cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Dietary choline augments blood choline and cholinergic transmission in terrestrial mollusk Limax maximus

1. A radioenzymatic assay was used to determine the concentration of choline in the hemolymph of the terrestrial mollusk Limax maximus maintained on choline-enriched and choline-deficient diets. The levels of free choline in the slug's hemolymph varied with the availability of choline in the diet. The concentration of choline in the plasma of choline-enriched animals averaged 5.5 microM while the mean circulating choline level of choline-deprived slugs was 3.3 microM. The difference in choline levels between the two groups was statistically significant. 2. Neurophysiological measurements of transmission at the isolated cholinergic synapses between the salivary burster neuron (SB) and the salivary duct muscle (SD) showed that this synapse was sensitive to fluctuations in the external choline concentration within the physiological range. Increases in exogenous choline from 0.5 to 2.0 microM, from 2.5 to 5.0 microM, and from 5.0 to 15.0 microM were followed by increases in the amplitudes of SB-elicited junction potentials recorded from the SD by a focal extracellular electrode. 3. Thus, the SB-SD synapse is sensitive to the fluctuations in exogenous choline that can occur with a change in diet.
Cognitive and Affective Representations of Active Surveillance as a Treatment Option for Low-Risk Prostate Cancer.

Benefits of early diagnosis and treatment remain debatable for men with low-risk prostate cancer. Active surveillance (AS) is an alternative to treatment. The goal of AS is to identify patients who...
Using Photovoice and Asset Mapping to Inform a Community-Based Diabetes Intervention, Boston, Massachusetts, 2015.

INTRODUCTION Diabetes self-management takes place within a complex social and environmental context. This study's objective was to examine the perceived and actual presence of community assets that may aid in diabetes control. METHODS We conducted one 6-hour photovoice session with 11 adults with poorly controlled diabetes in Boston, Massachusetts. Participants were recruited from census tracts with high numbers of people with poorly controlled diabetes (diabetes "hot spots"). We coded the discussions and identified relevant themes. We further explored themes related to the built environment through community asset mapping. Through walking surveys, we evaluated 5 diabetes hot spots related to physical activity resources, walking environment, and availability of food choices in restaurants and food stores. RESULTS Community themes from the photovoice session were access to healthy food, restaurants, and prepared foods; food assistance programs; exercise facilities; and church. Asset mapping identified 114 community assets including 22 food stores, 22 restaurants, and 5 exercise facilities. Each diabetes hot spot contained at least 1 food store with 5 to 9 varieties of fruits and vegetables. Only 1 of the exercise facilities had signage regarding hours or services. Memberships ranged from free to $9.95 per month. Overall, these findings were inconsistent with participants' reports in the photovoice group. CONCLUSION We identified a mismatch between perceptions of community assets and built environment and the objective reality of that environment. Incorporating photovoice and community asset mapping into a community-based diabetes intervention may bring awareness to underused neighborhood resources that can help people control their diabetes.
Imaging Thyroid Disease: Updates, Imaging Approach, and Management Pearls

There are many disorders that can occur in the thyroid gland, ranging from benign to malignant entities. This article focuses on 5 common problems of the thyroid that require special consideration with regard to optimizing imaging strategies in a multidisciplinary and collaborative platform. These problems are the incidental thyroid nodule, preoperative evaluation of goiter, hyperthyroidism, invasive thyroid cancer, and recurrent thyroid cancer. For each problem essential facts, interesting updates, imaging approach, and management pearls are reviewed.
LAVA: Large-Scale Automated Vulnerability Addition

Work on automating vulnerability discovery has long been hampered by a shortage of ground-truth corpora with which to evaluate tools and techniques. This lack of ground truth prevents authors and users of tools alike from being able to measure such fundamental quantities as miss and false alarm rates. In this paper, we present LAVA, a novel dynamic taint analysis-based technique for producing ground-truth corpora by quickly and automatically injecting large numbers of realistic bugs into program source code. Every LAVA bug is accompanied by an input that triggers it whereas normal inputs are extremely unlikely to do so. These vulnerabilities are synthetic but, we argue, still realistic, in the sense that they are embedded deep within programs and are triggered by real inputs. Using LAVA, we have injected thousands of bugs into eight real-world programs, including bash, tshark, and the GNU coreutils. In a preliminary evaluation, we found that a prominent fuzzer and a symbolic execution-based bug finder were able to locate some but not all LAVA-injected bugs, and that interesting patterns and pathologies were already apparent in their performance. Our work forms the basis of an approach for generating large ground-truth vulnerability corpora on demand, enabling rigorous tool evaluation and providing a high-quality target for tool developers.
Altered Plasmodium falciparum Sensitivity to the Antiretroviral Protease Inhibitor Lopinavir Associated with Polymorphisms in pfmdr1

The HIV protease inhibitor lopinavir inhibits Plasmodium falciparum aspartic proteases (plasmepsins) and parasite development, and children receiving lopinavir-ritonavir experienced fewer episodes of malaria than those receiving other antiretroviral regimens. Resistance to lopinavir was selected in vitro over ∼9 months, with ∼4-fold decreased sensitivity. Whole-genome sequencing of resistant parasites showed a mutation and increased copy number in pfmdr1 and a mutation in a protein of unknown function, but no polymorphisms in plasmepsin genes.
Taxonomic revision of the moss salamander Nototriton barbouri (Schmidt (Caudata: Plethodontidae), with description of two new species from the Cordillera Nombre de Dios, Honduras.

