cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
External Validation of a Thiopurine Monitoring Algorithm on the SONIC Clinical Trial Dataset.

Several reports leverage patterns in Electronic Medical Record (EMR) data to create algorithms to optimize outcomes in healthcare.1–3 More recently, there has been an increasing call for the use of clinical trial data repositories.4 Open clinical trial data sharing has allowed us evaluate the generalizability of algorithms to predict response to thiopurines in patients with inflammatory bowel disease. Yale University Open Data Access (YODA, http://yoda.yale.edu/) is a data-sharing platform which provides access to multiple clinical trial datasets. Previously we internally validated machine learning algorithms for both clinical and biological remission among patients on thiopurines.2,3 We now sought to externally validate the previously developed algorithm to predict objective remission in the SONIC clinical trial of azathioprine, infliximab, or the combination of azathioprine and infliximab in Crohn’s disease using open clinical trial data. Thiopurines continue to be used as monotherapy or as part of combination therapy for the treatment of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). Worldwide, thiopurines are frequently used as a monotherapy as they remain a low-cost option for steroid-sparing therapy. Experts in IBD rely on patterns in the complete blood count and differential (CBCD) and comprehensive chemistry panel (COMP) to monitor their patients, as thiopurine metabolites perform poorly in the evaluation of clinical response.5 Metabolites have also failed to show benefit in two prospective randomized controlled trials.6–7 Patterns in the CBCD and COMP can be successfully used to predict objective remission with high accuracy, and have been internally validated.3
Social Support in eSports: Building Emotional and Esteem Support from Instrumental Support Interactions in a Highly Competitive Environment

In this paper we report an empirical study of how and what types of social support eSports players can experience from their gameplay. Specifically, we interviewed 26 eSports players and sought out their first-person descriptions of experiences of social support. We found that even though most players started out as strangers, the context of eSports facilitated frequent acts of helping through both tangible and intangible means within the game. Such in-game informational and instrumental support often led to emotional and esteem support, and these different types of support functions not only remained within the context of the game but also "bled" out into in-person interactions and relationships. We contribute to CSCW and HCI by both confirming and augmenting existing theories of mediated social support in this underexplored context. Our findings regarding how emotional and esteem support are built from instrumental support interactions in eSports not only provide a rich description of players' experiences in highly competitive digital environments and the consequences of their social interactions but also suggest a number of future research opportunities.
Queer (of color) aesthetics: fleeting moments of transgression in VH1’s Love & Hip-Hop: Hollywood Season 2

ABSTRACTVH1’s Love & Hip-Hop: Hollywood (LHHH) season two features the coming out narrative of cast member and rap artist Miles “Siir Brock [SIC].” In this essay, we interrogate the production of the coming out narrative as a cultural text constrained by ideologies, material conditions, and historical contexts. We are interested in critiquing the commodification of Black queerness, masculinity, and sexuality via the conceptual lens of disidentification. In so doing, we engage with what we argue are fleeting moments of transgression from dominant scripts by problematizing the show’s representations of the aesthetics of queerness.
Does Anybody Have Anything They Want to Say

This chapter shares the experiences and real-life stories of a military psychiatrist who graduated from West Point and served during Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell (DADT), including a combat deployment. It describes the “coming out” process immediately post-DADT. This narrative chronicles being in active duty and LGBT during DADT and post-DADT, including working as a medical doctor specializing in psychodynamic psychiatry. Anecdotes of personal, professional, clinical, and organizational experiences are shared.
Draft Genome Sequence of the Siderophore-Degrading Soil Bacterium Mesorhizobium loti Strain LU.

ABSTRACT Here, we present the draft genome of Mesorhizobium loti strain LU, a soil bacterium capable of degrading the trihydroxamate siderophore deferrioxamine B to its constituent monohydroxamic acids. Genome size was 6,399,828 bp, with a GC content of 61.5%. This draft genome consists of 35 scaffolds, with an N50 of 389,921 bp.
New directions for learning-based IC design tools and methodologies

Design-based equivalent scaling now bears much of the burden of continuing the semiconductor industry's trajectory of Moore's-Law value scaling. In the future, reductions of design effort and design schedule must comprise a substantial portion of this equivalent scaling. In this context, machine learning and deep learning in EDA tools and design flows offer enormous potential for value creation. Examples of opportunities include: improved design convergence through prediction of downstream flow outcomes; margin reduction through new analysis correlation mechanisms; and use of open platforms to develop learning-based applications. These will be the foundations of future design-based equivalent scaling in the IC industry. This paper describes several near-term challenges and opportunities, along with concrete existence proofs, for application of learning-based methods within the ecosystem of commercial EDA, IC design, and academic research.
A critique of race, ethnicity, and social class in recent leisure-recreation research.

The study of black-white differences in leisure activities has not produced conclusive or cumulative results. Among the factors responsible are a failure to adequately define and operationalize the...
Modulation of rat calbindin-D28 gene expression by 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D3 and dietary alteration.

