cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Programming analog computational memory elements to 0.2% accuracy over 3.5 decades using a predictive method

This paper describes a new predictive algorithm that can be used for programming large arrays of analog computational memory elements within 0.2% of accuracy for 3.5 decades of currents. The average number of pulses required are 7-8 (20 /spl mu/s each). This algorithm uses hot-electron injection for accurate programming and Fowler-Nordheim tunneling for global erase. This algorithm has been tested for programming 1024/spl times/16 and 96/spl times/16 floating-gate arrays in 0.25 /spl mu/m and 0.5 /spl mu/m N-well CMOS processes, respectively.
GO PaD: the Gene Ontology Partition Database.

Gene Ontology (GO) has been widely used to infer functional significance associated with sets of genes in order to automate discoveries within large-scale genetic studies. A level in GO’s direct acyclic graph structure is often assumed to be indicative of its terms’ specificities, although other work has suggested this assumption does not hold. Unfortunately, quantitative analysis of biological functions based on nodes at the same level (as is common in gene enrichment analysis tools) can lead to incorrect conclusions as well as missed discoveries due to inefficient use of available information. This paper addresses these using an informational theoretic approach encoded in the GO Partition Database that guarantees to maximize information for gene enrichment analysis. The GO Partition Database was designed to feature ontology partitions with GO terms of similar specificity. The GO partitions comprise varying numbers of nodes and present relevant information theoretic statistics, so researchers can choose to analyze datasets at arbitrary levels of specificity. The GO Partition Database, featuring GO partition sets for functional analysis of genes from human and 10 other commonly studied organisms with a total of 131 972 genes, is available on the internet at: bcl.med.harvard.edu/proj/gopart. The site also includes an online tutorial.
Monitoring of controlled accommodative esotropia.

Purpose: To ascertain an examination interval that will not increase the risk of untimely detection of decompensation of accommodative esotropia whether or not initial nonoperative treatment must be supplemented. Methods: The records of 63 patients with controlled accommodative esotropia examined at 3- to 6-month intervals were reviewed for age at first control, the occurrence of decompensation, initial refraction and subsequent changes, and the need for increased correction of hyperopia or the addition of bifocals. Results: Decompensation occurred in 11 patients, not associated with substantial refractive changes toward or away from emmetropia. No instance of decompensation occurred in the first 12 months of observation, and only 11.5% occurred within 2 years. Although 7 of these decompensated patients were among the 18 (28.6%) requiring supplemental nonoperative treatment, their mean initial hyperopia and annual refractive change did not differ significantly from the 11 patients who did not decompensate. Eight (18.6%) of 43 patients who were first controlled earlier than age 48 months later decompensated; 3 (15.0%) of 20 patients with later onset reached this outcome. Conclusions: Monitoring controlled accommodative esotropia at intervals of 9 to 12 months is adequate for most patients, at least over the first 2 years, other than those requiring treatment for associated conditions such as amblyopia. Refractive error changes and the need for supplemental treatment after initial control are not prominently associated with decompensation. Age at onset of accommodative esotropia earlier or later than 48 months did not influence rapidity of decompensation.
Willow hybridization differentially affects preference and performance of herbivorous beetles

We examined the preferences and performances of five beetle species (four chrysomelids and one scarab) on two species of willows (Salix sericea and S. eriocephala) and their interspecific hybrids. Beetle species differed markedly in their responses. In preference assays, two chrysomelid beetle species (Calligrapha multipunctata bigsbyana and Plagiodera versicolora) preferred hybrids, two chrysomelids (Chrysomela scriptaand Ch. Knabi) preferred hybrids and S. sericea, and the scarab beetle (Popillia japonica) preferred S. eriocephala. Experiments with purified salicortin indicated that salicortin concentration may contribute to these preferences. The relative performance (growth rate, pupal/adult weight and survivorship) of these beetles on the three willow taxa did not correspond with their feeding preferences. Three species exhibited intermediate performance on hybrid willows (the two Chrysomelaspp. and P. japonica); the Chrysomelaspp. performed best on S. sericea, while P. japonicaperformed best on S. eriocephala. One species performed equally well on all three taxa (C. multipunctata bigsbyana). The performance of Pl. versicolora was not tested. Our results support the general pattern that willow taxa with phenolic glycosides are more acceptable to specialist willow herbivores while those taxa without phenolic glycosides are more acceptable to generalist herbivores. We also show that to predict the relative susceptibility of hybrid and parental plants to herbivores, consideration must be given to the inheritance of traits affecting both preference and performance.
A conclusive methodology for rating OCR performance

One of the most challenging topics in the automatic document rating process is the development of a rating scheme for the image quality of documents. As part of the Department of Energy (DOE) document declassification program, we have developed a generalized rating system to predict the optical character recognition (OCR) accuracy level that is achieved when processing a document. The need for such a system emerged from the declassification of degraded, typewriter-era documents, which is currently a time-consuming manual process. This article presents the statistical analysis of the most influential document quality features affecting OCR accuracy, develops consistent predictive models for four currently used OCR engines, and studies the applicability of different OCR products to the DOE document declassification process. This study is expected to lead to an efficient and completely automated document declassification system.
Transluminal Treatment of a Celiac Artery Pseudoaneurysm with a Stent Graft Occlusion Device

This report describes the transluminal placement of a stent graft occlusion device to treat a celiac bypass graft pseudoaneurysm which was causing biliary and duodenal obstruction.
Isolation of lambda transducing phage with the bio genes inserted between lambda genes P and Q.

