cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Increased frequency of ICOS+ CD4 T cells as a pharmacodynamic biomarker for anti-CTLA-4 therapy

Pharmacodynamic biomarkers can play an important role in understanding whether a therapeutic agent has "hit its target" to impact biologic function. A pharmacodynamic biomarker for anti-CTLA-4 therapy remains to be elucidated. We previously reported that anti-CTLA-4 therapy increases the frequency of CD4 T cells expressing the inducible costimulator (ICOS) molecule. To determine whether the frequency of ICOS(+) CD4 T cells could be used as a pharmacodynamic biomarker for anti-CTLA-4 therapy, we carried out flow cytometric studies and statistical analyses on data from 56 individuals, which included 10 healthy donors, 36 patients who received anti-CTLA-4 monoclonal antibody (mAb), and 10 patients who received treatment with a different immunomodulatory agent (gp100 DNA vaccine). After treatment with anti-CTLA-4 mAb (ipilimumab; Bristol-Myers Squibb), we detected a statistically significant increase in the frequency of ICOS(+) CD4 T-cells. After two doses of anti-CTLA-4 therapy, the assay was found to have an estimated specificity of 96% [95% confidence interval (CI), 88-100] and sensitivity of 71% (95% CI, 54-85), with positive expression defined as a frequency that is more than the upper bound of 95% CI among baseline samples from all subjects. Our data suggest that an increased frequency of ICOS(+) CD4 T cells measured by flow cytometry can be used as a reproducible pharmacodynamic biomarker to indicate biologic activity in the setting of anti-CTLA-4 therapy, which should enable appropriate immune monitoring to determine whether patients receiving anti-CTLA-4 monotherapy or combination treatment strategies are having an adequate biologic response.
Person-Environment Congruence and Career Self-Efficacy.

The purpose of this study was to explore the relationship between person-environment congruence and career search and decision- making self-efficacy for a sample of 200 women college students. Self...
Minimal information disclosure with efficiently verifiable credentials

Public-key based certificates provide a standard way to prove one's identity, as attested by some certificate authority (CA). However, plain certificates provide a binary identification: either the whole identity of the subject is known, or nothing is known. We propose using a Merkle hash tree structure, whereby it is possible for a single certificate to contain many separate claims or attributes, each of which may be proved independently, without revealing the others. Additionally, we demonstrate how trees from multiple sources can be combined together by modifying the tree structure. This allows claims by different authorities, such as an employer or professional organization, to be combined under a single certificate, without the CA needing to know (or to verify) all of the claims. In addition to describing the hash tree structure and protocols for constructing and verifying our proposed credential, we formally prove that it provides unforgeability and privacy and we present performance results demonstrating its efficiency. As services move from user names and passwords to attribute-based identity verification, efficiency and scalability of claims verification will become a major issue. We have implemented a prototype client-server system, deployed the prototype in Emulab, and evaluated the server-side throughput for attribute-based identity verification. The results show that our approach can perform about 200 identity verifications per second, while the best competing approach can perform only about 2--5 verifications per second. Our approach is, therefore, better suited to today's high-volume Web-based services that demand the highest possible throughput.
A 36V precision programmable gain amplifier with CMRR exceeding 120dB in all gains

A 36 V programmable gain amplifier (PGA) is presented with sub -20 muV offset and CMRR exceeding 120 dB in all gains. It is the first 36 V capable precision PGA that is implemented in a high-voltage CMOS process, allowing for several important additional functions, such as the detection of input and output fault conditions and an input switch network. This switch network in addition to acting as a 2-channel multiplexer also allows for various system-level diagnostic features. All opamps used in the PGA use chopper stabilization with a notch filter that removes chopping glitches, leading to very low offset for all gains and low 1/f noise. The input referred offset voltage is below 20 muV (G=128). The PGA is implemented in a 0.35 um CMOS process with a 36 V extension, and has a total quiescent current of 2.7 mA.
Effect of Chelate Type and Radioisotope on the Imaging Efficacy of 4 Fibrin-Specific PET Probes

1157 Objectives 99mTc-sulfur colloid (99mTc-SC) has been routinely adopted for lymphoscintigraphy in the determination of sentinel lymph node in several malignant tumors. Different preparation parameters of 99mTc-SC may yield varying characters of products. This study is to investigate the characters of 99mTc-SC in several preparation condition to select optimization. Methods Eight vials of 99mTc-SC were compounded according to the procedure of manufacture’s instructions. The only changes were the boiling time at 1, 2, 5, 8, 10, and 12 minute respecttively. The radiochemical purity (RCP) was tested with the paper chromatography and the distribution of particle size were determined with multi-angle laser light scattering respectively at the time of 10 min, 1hr, 2hr, and 4hr after filtration and been placed. Results When the boiling time was 2min, the RCPs of the filtered 99mTc-SC in the stock vial decreased from 94.68±1.38 to 87.93±1.55 from 10min to 4 hr. When the boiling time was 1min, 5min, 8min and 10min, the RCPs of the initial filtered 99mTc-SC were 81.13±1.89, 95.65±1.23, 94.98±1.29 and 97.37±0.85 respectively, and showed no significant change within the 4 hour (P>0.05). When the boiling time was 12min, the RCP decreased from 92.28±1.22 to 85.92±0.68 over 4hr. Prolonged boiling time from 2min to 5min, it would produce significantly lower percentage of small particles ( 500nm,P=0.003), but in the boiling time from 5min to 12min, the small particles would not reduce significantly(P>0.05). Conclusions The results indicate that the desirable 99mTc-SC preparation could be acquired by controlling the boiling time. In that case, some important characters, such as the RCP, distribution of particle size and the stability could be remained stable within 4h post filtration. Research Support Natural Science Foundation of Shandong Province (ZR2012HM011)
Segregation by primary phase factors: a full-wave algorithm for model order reduction