We have used a specific cDNA to the mammalian 28,000 Mr vitamin D-dependent calcium binding protein (calbindin-D28k) to study the regulation of the expression of this mRNA in rat kidney and brain. The effects of 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D3 (1,25-(OH)2D3) and dietary alteration on genomic expression were characterized by both Northern and slot blot analysis. Administration of 1,25-(OH)2D3 for 7 days (25ng/day) to vitamin D-deficient rats resulted in a marked increase in renal calbindin-DmRNA, renal calbindin, and serum calcium. When vitamin D-deficient rats were supplemented for 10 days with calcium (3% calcium gluconate in the water, 2% calcium in the diet) serum calcium levels were similar to the levels observed in the 1,25-(OH)2D3-treated rats. However, in the calcium-supplemented rats the levels of renal calbindin and renal calbindin mRNA were similar to the levels observed in the vitamin D-deficient rats, suggesting that calcium alone without vitamin D does not regulate renal calbindin gene expression in...
An Overview of Regulatory Responsibilities

Much confusion and misunderstanding of regulations, particularly those concerned with health and safety and the protection of the environment, has resulted from the fact that most laymen, and particularly scientists, do not really understand the structure of the laws that mandate such regulations. Their constitutional basis and distinction between the roles of the Executive, Legislative, and Judicial branches of government in enacting and implementing these laws must be appreciated by those who would take part in shaping such regulations.
Computational Thinking in K-12: In-service Teacher Perceptions of Computational Thinking

Computational thinking (CT) has been described as a problem-solving approach that draws from the practices of computer science (CS). Computer science ideas and practices influence multiple domains, from simplifying complex tasks and problems through problem decomposition to using automation to increase the speed and efficiency of solving those problems. Computational thinking is, thus, described as a set of mental skills, a disposition common to most fields, and computer science concepts that can impact those fields decontextualized from programming and hardware. Researchers and educators have worked to integrate CT into multiple subjects in K-12. This takes the form of both identifying instances of CT already being used in existing teacher practices and identifying areas where disciplinary practices can be changed through the latest application of computational tools. This chapter reports the results from a study to examine practicing teachers’ views of CT and how those views compare to how computer science education researchers define CT. Results from this study suggest that teachers’ conceptions of CT include important aspects of the CT literature, yet there are several common misconceptions about CT. We discuss implications of our findings on how to engage non-computing K-12 teachers in computational thinking and develop their competencies to incorporate CT within the context of their subject area. The goal of this discussion is to inform in-service and preservice teacher development efforts and clarify how CT applies to disciplinary knowledge within K-12 education.
Strategies for creating living, additively manufactured, open-cellular metal and alloy implants by promoting osseointegration, osteoinduction and vascularization: An overview

Abstract Additive manufacturing of porous, open-cellular metal or alloy implants, fabricated by laser or electron beam melting of a powder bed, is briefly reviewed in relation to optimizing biomechanical compatibility by assuring elastic (Young’s) modulus matching of proximate bone, along with corresponding pore sizes assuring osseointegration and vasculature development and migration. In addition, associated, requisite compressive and fatigue strengths for such implants are described. Strategies for optimizing osteoblast (bone cell) development and osteoinduction as well as vascularization of tissue in 3D scaffolds and tissue engineering constructs for bone repair are reviewed in relation to the biology of osteogenesis and neovascularization in bone, and the role of associated growth factors, bone morphogenic proteins, signaling molecules and the like. Prospects for infusing hydrogel/collagen matrices containing these cellular and protein components or surgically extracted intramedullary (bone marrow) concentrate/aspirate containing these biological and cell components into porous implants are discussed, as strategies for creating living implants, which over the long term would act as metal or alloy scaffolds.
Review of fluorescent steroidal ligands for the estrogen receptor 1995-2018.

Abstract The development of fluorescent ligands for the estrogen receptor (ER) continues to be of interest. Over the past 20 years, most efforts have focused on appending an expanding variety of fluorophores to the B-, C- and D-rings of the steroidal scaffold. This review highlights the synthesis and evaluation of derivatives substituted primarily at the 6-, 7α- and 17α-positions, culminating with our recent work on 11β-substituted estradiols, and proposes an approach to new fluorescent imaging agents that retain high ER affinity.
Psychology of Working Theory With Refugee Persons: Applications for Career Counseling:

The world is facing the largest number of displaced persons in history, with many refugee persons seeking safety in the United States. Among many challenges, refugee persons may face difficulty whe...
Addressing the Financial Burden of Cancer Clinical Trial Participation: Longitudinal Effects of an Equity Intervention