Plaque-forming, biotin-transducing phages were constructed with the bio genes inserted between lambda genes P and Q. These phages were isolated for the eventual aim of fusing the lambda Q gene to the bio operon. The following steps were used to construct these phages: A defective temperature-sensitive lysogen was constructed with the bio genes adjacent to and to the left of lambda genes beta NcI857OPQSRA. Heat-resistant survivors were screened for deletions with endpoints in the bio operon and to the right of lambda P and to the left of lambda A. Five of approximately 1,600 heat-resistant survivors had these properties. Two had the gene order bioAB .... lambda QSRA. When these two strains were lysogenized with lambda cI857b221 and heat induced, the desired transducing phages were obtained. We characterized these phages and studied one in detail. Two-thirds of the plaque-forming transducing phages isolated carried the entire bioB gene and only part of the bioA gene, and one-third carried the entire bioA and bioB genes. The phages isolated lost the bio genes upon propagation, indicating that they contain a partial duplication of phage genes. The duplication was shown not to involve the entire lambda Q gene in one of these phages, lambda bioq1b221. A recombinant of this phage, lambda Nam7am53c17b221, failed to form plaques under biotin-derepression conditions. We conclude that if the lambda Q gene was fused to the bio operon in this phage, not enough lambda Q gene product was made to allow phage propagation.
A knowledge-based system for multi-layer channel routing

A knowledge-based system is presented that uses the blackboard model of architecture, implemented in Prolog, and runs on the shared-memory multiprocessor Sequent Balance 8000. The inherent parallelism in this approach together with the OR-parallelism supported by the Argonne Prolog package has provided an ideal environment for such a development. The system utilizes a constraint-posting approach. Unlike existing systems, it views the number of available layers as yet another design constraint on the channel being routed, rendering it free from layer dependence, a restriction present in all existing systems. A number of important routing metrics including 100% routability, minimum routing area, minimum wire length, and minimum number of vias are considered simultaneously. >
Econophysics and individual choice

Abstract The subjectivist theory of probability specifies certain axioms of rationality which together lead to both a theory of probability and a theory of preference. The theory of probability is used throughout the sciences while the theory of preferences is used in economics. Results in quantum physics challenge the adequacy of the subjectivist theory of probability. As we show, answering this challenge requires modifying an Archimedean axiom in the subjectivist theory. But changing this axiom modifies the subjectivist theory of preference and therefore has implications for economics. As this paper notes, these implications are consistent with current empirical findings in psychology and economics. As we show, these results also have implications for pricing in securities markets. This suggests further directions for research in econophysics.
Mandibulectomy and free flap reconstruction for bisphosphonate-related osteonecrosis of the jaws

Importance Bisphosphonate-related osteonecrosis of the jaws is an increasingly recognized complication of intravenous and oral bisphosphonate therapy. Our experience suggests that mandibulectomy and free flap reconstruction is an effective treatment for patients with stage 3 and recalcitrant stage 2 disease. Objective To analyze indications for segmental mandibulectomy and microvascular free flap reconstruction for bisphosphonate-related osteonecrosis of the jaws and surgical outcomes following this procedure. Design, Setting, and Participants In a multi-institutional case series study conducted in academic tertiary care centers, 13 patients underwent segmental mandibulectomy and microvascular free flap reconstruction, including 8 patients with stage 3 disease and 5 patients with recalcitrant stage 2 disease. All patients had persistent or progressive disease despite conservative oral care and antibiotic treatment. Interventions Segmental mandibulectomy and microvascular free flap reconstruction. Main Outcomes and Measures Treatment efficacy and postoperative complications. Results There was 1 total flap loss due to infection. The patient with a flap loss ultimately underwent a successful fibula osteocutaneous free flap reconstruction after serial irrigation and debridement. The overall complication rate was 46% (n = 6). All complications occurred in patients with stage 3 disease. Ultimately, all patients achieved a successful reconstruction, with no recurrences. All patients tolerated a soft or regular diet postoperatively. Conclusions and Relevance Bisphosphonate-related osteonecrosis of the jaws is an increasingly recognized complication of intravenous and oral bisphosphonate therapy that can occasionally progress to involve full-thickness mandibular destruction, pathologic fracture, and fistulization, as well as chronic pain and infection. Mandibulectomy and free flap reconstruction is an effective treatment for patients with stage 3 and recalcitrant stage 2 bisphosphonate-related osteonecrosis of the jaws. High rates of chronic infection and underlying medical comorbidities may predispose to a substantial perioperative complication rate.
Nourishing Gods: Birth and Personhood in Highland Mexican Codices

