cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Bullying Victimization, Socioeconomic Status and Behavioral Characteristics of 12th Graders in the United States, 1989 to 2009: Repetitive Trends and Persistent Risk Differentials

Using a nationally representative dataset, this study analyzes: 1) 12th grade trends, patterns, and changes in bullying victimization in the United States from the 1989 to the 2009 school years, and 2) the differential impacts of demographic, social, and economic characteristics on bullying victimization. Four self-reported experiences of bullying behavior that occurred at school or in transit to and from school are studied: threatened without a weapon, threatened with a weapon, injured without a weapon, and injured with a weapon. Zero-inflated Poisson models are used to estimate intensity (or rate) and likelihood of exposure (or probability) parameters of the annual frequency distributions of the four bullying behaviors. For the intensity of bullying victimization, as measured by the average number of times 12th graders were bullied annually, it is found, first, that there indeed was a wave of increased bullying behaviors in the 2002–2009 years that coincides with increased media attention and reporting during these years. Second, it is shown that this recent upsurge is similar to what happened in the early 1990s—but the most recent wave reached higher levels of intensity. Third, the analyses reveal that the intensity and/or exposure parameters covary with several demographic, socioeconomic, and behavioral factors and these differentials persist over time. While 12th graders who were male or African American, city dwellers, and from single-parent or no-parent families show persistently higher intensities of bullying victimization over time, greater probabilities of exposure are found for 12th graders who were male, were from single-parent or no- parent families, did not regularly attend religious services, regarded religion as less important, and showed worse school performance.
Performance analysis and code optimization of low density parity-check codes on Rayleigh fading channels

A numerical method has been presented to determine the noise thresholds of low density parity-check (LDPC) codes that employ the message passing decoding algorithm on the additive white Gaussian noise (AWGN) channel. In this paper, we apply the technique to the uncorrelated flat Rayleigh fading channel. Using a nonlinear code optimization technique, we optimize irregular LDPC codes for such a channel. The thresholds of the optimized irregular LDPC codes are very close to the Shannon limit for this channel. For example, at rate one-half, the optimized irregular LDPC code has a threshold only 0.07 dB away from the capacity of the channel. Furthermore, we compare simulated performance of the optimized irregular LDPC codes and turbo codes on a land mobile channel, and the results indicate that at a block size of 3072, irregular LDPC codes can outperform turbo codes over a wide range of mobile speeds.
The Use of Viral Vectors in Introducing Genes into Agricultural Animal Species

The use of viral vectors is a method for introducing foreign genes into various animal species. Vectors based on retro-, adeno-, flavi-, and parvoviruses have been used for research in animal species of agricultural importance, such as chickens, quail, swine, cows, goats, sheep, fish, crustaceans, and mollusks. Viral vectors allow for efficient transgenic integration into host genome or for transient expression of the transgenic construct in somatic tissues. Because of that, viral vectors are important tools for research and potentially other biotechnology applications such as improving animal production qualities and introducing disease resistance, thus improving food quality and safety. Other uses may include generating animal models of human diseases and using animals as bioreactors for production of therapeutic proteins. Each vector type provides a unique set of advantages and limitations, which are in some cases specific to an animal species or a method of introduction. This article discusses viral vector characteristics and potential applications in agriculturally important animal species. It discusses advantages and disadvantages of using viral vectors in genetic engineering of agricultural animals.
Enhancing Controllability and Observability in Underactuated and Undersensed Systems Through Switching: Application to Vibration Control

Many dynamical systems use transducers that can function both as actuators and sensors. It is possible to continuously switch the functionality of the transducer elements in such systems and effectively use each element both as an actuator and a sensor. This provides the scope for significantly reducing the number of transducer elements required for complete controllability and observability of the system and hence reduce the hardware required for controlled system operation. In this paper we advocate underactuation and undersensing in dynamical systems with the objective of reducing cost, weight, and system complexity. To this end, we first illustrate the role of switching in enhancing controllability and observability in underactuated and undersensed linear time-invariant systems and determine the switching requirement for observer-based control designs. For a proof of principle, we consider the problem of vibration suppression in a flexible beam instrumented with piezoelectric transducers. Using simulation and experiments, we demonstrate feasibility of switching the piezoelectric elements between actuator and sensor modalities and establish the merit of introducing underactuation and undersensing deliberately.
Large Strain, High Strain Rate Testing of Copper

This paper describes the development of a high-speed torsional testing machine and results obtained on the strain-rate dependent strength of copper at large shear strains. Test techniques and data obtained are intended to be useful in applications such as ballistics and machining. For copper, the results indicate positive strain hardening behavior to very large strains under low rate, isothermal conditions and the transition to adiabatic thermal softening, shear instability and localization (shear banding) at high rates.
Indexing for function approximation