BACKGROUND The financial burden experienced by patients with cancer represents a barrier to clinical trial participation, and interventions targeting patients' financial concerns are needed. We sought to assess the impact of an equity intervention on clinical trial patients' financial burden. MATERIALS AND METHODS We developed an equity intervention to reimburse nonclinical expenses related to trials (e.g., travel and lodging). From July 2015 to July 2017, we surveyed intervention and comparison patients matched by age, sex, cancer type, specific trial, and trial phase. We longitudinally assessed financial burden (e.g., trial-related travel and lodging cost concerns, financial wellbeing [FWB] with the COmprehensive Score for financial Toxicity [COST] measure) at baseline, day 45, and day 90. We used longitudinal models to assess intervention effects over time. RESULTS Among 260 participants, intervention patients were more likely than comparison patients to have incomes under $60,000 (52% vs. 24%, p < .001) and to report travel-related (41.0% vs. 6.8%, p < 0.001) and lodging-related (32.5% vs. 2.0%, p < .001) cost concerns at baseline. Intervention patients were more likely to report travel to appointments as their most significant financial concern (24.0% vs. 7.0%, p = .001), and they had worse FWB than comparison patients (COST score: 15.32 vs. 23.88, p < .001). Over time, intervention patients experienced greater improvements in their travel-related (-10.0% vs. +1.2%, p = .010) and lodging-related (-3.9% vs. +4.0%, p = .003) cost concerns. Improvements in patients reporting travel to appointments as their most significant financial concern and COST scores were not statistically significant. CONCLUSION Cancer clinical trial participants may experience substantial financial issues, and this equity intervention demonstrates encouraging results for addressing these patients' longitudinal financial burden. IMPLICATIONS FOR PRACTICE Clinical trials are critical for developing novel therapies for patients with cancer, yet financial barriers may discourage some patients from participating in cancer clinical trials. This study found that patients who received financial assistance from an equity intervention experienced significant improvements over time in their concerns about the cost of travel and lodging associated with clinical trials compared with comparison patients who did not receive financial assistance from the equity intervention. Among cancer clinical trial participants, an equity intervention shows potential for addressing patients' concerns regarding clinical trial-related travel and lodging expenses.
Composite electrode ink formulation for all solid-state batteries

This material is based upon work supported by the National Science Foundation under grant No. 1847029 (W.Z.) and No. 1727863 (M.D.). The authors acknowledge the Vanderbilt Institute of Nanoscience and Engineering (VINSE) for access to their shared characterization facilities. The authors acknowledge support from the Ralph E. Powe Junior Faculty Enhancement Award.
Impact of World War I on Brain Mapping.

Although much tragedy was experienced during World War I (WWI), the nature of the war and the advancements of weaponry led to a change in the quality and quantity of injuries which were conducive for study. This paper discusses how trauma during WWI led to advances in brain mapping from occipital injuries. Gordon Holmes was a British neurologist who was able to create a retinotopic map of the visual cortex from studying more than 400 cases of occipital injuries; his work has contributed immensely to our understanding of visual processing. There have been many extensions from Holmes' work in regards to how we analyze other sensory modalities and in researching how the brain processes complex stimuli such as faces. Aside from the scholastic benefit, brain mapping also has functional use and can be used for neurosurgical planning to preserve important structures. With the advent of more advanced modalities for analyzing the brain, there have been initiatives in total brain mapping which has added significantly to the body of work started by Holmes during WWI. This paper reviews the history during WWI that led to advances in brain mapping, the lasting scholastic and functional impact from these advancements, and future improvements. Language: en
Thailand ICTM 45

(2019). Thailand ICTM 45. Journal of the Musical Arts in Africa: Vol. 16, No. 1-2, pp. 157-161.
Inverse National Trends in Decompressive Craniectomy versus Endovascular Thrombectomy for Stroke.

Objective Endovascular thrombectomy (ET) for acute large vessel occlusion reduces infarct size, and it should hypothetically decrease the incidence of major ischemic strokes requiring decompressive craniectomy (DC). The aim of this retrospective cohort study is to determine trends in the utilization of ET versus DC for stroke in the United States over a 10-year span. Methods We extracted data from the Nationwide Inpatient Sample using International Classification of Diseases−9/10 codes from 2006–2016. Patients with a primary diagnosis of stroke were included. Baseline demographics, outcomes, and hospital charges were analyzed. Results The study cohort comprised 14,578,654 patients diagnosed with stroke. During the study period, DC and ET were performed in 124,718 and 62,637 patients, respectively. The number of stroke patients who underwent either ET or DC increased by 266% from 2006 to 2016. During that time period, the ET utilization rate increased (0.19% in 2006 to 14.07% in 2016, P Conclusions We identified an inverse relationship between national trends in rising ET and diminishing DC utilization for stroke treatment over a recent decade. Although direct causation cannot be inferred, our findings suggest that ET curtails the necessity for DC.
Assessing the Number of Candidates There Are for Active Surveillance of Low-risk Papillary Thyroid Cancers in the US.

