cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Economic Valuation of Health for Environmental Policy: Comparing Alternative Approaches. Introduction and Overview

Protecting human health is a primary goal of environmental policy and economic evaluation of health can help policy-makers judge the relative worth of alternative actions. Economists use two distinct approaches in normatively evaluating health. Whereas environmental economists use benefit-cost analysis supported by monetary valuation in terms of willingness-to-pay, health economists evaluate interventions based on cost-effectiveness or cost-utility analysis (CEA), using quality-adjusted life-years (QALY) or similar indexes. This paper provides background on the controversy about the relative merits of these approaches and introduces the remaining papers in the special issue. These papers (with one exception) were presented at a conference sponsored by the Department of Economics at the University of Central Florida with support from the US Environmental Protection Agency. Although CEA might not lead to substantially different implications for environmental policy than benefit-cost analysis, and QALY may provide a benefit transfer tool to fill gaps in the morbidity valuation literature, the papers in this issue raise serious concerns about the suitability of QALY-based CEA for environmental regulatory analysis. QALY does not in general appropriately represent individual preferences for health and CEA is neither independent of income distribution nor adequate to assess efficiency.
Verbal communication training: A procedure to augment contingency contracting☆

Abstract A procedure in verbal communication training was employed to augment contingency contracting between a 13-yr-old boy and his family. The family did not respond to contracting as they could not maintain nonabusive verbal communication. The verbal communication training was a structured learning experience through which the family developed a new verbal interaction pattern. The training was introduced and facilitated by a therapist who led this family in a stepwise fashion to improved communication skills. The family subsequently achieved contingency contracting with a successful outcome.
Molecular architecture of full-length KcsA: role of cytoplasmic domains in ion permeation and activation gating.

The molecular architecture of the NH2 and COOH termini of the prokaryotic potassium channel KcsA has been determined using site-directed spin-labeling methods and paramagnetic resonance EPR spectroscopy. Cysteine mutants were generated (residues 5–24 and 121–160) and spin labeled, and the X-band CW EPR spectra were obtained from liposome-reconstituted channels at room temperature. Data on probe mobility (ΔHo−1), accessibility parameters (ΠO2 and ΠNiEdda), and inter-subunit spin-spin interaction (Ω) were used as structural constraints to build a three-dimensional folding model of these cytoplasmic domains from a set of simulated annealing and restrained molecular dynamics runs. 32 backbone structures were generated and averaged using fourfold symmetry, and a final mean structure was obtained from the eight lowest energy runs. Based on the present data, together with information from the KcsA crystal structure, a model for the three-dimensional fold of full-length KcsA was constructed. In this model, the NH2 terminus of KcsA forms an α-helix anchored at the membrane–water interface, while the COOH terminus forms a right-handed four-helix bundle that extend some 40–50 A towards the cytoplasm. Functional analysis of COOH-terminal deletion constructs suggest that, while the COOH terminus does not play a substantial role in determining ion permeation properties, it exerts a modulatory role in the pH-dependent gating mechanism.
Defective dietary fat processing in transgenic mice lacking aquaporin-1 water channels

Immunocytochemistry showed expression of aquaporin-1 (AQP1) water channels at sites involved in dietary fat processing, including intrahepatic cholangiocytes, gallbladder, pancreatic microvascular ...
Dechanneling by curved planes: Dislocations and bent crystals

Abstract A model is derived for the fraction, F, of particles dechanneled by curved planes. For dislocations this gives universal curves for F versus distance from the dislocation and an analytic dechanneling cross section. For relativistic particles in bent crystals a universal curve is obtained for F versus curvature and momentum.
Essential Role of CED-4 Oligomerization in CED-3 Activation and Apoptosis

Control of the activation of apoptosis is important both in development and in protection against cancer. In the classic genetic model Caenorhabditis elegans, the pro-apoptotic protein CED-4 activates the CED-3 caspase and is inhibited by the Bcl-2–like protein CED-9. Both processes are mediated by protein-protein interaction. Facilitating the proximity of CED-3 zymogen molecules was found to induce caspase activation and cell death. CED-4 protein oligomerized in cells and in vitro. This oligomerization induced CED-3 proximity and competed with CED-4:CED-9 interaction. Mutations that abolished CED-4 oligomerization inactivated its ability to activate CED-3. Thus, the mechanism of control is that CED-3 in CED-3:CED-4 complexes is activated by CED-4 oligomerization, which is inhibited by binding of CED-9 to CED-4.
Assessing patent value through advanced text analysis

We developed a patent analysis tool, named COA (Claim Originality Analysis) at IBM Research. The system and the methods are discussed.
Pharmacogenetic influences on treatment response and toxicity in colorectal cancer