Moss salamanders (genus Nototriton ) are represented in northern Central America by nine putative species: N. barbouri , N. brodiei , N. lignicola , N. limnospectator , N. mime , N. picucha , N. saslaya , N. stuarti , and N. tomamorum . I estimate the phylogenetic relationships for these species based on data from three mitochondrial gene fragments (16S, cytochrome b , and COI), and compare morphological variation among putative taxa. As evidenced here and in previous studies, the taxon N. barbouri is paraphyletic with respect to populations from the Cordillera Nombre de Dios in northern Honduras. I restrict this taxon to populations from the Sierra de Sulaco in central Yoro, Honduras, and describe two new species from the Cordillera Nombre de Dios.
The dynamics of electrical breakdown in liquid hydrocarbons, v. light emission processes

The light emission associated with pre- and post-breakdown events has been studied in detail using a uv sensitive photomultiplier tube and an optical multi-channel analyzer. The information gathered in this manner suggests that the light emitted by partial discharges is of a similar origin as that coming from breakdown itself, i.e. due to gas phase reactions. The post-breakdown emission process is tentatively assigned to the reactions associated with the decay of the conducting plasma column.
What is a Good Job?:Analysis of the British 2012 Skills and Employment Survey

This analysis is based on findings from the British 2012 Skills and Employment Survey. This is a survey of workers’ skills, employment experiences and wellbeing. In total, some 3200 workers completed the survey from across Great Britain. We asked whether it was possible to identify a small number of categories or types of jobs that could summarise relationships between work and employment practices that make up ‘good’ (or ‘bad’) jobs for wellbeing. This kind of cluster analysis is used in many areas to identify people or things that are similar – such as in market research to identify people with similar tastes or shopping habits. This analysis makes it possible for high-level analysis of these categories – we were also interested in whether such categories are different in terms of the wellbeing of workers in each category, and whether there are differences between categories in terms of factors such as gender, age, occupation, sector and region in the UK. If there are notable patterns in the analyses, then there is a basis for more detailed investigation.
Autoimmune Encephalitis in Children

Autoimmune encephalitis (AIE) can produce a very wide range of neuropsychiatric symptoms. A major challenge in diagnosis is that different symptoms may appear at different times and different levels of intensity, so the disease may mimic many other disorders. Pathogenesis is likely to be mediated by antibodies (Abs) to CNS proteins. This article focuses on recent clinical advances, newly characterized Abs, and treatment approaches to these disorders.
The Structure of Li7 and K7

The self-consistent-field (SCF) approach and density functional theory, using the B3LYP hybrid functional, yield three low-lying structures for Li7(-). The relative separations differ for the SCF and B3LYP approaches, however the B3LYP results are in good agreement with the coupled cluster results. For K7(-), only an octahedron with one face capped is found to be a minimum; this the second most stable structure for Li7(-). A comparison of the computed separations between the low-lying states of K7 and the photoelectron detachment spectra does not allow an unambiguous assignment of the structure of K7(-).
Fuzzy rule bases with generalized belief structure inputs

Abstract We first describe the basics of fuzzy systems modeling. Fundamental to this is a collection of rules, a rule base, in which the rule antecedents are fuzzy subsets. We first look at issue of the determination of the firing level of a rule for fuzzy set inputs and the subsequent rule base output. We next consider the situation where the system input is uncertain and modeled by a Dempster–Shafer belief structure. Here our input is a collection of fuzzy subsets and the true input fuzzy set is selected based on a probability distribution over these potential input fuzzy sets. We next consider the situation where our input is modeled via a generalized belief structure where the determination of applicable input fuzzy set is modeled via a measure over these potential input fuzzy sets.
Correlates of Hypoglycemia among Youth with Type 1 Diabetes (T1D) and Suboptimal Glycemic Control