Existing Full-wave Model Order Reduction (FMOR) approaches are based on Expanded Taylor Series Approximations (ETAS) of the oscillatory full-wave system matrix. The accuracy of such approaches hinges on the worst case interaction distances, producing accurate models over a very narrow band of frequencies. In this paper we present Segregation by Primary Phase Factors (SPPF), a novel algorithm for FMOR enabling wideband interconnect impedance analysis. SPPF extracts exponential terms (primary phase factors) and then approximates the smoother remainder with an ETAS, thus resulting in good accuracies over a very wide band of frequencies. We also present a technique to improve conditioning for the required computation. Example results are given for simple interconnect structures modeled using a discretized mixed potential integral equation formulation.
A DECISION SUPPORT MODEL FOR THE LIFE-CYCLE DESIGN OF A FAMILY OF OIL FILTERS

In this paper, a decision support approach for designing a family of environmentally benign products for a ranged set of customer requirements is presented. More specifically, we incorporate environmental issues in order to minimize the environmental impact of products without sacrificing their performance characteristics and keeping competitive prices in comparison to existing products. The example problem consists of the design of a family of environmentally benign oil filters based on a variety of oil flow rate ranges. Environmental issues are represented by Life Cycle Assessments and comparisons of the existing alternatives based on their environmental impact. Emphasis is placed on highlighting the trade-off analysis for including environmental considerations in the design of a family of products and not on the results of the problem, per se.
Multiterawatt femtosecond Cr:LiSrAlF 6 laser system

The development of the new solid-state laser material, Cr:LiSAF,1 offers an important alternative for short-pulse laser applications. Like Ti:sapphire, LiSAF exhibits a broad gain bandwidth, tunable from 760 to 950 nm. Unlike Ti:sapphire, it has a long upper state lifetime (67 µsec). The combination of this long upper state lifetime with a significant overlap of the material's absorption bands with the emission spectrum of xenon flashlamps make Cr:LiSAF attractive for flashlamp pumping. This advantage, coupled with die fact that LiSAF has a low nonlinear refractive index and low thermal lensing, make it a good candidate for highpower, femtosecond laser systems. Using the technique of chirped pulse amplification' we have developed a one hundred femtosecond laser system capable of producing peak power near two terawatts. We have developed a Cr:LiSAF regenerative amplifier that produces a pulse energy above 10 mJ at a repetition, rate of 5 Hz.3 These pulses are then further amplified at 1 Hz yielding 500 mJ. Recompression produces a 250-mJ pulse with a near transform limited pulse width of 135 fsec.
Introduction: The Sociology of the Economy

IN RECENT years, sociologists have returned to study the field’s first subject, economic behavior. Beginning in the 1840s, Karl Marx tried to understand the economic underpinnings of class relations and political activity. Forty years later, Emile Durkheim explored how work was divided up in modern societies and the implications for occupational behavior. By the end of the nineteenth century, Max Weber was concerned with understanding the origins of economic institutions and behavior patterns. Then, between about 1920 and 1980, sociologists turned away from the study of economic behavior per se. They studied economic institutions, such as firms and unions, but they tended not to study economic behavior in those institutions.
Do Sellers Disclose What Buyers Want to Know? Evidence from U.S. Credit Rating

This paper estimates the gap between the rating information disclosed by sellers and the information sought by buyers, using evidence from U.S. corporate credit ratings. While seller willingness to...
The Effects of an Irradiated Wheat Diet on the Confused Flour Beetle, Granary Weevil and the Angoumois Grain Moth

A series of experiments was undertaken to determine whether irradiated grain differed from untreated grain as a food for three grain infesting insects and whether the length of life cycle and the rate of reproduction of the insects were affected. The test insects were the confused flour beetle ( Tribolium confusum Duv.), the granary weevil ( Sitophilus granarius (L.)) and the Angoumois grain moth Sitotroga cerealella (Oliv.). Results of these experiments showed that there was no apparent deleterious clfeet on the reproduction potential of these insects when they were reared On a wheat diet irradiated at 10,000 rep, and 100,000 rep, and 1,000,000 rep. When differences did exist, an increase in reproduction was evident.
The Metabolism of C14-Labeled DDT in the Larvae, Pupae, and Adults of Drosophila melanogaster