Humans define themselves through personhood as agents in society. To become persons, children differentiate their self from others. They take, as George Mead (1934) says, the other and self-objectify by predicating a sign-image or trope upon themselves. Birth rituals realize these tropes with the child's body as tool and raw material. Birth almanacs in Highland Mexican codices depict, as I argue, the transformation of a child into a person. Patron gods pierce the child, display it, manipulate its umbilical cord and nurse it. Gods provide the child with vital life forces while the child and future adult nourishes the gods through sacrifice. The birth almanacs situate Aztec personhood in a covenant of humans with gods. As children mature, bodily changes metonymically express the metaphoric relationship of the children with their patron gods. In the bathing ceremony, fellow humans — especially the child's parents and the midwife — step into the roles of the patron gods and perform the above activities on the child. Aztec children other themselves in gods through ritual practices. By connecting the ideology and practice of personhood, the birth almanacs are a theory of social action.
NEWER DIAGNOSTIC MODALITIES FOR PULMONARY EMBOLISM Pulmonary Angiography Using CT and MR Imaging Compared with Conventional Angiography

CTPA is a highly sensitive and excellent primary method for evaluating patients with symptoms of PE. Ongoing studies will demonstrate the good clinical outcome of patients with negative CTPA results. The ability to visualize the lung parenchyma in addition to the pulmonary vasculature, and the smaller number of nondiagnostic scans, make CT more cost effective than V/Q scans, and CT therefore should be used as a first-line evaluation. MR imaging is a continually developing modality with more imaging options that could make it an invaluable or adjunctive test in the near future.
On the Structure of Log-Space Probabilistic Complexity Classes

We investigate hierarchical properties and log-space reductions of languages recognized by log-space probabilistic Turing machines, Arthur-Merlin games, and Games against Nature with log-space probabilistic verifiers. For each log-space complexity class, we decompose it into a hierarchy based on corresponding multihead two-way finite automata and we (eventually) prove the separation of the hierarchy levels (even over one letter alphabet); furthermore, we show log-space reductions of each log-space complexity class to low levels of its corresponding hierarchy. .pp We find probabilistic (and ``probabilistic+nondeterministic'''') variants of Savitch''s maze threading problem which are log-space complete for PL (and respectively P) and can be recognized by two-head one-way and one-way one-counter finite automata with probabilistic (probabilistic and nondeterministic) states.
Better verbal memory in women than men in MCI despite similar levels of hippocampal atrophy

Objective: To examine sex differences in the relationship between clinical symptoms related to Alzheimer disease (AD) (verbal memory deficits) and neurodegeneration (hippocampal volume/intracranial volume ratio [HpVR]) across AD stages. Methods: The sample included 379 healthy participants, 694 participants with amnestic mild cognitive impairment (aMCI), and 235 participants with AD and dementia from the Alzheimer9s Disease Neuroimaging Initiative who completed the Rey Auditory Verbal Learning Test (RAVLT). Cross-sectional analyses were conducted using linear regression to examine the interaction between sex and HpVR on RAVLT across and within diagnostic groups adjusting for age, education, and APOE e4 status. Results: Across groups, there were significant sex × HpVR interactions for immediate and delayed recall ( p p p p = 0.04) and larger HpVR (delayed, p = 0.001). Conclusion: Women showed an advantage in verbal memory despite evidence of moderate hippocampal atrophy. This advantage may represent a sex-specific form of cognitive reserve delaying verbal memory decline until more advanced disease stages.
Atom Economical Aqueous-Phase Conversion (APC) of Biopolyols to Lactic Acid, Glycols, and Linear Alcohols Using Supported Metal Catalysts

Conversion of renewable biopolyols to value-added chemicals such as lactic acid and glycols usually demands excess hydrogen/oxygen or harsh reaction conditions in strong alkaline medium (220–350 °C). This unfortunately promotes significant side reactions resulting in low carbon selectivity to liquid products, posing significant challenges for the development of sustainable technologies. We report here a new atom economical catalytic conversion of various biopolyols (glycerol, xylitol, mannitol, and sorbitol) to lactic acid with glycols and linear alcohols as co-products at much lower temperatures (115–160 °C) without external addition of either hydrogen or oxygen. Among various metal-based catalysts (Pt, Pd, Rh, Ru, Raney Ni, Raney Co, and Cu) evaluated, Pt/C catalyst gives the highest chemoselectivity (S > 95%) for lactic acid, glycols, and linear alcohols at 115–160 °C. An important finding is that approximately two-thirds of the hydrogen generated in situ via dehydrogenation of polyols over Pt/C cataly...
Mexican Immigrants: Would You Sacrifice Your Life for a Job?