Hypoglycemia is a major challenge of T1D. We examined the prevalence and correlates of hypoglycemia assessed by 7-day blinded continuous glucose monitoring at baseline among 233 youth with hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c) of 8-13% per inclusion criteria in the Flexible Lifestyles Empowering Change trial. The sample was 76.1% non-Hispanic white and 49.8% female with mean age 14.9±1.1 years and mean T1D duration 6.4±3.7 years. Mean HbA1c was 9.6±1.2%. Over 7-days, 85.4% of youth experienced hypoglycemia (i.e., time ≤70 mg/dL and >54 mg/dL; an average of 32.5±37.3 min/day). 62.7% of youth experienced clinically serious hypoglycemia (i.e., time ≤54 mg/dL; an average of 24.5±40.5 min/day). Duration of hypoglycemia was inversely associated with HbA1c (Figure). In logistic regression modeling, sex, race/ethnicity, T1D duration, body mass index z-score (BMIz), fear of hypoglycemia (from the Hypoglycemia Fear Survey) and diabetes adherence (from the Diabetes Self-Management Profile-Self Report) were not associated with hypoglycemia. Youth with higher HbA1c were less likely to experience hypoglycemia (for a 1% higher HbA1c, odds ratio (OR) for clinical hypoglycemia: 0.52, (95% CI 0.39, 0.69); OR for clinically serious hypoglycemia: 0.58 (95% CI 0.43, 0.77)). The data suggest that hypoglycemia is common among youth with elevated HbA1c and and guidance to limit hypoglycemia should be part of care in these patients. Disclosure A.R. Kahkoska: None. J. Crandell: None. K.A. Driscoll: None. M.R. Kosorok: None. D.M. Maahs: Advisory Panel; Self; Insulet Corporation. Consultant; Self; Abbott. Research Support; Self; Medtronic, Bigfoot Biomedical, Dexcom, Inc., Insulet Corporation, Roche Diabetes Care Health and Digital Solutions. E.J. Mayer-Davis: None.
The Origins and Development of the Idea of Organism-Environment Interaction

The idea of organism-environment interaction, at least in its modern form, dates only to the mid-nineteenth century. After sketching the origins of the organism-environment dichotomy in the work of Auguste Comte and Herbert Spencer, I will chart its metaphysical and methodological influence on later scientists and philosophers such as Conwy Lloyd Morgan and John Dewey. In biology and psychology, the environment was seen as a causal agent, highlighting questions of organismic variation and plasticity. In philosophy, organism-environment interaction provided a new foundation for ethics, politics, and scientific inquiry. Thinking about organism-environment interaction became indispensable, for it had restructured our view of the biological and social world.
Naturalism and scientific creativity: new tools for analyzing science

The Author(s) 2011. This article is published with open access at Springerlink.com In the preface to Models of discovery and creativity, Thomas Nickles pitches the book as the continuation of a research program that began unofficially at a conference on scientific discovery in the late 1970’s. The project is defined by its interdisciplinary nature, applying the combined resources of philosophy, social science, and cognitive science to the complex issues surrounding scientific concepts, practice, and methodology. Nickles offers the current volume as an update on the status of the program. All aspects of the project are present in the collected papers, which showcase an impressive array of analytical skills and historical expertise. If read as a unified project, the aims of the contributors are extremely ambitious—the present volume suggests no less than an attempt to create a crossdisciplinary methodology for the analysis of scientific creativity and conceptual change. Analytical tools range from formal models of reasoning (Magnani, Sintonen), evolutionary computation (Nickles), and philosophical and cognitive theories of concepts (Brown, Nersessian); to detailed research into the daily experimental activities of scientists (Holmes), and analysis of personal cooperation and competition amongst researchers in contexts of discovery (Werner). The variety of scientific fields and episodes discussed borders on astounding, ranging from the discoveries of nuclear fission (Andersen) and messenger RNA (Darden), to the construction of concepts and proofs in geometry and algebra (Glas). At first glance, it would seem impossible that experts in such a variety of fields should be employing anything like a unified methodology, or approaching a unified goal. It might be suspected that the volume is simply a grouping of a variety of really independent projects analyzing science from the distinct fields of philosophy of science, cognitive science, and science studies. However, there is a shared
Self-management behaviors in World Trade Center rescue and recovery workers with asthma

Background: Asthma is a major source of morbidity among World Trade Center (WTC) rescue and recovery workers. While physical and mental health comorbidities have been associated with poor asthma co...
The Incidence of Brain Metastases in Stage IV ROS1-Rearranged Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer and Rate of Central Nervous System Progression on Crizotinib.

