cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
HIV-Associated Autoimmune Hemolytic Anemia: An Update

In addition to developing immunosuppression, opportunistic infections, and malignancies, patients infected with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) also develop many hematologic disorders. Although cytopenias including thrombocytopenia, anemia, and leukopenia, and bone marrow dysplasia are the most common hematologic complications encountered in such patients, hemostatic abnormalities that predispose patients to thromboembolism have also been recognized. Anemia in HIV patients can be multifactorial but an increased incidence of autoimmune hemolytic anemia has been manifested by the increased incidence of positive Coombs' test reported in patients with acquired immune deficiency syndrome (AIDS). Overt hemolysis is a rare complication. This review article discusses the etiology, pathophysiology, clinical features, diagnosis, treatment, and complications of autoimmune hemolytic anemia (AIHA) associated with HIV infection.
Medical student attitudes toward the elderly: a critical review of the literature.

Literature evaluating medical students' attitudes toward the elderly is extensive yet the study methods, attitudinal instruments and curricular interventions are highly diverse, making the literature difficult to evaluate. This article reviews the instrumentation utilized for attitudinal evaluation, previous studies' utilization of both survey and curricular intervention approaches, and suggestions for a framework for a more uniform future assessment of attitudes of medical students toward the elderly.
An Ontological Approach to Integrated Product and Process Knowledge Modeling for Intelligent Design Repositories

Formal representation of design and manufacturing knowledge in distributed design repositories is a key enabler of autonomous design-to-fabrication. This paper presents an ontological approach to formal representation of product and process knowledge in order to enhance the intelligence of design repositories. The product and process ontology developed in this work is based on the Web Ontology Language (OWL). A methodology is proposed for part characterization, clustering, and similarity measurement based on the asserted and inferred properties of the part instances in the ontology. Part families are formed according their semantic similarities from the perspective of geometric and non-geometric attributes. Ontology population is conducted semi-automatically assisted by automated feature recognition techniques.
Patterns of nutrient dynamics in Adirondack lakes recovering from acid deposition.

With decreases in acid deposition, nitrogen : phosphorus (N:P) ratios in lakes are anticipated to decline, decreasing P limitation of phytoplankton and potentially changing current food web dynamics. This effect could be particularly pronounced in the Adirondack Mountains of New York State, a historic hotspot for effects of acid deposition. In this study, we evaluate spatial patterns of nutrient dynamics in Adirondack lakes and use these to infer potential future temporal trends. We calculated Mann-Kendall tau correlations among total phosphorus (TP), chlorophyll a, dissolved organic carbon (DOC), acid neutralizing capacity (ANC), and nitrate (NO3- ) concentrations in 52 Adirondack Long Term Monitoring (ALTM) program lakes using samples collected monthly during 2008-2012. We evaluated the hypothesis that decreased atmospheric N and S deposition will decrease P limitation in freshwater ecosystems historically impacted by acidification. We also compared these patterns among lake watershed characteristics (i.e., seepage or lacking a surface outlet, chain drainage, headwater drainage, thin glacial till, medium glacial till). We found that correlations (P < 0.05) were highly dependent upon the different hydrologic flowpaths of seepage vs. drainage lakes. Differentiations among watershed till depth were also important in determining correlations due to water interaction with surficial geology. Additionally, we found low NO3- :TP (N:P mass) values in seepage lakes (2.0 in winter, 1.9 in summer) compared to chain drainage lakes (169.4 in winter, 49.5 in summer) and headwater drainage lakes (97.0 in winter, 10.9 in summer), implying a high likelihood of future shifts in limitation patterns for seepage lakes. With increasing DOC and decreasing NO3- concentrations coinciding with decreases in acid deposition, there is reason to expect changes in nutrient dynamics in Adirondack lakes. Seepage lakes may become N-limited, while drainage lakes may become less P-limited, both resulting in increased productivity. Long-term measurements of TP and chlorophyll a from the Adirondacks are needed to inform how future decreases in atmospheric N and S deposition will influence the trophic status of lake ecosystems throughout the region.
Wake Dynamics and Structure of a Heaving Flexible Foil Based on PIV Measurements

The effect of surface flexibility at the leading and trailing edge on the flow dynamics in the near wake region of a heaving foil is investigated using 2D particle image velocimetry measurements. The experiments were conducted in a closed loop wind tunnel at a Reynolds number of 25,000 and at a range of reduced frequencies from 0.09 to 0.2. Swirling strength analysis and velocity triple decomposition are used to quantify the vortical structures and their influence on momentum entrainment, respectively. The results show at large reduced frequencies, flexibility at the leading edge generates a significantly different wake structure when compared to the flexible trailing edge and rigid foils, by allowing a large scale vortex to form and shed from the leading edge. The swirl strength is shown to decrease with increasing reduced frequency due to vortex compression from the three dimensional effects. In addition, it is observed that the dominant mechanism of momentum transfer is associated with the leading edge vortex.
Temperature and Orientation Dependence of Surface Film Effects in Single Crystal Nial

During deformation of bcc metals and bcc-based ordered alloys, conditions of elastic and plastic constraint associated with the presence of thin adherent surface films can be responsible for introducing increased densities of mobile dislocations in the metal, resulting in enhanced ductility and reduced yield and flow stresses of the film-coated materials. In the present paper, surface film effects were investigated as a function of temperature and crystallographic orientation for single crystal β-NiAl. Appreciable temperature-dependent and orientation-dependent surface film effects were observed, as were significant effects of film adherence on the observation of surface film softening.
Feeding ecology of Necturus beyeri in Louisiana.