Current use of chemotherapeutic and targeted agents for advanced colorectal cancer (CRC) results in high tumor response rates and relatively long overall patient survival. Fluoropyrimidines, irinotecan, and oxaliplatin are highly active in first-line and salvage therapy of colorectal cancer. Targeted therapies, including anti-angiogenesis agents and anti-epidermal growth factor receptor antibodies, have been incorporated with traditional chemotherapy and offer additional options for patients with CRC. However, there is marked variability in response to therapy, as well as frequency and severity of toxicities. Molecular markers and pharmacogenomic profiling may improve prediction of patients who will experience significant benefit or toxicity from currently available agents. Validation of these predictive factors in prospective clinical trials is now necessary to allow for a rational and systematic individualization of cancer therapy.
Continuous time constrained linear quadratic regulator - convex duality approach

A continuous time infinite horizon linear quadratic regulator with input constraints is studied. On the theoretical side, optimality conditions, both in the open loop and feedback form, are shown together with smoothness of the value function and local Lipschitz continuity of the optimal feedback. Arguments are self-contained, use basic ideas of convex conjugacy, and in particular, use a dual optimal control problem. A method of calculating the optimal and stabilizing feedback without relying on discrete optimization is outlined.
Gene Structure and Alternative Splicing of Murine Podocalyxin: A member of the CD34 Sialomucin Family"

Podocalyxin is a sialoglycoprotein of the glomerular podocytes, vascular endothelial cells, platelets, and hemopoietic stem cells. The function of podocalyxin is unknown, but it contains most of the protein bound sialic acid in the glomerulus and is considered vital in the structure and function of the glomerular filtration apparatus. The murine podocalyxin full-length cDNA has been determined and is 5318 base pairs. The gene localizes to chromosome 6B1 by FISH analysis and contains eight major exons with one additional alternatively spliced exon. The alternatively spliced isoform of podocalyxin codes for a truncated intracellular domain and is expressed in a tissue specific pattern in parallel with full-length podocalyxin. The organization of the gene structure of murine podocalyxin is similar to the murine CD34 gene and suggests a distant evolutionary relationship to CD34.
Moisture and temperature effects on the reliability of interfacial adhesion of a polymer/metal interface

Although moisture can considerably alter the mechanical performance and the overall reliability of microelectronic assemblies, the interfacial and material constitutive damage behavior from moisture is not entirely understood. In this paper, the effect of moisture content on the interfacial adhesion of an epoxy based underfill adhesive with a copper alloy substrate is studied. Test specimens were divided into five test groups and subjected to four different levels of moisture preconditioning. The test groups included fully dry, 85/spl deg/C only, 85/spl deg/C/50%RH, 85/spl deg/C/65%RH, and 85/spl deg/C/85%RH, with the latter four test groups being exposed for a duration of 168 hours. Underfill flexural bend test specimens were used to measure the change in the underfill elastic modulus as a function of increasing moisture concentration, while underfill/copper bilayer test specimens with prefabricated interface cracks were used to measure the critical load of fracture of the interface as a function of interfacial moisture content. Both the critical load of fracture and underfill elastic modulus values were used to determine the interfacial fracture toughness of the underfill/copper interface for a particular level of moisture preconditioning. After fracture testing, the chemical composition of the interface was evaluated using X-ray Photoelectron Spectroscopy (XPS) to identify the role of oxide growth on the interfacial fracture toughness results. The results of this study provide the intrinsic behavior of the interfacial toughness as a function of increasing moisture concentration, and include the effects of oxidation, thermal aging, and elastic modulus variation with increasing moisture content after moisture preconditioning.
Rethinking the heterosexual infectivity of HIV-1: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

Summary Studies of cumulative HIV incidence suggest that cofactors such as genital ulcer disease, HIV disease stage, and male circumcision influence HIV transmission; however, the heterosexual infectivity of HIV-1 is commonly cited as a fixed value (approximately 0·001, or one transmission per 1000 contacts). We sought to estimate transmission cofactor effects on the heterosexual infectivity of HIV-1 and to quantify the extent to which study methods have affected infectivity estimates. We undertook a systematic search (up to April 27, 2008) of PubMed, Web of Science, and relevant bibliographies to identify articles estimating the heterosexual infectivity of HIV-1. We used meta-regression and stratified random-effects meta-analysis to assess differences in infectivity associated with cofactors and study methods. Infectivity estimates were very heterogeneous, ranging from zero transmissions after more than 100 penile-vaginal contacts in some serodiscordant couples to one transmission for every 3·1 episodes of heterosexual anal intercourse. Estimates were only weakly associated with study methods. Infectivity differences, expressed as number of transmissions per 1000 contacts, were 8·1 (95 % CI 0·4–15·8) when comparing uncircumcised to circumcised susceptible men, 6·0 (3·3–8·8) comparing susceptible individuals with and without genital ulcer disease, 1·9 (0·9–2·8) comparing late-stage to mid-stage index cases, and 2·5 (0·2–4·9) comparing early-stage to mid-stage index cases. A single value for the heterosexual infectivity of HIV-1 fails to reflect the variation associated with important cofactors. The commonly cited value of 0·001 was estimated among stable couples with low prevalences of high-risk cofactors, and represents a lower bound. Cofactor effects are important to include in epidemic models, policy considerations, and prevention messages.
African-American men's exposure to music videos and their sexual attitudes and risk behaviour.