Abstract Introduction Central nervous system (CNS) metastases in lung cancer are a frequent cause of morbidity and mortality. There are conflicting data on the incidence of CNS metastases in stage IV ROS1-positive NSCLC and the rate of CNS progression during crizotinib therapy. Methods A retrospective review of 579 patients with stage IV NSCLC between June 2008 and December 2017 was performed. Brain metastases and oncogene status (ROS1, ALK receptor tyrosine kinase gene [ALK], EGFR, KRAS, BRAF, and others) were recorded. We measured progression-free survival and time to CNS progression in ROS1-positive and ALK-positive patients who were taking crizotinib. Results We identified 33 ROS1-positive and 115 ALK-positive patients with stage IV NSCLC. The incidences of brain metastases for treatment-naive, stage IV ROS1-positive and ALK-positive NSCLC were 36% (12 of 33) and 34% (39 of 115), respectively. There were no statistically significant differences in incidence of brain metastases across ROS1, ALK, EGFR, KRAS, BRAF, or other mutations. Complete survival data were available for 19 ROS1-positive and 83 ALK-positive patients. The median progression-free survival times for ROS1-positive and ALK-positive patients were 11 and 8 months, respectively (p = 0.304). The CNS was the first and sole site of progression in 47% of ROS1-positive (nine of 19) and 33% of ALK-positive (28 of 83) patients, with no statistically significant differences between these groups (p = 0.610). Conclusions Brain metastases are common in treatment-naive stage IV ROS1-positive NSCLC, though the incidence does not differ from that in other oncogene cohorts. The CNS is a common first site of progression in ROS1-positive patients who are taking crizotinib. This study reinforces the importance of developing CNS-penetrant tyrosine kinase inhibitors for patients with ROS1-positive NSCLC.
Task and Machine Heterogeneities: Higher Momenets Matter.

One type of heterogeneous computing (HC) systems consists of machines with diverse capabilities harnessed together to execute a set of tasks that vary in their computational complexity. An HC system can be characterized using an Estimated Time to Compute (ETC) matrix. Each value in this matrix represents the ETC of a specific task on a specific machine when executed exclusively. Heuristics use the values in the ETC matrix to allocate tasks to machines in the HC system. The performance of resource allocation heuristics can be affected significantly by factors such as task and machine heterogeneities. Therefore, quantifying heterogeneity will allow a system to select a heuristic appropriate for the given heterogeneous environment. In this paper, we identify different central moments used to quantify the heterogeneity of ETC matrices obtained from real world systems and benchmark data, and show the effect of these moments on the performance of heuristics both through simple examples and simulations.
Effects of Cardiac Work and Leucine on Protein Turnover

The purpose of these experiments was to assess effects of cardiac work and leucine in hearts supplied only glucose or substrate and hormone mixtures that simulated plasma. Rates of protein degradation greatly exceeded protein synthesis in Langendorff preparations supplied glucose. This severely negative nitrogen balance was brought closer to zero by provision of more complete substrate mixtures. Cardiac work further improved the nitrogen balance by stimulating protein synthesis in hearts supplied glucose (mixture 1), glucose-insulin-glucagon-lactate-β-hydroxybutyrate (mixture 2), or palmitate-β-hydroxybutyrate-glucose (mixture 3) and inhibiting protein degradation in hearts supplied glucose. Cardiac work did not affect the rates of either protein synthesis or degradation in hearts provided insulin-lactate-glucose (mixture 4). The increase in protein synthesis was associated with increased rates of peptide chain initiation. Addition of 1 mM leucine had an additional effect to restore nitrogen balance to zero or to achieve positive balance in working hearts supplied substrate and hormone mixture 2.
Building a curriculum materials center from the ground up: A practical approach

While many large universities boast ample space and hefty budgets for their curriculum materials centers, as a small university with a tight budget, creating Saint Francis University’s (SFU) Curriculum Materials Center (CMC) was a process that required creativity, planning, and ingenuity. This article outlines that process. SFU, located in rural Loretto, Pennsylvania, is a small, Catholic university with an FTE of approximately 2,400.
Seasonal effects of climate change on intra-day electricity demand patterns

Climate change threatens all parts of the US electric power system, from electricity generation to distribution. An important dimension of this issue is the impact on electricity demand. While many studies have looked at these impacts, few have tried to represent this effect at higher temporal resolutions (such as daily or sub-daily) or to analyze its seasonal aspects. Our study expands on previous work to improve our understanding of how climate change can affect patterns of hourly electricity demand, the differences in these effects over different seasons, and how this in turn could affect the operations of the power system. For this analysis, we combine a linear regression model, a simplified economic dispatch model, and projections from twenty different climate models to analyze how climate change may affect seasonal demand patterns and, consequently, power plants dispatch. We use this method to analyze a case study of the Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA). The results suggest that climate change can result in an average increase in annual electricity consumption in the TVA region of 6% by the end of the century and an increase in the frequency of peak demand values (the maximum quantity of electricity demanded during an hour). However, this increase is not uniformly distributed throughout the year. During summer, total electricity consumption can increase on average by 20% while during winter, it may decrease on average by 6% by the end of the century. Such changes in demand could result in changes in the typical dispatch patterns of TVA’s power plants. Estimated summer time capacity factors would increase (8 to 37% for natural gas and 71 to 84% for coal) and winter time capacity factor decrease (3% to virtually zero for natural gas and 67 to 60% for coal). Such results could affect the decision-making process of planning agents in the power sector.
TCNN: Temporal Convolutional Neural Network for Real-time Speech Enhancement in the Time Domain