The feeding ecology of the Gulf Coast Waterdog, Necturus beyeri, is described based on (1) analysis of gut contents from 91 specimens collected between February and December 1980 in Talisheek Creek, Louisiana, and (2) information on the habits, hatitats, seasonal availability and size ranges of N. beyeri and its prey. Waterdogs and their prey were closely associated with leaf litter (detritus) deposits in the stream. Necturus beyeri were collected almost exclusively from leaf litter beds. Sixteen of the 18 prey taxa recorded inhabit sediments and detritus in depositional areas and 12 of these function as detriti- vores. Declining abundance of N. beyeri in leaf litter beds and decreased food consumption during warmer months was associated with declining invertebrate richness and abundance. It is hypoth- esized that N. beyeri burrow during warm periods of the year and that this behavior is related to low food availability. Young and adult N. beyeri were trophically segregated by prey type and size, and by feeding habitat to a degree. Juveniles and subadults fed predominantly on isopods, midges and small may- flies. Adults fed predominantly on large mayflies and caddisflies. The high intensity of acantho- cephalan parasitism observed for N. beyeri was linked to predation on isopods, the intermediate hosts of these parasites. The potential impact of acanthocephalan parasitism and isopod consump- tion on N. beyeri ecology is discussed.
Ethics Rounds Was Right On Point.

The National Association of the Deaf (NAD) applauds you for your July 2015 article, “Ethics Rounds: Should All Deaf Children Learn Sign Language?” The article addresses an ongoing debate in the education of deaf children, and rightfully examines the evidence regarding delayed language and cognitive development in deaf children. Most families with deaf children are persuaded by misguided professionals to pursue listening and speaking only and exclude the use of American Sign Language (ASL), and the evidence shows that many of these children do not acquire language and cognitive … E-mail: howard.rosenblum{at}nad.org
Spermatogenesis in Men Exposed to Polybrominated Biphenyl (PBB)

Experience with other halogenated hydrocarbons, animal experiments, and individual complaints indicated that polybrominated biphenyl (PBB) might have an effect on human spermatogenesis. Analysis of semen from 52 PBB-exposed men as compared with analysis of semen from a control group of 52 men not exposed to PBB revealed no differences in the distribution of sperm counts, motility, or morphology.
Education is the key to nurses' survival

Nurses must be prepared academically to survive in the current and future competitive world of health care. Bachelor's and master's degree programs enhance nurses' abilities to apply the nursing process in increasingly complex health care environments, to document patient outcomes, to study new ways of delivering quality nursing care, and to assume leadership roles that will guarantee nursing's position in a reformed health care system.
Optimal controller design for control-affine stochastic systems using neural networks and path integrals

For deterministic nonlinear dynamical systems, approximate dynamic programming based on Pontryagin's maximum principle provides a systematic way to solve optimal control problems. However, in the presence of noise, this approach becomes cumbersome. Hence, in current optimal control solution methodologies noise effect is typically ignored in the adjoint equations. Alternatively, in the Hamilton-Jacobi Bellman (HJB) framework, presence of noise results in the second order stochastic HJB equation. Furthermore, through a unique exponential transformation, the stochastic HJB equation of control-affine nonlinear stochastic systems with quadratic control cost function can be transformed into a path integral. In this paper, an offline approximate dynamic programming approach using neural networks and path integrals is proposed for solving the above class of finite horizon stochastic optimal control problems. Simulation results using Vanderpol oscillator model are presented to demonstrate the potential of the proposed approach.
Behavioral Effects of Early Focal Brain Damage

Thirty-nine children, 4-15 years of age, were evaluated using the Achenbach Child Behavior Checklist parent questionnaire to assess behavioral or emotional problems resulting from pre- or perinatal unilateral brain damage, in a study at UCSD School of Medicine, La Jolla, CA.
Gibberellic acid inhibitors control height growth and cone production in Abies fraseri

ABSTRACTPrecocious cone production in Fraser fir (Abies fraseri) results in substantial economic losses for Christmas tree growers in the United States. Cone removal often represents the second highest labor expense, after shearing. Gibberellins (GAs) regulate both reproductive development and shoot elongation, and are used to enhance cone production in conifer seed orchards. We identified plant growth regulators (PGRs) that inhibit GA biosynthesis – paclobutrazol, applied by foliar spray (PBZ-foliar) or soil injection (PBZ-soil), and chlormequat. We evaluated the effects of PGR treatments on cone production and vegetative growth in three tree size classes (small, medium, and large) at four locations over a three-year period. PGRs were applied in spring 2013, but did not affect growth until 2014, nor did they affect cone production until 2015. In 2014, PBZ reduced leader length by 21–29% across size classes and sites, while also increasing bud density by 11–20%. In 2015, PBZ-soil reduced average cone dens...
Degradation of Pesticides in the Environment by Microorganisms and Sunlight