Simulation is one of the most powerful tools that scientists have at their disposal for studying and understanding real-world physical phenomena. In order to be realistic, the mathematical models which drive simulations are often very complex and run for a very large number of simulation steps. The required computational resources often make it infeasible to evaluate simulation models exactly at each step, and thus scientists trade accuracy for reduced simulation cost.In this paper, we explore function approximation for a combustion simulation. In particular, we model high-dimensional function approximation (HFA) as a storage and retrieval problem, and we show that HFA defines a novel class of applications for high dimensional index structures. The interesting property of HFA is that it imposes a mixed query/update workload on the index which leads to novel tradeoffs between the efficiency of search versus updates. We investigate in detail one specific approach to HFA based on Taylor Series expansions and we analyze tradeoffs in index structure design through a thorough experimental study.
Does urinary tract ultrasonography at hospitalization for acute pyelonephritis predict vesicoureteral reflux

Purpose: We evaluate the correlation between urinary tract ultrasound during hospitalization for acute pyelonephritis with subsequent voiding cystourethrography in children.Materials and Methods: Medical records were reviewed of 184 children up to 18 years old who were evaluated with ultrasound during hospitalization for acute pyelonephritis between January 1988 and January 1996. Followup voiding cystourethrography results were compared to the initial ultrasound findings.Results: Ultrasound was performed at mean hospital day 2.1 and voiding cystourethrography was done 39 days later. Of the ultrasound studies 77 (42%) were abnormal, and two-thirds of these abnormalities were upper tract dilatation. Subsequent voiding cystourethrography was performed in 76% of the study population, including 67% of those with normal and 87% of those with abnormal ultrasound. Voiding cystourethrography revealed reflux in 39% of children with upper tract dilatation compared to 35% of those with normal and 36% with abnormal ul...
Tuning the auxin transcriptional response

How does auxin provoke such a diverse array of responses? This long-standing question is further complicated by a remarkably short nuclear auxin signalling pathway. To crack the auxin code, several potential sources of specificity need to be evaluated. These include: specificity of interactions among the core auxin response components, specificity resulting from higher order complex dynamics, and specificity in interactions with global factors controlling protein turnover and transcriptional repression. Here, we review recent progress towards characterizing and quantifying these interactions and highlight key gaps that remain.
Rate of cognitive decline and mortality in Alzheimer's disease.

Background: Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is associated with increased mortality, but survival in those with the disease varies widely. It is uncertain how much of the variation in survival is due to individual differences in rate of disease progression. Methods: During a 4-year period, 354 persons with AD underwent annual clinical evaluations that included administration of 17 cognitive function tests, from which global and specific measures of cognitive function were derived. A growth curve approach was used to assess individual rates of cognitive decline and proportional hazards models adjusted for age, sex, and education to examine the associations of baseline level of cognition and rate of cognitive decline with mortality. Results: During the 4-year study period, 242 persons survived and 112 died. At baseline, the global measure of cognition ranged from −1.68 to 1.36 (mean = 0.03, SD = 0.57), with higher scores indicating better function. Baseline level of cognition was not related to mortality ( p = 0.12). Global cognition declined an average of 0.56 unit/year, with substantial heterogeneity (SD = 0.41). To determine mortality risk, persons were divided into quartiles based on rate of cognitive decline and survival contrasted in the quartile with the least decline with survival in each remaining quartile, adjusting for baseline level of cognition. Compared with those with the least decline, risk of death was increased more than threefold in the subgroup with mild decline, more than fivefold in those with moderately rapid decline, and more than eightfold in those with the most rapid decline. Similar results were found after controlling for baseline health and disability and in analyses using specific cognitive function measures. Conclusion: Mortality in AD is strongly associated with rate of cognitive decline.
Carrier synchronization for 3- and 4-bit-per-symbol optical transmission

We investigate carrier synchronization for coherent detection of optical signals encoding 3 and 4 bits/symbol. We consider the effects of laser phase noise and of additive white Gaussian noise (AWGN), which can arise from local oscillator (LO) shot noise or LO-spontaneous beat noise. We identify 8- and 16-ary quadrature amplitude modulation (QAM) schemes that perform well when the receiver phase-locked loop (PLL) tracks the instantaneous signal phase with moderate phase error. We propose implementations of 8- and 16-QAM transmitters using Mach-Zehnder (MZ) modulators. We outline a numerical method for computing the bit error rate (BER) of 8- and 16-QAM in the presence of AWGN and phase error. It is found that these schemes can tolerate phase-error standard deviations of 2.48/spl deg/ and 1.24/spl deg/, respectively, for a power penalty of 0.5 dB at a BER of 10/sup -9/. We propose a suitable PLL design and analyze its performance, taking account of laser phase noise, AWGN, and propagation delay within the PLL. Our analysis shows that the phase error depends on the constellation penalty, which is the mean power of constellation symbols times the mean inverse power. We establish a procedure for finding the optimal PLL natural frequency, and determine tolerable laser linewidths and PLL propagation delays. For zero propagation delay, 8- and 16-QAM can tolerate linewidth-to-bit-rate ratios of 1.8/spl times/10/sup -5/ and 1.4/spl times/10/sup -6/, respectively, assuming a total penalty of 1.0 dB.
Atmospheric Mining in the Outer Solar System: Resource Capturing, Storage, and Utilization

Atmospheric mining of the outer solar system is one of the options for creating nuclear fuels, such as helium 3.
Pycnogenol protects CA3-CA1 synaptic function in a rat model of traumatic brain injury.