Background: Media is a social determinant of HIV and sexually transmissible infection (STI) risk. However, limited empirical data have examined men's media exposure and their sexual attitudes and behaviour towards women. Methods: Eighty heterosexual African-American men were assessed on their exposure to music videos, sexual attitudes and behaviour. They also were tested for STIs. Results: Findings indicated that men influenced by music videos reported more sexual adventurism, more condom barriers, more lifetime sexual partners, more condom request refusals, substance abuse and a history of incarceration. Conclusions: Further longitudinal research is needed to better understand this relationship and to address the role of media in HIV and STI prevention interventions.
Multimodal Affect Detection in the Wild: Accuracy, Availability, and Generalizability

Affect detection is an important component of computerized learning environments that adapt the interface and materials to students' affect. This paper proposes a plan for developing and testing multimodal affect detectors that generalize across differences in data that are likely to occur in practical applications (e.g., time, demographic variables). Facial features and interaction log features are considered as modalities for affect detection in this scenario, each with their own advantages. Results are presented for completed work evaluating the accuracy of individual modality face- and interaction- based detectors, accuracy and availability of a multimodal combination of these modalities, and initial steps toward generalization of face-based detectors. Additional data collection needed for cross-culture generalization testing is also completed. Challenges and possible solutions for proposed cross-cultural generalization testing of multimodal detectors are also discussed.
Quantitative electrophoretic analysis of myosin heavy chains in single muscle fibers

To better understand the molecular basis of the large variation in mechanical properties of different fiber types, there has been an intense effort to relate the mechanical and energetic properties...
Reassessment of Cancer Predisposition of Fanconi Anemia Heterozygotes

The hypothesis that heterozygotes for the Fanconi anemia (FA) gene are predisposed to cancer was investigated by comparing the observed and expected numbers of cancer cases and deaths in 25 extended families of FA probands. This study demonstrated no overall excess of cancers of cancer deaths for any age or sex category of blood relatives and no unusual number of cancers among the obligate heterozygotes. Deaths from leukemia among blood relatives were fewer than expected. For bladder, stomach, and breast cancer there were more deaths and cases among blood relatives than expected, although the differences were not statistically significant. An excess of deaths at an early age from lung and stomach cancer was noted among the FA blood relatives. Among spouse controls there were fewer deaths than expected from bladder, stomach, and breast cancer; thus the expected numbers may be inappropriately high for this sample. Therefore, the question of predisposition to bladder, stomach, and breast cancer among FA heterozygotes remains unresolved.
Comparison of the scanning linear estimator (SLE) and ROI uptake estimation for quantitative 111In-Octreotide SPECT imaging of signals embedded in random backgrounds

In quantitative PET and SPECT imaging signal activity is typically estimated from calculations in a 3D region of interest (ROI) of the reconstructed slices. In these calculations, unpredictable bias arising from the null functions of the imaging system (e.g. signal size and location) affects ROI estimates. An alternative to the ROI method is the scanning linear estimator (SLE), which operates on the raw projection data. In this work, we compared the ROI and SLE methods through analytic simulations of a realistic NCAT human phantom modeling 111In-Octreotide studies. The task was to estimate the signal activity of a spherical lesion in the liver, and its size and location are known. The performance of SLE and ROI methods were compared for two assumptions about the activity in the liver: 1) a uniform distribution of known value and 2) a non-uniform and random distribution. For all imaging scenarios in this simulation study the SLE estimated the uptake values better than the ROI estimation when compared using the ensemble-mean-squared error (EMSE).
Use of Concomitant Antibiotics During Treatment for Clostridium difficile Infection (CDI) in Pediatric Inpatients: An Observational Cohort Study.

Concomitant antibiotic use during treatment for Clostridium difficile infection (CDI) increases the risk of recurrence. Across a network of children’s hospitals, 46% of patients treated for CDI received concomitant antibiotics for a median of 7 days. Concomitant antibiotic use was more common among patients with malignancies, and solid organ or bone marrow transplant. Unnecessary concomitant antibiotic use in CDI patients is a potential target for pediatric antimicrobial stewardship.
A New Direction for Yoga Therapy? A Physician's Perspective

The first annual SYTAR conference by IAYT was full of energy and hope for the future of Yoga therapy. Yoga therapy is now a professional discipline with a variety of standards and a blossoming research base. I will address the opportunities and pitfalls for the development of Yoga therapy from the perspective of a practicing physician who uses Yoga in his own life and prescribes Yoga for his patients. I am not a Yoga therapist, but I have been fortunate to learn much about Yoga therapy while co-writing Yoga Rx with Larry Payne.
Near-Net-Shape Forming of Celsian Ceramics from Ion-Exchanged Zeolite Precursors

