cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
From Natural Variation to Optimal Policy? The Importance of Endogenous Peer Group Formation

We take cohorts of entering freshmen at the United States Air Force Academy and assign half to peer groups designed to maximize the academic performance of the lowest ability students. Our assignment algorithm uses nonlinear peer effects estimates from the historical pre-treatment data, in which students were randomly assigned to peer groups. We find a negative and significant treatment effect for the students we intended to help. We provide evidence that within our �optimally� designed peer groups, students avoided the peers with whom we intended them to interact and instead formed more homogeneous subgroups. These results illustrate how policies that manipulate peer groups for a desired social outcome can be confounded by changes in the endogenous patterns of social interactions within the group.
Bilirubin Production from Non-Erythroid Sources

It has become clear over the past several years that a small but significant portion of the total bilirubin production is derived from sources other than the hemoglobin of red blood cells. In retrospect this is not surprising since bilirubin is the product of the degradation of heme, and heme is present in virtually all tissues of the body in the form of a number of enzymes and cytochromes, myoglobin in muscle and hemoglobin in red cells. Quantitatively, most heme is present in red cell hemoglobin. The second richest source of heme synthesis is the liver. Not surprisingly, therefore, most of the bilirubin produced under normal conditions is derived from erythroid and hepatic sources, although there is presumably a small contribution from other tissues as well.
Multiple Bookrunners in IPOs

In the last decade, there has been a dramatic change in syndicate structure for IPOs; while at the same time fees (gross spreads) have not changed. The increasing number of multiple bookrunners in the IPOs of recent years can be explained by (1) the increased issue size, (2) the significantly reduced amount of available IPO business after 2000, (3) the decreased importance of all-star analyst coverage, and (4) the increased number of buyout-backed IPOs. The benefits of multiple bookrunners to an issuer include improved bargaining power, which is reflected in the high file price ranges and high offer prices relative to the first-day closing market prices, and the participation of commercial banks with their loan tie-ins.
Forest Institutions in Transition: Experiences and Lessons from Eastern Europe

This paper summarizes the results from a study of institutional reforms of forest organizations in transition economies in Eastern Europe, and posits the conditions for successful reform. The paper points out that the key challenge for forest organizations in the region has been how to transform financially secure forest organizations from centrally planned institutions with strong regulatory functions, to organizations with roles which are fundamentally service delivery ones and for which public expenditures have to be mobilized from increasingly constrained sources. In particular, the paper concludes that success depends on clarity in the definition of forest institutions' service delivery responsibilities.
Erosion of Conserved Binding Sites in Personal Genomes Points to Medical Histories.

Although many human diseases have a genetic component involving many loci, the majority of studies are statistically underpowered to isolate the many contributing variants, raising the question of the existence of alternate processes to identify disease mutations. To address this question, we collect ancestral transcription factor binding sites disrupted by an individual’s variants and then look for their most significant congregation next to a group of functionally related genes. Strikingly, when the method is applied to five different full human genomes, the top enriched function for each is invariably reflective of their very different medical histories. For example, our method implicates “abnormal cardiac output” for a patient with a longstanding family history of heart disease, “decreased circulating sodium level” for an individual with hypertension, and other biologically appealing links for medical histories spanning narcolepsy to axonal neuropathy. Our results suggest that erosion of gene regulation by mutation load significantly contributes to observed heritable phenotypes that manifest in the medical history. The test we developed exposes a hitherto hidden layer of personal variants that promise to shed new light on human disease penetrance, expressivity and the sensitivity with which we can detect them.
Trichloroethylene-induced hypersensitivity dermatitis was associated with hepatic metabolic enzyme genes and immune-related genes

Trichloroethylene (TCE) is one of the common organic solvents that has been widely used in cleaning or degreasing of metal and electronic products. However, hundreds of cases of hypersensitivity dermatitis have occurred after the workers were occupationally exposed to TCE in China over the past decade. The purpose of this study was to investigate mRNA expression of hepatic metabolic enzyme genes, immune-related genes, apoptosis genes and oncogenes in patients with hypersensitivity dermatitis induced by trichloroethylene. 12 typical patients with TCE-induced hypersensitivity dermatitis were investigated as the study cases, peripheral blood samples were taken from patients and control, and real-time fluorescence PCR assay was applied for detection of mRNA expression of hepatic metabolic enzyme genes, immune-related genes, apoptosis genes and oncogenes. It was found that the relative levels of mRNA expression of CYP1A2, CYP2E1, CYP3A4 and CYP2C9 increased by 723%, 318%, 385% and 216%, respectively, when compared with control (p < 0.01 or p < 0.05); Foxp3, GATA3 and CTLA4 mRNA expression increased by 104%, 106% and 253%, respectively, in TCE patients when compared with control (p < 0.01); T-bet expression decreased by 44% when compared with control (p < 0.01); these findings indicate that some immune-related genes and hepatic metabolic enzyme genes might play an important role in the process of trichloroethylene-induced hypersensitivity dermatitis.
Time-Reversed Ultrasonically Encoded (TRUE) Optical Focusing into Soft Biological Tissue