A metabolic product of C14-DDT in Drosophila melanogaster Meigen was found to be primarily 2,2,2-trichloro-1,1-bis-( p -chlorophenyl) ethanol, (Kelthane®), confirming the results of Tsukamoto. Kelthane was found in larvae, pupae and adults exposed to larval medium containing C14-DDT and also in adults exposed by topical application to C14-DDT. Of the two strains of Drosophila examined by adult topical exposure, one (Oregon Re) showed the active formation of Kelthane, while the other (Oregon R) did not. A new, unknown metabolite of the same chromatographic mobility as p,p’ -dichlorobenzophenone was found in the larval exposure as well as a large amount of a very polar metabolite(s). Another new metabolite of the same chromatographic mobility as 2,2-dichloro-1,1-bis-( p -chlorophenyl) ethanol was found in the internal tissue extract upon adult topical exposure.
Temperature as a Sole Factor for Diapause Induction After Pupation in Helicoverpa zea (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae)

When Helicoverpa zea (Boddie) was reared in a diapause-averting photoperiodic (14:10 [L:D] h) regimen at 26°C, placed at 15°C within 24 h of larval-pupal ecdysis, and kept at 15°C for at least 14 wk, ≍45% of the insects entered a state of dormancy. Sixty-five percent of these dormant pupae were males. Evidence that this dormant state was similar to temperature-photoperiodically induced diapause was provided by the following three observations: (1) dormant pupae maintained for 15 wk at 15°C required the same number of days to initiate adult development at 26°C as H. zea in a temperature-photoperiodically induced state of pupal diapause, (2) females required significantly fewer days than males to initiate adult development, and (3) injection of 20-hydroxyecdysone elicited a similar low percentage of diapause termination in 10-wk-old temperature induced dormant and temperature–photoperiodically induced diapausing pupae. Based on these results, it is postulated that temperature-induced diapause in newly formed pupae may serve as a secondary diapause induction mechanism to assure species survival.
Gibberellin and Auxin-Induced Berry Enlargement in Vitis Vinifera L.

SummaryGibberellic acid (GA) and the auxin, 4 chlorophenoxyacetic acid (CPA), differ in their effects upon berry enlargement in two seedless varieties of Vitis vinifera L., cv. Black Corinth and Thompson Seedless. Although initially both substances cause nearly equal increases in berry growth rates, at maturity GA-treated berries far surpass those treated with CPA. The growth rate of CPA-treated berries declines, relative to that of the GA group, two to seven days after treatment. The results of experiments in which berries received treatment with both GA and CPA show that CPA may act as an inhibitor of GA-induced expansion, particularly during the later stages of enlargement. Also, GA-treated berries have a greater length-to- width ratio than CPA-treated berries. Thus, there are apparently qualitative differences in mode of action between the two substances. Increase in berry size, regardless of treatment, is the result of water uptake accompanied by solute storage and synthesis of cell components. Histo...
Prelim inary study on IL28B polym orphism s and the effect of im m unoprophylaxis for m aternalinfant transm ission of hepatitis B virus infection

Objective To investigate whether IL28B polymorphisms are associated with the effect of immunoprophylaxis for maternal-infant transmission of hepatitis B virus infection. Methods Three groups of children were involved in this research,they were immunoprophylaxis success,immunoprophylaxis failure and control groups. A total of 109 children whose mothers were positive for HBsAg / HBeAg received three doses of hepatitis B vaccine( at 0,1 and 6 months of age) alone,or combined with HBIG( within 12 hours after birth and in 2 weeks of age); among which,65 cases were identified as immunoprophylaxis success for they had positive serum HBsAb after vaccination,44 cases were immunoprophylaxis failure for they failed to develop detectable serum HBsAb and had positive HBsAg after vaccination. The control group including 221 healthy children whose mothers were negative for both serum HBsAg and HBeAg also received three doses of hepatitis B vaccine( at 0,1 and 6 months of age) and had positive serum HBsAb after vaccination. Genotype analysis was performed among three groups for IL28B rs12979860,rs12980275 and rs8099917. Results No significant differences were observed in genotype frequency distribution among three groups at the polymorphic sites,rs12979860( P = 0. 266) and rs12980275( P = 0. 051). However,considerable differences were observed concerning the distribution of the rs8099917 genotypes among three groups( P = 0. 009),frequencies of TT genotype were higher in immunoprophylaxis success group when compared with immunoprophylaxis failure group( P = 0. 008). The odds ratio for immunoprophylaxis response was 6. 48( OR = 6. 48,95% CI: 1. 27- 32. 0,P = 0. 025) for TT versus TG / GG at rs8099917 after adjustment for age and gender. Conclusion The frequencies of TT genotype of IL28B rs8099917 were higher in immunoprophylaxis success children compared with immunoprophylaxis failure children
Ocular manifestations of preeclampsia.