A technique has been developed for the synthesis and near-net-shape forming of celsian glass-ceramics. This technique involves ion exchange of zeolite precursor powders, heat treatment of the powders to temperatures between 800–90°C to form a glassy phase during which the samples are formed under low stresses (<20 MPa). Upon further heat treatment to about 1000°C, crystallization occurs and the amorphous formed body is transformed to the celsian ceramic phase. Using this technique, and through the addition of monoclinic seed particles as well as a mineralizer, monoclinic celsian was produced at temperatures as low as 1000°C at heat treatment times of less than one hour. This forming technique also resulted in a significant reduction in the porosity of the ceramic bodies compared to free-sintered samples.
A mini experiment of offering STEM education to several age groups through the use of robots

This paper reports the use of robots in teaching the essence of Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) to students from first grade to 12th grade. This STEM skills learning experience was developed gradually over 4.5 years and tested by over 350 students. Since the sample size is small and the time span is short, only limited statistics data is available. The main goal of this paper is sharing firsthand experience of using the same set of robots to teach students over 12 grades. This paper starts with general information of the LEGO Mindstorms EV3 robots, the basic methods, and the concept of STEM in very simple terms. This paper then explains how building and programming robots was implemented in different ways for different age and experience groups. There are 5 groups in discussion. The first group is the youngest and without any experience. The second group is older but without experience. The third group is older and with some experience. The fourth group is a group of middle school age (grade 5 to 8) students, mostly with some pre-exposure to robots. The last group consists of high school students. Each group is given an age-appropriate goal. It is observed that they have different challenges to conquer. While using LEGO Mindstorms EV3 (and the previous version, NXT) is well studied, having hands-on experience of building a learning path for students from first grade to 12th grade is of value. Finally, the expectation of education results in the future is touched upon.
Survival and the Idea of ‘Another World’

As you all know, this year is the seventieth anniversary of the foundation of the Society for Psychical Research.1 From the very beginning, the problem of Survival has been one of the main interests of the Society; and that is my excuse, if any excuse is needed, for discussing some aspects of the problem this evening. I shall not, however, talk about the evidence for Survival. In this lecture I am only concerned with the conception of Survival; with the meaning of the Survival Hypothesis, and not with its truth or falsity. When we consider the Survival Hypothesis, whether we believe it or disbelieve it, what is it that we have in mind? Can we form any idea, even a rough and provisional one, of what a disembodied human life might be like? Supposing we cannot, it will follow that what is called the Survival Hypothesis is a mere set of words and not a hypothesis at all. The evidence adduced in favour of it might still be evidence for something, and perhaps for something important, but we should no longer have the right to claim that it is evidence for Survival. There cannot be evidence for something which is completely unintelligible to us.
Abstract 22: CXCR4 Expression on Endogenous Bone Marrow Stem/Progenitor Cells is Crucial for Preservation of Myocardial Function After MI

Background: Studies examining the role of bone marrow CXCR4 in the response to myocardial infarction (MI) using the CXCR4 antagonist AMD3100 in animal myocardial infarction (MI) models are inconclusive. Chronic AMD3100 administration exacerbated injury and myocardial dysfunction while bolus injection immediately post-MI reduced size of the injury with improvement of systolic function. Aims: As MI mobilizes bone marrow stem/progenitor cells and immune cells into peripheral blood which then home to injured myocardium to facilitate and impair, respectively, regeneration and healing we were interested in the role of bone marrow CXCR4 on functional recovery, angiogenesis, and cardiomyogenesis. Experimental Approach: To define the role of CXCR4 in the bone marrow we generated chimeras with bone marrow from CXCR4flox/flox mice. Wild type mice were transplanted with CXCR4flox/flox or CXCR4flox/flox UBQ Cre bone marrow cells after a lethal dose of irradiation. CXCR4 deletion was induced 5 weeks after transplant wi...
TRAVEL-EFFICIENT URBAN FORM: A NATIONWIDE STUDY OF SMALL METROPOLITAN AREAS *

The debate on the desirability of metropolitan compactness as a policy goal has many dimensions. One of the most significant dimensions is that of the impact of urban form on travel behavior, which directly relates to tailpipe pollution and travel-energy consumption. With this in mind, this dissertation explores several dimensions of metropolitan form as contributory factors to the variability in individual vehicle miles traveled (VMT) in the US metropolitan areas. Two themes are investigated. First, variations observed in individual VMT are associated with the form of the metropolitan region in which the traveler is located. Second, the influence of monocentric, polycentric and decentralized sprawling forms on VMT are evaluated within size class of metropolitan areas. Population, density, spatial the degree of even distribution, and clustering pattern for population and jobs are the four dimensions of the metropolitan form, which are quantitatively characterized. The research analyzes some 9,000 persons from 214 metropolitan areas with a population of less than three million. The data sources include the 1995 Nationwide Personal Transportation Survey (NTPS) and the 1990 Census Transportation Planning Package (CTPP). To deal with the nested data at four different levels (i.e., person, household, neighborhood and metropolis) multilevel analysis is applied. The results indicate that metropolitan form contributes overall only a small amount in predicting individual VMT; however, metropolitan clustering of jobs is one of the most significant variables for metropolitan areas of some but not all population sizes. In addition, development characterized by a relatively undifferentiated pattern of decentralization, as opposed to a more monocentric or polycentric patterns, increase individual VMT for the metropolitan areas of certain population size.
In Vivo Bioluminescence Imaging (BLI) and Sequential 18F]FHBG microPET Imaging Studies of Human T Cell (huT) Trafficking, Expansion and Xenogeneic Graft-Versus-Host-Disease (XGVHD) Following Different Routes of T Cell Administration.