Optical imaging of soft biological tissue has limited depth due to strong light scattering. Our novel technique—Time-Reversed Ultrasonically Encoded (TRUE) optical focusing—can dynamically focus light into tissue. Experimental results are presented.
Personality/Life Style and Television Viewing Behavior:

This article reports an empirical study designed to provide advertisers with information concerning the personality and life-style characteristics of television program audiences. The results indic...
Control of Lipid Oxidation by Nonmigratory Active Packaging Films Prepared by Photoinitiated Graft Polymerization

Transition metal-promoted oxidation impacts the quality, shelf life, and nutrition of many packaged foods. Metal-chelating active packaging therefore offers a means to protect foods against oxidation. Herein, we report the development and characterization of nonmigratory metal-chelating active packaging. To prepare the films, carboxylic acids were grafted onto the surfaces of polypropylene films by photoinitiated graft polymerization of acrylic acid. Attenuated total reflectance/Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, contact angle, scanning electron microscopy, and iron-chelating assay were used to characterize film properties. Graft polymerization yielded a carboxylic acid density of 68.67 ± 9.99 nmol per cm(2) film, with ferrous iron-chelating activity of 71.07 ± 12.95 nmol per cm(2). The functionalized films extended the lag phase of lipid oxidation in a soybean oil-in-water emulsion system from 2 to 9 days. The application of such nonmigratory active packaging films represents a promising approach to reduce additive use while maintaining food quality.
Psychology of the Scientist: XXVII. Experimenter Bias: Occam's Razor versus Pascal's Wager

Rosenthal (1967a, 1967b) in the most recent of a series of interchanges over a study by Ingraham and Harrington (1966) points up residual differences in interpretation. These differences remain.
Mirena placed on the treatment of adenomyosis analysis of 36 cases

Objective To explore clinical effect of Mirena for menstrual abnormalities and dysmenorrheal in patients with adenomyosis.Methods 36 cases of uterine adenomyosis after placing Mirena 12 months follow-up 4 times in the l,3,6,12 month,the degree of dysmenorrhea,menstrual flow and uterine volume changes were compared.Results Score in patients with dysmenorrhea,menstrual flow monthly decline in a month did not change significantly.In the 3,6,12 months,these targets significantly decreased compared with before placement(P0.05 or P0.01);the uterine volume was significantly reduced compared with before placement in 12 months(P0.05).Conclusion Mirena is a safe and effective method for the treatment of adenomyosis.
A-site compositional effects in Ga-doped hollandite materials of the form BaxCsyGa2x+yTi8-2x-yO16: implications for Cs immobilization in crystalline ceramic waste forms.

The hollandite structure is a promising crystalline host for Cs immobilization. A series of Ga-doped hollandite BaxCsyGa2x+yTi8−2x−yO16 (x = 0, 0.667, 1.04, 1.33; y = 1.33, 0.667, 0.24, 0) was synthesized through a solid oxide reaction method resulting in a tetragonal hollandite structure (space group I4/m). The lattice parameter associated with the tunnel dimension was found to increases as Cs substitution in the tunnel increased. A direct investigation of cation mobility in tunnels using electrochemical impedance spectroscopy was conducted to evaluate the ability of the hollandite structure to immobilize cations over a wide compositional range. Hollandite with the largest tunnel size and highest aspect ratio grain morphology resulting in rod-like microstructural features exhibited the highest ionic conductivity. The results indicate that grain size and optimized Cs stoichiometry control cation motion and by extension, the propensity for Cs release from hollandite.
Edible Films from Rice Protein Concentrate and Pullulan

Edible films were prepared using a combination of rice protein concentrate and the polysaccharide pullulan. The protein-pullulan mixture with up to 50% protein concentrate could be cast on a glass plate into films with tensile strength of about 18 MPa and water vapor permeability of 40 g x mil/m 2 x day x mmHg. Film strength and water vapor resistance were improved by the addition of small amounts of propylene glycol alginate under alkaline condition. Oils were also incorporated into the film for improved water vapor resistance.
Abstract 176: Have VA Hospitals Improved their Discharge Policies for Hospitalized Heart Failure Patients?

Objective: Over the past few years the VA Chronic Heart Failure (CHF) QUERI has been facilitating national initiatives like the Save 5 Million Lives Campaign and Hospital To Home (H2) with specific focus on inpatients, discharge process and follow up HF care. Survival following discharge has improved though it is not clear if discharge policies have changed. Method: Using a longitudinal approach in 2008 the CHF QUERI identified facility-level best practices related to discharge processes for hospitalized HF Veterans. In 2008 and then again in 2011 cross-sectional surveys were completed by the Chiefs of Medicine or Chiefs of Cardiology at each VA facility. For both waves of data collection we had a response rate of 100% from 140 facilities. Results: Comparative findings over the 3 years show that VA facilities have markedly improved their discharge policies for hospitalized HF patients. Among the facilities reporting none of the following discharge policies in 2008, in 2011 53% of those facilities routinely scheduled a follow-up phone call after discharge within 1 week (41%); and 100% of those facilities routinely scheduled a follow-up visit with provider at the time of discharge within 1 week (17%). In 2008 facilities reported that during the first follow up visit after discharge, all the time the patient was seen in the HF clinic (15%), cardiology, not HF clinic (10%)and by primary care provider (59%). On a separate note, in 2011 facilities reported that during the first follow-up visit with provider after discharge the HF patient was usually seen in HF clinic (41%), by cardiology provider not in HF clinic (19%), by primary care provider (37%) and other (3%). Conclusions: Significant improvements in the discharge policies of hospitalized HF patients at VA facilities have occurred from 2008 to 2011. Implications: Improved discharge HF care may have contributed to the reduction in 30-day mortality.
On asymptotic behavior of Nadaraya–Watson regression estimator