This work proposes a fully convolutional neural network (CNN) for real-time speech enhancement in the time domain. The proposed CNN is an encoder-decoder based architecture with an additional temporal convolutional module (TCM) inserted between the encoder and the decoder. We call this architecture a Temporal Convolutional Neural Network (TCNN). The encoder in the TCNN creates a low dimensional representation of a noisy input frame. The TCM uses causal and dilated convolutional layers to utilize the encoder output of the current and previous frames. The decoder uses the TCM output to reconstruct the enhanced frame. The proposed model is trained in a speaker- and noise-independent way. Experimental results demonstrate that the proposed model gives consistently better enhancement results than a state-of-the-art real-time convolutional recurrent model. Moreover, since the model is fully convolutional, it has much fewer trainable parameters than earlier models.
Medical Student Leader Performance in an Applied Medical Field Practicum

Introduction Many medical schools in the United States are introducing leader and leadership curricula. However, there is a large gap regarding how to assess leader performance during undergraduate medical education. With the guidance of a conceptual framework, leadership assessment measures can be developed, learners can make expected improvements in performance over time, and assessment measures can be used in relevant, applied, medical teaching settings. Uniformed Services University (USU) medical students are educated to become healthcare leaders who can perform effectively in various settings. Medical students are assessed on multiple occasions for elements of leader performance during "Operation Bushmaster" - the capstone military medical field practicum event for fourth year medical students - by experienced faculty. A conceptual framework guides the assessment approach for leader performance during Bushmaster. The USU Leader and Leadership Education and Development program developed an assessment tool to measure student leader performance used in a military medical field practicum. The present paper examines whether: (1) leader performance can be measured at Bushmaster; (2) leader performance changed during Bushmaster; (3) leader performance elements are related to each other; and (4) overall leader performance is related to other medical academic performance. Materials and methods Trained faculty assessed students' leader performance. Data from three cohorts of USU medical students (N = 509) were collected. All data were collected, compiled, deidentified, and analyzed with approval from the USU Institutional Review Board (Protocol number: KM83XV). Descriptive statistics, repeated measures t-tests, trend analyses, and correlation analyses were performed. Results Data were available from 483/509 [95%] students. Results revealed that: (1) average leader performance was satisfactory; (2) overall leader performance and performance on each of the major elements of leader performance significantly improved over the course of Bushmaster; (3) major elements of leader performance were significantly correlated with each other and with overall leader performance; (4) leader performance was not correlated with students' performance on the MCAT total score or USMLE Step exam scores. Conclusion With the guidance of a conceptual framework, the assessment tool was used to assess leader performance in a relevant, applied, medical teaching setting. The findings of this study indicate that leader performance can be measured. Additionally, leader performance appears to be a separate skillset from medical academic performance and both types of performance can be taught and developed. This was a retrospective correlation study and was conducted during a military medical field practicum at a single institution. Gathering additional validity evidence of the assessment tool is needed. With additional validity evidence, the assessment tool could be applied to other medical exercises in different settings and help with the assessment of leader performance beyond medical school.
Concordance, communication, and shared decision-making about family planning among couples in Nepal: A qualitative and quantitative investigation:

Couple communication and joint decision-making are widely recommended in the family planning and reproductive health literature as vital aspects of fertility management. Yet, most studies continue ...
An Aperture-Coupled Dual-Polarized Stacked Patch Antenna for Multi-Layer Organic Package Integration

This paper presents an aperture-coupled dual-polarized stacked patch antenna integrated in an RFIC package environment for Ka-band applications. The package is based on multilayer organic technology, so it can be fabricated by PCB manufacturers. The antenna has a measured peak gain > 5 dBi and supports a 4 GHz bandwidth.
Inattention Blindness to an Airway Foreign Body in a Neonate

Introduction/Background: Iatrogenic airway foreign bodies are rare in the NICU setting, but when present, often cause emergent respiratory decompensation and are immediately identified on imaging. We report a case of a relatively clinically silent fractured piece of an endotracheal tube suction catheter lodged in the left main bronchus that went unnoticed on several CXRs. Case Presentation: A former 25+1 week gestational age infant female with active issues including respiratory insufficiency on BiPAP extubated on DOL14 and a large symptomatic PDA undergoing medical closure with neoprofen who presented …
On Racial Violence

Over the last year, at least six children in the U.S. have died as a consequence of the Trump Administration’s move to detain migrants at the U.S./Mexico border. Their deaths, easily preventable, a...
Mechanistic understanding of 3D printed polycarbonate process yielding comparable dielectric strength with injection molding process