Social Work's history is embedded in this profession's service and commitment to immigrant populations. This new century presents itself with a new mixture of immigrants who come to United States (U.S.) shores seeking a better life. The challenge to social workers is to be well-versed in social policy, human behavior, and practice realms related to serving these immigrants. Schools of social work must insure that curriculum reflects the needs and situations of this new mix of immigrants. One of the largest groups in this mix are those immigrants from Mexico. Of particular concern is the adaptation of Mexican and other Latino immigrants who come to this country without documentation. Social workers have an ethical responsibility to serve these clients in a culturally competent and informed manner. They must keep updated on immigration policy and entitlement or eligibility issues that mitigate these immigrants' ability to survive.
The demands and scheme of service platform for supplying information about electric power communication standards

The author proposes to establish a service platform for supplying information about electric power communication standards, which integrates the functions of information retrieval, platform management and maintenance, and is shared by communication department in electric power industry. The paper analyzes the goals, demands and functions of the platform, and focus on the contents of security strategy, database configuration, retrieval method, interface design service and management of the platform.
Annual net balance of North Cascade glaciers, 1984-94

Annual net balance on eight North Cascade glaciers during the 1984-94 period has been determined by measurement of total mass loss from firn and ice melt and, of residual snow depth at the end of the summer season. Overall spatial density of measurement points is 200 points km −2 . Mean annual balance of North Cascade glaciers from 1984 to 1994 has been −0.38 m a −1 . The resulting 4.2 m loss in water-equivalent thickness is significant. since North Cascade glaciers have an average thickness of 30-50 m. Cross-correlation of annual net babance for eight glaciers ranges from 0.83 to 0.97. This indicates the mass balances of the eight glaciers have been responding similarly to climate conditions despite their range of topographic and geographic characteristics. Annual net balance of individual glaciers was correlated with climate records. The highest ablation-season correlation coefficient is mean May-August temperature, ranging from 0.63 to 0.84. The highest accumulation-season correlation coefficient is total accumulation-season precipitation, ranging from 0.35 to 0.59.
The Synthesis Methodology

This chapter describes a synthesis procedure that transforms a correct Signal Transition Graph specification withComplete State Codinginto a logic circuit implementing it. The implementation can be shown to be hazard-free, using thebounded wiredelay model if: the circuit operates in an environment that obeys the STG specification, and the bounds on the delays are met by the circuit after manufacture.
Intermediate subalgebras and bimodules for general crossed products of von Neumann algebras

Let G be a discrete group acting on a von Neumann algebra M by properly outer ∗-automorphisms. In this paper, we study the containment M ⊆ M ⋊αG of M inside the crossed product. We characterize the intermediate von Neumann algebras, extending earlier work of other authors in the factor case. We also determine the M-bimodules that are closed in the Bures topology and which coincide with the w∗-closed ones under a mild hypothesis on G. We use these results to obtain a general version of Mercer’s theorem concerning the extension of certain isometric w∗-continuous maps on M-bimodules to ∗-automorphisms of the containing von Neumann algebras.
Spectrum Occupancy of Pulsed FSK

For signals used as Time Division Multiple Access and Slow Frequency Hopping A-J waveforms, it is desirable to be able to predict the spectrum occupancy of pulses containing a number of angle modulated symbols. It is shown that if the angle modulated signal is random, but stationary in the wide sense, the power or energy spectrum is the convolution of the corresponding spectra of the angle modulated wave and of the amplitude pulse. Spectrum occupancy can be obtained by integrating the resulting spectrum. Using a 9845S desk computer, spectrum occupancy has been estimated for FSK waves having peak to peak deviation ratios of 0.5 (MSK) and 0.7 (approximately optimum for limiter-discriminator). The modulating pulse may be a square wave of duration equal to from one to sixteen FSK symbols, or such a pulse passed through a Butterworth filter (with 2, 4 or 6 poles) or an ideal Gaussian filter. The filtered pulses have a one symbol rise time. It is concluded that square wave modulation should be avoided unless the duration is substantially longer than 16 bits. The simple 2-pole Butterworth filter confines the spectrum about as well as the ideal Gaussian, and much better than the square pulse. Pulsed FSK signals should be provided with a rise (and fall) time of the order of one modulation period. The amplitude variation should be continuous from zero to maximum, and probably the first derivative of the variation should also be continuous.
Quantitative measurement of intracellular HDAC1/2 drug occupancy using a trans-cyclooctene largazole thiol probe

Histone deacetylases (HDACs) regulate diverse cellular processes, and are promising targets for a number of diseases. Here we describe the design and utilization of a largazole-based chemical probe to quantitatively measure the intracellular occupancy of HDAC1 and HDAC2 by dacinostat. Surprisingly, the probe was unable to enrich HDAC3 despite its nanomolar potency in a biochemical assay, further proving the necessity of cell-based target occupancy assays to understand compound potency in physiologically-relevant settings. This occupancy assay has the potential to aid the development of novel HDAC1/2 inhibitors in drug discovery.
Safety of pembrolizumab (pem) in patients (pts) who stopped ipilimumab (ipi) due to immune-related adverse events.