ABSTRACTThe random field (Xi, Yi), is dependent and assumed to satisfy some mild mixing conditions. In this article, a Nadaraya–Watson regression estimator (N. W. R. E.) is established and investigated. We show that the distribution of the N. W. R. E. is asymptotically normal under some commonly used conditions.
A PCR-based strategy for extensive mutagenesis of a target DNA sequence

A mixed population of mutagenic oligonucleotide primers was used to generate a set of point mutations in a short region of a retroviral gene by PCR amplification. The mixed population of mutagenic primers was generated by incorporating a mixture of A, G, C and T at specific sites during oligonucleotide synthesis. With the proportions of mutagenic nucleotides used for our experiments, 47 percent of the 213 clones analyzed had one or more point mutation in the target DNA sequence. In addition, unpredicted mutations were observed that contributed to the mutagenic complexity of the population. We have found this approach to be an efficient means for extensive mutagenesis of a defined target DNA sequence.
Enzymatic Conversion of Cyclohexane to Cyclohexanol by Isolated Rat Liver Microsomes (MS)

Normal rat liver MS possess little if any ability to convert medium chain length hydrocarbons (HC) to the corresponding primary alcohols in vitro. Pretreatment of MS donor animals with phenobarbital (75 mg/kg body wt., IP injection, daily for 5 days) resulted in MS with a slight but detectable ability to convert these HC to their primary alcohols in vitro (Table I). MS isolated from phenobarbital-treated rats converted cyclohexane to cycohexanol at rates 11–128 times those of the n-HC. Maximum cyclohexanol production was observed in the presence of pyrophosphate, nicotinamide, and an NADPH regenerating system. This presumably was due to the inhibition of various NADP (H) degrading enzymes such as NADP ase, NADP (H) pyrophosphatase, and NADPH oxidase present in the MS. NADH could not substitute for NADPH. Cyclohexanol production was maximal at pH 7.4 (0.1 M phosphate buffer) and at a temperature of 37°C. Yields of cyclohexanol increased with increasing MS protein up to a maximum of about 13 mg/ml of reaction mixture. The time course of cyclohexanol production was biphasic, being rapid for the first 30 min followed by a much slower but linear rate of production for as long as 3 hr. A variety of compounds were found to inhibit the production of cyclohexanol, in particular sodium dodecyl sulfate and the medium chain n-alcohols.
What Happens When It's All on the Internet?

ABSTRACTIn her keynote, librarian and professor Dorothea Salo challenged attendees at the 2016 North Carolina Serials Conference to consider how the profession and work of librarianship would be impacted if scholarly output were universally online and available as open access. The scope of her supposition was global and comprehensive, encompassing born digital and digitized materials and scholarly information of all types. What about libraries and librarianship would be different? What work would librarians still be doing, and what work would librarians stop doing?
Kernel-Based Supervised Discrete Hashing for Image Retrieval

Recently hashing has become an important tool to tackle the problem of large-scale nearest neighbor searching in computer vision. However, learning discrete hashing codes is a very challenging task due to the NP hard optimization problem. In this paper, we propose a novel yet simple kernel-based supervised discrete hashing method via an asymmetric relaxation strategy. Specifically, we present an optimization model with preserving the hashing function and the relaxed linear function simultaneously to reduce the accumulated quantization error between hashing and linear functions. Furthermore, we improve the hashing model by relaxing the hashing function into a general binary code matrix and introducing an additional regularization term. Then we solve these two optimization models via an alternative strategy, which can effectively and stably preserve the similarity of neighbors in a low-dimensional Hamming space. The proposed hashing method can produce informative short binary codes that require less storage volume and lower optimization time cost. Extensive experiments on multiple benchmark databases demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed hashing method with short binary codes and its superior performance over the state of the arts.
Identification and Overidentification of Linear Structural Equation Models

In this paper, we address the problems of identifying linear structural equation models and discovering the constraints they imply. We first extend the half-trek criterion to cover a broader class of models and apply our extension to finding testable constraints implied by the model. We then show that any semi-Markovian linear model can be recursively decomposed into simpler sub-models, resulting in improved identification and constraint discovery power. Finally, we show that, unlike the existing methods developed for linear models, the resulting method subsumes the identification and constraint discovery algorithms for non-parametric models.
Some Aspects of Development of Nervous Tissue

Vertebrate spinal and autonomic ganglia are derived from embryonic neural crest cells.1 This unique population of cells is also the developmental antecedent of a large number of other differentiated cell types, including neuroendocrine tissues such as the adrenal medulla and the calcitonin-producing (“C”) cells,2 and the glial (Schwann sheath and satellite) cells of the peripheral nervous system. Integumental pigment cells and cells that form skeletal and connective tissue of the head and face3 are also derivatives of the embryonic neural crest.
Conclusions of a seven-year translational research initiative: Defining and validating a molecular signature of high-risk multiple myeloma