Plastic components used as insulators for electrical segments are conventionally processed by injection molding (IM). One of the important considerations in electrical safety is dielectric strength. There is a growing interest to process such components using additive manufacturing (3D printing) due to the ease of fabricating complex component designs without elaborate machinery while retaining similar property attributes. This study established a mechanistic understanding of dielectric breakdown in 3D (fused filament fabrication) printed polycarbonate. The impact of 3D printing process parameters on the dielectric performance is established. Appearance of dielectric breakdown site on the sample was found to be a good indicator of its dielectric performance. The optical imaging studies revealed that IM sample which exhibited a dielectric strength of 23.4 kV/mm (ASTM D149) was associated with a pin-centric, radially symmetric and cohesive crack measuring 450 μm at the site of dielectric breakdown. It was found that 3D printed samples exhibiting inferior dielectric strength (7.2–19.9 kV/mm) were associated with larger, elongated, radially asymmetric and non-cohesive crack lengths. An inverse correlation between dielectric strength and length of the dielectric breakdown (cracks) is elucidated in this study. The optimized print parameters resulted in a breakdown that appeared to be cohesive, radially symmetric and which ultimately correlated with an improved dielectric strength (22.4–23.2 kV/mm), at par with IM.
Social Justice and the Importance of Rebellious, Oppositional Imaginations:

In this article I hope to add convictional fuel, fodder, and possibility to the fires of those educational administrators and professors of leadership who have dedicated their lives to deeper forms...
Antanas Mockus and the Civil Role of a Mathematician

At a time at which liberal democracy appears under formidable pressures all across the west, practitioners across a variety of disciplinary fields may wonder what role they might play in defense of civil values. The literature has identified a number of ways mathematics and mathematicians may contribute on that front. After referring to it, I will zoom into the case of Antanas Mockus, former chancellor of the National University of Colombia and a mathematician, who in 1995 became mayor of Bogota at a time of profound crisis in Colombian society and started out a most ambitious program of urban intervention geared to induce rapid behavioral and cultural change among his fellow-citizens. His contribution changed the course of history in his city and left a mark in the political and intellectual history of Colombia, which national and international analysts have duly noted on a variety of occasions. In this chapter I will look at how the competences that the literature has identified to be cultivated by a training in, and a practice of, mathematics may have supported his interventions into the civil life of his own community.
Mitigating Cognitive Deficits in Down Syndrome by Managing Microglia Activation.

In this issue of Neuron, the comprehensive and multidisciplinary results from Pinto et al. (2020) point to novel and widespread microglial dysfunction in Down syndrome that results in impaired cognitive ability. A common pharmaceutical (acetaminophen) is shown to offset these effects in mouse models.
Home Nation First, but to What Degree?: Nationalism in Chinese Central Television’s Broadcasts of the 2018 Winter Olympics:

The aim of this study was to analyze China Central Television’s (CCTV) broadcasts of the 2018 Winter Olympics and how their various narratives presented home and foreign athletes. The findings indi...
Tailoring cooperation support through mediators

Cooperative processes are strongly influenced by their context. Individual and group experience, work practices, and the organisational setting are variable factors that help shape a cooperative work context. In an electronic environment the variability and dynamic nature of cooperative processes has to be taken into account. This suggests a requirement for configurability of basic cooperative functionality. In this paper, a concept for the development of a generic CSCW platform is proposed, which offers the possibility to configure its basic cooperation support functionality. Mediating objects are the key feature which enables the tailorability of functionality to the cooperative setting at run-time.
The Dusty Circumstellar Environments of Ae/Be Protoplanetary Disk Candidates

We have obtained high spatial resolution mid-IR observations of four intermediate-mass pre–main-sequence stars: HD 259431, AS 310, LkHα 234, and MWC 1080. Our observations reveal the morphology of the circumstellar (500–10,000 AU) environments of these young stars. We resolve companion stars and complex diffuse emission from dust that can account for on average 50% of the IR emission detected in previous low-resolution observations. We calculate new spectral indices for these objects and show that they differ from those expected from simple geometrically flat disk models. We also show mid-IR spectral energy distributions that reveal the presence of silicate emission and absorption features for several objects. Finally, temperature maps constructed from our observations suggest the presence of transiently heated grains, and optical depth maps point to the locations of the most embedded objects.
Ion Cyclotron Waves, Instabilities and Solar Wind Heating

The effect of alpha particles on the dispersion relation of ion cyclotron waves and its influence on the heating of the solar wind plasma are investigated. The presence of alpha particles can dramatically change the dispersion relation of ion cyclotron waves, and significantly influence the way that ion cyclotron waves heat the solar wind plasma. We find that a spectrum of ion cyclotron waves affects the thermal anisotropy of the solar wind protons and other ions differently in interplanetary space: When alpha particles have a speed u α > 0.5υ A, and both protons and alpha particles have a thermal anisotropy T ⊥/T ‖ > 1, ion cyclotron waves heat protons in the direction perpendicular to the magnetic field, cool them in the parallel direction, and exert the opposite effect on alpha particles.
Group Theory: The groups of the Standard Model