e20023 Background: Pembrolizumab (pembro) which blocks programmed death-1 was recently FDA-approved for the treatment (tx) of patients (pts) with advanced melanoma (mel) following tx with ipilimuma...
Prognostic value of stringent complete response (sCR) post-autologous stem cell transplant (SCT) in multiple myeloma (MM)

8587 Background: The measurement of serum immunoglobulin free light chains (FLC) has diagnostic and prognostic utility in MM. Normalization of the FLC ratio may define a deeper complete response af...
Co-robotics hands-on activities: A gateway to engineering design and STEM learning

Abstract This paper presents the effect of meaningful learning contexts and hands-on activities, facilitated using two robots that work with people (co-robots), in broadening and sustaining pre-college student engagement in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM). The two co-robots are: (1) a Glider for Underwater Problem-solving and Promotion of Interest in Engineering or GUPPIE and (2) a Neurally controlled manipulator called Neu-pulator. The co-robots are easy and inexpensive to manufacture, with readily available lightweight and durable components. They are also modular to accommodate a variety of learning activities that help young students to learn crosscutting concepts and engineering practice. The early assessment results show that students’ interests in activities related to robotics depend on their perception of the difficulty and their confidence level. The key is to start early when the students are young. The challenge is to break the barriers and define tasks as fun activities with a learn and play approach that can be rewarding. In this work, using a meaningful context – as in co-robots that help humans – in a hands-on project-based program that integrates different aspect of design, science, and technology is found effective in increasing students’ enthusiasm and participation. The co-robots and the hands-on activities can be easily adopted in classrooms by teachers with no engineering background who seek innovative ways to connect interdisciplinary core ideas and standards to the concepts they need to teach.
Long term hypoxia uncouples Ca2+ and eNOS in bradykinin-mediated pulmonary arterial relaxation

Bradykinin-induced activation of the pulmonary endothelium triggers a rise in intracellular Ca2+ that activates nitric oxide (NO)-dependent vasorelaxation. Chronic hypoxia is commonly associated wi...
Understanding the Pathways between Mothers' Childhood Maltreatment Experiences and Patterns of Insecure Attachment with Young Children via Symptoms of Depression.

Although research has suggested that mothers who experienced childhood maltreatment tend to exhibit heightened risk for attachment difficulties with their young children, less is known about the mechanisms underlying this association. Thus, this study examined mothers’ symptoms of depression as a mediator in the relationship between mothers’ childhood maltreatment experiences and patterns of insecure (i.e., anxious, avoidant, and disorganized) mother–young child attachment. Mothers (N = 146) with children aged 1½-to 5-years provided ratings of their childhood maltreatment experiences, attachment with their young children, and symptoms of depression. Mothers’ symptoms of depression mediated significantly the relationship between mothers’ childhood maltreatment experiences and patterns of insecure mother–young child attachment. These findings suggested that symptoms of depression in the context of mothers’ childhood maltreatment may be related more directly to mother–young child attachment than childhood maltreatment experiences alone. These results demonstrated the importance of promoting trauma-informed parenting interventions for facilitating secure emotional connections between mothers and their young children.
Nature and Scope of the Problem

The term “asylum” is used to identify such a variety of phenomena that the following distinctions must be made before the problem can be properly discussed 1 Between diplomatic and territorial asylum. The importance of this distinction was pointed out by the International Court of Justice in the Colombian-Peruvian Asylum Case,1 often referred to as the Haya de la Torre Case.
Reliability, reliability with repair, and availability of four identical element multiplex systems

Reliability, reliability with repair, and availability concepts for specific configurations of four identical element systems, including series, parallel, and multiplex systems, are developed using a continuous time Markov process. As the number of systems components increases, the Markov approach leads to complex sets of differential equations that require computer solution. The multiplex system availability, reliability with repair, and reliability are superior to that of both the parallel and series systems. Multiplexing offers the opportunity for reliability improvement in the design of nuclear safety systems.
Multipoint methods for separable nonlinear networks

Iterative piecewise-linear approximation methods are considered for separable, convex non-linear network problems. A comparison is made between ‘fixed grid’ approximations of 2, 4, and 6 segments per variable and ‘implicit grid’ strategies that generate segments as needed, but store at most a 2-segment approximation at any time. It is shown that the implicit grid methods are linearly convergent, and this predicted behavior is confirmed by highly accurate solutions within 7 iterations of problems with up to 2238 variables. Since the computing time per iteration is only slightly more for implicit grids than for fixed grids, the numerical results presented show overall computing times are less for implicit grids. A lower bounding technique based on the error of approximation is also developed. This technique is highly useful if Lagrangian relaxations are difficult to solve.
TECHNOLOGY, COMPETITIVENESS, AND FLEXIBILITY: CONSTANTLY EVOLVING CONCEPTS