It may be generalized that pesticide contamination problems in the environment are directly related to their persistent nature, the most important factor determining the degree of persistence being the chemical characteristics of the pesticidal compound itself.
Molecular Mechanisms Involved in Cardioskeletal Dysfunction Caused by Mutations in Myosin RLC Linked to Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy

The MYL2 gene concurrently expresses the human myosin regulatory light chain (RLC) in the ventricles of the heart and in the slow-twitch skeletal muscle. Mutations in MYL2 are known to cause hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM), but in some cases they also lead to cardioskeletal myopathy in humans. Using transgenic animal models of HCM, we studied the mutation-induced morphological, structural and functional changes and the signaling pathways that trigger pathological remodeling of the HCM heart and slow-twitch skeletal muscle. Electron microscopy data showed severe myofilament disarray, a hallmark of HCM, in the hearts and in the soleus muscle of RLC-mouse models of HCM. Likewise, functional measurements of contractile force in skinned papillary and soleus muscle fibers showed similar direction of changes in HCM mice. Mutation-induced structural abnormalities in papillary and soleus muscles from HCM-R58Q mice were confirmed by high resolution X-ray diffraction showing similar changes in d1,0 (interfilament lattice spacing) and in equatorial reflections’ intensity I1,1/I1,0 ratio in both papillary and soleus muscles. Quantitative proteomic analysis revealed that out of >1560 TMT-labeled proteins identified with high confidence, 372 were different in the hearts of R58Q vs. WT mice, while in the soleus skeletal muscle out of >1100 TMT-proteins, 255 were different in R58Q vs. WT. The two major biological processes affected in both types of muscles in R58Q were the metabolic and cellular processes, with a greater percentage of metabolic processes affected in cardiac muscle. Common metabolic proteins decreased in heart/soleus of R58Q vs. WT mice included the energy production proteins, while the cellular processes included the calcium handling proteins. Our comprehensive data clearly indicated adverse heart/soleus muscle remodeling in HCM mice making them an ideal model to study the molecular, energetic and cellular mechanisms of cardioskeletal myopathy associated with MYL2. Supported by NIH-HL123255 (DSC).
Bridging to Second Allogeneic Peripheral Blood Stem Cell Transplantation with Nelarabine in a Patient with Multiply Relapsed/Refractory T-Cell ALL

T-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) is a very challenging disease to attain durable remission once relapses. We treated a 40 year-old female with T-cell ALL, normal cytogenetic who relapsed twice after her matched related donor allogeneic stem cell transplantation (allo-SCT) with Nelarabine achieving third complete remission prior to second allo-SCT. She was initially treated with HyperCVAD x 5 cycles with IT chemo (negative cytopathology). After achieving complete remission (CR), she received PK-directed IV Busulfan and Fludarabine myeloablative conditioning followed by 12/12 HLA-MRD allo-SCT with 11.06 x 10 6 CD34+cells/kg. GVHD prophylaxis was Tacrolimus and mini-Methotrexate (5 mg/m 2 /dose). She engrafted on time. She never had GVHD. On day+ 100, bone marrow biopsy revealed relapsed disease involving 60% of marrow space. Patient was treated with one cycle augmented HyperCVAD resulted in second CR. She developed elevated transaminases, liver biopsy was consistent with NASH and drug-induced liver injury, negative for GVHD. She was given alpha interferon 3 million units MWF in attempt to induce GVHD/GVL while pending insurance approval for donor lymphocyte infusion. She developed full donor chimerism as well as extensive chronic GVHD involving skin, liver, skin, lung, eyes, vagina, and mouth after interferon. She was treated only with topical steroid therapies and remained in CR until day+266. On Day+266, she was again found to have relapse of her disease with significant leukocytosis and circulating blasts. CT scan showed recurrent large anterior mediastinal mass. She was treated with Cytoxan (500 mg/m 2 ) and Etoposide (100 mg/m 2 x 5 days), complicated with neutropenic fevers before receiving outpatient Nelarabine. She recovered with progressive leukemia, which was treated with a single dose of Cytoxan 600mg/m 2 . She developed diffuse alveolar hemorrhage, treated in the MICU with high dose steroids and antimicrobials. She was discharged to outpatient clinic and given Nelarabine at 1500 mg/m 2 on days +1, +3, +5, every 3 weeks for 2 cycles. Her clinical condition and peripheral counts improved with disappearing peripheral blasts after the initial cycle of Nelarabine. She received second cycle and subsequent restaging studies showed remission marrow (CR-3) with complete resolution of mediastinal mass on CT scan. She developed mild neuropathy after Nelarabine. She is currently inpatient receiving her for second MRD allo-SCT. This case is noteworthy and clearly illustrates lack of GVL effect in T-cell ALL and an efficacy of two cycles of Nelarabine even in the setting of refractory T-cell ALL relapsing twice after allogeneic SCT. Disclosures No relevant conflicts of interest to declare.
Marijuana Legalization and Pretextual Stops