PR-2 Introduction: Survival of patients diagnosed with multiple myeloma (MM) can vary considerably. While most disease is initially responsive to intervention, a small subset is primary refractory and acquisition of drug resistance represents a difficult barrier to long-term disease control. Aim: We used genome-wide mRNA expression profiling to identify molecular signatures to improve risk stratification. Methods: We performed expression analyses, using Affymetrix U133Plus2.0 microarrays, on mRNA from CD138-enriched bone marrow plasma cells from 532 consecutive newly diagnosed patients treated with tandem stem ell transplants on two separate protocols at our center. We segregated gene expression levels into quartiles and performed log rank tests to identify genes whose expression extremes were linked to disease related death. Results: We identified 70 genes, 30% mapping to chromosome 1 (P
Modernizing Research Regulations Is Not Enough: It's Time to Think Outside the Regulatory Box.

We are a multidisciplinary collaborative made up of bioethicists, social scientists, clinicians, and lawyers whose work focuses on the ethical challenges posed by a networked approach to bioreposit...
Parental History of Type 2 Diabetes Abrogates Ethnic Disparities in Key Glucoregulatory Indices.

Context There are ethnic differences in glucoregulation and prevalence of type 2 diabetes, but studies on the role of genetics in modifying ethnic effects in normoglycemic African-Americans and Caucasians are limited. Therefore, we investigated glucoregulation in normoglycemic African-Americans and Caucasians with or without parental diabetes. Design Fifty subjects with parental diabetes (from the Pathobiology of Prediabetes in a Biracial Cohort Study) and 50 subjects without parental diabetes were matched in age, sex, ethnicity, and body mass index (BMI). Subjects underwent a 75-g oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT), physical examination, anthropometry, biochemistries, indirect calorimetry and assessment of body composition, insulin sensitivity by euglycemic clamp (Si-clamp), and β-cell function by Disposition index. Results The mean age was 40.5 ± 11.6 years, BMI 28.7 ± 5.9 kg/m2, fasting plasma glucose 90.2 ± 5.9 mg/dL, and 2-hour postglucose 120.0 ± 26.8 mg/dL. Offspring with parental diabetes showed higher glycemic excursion during OGTT-area under the curve-glucose (16,005.6 ± 2324.7 vs 14,973.8 ± 1819.9, P < 0.005), lower Si-clamp (0.132 ± 0.068 vs 0.162 ± 0.081 µmol/kg fat-free mass/min/pmol/L, P < 0.05), and lower Disposition index (8.74 ± 5.72 vs 11.83 ± 7.49, P < 0.05). Compared with lean subjects without parental diabetes, β cell function was lower by ∼30% in lean subjects with parental diabetes, ∼40% in obese subjects without parental diabetes, and ∼50% in obese individuals with parental diabetes (P < 0.0001). African-Americans without parental diabetes had ∼40% lower insulin sensitivity (P < 0.001), twofold higher acute insulin secretion (P < 0.001), but ∼30% lower Disposition index (P < 0.01) compared with Caucasians without parental diabetes. Remarkably, there were no significant differences by ethnicity in these glucoregulatory measures among subjects with parental diabetes. Conclusion Offspring with parental diabetes harbor substantial impairments in glucoregulation compared with individuals without parental diabetes. Ethnic disparities in glucoregulation were abrogated by parental diabetes.
Maternal Drug Abuse and Adverse Effects on Neurobehavior of Offspring

Abstract Illicit drug use during pregnancy affects thousands of newborns each year. Today, marijuana use has become almost commonplace and opiates are consumed with increasing frequency. Historically, crack/cocaine use affected thousands of children. Each of these drugs is associated with adverse effects on the newborn, child, and adolescent. This chapter focuses on the neurobehavioral effects of illicit drug use during pregnancy, including effects that are generally mild during the neonatal period and then, as the child matures and greater demands are placed on cognition and social skills, the prenatal effects significantly impact the ability of the child to function optimally. Somewhat surprisingly, most of these drugs produce relatively similar effects. Although the mechanism of action of each drug is different, perturbation of the developing brain at critical periods can dysregulate developmental processes and result in impaired function. Illicit drug use is also often associated with polysubstance abuse, poor maternal health, and a chaotic home environment, all of which can contribute to suboptimal neurobehavioral outcomes of children.
Konrad Bloch, PhD: Understanding of Cholesterol Metabolism