Abstract Pycnogenol (PYC) is a patented mix of bioflavonoids with potent anti-oxidant and anti-inflammatory properties. Previously, we showed that PYC administration to rats within hours after a controlled cortical impact (CCI) injury significantly protects against the loss of several synaptic proteins in the hippocampus. Here, we investigated the effects of PYC on CA3–CA1 synaptic function following CCI. Adult Sprague–Dawley rats received an ipsilateral CCI injury followed 15 min later by intravenous injection of saline vehicle or PYC (10 mg/kg). Hippocampal slices from the injured (ipsilateral) and uninjured (contralateral) hemispheres were prepared at seven and fourteen days post-CCI for electrophysiological analyses of CA3–CA1 synaptic function and induction of long-term depression (LTD). Basal synaptic strength was impaired in slices from the ipsilateral, relative to the contralateral, hemisphere at seven days post-CCI and susceptibility to LTD was enhanced in the ipsilateral hemisphere at both post-injury timepoints. No interhemispheric differences in basal synaptic strength or LTD induction were observed in rats treated with PYC. The results show that PYC preserves synaptic function after CCI and provides further rationale for investigating the use of PYC as a therapeutic in humans suffering from neurotrauma.
Manipulation of the Humoral Immune System and the Host Immune Response to Infection

The humoral immune system comprises elements that, in part, provide protection against invading organisms. This chapter discusses the effects of manipulating the humoral immune system on the risk of developing microbial infections. Plasmapheresis (also called plasma exchange) has been utilized as a therapy for a limited number of immunological diseases that are caused by autoantibodies. Plasmapheresis has several possible benefits. First, plasma exchange may remove a portion of pathogenic autoantibodies. Second, removal of some circulating immune complexes may be achieved by plasmapheresis, although it has almost no effect on tissue-bound immune complexes that may be formed in situ. Specific methods, such as specific immunoadsorption methods, have been developed to remove specific pathogenic antibodies. Immunoadsorbents have been developed that remove immunoglobulins nonspecifically or that remove specific antibodies selectively. Elements of innate immunity such as natural antibodies and complement have clearly been shown to play an important role in host resistance against microorganisms. Experimental and clinical studies are needed to fully appreciate the beneficial and harmful effects of methods that interfere with unwanted pathologic effects of elements of the humoral immune system.
CMR for Mapping the Missing Dimension in Ventricular Tachycardia Ablation

Ventricular arrhythmias include triggered, automatic, and re-entrant rhythms that involve the ventricular muscle, the conduction system distal to the His bundle, or a combination of both tissues. Ventricular arrhythmias most commonly occur in the setting of myocardial scar, but can also occur
Abstract P319: Comparing Coronary Artery Calcium among U.S. South Asians with Four Racial/Ethnic Groups: The MASALA and MESA Studies

Background: South Asians (individuals from India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Nepal, and Sri Lanka) have high rates of cardiovascular disease (CVD) which cannot be fully explained by traditional risk factors. We created a community-based cohort of South Asians (MASALA) and compared the prevalence of coronary artery calcium (CAC) to four racial/ethnic groups in the Multi-Ethnic Study of Atherosclerosis (MESA). Methods: We compared 803 South Asians to the four racial/ethnic groups (2,622 Whites, 1,893 African Americans, 1,496 Latinos and 803 Chinese Americans), all free of CVD. We created pooled multivariate Poisson models to examine the effect of race/ethnicity with CAC after adjusting for sex, age, clinical site, education, smoking, BMI, diabetes, hypertension, HDL-, LDL-cholesterol, and cholesterol lowering medication use. Results: The age-adjusted prevalence of any CAC was similar between White and South Asian men (68%), but was lower in Latino (58%), Chinese American (58%) and African American men (51%). Sou...
The Market for Director Reputation around the World: Evidence from International Shocks to Reputation

Using data on over 39,000 outside directors from 38 countries, we examine the labor market consequences of director reputation. We provide three novel findings. First, global reputation events have significant labor market consequences to outside directors. Second, investor protection plays an important role in shaping directors’ incentives to build shareholder-friendly reputation. Third, such reputation events have additional effects on directors’ incentives such as total pay and board committee chairmanships. The stock market reacts significantly to board appointments of such directors. Overall, outside directors’ global reputation is important in directorial labor markets around the world and the market for shareholder-friendly director reputation is complementary to the aggregate governance quality of the country.
Microtechnological Approaches in Stem Cell Science