GVHD is the major cause of morbidity and mortality following allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation. We developed a consistent and sensitive model of human GVHD by retroorbitally (ro) injecting huT cells into sublethally irradiated NOD/SCID-β2m null mice (β2). Using this model, 59% (20/34) mice conditioned with 250cGy and injected ro with 10 7 huT cells developed lethal XGVHD and exhibited huT cell engraftment, weight loss, and infiltration in multiple target tissues. β2 mice injected with huT through the lateral tail vein (iv) had only small and transient huT cell engraftment and failed to develop lethal XGVHD. To evaluate why the ro versus iv route affected huT cell engraftment and the development of lethal XGVHD, we performed in vivo BLI and sequential [ 18 F]FHBG microPET imaging studies. We used huT cells transduced with a click beetle red luciferase/enhanced green fluorescent protein (CBRluc/egfp) BLI reporter gene (huT*) and/or a chimeric CD34-thymidine kinase fusion suicide/PET gene. We injected 10 7 huT* cells either iv or ro into 250cGy irradiated β2 mice. Mice injected iv (n=5) failed to develop lethal XGVHD, whereas 60% of the mice injected ro (n=5) developed lethal XGVHD. During the first week, mice injected ro presented early expansion of the huT cells in the retroorbital cavity and local regional draining lymph nodes followed by widespread dissemination throughout the whole body, with increased percentage of huT in the blood (p 10-fold increase in the BLI signal during the first 2 weeks. This homing pattern and strong BLI signal of the ro-injected huT* cells remained until death from GVHD. The BLI signal of the iv-injected huT* cells increased between days 21 and 45. However, this late expansion was not associated with the development of XGVHD. We also generated huT cells that co-expressed the suicide gene CD34-TK75 and CBRluc/egfp (huT**). We observed the same results after we injected 0.25×10 7 huT** cells into 250cGy irradiated and anti-CD122 mAb-treated NOD/SCID mice followed with BLI and PET. These studies demonstrated the ability to image trafficking of the transduced T cells in vivo with BLI and PET. In summary, all mice that received huT iv showed initial clearing of the huT cells in the lungs and a significant delay in their in vivo expansion abrogating their potential to cause XGVHD. In contrast, the development of lethal XGVHD in immunodeficient mice was dependent upon the initial retention and early expansion of huT in the retroorbital cavity.
One Person-in-His-Environments

Born on November 20, 1917, in Brooklyn, New York, I received my AB degree from University College, New York University (1939) with a major in psychology and biology and my MA (1940) and PhD (1943) in psychology from the University of Michigan. My first job was technical assistant (1943–1945) and later director (1945–1946) of the University of Rochester Office of the Committee on Selection and Training of Aircraft Pilots, National Research Council. In 1946, I moved to Brooklyn College as assistant professor of psychology and then served as acting chair of the psychology department during the academic year 1947–1948. In 1948, I accepted a position at Clark University in Worcester, Massachusetts, where I remain today.
Freedom of Choice and Liquidity Co-movement

We develop freedom of choice indices for 46 countries and test its influence on systematic liquidity co-movements. Country-specific indices reflect the impacts of three aspects of freedom of choice: (i) opportunity, (ii) decisional autonomy and (iii) immunity from interference. We find that countries promoting and institutionalizing individual opportunities for freedom of choice, with minimal government interference, experience lower country-specific systematic liquidity co-movements. Our results further document that all the three aspects of freedom of choice are important for reducing stock systematic liquidity risk. As robustness tests, we apply different delineations of liquidity co-movement, finding that results are robust to alternative freedom of choice definitions and model specifications.
THE VOLUME OF DENERVATED MYOCARDIUM PREDICTS SUDDEN CARDIAC DEATH (SCD) AND ICD THERAPIES FOR VF BUT NOT ICD THERAPIES FOR SLOWER VENTRICULAR TACHYARRHYTHMIA (VT): AN ANALYSIS OF THE PREDICTION OF ARRHYTHMIC EVENTS WITH POSITRON EMISSION TOMOGRAPHY (PAREPET) STUDY

The PAREPET study demonstrated that the volume of denervated myocardium assessed by 11C-Hydroxyephedrine (HED) PET predicted sudden cardiac arrest (SCA; SCD & ICD therapy for VT/VF≥240 bpm) in patients with ischemic cardiomyopathy and an EF <35% who are candidates for a primary prevention ICD. It
Disrupting Traditional News Routines Through Community Engagement: Analysis of the One River, Many Stories media collaboration project