Konrad Bloch, PhD (1912–2000) Konrad Bloch was born on January 21, 1912, in Neisse, the German province of Silesia, into a comfortable middle-class household. In 1941, Bloch married Lore Teutsch, originally from Munich, and they had 2 children, Peter and Susan. As a child, Bloch was interested in the natural sciences, and after completing secondary school, he enrolled in the University of Technology, Munich (the Technische Hochschule). Bloch enjoyed introductory courses in chemistry, particularly the organic chemistry course taught by Dr. Hans Fischer. Bloch’s opportunity to continue his graduate education in Germany studying chemistry was cut short by the rise of the Nazi party and their restrictions on people of Jewish descent. Fortunately, Fischer came to Bloch’s aid by referring him to Dr. Fredric Roulet, a pathologist and head of the Schweizerisches Hohenforschung Institut in Davos, Switzerland. Davos was famous for the longest ski runs in the Alps and for its many tuberculosis sanatoria. Under the supervision of Roulet, Bloch’s first research project was to determine the nature of the lipids found in Mycobacterium tuberculosis (M. tuberculosis) , with the hope that understanding the unique biochemistry of mycobacterial lipids would offer insight into the development of drugs to treat tuberculosis. A prior student in Roulet’s laboratory had identified cholesterol in M. tuberculosis , which was contrary to the finding by Chargaff in 1935 that cholesterol was absent in M. tuberculosis .1 Bloch’s first task was to repeat those studies. When he was unable to find cholesterol in M. tuberculosis , Roulet was displeased that the results of his previous student could not be repeated.1 However, when similar negative findings were reported by R.J. Anderson and R. Schoenheimer from Columbia University in New York City, Roulet accepted his work. Bloch moved on to investigate the phospholipid chemistry of M. …
Content marketing strategy of branded YouTube channels

As content marketing becomes a viable approach to build brands and connect with consumers, this study assessed top brands’ content marketing strategy on branded YouTube channels via content analysi...
Adaptation of Deep Neural Networks

Adaptation techniques can compensate for the difference between the training and testing conditions and thus can further improve the speech recognition accuracy. Unlike Gaussian mixture models (GMMs), which are generative models, deep neural networks (DNNs) are discriminative models. For this reason, the adaptation techniques developed for GMMs cannot be directly applied to DNNs. In this chapter, we first introduce the concept of adaptation. We then describe the important adaptation techniques developed for DNNs, which are classified into the categories of linear transformation, conservative training, and subspace methods. We further show that adaptation in DNNs can bring significant error rate reduction at least for some speech recognition tasks and thus is as important as that in the GMM systems.
Analyzing the Teaching of Professional Practice

Background/ContextBased on their case studies of preparation for professional practice in the clergy, teaching, and clinical psychology, Grossman and colleagues (2009) identified three key concepts...
The Price Theory of Two-Sided Markets

I find that competition, price controls and subsidies always reduce the price level, defined as the sum of prices on the two sides of the market. However, price controls and competition that are “unbalanced” may raise prices on one side of the market. Using vulnerability to derive a novel characterization of the double marginalization problem in standard markets, I extend results on the benefits of vertical integration to two-sided markets. The normative analysis emphasizes the importance of externalities across the two sides of the market and their impact on socially optimal pricing. The socially optimal price level, which takes an intuitive Ramsey-pricing form, is always below cost. Subsidies may be desirable even if the profits of the firm are disregarded. In determining optimal price balance, seemingly similar welfare criteria generally conflict. Consumers on one side of the market may want to make transfers to the other side in order to thicken their pool of partners. Unbalanced competition that undermines such transfers may harm all parties. A number of implications for policy are discussed.
The Black Woman Growing Up

George Segal,1 in a painterly reflection on mood, addressed his near obsession with human identity, saying, “I could establish an identity in solid plaster, but could make it slide by changing colors. By choosing different colors I can run the gamut of the way I feel.” Therein he also touched the haunting theme in the developing self-image of a black woman, where the feature of color clouds all the rest in its importance in identity formation. Skin color inherently carries a complex social meaning for both observer and owner. Yet, what Segal has cogently depicted in his technique is the very separateness of person and color.
Calculation of Axial Length Using a Single Group Refractive Index versus Using Different Refractive Indices for Each Ocular Segment: Theoretical Study and Refractive Outcomes.

Purpose To investigate the difference between the segmented axial length (AL) and the displayed AL on an optical low-coherence reflectometry (OLCR) biometer and to compare the refractive prediction errors calculated using the segmented and displayed ALs. Design Retrospective case series. Participants Four thousand nine hundred ninety-two eyes from 4992 patients in the theoretical study and 1758 eyes from 1758 patients in the refractive prediction error comparison. Methods First, we calculated the segmented AL as the sum of geometrical ocular segments converted from the optical path length (OPL) in each medium. To convert the OPL to a geometrical distance in each medium, we used 4 sets of group refractive indices. Then, the mean absolute prediction error (MAE) was calculated with the displayed AL and segmented AL using 6 intraocular lens power formulas: Olsen, Barrett Universal II (Barrett), Haigis, Hoffer Q, Holladay 1, and Sanders-Retzlaff-Kraff trial (SRK/T). Main Outcome Measures Segmented AL, difference in AL (segmented AL minus displayed AL), MAE, and percentage of eyes within 0.5 diopter (D) of error. Results The segmented ALs were up to 0.29 mm longer in short eyes and 0.50 mm shorter in long eyes. The differences in ALs were correlated negatively with the displayed ALs (r values, –0.941 to –0.913; P Conclusions The segmented ALs were longer in short eyes and shorter in long eyes compared with the displayed ALs calculated with a single group refractive index for the entire eye. The refractive accuracy with segmented ALs was improved in short eyes with the Hoffer Q and Holladay 1 formulas and in long eyes with all formulas except the Olsen formula.
Ibuprofen and Acetaminophen Versus Intranasal Ketorolac (Sprix) in an Untreated Endodontic Pain Model: A Randomized, Double-blind Investigation.