The symmetries of a physical system manifest themselves through its conservation laws; they are encoded in the Hamiltonian, the generator of time translations. In Quantum Mechanics, the hermitian operators which commute with the Hamiltonian generate the symmetries of the system. Similar considerations apply to local Quantum Field Theory. There, the main ingredient is the Dirac-Feynman path integral taken over the exponential of the action functional. In local relativistic field theory, the action is the space-time integral of the Lagrange density, itself a function of fields, local in space-time, which represent the basic excitations of the system. In theories of fundamental interactions, they correspond to the elementary particles. Through E. Noether's theorem, the conservation laws are encoded in the symmetries of the action (or Lagrangian, assuming proper boundary conditions at infinity). Physicists have identified four different forces in Nature. The force of gravity, the electromagnetic, weak, and strong forces. All four are described by actions which display stunningly similar mathematical structures, so much so that the weak and electromagnetic forces have been experimentally shown to stem from the same theory. Speculations of further syntheses abound, unifying all three forces except gravity into a Grand Unified Theory , or even including gravity in Superstring or M Theories ! In his remarkable 1939 James Scott lecture, Dirac speaks of the mathematical quality of Nature and even advocates a principle of mathematical beauty in seeking physical theories!
ESTABLISHING DERIVED TEXTUAL ACTIVITY SCHEDULES IN CHILDREN WITH AUTISM

Children with autism are frequently taught to follow picture activity schedules to increase independence in task engagement and transitions. As textual behavior allows for greater independence and efficiency in responding, schedules should rapidly become textual in form. Previous research has shown the effectiveness of conditional discrimination training and superimposition and fading procedures in establishing textual control. The current study evaluated the effectiveness of these procedures in establishing derived textual control in activity schedules. Participants included two children with autism (ages 3 and 8 years). Following the demonstration of proficiency in picture activity schedules, participants were exposed to superimposition and fading and conditional discrimination training in an alternating treatments design. Pretest–posttest measures were used to evaluate emergent relations among stimuli. Conditional discrimination training was superior to stimulus fading for emergent relations. The participants showed no clear difference between the procedures related to derived textual control. Copyright © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
CLUSTERING OF PREMATURE MORTALITY IN 1, 761 INSULINDEPENDENT DIABETICS AND THEIR FAMILY MEMBERS

The clustering of premature mortality was investigated in 1,761 insulin-dependent diabetics and their family members from the Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh Insulin-Dependent Diabetes Mellitus Registry from 1950-1981. At follow-up, 5% of the mothers and 13% of the fathers were deceased. Life table analyses revealed that fathers of deceased diabetics were significantly more likely to die prematurely than fathers of living diabetics (18% vs. 8% at age 55 years; p = 0.02). A father-diabetic son concordance of mortality appeared to be responsible for this effect. A similar overall trend was observed for maternal mortality, although the difference was not statistically significant. Cause-specific analyses revealed that the increased paternal mortality was primarily the result of cardiovascular disease. Overall mortality rates of parents of deceased diabetics were higher than those of the general population, reaching statistical significance in the age group 35-44 years (p less than 0.05). Mortality among diabetic siblings was also examined. Diabetic siblings of deceased diabetics had a markedly increased risk of dying compared with diabetic siblings of living diabetics (p = 0.001). These findings indicate that premature mortality among both diabetic and nondiabetic relatives of diabetics clusters in families in which there is a deceased insulin-dependent diabetic, and suggest that the marked increase in mortality among persons with insulin-dependent diabetes may be partly under familial control.
Research and Development Management

Technology leaders must be broadly versed in their firms’ business and functions. These leaders must have the technical edge and be able to function with credibility in their companies as they deal with change, participate in setting direction, and take the necessary steps to ensure that the importance of technology is well understood and used. They must, furthermore, ensure that the necessary support for research is provided, that resources are adequate, that core competencies are preserved, and that their R&D organizations are productive and effective. The external factors and challenges for modern R&D are addressed. These concerns are less important than their impact on people and organizations. Key information on science and technology is given. Turbulence and complexity of the macroenvironment in which science and technology reside are described. However, the discussion is focused on the impact on people, scientists, and leaders and their organizations. Keywords: challenges; leadership roles; technology; research and development; turbulence; complexity; people expenditures; biomedical science; core technology
Inhibition of NF-κB Signaling Reduces Virus Load and Gammaherpesvirus-Induced Pulmonary Fibrosis

Idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) is a chronic progressive lung disorder of unknown etiology. Several studies have demonstrated an association between pulmonary infection with a herpesvirus and IPF. Based on those observations, we have developed a mouse model in which interferon (IFN)γR−/− mice infected intranasally with murine gammaherpesvirus 68 (MHV68) develop lung fibrosis. We hypothesize that viral load was a critical factor for the development of fibrosis. Because nuclear factor (NF)-κB signaling is required to efficiently establish gammaherpesvirus, latency we infected IFNγR−/− mice with a MHV68 virus that expresses a mutant dominant inhibitor of the NF-κB signaling pathway, called IκBαM. Striking differences were observed at the onset of the chronic infection, which correlated with a decreased virus load in mice infected with MHV68-IκBαM compared with mice infected with control MHV68 (MHV68-MR). IFNγR−/− mice infected with MHV68-IκBαM lacked vasculitis and fibrosis 15 to 120 days post infection. Inhibition of NF-κB in MHV68-infected cells of the lungs diminished the expression of the fibrocyte recruiting chemokines monocyte chemoattractant protein 1 (MCP-1) and CXCL12, ameliorated macrophage expression of markers of alternative activation, and failed to increase expression of the integrin αvβ6, which is implicated in the activation of the profibrotic factor TGF-β. Thus, the inhibition of NF-κB signaling in the infected lung cells of IFNγR−/− mice reduces virus persistence and ameliorates profibrotic events. Host determinants of latency might therefore represent new therapeutic targets for gammaherpesvirus-associated pulmonary fibrosis.
Validity of the Imbert-Fick law for constant-pressure tonography