Not long ago, marijuana policy was almost exclusively the domain of criminal law and public health specialists; now it touches on nearly every area of the law. The federal ban on marijuana means that state-legal businesses face unique challenges on a host of issues, from trademarks to taxes. The state-federal conflict also continues to raise tricky constitutional problems. Even as business and federalism-based marijuana law issues have multiplied, however, marijuana policy remains primarily a criminal justice concern for now. In 2014, there were 620,000 arrests for marijuana possession alone — well off the high-water mark of approximately 775,000 arrests in 2007, but still a little under half of all drug possession arrests nationwide. One of the main arguments in favor of marijuana legalization, of course, is that arresting so many marijuana offenders is a poor use of law enforcement resources. Not surprisingly, in the states that have legalized marijuana, marijuana arrests have plummeted. The immediate impact of this is clear: criminal justice resources previously devoted to catching and processing marijuana offenders can be put to different uses. But is it possible that removing marijuana from the criminal justice system will also affect policing tactics? The impact of the drug war on Fourth Amendment doctrine has been well documented. The war on drugs led to the proliferation of drug-sniffing dogs and the rise of “pretextual stops,” in which the police stop someone ostensibly to issue a traffic ticket but with the ulterior motive of fishing for drugs. This paper asks how marijuana legalization might influence search and seizure doctrine and practice. If the drug war gave rise to a new era of invasive policing, is it possible that marijuana legalization will have the opposite effect? Specifically, could legalization take away some of the legal tools and policing incentives that fuel pretextual stops? To date, the relationship between state marijuana legalization and the Fourth Amendment has received little attention in comparison to issues like federalism or taxes. This essay begins to help fill this gap by examining the how marijuana legalization laws might impact pretextual stops.
Effects of varenicline on subjective craving and relative reinforcing value of cigarettes

Abstract Background Varenicline is an FDA approved medication for the treatment of nicotine dependence. While the efficacy and safety of this medication have been demonstrated, success rates remain low, and efforts to understand mechanisms of efficacy are in progress. A behavioral economics framework is one unique way to examine how demand for a drug changes under different circumstances. Therefore, the current randomized placebo-controlled, cross-over study aimed to examine effects of varenicline on subjective cigarette craving and objective demand for cigarettes measured by a hypothetical behavioral economic task as well as associations between subjective craving and objective demand. Method Non-treatment seeking (n = 37) daily smokers (>10 cigarettes per day) completed a measure of subjective craving for cigarettes and the Cigarette Purchase Task following overnight nicotine abstinence. Participants completed these measures after 10 days on varenicline (1 mg twice per day) and matched placebo. Results Analyses revealed a significant reduction in subjective craving for cigarettes while on varenicline (p = 0.01), as compared to placebo, and a sex effect such that females exhibited greater craving than males (p = 0.03). However, there were no medication × sex effects (p = 0.84). Analyses of objective demand for cigarettes found varenicline reduced maximum expenditure (Omax) (p = 0.03). Subjective craving was also associated with various indices of demand. Conclusion Results demonstrated varenicline’s efficacy in attenuating subjective craving and objective demand for cigarettes and highlight the partial overlap between dimensions of acute drug motivation, namely subjective craving and behavioral economic indices of cigarette demand.
Prenatal and postnatal radiologic evaluation of conjoined twins.

Abstract Imaging of conjoined twins requires the use of multiple modalities, in both the prenatal and postnatal setting. Prenatal imaging, including both ultrasound and magnetic resonance imaging, benefits from an organized, worksheet-based approach, careful labelling of all images, and adoption of supplemental techniques. Postnatal imaging should be informed by the prenatal imaging findings and should be thoughtfully planned prior to performance. Complete evaluation prior to planned surgical separation will require the use of complementary modalities and multidisciplinary review and discussion.
A Primer on R for Numerical Analysis in Educational Research

Researchers engaged in the scholarship of teaching and learning seek tools for rigorous, quantitative analysis. Here we present a brief introduction to computational techniques for the researcher with interest in analyzing data pertaining to pedagogical study. Sample dataset and fully executable code in the open-source R programming language are provided, along with illustrative vignettes relevant to common forms of inquiry in the educational setting.
Multiparticle potentials from lightlike Wilson lines in quark-gluon plasmas: A generalized relation of in-medium splitting rates to jet-quenching parameters q ^