This quality improvement study uses tumor size to assess which patients are at low risk for papillary thyroid cancer and may be candidates for active surveillance as a treatment strategy.
Late Cenozoic climate change paces landscape adjustments to Yukon River capture

Late Cenozoic cooling and changes in glacial–interglacial cycle tempo are thought to increase global rates of erosion starting ~3 million years ago (Ma). Bedrock rivers set rates and patterns of erosion in most landscapes, but constraints on river response to late Cenozoic climate change remain elusive. Here, we determine cosmogenic isotope and luminescence ages of well-preserved bedrock terraces along the Fortymile River (Yukon River basin) to reconstruct an ~5 Myr history of fluvial adjustment to late Cenozoic climate and Yukon River headwater capture at 2.6 Ma. Post-capture Yukon River downcutting lowered the Fortymile River outlet, forcing subsequent bedrock incision throughout the Fortymile basin in two pulses, from 2.4 to 1.8 Ma and at ~1 Ma. These pulses of incision disrupted longer intervals of slow river channel sedimentation under near-consistent climate forcing from 4.8 to 2.4 Ma and from 1.8 to ~1 Ma. The Fortymile River delivers sediment to the Bering Sea, where provenance and accumulation rate changes since 4.3 Ma match observed variations in incision. Our results link alluviation and incision to late Cenozoic climate steadiness and change, respectively, and support the hypothesis that climate-forced changes in precipitation and runoff fundamentally control the pace of river incision and landscape erosion. Increased river incision and landscape erosion can be attributed to late Cenozoic cooling/changes in hydroclimate, according to cosmogenic isotope and luminescence ages of a sequence of bedrock terraces in the Yukon River basin.
Soft Tissue Injuries

Soft tissue injuries are among the most common traumatic injuries sustained by children and vary in severity from minor cuts and scrapes that require no intervention to severe, life-threatening injuries requiring emergent surgical intervention. A brief summary of the epidemiology, evaluation, management, and outcomes of soft tissue injuries is given.
Soils on Appalachian Coal-Mined Lands

Mine soils are anthropogenic soils formed in mine spoils. Mine soils on older sites were not purposefully placed and slowly changed with soil-forming processes to form plant growth media. Some early mine soils were made of materials such as large rocks, coal remnants, carbonaceous shales, and acid sandstones which are poorly suited for productive vegetation. Later mine soils were constructed with spoil materials selected to serve as plant growth media or the original topsoil. Mine soils constructed with redistributed topsoil and weathered spoils generally have properties more similar to those of natural soils than do mine soils constructed from unweathered rock originating from deep below the pre-mining land surface. Primary influences on mine soil properties are the materials used for construction, the degree of compaction caused by mining equipment, and the time over which they have developed. Their suitability for managed land uses and productive and desirable plant communities can be assessed by observing the vegetation present and by evaluating physical and chemical properties. Mine soils’ suitability for livestock agriculture, forest tree growth, and other common uses and associated hydrologic properties vary widely. Over extended time, most mine soils become more like natural soils but retain characteristics unique to their origin.
Intergenerational and interdisciplinary, service through oral history in Appalachia: History, community and place

Southern Appalachia is a region rich in the tradition of storytelling and rife with negative stereotypes. In 2018, an intergenerational performance entitled Appalachia: An Oral History was generate...
Challenges and Opportunities

There is an inseparable connection between the health of soils and the well-being of people. Disturbances—changing climate and environment, invasive species, increasing wildfire severity and frequency, land management practices, and land use changes—are affecting soil health in complex ways that are only partially understood. This assessment provides a baseline for soil health by synthesizing the most recent research on the properties and processes characterizing forest, rangeland, wetland, and urban soils at regional and national levels. It also summarizes the current state of knowledge about the effects of historical and ongoing disturbances. Finally, it highlights the technologies, networks, and outreach programs central to future research on, and monitoring and management of, the nation’s soils. The state of the knowledge indicates that adverse changes to soil properties could, in the long term, undermine the primary ecosystem services provided by soils: abundant water, food, and fiber and moderation of climate warming. Research that can further explain the underlying principles of soil science and the effects of disturbances is needed to inform policies and management practices to optimize soil health on a broad scale and support human health and welfare through the twenty-first century.
Resonant X-ray scattering of biological assemblies

Understanding the relationship between structure and function for biological assemblies can guide identification of new therapeutics, design of biomaterials, and development of biotechnological processes. Resonant X-ray scattering provides a chemically-specific approach to characterize complex biological structures based on anomalous or resonant scattering from a specific element or chemical moiety. Anomalous or resonant diffraction can provide structural details with high atomic resolution, while resonant X-ray scattering can provide structural details with lower resolution through tender or soft X-rays. Here, we review applications, challenges, and opportunities for resonant X-ray scattering in the field of structural biology.
Anomalous gallbladder septum-A case report.