We performed a prospective, controlled, masked study designed to evaluate the ocular manifestations of preeclampsia in 56 patients, including 25 control, 17 mild preeclamptic, and 14 severe preeclamptic patients. There was a statistically significant correlation between the reduction in arteriole to vein ratio and a diagnosis of severe preeclampsia (r = -.32, P = .004). There was also a significant correlation between the number of focal constrictions and a diagnosis of severe preeclampsia (r = .34, P = .005). The arteriole to vein ratio and number of focal constrictions did not differ significantly between normal and mild preeclamptic patients. None of the patients showed background changes of hemorrhages, cotton-wool spots, and exudates, or evidence of choroidal ischemia (including Elschnig's spots and retinal detachment). In contrast to previous reports, the role of the ophthalmologist in the diagnosis and management of preeclampsia appears to be limited.
Complementary and Alternative Medicine for Atopic Dermatitis: An Evidence-Based Review

Complementary and alternative interventions are becoming increasingly utilized as adjuncts to conventional treatment of atopic dermatitis (AD). While the number of studies continues to grow, the vastness of the subject coupled with the relatively poor quality and small size of the studies limit their usefulness to clinicians. Our aim was to comprehensively review randomized controlled trials (RCTs) of complementary and alternative therapies for AD. Searches were performed on PubMed, the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials, EMBASE, and the Global Resource for EczemA Trial (GREAT) databases, focusing on RCTs of alternative or complementary AD therapies, with a sample size of ≥10, through March 2015 and limited to the English language. A total of 70 manuscripts met the inclusion criteria and were included in the final analysis. There is at least some level I evidence to support the use of acupuncture and acupressure, stress-reducing techniques such as hypnosis, massage, and biofeedback, balneotherapy, herbal preparations (with many important caveats), certain botanical oils, oral evening primrose oil, vitamin D supplementation, and topical vitamin B12. Many other therapies either have sufficient data to suggest that they are ineffective, or simply do not have enough evidence to formulate a verdict. Careful review of the literature reveals several promising therapies in this domain; such findings may help direct further research that is necessary to bolster clinical recommendations for alternative or complementary treatments of AD.
Discovery of β-Form Crystal Structure in Electrospun Poly[(R)-3-hydroxybutyrate-co-(R)-3-hydroxyhexanoate] (PHBHx) Nanofibers: From Fiber Mats to Single Fibers

For the first time the strain-induced metastable β-form crystal structure, with the extended chains adopting a planar zigzag conformation, was discovered in the macroscopically aligned electrospun nanofibers of poly[(R)-3-hydroxybutyrate-co-(R)-3-hydroxyhexanoate] (PHBHx) collected across the air gap on aluminum foil and on the tapered edge of a high-speed rotary disk. The presence of the β-form crystal structure in the fiber mats was confirmed by wide-angle X-ray diffraction (WAXD) and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR). In addition, selected area electron diffraction (SAED) and AFM-IR were utilized to investigate the morphological and structural details of individual electrospun nanofibers. The SAED results confirmed a significant influence of the collection method on the crystal structure as well as the orientation level of the molecular chains in the crystals. The AFM-IR spectra of the single nanofibers matched well with the traditional FTIR spectra, but the finer features in the AFM-IR sp...
Large-signal modeling of vacuum electronic devices based on impedance characterization of slow-wave structures

We report progress in the development of a 2D large-signal simulation code based on the use of modes of the impedance matrix that characterizes the slow-wave structure. We apply linear network approach in which input/output and interaction gaps are described as parts in a network. Finite element EM code is used to compute the frequency dependent impedance matrix of the network. The impedance matrix then is used in the large-signal algorithm to model the beam-wave interaction self-consistently in the device. Multiple-beam devices can be modeled in serial mode by using the approximation of identical beams, or in the more accurate, parallel mode by using an expanded impedance matrix for which each gap in each beam-tunnel is a port. First results of the newly developed algorithm and its validation by comparison with a PIC code and with experiment will be presented.
Housing Discrimination, Residential Racial Segregation, and Colorectal Cancer Survival in Southeastern Wisconsin.

Background: Residential racial segregation is still neglected in contemporary examinations of racial health disparities, including studies of cancer. Even fewer studies examine the processes by which segregation occurs, such as through housing discrimination. This study aims to examine relationships among housing discrimination, segregation, and colorectal cancer survival in southeastern Wisconsin.Methods: Cancer incidence data were obtained from the Wisconsin Cancer Reporting System for two southeastern Wisconsin metropolitan areas. Two indices of mortgage discrimination were derived from Home Mortgage Disclosure Act data, and a measure of segregation (the location quotient) was calculated from U.S. census data; all predictors were specified at the ZIP Code Tabulation Area level. Cox proportional hazards regression was used to examine associations between mortgage discrimination, segregation, and colorectal cancer survival in southeastern Wisconsin.Results: For all-cause mortality, racial bias in mortgage lending was significantly associated with a greater hazard rate among blacks [HR = 1.37; 95% confidence interval (CI), 1.06-1.76] and among black women (HR = 1.53; 95% CI, 1.06-2.21), but not black men in sex-specific models. No associations were identified for redlining or the location quotient. Additional work is needed to determine whether these findings can be replicated in other geographical settings.Conclusions: Our findings indicate that black women in particular experience poorer colorectal cancer survival in neighborhoods characterized by racial bias in mortgage lending, a measure of institutional racism. These findings are in line with previous studies of breast cancer survival.Impact: Housing discrimination and institutional racism may be important targets for policy change to reduce health disparities, including cancer disparities. Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev; 26(4); 561-8. ©2017 AACRSee all the articles in this CEBP Focus section, "Geospatial Approaches to Cancer Control and Population Sciences."
THE “ROOTS” OF ACCOUNTING

This paper presents some evidence that rudimentary accounting (economic record-keeping) may have predated both counting and writing.
Case for a pharmacy-centered medical home.