A powerful historical insight about the theory of in-medium showering in QCD backgrounds was that splitting rates can be related to a parameter $\stackrel{^}{q}$ that characterizes the rate of transverse-momentum kicks to a high-energy particle from the medium. Another powerful insight was that $\stackrel{^}{q}$ can be defined (with caveats) even when the medium is strongly coupled, using long, narrow Wilson loops whose two long edges are lightlike Wilson lines. The medium effects for the original calculations of in-medium splitting rates can be formulated in terms of three-body imaginary-valued ``potentials'' that are defined with three long, lightlike Wilson lines. Corrections due to the overlap of two consecutive splittings can be calculated using similarly defined four-body potentials. I give a simple argument for how such $N$-body potentials can be determined in the appropriate limit just from the knowledge of the values of $\stackrel{^}{q}$ for different color representations. For $Ng3$, the $N$-body potentials have a nontrivial color structure, which will complicate calculations of overlap corrections outside of the large-${N}_{\mathrm{c}}$ or soft bremsstrahlung limits.
PIGMENTED MUCOEPIDERMOID CARCINOMA: A CASE REPORT

Objective Mucoepidermoid carcinoma (MEC) is the most common salivary gland malignancy, but to date, there are few reported cases of the pigmented variant of mucoepidermoid carcinoma. Classically, MEC is a malignant epithelial tumor composed of varying proportions of mucous, epidermoid, intermediate, columnar, clear, and occasionally oncocytic cells. There are two main classification systems that stratify MEC into low-, intermediate-, and high-grade types on the basis of morphologic and cytologic features. Additionally, there are well recognized variants of MEC, including clear cell and oncocytic variants of MEC. This case is selected to highlight the uncommonly encountered pigmented variant of MEC. Clinical Presentation A 32 year-old male with a one year history of cheek pain presented with a 0.9 × 0.5 cm pigmented and painful swelling of the right inferior buccal mucosa, adjacent to tooth #30. Intervention and Outcome An incisional biopsy was taken of the right inferior buccal mucosa and submitted for histopathologic diagnosis. A diagnosis of mucoepidermoid carcinoma, pigmented, low-grade (AFIP Grading Scheme) was rendered. Subsequent CT and PET imaging revealed no evidence of metastasis, and the tumor was fully resected with negative margins under general anesthesia. Immunohistochemical profile demonstrated positive staining for CK5/6 and p63 with focal S100 and mammaglobin positivity. Conclusion Mucoepidermoid carcinoma is a common salivary gland malignancy, but the uncommon pigmented variant of MEC can pose confusion for the surgical pathologist.
Plasma-Induced Fabrication and Straining of MoS2 Films for the Hydrogen Evolution Reaction

We present a novel plasma conversion process to fabricate strained MoS2 films for the hydrogen evolution reaction (HER). Materials characterization of the initially converted film shows a rippled s...
Automated Multiclass Cardiac Volume Segmentation and Model Generation.

Many strides have been made in semantic segmentation of multiple classes within an image. This has been largely due to advancements in deep learning and convolutional neural networks (CNNs). Features within a CNN are automatically learned during training, which allows for the abstraction of semantic information within the images. These deep learning models are powerful enough to handle the segmentation of multiple classes without the need for multiple networks. Despite these advancements, few attempts have been made to automatically segment multiple anatomical features within medical imaging datasets obtained from CT or MRI scans. This offers a unique challenge because of the three dimensional nature of medical imaging data. In order to alleviate the 3D modality problem, we propose a multi-axis ensemble method, applied to a dataset of 4-cardiac-chamber segmented CT scans. Inspired by the typical three-axis view used by humans, this technique aims to maximize the 3D spatial information afforded to the model, while remaining efficient for consumer grade inference hardware. Multi-axis ensembling along with pragmatic voxel preprocessing have shown in our experiments to greatly increase the mean intersection over union of our predictions over the complete DICOM dataset.
Pig Manure and Swizzle Sticks: Patterns of Urban Trash in Rural Settings

Low-density scatters of historical period artifacts may be interpreted as byproducts of manure spreading. They consist of pieces of trash inadvertently mixed with food refuse that was fed to pigs. While most of these artifacts were not ingested, they became mired in the resulting manure that farmers spread on their fields as fertilizer. Whether or not a scatter of late historical artifacts represents manure spreading or some other kind of urban-trash disposal can be tested archaeologically, and that is the subject of this article. Archival data confirm that archaeological findings at the E. Z. Russell Farm site (18PR917) in Prince George’s County, Maryland, U.S.A., connect World War II–era commercial and institutional kitchens in Washington, D.C., with the feeding of pigs and subsequent use of their manure on nearby fields.
Combining Learning and Model-Based Reasoning to Reduce Uncertainties in Cloud Security and Compliance Auditing

Security and compliance auditing is expensive, time-consuming, and error-prone for cloud service providers operating in multiple domains. Existing approaches predominantly use formal logic and domain-specific languages to facilitate collection and validation of evidence needed for compliance certification. Such approaches do not sufficiently account for the uncertainties and challenges caused by human involvement, which are a major contributor to inefficiencies and mistakes in the audit process. We propose that hybrid approaches, in which formal, model-based approaches are combined with machine learning techniques to reason about evidence and historical audit data, are necessary to address such uncertainties. Such approaches can help both auditors and service providers better deal with uncertainties, and reduce costs, errors, and the manual effort required to identify evidence needed for compliance certification. We present a taxonomic framework for understanding the causes of and potential solutions to uncertainty in the audit process. We identify areas within evidence collection and validation in which machine learning can augment model-based techniques to reduce uncertainties. We provide some examples of hybrid approaches that we are exploring and discuss the need for more work in this area.
Inclusion and Collaboration: PCC CJK Community Growing Strong and Global

Establishing Program for Cooperative Cataloging (PCC) Chinese Japanese Korean (CJK) NACO, BIBCO, CONSER, and SACO funnels grew out of the PCC’s strategy of engaging and inclusion of diverse members...
Inferring functional connectivity through graphical directed information.

