief Surgeon of Second Air Force, Peterson Field, Colo.; Maj. I. M. Dixson, Chief of Medical Service, Peterson Field; and the many other officers and men at Camp Carson who assisted in these studies. The authors gratefully acknowledge the technical assistance in the laboratory of V. G. Hamburger, S. Juster, M. E. Koshlund, M. Moorvitch and M. Smith. We are grateful to Mr. William Kruskal, Instructor, Statistics, for his statistical evaluation of the data.
Quantitation of femtomolar protein levels via direct readout with the electrochemical proximity assay.

We have developed a separation-free, electrochemical assay format with direct readout that is amenable to highly sensitive and selective quantitation of a wide variety of target proteins. Our first generation of the electrochemical proximity assay (ECPA) is composed of two thrombin aptamers which form a cooperative complex only in the presence of target molecules, moving a methylene blue (MB)-conjugated oligonucleotide close to a gold electrode. Without washing steps, electrical current is increased in proportion to the concentration of a specific target protein. By employing a DNA-based experimental model with the aptamer system, we show that addition of a short DNA competitor can reduce background current of the MB peak to baseline levels. As such, the detection limit of aptamer-based ECPA for human thrombin was 50 pM via direct readout. The dual-probe nature of ECPA gave high selectivity and 93% recovery of signal from 2.5 nM thrombin in 2% bovine serum albumin (BSA). To greatly improve the flexibility...
Lactic dehydrogenase isoenzymes in tissues and serum of normal and dystrophic lambs.

SummarySerum from lambs with nutritional muscular dystrophy showed increases in all 5 forms of lactic dehydrogenase (LDH). The largest percentage increase occurred in LDH V, followed by isoenzymes IV, III, II and I. The largest absolute increase was in LDH III. Therapy with vit. E alone or with vit. E plus selenium restored normal levels of all isoenzymes. Treatment with selenium alone diminished serum LDH only temporarily. Data are presented for the LDH isoenzymes in lamb tissues. Skeletal muscle from dystrophic lambs showed a decrease in the percentage of LDH V and increases in the percentages of the other LDH forms. The other tissues from dystrophic animals showed an essentially normal LDH isoenzyme distribution.
Direct Observation of Photoexcited Hole Localization in CdSe Nanorods

Quantum-confined 1D semiconductor nanostructures are being investigated for hydrogen generation photocatalysts. In the photoreaction, after fast electron transfer, holes that remain in the nanostructure play an important role in the total quantum yield of hydrogen production. Unfortunately, knowledge of hole dynamics is limited due to lack of convenient spectroscopic signatures. Here, we directly probe hole localization dynamics within CdSe nanorods (NRs) by combining transient absorption (TA) and time-resolved terahertz (TRTS) spectroscopy. We show that when methylene blue is used as an electron acceptor, the resulting electron transfer occurs with a time constant of 3.5 ± 0.1 ps and leaves behind a delocalized hole. However, the hole quickly localizes in the Coulomb potential well generated by the reduced electron acceptor near the NR surface with time constant of 11.7 ± 0.2 ps. Our theoretical investigation suggests that the hole becomes confined to a ∼±0.8 nm region near the reduced electron acceptor ...
Pathologies of the Public Grants Economy

There are two basic economic relationships between economic parties: exchange, in which there is a mutual transfer of economic goods from each party to the other; and the grant or transfer which is a one-way transfer of economic goods from one party to another, without equivalent economic goods passing in exchange, although there may be non-economic goods passing. Neither of these are clear concepts, nor should they be. They lie toward opposite ends of a continuum of possible relationships, with a penumbra of related concepts around them. There are, for instance, accounting concepts which revolve around the transfer of net worth. In a simple accounting exchange, the things exchanged are assumed to have equal values, so that assets are rearranged among owners by the exchange, but the net worth of neither party changes. The decline in asset value of the thing given up is equal to the increase in asset value of the thing received for both parties. The pure grant transaction, from the accounting point of view, is one in which net worth is redistributed, the net worth of the grantor declining and that of the recipient increasing by an equal number.
The effect of field dependent mobility on instabilities associated with space charge enhanced conduction

