cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Optimizing Radiation Doses for Computed Tomography Across Institutions: Dose Auditing and Best Practices.

Importance Radiation doses for computed tomography (CT) vary substantially across institutions. Objective To assess the impact of institutional-level audit and collaborative efforts to share best practices on CT radiation doses across 5 University of California (UC) medical centers. Design, Setting, and Participants In this before/after interventional study, we prospectively collected radiation dose metrics on all diagnostic CT examinations performed between October 1, 2013, and December 31, 2014, at 5 medical centers. Using data from January to March (baseline), we created audit reports detailing the distribution of radiation dose metrics for chest, abdomen, and head CT scans. In April, we shared reports with the medical centers and invited radiology professionals from the centers to a 1.5-day in-person meeting to review reports and share best practices. Main Outcomes and Measures We calculated changes in mean effective dose 12 weeks before and after the audits and meeting, excluding a 12-week implementation period when medical centers could make changes. We compared proportions of examinations exceeding previously published benchmarks at baseline and following the audit and meeting, and calculated changes in proportion of examinations exceeding benchmarks. Results Of 158 274 diagnostic CT scans performed in the study period, 29 594 CT scans were performed in the 3 months before and 32 839 CT scans were performed 12 to 24 weeks after the audit and meeting. Reductions in mean effective dose were considerable for chest and abdomen. Mean effective dose for chest CT decreased from 13.2 to 10.7 mSv (18.9% reduction; 95% CI, 18.0%-19.8%). Reductions at individual medical centers ranged from 3.8% to 23.5%. The mean effective dose for abdominal CT decreased from 20.0 to 15.0 mSv (25.0% reduction; 95% CI, 24.3%-25.8%). Reductions at individual medical centers ranged from 10.8% to 34.7%. The number of CT scans that had an effective dose measurement that exceeded benchmarks was reduced considerably by 48% and 54% for chest and abdomen, respectively. After the audit and meeting, head CT doses varied less, although some institutions increased and some decreased mean head CT doses and the proportion above benchmarks. Conclusions and Relevance Reviewing institutional doses and sharing dose-optimization best practices resulted in lower radiation doses for chest and abdominal CT and more consistent doses for head CT.
MIF family cytokines in cardiovascular diseases and prospects for precision-based therapeutics

Introduction: Macrophage migration inhibitory factor (MIF) is a pleiotropic cytokine with chemokine-like functions that increasingly is being studied in different aspects of cardiovascular disease....
Elimination of huntingtin in the adult mouse leads to progressive behavioral deficits, bilateral thalamic calcification, and altered brain iron homeostasis.

Huntington’s Disease (HD) is an autosomal dominant progressive neurodegenerative disorder characterized by cognitive, behavioral and motor dysfunctions. HD is caused by a CAG repeat expansion in exon 1 of the HD gene that is translated into an expanded polyglutamine tract in the encoded protein, huntingtin (HTT). While the most significant neuropathology of HD occurs in the striatum, other brain regions are also affected and play an important role in HD pathology. To date there is no cure for HD, and recently strategies aiming at silencing HTT expression have been initiated as possible therapeutics for HD. However, the essential functions of HTT in the adult brain are currently unknown and hence the consequence of sustained suppression of HTT expression is unpredictable and can potentially be deleterious. Using the Cre-loxP system of recombination, we conditionally inactivated the mouse HD gene homologue at 3, 6 and 9 months of age. Here we show that elimination of Htt expression in the adult mouse results in behavioral deficits, progressive neuropathological changes including bilateral thalamic calcification, and altered brain iron homeostasis.
Strain expansion-reduction approach

Abstract Validating numerical models are one of the main aspects of engineering design. However, correlating million degrees of freedom of numerical models to the few degrees of freedom of test models is challenging. Reduction/expansion approaches have been traditionally used to match these degrees of freedom. However, the conventional reduction/expansion approaches are only limited to displacement, velocity or acceleration data. While in many cases only strain data are accessible (e.g. when a structure is monitored using strain-gages), the conventional approaches are not capable of expanding strain data. To bridge this gap, the current paper outlines a reduction/expansion technique to reduce/expand strain data. In the proposed approach, strain mode shapes of a structure are extracted using the finite element method or the digital image correlation technique. The strain mode shapes are used to generate a transformation matrix that can expand the limited set of measurement data. The proposed approach can be used to correlate experimental and analytical strain data. Furthermore, the proposed technique can be used to expand real-time operating data for structural health monitoring (SHM). In order to verify the accuracy of the approach, the proposed technique was used to expand the limited set of real-time operating data in a numerical model of a cantilever beam subjected to various types of excitations. The proposed technique was also applied to expand real-time operating data measured using a few strain gages mounted to an aluminum beam. It was shown that the proposed approach can effectively expand the strain data at limited locations to accurately predict the strain at locations where no sensors were placed.
Characteristics of knowledge content in a curated online evidence library.