The solution to fragmented care would be a centralized hub or repository of information, the ‘medical home’, or centralized care for a patient by one practitioner or a group. This practitioner would facilitate continuous care for patients and serve at the forefront as the patient’s navigator and advocate.
Inhibition of UDP-glucose dehydrogenase by 6-thiopurine and its oxidative metabolites: Possible mechanism for its interaction within the bilirubin excretion pathway and 6TP associated liver toxicity.

Abstract 6-Thiopurine (6TP) is an actively prescribed drug in the treatment of various diseases ranging from Crohn’s disease and other inflammatory diseases to acute lymphocytic leukemia and non-Hodgkin’s leukemia. While 6TP has beneficial therapeutic uses, severe toxicities are also reported with its use, such as jaundice and liver toxicity. While numerous investigations into the mode in which toxicity originates has been undertaken. None have investigated the effects of inhibition towards UDP-Glucose Dehydrogenase (UDPGDH), an oxidative enzyme responsible for UDP-glucuronic acid (UDPGA) formation or UDP-Glucuronosyl transferase (UGT1A1), which is responsible for the conjugation of bilirubin with UDPGA for excretion. Failure to excrete bilirubin leads to jaundice and liver toxicity. We proposed that either 6TP or its primary oxidative excretion metabolites inhibit one or both of these enzymes, resulting in the observed toxicity from 6TP administration. Inhibition analysis of these purines revealed that 6-thiopurine has weak to no inhibition towards UDPGDH with a Ki of 288 μM with regard to varying UDP-glucose, but 6-thiouric (primary end metabolite, fully oxidized at carbon 2 and 8, and highly retained by the body) has a near six-fold increased inhibition towards UDPGDH with a Ki of 7 μM. Inhibition was also observed by 6-thioxanthine (oxidized at carbon 2) and 8-OH-6TP with Ki values of 54 and 14 μM, respectively. Neither 6-thiopurine or its excretion metabolites were shown to inhibit UGT1A1. Our results show that the C2 and C8 positions of 6TP are pivotal in said inhibition towards UDPGDH and have no effect upon UGT1A1, and that blocking C8 could lead to new analogs with reduced, if not eliminated jaundice and liver toxicities.
Obliterative bronchiolitis associated with rheumatoid arthritis: Analysis of a single-center case series

Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is a systemic autoimmune condition characterized by erosive inflammation of the joints. One rare pulmonary manifestation is obliterative bronchiolitis (OB), a small airways disease characterized by the destruction of bronchiolar epithelium and airflow obstruction. We retrospectively reviewed the clinical data of patients with rheumatoid arthritis-associated obliterative bronchiolitis (RA-OB) from 01/01/2000 to 12/31/2015. Presenting clinical features, longitudinal pulmonary function testing, radiologic findings, and independent predictors of all-cause mortality were assessed. Forty one patients fulfilled criteria for diagnosis of RA-OB. There was notable female predominance (92.7%) with a mean age of 57 ± 15 years. Dyspnea was the most common presenting clinical symptom. Median FEV1 was 40% (IQR 31–52.5) at presentation, with a mean decline of − 1.5% over a follow-up period of thirty-three months. Associated radiologic findings included mosaic attenuation and pulmonary nodules. A majority of patients (78%) received directed therapy including long-acting inhalers, systemic corticosteroids or other immunosuppressive agents, and macrolide antibiotics. All-cause mortality was 27% over a median follow-up of sixty-two months (IQR 32–113). No distinguishable predictors of survival at presentation were found. RA-OB appears to have a stable clinical course in the majority of patients despite persistent symptoms and severe obstruction based on presenting FEV1.
BRONCHOPULMONARY DYSPLASIA: Impact of Surfactant Replacement Therapy

Surfactant replacement therapy (SRT) has been in widespread clinical use for the prevention and treatment of respiratory distress syndrome (RDS) in premature infants for nearly a decade. There is no question that the use of surfactant preparations has had a significant positive impact on survival and quality of life for premature infants; however, chronic lung disease continues to develop in a significant number of premature infants. The reasons underlying this finding, an update on research regarding surfactant preparations, and a review of long-term sequelae of neonatal chronic lung disease are the subjects of this article. Surfactant therapy was last reviewed in the Pediatric Clinics of North America in October 1993. 52 The topic of surfactant's impact on chronic lung diseases in premature infants was reviewed in Clinics in Perinatology in September 1992. 36 This review is an extension of these observations,incorporating new literature and observations in practice.
Integrating Declarative Knowledge : Issues, Algorithms and Future Work