This research examines the impact of One River, Many Stories, a community storytelling project designed to disrupt relationships between news organizations and their audiences. Informed by scholarship on the changing role of journalists as facilitators rather than gatekeepers of public discourse, community engagement methods were used to study this two-year storytelling project. Ripple Effects Mapping methods measured its impact. Findings reveal that traditional news media deviated little from established journalism routines while citizen participation was diverse and expansive.
“You knit me together in my mother’s womb”: a theology of creation and divine action in light of intersex

Some Christian theologians and intersex Christians maintain that intersex is part of God’s good and intended creation, in contrast to those who view intersex as a pathological result of fallen natu...
Risk Management and Problem Resolution Strategies for it Projects: Prescription and Practice:

This study reports findings from an exploratory field study of risk management and problem resolution strategies used by 25 experienced Hong Kong project managers working for vendor firms on local ...
Allopurinol and iron metabolism in man.

Oral and intravenous ferrokinetic studies were carried out in 9 patients with gout or hyperuricemia to determine the effect of allopurinol on iron absorption, storage, and red cell incorporation. Two studies were carried out in each patient: one during the control period and the other while receiving allopurinol. Allopurinol had no measurable effect on iron metabolism.
Physical Properties of Red Cells as Related to Effects in Vivo. II. Effect of Thermal Treatment on Rigidity of Red Cells, Stroma and the Sickle Cell

Heating of human or dog red cells at 49 C. for 15 minutes or 60 minutes increased resistance to packing by a centrifugal force, increased viscosity and deformed them. After 15 minutes of heating, osmotic fragility was usually normal but was elevated after 60 minutes with the formation of spheroidal cells. The increase in viscosity caused by heating red cells at 49 C. for 60 minutes did not appear to result from the effect of heat on the hemoglobin or the hemolysis products of red cells disrupted by sonic treatment. The heating of intact human or dog red cell stroma in serum, or stroma washed multiple times in physiologic saline however, regularly increased their viscosity and produced buds and microstroma. The rigidity of stroma was increased by heating, probably accounting for the increased viscosity of heated intact red cells. The rigidity of heated stroma of red cells was further demonstrated by showing that the shape changes of the sickling process could be prevented in large part by the heating of sickle cells. Heating did not, however, prevent tactoid formation in stroma-free sickle-cell hemoglobin solutions.
The Call of Wild Stories: Crossing Epistemological Borders with Narrative Fiction

This chapter explores the use of fiction in scholarship and teaching technique to foster epistemological border crossings between human and nonhuman worldviews. Drawing upon the work of the author, who has used fiction to critique the hidden colonial curriculum of zoos, this chapter is co-authored with one of his animal characters (a black bear named Sam). This chapter examines the meaning found in fictional analyses and suggests potential for understanding the animal through fictional voices that integrate complex theoretical and analytical traditions in curriculum studies and pedagogy. This chapter also references teaching work done with high school students at a zoo several years ago where the author employed fiction as a way to explore the meaning of the captive animal in the zoo.
Portable optical diagnostics for early malaria detection

Malaria remains a significant global health problem with nearly half of the world’s population living in malaria-endemic regions and more than 500,000 deaths from malaria and its complications each year. Although significant success has been achieved in malaria therapeutic development, accurate early-stage diagnosis of the disease remains a barrier to eradication, especially in low-resource areas. Optical microscopy and antibody-based diagnostic tests are commonly used for identifying the infected population. However, the cost and reliability of these methods in low-resource environments limit the efficacy and accuracy of malaria screening. In this work, we designed, built, and validated a portable optical diagnostic system for malaria detection. The system is based on the detection of Hemozoin, which is a magnetic nanoparticle byproduct of the parasite. Therefore, the presence of Hemozoin is indicative of malarial infection. Unlike all other naturally occurring materials in the blood, hemozoin is paramagnetic. This property is the foundation of our magneto-optic detection system. In our experiments, β-hematin (a mimic for hemozoin) is used to allow for the verification of our device without the need to handle malaria-infected samples. The system is optimized and tested with spherical iron oxide magnetic nanoparticles and β-hematin in different concentrations of PEG solutions. Finally, β-hematin in whole rabbit blood is detected with this system. Detection limits of <8.1 ng/mL (corresponding to <26 parasites/μL) in 500μL of blood are demonstrated. The threshold for early stage malaria infection is 100 parasites/μL. Therefore, the present system is easily able to detect within a clinically relevant range.
Modification of allergen-induced airway obstruction and bronchial hyperresponsiveness in the allergic rabbit by theophylline aerosol.