Objective To describe types of recommendations represented in a curated online evidence library, report on the quality of evidence-based recommendations pertaining to diagnostic imaging exams, and assess underlying knowledge representation. Materials and Methods The evidence library is populated with clinical decision rules, professional society guidelines, and locally developed best practice guidelines. Individual recommendations were graded based on a standard methodology and compared using chi-square test. Strength of evidence ranged from grade 1 (systematic review) through grade 5 (recommendations based on expert opinion). Finally, variations in the underlying representation of these recommendations were identified. Results The library contains 546 individual imaging-related recommendations. Only 15% (16/106) of recommendations from clinical decision rules were grade 5 vs 83% (526/636) from professional society practice guidelines and local best practice guidelines that cited grade 5 studies (P < .0001). Minor head trauma, pulmonary embolism, and appendicitis were topic areas supported by the highest quality of evidence. Three main variations in underlying representations of recommendations were "single-decision," "branching," and "score-based." Discussion Most recommendations were grade 5, largely because studies to test and validate many recommendations were absent. Recommendation types vary in amount and complexity and, accordingly, the structure and syntax of statements they generate. However, they can be represented in single-decision, branching, and score-based representations. Conclusion In a curated evidence library with graded imaging-based recommendations, evidence quality varied widely, with decision rules providing the highest-quality recommendations. The library may be helpful in highlighting evidence gaps, comparing recommendations from varied sources on similar clinical topics, and prioritizing imaging recommendations to inform clinical decision support implementation.
Cryospheric science: Muddying Greenland's meltwaters

Satellite measurements indicate that Greenland's meltwater rivers are exporting one billion tons of sediment annually, a process that is controlled by the sliding rate of glaciers. This rate is nearly 10% of the fluvial sediment discharge to the ocean.
Seasonal Influenza Vaccine Acceptance among Pregnant Women in Zhejiang Province, China: Evidence Based on Health Belief Model

Background: Reasons for acceptance of seasonal influenza vaccine (SIV) vaccination among pregnant women in China are poorly understood. We assessed the intention to accept SIV among pregnant women in Zhejiang province, by using a self-administrated structured questionnaire developed on the basis of health belief model (HBM). Methods: From 1 January to 31 March 2014, pregnant women with ≥12 gestational weeks who attended antenatal clinics (ANCs) at public hospitals in 6 out of 90 districts were surveyed using a self-administered questionnaire that covered knowledge, attitudes, and beliefs related to SIV vaccination and influenza infection. We examined the associations between the acceptance of SIV vaccination and the demographic factors and HBM constructs using the logistic regression model, calculating the adjusted odds ratio (AOR). Results: Of the 1252 participants, 76.28% were willing to receive the SIV vaccination during their current pregnancy. High levels of perceived susceptibility of influenza (AOR = 1.75 (95%CI: 1.36-2.08)), high levels of perceived severity of influenza (AOR = 1.62 (95%CI: 1.25-1.95)), high level of perceived benefits of vaccination (AOR = 1.97 (95%CI: 1.76-2.21)), and high levels of cues to action were positively associated with the acceptance of SIV vaccination among pregnant women (AOR = 2.03 (95%CI: 1.70-2.69)), while high level of perceived barriers of vaccination was a negative determinant (AOR = 0.76 (95%CI: 0.62-0.94)). Conclusions: Poor knowledge and negative attitude towards SIV were associated with the poor acceptance of SIV. Health providers' recommendations were important to pregnant women's acceptance of SIV. Health education and direct communication strategies on SIV vaccination and influenza infection are necessary to improve the acceptance of SIV vaccination among pregnant women.
Abstract LB-250: Oncogenic activation of mitochondrial phosphocreatine energy shuttle creates a druggable metabolic liability in cancer cells