Abstract Introduction Previously, ketorolac was available for primary use only via intravenous and intramuscular routes. Its availability in intranasal form offers an alternative route of administration that patients can self-administer. The purpose of this study was to compare the efficacy of intranasal ketorolac (Sprix; Egalet US Inc, Wayne, PA) with a combination of ibuprofen/acetaminophen in an acute pain model of untreated endodontic patients experiencing moderate to severe pain and symptomatic apical periodontitis. Methods Seventy patients experiencing moderate to severe pain, a pulpal diagnosis of symptomatic irreversible pulpitis or necrosis, and a periapical diagnosis of symptomatic apical periodontitis participated. Patients were randomly divided into 2 groups and received either 31.5 mg intranasal ketorolac and placebo capsules or 1000 mg acetaminophen/600 mg ibuprofen capsules and a mock nasal spray. Patients recorded perceived pain scores on a visual analog scale every 15 minutes from drug administration up to 240 minutes. The time to 50% pain relief, the first sign of pain relief, and meaningful pain relief were recorded, and the data were analyzed. Results A decline in reported pain was observed until 120 minutes after dosing, after which reported pain remained relatively constant. There was no significant difference between the 2 groups for the time to 50% pain relief, the first sign of pain relief, or meaningful pain relief. Conclusions The effectiveness of intranasal ketorolac was not significantly different from that of a 1000 mg acetaminophen/600 mg ibuprofen combination. Intranasal ketorolac provides a nonnarcotic alternative and an additional route of medication administration to practicing clinicians.
Understanding Social Communication Differences in Autism Spectrum Disorder and First-Degree Relatives: A Study of Looking and Speaking

This study examined narrative ability in ASD and parents across two contexts differing in structure and emotional content, and explored gaze patterns that may underlie narrative differences by presenting narrative tasks on an eye tracker. Participants included 37 individuals with ASD and 38 controls, 151 parents of individuals with ASD and 63 parent controls. The ASD and ASD parent groups demonstrated lower narrative quality than controls in the less structured narrative task only. Subtler, context-dependent differences emerged in gaze and showed some associations with narrative quality. Results indicate a narrative ability profile that may reflect genetic liability to ASD, and subtle links between visual attention and complex language skills that may be influenced by ASD genetic risk.
Molecular interaction of hexylene glycol with toluene, aniline, chlorobenzene, nitrobenzene, benzaldehyde and N,N-dimethylaniline at 308.15 and 318.15 K

Densities, viscosities and ultrasonic velocities of binary liquid mixtures of hexylene glycol (2-methyl-2,4-pentanediol) with toluene, aniline, chlorobenzene, nitrobenzene, benzaldehyde and N,N-dim...
"Children of Light and Sons of Darkness": Quakers, Oaths and the Old Bailey Proceedings in the eighteenth century

This paper makes use of the technology that allows for the searching of the online edition of the Old Bailey Proceedings. Although Quakers were once very familiar with courts of justice, by the eighteenth century they had become considerably less persecuted than formerly. Their way of life meant that they did not figure highly among defendants in criminal courts. Their testimony against oaths excluded them too from the ranks of prosecutors and witnesses, the newly won right to affirm not extending to criminal trials. Quakers figure in fewer than 100 of the 45,000 Old Bailey trials in this period. Nevertheless, what evidence there is gives some fascinating insights into the creation of the popular image of Quakers and their interaction with both the criminal justice system and wider society in eighteenth-century London.
World Trade Center-Cardiorespiratory and Vascular Dysfunction: Assessing the Phenotype and Metabolome of a Murine Particulate Matter Exposure Model

Vascular changes occur early in the development of obstructive airways disease. However, the vascular remodeling and dysfunction due to World Trade Center-Particulate Matter (WTC-PM) exposure are not well described and are therefore the focus of this investigation. C57Bl/6 female mice oropharyngeally aspirated 200 µg of WTC-PM53 or phosphate-buffered saline (PBS) (controls). 24-hours (24-hrs) and 1-Month (1-M) after exposure, echocardiography, micro-positron emission tomography(µ-PET), collagen quantification, lung metabolomics, assessment of antioxidant potential and soluble-receptor for advanced glycation end products (sRAGE) in bronchoalveolar lavage(BAL) and plasma were performed. 24-hrs post-exposure, there was a significant reduction in (1) Pulmonary artery(PA) flow-velocity and pulmonary ejection time(PET) (2) Pulmonary acceleration time(PAT) and PAT/PET, while (3) Aortic ejection time(AET) and velocity time integral(VTI) were increased, and (4) Aortic acceleration time (AAT)/AET, cardiac output and stroke volume were decreased compared to controls. 1-M post-exposure, there was also significant reduction of right ventricular diameter as right ventricle free wall thickness was increased and an increase in tricuspid E, A peaks and an elevated E/A. The pulmonary and cardiac standard uptake value and volume 1-M post-exposure was significantly elevated after PM-exposure. Similarly, α-smooth muscle actin(α-SMA) expression, aortic collagen deposition was elevated 1-M after PM exposure. In assessment of the metabolome, prominent subpathways included advanced glycation end products (AGEs), phosphatidylcholines, sphingolipids, saturated/unsaturated fatty acids, eicosanoids, and phospholipids. BAL superoxide dismutase(SOD), plasma total-antioxidant capacity activity, and sRAGE (BAL and plasma) were elevated after 24-hrs. PM exposure and associated vascular disease are a global health burden. Our study shows persistent WTC-Cardiorespiratory and Vascular Dysfunction (WTC-CaRVD), inflammatory changes and attenuation of antioxidant potential after PM exposure. Early detection of vascular disease is crucial to preventing cardiovascular deaths and future work will focus on further identification of bioactive therapeutic targets.
Joint Communications and MIMO GMTI Radar Processing