Abstract Introduction Anomalies and diseases of the biliary system are common with over 20 million cases of biliary disease and an estimated 1.8 million ambulatory visits each year in the United States. Congenital anomalies of the gallbladder are rare and include complete and partial duplications, floating gallbladders, and agenesis. Septations have also been reported in the literature. Case reports have typically described these as longitudinal. Transverse septa, when reported, are associated with inflammation or cholelithiasis. Variations in the cystic duct and vasculature in the portal triad have also been well described. Presentation of case During the dissection of a 91-year-old female cadaver, an enlarged gallbladder with a partial transverse septum was observed. The gallbladder contained approximately 350 ml of bile, no stones, and had a partial transverse septum near the infundibulum. The hepatic, cystic, and common bile ducts were enlarged, but of normal configuration. Vascular anomalies were also present, including an accessory left hepatic artery from the left gastric artery and an anomalous origin of the right hepatic artery from the superior mesenteric artery. Discussion This is the first described case of a partial transverse septum with a markedly enlarged gallbladder, dilated duct system, and vascular anomalies in a patient with no evidence of gallstones, inflammation, or scarring. Conclusion With the prevalence of biliary disease and frequent subsequent surgery it is essential to appreciate all anatomical variations to avoid iatrogenic injuries to these structures during surgery.
Age-Related Change in Cognitive Function

This chapter considers cognitive functioning in persons age 65 or older. Persons within this age group commonly report difficulty with memory and other cognitive abilities compared to an earlier period. These perceptions may contribute to concern about Alzheimer’s disease (AD) and other dementing illnesses. In view of the prevalence of AD and other conditions that affect cognition in this age group (e.g., Parkinson’s disease, stroke), such concern is understandable. Indeed, impaired cognitive function in older persons is associated with loss of independence, increased morbidity and mortality, and reduced quality of life. Not surprisingly, therefore, considerable scientific effort has been expended in attempts to understand age-related cognitive decline, its neural bases, and factors which may modify or delay it.
Optimal rewards versus leaf-evaluation heuristics in planning agents

Planning agents often lack the computational resources needed to build full planning trees for their environments. Agent designers commonly overcome this finite-horizon approximation by applying an evaluation function at the leaf-states of the planning tree. Recent work has proposed an alternative approach for overcoming computational constraints on agent design: modify the reward function. In this work, we compare this reward design approach to the common leaf-evaluation heuristic approach for improving planning agents. We show that in many agents, the reward design approach strictly subsumes the leaf-evaluation approach, i.e., there exists a reward function for every leaf-evaluation heuristic that leads to equivalent behavior, but the converse is not true. We demonstrate that this generality leads to improved performance when an agent makes approximations in addition to the finite-horizon approximation. As part of our contribution, we extend PGRD, an online reward design algorithm, to develop reward design algorithms for Sparse Sampling and UCT, two algorithms capable of planning in large state spaces.
Game-Based Assessment: The Mash-Up We’ve Been Waiting For

This chapter uses game-based assessment (GBA) to crack one of the hardest nuts in higher education: assessment. Section 1 clarifies why higher education needs assessment Section 2 reviews the failings of current approaches to assessment. Section 3 uses those failures to articulate game-based solutions. Section 4 explains why students love to be assessed. Section 5 points out that higher education is already a game and that game-based assessment is likely to yield better data because it is a kinder, more effective way to respond to failure.
Use of the mTOR inhibitor everolimus in a patient with multiple manifestations of tuberous sclerosis complex including epilepsy

Tuberous sclerosis complex (TSC) is a genetic disease in which overactivation of mechanistic target of rapamycin (mTOR) signaling leads to the growth of benign hamartomas in multiple organs, including the brain, and is associated with a high rate of epilepsy and neurological deficits. The mTOR inhibitor everolimus has been used in the treatment of subependymal giant cell astrocytomas and renal angiomyolipomas in patients with TSC. This article describes the case of a 13-year-old girl with TSC-associated epilepsy with refractory generalized seizures who initiated treatment with everolimus and experienced subsequent improvement in several TSC manifestations, including a reduction in seizure frequency from clusters of two or three daily to one every 2 to 4 weeks after 1.5 years of treatment.
Channel and Recipient Characteristics: Effects on Communication Effectiveness and Performance

This dissertation proposal abstract presents the motivation for the proposed research, the theoretical background for the proposed dissertation and a detailed description of the proposed research methodology. The research being carried out tests several elements of Media Synchronicity Theory, namely that the reprocessability and symbol variety of a medium will influence a recipient’s ability to receive and act on the message received. In addition to media characteristics, this research examines characteristics of the message recipient and their effects on the recipient’s ability to process the message and act on it. The research is being carried out with an experimental methodology, details of which are presented. Some elements of the methods have been performed, which are described.
Computer modeling of Y-Ba-Cu-O thin film deposition and growth