Stem cells are versatile materials in biomedical research with applications in regenerative medicine, drug discovery, biosensors, and developmental and disease models. Many of the current technologies used by biologists are restricted to a macroscale level of control, which has impeded precise manipulation of spatial and temporal features of the cellular microenvironment. Microtechnologies developed in engineering are powerful tools for addressing existing challenges in stem cell biology by permitting control of cellular behaviors at scales matching those of biological processes. Many of these approaches demonstrate feasibility in opening a new era in the therapeutic application of stem cells. In this chapter, we introduce biologically relevant microtechnologies and present their applications in stem cell science.
Kinetic and Mechanistic Parameters of Laccase Catalyzed Direct Electrochemical Oxygen Reduction Reaction

This article presents the kinetic studies of oxygen reduction by one of the most important multicopper oxidases (fungal laccase) using the classic tool of electrochemistry: rotating ring-disk electrode (RRDE). Laccase was immobilized on a multiwalled carbon nanotube (MWNT) modified inert disk electrode using 1-pyrenebutanoic acid succinimidyl ester (PBSE), as a tethering agent. The conditions for laccase immobilization on MWNT were optimized to prepare a highly active composite electro-catalyst for O2 reduction. The mechanistic as well as kinetic parameters such as Tafel slopes, number of electrons transferred, electrochemical rate constants (for heterogeneous charge transfer) and electron transfer rate constant were calculated from the RRDE experiment results. The Tafel slope obtained was close to the value of that of ideal four-electron reduction of O2 to water indicating a highly active laccase in the tethered composite. The RRDE results also suggested the presence of intermediate steps in the oxygen r...
An experimental study of movement in natural populations ofMus musculus, Microtus pennsylvanicus, andMicrotus pinetorum

distribution of natural populations of Microtus pinetorum, Microtus pennsylvanicus, and Mus musculus through removal and return of individuals of these species from a natural field community over a three month period. The movements of neighboring animals concurrent with and subsequent to these manipulations were analysed to determine both their extent and variability. These three species are known to use the same runways (BENTON, 1955; GENTRY, 1966) and it can be assummed that interspecific contacts very likely occur. Previously, CALHOUN (1968) presented an elaborate theoretical system of the intra-and interspecific use of space in which he proposed the existence of effective means of communication both within and between species. The present study was designed, not to determine the nature of mechanisms of communication that may exist, but to obtain evidence of the presence or absence of such communication. The objectives of this study were: 1. To measure the movements (immigration, emigration) of animals in the field in response to removal and return of individuals from the natural community. 2. To determine if the species varied in movement patterns associated with the manipulation of removal and return. 3. To evaluate movement patterns relative to the ecological characteristics of each species.
Legal defenses and outcomes in Paragraph IV patent litigation

Since 2006, there has been a dramatic increase in patent litigation filed between brand and generic pharmaceutical companies in the United States. The Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act (commonly...
Threonine Production by Co-existence of Cloned Genes Coding Homoserine Dehydrogenase and Homoserine Kinase in Brevibacterium lactofermentum

The homoserine kinase (HK) gene was cloned from Brevibacterium lactofermentum M-15, a threonine-producing mutant. Then, a trimethoprim-resistant hybrid plasmid pAJ212 expressing the HK gene was constructed. A threonine-producing recombinant strain harboring pAJ210, a chloramphenicol-resistant plasmid on which homoserine dehydrogenase (HD) gene was cloned, was transformed further with the obtained HK-expressing plasmid pAJ212. Plasmids pAJ210 and pAJ212 were compatible in B. lactofermentum because these two plasmids were derived from two different cryptic plasmids, pHM1519 and pAM330 respectively. Co-existence of the cloned HD and HK genes in M-15 resulted in more than a 30% increase of threonine production (33 g/liter) and a decrease of the by-products (lysine and homoserine) as compared with M-15 carrying HD recombinant plasmid alone. The activities of HD and HK in the strain harboring both Hd- and HK-recombinant plasmids were elevated markedly by gene dosage effect, which brought about the apparent incr...
UNDERSTANDING OBESITY : THE INTERACTION OF DIET, GENETICS AND HORMONES

The widely held belief that gluttony and sloth underlie obesity is fading, as research sheds light on the interactions between diet, genetics, hormones, and neurotransmitters.
Immunologie Aspects of Malignant Tumors

Increasing evidence shows that malignant tumors produce an immunologic response in the host, and that some tumors regress in response to immunotherapy. The tumor immune-response is monitored by hypersensitivity and other tests, and may eventually be used for diagnosis of tumors and to determine effective immunotherapy.
Nonsquamous Tumors of the Head and Neck in the Geriatric Population

Thyroid tumors, salivary gland tumors, and non-Hodgkin's lymphoma are described. Psychosocial issues involving the geriatric patient are discussed. Case reports of a number of geriatric tumor patients are included.
Four a priori-defined Diet Quality Indexes and Survival among Men and Women with Colorectal Cancer: The Multiethnic Cohort

BackgroundGiven the increasing number of colorectal cancer (CRC) survivors, the possible effect of modifiable health behaviors, in particular optimal nutrition, on prognosis is critical. In recent ...
Joint GEEs for multivariate correlated data with incomplete binary outcomes