This chapter examines three concepts central to the changes evident in the world economy, and their impacts on regions and places, firms, and people. Technology is perhaps the most important of the three because it has the broadest scope and thus directly affects the other two concepts: flexibility and competitiveness. Technology also is the one least able to be controlled by individual firms, since technology originates in other firms, especially competitors, and in research institutes and universities throughout the world. However, technology provides only a portion of the advantages described as flexibility or as competitiveness. All three are central phenomena of the 1990s, where global capitalist competition has pushed small firms to be international and seek out export markets, and pushed large, transnational firms to form networks of partners, large and small, that allow them to become flexible.
Self, Nonself and the Paradoxes of Autoimmunity

It is difficult to know where to begin an essay on the problem of immunological discrimination between “self” and “nonself” and the paradoxes created for this discrimination by the phenomenon of autoimmunity. As Sherlock Holmes once commented, “These are much deeper waters than I had thought.” [1] Much of my subject is mysterious not only to me but apparently to everyone who has investigated it. Therein lies a clue. The subject itself is a mystery, and therefore calls for the approach of the mystery writer. But this “who done it” differs from most in drawing its characters not only from the human society, but from the animal, microbial, cellular, and even chemical realms as well. I will trace, as novelists are wont to do, their lineage, their personal histories and, of course, their interactions. As a result, this is not the usual story of autoimmunity that is laid out in the few histories of the field that exist [2] or in textbook accounts, especially since I have focused upon the contradictions and paradoxes inherent in our current knowledge, and the gaps in it, rather than upon the myriad facts and inadequate explanations that are the usual fare. But my approach has its inadequacies, too. Most importantly, it provides no conclusion; only clues. I can only hope that, perhaps, if the plot is devised properly, some budding Sherlock Holmes will perceive the importance of the clues that even the writer overlooks.
Sensemaking and Knowledge Management

Sensemaking is presented as a distinctive and powerful view of what organizational knowledge is and what it is knowledge of that can usefully guide the design of knowledge management systems. Sensemaking is distinguished from the traditional, decision-making view of a manager which assumes that she faces an independently knowable environment and prospectively chooses courses of action in order to achieve certain purposes. Sensemaking, in contrast, assumes that a manager faces an equivocal situation and must retrospectively impose a sense of order on it. Sensemaking also assumes that the equivocal situations we encounter in organizational life are importantly the result of our own previous action. We present a case study of a knowledge management system in an international consulting firm showing how the behaviors of highly effective consultants reflect principles of sensemaking in their use of the system. We then develop implications for the design of knowledge management systems.
The personalization of e-learning systems with the contrast of strategic knowledge and learner’s learning preferences: An investigatory analysis

Abstract In this study, reasons for proving the relevancy of personalisation of e-learning systems to act as a knowledge management system in which tacit to tacit type of knowledge (socialisation) can be delivered, are being provided. Nonaka’s knowledge conversion model is being used as the basis of the investigation. The relationship between ‘the strategic knowledge conversion model’ drawn from the ‘identifying list of strategies’ and ‘an individual’s decision-making method’ has been investigated in relation to knowledge transferring systems and individual’s learning styles. The outcome of the qualitative as well as quantitative investigation defines a set of frameworks in which different types of e-learning systems utilizing different learning philosophies and learners learning preferences to support the learner’s learning curve.
Preliminary Validation and Reliability Assessment of a 10-Item Tacting of Function Scale

Abstract Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) takes a functional perspective on behavior and supports clients in responding in values consistent ways to their internal experiences. The capacity to notice and label the functions of one's ongoing behavior may be an important skill in functional interventions such as ACT, which may facilitate other facets of these interventions. However, this skill has never been assessed as a potentially relevant behavioral process. The ability to notice and label the functions of one's behavior may be defined as tacting of the function of behavior, because it involves providing a verbal response (a label) to a non-verbal aspect of one's experience. This report details the development and preliminary psychometric properties of a 10-item self-report measure of the ability to label or 'tact' different functions of behavior that may be pertinent within ACT.The preliminary findings suggest that tacting of function can be measured in an internally consistent way and explains variance in symptoms and functional impairment beyond a commonly used process measure. Altogether, the present findings suggest tacting of function may be relevant within ACT and other functional interventions, and point to the role of deficits in tacting function in the emergence of mental health problems.
A new model dielectric function for loss functions and electron damping.