This study develops a signal processing chain for a joint communications and multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) ground moving target indicator (GMTI) radar receiver. Communications signals and radar returns are simultaneously received within the same spectrum. The system must discern the transmitted message while also estimating parameters of a target being observed from the reception. Ground clutter interferes with both functions. By taking advantage of the angle-doppler response characteristic of clutter, this interference can be suppressed. Some communications capacity is sacrificed to permit GMTI radar functionality, which operates as if the communications user was not present.
Redox and paleoenvironmental conditions of the Devonian-Carboniferous Sappington Formation, southwestern Montana, and comparison to the Bakken Formation, Williston Basin

Abstract The Sappington Formation outcrops in southwestern Montana and spans the Upper Devonian—Lower Mississippian transition. It consists of two carbonaceous shale intervals, one upper and one lower, and a middle dolomitic siltstone and silty sandstone. It was deposited in a relatively small basin, with the Central Montana Uplift separating the Sappington Basin from the Williston Basin to the east, which contains the economically important Bakken Formation. Previous biostratigraphic and lithostratigraphic comparisons have identified the Sappington and Bakken Formations as depositionally contemporaneous, and, due to the subsurface nature of the Bakken, the Sappington has emerged as a useful outcrop analogue. This study presents new geochemical data from the Sappington Formation, providing a comparison to the Bakken and insight into paleo-redox conditions during the Devonian-Carboniferous on the western Laurentian margin. Geochemical signals in the Sappington Formation outcrop samples are partially obscured by oxidative weathering, but similar to the Lower Bakken Shale, the Lower Sappington Shale appears to record dominantly euxinic conditions, albeit with intervals when the water column was suboxic to ferruginous and with an absence of organic or inorganic geochemical evidence for photic-zone euxinia. The Upper Sappington Shale appears to have been deposited in ferruginous to dysoxic conditions. Thus, the Sappington appears to be an excellent analogue to the Bakken on a lithostratigraphic level, but the geochemical environment for black shales/source rock deposition appears less reducing. Closer proximity to the open ocean and consequent lower levels of restriction may have been responsible for these redox differences; however, Sappington core samples and an increased focus on integrating geochemical data into the regional stratigraphic record will be necessary to further understand paleoceanographic and biogeochemical drivers.
Upregulation of miR-361-3p suppresses serotonin-induced proliferation in human pulmonary artery smooth muscle cells by targeting SERT

Abnormal proliferation of pulmonary artery smooth muscle cells (PASMCs) is a key mechanism in pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH). Serotonin (5-hydroxytryptamine, 5-HT) can induce abnormal proliferation of PASMCs. The role of miR-361-3p in serotonin-induced abnormal PASMCs proliferation remains unclear. The miR-361-3p level was analyzed in plasma from PAH patients and normal controls and in human PASMCs (hPASMCs) using RT-PCR. The hPASMCs were transfected with an miR-361-3p mimic and then treated with serotonin. Untransfected hPASMCs were used as the control. Cell proliferation was evaluated using an MTS assay and 5-ethynyl-2′-deoxyuridine (EdU) staining. The cell cycle stages were evaluated using flow cytometry. The association between miR-361-3p and serotonin transporter (SERT) was determined using a luciferase reporter assay and anti-AGO2 RNA immunoprecipitation assay. The protein expression was evaluated via western blotting. The miR-361-3p level was lower in plasma from PAH patients than in plasma from the any of the normal control subjects. The mean pulmonary arterial pressure, pulmonary vascular resistance and pulmonary vascular resistance index were higher in PAH patients whose miR-361-3p level was lower than the median value for patients than in those whose miR-361-3p level was higher than the median. Serotonin treatment reduced miR-361-3p expression in the hPASMCs. MiR-361-3p overexpression suppressed cell proliferation, promoted apoptosis, induced G1 arrest, and decreased the phosphorylation level of ERK1/2 in serotonin-treated hPASMCs. SERT was identified as an miR-361-3p target. Its overexpression alleviated the effect of miR-361-3p overexpression on serotonin-induced hPASMC proliferation and upregulation of phosphorylated ERK1/2. The miR-361-3p level is lower in the plasma of PAH patients. Upregulation of miR-361-3p suppresses serotonin-induced proliferation of hPASMCs by targeting SERT. Our results suggest that miR-361-3p is a potential therapeutic target in PAH.
High-Overtone Thin Film Ferroelectric AlScN-on-Silicon Composite Resonators