As information technology progresses, computers of these days can access more information than in the past, and thereby the need to integrate many pieces of knowledge increases. This paper discusses the integration of declarative knowledge. More specifically, it discusses the construction of a coherent knowledge representation out of small pieces of knowledge using a background KB. The paper will cover several challenging issues arising in knowledge integration, our approach and future work. One of the goals of AI is to build a comprehensive knowledge base incrementally by acquiring fragments of knowledge from multiple sources, probably by reading texts(fig. 1). The key facility in a system - apart from natura l language processing, which is beyond the scope of this paper - is knowledge integration: the ability to combine fragments of knowledge into a coherent whole. Although some recent systems (Harrington & Clark 2007) (Yatskevich, Welty, & Murdock 2006) (Noy 2004) provided aspects of this facility, their main focus was on identifying co-references among the snippets of knowledge. In contrast, in this paper, KI entail s considerably more than coreference identification. A KI facility, such as the one we are developing, would have application for a variety of AI tasks, such as NLP, Knowledge Actuisition, and computational models of human learning.
Tracking Activity In a Deformable Nervous System With Motion Correction and Point-Set Registration

The combination of fluorescent probes with time-lapse microscopy allows for the visualization of the entire neuronal activity of small animals, such as worms or cnidarians, over a long period of time. However, large deformations of the animal combined with the natural intermittency of neuronal activity make robust automated tracking of firing fluorescent neurons challenging. Here we present an hybrid approach where (i) a subset of very bright neurons is used as moving reference points (fiducials) to estimate the elastic deformation of the animal; (ii) deformation is frame by-frame corrected, and firing neurons are aligned at each time with the initial mask; and (iii) point-set registration is used to robustly track the intermittent activity of all the immobilized neurons. We compare different registration strategies with manual tracking performed over ~620 neurons over 100 time frames in the cnidarian Hydra vulgaris.
The Clinical Use of N-Acetylcysteine for the Treatment and Protection Against Renal Disease

N-acetylcysteine (NAC) has been investigated in many renal disorders both as a prophylactic agent and as a treatment for several aspects of kidney disease. NAC has been largely investigated as a prophylactic agent for contrast-induced nephropathy when using radiological contrast agents during emergent and non-emergent computerized tomography as well as during angiography with or without percutaneous procedures. Interestingly, studies support the use of NAC during emergent computerized tomography at low doses and during non-emergent computerized tomography. However, the large number of studies of the use of NAC during angiography have extremely mixed results with some studies with clear positive findings and others failing to confirm the efficacy of NAC during angiography. The significance of these mixed findings is discussed in detail. Several studies have examined other prophylactic uses of NAC but there are very few studies in any one area to make any conclusions. NAC has also been investigated in its role of treating kidney disease. Studies support its adjunctive use during hemodialysis particularly for lowering homocysteine; however in other areas in which it has been investigated there are too few studies to make any conclusion. No study found NAC to be detrimental and very few studies reported adverse effect of NAC. Given the safety profile and the fact that biomarker studiesdemonstrate the favorable effect of NAC on oxidative stress, immune system, and endothelial function, NAC appears to be a promising treatment for kidney disease treatment and prevention.
Creating Context: The Role of Sensemaking in Producing Culture

The central question throughout this book is, “How do people and organizations construct organizational cultures?” In this chapter, we explore that question by examining Karl Weick’s work on sensemaking. We examine Weick’s definition of sensemaking and the processes involved in it. We begin to see how sensemaking, and thus culture, provides people with the context for the work they do and how they think about it. Links between Weick’s work and that of Schein are presented. We also explore the contribution of neuroscience and neuropsychology to sensemaking to provide depth of understanding. The chapter concludes by drawing parallels between sensemaking, William Bridges’ ideas of organizational transitions, and thus, organizational culture.
Dislocation Density-Based Multiscale Modeling of Deformation and Subgrain Texture in Polycrystals

In this work, a viscoplastic fast Fourier transform (FFT)-based code is combined with a continuum dislocation dynamics (CDD) framework to analyze the mechanical behavior of polycrystalline MgAZ31 material under unidirectional tensile test. A crystal plasticity formulation including the size effects through a stress/strain gradient theory, dislocation density flux among neighboring grains and grain boundary back stress field is implemented into the CDD and coupled with VPFFT for this purpose. Then, an electron backscatter diffraction-based orientation image microscopy of a sample microstructure is applied as an input to the code. The model predicts, among other things, distributions of stress, strain, mobile dislocation density, geometrically necessary dislocation and stress–strain behavior. The numerical findings are compared with experimental results, and the micromechanical behavior of the polycrystal is discussed regarding dislocation density evaluation in different stages of strain hardening.
The Ebullient Transhumanist and the Sober Theologian

The worldwide transhumanist (H+) movement upgrades technological hopes and expectations to a level of religious fervor. When looking through the eyes of the public theologian, we see in H+ a disguised religion replete with faith in techno-salvation and even immortality. This is unrealistic. Apologetic theologians can offer the wider public a more realistic assessment of technology's potential while providing genuine hope in a future vision based on divine promise.
MySQL, PostgreSQL, and PHP: open source technologies for a database management course