Abstract In the clinical evaluation of constant-pressure tonography, charts are required by the medical technician for determining the value of aqueous outflow facility from the force readings obtained from the tonography instrument. The accuracy of the tables depends upon the validity of Imbert-Fick law in this application. As a result of earlier experiments on excised human corneas, there has been some question as to whether use of this law leads to large errors when applied to corneal applanation, and it has been suggested that use of an empirical relation would be better. In this study the accuracy of the Imbert-Fick law was tested with the use of rabbit and human cornea, and in the intact and the enucleated rabbit eye. Our results also do not conform exactly to the Imbert-Fick law, but the errors are not excessive for the practical application of the law to constant-pressure tonography. In fact, its use leads to errors of lesser magnitude than errors from other sources in the constant-pressure measurement of aqueous outflow facility.
New radiographic techniques for colorectal cancer

Before surgical staging and resection, patients with primary colorectal cancer undergo a thorough diagnostic evaluation. The initial imaging study to identify a primary site of disease often is endoscopy, which frequently is supplemented with a double contrast barium enema. Once the presence of colorectal cancer has been established, new radiographic imaging techniques, including computed tomography (CT), magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), and special ultrasound (US) may be used. Clinical questions addressed by these special imaging techniques include detection of liver and lymph metastases and clarification of local extent of disease
Where do Investments in Telecoms Come from? Developing and Testing a Framework of Sustained Economic Impact of Investments in Information and Communication Technologies

The framework of neoclassical growth accounting is widely used to estimate the impact of investments in information and communication technologies ICT on the macroeconomic bottom line. Results of multiple investigations presented evidence that investments in ICT have a positive impact on such measure of macroeconomic outcome as gross domestic product. Thus, it is not surprising that less developed countries of the world often turn to investments to ICT as one of the sources of a sustained economic development. But sustainability of economic growth is predicated on the sustainability of the sources of growth, such as investment capital and labor. The question of how annual investments in ICT are sustained is an important one, and yet it was not given much research consideration. This is, in part, due to the absence of a theoretically sound framework outlining mechanisms of investments → outcomes → reinvestments process. In this study, we synthesize a consistent with the framework of neoclassical growth accounting model allowing for investigating the process by which various microeconomic outcomes of investments in ICT are associated with re-investments in ICT. We test the proposed model using techniques of structural equation modeling with the data on investments in telecoms a common subset of investments in ICT in the context of transition economies. The results of the investigation support the notion of cyclical relationship between investments in ICT and economic outcomes [Qureshi, S. 2013. What is the role of mobile phones in bringing about growth? Information Technology for Development, 191, 1–4] and offer valuable insights to decision-and policy-makers tasked with the responsibility of improving the impact of investments in ICT.
Child Mania Rating Scale-Parent Version: A valid measure of symptom change due to pharmacotherapy

Abstract Background The development of valid parent-report measures of symptom change in pediatric bipolar disorder (PBD) is imperative to evaluate the effectiveness of different treatment approaches; yet, few studies have tested the sensitivity of symptom measures. The current study evaluated the sensitivity of the Child Mania Rating Scale (CMRS-P) to detect symptom change over time in a treatment study for PBD. Methods Data on symptom change were drawn from a prospective six-week, double-blind, placebo-controlled, randomized outpatient medication treatment trial of risperidone versus divalproex. The sample included 66 children with Bipolar type I disorder. Measures were administered every week for six weeks of treatment. Results The CMRS-P demonstrated statistically (p ≤ .05) and clinically significant change in symptom report from pre to post-test. Growth curve modeling indicated that the CMRS-P demonstrated overall similarity to the YMRS in the magnitude and trajectory of change over time. Finally, results indicate that the CMRS-P is able to detect response rates with moderate levels of agreement with other measures. Limitations Limitations of this study include a relatively small sample size and uncertain generalizability beyond treatment trials. Conclusions The CMRS-P is short, easy to administer, and represents parent's report of symptoms, all strengths which make it a compelling treatment outcome tool. This preliminary evidence of its validity as a treatment outcome measure makes it applicable in other research settings and suggests its potential use in clinical settings.