Objective Accurate inference of functional connectivity is critical for understanding brain function. Previous methods have limited ability distinguishing between direct and indirect connections because of inadequate scaling with dimensionality. This poor scaling performance reduces the number of nodes that can be included in conditioning. Our goal was to provide a technique that scales better and thereby enables minimization of indirect connections. Approach Our major contribution is a powerful model-free framework, graphical directed information (GDI), that enables pairwise directed functional connections to be conditioned on the activity of substantially more nodes in a network, producing a more accurate graph of functional connectivity that reduces indirect connections. The key technology enabling this advancement is a recent advance in the estimation of mutual information (MI), which relies on multilayer perceptrons and exploiting an alternative representation of the Kullback-Leibler divergence definition of MI. Our second major contribution is the application of this technique to both discretely valued and continuously valued time series. Main results GDI correctly inferred the circuitry of arbitrary Gaussian, nonlinear, and conductance-based networks. Furthermore, GDI inferred many of the connections of a model of a central pattern generator (CPG) circuit in Aplysia, while also reducing many indirect connections. Significance GDI is a general and model-free technique that can be used on a variety of scales and data types to provide accurate direct connectivity graphs and addresses the critical issue of indirect connections in neural data analysis.
The games of imitation: AI and a philosophy towards future equilibrium

This brief conceptual article starts with an argument for Artificial Intelligence (AI)’s ability to “think.” This outgrowth relates to human’s and AI’s power over nature, and to AI’s increasing power in its humanness, measured by the results of competing with humans and other AI machines in the Turing Test, and economic “game theory.” Both, and especially the latter challenge, can be quintessentially human by measuring how one values the self as opposed to society, under varying conditions. Given AI’s advancements enabling it to presumably “win” in the most humanness of games, beyond even reaching a universally beneficial “social optimal” outcome, and thus possibly even having more power than humankind, the article argues for an equilibrium of balanced powers in innovation between AI and humans. Therefore, managers, broadly construed, can function as key brokers between government policy makers and innovators as AI and humans continue to develop further into the future.
Review of traction alopecia in the pediatric patient: Diagnosis, prevention, and management

Hairstyles and practices that frequently apply tension to the hair follicle can result in traction alopecia (TA). Many of the hairstyles and hair practices associated with a higher risk of TA begin at a young age, making early intervention and education advantageous in the pediatric population. Recognizing TA at its reversible stage in the pediatric population is critical as early interventions, and counseling will prevent permanent scarring alopecia. While TA can affect any pediatric patient, this review highlights the reported literature on specific populations with a higher reported prevalence of TA.
RO system scaling with focus on the concentrate line: Current challenges and potential solutions

Abstract Reverse osmosis (RO) is poised to be the primary membrane-based water desalination technology as the need for potable water increases. Current and prior research focuses on the implications of the RO membrane system performance as it pertains to scale; however, very few reviews of scale and its detrimental effects within the concentrate line that affect both system performance and reliability at pilot-scale are available. We analyzed peer-reviewed literature covering the most recent studies on scale characterization and mitigation strategies. Data gathered from a pilot-scale plant experiment conducted with an industrial collaborator were used to emphasize the importance of quality information on this topic. Published data, and data collected from the pilot plant were investigated and analyzed to determine the most significant scaling problems and methods of mitigation. Potential antiscalant alternatives to mitigate the complications caused by scale formation and fouling within RO systems, particularly in concentrate lines, were investigated.
Exploring the Relation between Adolescents' Number of Perceived Reasons for Discrimination and Depressive Symptoms.

Methodological impediments have presented challenges in identifying which individuals are at the highest risk of experiencing discrimination and its detrimental corollaries. In the current study, we examined whether adolescents’ number of perceived reasons for everyday discriminations (i.e., number of identities and/or characteristics adolescents identify as the reasons(s) they are discriminated against) is associated with frequency of perceived everyday discriminations (PED) and depressive symptoms. Further, we evaluated indirect associations between number of perceived reasons for PEDs and depressive symptoms through frequency of PED, brooding, and reflection. The sample for this cross-sectional study consisted of 328 9th grade students between the ages of 13 and 16 (M = 14.19, SD = 0.56). Around 60% of the sample identified as male, and a majority of the adolescents identified their race as either Black (46%) or White (35%). Adolescents provided data on perceived reasons for PEDs, frequency of PED, brooding, reflection, and depressive symptoms using self-report measures. Adolescents’ number of perceived reasons for PEDs was associated with frequency of PED and depressive symptoms. There were also multiple indirect associations between adolescents’ number of perceived reasons for PEDs and depressive symptoms through frequency of PED, brooding, and reflection. Our results indicate that accounting for adolescents’ number of perceived reasons for PEDs may be useful to both researchers and clinicians in identifying which individuals are at the greatest risk of experiencing PED and associated outcomes. Additional implications and future directions for research are discussed.
4.1. Compositional Studies