Many important metabolic processes such as energy homeostasis, regulation of reactive oxygen species (ROS) levels, production of signaling metabolites, and synthesis of precursors for macromolecules occur in mitochondria of cancer cells. However, targeting mitochondrial metabolism in cancer has been challenging due to toxicity in normal cells, which also depend on mitochondrial metabolism. Therefore, identification of tumor specific mitochondrial metabolic alterations would be crucial to develop drugs that can selectively target cancer cells while sparing normal tissue. Here, by using targeted metabolite profiling and mitochondria-specific phospho-proteomics approach, we identified Mitochondrial Creatine Kinase (MtCK) 1 as a metabolic target in HER2+ breast cancer cells. We show that the oncogenic HER2-ABL axis stabilizes MtCK1 through tyrosine 153 (Y153) phosphorylation to activate the PCr energy shuttle pathway that transfers ATP from mitochondria to cytosol. Inhibition of the PCr energy shuttle pathway either by genetically depleting MtCK1 or by pharmacologically with a creatine analogue cyclocreatine, decreases proliferation of trastuzumab-sensitive and -resistant HER2+ cancer cells and reduces tumor growth in vivo without obvious toxicity. These findings suggest that, once ATP is produced in the mitochondria, it is equally important for breast cancer cells to transfer this energy from mitochondria to the cytosol for maintenance of various biochemical processes and tumor growth. In summary, our study reveals MtCK1 stabilization by Y153 phosphorylation as a key molecular mechanism underlying the intersection between oncogenic HER2 signaling and mitochondrial energy metabolism, which creates a druggable metabolic vulnerability in cancer. Since cyclocreatine has been used as a dietary sport supplement, cyclocreatine might be able to inhibit trastuzumab-resistant tumors with much less toxicity in patients as compared to conventional anticancer drugs. Citation Format: Taro Hitosugi, Kiran Kurmi. Oncogenic activation of mitochondrial phosphocreatine energy shuttle creates a druggable metabolic liability in cancer cells [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the American Association for Cancer Research Annual Meeting 2018; 2018 Apr 14-18; Chicago, IL. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2018;78(13 Suppl):Abstract nr LB-250.
Affinity Chromatography on Inorganic Support Materials

Inorganic support materials have been used for chromatography for over 75 years. However, it has only been within the last 25 years that these materials have been applied to affinity separations in which the affinity ligand is covalently bonded to the support. This chapter will cover the application of inorganic silicas and metal oxides for coupling to ligands of various types for the isolation and purification of antigens, antibodies, enzymes, nucleic acids, and related species. Ion chromatography or the use of hydrocarbon-bonded phases for protein isolations will not be covered here, nor will the application of ion exchange as a separation and purification method on inorganic supports.
Relationship Between Acoustic and Mechanical Properties of Two Marine Clays

Marine clay samples from two geographic locations were tested in a triaxial-acoustic testing chamber. This chamber was equipped with piezoelectric benders and thickness expanding disks in the end caps for the generation and reception of shear and compressional waves respectively. The chamber design facilitated both triaxial strength and acoustic measurements to be made on a particular sample without disturbing the test set-up. The acoustic data was digitized and processed for time delay assessment for velocity determination. Staged triaxial tests were used to maximize information from each sample. Measurements were made both under increasing consolidation pressure and during rebound. Preliminary analysis indicate that the relationship between undrained shear strength and shear wave velocity is both material and stress history dependent.
Optical Spectroscopic Methods for the Analysis of Biological Macromolecules

The interaction of light with macromolecules is used in multiple different ways in the life sciences. These interactions can be exploited to learn about the structure, stability, and function of proteins and nucleic acids. In this chapter we cover analysis of macromolecules, primarily at equilibrium, by UV absorbance, circular dichroism, fluorescence, Fourier transform infrared, and Raman spectroscopies, and light scattering. A brief description of the underlying theory and some examples of applications are provided for each technique.
Going Back to School: A University-Middle School Civics Partnership

In 2007, Colby et al. insisted that, “higher education can - and should - do more to prepare college students for responsible democratic participation” (p. 276). Many institutions responded to that rallying call and sought to use the collegiate environment to encourage community and civic engagement activities. In many cases, the universities sought to expand their curricula, to emphasize internships, and to refine their mission statements and university strategic plans to take into consideration the new focus on engagement. These efforts proved largely fruitful but often relied on creating discipline specific community partnerships that did little to bridge disciplinary divisions or to reach out beyond traditional partners. Elementary and secondary schools are routinely utilized by teacher preparation programs as sites in which the university students can hone their skills while providing a free educational resource to the younger students. Rarely, however, do other university academic departments seek partnerships with these institutions. And yet, while institutions of higher education adapted their curricula in response to the call for greater levels of community engagement and established reward processes for engagement work, elementary and secondary schools were in the midst of a serious civic crisis. Schools eliminated their civics courses and dramatically decreased their instruction in social studies as well in response to the narrow focus on math and language arts in the No Child Left Behind requirements, the demands of the accountability movement in education, and budget shortfalls in school districts. These school districts found that social studies and civics education were luxuries that they could little afford. Thus, just as institutions of higher education were attempting to reinvigorate their own engagement with the community and develop reciprocal relationships with their community partners, elementary and middle schools were looking for opportunities to bring civics and engagement into the classroom at little cost to them. This paper will examine one engagement model that may prove useful to other campuses wrestling with the same issues of reciprocity and engagement and highlight some of the challenges and benefits to such work.
The Fundamental of Electrodynamics

Electromagnetism is one of the four fundamental interactions of nature, along with strong interactions, weak interactions, and gravitation. It is the force that causes electrically charged particles to interact; the areas in which this happens are called electromagnetic fields. Electromagnetism is the force responsible for practically all the phenomena encountered in daily life (with the exception of gravity). Ordinary matter takes its form as a result of intermolecular forces in matter.
Spotlight on headache.