Previous calculations1, 2 investigated the instability associated with space charge enhanced emission from the cathode into a dielectric solid, the space charge in the solid arising primarily from collision ionization. Both plane and spherical geometry were considered, with spherical geometry probably giving a better representation of avalanche buildup. Current work extends the calculations by investigating the effects of variations in hole mobility, geometric field enhancement, and layered structure between anode and cathode. The model is not an avalanche model, but a steady state collision ionization model that results in a current controlled instability.
Discounting Utility and the Evaluation of Climate Policy

This essay discusses the relation between utility discounting and climate policy. Using a cost-benefit model, I show that the planner’s willingness to pay to eliminate a climate event is greater, but less sensitive to discounting, when the event is random instead of deterministic. Examples in an optimizing setting show that policy may be less sensitive to discounting, the more nonlinear is the underlying model. I then explain why, in general, there should be no presumption that the risk of catastrophe swamps discounting in the assessment of climate policy. I conclude by pointing out that intertemporal transfers between the same agent at different points in their life, and transfers between different agents at different points in time, are qualitatively different, and should not be assessed using the same discount rate.
Cell cycle perturbation induced by gemcitabine in human tumor cells in cell culture, xenografts and bladder cancer patients: implications for clinical trial designs combining gemcitabine with a Chk1 inhibitor

// Ryan Montano 1 , Nadeem Khan 2, 4 , Huagang Hou 2, 4 , John Seigne 3, 4 , Marc S. Ernstoff 3, 4, 5 , Lionel D. Lewis 3, 4 and Alan Eastman 1, 4 1 Department of Molecular and Systems Biology, Geisel School of Medicine at Dartmouth, Lebanon, NH, USA 2 Department of Radiology, Geisel School of Medicine at Dartmouth, Lebanon, NH, USA 3 Department of Medicine, Geisel School of Medicine at Dartmouth, Lebanon, NH, USA 4 Norris Cotton Cancer Center, Geisel School of Medicine at Dartmouth, Lebanon, NH, USA 5 Department of Medicine, Roswell Park Cancer Institute, Buffalo, NY, USA Correspondence to: Alan Eastman, email: Alan.R.Eastman@Dartmouth.edu Keywords: gemcitabine, S phase arrest, cell cycle checkpoint, Chk1, bladder cancer Received: May 07, 2017 Accepted: June 03, 2017 Published: June 28, 2017 ABSTRACT Gemcitabine irreversibly inhibits ribonucleotide reductase and induces S phase arrest but whether this occurs in tumors in mice or patients has not been established. Tumor cells in culture were incubated with gemcitabine for 6 h to approximate the administration schedule in a patient. Concentrations that induced persistent S phase arrest thereafter correlated with cell killing. Administration of gemcitabine to mice also demonstrated a persistent S phase arrest in their tumor. The minimum dose that induced almost complete S phase arrest after 24 h (40 mg/kg) was well below the maximum tolerated dose in mice. S phase arrest was also observed in tumors of bladder cancer patients receiving gemcitabine. The Chk1 inhibitor MK-8776 sensitized cells to gemcitabine with the greatest cell killing when added 18 h after gemcitabine. In mice, the administration of MK-8776 18 h after gemcitabine elicited positivity for the DNA damage marker γH2AX; this also occurred at relatively low dose (40 mg/kg) gemcitabine. Hence, in both cell culture and xenografts, MK-8776 can markedly enhance cell killing of cells reversibly arrested in S phase by gemcitabine. Some cell lines are hypersensitive to MK-8776 as monotherapy, but this was not observed in xenograft models. Effective monotherapy requires a higher dose of Chk1 inhibitor, and target inhibition over a longer time period as compared to its use in combination. These results have important implications for combining Chk1 inhibitors with gemcitabine and suggest that Chk1 inhibitors with increased bioavailability may have improved efficacy both in combination and as monotherapy.
Multiple receptors shape the estrogen response pathway and are critical considerations for the future of in vitro-based risk assessment efforts.