The effects of theophylline on allergen-induced airway obstruction and bronchial hyperresponsiveness were investigated in allergic rabbits. This allergic rabbit model was developed in our laboratory and stimulates the human model of allergic asthma in several aspects. Four allergic rabbits with hyperreactive airways were challenged with ragweed to elicit early- and late-phase asthmatic responses and subsequent increased airway responsiveness. Two to three weeks later, the rabbits received theophylline (5 mg/ml, nebulized for 3 min) prior to a second allergen challenge. Theophylline significantly inhibited the allergen-induced early- and late-phase asthmatic responses by 38% (P<0.05) and 49% (P<0.05), respectively. Further theophylline inhibited the allergen-induced increase in lung resistance by 42% (P<0.05) during the late-phase responses. Theophylline also inhibited the allergen-induced bronchial hyperresponsiveness by 39% (P<0.05) at 24h. These data suggest a potential anti-inflammatory effect of theophylline in preventing allergen-induced asthmatic responses and bronchial hyperresponsiveness.
Double Asteroid Redirection Test: The Earth Strikes Back

The NASA Double Asteroid Redirection Test (DART) is a technology demonstration mission that will test the kinetic impactor technique on a binary near-Earth asteroid system, Didymos. Didymos is an ideal target, since the 780 m primary, Didymos A, is well characterized, and the 163 m secondary, Didymos B, is sufficiently small to allow measurement of the kinetic deflection. Didymos also represents the population of Near Earth Objects that are the asteroids most likely to pose a near-term threat to Earth. Scheduled to launch in June 2021, the DART spacecraft will autonomously intercept Didymos B in October 2022, altering the orbit period of Didymos B with respect to Didymos A. The impact will occur when the Earth-Didymos range is close enough to allow observation by Earth-based optical and radio telescopes. The spacecraft will be guided to the impact by its on-board autonomous real-time system Small-body Maneuvering Autonomous Real-Time Navigation (SMART Nav). In addition, DART is carrying a 6U CubeSat provided by Agenzia Spaziale Italiana (ASI). The CubeSat will provide imagery documentation of the impact, as well as in situ observation of the impact site and resultant ejecta plume. The development is currently in Phase C, with mission Critical Design Review (CDR) planned for summer 2019. It is a substantial challenge to navigate the DART spacecraft to a hypervelocity impact with the Didymos secondary. The DART spacecraft will carry an ion propulsion system with the NASA Evolutionary Xenon Thruster Commercial (NEXT-C)engine, which provides flexibility in trajectory design to achieve the desired Didymos arrival conditions. The trajectory maximizes the asteroid deflection with an arrival velocity of 6 km/s relative to Didymos-B, while maintaining a proximity to Earth that allows both observation of the impact, and sufficient communication gain to recover imagery of the target upon the approach. Additionally, NEXT-C allows the mission an opportunity to fly by another asteroid and characterize SMART Nav performance seven months prior to its use for the Didymos impact. The DART spacecraft carries 22 m2 solar arrays to generate the ~3.5 kW needed to power the NEXT-C engine. These long arrays introduce substantial flexible body motion to the spacecraft. This motion must be managed carefully to maintain the DART narrow angle camera on the target asteroid, even while performing the necessary autonomous ΔV maneuvers required to intercept the target. Guidance to Didymos B is further complicated by having to switch targets late in the approach, as SMART Nav must target the primary asteroid initially, as the secondary is too small to be resolved by the narrow angle camera until ~1 hour prior to impact. Shadowing of both primary and secondary set by arrival lighting makes it challenging to impact at the center of Didymos B. The spacecraft streams images back to Earth in real time, up until impact.
Necessity and concerns beliefs and HIV medication adherence: a systematic review

According to the Necessity-Concerns Framework, beliefs about medication necessity and concerns are two core themes from diverse patient medication beliefs across chronic illnesses that may directly influence adherence. Past work has supported associations of necessity and concerns to adherence in the chronic disease literature and in HIV research. However, there has not been a focused review of the literature on associations of necessity and concerns to HIV medication adherence, nor on what variables may influence these associations. This systematic review synthesized findings from 26 studies regarding associations of necessity and concerns to HIV medication adherence. Both beliefs showed small, clinically significant effects on adherence. A subset of studies identified perceptions of healthcare providers as determinants of necessity and concerns beliefs with indirect effects on adherence. Overall, necessity and concerns demonstrated clinically significant associations to adherence among people with HIV.
Mobile Switch Control Using Auditory and Haptic Steady State Response in Ear-EEG

Applications that interact with external devices such as robotic arm or wheelchair by employing Brain Computer Interfaces (BCIs) have recently emerged as potential aid in rehabilitation of those affected by neurodegenerative disorders such as Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) or Locked In Syndrome (LIS). Traditional monitoring of neural activity using uncomfortable electrode array helmets has been replaced with unobtrusive, robust and user friendly brain wave acquisition involving dry electrodes placed in the ear. In this study, haptic and auditory stimuli are used to elicit electroencephalographic (EEG) responses. These signals are in turn used to operate an iOS device using standard accessibility features in the operating system.
Understanding the adhesion properties of carbon nanotube, asphalt binder, and mineral aggregates at the nanoscale: a molecular dynamics study