The current issue of Neurology ® Clinical Practice reflects many of the exciting changes in headache medicine that are transforming the field and setting the stage for a new chapter in the diagnosis and treatment of the broad range of conditions that cause headache. This editorial will address 3 major themes that cut across the articles in this issue: secondary headaches, emerging treatments for primary headaches, and improving outcomes in neurologic practice for people with migraine.
Why is applying to fellowship so difficult

Students at all stages of their medical careers rely on the internet to research programs during the application process to help them learn and make educated decisions. In fact, studies with prospective emergency medicine residents have shown that the quality of information online can even impact an applicant decision to apply. Fellowship program information on institutional websites in the fields of pediatrics, orthopedics surgery, and sports medicine have been studied each highlighting poor content and accessibility of information within the domains of program information, application process and educational curriculum. In this call to action, we aim to shed light on the content and accessibility of information on Maternal Fetal Medicine (MFM) fellowship program websites and discuss the benefits of further centralizing and standardizing program information.
Capturing the patient voice: implementing patient-reported outcomes across the health system.

Supporting the capture and use of patient-reported outcomes (PROs) at the point-of-care enriches information about important clinical and quality of life outcomes. Yet the ability to scale PROs across healthcare systems has been limited by knowledge gaps around how to manage the diversity of PRO uses and leverage health information technology. In this study, we report learnings and practice insights from UW Medicine’s practice transformation efforts to incorporate patient voice into multiple areas of care. Using a participatory, action research approach, we engaged with UW Medicine clinical and administrative stakeholders experienced with PRO implementation to inventory PRO implementations across the health system, characterize common clinical uses for PROs, and develop recommendations for system-wide governance and implementation of PROs. We identified a wide breadth of PRO implementations (n = 14) in practice and found that nearly half (47%) of employed PRO measures captured shared clinical domains (e.g., depression). We developed three vignettes (use cases) that illustrate how users interact with PROs, characterize common ways PRO implementations support clinical care across the health system (1) Preventive care, (2) Chronic/Specialty care, and (3) Surgical/Interventional care), and elucidate opportunities to enhance efficient PRO implementations through system-level standards and governance. Practice transformation efforts increasingly require integration of the patient voice into clinical care, often through the use of PROs. Learnings from our work highlight the importance of proactively considering how PROs will be used across the layers of healthcare organizations to optimize the design and governance of PROs.
On the existence and stability of equilibria in N-firm Cournot–Bertrand oligopolies

This paper takes a novel approach to studying the existence and stability of Nash equilibria in N-firm Cournot–Bertrand oligopolies. First, we show that such games can be monotonically embedded into a game of strategic heterogeneity, so that each firm best responds to the choices of all other firms in a monotonic way. We then show that this monotonicity can be exploited to derive conditions which guarantee the existence of a unique, dominance solvable Nash equilibrium which is stable under all adaptive dynamics. These conditions constitute a strict improvement over existing results in the literature. Finally, we examine the effect on these conditions resulting from additional firms entering the market.
Comparison of pregnancy results between intrauterine insemination and intracervical insemination

Objective To compare the difference of outcomes between intrauterine insemination (IUI) and intracervical insemination (ICI) with donor’s semen. Methods In this retrospective study, 325 patients were treated with 548 cycles artificial insemination with donor semen (AID) during the period from January 2015 to August 2016 in assisted reproductive technology research unit of Fujian maternity and children health hospital of Fujian medical university. Totally 200 cases including 360 cycles of ICI, and 125 cases including 188 cycles of IUI were performed and their pregnancy outcome were compared respectively. Results The total pregnancy rates, the pregnancy rates of natural treatment cycle, the pregnancy rates of ovarian stimulation treatment cycle and miscarriage rates in ICI groups were 14.74%, 18.54%, 10.71%, 11.76% and in IUI groups were 28.49%, 32.04%, 23.68%, 5.88%, respectively. The comparative difference between the two groups was significant (P<0.05). Conclusion Insemination parts may be one of the key factors influencing the AID successful pregnancy, IUI may improve the pregnancy outcome of AID. Key words: Artificial insemination with donor semen (AID); Intrauterine insemination (IUI); Intracervical insemination (ICI); Pregnancy rate
Large deformability of Mg alloys produced by confinement to the nanoscale in one dimension