AbstractCurrent in life toxicity testing paradigms are being challenged as the future of risk assessment moves towards more comprehensive mode of action/adverse outcome pathway based approaches. In particular, endocrine disruption screening is now a global activity and key initiatives in the United States focus on the use of high throughput in vitro assays to prioritize compounds for further testing of estrogen, androgen or thyroid disruption. Of these pathways, much of the emphasis to date has been on high-throughput methods for estrogenic activity primarily using ligand binding and trans-activation assays. However, as the knowledge regarding estrogen receptor signaling pathways continues to evolve, it is clear that the assumption of a simple one-receptor pathway underlying current in vitro screening assays is out of date. To develop more accurate models for estrogen-initiated pathways useful for quantitative safety assessments, we must design assays that account for the key signaling processes driving c...
Introduction: Building a First Amendment-Friendly Democracy or a Democracy-Friendly First Amendment

McCutcheon v. FEC marked the seventh time since 2006 that the Supreme Court has struck down a campaign finance regulation as unconstitutional. In May 2014, the Brennan Center hosted a convening titled Money in Politics 2030 to rethink the framework for regulating money in politics. This gathering inspired a collaboration with the New York University Law Review on an online symposium to explore and develop a new constitutional doctrine governing money in American elections. This essay introduces the symposium collection.
The ‘cinematic poetry’ of the Thaw

As represented in Soviet cinema from Stalinism to the Thaw, the ability to appreciate and recite poetry was a meaningful characteristic of a positive hero. However, the way this positive characteri...
Analysis and design of a series self-resonant coil for wireless power transfer

A planar coil structure that exhibits a series self-resonant behavior is developed for wireless power transfer systems which use magnetic resonant coupling. The proposed structure uses two thin, planar, spiral tracks separated by one layer of dielectric. By connecting to alternate ends of each track, the coil shows a series LC impedance, which is often necessary for voltage source inverters. An analytical model for the inductance, capacitance and resistance is used to develop a geometric design method that minimizes resistance given a set of application constraints. Experimental coils made with an FR4 PCB and an Teflon-ceramic PCB verify the proposed structure and modeling.
Posterior Wall Punctures Between Long- and Short-Axis Techniques in a Phantom Intravenous Model.

Objectives To determine whether a long-axis, in-plane approach to ultrasound-guided vascular access produces fewer posterior wall punctures than a short-axis, out-of-plane approach when attempted by novices without prior ultrasound-guided procedural experience. Methods Participants were randomized to perform either technique on a ballistic gel-based phantom in a randomized controlled trial. They were then crossed over to repeat the experiment using the alternative approach. The primary outcome was posterior wall puncture occurrences. Secondary outcomes included cannulation success, the time to cannulation, and provider preferences. These were formulated before data collection. Results Forty participants completed the study. There were 6 posterior wall punctures in the short-axis, out-of-plane approach (15%) and 1 in the long-axis, in-plane approach (2.5%). A posterior wall puncture was less likely to occur when the long-axis approach was used (odds ratio, 0.15; 95% confidence interval, 0.02-0.91). There was no statistical difference in rates of successful cannulation and the time to cannulation. Eighty percent preferred the long-axis approach, whereas 85% stated that the long-axis approach provided better visualization of the needle tip throughout the procedure. Conclusions The long-axis, in-plane approach compared to the short-axis, out-of-plane approach for ultrasound-guided cannulation on a phantom resulted in fewer posterior wall punctures, better needle tip visibility, and higher preference among novices.
An Efficient Relaxed Projection Method for Constrained Non-negative Matrix Factorization with Application to the Phase-Mapping Problem in Materials Science

In recent years, a number of methods for solving the constrained non-negative matrix factorization problem have been proposed. In this paper, we propose an efficient method for tackling the ever increasing size of real-world problems. To this end, we propose a general relaxation and several algorithms for enforcing constraints in a challenging application: the phase-mapping problem in materials science. Using experimental data we show that the proposed method significantly outperforms previous methods in terms of \(\ell _2\)-norm error and speed.
Roles of PI3K in Neutrophil Function