Abstract Trends in the zeroth frequency moment of the imaginary part of the dielectric function are studied for a wide range of metals, semiconductors and insulators. These results are combined with estimates for the inverse-first moment (related by Kramers-Kronig relations to the static dielectric function) and knowledge of the first moment from the f-sum rule. Matching all three moments allows for construction of a model dielectric function that reasonably predicts the loss function at different values of momentum and lifetime damping effects on occupied and unoccupied electron states. This is demonstrated by comparing model results and results of detailed, first-principles calculations.
Occupational Stressors, Stress Responses, and Alcohol Consumption Among Professional Firefighters: A Prospective, Longitudinal Analysis

This dual-site longitudinal prospective study monitored and measured change in self-reported occupational stressors, emotional trauma, symptoms of stress, and alcohol consumption in urban firefighters. Study participants were 188 firefighters employed by two urban fire departments. The results showed that of 19 occupational stressors examined, only 5 (26%) changed significantly over time, and of those 5, only two—job skill concerns and concerns regarding reduction in force and benefits—decreased, reflecting less bothersome subjective ratings. Of the 12 measures of posttraumatic and other symptoms of stress, 9 (75%) increased significantly over time and none decreased significantly, whereas alcohol consumption was stable over time. Job stressors, trauma caseness, and stress response symptoms at baseline were strongly and significantly associated with the same measures at the two-year follow-up. The implications of the findings for prevention and remediation of stress disorders in fire service personnel are considered. It can be concluded that the stressful nature of urban firefighting is significantly associated with negative health outcomes, including the potential overreliance on alcohol use.
Washington’s Golden Age: Hope Ridings Miller, the Society Beat, and the Rise of Women Journalists: By Joseph Dalton, Lanham: Rowman and Littlefield, 2018, 264 pp.

Anyone who believes that twentieth-century society reporters were mindless gossipers oblivious to hard news and obsessed with elite trendsetters will think again after reading Joseph Dalton’s 2018 ...
Point-biserial correlation: Interval estimation, hypothesis testing, meta-analysis, and sample size determination

The point-biserial correlation is a commonly used measure of effect size in two-group designs. New estimators of point-biserial correlation are derived from different forms of a standardized mean difference. Point-biserial correlations are defined for designs with either fixed or random group sample sizes and can accommodate unequal variances. Confidence intervals and standard errors for the point-biserial correlation estimators are derived from the sampling distributions for pooled-variance and separate-variance versions of a standardized mean difference. The proposed point-biserial confidence intervals can be used to conduct directional two-sided tests, equivalence tests, directional non-equivalence tests, and non-inferiority tests. A confidence interval for an average point-biserial correlation in meta-analysis applications performs substantially better than the currently used methods. Sample size formulas for estimating a point-biserial correlation with desired precision and testing a point-biserial correlation with desired power are proposed. R functions are provided that can be used to compute the proposed confidence intervals and sample size formulas.
The New Silk Road on Facebook: How China’s official media cover and frame a national initiative for global audiences:

The New Silk Road has been considered as China’s core foreign policy since 2013. This initiative is paralleled by the expansion of China’s official media on Western networking platforms like Facebo...
Alternative measure of therapy impact (TXI): Length of sojourn on treatment—Value of early restaging imaging for prediction of response to nivolumab among patients with advanced cancer.

106Background: Cross-sectional Imaging (CI) plays an essential role in early assessment of patients on immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs), yet often remains inconclusive in the setting of advanced...
Recommendations of megavoltage computed tomography settings for the implementation of adaptive radiotherapy on helical tomotherapy units

Megavoltage computed tomography (MVCT) image quality metrics were evaluated on an Accuray Radixact unit to recommend scan settings for the implementation of a consistent adaptive radiotherapy program. Megavoltage computed tomography image quality was evaluated and compared to a kilovoltage CT (kVCT) simulator using a commercial cone beam computed tomography image quality phantom. Megavoltage computed tomographies were acquired on the Accuray Radixact using fine, normal, and coarse pitches, with all available reconstruction slice thicknesses, each of which were reconstructed using standard and iterative reconstruction (IR). Image quality metrics (IQM) were evaluated using DoseLab: automatically and manually calculated spatial resolution, subject contrast, and contrast-to-noise ratio (CNR). Scanning time was 15.6 s/cm for fine, 8.1 s/cm for normal, and 5.6 s/cm for coarse pitch. Automatically evaluated spatial resolutions ranged from 0.39, 0.41, to 0.42 lp/mm for standard reconstruction and from 0.24, 0.21, to 0.18 lp/mm for soft-tissue IR, respectively, with general IR yielding values in between these. Spatial resolution for kVCT was measured to be at least 0.42 lp/mm. Contrast was consistent across MVCT settings with 8.1 ± 0.2%, while kVCT contrast was 10.27 ± 0.05%. CNR was calculated to be 3.3 ± 0.4 for standard reconstruction, 7.4 ± 0.4 for general IR, and 12.0 ± 1.9 for soft-tissue IR. It was found that increasing reconstruction slice thickness for a given pitch does not improve IQMs. Based on the consistency of contrast metrics across pitch values and the only slightly reduced spatial resolution using normal compared to fine pitch, we recommend the use of normal pitch with 2 mm slice thickness to maximize image quality for ART while limiting scanning time. Only for sites for which improved CNR is required and reduced spatial resolution is acceptable, soft-tissue IR is recommended.
Trends in emergency department visits due to sunburn and factors associated with severe sunburns in the United States.