Publisher Summary The richness of collisional phenomena associated with ion beam interactions with solids gives rise to a variety of techniques for compositional studies. These microanalytic techniques, which rely on the detection of characteristic signals generated in the collisions, may be classified broadly as either “destructive” or “nondestructive,” according to whether or not material is eroded from the sample to be analyzed. The ease with which the light emission of the sputtered species can be detected and identified is appealing for surface composition analysis and also for depth profiling if the amount of target erosion by the beam is also monitored. Large-backward-angle elastic scattering is widely used particularly in the regime where the well-known Rutherford cross section is applicable. For a given projectile incident on a target, this regime corresponds to a bombarding energy range, such that at the distance of closest approach in the collision, the screening of the atomic electrons is ineffective on the one hand and the short-range nuclear interactions are not significant on the other. Neutral-beam bombardment has been shown to be particularly attractive in the analysis of insulators in avoiding the charge-build-up problem. As in the case of secondary ion mass spectrometry (SIMS), however, the surface processes are incompletely understood, and the quantification generally requires the calibration of the experimental setup with known standards.
Observations on the conversion of N-acetylglutamate to proline in extracts of Escherichia coli.

Abstract An extract of Escherichia coli was found capable of synthesizing proline from N-acetylglutamate. This synthesis was shown to proceed by transformation of the 5 carbon skeleton of acetylglutamate into ornithine by way of the familiar reactions of arginine biosynthesis. This ornithine then undergoes a transamination of its δ-amino group with α-ketoglutarate, yielding Δ'-pyrroline-5-carboxylic acid. The synthesis of the latter compound from acetylglutamate requires both an adenosine triphosphate- and a reduced triphosphopyridine nucleotide-generating system and is stimulated by l-glutamate. Evidence is presented, however, that the synthesis of proline in vivo does not proceed by this pathway. (a) Exogenous acetylglutamate is incorporated preferentially into arginine, rather than into proline, when compared with exogenous glutamate. (b) Cells grown in the presence of arginine yield extracts devoid of activity for synthesizing proline from acetylglutamate, yet such cells do not require exogenous proline for growth. (c) A proline auxotroph, strain 55–25, blocked between glutamate and Δ'-pyrroline-5-carboxylic acid does not appear to be blocked either between glutamate and ornithine or between ornithine and Δ'-pyrroline-5-carboxylic acid. (d) Proline does not inhibit the transamination of ornithine to yield Δ'-pyrroline-5-carboxylic acid.
Cost effectiveness of gene expression profiling for early stage breast cancer: a decision-analytic model.

BACKGROUND: Gene expression profiling (GEP) is being used increasingly for risk stratification to identify women with lymph nodenegative, estrogen receptor-positive, early stage breast cancer who are most likely to benefit from adjuvant chemotherapy. The authors of this report evaluated the cost effectiveness of recurrence score-guided treatment using 2 commercially available GEP tests, Oncotype DX (Genomic Health, Redwood City, Calif) and MammaPrint (Agendia Inc., Irvine, Calif), from a third-party payer’s perspective. METHODS: A 10-year Markov model was developed to compare the costs and quality-adjusted life-years (QALYs) of treatment decisions guided by either Oncotype DX or MammaPrint in a hypothetical cohort of women with early stage, lymph nodenegative, estrogen receptor-positive breast cancer who may experience recurrence. Outcomes included no recurrence, recurrence, and death. The costs considered included gene test costs, the costs of adjuvant chemotherapy and other chemotherapy (including premedication, oncology visits, and monitoring for adverse events), the cost of treating recurrence, costs associated with the treatment of adverse events, and end-of-life care costs. RESULTS: The model demonstrated that the patients who received the Oncotype DX test to guide treatment spent $27,882 (in US dollars) and gained 7.364 QALYs, whereas patients who received the MammaPrint test to guide treatment spent $21,598 and gained 7.461 QALYs. Sensitivity analyses demonstrated that the results were robust to changes in all parameters. CONCLUSIONS: The model suggested that MammaPrint is a more cost-effective GEP test compared with Oncotype DX at a threshold willingness-to-pay of $50,000 per QALY. Because Oncotype DX is the most frequently used GEP in clinical practice in the United States, the authors concluded that the current findings have implications for health policy, particularly health insurance reimbursement decisions. Cancer 2012;118:5163–70. V C 2012 American Cancer Society.
Supporting database provenance under schema evolution