Neutrophils are terminally differentiated cells that play a vital role in host defense. It has recently become evident that phospholipid regulation plays an import role in many neutrophil functions. We review the regulation of neutrophil functions such as chemotaxis, superoxide production, and phagocytosis by phosphatidylinositol-3,4,5-trisphosphate (PIP3), which is generated in neutrophils by PI3K(gamma). Several lines of evidence are presented demonstrating the importance of this kinase in regulating chemotaxis, in particular the directionality of chemotactic migration. Evidence suggesting that this kinase is important for phagocytosis, especially during engulfment and the internalization of large particles, is also reviewed. Finally, it is suggested that PI3K is important for superoxide production and neutrophil priming. The common link between these seemingly diverse functions is that PI3K(gamma), via its phospholipid products, appears to be providing spatial-temporal cues for the binding of actin-organizing proteins.
LIMITING TENSIONS FOR LIQUIDS AND GLASSES FROM LABORATORY AND MD STUDIES

We discuss first the systematic passage of liquids from states of positive pressure to states of isotropic tension, using spectroscopic characterization methods. We then describe some experimental methods for characterizing the range of temperature under which common liquids and glassformers can be studied in such negative pressure states. While rather large tensions, up to nearly 200MPa have been obtained in these laboratory studies, much larger tensions can be generated in systems with long range attractive forces. We characterize the limiting tensions for such cases using the methods of molecular dynamics. In practice, liquids fail by homogeneously nucleated cavitation at tensions far below the spinodal limits defined by equations of state. We anticipate a crossover from nucleated to spinodal failure as the glass transition temperature meets the spinodal. We lay the basis for the experimental testing of this notion, using laboratory data for the case of the model glassformer, o-terphenyl. In the case of SiO2 glass we are able to characterize the failure mechanism.
Conversational UX Design: An Introduction

Today chat-bot or conversational-agent platforms are ubiquitous. Major technology companies, including Amazon, Google, Apple, Facebook, Microsoft, IBM, as well as multiple start-ups are providing them. But current UX design methodologies and guidelines, intended for graphical interfaces, such as web and mobile, do not apply. In conversational interfaces, the user experience is primarily in the sequences of turns of chat or voice. Although the field of Natural Language Processing (NLP) provides powerful tools for analyzing bits of language, it does not provide guidance on how to string bits of language together into sequences that approximate those of natural human conversation. From the demand for applications on these platforms, a new role is emerging: the conversational UX designer. Currently, the work of conversational UX design is falling on developers, visually oriented interface designers or subject matter experts, none of whom possess the required skills for such work. Instead, what is needed is a person with both experience in UX design and a formal understanding of human conversation (social science). This book provides this new type of UX designer with a collection of studies by HCI researchers and industry practitioners that focuses on key issues in designing conversational user experiences. Each team of authors presents conversational systems and/or user studies and reflects on challenges that are unique to designing conversational interfaces. In addition, the book introduces UX designers to Conversation Analysis (CA), a field within sociology, that provides a treasure trove of empirical models of how people naturally talk and thus a scientific foundation for the creation of conversational UX patterns. General design themes in the book include: the structure of human conversation, agent knowledge, agent misunderstanding and agent design.
The Role of Adjuvant Radiotherapy in the Treatment of Pleural Mesothelioma