The deposition and growth of epitaxial thin films of YBa 2 Cu 3 O 7 are modeled by means of Monte Carlo simulations of the deposition and diffusion of Y, Ba, and Cu oxide particles. This complements existing experimental characterization techniques to allow the study of kinetic phenomena expected to play a dominant role in the inherently non-equilibrium thin film deposition process. Surface morphologies and defect structures obtained in the simulated films are found to closely resemble those observed experimentally. A systematic study of the effects of deposition rate and substrate temperature during in-situ film fabrication reveals that the kinetics of film growth can readily dominate the structural formation of the thin film.
Adjudicating Acts of State

An apparent paradox lies at the heart of modern transnational human rights litigation. On the one hand, relevant actors in the international community have agreed that certain actions performed by individuals on behalf of states are so offensive to basic notions of human freedom and dignity that no state’s officials should be able to engage in them with impunity. On the other hand, the principles of sovereign equality and non-interference in the affairs of other states (absent U.N. Security Council authorization) continue to animate basic understandings of the structure of international society and the limits of international law. One of the central puzzles for international law remains the problem of enforcement. Increasingly, where individual actors violate international legal norms, interested parties seek to use the judicial machinery of foreign states to impose legal consequences for such violations. I have referred to this phenomenon as “horizontal” enforcement because, legally speaking, states are situated on an equal or horizontal plane vis-a-vis each other. Some view horizontal enforcement as presumptively illegitimate, based on the idea that one sovereign cannot sit in judgment on the acts of another sovereign. Others maintain that recognition of the idea of “universal jurisdiction” to prescribe, adjudicate, and enforce prohibitions on certain types of specifically defined and universally condemned conduct (such as torture, genocide, war crimes, crimes against humanity, and piracy) necessarily entails an acceptance of horizontal enforcement by foreign states, in addition to “vertical” enforcement by international bodies. Courts and commentators continue to grapple with defining the circumstances under which horizontal enforcement may be warranted. This contribution focuses on horizontal enforcement in the form of civil proceedings against current or, more often, former foreign officials. It focuses on the practice of the United States, although civil proceedings (and criminal proceedings joined by parties civiles) have also been brought against foreign officials in other countries. Part II sets forth the distinction between status-based (ratione personae) and conduct-based (ratione materiae) immunity for individual officials. Part III traces the late nineteenth-century origins of the act of state doctrine in U.S. courts to earlier, eighteenth-century understandings of conduct-based immunity. Although the act of state doctrine subsequently took on a different, narrower meaning in litigation involving foreign expropriations, Part IV concludes by suggesting that understanding the connection between early formulations of the act of state doctrine and claims to conduct-based immunity can help define the circumstances under which U.S. courts can and should impose legal consequences on foreign defendants for internationally unlawful conduct.
Can we keep the “academic” in academic medicine?: 2009 American Society for Clinical Investigation Presidential Address

This article is adapted from a presentation at the ASCI/AAP Joint Meeting, April 25, 2009, in Chicago, Illinois, USA. Citation for this article: J. Clin. Invest. 120:390–393 (2010). doi:10.1172/JCI41934.
Metrics of Autonomous Underwater Vehicle Student Competitions

The annual Autonomous Underwater Vehicle (AUV) Student Competition (aka “RoboSub”) was established in 1998 as a specific member of the class of robotic competitions. After 17 years, we now take stock and look ahead. A modified free form approach is suggested utilizing a developerss kit. Seven core competencies for autonomy are defined, and an approach for rating competition competencies in mission complexity, environmental difficulty, human independence space is suggested. The competitions are an opportunity to measure autonomy through the wisdom of a crowd of practitioners attempting to accomplish carefully designed tasks. Over 2,500 students have participated on teams in the RoboSub competitions. A complete database has been compiled of all participants. The true value of the competition can be gauged by the return on investment that this collective human capital represents.
Between two worlds medical student perceptions of humor and slang in the hospital setting.

OBJECTIVE: Residents frequently use humor and slang at the expense of patients on the clinical wards. We studied how medical students react to and interpret the “appropriateness” of derogatory and cynical humor and slang in a clinical setting. DESIGN: Semistructured, in-depth interviews. SETTING: Informal meeting spaces. PARTICIPANTS: Thirty-three medical students. MEASUREMENTS: Qualitative content analysis of interview transcriptions. MAIN RESULTS: Students’ descriptions of the humorous stories and their responses reveal that students are able to take the perspective of both outsiders and insiders in the medical culture. Students’ responses to these stories show that they can identify the outsider’s perspective both by seeing themselves in the outsider’s role and by identifying with patients. Students can also see the insider’s perspective, in that they identify with residents’ frustrations and disappointments and therefore try to explain why residents use this kind of humor. Their participation in the humor and slang—often with reservations—further reveals their ability to identify with the perspective of an insider. CONCLUSIONS: Medical students describe a number of conflicting reactions to hospital humor that may enhance and exacerbate tensions that are already an inevitable part of training for many students. This phenomenon requires greater attention by medical educators.
Robust tracking for nonlinear systems represented by input-output models