ABSTRACTThis study considers a fully-parametric but uncongenial multiple imputation (MI) inference to jointly analyze incomplete binary response variables observed in a correlated data settings. Multiple imputation model is specified as a fully-parametric model based on a multivariate extension of mixed-effects models. Dichotomized imputed datasets are then analyzed using joint GEE models where covariates are associated with the marginal mean of responses with response-specific regression coefficients and a Kronecker product is accommodated for cluster-specific correlation structure for a given response variable and correlation structure between multiple response variables. The validity of the proposed MI-based JGEE (MI-JGEE) approach is assessed through a Monte Carlo simulation study under different scenarios. The simulation results, which are evaluated in terms of bias, mean-squared error, and coverage rate, show that MI-JGEE has promising inferential properties even when the underlying multiple imputat...
Raised cosine pulse shapes for next generation MMF links

We experimentally demonstrate the advantages of utilizing raised cosine pulse shaping for next generation 100G PAM-4 MMF links. Results for both back-to-back and 105m OM4 fiber are presented. The trade-offs between rectangular pulse shaping and raised cosine pulse shaping are discussed.
Design Methodology for Phase-Locked Loops Using Binary (Bang-Bang) Phase Detectors

We present a linearized analysis of bang-bang phase-locked loops (PLLs) in the frequency domain that is complete and self-consistent. It enables the manual design of frequency synthesis PLLs for loop bandwidth, output phase noise and minimum jitter. Tradeoffs between various parameters of the loop become clear. The analysis is validated against measurements on four very different loops, and helps to answer long-standing questions on aspects of these circuits attributable a hard nonlinearity. A brief designer’s guide is included.
An elasto-plastic solution for channel cracking of brittle coating on polymer substrate

Abstract In this article, an elasto-plastic channel-cracking model is presented to study the open-mode fracture of a thin layer brittle coating grown on a polymer substrate. A linear elastic shear interlayer is introduced to describe the stress transfer from the elasto-plastic substrate to the brittle coating, on basis of the shear-lag principle. The channel cracking behavior involves three stages: elastic, elasto-plastic and plastic stages, which are solved in a continuous manner based on the deformation status of the substrate. Explicit solutions are derived for the mutli-stage cracking process. Corresponding experimental tests for a titanium oxide (TiO2) coating on a poly (ethylene terephthalate) substrate are conducted. The fracture toughness of the coating layer is estimated based on the crack spacing versus layer thickness relationship at certain strain levels. This method is found to be more reliable than the traditional methods using crack onset strain. Parametric studies of the fracture energy release rate for the coating and interfacial compliance of the thin film system are conducted, through which the effect of plastic deformation on the channel cracking behavior is studied extensively. The results indicate that the tangent modulus of the substrate controls the evolution curvature of crack spacing where a smaller tangent modulus corresponds to a slower saturation of crack spacing. The energy release rate also varies significantly with the properties of the interlayer. The study highlights the necessity of an elasto-plastic model for the thin film systems of brittle coating on a plastic substrate.
Analysis: Considering Outcomes, Context, and Learners

Analysis is the initial stage of the WBID Model. At the beginning of this stage, problems are investigated and potential solutions are identified. If online instruction is considered the viable solution to the problem, the second phase is to analyze the four main instructional components within the situation: the instructional goal, instructional context, learners, and instructional content. The findings from these analyses provide the foundation for how the instruction will come to fruition.
A New Left Ventricular Assist Device - Better, but Still Not Ideal.

The development of continuous-flow left ventricular assist devices (LVADs), specifically the HeartMate II1 and the HeartWare HVAD,2 was a major advance in the treatment of advanced heart failure. H...
NOS expression is increased in endothelial cells exposed to plasma from women with preeclampsia

Endothelial cell function is proposed to be altered by a factor(s) in the maternal circulation of women with the pregnancy disorder preeclampsia. Our initial hypothesis was that in preeclampsia, such factor(s) would reduce synthesis of nitric oxide (NO) by endothelial cells. However, we previously observed increased NO synthase activity in endothelial cells exposed to plasma from preeclamptic women. This study tested whether exposing cells to plasma from preeclamptic women increased transcription and/or translation of endothelial NO synthase. Cultured bovine coronary microvascular endothelial cells were exposed to 2% plasma from patients with preeclampsia and patients with uncomplicated pregnancies. Nitrite production was greater in endothelial cells exposed to plasma from preeclamptic women (8.97 +/- 0.54 vs. 6.39 +/- 0.59 nmol nitrites.10(6) cells-1 x 24 h-1; P < 0.05). Similarly, endothelial NO synthase mass as measured by Western immunoblotting was significantly increased (20,980 +/- 1,406 vs. 15,047 +/- 1,003 absorbancy units; P < 0.02). There was no detectable difference in mRNA for endothelial NO synthase. However, actinomycin (3 micrograms/ml), a transcription inhibitor, significantly decreased nitrite production only in cells exposed to plasma from preeclamptic women (5.28 +/- 0.52 vs. 3.56 +/- 0.36 nmol.10(6) cells-1 x 24 h-1, P < 0.05). These findings indicate a regulation of the "constitutive" isoform of NO synthase by factor(s) in the blood of preeclamptic women, which may have significance in this pathological condition of pregnancy.
On Equality in Distribution of Ratios $\boldsymbol{X\!{/}(X}{+}\boldsymbol{Y)}$ and $\boldsymbol{Y\!{/}(X}{+}\boldsymbol{Y)}$