Little is known regarding the burden of sunburns leading to emergency department (ED) visits in the United States (US). The objectives of this research were to characterize the burden of sunburn ED visits, investigate predictors of severe sunburns, and evaluate risk factors for increased cost of care in patients presenting to the ED for sunburn. In this nationally representative cross-sectional study of the National Emergency Department Sample (NEDS, 2013–2015), multivariable models were created to evaluate adjusted odds for sunburn ED visits, seasonal/regional variation in sunburn ED visits, adjusted odds for second and third degree sunburns, and risk factors for increased ED expenditure. 82,048 sunburn ED visits were included in this study. On average, the cost of care for a sunburn ED visit was $1132.25 (± $28.69). The prevalence and cost of ED visits due to sunburn increased during the summer months. Controlling for sociodemographic factors, comorbidities, and hospital characteristics, patients presenting to the ED for all sunburns (and for severe sunburns) were most likely to be lower income young adult men. Older, higher income patients in metropolitan hospitals had more expensive ED visits. This research provides nationally representative estimates of visits to the ED due to sunburn in the US, as well as evaluates determinants for severe sunburns and more expensive sunburn ED visits. Ultimately, characterizing the national burden of ED visits due to sunburn is critical in the development of interventions to reduce the impact of sunburn ED visits on the US healthcare system.
Characteristics of Patients Who Develop Stridor Following Extubation

Background: The incidence of stridor following extubation ranges from 2-16%. 1 Some risk factors associated with stridor include non-iatragenic sources (eg, inhalation injury, penetrating trauma, infection) direct injury related to clinical interventions (eg, difficult/traumatic intubation, prolonged mechanical ventilation), and indirect (statistically associated) ones such as acute brain injury, female gender and obesity. We inquired whether risk factors identified in our subjects were consistent with those reported in the medical literature. Methods: In 2010 systematic screening of all mechanically-ventilated patients for stridor risk began following a sentinel event instigating a policy change and quality improvement initiative. As part of this initiative a database was developed to gather information regarding the characteristics of those who developed stridor. Risk factors were assessed both according to prevalence and as duration of intubation increased ( Results: Between May 2010 and February 2018 we identified 115 stridor incidences out of 7,420 consecutive subjects (1.4% incidence). Eight subjects had 2 incidences each with a median [IQR] of 8.5 [5, 9] days between incidences. The most salient features were age > 50 y (69%), female (65%), height 6 d (37%), upper airway trauma/infection (22%), traumatic intubation (19%). When analyzed by duration of intubation, direct injury mechanisms tended to decrease with increasing intubation duration, whereas indirect factors tended to increase (Fig). Prevalence of age > 50 y did not increase in a consistent manner with duration of intubation (65%, 74%, 67% respectively). Conclusions: The most prominent risk factors for developing post-extubation stridor appear to be factors not associated with direct trauma to the larynx or subglottic tissues. This suggests that while subjects with direct injury should be evaluated for stridor risk prior to extubation at any time point, the risk of stridor from direct injury appears higher when extubation occurs within a few days of intubation. In contrast, with the exception of age, indirect factors appear to become more prominent as intubation duration increases. 1. Jaber S, Chanques G, Matecki S, et al. Post-extubation stridor in intensive care unit patients. Risk factors, evaluation and importance of the cuff-leak test. Intensive Care Med 2003; 29 69-74.
Synchronous Malignancies Identified by 18F-fluciclovine Positron Emission Tomography for Prostate Cancer: Case Series and Mini-Review

Positron emission tomography using the fluorine-18 (18F) fluciclovine radiotracer has been approved for use in recurrent prostate cancer and is a useful tool for clinical decision making. However, 18F-fluciclovine is not specific for prostate cancer tumor cells, and false-positive results have been reported. In the present study, we have reported our experience with synchronous malignancies identified using 18F-fluciclovine and reviewed other reported cases, with a special emphasis on highlighting the clinical decisions that led to the correct diagnosis.
Decline of pollinators and attractiveness of the plants

Flowering plants rely mostly on pollinators to reproduce. A decline of pollinators puts an evolutionary pressure on the allocation of plants’ resources towards attracting the few remaining pollinators. This may result in fewer resources available for the plants’ survival and actual seed production. Moreover, due to the “magnet effect”, attractive plants generally attract pollinators to all plants in their neighborhood, even the less attractive ones. To better understand the allocation trade-offs, we built a computer simulation and studied the evolution of resource allocation towards attracting pollinators. We observed that when pollinators are relatively abundant, there is not much incentive for the plants to allocate more energy to attract them. Only when pollinators are below a certain critical threshold is a relatively large investment in attracting the pollinators suddenly favored. The value of the critical threshold is quite low and further decreases with the increasing seed dispersal distance and the plant population size.