We report a transition to large-strain, multi-slip plasticity in Mg alloys resulting from refinement of a single dimension of the deformation geometry to the ∼ 100 nm-scale. Basal-slip-dominated st...
Detecting anticipatory information in speech with signal chopping

Abstract Most analyses of articulatory processes in speech assume that word form-related changes in the state of the vocal tract have well-defined beginnings and ends. But how do we determine the precise moments in time when these beginnings and ends occur? More specifically, when should we expect information related to the sound categories of a word to be present in acoustic and articulatory signals? The framework of Articulatory Phonology/Task Dynamics predicts that the earliest time such information becomes available is when the first articulatory gesture of a word becomes active, which closely corresponds to when a movement is initiated. Alternatively, a recent extension of the Articulatory Phonology model holds that gestures may have an influence on the state of the vocal tract after they have been retrieved from memory, but before they become active and before canonical movement initiation. This paper presents evidence that indeed, anticipatory information is available much earlier than is typically assumed: the identity of a syllable onset gesture can be predicted from articulatory and acoustic data quite early, in some cases nearly half a second before movement initiation. Likewise, the identity of a coda gesture can be predicted during the period of time typically associated with an onset consonant. These findings were obtained with a novel analysis method called signal chopping which was paired with deep neural network based classification. In this approach articulatory and acoustic signals are systematically truncated in space and time, and a network training/test procedure is repeated on the chopped signals. By analyzing the effects of chopping on classification accuracy, gesture-specific information can be spatiotemporally localized.
Meta-atom library generation via an efficient multi-objective shape optimization method

Optimizing the shape of metasurface unit cells can lead to tremendous performance gains in several critically important areas. This paper presents a method of generating and optimizing freeform shapes to improve efficiency and achieve multiple metasurface functionalities (e.g., different polarization responses). The designs are generated using a three-dimensional surface contour method, which can produce an extensive range of nearly arbitrary shapes using only a few variables. Unlike gradient-based topology optimization, the proposed method is compatible with existing global optimization techniques that have been shown to significantly outperform local optimization algorithms, especially in complex and multimodal design spaces.
From Measures of Association to Multilevel Models: Sociology Journals and the Quantitative Literacy Gap:

While most sociology majors must take a statistics course, the content of this course varies widely across departments. Starting from the assumption that sociology students should be able to engage...
Tax Without Cash

This Article documents and evaluates tax obligations paid without cash, referred to as “in-kind tax paying.” Such forms of tax paying include paying federal income taxes by remitting a used, flatbed truck to the IRS, paying local property taxes by working a few hours a month answering phones at city hall, and paying state excise taxes by conveying a proportion of all seashells farmed within a state to that state. These are not just hypotheticals, but forms of in-kind tax paying that occur in the United States throughout periods when many taxes are also paid in cash. Nevertheless, despite its long history and prevalence, in-kind tax paying has been underexplored as a viable, and potentially appealing, form of tax remittance. By providing an original taxonomy of in-kind tax paying within a cash economy, this Article makes three contributions. First, it improves our definition of tax paying by identifying the wide variety of in-kind remittances that occur in our current tax system. Second, it refutes the tacit presumption that in-kind remittance of tax obligations is not viable, thus expanding the tax tools available to local, state, and federal governments and demonstrating how narrow presumptions about tax remittance have predetermined core tax policy choices. Third, it confronts the substantial dangers of in-kind tax paying, using these risks to propose new principles for limiting the design and administration of in-kind tax paying. This Article concludes that in-kind tax paying is a viable form of tax remittance even within cash economies, in-kind tax paying remains widely in use, and, under some circumstances, elective in-kind tax paying can be preferable to cash tax exclusivity.
Closed Incisional Negative Pressure Therapy Significantly Reduces Early Wound Dehiscence after Reduction Mammaplasty.

Background Closed incisional negative pressure therapy (ciNPT) has been shown to improve surgical outcomes. Functional reduction mammaplasty has a wound dehiscence rate of 25% and higher in most series, requiring extra care and delayed secondary healing. We aimed to determine if shifting from standard care dressings to ciNPT reduced early dehiscence after breast reduction. Methods This multisurgeon retrospective study compared consecutive patients undergoing primary breast reduction dressed with ciNPT to similar patients with standard dressing materials. Perioperative management was otherwise unchanged. Early dehiscence was defined as incisional disruption requiring wound care within the first 30 postoperative days. Statistical analyses were performed using t-test and Fisher exact test. Results We analyzed 79 patients with 158 breasts (114 standard and 44 ciNPT). Both groups were similar. Mean ages were 35 and 34 years; body mass index, 28.5 and 27.4 kg/m2; and reduction volumes, 565 and 610 g, respectively. None were active smokers, and 9.5% were former smokers. Wise pattern skin incisions were used in all, and parenchymal resections mostly utilized superomedial pedicles. Median ciNPT treatment was 6 days. Early dehiscence was significantly lower with ciNPT, occurring in only 1 of 44 (2%) breasts, compared to 16 of 114 in the standard group (14%), P = 0.003, a relative risk reduction of 84%. Two control patients required debridement, whereas none of the ciNPT patients did. Conclusion Application of ciNPT markedly decreased early dehiscence requiring wound care, compared to using standard dressings, in otherwise similarly risk-stratified breast reduction patients.
Full Disclosure: Revisiting Authorship and 'Changing the Subject'