This letter presents the first demonstration of thin-film ferroelectric Aluminum Scandium Nitride (AlScN)-on-silicon composite resonators, targeting high-overtone resonance modes in the sub-6GHz band with a high figure of merit (FoM). The resonators are based on sputtered ferroelectric AlScN films with Sc/(Al+Sc) ratio of ~30% and thickness of $\sim 1 {\mu }\text{m}$ . Two types of AlScN thickness-extensional (TE) resonators are co-fabricated on the same SOI platform; with and without a $3.55~\mu \text{m}$ -thick Si layer in the resonant stack. We show that although the passive Si device layer underneath the thin piezo-stack results in degradation of the electromechanical coupling coefficient $({k}_{t}^{2})$ , it boosts the quality factor $({Q})$ , provides structural robustness, and improves the overall ${Q} \times {k}_{t}^{2}$ FoM. The resonant frequency spectrum of the high-overtone TE modes of AlScN-on-Si composite resonator is analyzed and the dependency of ${k}_{t}^{2}$ on the Si device layer properties is studied. A high ${k}_{t}^{2}$ value of 11.7% at the 3rd-order TE resonant frequency of 2.4 GHz is reported, yielding a high ${k}_{t}^{2}\times {Q}_{\textit {max}}$ FoM of 84. The reported FoM shows $2\,\, {\times }$ improvement compared to the co-fabricated AlScN-only FBARs.
In search of doxastic involuntarism

Doxastic involuntarists, as I categorize them, say that it’s impossible to form a belief as an intentional action. But what exactly is it to form a belief, as opposed to simply getting yourself to have one? (Everyone agrees you could do that intentionally.) This question has been insufficiently addressed, and the lacuna threatens the involuntarists’ position: if the question isn’t answered, their view will lack any clear content; but, after considering some straightforward ways of answering it, I argue that they would make involuntarism either false or insignificant. I also examine several involuntarist arguments, and find them faltering at just this point: inadequate attention to belief-formation results in unsound arguments or insignificant conclusions. The viability of involuntarism as a meaningful position, I conclude, turns on whether the notion of belief-formation can be further developed.
Estimated Performance of Transvaginal Ultrasonography for Evaluation of Postmenopausal Bleeding in a Simulated Cohort of Black and White Women in the US.

Importance Black women in the US with endometrial cancer (EC) are more likely to be diagnosed with advanced-stage disease independent of insured status and histologic type. The most common way of diagnosing EC at early stages is through screening of people with postmenopausal bleeding to detect endometrial thickness (ET). This approach may disproportionately underperform in Black women secondary to a higher prevalence of fibroids and nonendometrioid EC in this population, both of which affect the quality of ET measurement. Objective To compare the performance of recommended transvaginal ultrasonography (TVUS) ET thresholds as a screening method to prompt endometrial biopsy by race in a simulated cohort of symptomatic women. Design, setting, and participants In a simulated retrospective cohort study, based on data from Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) national cancer registry 2012-2016; the US census; and published estimates of ET distribution and fibroid prevalence, diagnostic test characteristics of the 3-mm or more, 4-mm or more, and 5-mm or more ET thresholds for biopsy to capture EC diagnoses were calculated. The simulated cohort was constructed from February 2, 2020 (date of access to SEER data), to August 31, 2020. Analysis occurred from September 30, 2020, to March 30, 2021, including the primary analysis and the sensitivity calculations. Main outcomes and measures The main outcome measured was accuracy of the TVUS ET threshold to accurately identify cases of EC, measured by sensitivity, negative predictive value, and area under the curve (AUC). Results A total of 367 073 simulated Black and White women with postmenopausal bleeding were evaluated, including 36 708 with EC. Among Black women, the currently recommended 4-mm or greater ET threshold prompted biopsy for fewer than half of EC cases (sensitivity, 47.5%; 95% CI, 46.0%-49.0%); of women referred for biopsy, 13.1% were EC cases (positive predictive value, 13.1%; 95% CI, 12.5%-13.6%). The AUC for the 4-mm or more threshold was 0.57 (95% CI, 0.56-0.57). In contrast, among the White women, the 4-mm or more threshold led to biopsy for most with EC (sensitivity, 87.9%; 95% CI, 87.6%-88.3%). Of those referred for biopsy, 14.6% had EC (positive predictive value, 14.6%; 95% CI, 14.4%-14.7%); AUC was 0.73 (95% CI, 0.73-0.74). The same variations held for the 3-mm or more and 5-mm or more ET thresholds: sensitivity, positive predictive value, and AUC were consistently lower for Black women than White women. Conclusions and relevance The findings of this simulated cohort study suggest that use of ET as measured by TVUS to determine the need for EC diagnostic testing in symptomatic women may exacerbate racial disparities in EC stage at diagnosis. In simulated data, TVUS ET screening missed almost 5 times more cases of EC among Black women vs White women owing to the greater prevalence of fibroids and nonendometrioid histologic type in Black women.