This paper deals with designing an output feedback control for a class of single-input, single-output nonlinear systems that are represented by input-output models. The authors augment a series of m integrators at the input side, where m is the highest derivative of the input, and redefine the output and its derivatives to obtain an (n+m)-dimensional state model, where n is the order of the system. The purpose of the design is to force the output to asymptotically track a time-varying reference signal, while rejecting a time-varying disturbance input. The authors assume that exogenous signals are generated by a linear exosystem. Also the authors assume that the nonlinearities of the system will introduce only a finite number of harmonics of the original modes. This will enable one to identify the internal model as a linear servo-compensator. After augmenting the original system with the servo-compensator, the authors present conditions that will characterize a state feedback stabilizing control. Then, using a high gain observer, the authors show that the asymptotic properties achieved under state feedback control can be recovered. >
Neural-net implementation of complex symbol-processing in a mental model approach to syllogistic reasoning

A neural net system called "Conposit" is described. Conposit performs rule-based manipulation of very short term, complex symbolic data structures. This paper concentrates on a simulated version of Conposit that embodies core aspects of Johnson-Laird's mental model theory of syllogistic reasoning. This Conposit version is not intended to be a psychological theory, but rather to act as a test and demonstration of the power and flexibility of Conposit's unusual connectionist techniques for encoding the structure of data.
Biomechanics of Spore Release in Phytopathogens

Movement is one of the defining characteristics of living organisms. Contrary to common perceptions, fungi show a remarkable range of motion. Motion inside fungal cells, including mass flow of cytoplasm, was first observed by Antonie van Leewenhoek and influenced the eighteenth-century view of fungi as an eccentric branch of the animal kingdom (Ainsworth 1976). This flow of cytoplasm accompanies the extension of hyphae, and there are a number of similarities between this growth process and amoeboid locomotion (Heath and Steinberg 1999). Faster movements include invertebrate capture by constricting rings and microscopic harpoons (Muller 1958; Beakes and Glocking 1998) and a series of spectacular mechanisms that launch fungal spores into air (Ingold 1971). Spore discharge and dispersal are related and it is important to distinguish between them. Discharge refers to the mechanical process that separates the spore, or sporangium, from its parent mycelium; dispersal follows discharge. Both processes are vital to the activities of phytopathogens. This chapter emphasizes spore discharge in pathogens, but mechanisms among saprobes are also discussed to provide an overview of the diversity of launch processes among the fungi.
On the control of solidification using magnetic fields and magnetic field gradients

Solidification from the melt to near net shape is a commonly used manufacturing technique. The fluid flow patterns in the melt affect the quality of the final product. By controlling the flow behavior, the final solidified material can be suitably affected. Most of the magnetic field approaches to melt flow control rely on the application of a constant magnetic field. A constant magnetic field results in the Lorentz force which is used to damp and control the flow. However, simultaneous application of a magnetic gradient results in the Kelvin force along with the Lorentz force. This can be used for better control of the melt flow resulting in higher crystal quality. In the present work, a computational method for the design of solidification of a conducting material is addressed. The control parameter in the design problem is the time history of the imposed magnetic field. A steady, constant magnetic gradient is also maintained during the process. The design problem is posed as an unconstrained optimization problem. The adjoint method for the inverse design of continuum processes is adopted. Examples of designing the time history of the imposed magnetic field for the directional growth of various materials are presented to demonstrate the developed formulation.
Demonstration project cuts red tape

Results from a demonstration project aimed at cutting red tape in federal grants for basic research at universities are "very encouraging" so far, according to Don I. Phillips, executive director of the Government-University-Industry Research Roundtable. The roundtable is coordinating the experimental effort, with the participation of five major federal agencies as well as the Florida state university system and the University of Miami (a private institution in Coral Gables, Fla.). Under the project, special conditions apply to grants from the participating agencies to individual researchers at the participating universities: Investigators do not have to ask the agency's permission for changes in budget allocations, purchases of permanent equipment, or foreign travel. Grant money can be spent up to a year after the grant ends without a special request. Under this plan, researchers, with agency approval, can also ask to have their entire research program covered as a single administrative entity, rather than as several individual projects.
Mach reflection flowfields associated with strong shocks

Abstract : The Mach reflection associated with the passage of a shock wave over a wedge is treated in the limit of an ideal gas and a strong shock. In this limit, flow properties are functions only of wedge angle theta and the ratio of specific heats gamma. Numerical results are presented for gamma = 9/7, 7/5, and 5/3. Wedge angles are noted at which the transition from regular to double-Mach, to complex-Mach, and to simple-Mach reflection occurs. Characteristic velocities in the recirculation region associated with Mach reflection are estimated. Local surface pressure maxima, at the upstream and downstream edge of the recirculation region, are also estimated. The scale of the recirculation region increases with decrease in gamma, in accord with experimental observations. The wedge solution is used on a piecewise basis to estimate height-of-burst (HOB) flow fields. Normalized results are presented for HOB triple-point trajectory and surface pressure variation with range. The present results provide a convenient characterization of Mach reflection flow fields associated with both wedge and HOB flows. Validation of the HOB solution, however, is needed.
Superinfection with Woodchuck Hepatitis Virus Strain WHVNY of Livers Chronically Infected with Strain WHV7