This brief essay follows up on responses by Leslie Dorrough Smith and Matt K. Sheedy to Changing the Subject: Writing Women across the African Diaspora. In it, I revisit the issue of authorship and some of the processes of disclosure that lie therein, a question approached in various ways by Sheedy (more directly) and Dorrough Smith (more broadly/thematically).
Combining MTSS and Community-Based Mentoring Programs

In the United States, schools provide a large portion of child and adolescent mental health services; however, systems are restricted by resource and workforce shortages while the need for services...
THE ROLE OF RETAINED PARTICLES IN DEEP BED FILTRATION

A model is formulated for the development of head loss and removal efficiency during filtration by packed beds, based on the postulate that some retained particles can act as filter media and thereby improve filtration efficiency. The model is calibrated and tested using data from laboratory filters. Small suspended particles are shown to produce much greater head losses than larger particles. The effects of suspended particle size and concentration, pretreatment by flocculation, and media size on removal efficiency and head loss are discussed.
Data split strategies for evolving predictive models

A conventional textbook prescription for building good predictive models is to split the data into three parts: training set (for model fitting), validation set (for model selection), and test set (for final model assessment). Predictive models can potentially evolve over time as developers improve their performance either by acquiring new data or improving the existing model. The main contribution of this paper is to discuss problems encountered and propose workflows to manage the allocation of newly acquired data into different sets in such dynamic model building and updating scenarios. Specifically we propose three different workflows (parallel dump, serial waterfall, and hybrid) for allocating new data into the existing training, validation, and test splits. Particular emphasis is laid on avoiding the bias due to the repeated use of the existing validation or the test set.
On the Use of Computational Models of Influence for Managing Interactive Virtual Experiences

We highlight some of the characteristics of existing technical approaches to the management of interactive experiences and motivate computational models of influence , a technique we are developing to aid drama managers in the persuasion of players to make decisions that are consistent with an author's goals. Many of the existing approaches to managing interactive experiences have focused on the physical manipulation of the environment, but we argue instead for the use of theories from social psychology and behavioral economics to affect the adoption of specific goals by the player.
Lipid composition of the electron transport membrane of Haemophilus parainfluenzae.

Abstract The principal lipids associated with the electron transport membrane of Haemophilus parainfluenzae are phosphatidylethanolamine (78%), phosphatidylmonomethylethanolamine (0.4%), phosphatidylglycerol (18%), phosphatidylcholine (0.4%), phosphatidylserine (0.4%), phosphatidic acid (0.2%), and cardiolipin (3.0%). Phospholipids account for 98.4% of the extractible fatty acids. There are no glycolipids, plasmalogens, alkyl ethers, or lipo amino acid esters in the membrane lipids. Glycerol phosphate esters derived from the phospholipids by mild alkaline methanolysis were identified by their staining reactions, mobility on paper and ion-exchange column chromatography, and by the molar glycerol to phosphate ratios. Eleven diacyl phospholipids can be separated by two-dimensional thin-layer chromatography. Each lipid served as a substrate for phospholipase D, and had a fatty acid to phosphate ratio of 2:1. Each separated diacyl phospholipid was deacylated and the glycerol phosphate ester was identified by paper chromatography in four solvent systems. Of the 11 separated phospholipids, 3 were phosphatidylethanolamines, 2 were phosphatidylserines, and 2 were phosphatidylglycerols. Phosphatidylcholine, cardiolipin, and phosphatidic acid were found at a single location. Phosphatidylmonomethylethanolamine was found with the major phosphatidylethanolamine. Three distinct classes of phospholipids are separable according to their relative fatty acid compositions. (i) The trace lipids consist of two phosphatidylethanolamines, two phosphatidylserines, phosphatidylcholine, phosphatidic acid, and a phosphatidylglycerol. Each lipid represents less than 0.3% of the total lipid phosphate. These lipids are characterized by high proportions of the short (C10 to C14) and long (C19 to C22) fatty acids with practically no palmitoleic acid. (ii) The major phospholipids (93% of the lipid phosphate) are phosphatidylethanolamine, phosphatidylmonomethylethanolamine, and phosphatidylglycerol. These lipids contain a low proportion of the short ( C19) fatty acids. Palmitic and palmitoleic acids represent over 80% of the total fatty acids. (iii) The fatty acid composition of the cardiolipin is intermediate between the other two classes. Both palmitoleic and the longer fatty acids represent a significant proportion of the total fatty acid.
Sensing IGBT junction temperature using gate drive output transient properties