MySQL and PostgreSQL are relational database management systems that are available free of charge from the internet. Both are considered open source software. PostgreSQL provides some advanced features that MySQL does not, including object-relational features, transaction support, sub-selects, and foreign keys. Both are quality database servers and support much of the ANSI standard SQL92. MySQL or PostgreSQL can provide an inexpensive way for students to gain experience with an industrial strength, SQL based, client-server DBMS. PHP is an open source, HTML-embedded scripting language. Adding PHP to the mix, students can easily develop web applications with database connectivity. In addition, there are JDBC drivers for both MySQL and PostgreSQL, so students can produce database applications in Java. This tutorial will provide an introduction to MySQL, PostgreSQL, and PHP. I will compare and contrast the merits and drawbacks of MySQL versus PostgreSQL, and I will talk about the parts of ANSI SQL supported by each. I will also briefly cover the process of setting up a MySQL or PostgreSQL server in a Solaris or Linux environment. Participants will be able to interact with running servers and run queries and updates on a set of sample data. We will also cover a brief overview of PHP and participants can run several sample web based applications that will interact with each database server.
Chapter 11 – Creative financing

Publisher Summary Creative financing is financing provided by individuals. This chapter discusses a zero coupon bond; the usual form of a zero coupon bond is a long-term bond generally issued by a government agency. It pays no interest until maturity. The purchase price, naturally, is less than the payment at the end. Important to the usual zero is that the payoff date is certain. This chapter sheds light on the way the idea of a life estate and a zero coupon bond may be employed to solve problems of retirement housing. Based on this understanding, it proposes an idea for creative financing based on intra-family arrangements. Under this, it also describes the conventional arrangements or reverse annuity mortgages and examines whether or not these arrangements actually solve the problem. Furthermore, it examines the concept of retiree's housing dilemma from two standpoints, that is, discretionary income and house size. The chapter concludes by illustrating a method to compute investment returns for the remainder man, who provides financing for the retiree's living arrangements.
Sarcopenia Is an Independent Risk Factor for Proximal Junctional Disease Following Adult Spinal Deformity Surgery.

Study Design:Retrospective cohort study.Objectives:Sarcopenia is a risk factor for medical complications following spine surgery. However, the role of sarcopenia as a risk factor for proximal junct...
Queering Romantic Engagement in the Postal Age: A Rhetorical Education: by Pamela VanHaitsma, U of South Carolina P, 2019, 162 pp., $24.99 (hardcover); $24.99 (ebook). ISBN: 1611179904

Queering Romantic Engagement in the Postal Age: A Rhetorical Education offers the first queer rhetorical history of nineteenth-century romantic epistolary practices in the United States. Pamela Van...
Mindfulness-Based Approaches in Addiction Treatment

Substance use disorders (SUDs) are prevalent and persistent psychiatric conditions that have damaging consequences on physical and psychological health. Recently, mindfulness-based interventions (MBIs) have been developed and tested in the treatment of SUDs. In this chapter, we discuss mindfulness concepts and practices and review the empirical literature on the efficacy of MBIs for SUDs. Our review suggests that there is substantial meta-analytic evidence that SUD populations generally benefit from MBIs. Nevertheless, when examining effects on a specific SUD (e.g., tobacco, alcohol, or opioid use disorder), the evidence base is more limited and inconsistent. Literature shortcomings and suggestions for future research are provided.
Juvenile idiopathic arthritis fibroblast-like synoviocytes influence chondrocytes to alter BMP antagonist expression demonstrating an interaction between the two prominent cell types involved in endochondral bone formation.

To examine critical interactions between juvenile idiopathic arthritis synovial fibroblasts (JFLS) and chondrocytes (Ch), and their role in bony overgrowth seen in patients with juvenile idiopathic arthritis (JIA). Control (CFLS) and JFLS were cultured in synoviocyte media containing recombinant BMP4. Ch were cultured in either CFLS or JFLS conditioned-media without stimulation. Media supernatants were analyzed by ELISA. RNA from conditioned media experiment was analyzed by ClariomS microarray. As expected, genes expressed in untreated JFLS and CFLS cultured in synoviocyte media were similar to each other and this expression differed from untreated Ch cultured in chondrocyte media. JFLS favor BMP ligand gene expression while downregulating TGFβ receptors’ expression. Noggin and chordin, antagonists with high affinity for BMP4, are JFLS- but not Ch-preferred regulators of BMP signaling. Compared to Ch, JFLS overexpress collagen X (COLX), a marker of chondrocyte hypertrophy. Exogenous BMP4 causes JFLS to significantly decrease expression of noggin and collagen II (COL2), a marker of chondrocyte proliferation, and causes overexpression of COLX and alkaline-phosphatase (ALP). Chondrocytes cultured in JFLS-conditioned media (Ch-JFLS) express BMP genes and favor chordin protein expression over other antagonists. Ch-JFLS have significantly increased expression of COL2 and significantly decreased expression of COLX. These data suggest JFLS, in the presence of BMP4, undergo hypertrophy and that JFLS-conditioned media influence chondrocytes to become highly proliferative. To the authors’ knowledge, no prior study has shown that JFLS and chondrocytes play a direct role in the bony overgrowth in joints of patients with JIA and that BMPs or regulation of these growth factors influence the interaction between two prominent synovial cell types.
Thickness uniformity and stability of amorphous selenium films on flexible substrates for indirect conversion x-ray detection