ABSTRACT The determinants of the maintenance of chronic hepadnaviral infection are yet to be fully understood. A long-standing unresolved argument in the hepatitis B virus (HBV) research field suggests that during chronic hepadnaviral infection, cell-to-cell spread of hepadnavirus is at least very inefficient (if it occurs at all), virus superinfection is an unlikely event, and chronic hepadnavirus infection can be maintained exclusively via division of infected hepatocytes in the absence of virus spread. Superinfection exclusion was previously shown for duck HBV, but it was not demonstrated for HBV or HBV-related woodchuck hepatitis virus (WHV). Three woodchucks, which were chronically infected with the strain WHV7 and already developed WHV-induced hepatocellular carcinomas (HCCs), were superinfected with another WHV strain, WHVNY. Six weeks after the superinfection, the woodchucks were sacrificed and tissues of the livers and HCCs were examined. The WHVNY superinfection was demonstrated by using WHV strain-specific PCR assays and (i) finding WHVNY relaxed circular DNA in the serum samples collected from all superinfected animals during weeks one through six after the superinfection, (ii) detecting replication-derived WHVNY RNA in the tissue samples of the livers and HCCs collected from three superinfected woodchucks, and (iii) finding WHVNY DNA replication intermediates in tissues harvested after the superinfection. The results are consistent with the occurrence of continuous but inefficient hepadnavirus cell-to-cell spread and superinfection during chronic infection and suggest that the replication space occupied by the superinfecting hepadnavirus in chronically infected livers is limited. The findings are discussed in the context of the mechanism of chronic hepadnavirus infection. IMPORTANCE This study aimed to better understand the determinants of the maintenance of chronic hepadnavirus infection. The generated data suggest that in the livers chronically infected with woodchuck hepatitis virus, (i) hepadnavirus superinfection and cell-to-cell spread likely continue to occur and (ii) the virus spread is apparently inefficient, which is consistent with the interpretation that a limited number of cells in the livers facilitates the spread of hepadnavirus. The limitations of the cell-to-cell virus spread most likely are mediated at the level of the cells and do not reflect the properties of the virus. Our results further advance the understanding of the mechanism of chronic hepadnavirus infection. The significance of the continuous but limited hepadnavirus spread and superinfection for the maintenance of the chronic state of infection should be further evaluated in follow-up studies in order to determine whether blocking the virus spread would facilitate the suppression of chronic hepadnavirus infection.
Phase Independent Resetting in Relaxation and Bursting Oscillators

Relaxation oscillators that depend on one slow variable, such as the Fitzhugh-Nagumo oscillator, reset in a phase-dependent manner. A complete oscillation can be divided into two parts, the "plateau" and "trough", and a prematurely induced plateau or trough is significantly shorter than normal. The class of square-wave bursting oscillators can be viewed as relaxation oscillators with rapid spikes during the plateau, and reset similarly when modeled with one slow variable. However, it has been reported that a physiological bursting oscillator, the membrane potential of the pancreatic beta-cell, resets in a phase-independent manner, such that a prematurely induced plateau/trough has normal length. A possible model for such an oscillator requires two slow variables, one to control the length of the plateau and the other the length of the trough. Here, we explore the geometric solution structure of two such models, which exhibit the desired resetting. One is a generalization of the Fitzhugh-Nagumo equations, and the other is a bursting oscillator using known beta-cell electrical currents with an additional hypothetical slow outward current.
Isomorphisms between Lp-function spaces when p < 1

We prove a number of results concerning isomorphisms between spaces of the type Lp(X), where X is a separable p-Banach space and 0 < p < 1. Our results imply that the quotient of Lp([0, 1] × [0, 1]) by the subspace of functions depending only on the first variable is not isomorphic to Lp, answering a question of N. T. Peck. More generally if B0 is a sub-σ-algebra of the Borel sets of [0, 1], then Lp([0, 1])Lp([0, 1], B0) is isomorphic to Lp if and only if Lp([0, 1], B0) is complemented. We also show that Lp has, up to isomorphism, at most one complemented subspace non-isomorphic to Lp and classify completely those spaces X for which Lp(X) ⋟ Lp. In particular if L(Lp, X) = {0} and Lp(X) ⋟ Lp then X ⋟ lp or is finite-dimensional. If X has trivial dual and Lp(X) ⋟ Lp then X ⋟ Lp.