Motivated by a classical result in the independent identically distributed (i.i.d.) case for a pair random variables X, Y, we look for a simple sufficient condition, allowing for possible dependence between \(X \mbox{and} Y\), under which the ratios of the components X,Y to their sum are equal in distribution. Our finding is easily extended to random vectors of higher (\(n \geq 2\)) dimensions to show that exchangeability of a finite sequence \(X_1, \cdots, X_n\) is sufficient to guarantee the desired result. Any Archimedian copula can be used as a generator of such random vectors. Our main result is applicable in many Bayesian contexts, where the observations are conditionally i.i.d. given an environmental variable with a prior.
Medical, Legal, and Ethical Conundrums at the Edge of Life

Each year, approximately 30,000 genetically handicapped at-risk infants are born in the United States.1 In Australia alone, it has been estimated by the new South Wales Health Commission that approximately $500,000 will be spent during an average lifetime for one institutionalized person with a genetic abnormality.2
Similarity in chemistry: Past, present and future

This opening article on similarity starts with a brief historical introduction to the subject and then considers the role played by similarity in the sciences at the present time. It is shown that all scientific concepts and classifications have a basis in similarity. It is also pointed out that similarity assessments are always to some extent arbitrary and so the concept can be defined only in relative terms. A detailed analysis then follows of the various kinds of similarity that may be used in chemical applications: analogy, complementarity, equivalence relations, scaling and self-similarity. For each of these kinds instances of current applications are given. Analogy can be further subdivided into five varieties, two of which — functional and inductive analogy — are shown to be of fundamental importance in molecular design. In discussing complementarity, we address the mapping of biological receptors and various measures for molecular shape are outlined. After completing our survey of the differing kinds of similarity, we close by taking a peek into the future and assess the possible roles that may be played by fuzzy logic and the use of neural networks in similarity studies.
Cooperative Catalysis by Surface Lewis Acid/Silanol for Selective Fructose Etherification on Sn-SPP Zeolite

While Lewis-acid zeolites, such as Sn-Beta, catalyze glucose isomerization in an alcoholic medium, mesoporous Sn-SPP catalyzes both glucose isomerization to fructose and fructose etherification (formally ketalization) to ethyl fructoside, enabling fructose yields in excess of the glucose/fructose equilibrium. Using periodic density functional theory calculations and force-field-based Monte Carlo simulations, the ketalization reaction mechanism and adsorption behavior were examined. The silanols on the Sn-SPP mesopore surface facilitate the ketalization reaction through hydrogen bonding interactions at the transition state, only possible via a Sn–O–Si−OH moiety, present in Sn-SPP but not in Sn-Beta. Fructose ketalization is favored over glucose acetalization due to differences in stability of the oxonium intermediates, which are stabilized by the Sn-SPP active site. The open site of hydrophobic Sn-Beta cannot perform these reactions because its active site does not contain an adjacent silanol of the right ...
Self-care: There’s a badge for that

ABSTRACTSocial work education has embraced a major shift towards competency based education. A core component of competency based education is that students must actually demonstrate competence. Th...
Neurocritical Care Outcomes, Research, and Technology: A Review.

Importance Neurocritical care has grown into an organized specialty that may have consequences for patient care, outcomes, research, and neurointensive care (neuroICU) technology. Observations Neurocritical care improves care and outcomes of the patients who are neurocritically ill, and neuroICUs positively affect the financial state of health care systems. The development of neurocritical care as a recognized subspecialty has fostered multidisciplinary research, neuromonitoring, and neurocritical care information technology, with advances and innovations in practice and progress. Conclusions and Relevance Neurocritical care has become an important part of health systems and an established subspecialty of neurology. Understanding its structure, scope of practice, consequences for care, and research are important.
Early childhood trauma alters neurological responses to mental stress in patients with coronary artery disease.

Abstract Background Early childhood trauma is known to independently increase adverse outcome risk in coronary artery disease (CAD) patients, although the neurological correlates are not well understood. The purpose of this study was to examine whether early childhood trauma alters neural responses to acute mental stress in CAD patients. Methods Participants (n = 152) with CAD underwent brain imaging with High Resolution Positron Emission Tomography and radiolabeled water during control (verbal counting, neutral speaking) and mental stress (mental arithmetic, public speaking). Traumatic events in childhood were assessed with the Early Trauma Inventory (ETI-SR-SF) and participants were separated by presence (ETI+) or absence (ETI-) of early childhood trauma. Brain activity during mental stress was compared between ETI+ and ETI-. Results Compared to ETI-, ETI+ experienced greater (p Limitations Results in non-CAD samples may differ and ETI may be subject to recall bias. Conclusion Early childhood trauma exacerbated activations in stress-responsive limbic and cognitive brain areas with direct and indirect connections to the heart, potentially contributing to adverse outcomes in CAD patients.
Survival Analysis with Interval-Censored Data: A Practical Approach with Examples in R, SAS, and BUGS.