Pleural mesothelioma is a rare but aggressive form of cancer. Local recurrence represents the majority of treatment failures and overall survival (OS) outcomes remain dismal. Adding locoregional treatment with radiotherapy after surgical resection has been considered but its role remains uncertain. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the outcomes of adjuvant radiation therapy (RT) for patients with malignant pleural mesothelioma. The National Cancer Data Base (NCDB) was queried (2004–2013) for patients with malignant mesothelioma. Patients were divided into three groups: observation, surgery alone, and surgery followed by adjuvant RT. Statistics included Fisher’s exact or Chi square tests to analyze categorical proportions between groups, Kaplan–Meier analysis to evaluate OS, and Cox proportional hazards modeling to determine variables associated with OS. Propensity matching was performed to make comparisons between homogenous groups. Overall, the surgery plus radiotherapy group had a higher median survival (21.4 months) compared with surgery alone (16.59 months) [p < 0.001]. RT was more likely to be delivered after extrapleural pneumonectomy than with lung-sparing surgical approaches. On multivariable analysis, receipt of surgery plus radiotherapy, chemotherapy administration, and higher socioeconomic status were associated with improved OS (p < 0.0001). After propensity matching, receipt of surgery plus radiotherapy and chemotherapy administration were still associated with improved OS (p < 0.05). In the treatment of malignant pleural mesothelioma, adjuvant radiotherapy after surgical intervention was associated with improved OS. This study is the largest study of adjuvant radiotherapy to date, and our findings highlight the need for additional prospective data.
The effects of exposure on the generalization of habituation on multiple indices of disgust

Examination of habituation to disgust-related stimuli has received limited experimental investigation. In this study, 38 undergraduates were divided into two groups. The vomit-blood (VB) group was first exposed to a realistic approximation of vomit and allowed to habituate to this stimulus, while the blood-vomit (BV) group was first allowed to habituate to a realistic approximation of blood. Following the habituation phase, each group underwent a short exposure to the unexposed stimuli (blood in the VB group, vomit in the BV group). Physiological and self-report assessments were collected during exposure. Self-report habituation was observed for both groups. In addition, only muscle tension at the levator labii and heart rate in the VB group demonstrated significant changes that could be interpreted as habituation. Consistent with previous literature, muscle tension at the levator labii appeared to be a unique indicator of disgust responding. Implications and suggestions for future research are discussed.
Theodicy and Black Theological Anthropology in James Cone’s Theological Identity

This article’s underlying objective is to reassess James H. Cone’s theological vision and meaning, with a special interest in his theological anthropology, Christology, and his efforts to articulat...
Molecular heterogeneity in pyrogenic dissolved organic matter from a thermal series of oak and grass chars

Abstract Pyrogenic organic matter (Py-OM), generated via the incomplete combustion of biomass, is well studied due to the presence of slow-cycling, condensed aromatic compounds (ConAC) known to sequester in soils and sediments. Recently, dissolved Py-OM (Py-DOM) has received interest, due to its higher mobility and potential to be transferred through watersheds to aquatic systems. Py-DOM quantities, molecular identities and importance to global carbon budgets and cycles are only beginning to be understood. Fourier transform ion cyclotron resonance mass spectrometry (FTICR-MS) analyses were performed on Py-DOM isolated from oak and grass biochars produced over a range of temperatures (250–650 °C), and the data are compared to complementary 1H NMR spectroscopic and benzenepolycarboxylic acid biomarker (BPCAs) analyses. Py-DOM is revealed to be a heterogeneous mixture of compounds ranging in relative aromaticity and oxygenation. FTICR-MS analyses demonstrate a decrease in Py-DOM relative oxygen content and a concurrent increase in aliphatic character and heteroatomic (N, Cl) content. 1H NMR and BPCAs analyses detail low O/C dissolved ConAC not observed by FTICR-MS, demonstrating the necessity for a multiple proxy approach to Py-DOM characterization. Heterogeneous Py-DOM is explained as resulting from pyrolysis-initiated and radical-mediated functional group cleavage, aromatic condensation and aromatic ring-opening reactions. Oak biomass progresses faster along a char maturity continuum for a given pyrolysis temperature, perhaps due to its greater lignin content or radical quenching by grass cuticular material. Biomass species and pyrolysis temperature likely result in different Py-DOM compositions and fates and must be considered when evaluating the impacts of wildfires and biochar applications.
Integration of psychosocial and chemical stressors in risk assessment