The adhesion properties of mineral aggregates (SiO2) and carbon nanotube (CNT) are estimated and compared with CNT-saturate, asphaltene, resin, and aromatic (SARA), SARA-SiO2 , and Graphene-SARA us...
Butterflies Across the Globe: A Synthesis of the Current Status and Characteristics of Monarch (Danaus plexippus) Populations Worldwide

Recent declines in the migratory North American populations of monarchs (Danaus plexippus) have necessitated efforts to evaluate the current status of the species, including worldwide populations. While monarchs originate from North America and may be ancestrally migratory, they have expanded throughout many parts of the world over the past 200 years. Most of these newer populations no longer migrate and face a variety of threats across a wide range of habitats, but we lack a comprehensive review of locations and characteristics of these worldwide populations. We thus delineated the current range of monarchs and their status throughout the world, recording over 90 countries, islands, and island groups where monarchs occur (74 with recent documented sightings) and known features of these populations. We discuss the major differences between these populations, focusing on morphology, migration, overwintering, natural enemies, larval diet, and genetics. The differences documented here provide the species with adaptive capacity, thus better allowing the species to adapt to novel changes in its environment. We end with a discussion of current gaps in our understanding of monarchs worldwide and directions for future research.
Emotion Words' Effect on Visual Awareness and Attention of Emotional Faces

To explore whether the meaning of a word changes visual processing of emotional faces (i.e., visual awareness and visual attention), we performed two complementary studies. In Experiment 1, we presented participants with emotion and control words and then tracked their visual awareness for two competing emotional faces using a binocular rivalry paradigm. Participants experienced the emotional face congruent with the emotion word for longer than a word-incongruent emotional face, as would be expected if the word was biasing awareness toward the (unseen) face. In Experiment 2, we similarly presented participants with emotion and control words prior to presenting emotional faces using a divided visual field paradigm. Emotion words were congruent with either the emotional face in the right or left visual field. After the presentation of faces, participants saw a dot in either the left or right visual field. Participants were slower to identify the location of the dot when it appeared in the same visual field as the emotional face congruent with the emotion word. The effect was limited to the left hemisphere (RVF), as would be expected for linguistic integration of the word with the face. Since the task was not linguistic, but rather a simple dot-probe task, participants were slower in their responses under these conditions because they likely had to disengage from the additional linguistic processing caused by the word-face integration. These findings indicate that emotion words bias visual awareness for congruent emotional faces, as well as shift attention toward congruent emotional faces.
Clinical Entities Association Rules (CLEAR): Untangling Clinical Notes in Electronic Health Records

Clinical notes make a large part of Electronic Health Records (EHR). While applying large and automated analysis on unstructured clinical notes can be much more complex than on structured data, it can potentially provide better support and information for medical decision-making. In this paper, we propose a methodology to identify clinical entities and their associations that are widely exist across multiple types of clinical notes. The focus of this research is to discover patterns of significant relationships amongst clinical entities, such as treatments, tests, and diagnoses, particularly in clinical notes within EHR. Extracting clinical entities associations from clinical notes is a crucial task for many applications in clinical and public health informatics. We utilize population-level data to discover knowledge sets which can help health providers during their assessments for patients. We incorporate Natural Language Processing, text mining, and weighted association rule mining techniques in building a pipeline to transform clinical notes into knowledge set. Our preliminary results with proposed weighted clinical transactional itemset representation show promising results in identifying strongly related clinical entities. We evaluated our results with labeled data from a healthcare professional with an accuracy of 98.3% on the relevancy task and 54.4% of rules are labeled as interesting and worth further clinical investigation. We discovered patterns of patients developing secondary problems during their length of stay at a hospital.
Citrus Pest Quick Guide: Brown Soft Scale

A one-page quick guide written by Lauren M. Diepenbrock and Jamie D. Burrow and published by the Entomology and Nematology Department presents the life cycle of brown soft scale and provides several photos of the pest and the damage it causes to assist in identification. https://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/in1252
Childhood maltreatment and adult's provisions of emotional support given to family, friends, and romantic partners: An examination of gender differences.

Abstract Background Research has established that childhood maltreatment is associated with interpersonal problems across the life course. Less is known regarding how maltreatment is linked with adult’s provision of emotional support to their family members, friends, and romantic partners. Objective To examine how maltreatment severity is associated with adult’s provisions of emotional support to family members, friends, and romantic partners and examine differences between men and women. Participants and setting A sample of 1255 adults (56 % women) was collected between 2005 and 2009. Methods Data are from the National Survey of Midlife Development in the United States (MIDUS). Participants completed retrospective survey reports of childhood maltreatment and current provision of emotional support provided to family members, friends, and romantic partners. Results Using hierarchical regression analysis, childhood maltreatment was negatively associated with provisions of emotional support provided to family members (b = -0.013, p .05.) Conclusion Childhood maltreatment contributes to less provision of emotional support to family members, friends, and spouses for both men and women and is particularly detrimental for men. Clinical Implications are discussed.