Survival Analysis with Interval-Censored Data, by Kris Bogaerts, Arnost Komarek, and Emmanuel Lesaffre, is intended to provide a practical introduction to the statistical analysis of interval-censo...
Factors associated with family forest landowner enrollment in state preferential forest property tax programs in the United States

All fifty states in the United States offer preferential forest property tax programs (PFPTPs) that defer, reduce, or eliminate property taxes on enrolled private forest lands, to foster ecosystem services. Among individual programs, there is wide variability in enrollment levels, as well as program structure and administration. Past research has explored patterns of enrollment in individual states, but to our knowledge has never been conducted at the national level. We used binary logistic regression with multiple imputation for missing data to explore the landowner, land, and program characteristics that correlate with likelihood of enrollment in a PFPTP. We found that most landowner objectives and concerns, including those that would appear to be linked to program enrollment, such as concern about the level of taxes, were generally not correlated with likelihood of enrollment. Owning more forest area was correlated with higher likelihood of enrollment. The link of enrollment to population density suggested that enrollment is higher in moderate densities, with higher and lower densities having lower enrollment, possibly due to conflicting incentives for enrollment as land values increase. Program characteristics were negatively correlated with likelihood of enrollment, especially those that restrict uses or management. The owner’s desire for wooded land to stay wooded and higher levels of penalty for program withdrawal were positively correlated with likelihood of enrollment and average rates of tax reductions were not significantly correlated, suggesting that landowners may see programs as a method of conserving and protecting their forestland in the future more than as simply a way to save money.
Becoming a Tempered Radical: Student Affairs Administrators as Advocates for LGBTQ Students at Eight Higher Education Institutions in the South.

AbstractThis narrative study examines how student affairs administrators in eight institutions in the southern United States became change agents in higher education for LGBTQ students. Participant...
A Coding/Programming Academy for 6th-Grade Females to Increase Knowledge and Interest in Computer Science

This Innovative Practice Full Paper discusses a coding/programming academy that used games and robotic programming as engaging hands-on approaches to teach 6th grade (the first grade in secondary education in USA) females coding/programming concepts to increase their knowledge and interest in computer science. Careers in computer science continue to grow, but fewer women than men are even considering these careers. Increasing participation of women in coding/programming is necessary to meet the growing demand for computing professionals to develop a diverse workforce. Today, many organizations are implementing programming coding/programming academies/camps that attempt to engage students in computer science, at an early age, by exposing them to fun and interesting computer science skills in coding/programming. We have developed a coding/programming academy that uses educational robotics and hands-on game applications to demonstrate computing concepts to young females. To address pressing equity issues of the lack of females in computer science careers, the goal of this summer coding/programming academy was to educate and empower young females, at an early age, to discover computer science careers, which has been one of the first attempts to establish a coding/programming academy for females in our region. Our coding/programming academy differs from others in several ways. First, it was for 6th-grade females only, to take advantage of preferences of noncompetitive and social learning opportunities, in order to improve female participation. Second, we hired female instructors and invited female professionals from local industries to assist the academy by serving as mentors. Third, it introduced both robotic and game coding/programming to the females. Fourth, it adopted social learning, e.g., pair programming. A formal assessment of the 2018 academy found that the academy’s female participants experienced a significant increase in knowledge and interest in computer science. This paper describes the organization, coordination, content, and assessment of the coding/programming academy. It describes how the academy was organized and taught, which includes a brief description of the instructional materials, the concepts taught in each hands-on session, how the academy was assessed and the assessment results, and the first-year experience of conducting the coding/programming academy, and lessons learned. The intent of this paper is to provide all the information needed for others to host similar academies and further prompt the effort to increase female participation in computer science careers.
Variation in the degree of concentration of prescription opioid utilization using different measures.

Abstract Background Studies of opioid prescribing patterns have shown that a small percentage of prescribers are responsible for a large portion of total prescriptions. There is some evidence that prescription opioid use may be similarly concentrated, but patterns may differ by population and choice of opioid utilization measure. The objective of this study is to determine what proportion of prescription opioid utilization was attributable to the top utilizers among Medicaid beneficiaries and how this proportion varies by the measure used. Methods We analyzed 2008–2009 Medicaid claims data from 14 states and created three claims-based measures of aggregate opioid utilization: total number of annual prescriptions, total annual milligrams morphine equivalent, and total days supply. We tested two versions of the total days supply measure: one assuming consecutive use and the other assuming concurrent use of prescriptions. Results The top 20 % of prescription opioid users accounted for 66 % of prescriptions, 82–85 % of days supply depending on assumption, and 90 % of morphine milligram equivalents (MME). The degree to which prescription opioid utilization was concentrated among the top 20 % of users varied minimally across states. Conclusions A small percentage of prescription opioid users account for a large share of prescription opioid use. Policy efforts should use metrics pertaining to days supply and total MME, not numbers of prescriptions, to more efficiently target heavy utilization. Policies targeting high-dose prescribing should consider the different ways that overlapping prescriptions may be taken.
The Use of Endoscopic Third Ventriculostomy as Treatment for Idiopathic Intracranial Hypertension: Case Report and a Review of Previously Reported Cases.