Amorphous selenium (a-Se) possesses unique features that have been leveraged for medical imaging applications. Previously, it was shown that having a soft interface with a-Se will reduce the stress generated from the creation of crystalline nucleus, prevent radiation-induced crystallization, and improve long-term stability of the device. The aim of this study is to develop a uniform thickness of a-Se on a flexible substrate, polyethylene terephthalate coated with indium tin oxide (ITO-PET), for future investigations of the effect of substate on stability of the a-Se against radiation-induced defects and long-term storage. In order to fabricate the a-Se-based detector, we have developed a dedicated thermal evaporator for a-Se deposition. The dependence of the source-to-substrate distance on film uniformity has been investigated. Experimentally, following modeling results, a-Se samples over a 2-inch diameter were deposited on ITOPET and thickness uniformity was compared to simulation.
Remote Learning, COVID-19, and Children With Disabilities

While the COVID-19 pandemic affected the education of nearly all schoolchildren worldwide, pandemic-related school closures did not affect all children in equal ways. Between March and August, 2020...
Interrogation of the Selectivity and Electrokinetics of CO2 Reduction by AgSn Films in the Presence of Protic Organic [DBU–H]+ Cations as judged by Impedance Spectroscopy and Distribution of Relaxation Times Analysis

The use of renewable electricity to synthesize high energy and high value chemicals via reduction of CO2 is an attractive strategy for renewable energy storage. Improving our understanding of how heterogeneous CO2 reduction electrocatalysts function is important to designing efficient systems for conversion of CO2 into commodity chemicals such as CO and HCO2H. Both Ag- and Sn-based materials have been previously considered as CO2 reduction catalysts and offer distinct CO2RR selectivities. In this work, we have considered electrodeposited composite film electrodes prepared from electroplating baths with varying ratios of Ag+ and Sn2+ triflates to understand how the performance of such composite materials varies as a function of composition. XPS analysis confirms that for each composite film electrodes, Ag existed in the metallic (Ag0) state, while the Sn was mainly oxidized (Sn2+/4+). The AgSn composite film electrodes studied herein are therefore best considered as AgSnOx cathodes with varying ratios of Ag0:Sn2+/4+. These systems were assessed as CO2RR electrocatalysts and were found to promote the 2e–/2H+ reductions to deliver CO and HCOOH with fast kinetics and high efficiencies from electrolyte solutions containing the protic organic cation [DBU–H]+. While Sn-rich composite films showed poor selectivities for CO versus HCO2H, a significant increase in CO versus HCO2H selectivity (up to 99%) is achieved for composite film electrodes in which the Ag content ranged from 25 - 75%. By tuning the ratio of Ag0 to SnOx we prepared composite film cathode materials that support quantitative current efficiencies for generation of CO with geometric current densities approaching 30 mA/cm2 at applied overpotentials that are less than 750 mV were realized. Additionally, electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) coupled with analysis of the distribution of relaxation times (DRT) was used to better understand factors important to the composites’ activity under CO2RR conditions. Probing the dynamics with DRT analysis revealed that multiple processes relating to both adsorption and diffusion-controlled events are important to the activity of the electrocatalysts considered in this work. The collection of electroanalytical investigations suggest that synergistic interactions between Ag and SnOx give rise to porous films that support enhanced CO2RR kinetics and that mixing of Ag with SnOx enhances the efficacy of adsorption and stabilization of reduced CO2 intermediates and [DBU–H]+ cations to facilitate CO evolution at the cathode/electrolyte interface.
Animal Vocal Communication: A New Approach

Preface Acknowledgements Prologue 1. Overview of ideas 2. The roles of assessment and management in communication 3. Form and function in vocal communication 4. Mechanisms and proximate processes of vocal communication 5. Assessment/management - a viable replacement for the information concept References Index.
Chapter 18. Disease Modifying Anti-Rheumatic Drugs

Publisher Summary The term disease modifying anti-rheumatic drugs (DMARD) has replaced the term SAARD or slow-acting anti-rheumatic drugs that appeared in the literature for a brief period. This chapter discusses anti-rheumatic drugs defined as those drugs that have shown efficacy as DMRD. To be classified as a DMARD, a drug need not necessarily affect a cure, but rather must retard or stop the underlying progression of the disease. The chapter considers only synthetic compounds and natural products are deliberately excluded. It reviews the possible mechanisms of action of the known DMARDs, their clinical efficacy and side-effects. The severity and extent of side-effects associated with the currently available anti-rheumatic drugs represents the primary reason os their market being limited. The section devoted to new compounds under consideration as DMARDs contains clinical candidates that may represent safer and more efficacious therapy. The DMARD therapeutic category attempts to address the chronic inflammatory response that is of major concern in rheumatology. There are only three classes of synthetic compounds currently marketed in the USA, for which clinical evidence exists for their being classified as DMARDs. These are anti-malarials, gold salts, and d-penicillamine. Therapies with each of these are found to be useful in rheumatology as a consequence of first being used for the treatment of other diseases. Astute clinical observation led to their development as DMARDs. The unknown etiology of the disease combined with the dearth of experimental models that detect DMARDs has made its commercialization formidable.