Abstract Numerous papers have highlighted the need for cumulative risk assessments that evaluate the impacts of multiple chemical and nonchemical stressors on human health [1,2]. Nonchemical stressors represent a diverse suite of factors (e.g., social and economic adversity) that are only beginning to be explored in risk assessment [3]. Approaches incorporating both chemical and nonchemical stressors are critical for better understanding relative contributions of real-world stressors and developing effective intervention strategies. However, moving from traditional single chemical evaluations to cumulative risk assessments presents multiple challenges.
The imperative and promise of neo-abolitionism in social work:

SummaryNeo-abolitionism, the social movement to abolish whiteness, contends that whiteness—not white people—possesses no humane or redeemable quality, in and of itself, but functions solely as the ...
Impacts to Human Health and Ecosystems

Potential human health risks from frack chemicals are difficult to characterize because sources, release mechanisms, transport, types of exposures, and toxicology of the potential chemicals involved are both complex and poorly understood. The routes by which health threats can enter the environment vary from legal to accidental to criminal. Legal includes permitted emissions of vapors and gases into the air during routine operations, accidental may consist of chemical leaks or spills, and criminal is the deliberate, illegal dumping of wastes. The population actually at risk is also unclear. Groups that receive the highest exposures, such as healthy, young drill rig workers may tolerate chemicals much better than the lightly exposed but vulnerable populations of small children or old people more distant from the rig. The air transmission route is favored by many health researchers as the most likely exposure pathway for fracking-related health risks, but links between emissions and fracking are complicated because many chemicals are emitted from different sources.
Racial and ethnic disparities in outcomes through 1 year of life in infants born prematurely: a population based study in California

Objectives To investigate racial/ethnic differences in rehospitalization and mortality rates among premature infants over the first year of life. Study design A retrospective cohort study of infants born in California from 2011 to 2017 (n = 3,448,707) abstracted from a California Office of Statewide Health Planning and Development database. Unadjusted Kaplan-Meier tables and logistic regression controlling for health and sociodemographic characteristics were used to predict outcomes by race/ethnicity. Results Compared to White infants, Hispanic and Black early preterm infants were more likely to be readmitted; Black late/moderate preterm (LMPT) infants were more likely to be readmitted and to die after discharge; Hispanic and Black early preterm infants with BPD were more likely to be readmitted; Black LMPT infants with RDS were more likely to be readmitted and die after discharge. Conclusions Racial/ethnic disparities in readmission and mortality rates exist for premature infants across several co-morbidities. Future studies are needed to improve equitability of outcomes.
Bitácora de proceso: laboratorio para el Teatro de las Formas Animadas

En esta investigacion, pretendemos dar respuesta a las siguientes preguntas:?como encontrar la esencia de un objeto, personaje, una escena? ?Como convertir un objeto en un personaje para que viva en el teatro? Lo anterior se abordo desde la Esencializacion del Objeto, en la sensibilizacion de aquello que no se ve, pero que, de no estar ahi, dejaria de ser lo que es. Desde esta premisa es que nos introdujimos en un mundo de experimentacion realizando un viaje de introspeccion grupal profunda.Intentamos, desde la investigacion empirica, poder contribuir en los procesos creativos de artistas que practican esta disciplina, fortaleciendo la accion de dar vida y, por ende, promoviendo el uso de diferentes objetos.Palabras-clave: Teatro de Formas Animadas. Esencializacion. Investigacion.
Harmonic Functions in Slabs and Half-Spaces