Abstract Background Idiopathic intracranial hypertension (IIH), or pseudotumor cerebri (PTC), is a rare disorder marked by the increase of CSF pressure that may cause severe headaches, papilledema, vision loss, and more. IIH is typically treated with shunts, but shunts are prone to malfunction and infection, resulting in many patients experiencing recurrent headaches post-treatment. Case Description We present the case of a 41-year-old woman with IIH who exhibited a history of severe headaches and seizures with documented elevated intracranial pressure (OP: 250 mm H2O). After the failure of several medical treatments, the patient was offered surgery for symptomatic relief. Given their ventricular anatomy and preference, the patient’s IIH was treated with endoscopic third ventriculostomy (ETV) rather than the conventional shunt. Conclusion Reported resolution of the patient’s headaches and improved quality of life following the procedure indicated that ETV can be used to treat IIH if ventricles are not completely slit-like. Additionally, we detail a review of all previously reported cases in which ETV was used for the treatment of IIH.
Fostering Potential: How School Counselors Can Supplement the ASCA Mindsets & Behaviors

The American School Counselor Association (ASCA) Mindsets and Behaviors are research-based standards that professional school counselors utilize to develop competencies that promote academic, posts...
A critique of the racialised and neo-colonial politics of listening: Ousmane Sembene’s La Noire de … (1966)

This article considers one of the most canonical films in Francophone African cinema, Ousmane Sembene’s La Noire de… (1966), through the lens of listening to reveal new dimensions of the film’s neo...
Wake Up for Early Childhood! A Morning Report Series

Background: The AAP Council on Early Childhood (COEC) has identified the need for increasing the education of trainees in early childhood. Early childhood (EC) is a time when social determinants of health significantly impact long-term developmental and educational potential, as well as physical and mental wellbeing. Objectives: With support of the COEC, we designed a curriculum to provide case-based medical education about EC topics that …
MAP2K1 Mutations in Advanced Colorectal Cancer Predict Poor Response to Anti-EGFR Therapy and to Vertical Targeting of MAPK Pathway.

Abstract Background MAP2K1 mutations, otherwise known as MEK mutations, are rare oncogenic alterations that have been implicated in MAPK pathway activation. The impact of MAP2K1 mutations in colorectal cancer on EGFR antibody response has not been characterized. Patients and Methods Antitumor activity was assessed in mouse xenograft models with SW48 cell lines harboring MAP2K1 mutation, and protein expression of the RAS signaling pathway was studied by Western blot analysis. We retrospectively identified patients with MAP2K1-mutated metastatic colorectal cancer patients treated at City of Hope Comprehensive Cancer Center between 2015 and 2020 using next-generation sequencing. Patients’ tumor characteristics, treatment response, and outcome are described. Additional patients with the MAP2K1 mutation were identified from The Cancer Genome Atlas and Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center oncogenomic databases. Results Antitumor activity in mouse xenograft models demonstrated efficacy with combination therapy with EGFR and MEK inhibition with either BRAF or ERK inhibitors. Five patients treated at City of Hope between 2015 and 2020 harbored a MAP2K1 mutation at a frequency of 1%. APC and TP53 were common coalterations. All disease was RAS and BRAF wild type, except 1 case that harbored a concurrent KRAS mutation. Four RAS/BRAF wild-type MAP2K1-mutated patients was treated with anti-EGFR, anti-EGFR + MEK and BRAF inhibitors, and anti-EGFR + ERK inhibitors. All 4 patients experienced disease progression. Conclusion MAP2K1 mutation in colorectal cancer is associated with poor response to EGFR inhibition. EGFR inhibition with or without MEK, BRAF, or ERK inhibitors did not result in any clinical benefit in our limited experience.
Reproducible Containers

We describe the design and implementation of DetTrace, a reproducible container abstraction for Linux implemented in user space. All computation that occurs inside a DetTrace container is a pure function of the initial filesystem state of the container. Reproducible containers can be used for a variety of purposes, including replication for fault-tolerance, reproducible software builds and reproducible data analytics. We use DetTrace to achieve, in an automatic fashion, reproducibility for 12,130 Debian package builds, containing over 800 million lines of code, as well as bioinformatics and machine learning workflows. We show that, while software in each of these domains is initially irreproducible, DetTrace brings reproducibility without requiring any hardware, OS or application changes. DetTrace's performance is dictated by the frequency of system calls: IO-intensive software builds have an average overhead of 3.49x, while a compute-bound bioinformatics workflow is under 2%.