Insulated Gate Bipolar Transistor (IGBT) junction temperature sensing is normally achieved with a temperature detector. To optimize accuracy, the temperature detectors are placed very close to the power semiconductor chip or embedded on the power semiconductor die. This is inconvenient for power integration and requires further consideration for high voltage, high current, EMI protection, and the detector's thermal-mechanical stress. This paper presents a non-invasive method that integrates junction temperature sensing into the IGBT gate drive and enables high bandwidth sensing. In order to demonstrate the IGBT junction temperature sensing, an IGBT power module is implemented in an H-bridge, and driven by four push-pull type gate drives. The gate drive switching transient properties are used for IGBT junction temperature estimation. The “gate drive-IGBT” switching properties are modeled to explain the junction-temperature-dependent gate drive output dynamics. A hardware implementation for IGBT junction temperature extraction is provided. Experimental results are compared with circuit Spice model simulation.
A Reactivated Back-Arc Source for CAMP Magma

Although several Mesozoic magma types are found within the geographic boundaries of CAMP, magmatic activity peaked during the extrusion of basalt characterized by 1 wt. % TiO 2 and a uniform composition that is found on each of the circum-Atlantic continents. Other CAMP magmas pre-date or post-date this peak CAMP event or are confined to restricted portion of the province. Evidence is presented indicating that most CAMP basalt is the product of decompression induced eutectic melting of a back-arc source that had been dormant since Paleozoic magmatism associated with the assembly of Pangea. The composition of most CAMP basalt is unlike OIB, plume, hot -spot, N-MORB, or E-MORB magma types but resembles typical arc-related basalt and back-arc basin basalt in particular. Similarities to arc and back-arc basalts include a distinct negative Nb anomaly and overlapping lines plotted on silicate earth normalized spider diagrams. The uniform composition of CAMP basalt indicates that fractionation and contamination played only minor roles and that CAMP magma was quickly generated and extruded during the break-up of Pangea. The composition of CAMP basalt also closely resembles Paleozoic volcanics that stratigraphically underlie Eastern North American CAMP flows including the Ordovician Ammonoosuc and Partridge Formations and the Silurian Newbury and Lieghton Formations that were extruded onto arcs and back-arc basins during the assembly of Pangea. The enriched mantle involved in the Paleozoic magmatism remained trapped under the Laurentian - Gondwana suture until early Jurassic extentional tectonism forced renewed melting.
Bis-(2-chloroethyl)phosphoramidic Dichloride

[127-88-8] C4H8Cl4NOP (MW 258.90) InChI = 1S/C4H8Cl4NOP/c5-1-3-9(4-2-6)11(7,8)10/h1-4H2 InChIKey = IQPMYTNILJQKBS-UHFFFAOYSA-N (reagent used in condensation reactions to form cyclophosphamide derivatives, bis(2-arylaminoethyl)amines, and various p-sugars) Alternate Name: (N,N-di-2-chloroethyl) phosphoramidic dichloride; bis(2-chloroethyl)aminophosphoric dichloride; bis(2- chloroethyl)aminophosphoryl dichloride; bis(2-chloroethyl) phosphoramidic dichloride; N,N-bis(2-chloroethyl)phosph- amide dichloride; N,N-bis(2-chloroethyl)phosphoramidic dichloride. Physical Data: mp 53–57 °C; bp 110–114 °C/0.1 MM. Preparative Methods: can be prepared by heating bis-(β-chloroethyl)amine hydrochloride at reflux with excess phosphorus oxychloride and triethylamine. Purification: by distillation, and can be crystallized from acetone– petroleum ether. Handling, Storage, and Precautions: moist white crystals, air sensitive, corrosive, possible carcinogen, highly toxic, possible mutagen. Reacts violently with air, and should be handled and stored under nitrogen. Should be stored in a tightly sealed container in cool dry areas. Use in a fume hood and wear protective gloves, goggles, and clothing. May be fatal if inhaled, swallowed, or absorbed through skin. Irritant to upper respiratory tract, eyes, and skin.
Ethnic and Sex-Based Differentials In Background and Status Variables Among Faculties of Schools of Social Work

Abstract This paper examines ethnic and sex-based differentials in personal characteristics, educational background, professional experience, and current status in social work education among faculty in schools of social work. The data are presented for four subgroups: minority males, nonminority males, minority females, and nonminority females. The findings provide a basis to judge the social processes that result in status differentials between men and women social work educators. The focus on the interactional effects of ethnicity and sex makes it possible to analyze the contribution that each of these factors makes in determining bias.
Using 'The Apprentice' to Teach a Managerial Economics Course