Database schema upgrades are common in modern information systems, where the provenance of the schema is of much interest, and actually required to explain the provenance of contents generated by the database conversion that is part of such upgrades. Thus, an integrated management for data and metadata is needed, and the Archived Metadata and Provenance Manager (AM&PM) system is the first to address this requirement by building on recent advances in schema mappings and database upgrade automation. Therefore AM&PM (i) extends the Information Schema with the capability of archiving the provenance of the schema and other metadata, (ii) provides a timestamp based representation for the provenance of the actual data, and (iii) supports powerful queries on the provenance of the data and on the history of the metadata. In this paper, we present the design and main features of AM&PM, and the results of various experiments to evaluate its performance.
Adjunctive Therapies in Severe Community-Acquired Pneumonia

Severe community-acquired pneumonia is associated with a mortality rate of 20-50% despite antibiotic therapy and intensive supportive care (1). Several factors contribute to this unsatisfactory state of affairs. Antibiotic selection for patients with fulminant pneumonia is confounded by the failure to identify a specific pathogen in up to half the cases, and by the spreading problem of drug resistance among common agents of community-acquired pneumonia. Furthermore, most patients who are hospitalized for pneumonia have underlying chronic diseases that interfere with host resistance to infection (2). For all of these reasons, conventional management in an ICU setting has had only marginal success in reducing the mortality of severe pneumonia (3,4). The limitations of current antibiotic therapy and supportive care underscore the importance of developing new approaches to improve the outcome of critically ill patients with pneumonia. This chapter reviews the current status of adjunctive therapies in the treatment of severe pneumonia, focusing on efforts to modulate host defenses.
Effects of bombesin on the release of glycine-extended progastrin (gastrin G) in rat antral tissue culture.

Abstract Recently, glycine-extended processing intermediates of progastrin were identified in porcine stomach using a radioimmunoassay with conventional polyclonal antisera developed against a synthetic peptide analogue for progastrin processing intermediates, gastrin 6-G(Tyr-Gly-Trp-Met-Asp-Phe-Gly). We developed monoclonal antibodies specific for glycine-extended processing intermediates of progastrin (gastrin G). Monoclonal antibody 109-21 appeared to require the carboxyl-terminal pentapeptide structure of gastrin 6-G for maximal binding. Cross-reactivities of 109-21 against gastrin 17 I, gastrin 17 II, cholecystokinin-octapeptide, des(SO 3 ) cholecystokinin-octapeptide, and gastrin 6-G-R-R were respectively 1%, −8 and 3 × 10 −8 M. Atropine (10 −6 M) abolished the actions of carbachol to stimulate gastrin and gastrin-G secretion but had no effect on bombesin-stimulated gastrin and gastrin-G secretion. These results suggest that gastrin G is cosecreted with gastrin in response to carbachol and bombesin, and the stimulation of gastrin and gastrin-G secretion by bombesin does not involve cholinergic neural pathways and may reflect a direct action on gastrin cells.
DEPENDABILITY OF NEW ESL WRITING TEST SCORES: EVALUATING PROTOTYPE TASKS AND ALTERNATIVE RATING SCHEMES

Possible integrated and independent tasks were pilot tested for the writing section of a new generation of TOEFL® (Test of English as a Foreign Language™) examination. This study examines the impact of various rating designs as well as the impact of the number of tasks and raters on the reliability of writing scores based on integrated and independent tasks from the perspective of generalizability theory (G-theory). Both univariate and multivariate G-theory analyses were conducted. It was found that (a) in terms of maximizing the score reliability, it would be more efficient to increase the number of tasks rather than the number of ratings per essay; (b) two particular single-rating designs having different tasks for the same examinee rated by different raters [p × (R:T), R:(p × T)] achieved relatively higher score reliabilities than other single-rating designs; and (c) a somewhat larger gain in composite score reliability was achieved when the number of listening-writing tasks was larger than the number of reading-writing tasks.
A theory of virtue: response to critics

I am grateful to my critics for their thoughtful comments. The format of our discussion obliges me to be selective in responding to them. I begin with issues raised by Rachana Kamtekar about the account of the nature of virtue presented in Part One of my book.1 The other main subject of discussion will be issues about the reality of virtue addressed in Part Two of the book and discussed by both Kamtekar and John Doris.
On a question of Balazard and Saias related to the Riemann hypothesis

Abstract This note shows that a question of Balazard and Saias, concerning the coefficients of certain orthogonal projections in Hilbert space, is equivalent to the Riemann hypothesis.
Parameter and State Estimation of a Proton-Exchange Membrane Fuel Cell Using Sequential Quadratic Programming

All mathematical models contain parameters that must be determined for the model to represent accurately the behavior of the system. The parameter estimation problem is usually solved as an unconstrained optimization problem independent of the model equations. However, by integrating the parameter estimation problem with the generation of the model's state profiles, constraints can be embedded directly into the optimizer, and an infeasible path solution approach can be used. Nonlinear programming is the ideal framework for formulating constrained optimization problems. The model is introduced into this framework as constraints using orthogonal collocation on finite elements. The resulting nonlinear programming problem is then solved using sequential quadratic programming. We demonstrate this approach on a mathematical model of a proton-exchange-membrane fuel cell in which four parameters are estimated and nine states' profiles are determined.