The usual solution to the Dirichlet problem for the Laplace equation Δu = 0 in the slab \({\mathbb R}^n \times (a,b)\), where −∞ < a < b < ∞, and the half-space \({\mathbb R}^n \times (0,\infty )\) involves convolution of the data with a Poisson kernel. Interestingly, the class of distributions which is convolvable with the natural Poisson kernel Q for the slab is considerably wider than that which is convolvable with the classical Poisson kernel P for the half-space. We investigate this curious phenomenon and observe that arbitrary tempered distributions can be convolved with Q, resulting in functions harmonic in the slab with no greater than polynomial growth in the interior and distributionally bounded on hyperplanes parallel to the boundary. Conversely, we show that all harmonic functions in the slab which enjoy no greater than polynomial growth in the interior and are distributionally bounded on hyperplanes parallel to the boundary can be characterized as Poisson integrals of tempered distributions. In the case of the half-space we observe that the classical Poisson kernel can be modified so that the result is applicable to all tempered distributions and gives rise to harmonic functions in the half-space with the prescribed boundary values. In both cases if the boundary data is given by polynomials then so is the resulting harmonic function. In the appendix we record some additional properties of the kernel Q and offer several pertinent comments and observations.
An Expert-driven Computer-aided Classification for Database Construction: Its Impact to Predict Polyp Sub-types via Computed Tomographic Colonography

Data preparation for any machine learning process is of utmost importance to produce consistent and robust results. The challenges faced with identifying the colon polyps in computed tomographic colonography (CTC) images are that some polyps do not have a definite outline, some are coated by oral tag material due to poor preparation, and the intra-variation when multiple contributors work on the same dataset. This study aims to relieve the challenge by an iterative user-driven procedure, which starts by an expert to draw the initial borders of the colon polyps (or VOIs), followed by using computer aided classification (CAC) on an adequately grouped VOIs to find outliers. Then the expert examines the outliers for refining the VOIs and the CAC is repeated on the refined VOIs. This iterative procedure is repeated until a threshold is satisfied. The expert-driven CAC procedure was validated by experiments using three datasets. One small dataset containing 87 large polyp masses, and two large datasets containing 726 and 563 polyp masses varying in size from medium and small. Of the dataset with 87 polyps, 63 VOIs were constructed previously by three experts as the baseline, including 31 benign and 32 malignant. The remaining 24 (12 benign and 12 malignant) were added after going through the expert-driven CAC procedure (i.e. only one expert). The two large datasets had multiple contributors and each dataset could be split into several subgroups and cross validated using the highest performing subgroup as the baseline. The cross validation was performed using the grey-level co-occurrence measures of the VOIs, two-fold validation, and random forest classifier. The AUC score on the large polyp dataset remained the same as that of the baseline when the 24 new VOIs were added using the expert-driven CAC procedure, while varied by 4% if the procedure was not used. The AUC score on the medium and small polyp datasets had nominal increases up to 2% after expert-driven CAC procedure. Upon further examination on the-up-to 2% variation, the causes include flat small polyps and small polyps being submerged and/or surrounded by oral tagging materials. These causes of up to 2% variation are CTC data specific and acceptable. In conclusion, expert-driven CAC is important for large database construction. Key words: ML, Database, Colon polyps, CTC, CAC.
MODELING GROUTED SAND UNDER TORSIONAL LOADING.

The mechanical behavior of grouted sand is controlled by some combination of the properties of grout, sand, and their interaction. In this study, chemically grouted sand is considered a two-phase particulate composite, and the mechanical properties under pure torsional loading are examined at both the particulate and composite levels. Both the adhesive and cohesive properties of grout are believed to influence the behavior of grouted sand, and an experimental program was conducted to quantify the particular relationship for each. These data, together with the porosity of the sand, are employed to formulate strength, shear modulus, and failure strain models for predicting the behavior of grouted sand from a knowledge of the properties of the constituents. The most critical mode of failure for grout and grouted sand is tension, but comparisons are also made between the shear and compressive properties.
Lower bounds in geometric searching

We study algorithms for geometric range searching, particularly for the problems of reporting and counting points inside of axis-parallel rectangles and simplices in Euclidean d-space. Lower bounds are discussed as well as the models of computation in which the lower bounds hold. The relevance of these models to practical computing is considered. We then present two new lower bounds for geometric range searching. Related to the problem of computing partial sums off-line, we show that given an array A with n entries in an additive semigroup, and m intervals of the form $I\sb k$ = (i, j), where 0 $ $ 0. Both of these lower bounds are tight within small functional factors.