The use of economic analysis has become increasingly important for decision making in the business environment. Students who can demonstrate their ability to think analytically by applying economic concepts to business decisions are an attractive asset to many firms. As educators, we often look for ways to help students acquire the skills they will need in their future careers. This paper describes a game based on the television show "The Apprentice" that promotes the development of these skills. More specifically, this interactive game is meant to be used as a supplement to the traditional lecture style format of a managerial economics (or other business related) course. After assigning students to teams and giving them tasks to complete, students experience first-hand what it is like to make real-world business decisions. In addition, students have the opportunity to develop a variety of skills while applying what they learn in the game to class material. Furthermore, students will begin to understand what it is like to be held accountable for their decisions as they face a boardroom situation in which some individuals will be fired. The main goal of this game is to create an active learning environment that is conducive to helping students develop analytical, leadership, communication, and entrepreneurial skills.
Effects of labor on placental fatty acid β oxidation.

Objective: To measure the effect labor exerts on fatty acid (FA) oxidation in term human placentas, and to compare enzymes expression and activity between placenta and liver. Methods: Placental samples were collected: (a) scheduled non-labored cesarean section and (b) normal vaginal delivery at or beyond 37 weeks. Long and medium-chain FA oxidation were measured using 3H-labeled FA, ATP concentration was measured via commercial kit. Activity and expression levels of 11 FA enzymes were measured and results compared to both human and mouse liver. Results: Placentas undergoing labor had significantly decreased palmitate oxidation and ATP levels. Octanoic acid oxidation was 10-fold higher than palmitic acid oxidation. No difference in expression or activity level was detected between the groups. Conclusion: Term human placentas express all the enzymes required to oxidize FA, at a rate 20-fold lower than liver. FA Oxidation is not likely an important placental energy source during labor. Further work is needed...
Breast-feeding and human immunodeficiency virus.

Breast-feeding provides nutritional, immunological, and psychological benefits. It protects children from mortality and morbidity associated with diarrheal diseases, pneumonia and other infections. Breast feeding has also been shown to prolong the interval between births and thereby improve child survival and maternal health. However, studies suggest that in certain populations, breast feeding may account for nearly 14% of perinatal human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) transmission. It is therefore important that the risk of HIV-1 infection through breast feeding be weighed against the morbidity and mortality associated with bottle feeding. This paper discusses the literature dealing with breast feeding in women with HIV-1 infection. Specifically, the review addresses the issues surrounding infant mortality in areas of different HIV-1 prevalence where breast-feeding or bottle-feeding may be employed. Analysis suggests that the benefits of breast-feeding or bottle-feeding may be employed. Analysis suggests that the benefits of breast- feeding can substantially outweigh the putative risk of HIV-1 transmission unless the prevalence of HIV-1 infection is high or the difference in mortality between breast-fed and bottle-fed infants is very low. (Indian J Pediatr 1997; 64 : 547-553)
Non-linear dynamics of toroidicity-induced Alfvén eigenmodes on the National Spherical Torus Experiment

The National Spherical Torus Experiment (NSTX, [M. Ono et al., Nucl. Fusion 40, 557 (2000)]) routinely operates with neutral beam injection as the primary system for heating and current drive. The resulting fast ion population is super-Alfv#19;enic, with velocities 1 < vfast=vAlfven < 5. This provides a strong drive for toroidicity-induced Alfv#19;en eigenmodes (TAEs). As the discharge evolves, the fast ion population builds up and TAEs exhibit increasing bursts in amplitude and down-chirps in frequency, which eventually lead to a so-called TAE avalanche. Avalanches cause large (≤ 30%) fast ion losses over ~ 1 ms, as inferred from the neutron rate. The increased fast ion losses correlate with a stronger activity in the TAE band. In addition, it is shown that a n = 1 mode with frequency well below the TAE gap appears in the Fourier spectrum of magnetic fluctuations as a result of non-linear mode coupling between TAEs during avalanche events. The non-linear coupling between modes, which leads to enhanced fast ion transport during avalanches, is investigated.
Supercritical-phase thermal decomposition of binary mixtures of jet fuel model compounds

Thermal decomposition of some binary mixtures of jet fuel model compounds, including n-dodecane/n-decane, n-dodecane/n-tetradecane, n-dodecane/n-butylbenzene, n-dodecane/n-butylcyclohexane, and n-butylbenzene/n-butylcyclohexane, was studied under supercritical conditions. Thermal stressing experiments were carried out in glass tube reactors and tubing bomb reactors. Under supercritical conditions, the reaction products included not only those found in pure compound experiments, but also included the compounds unique to mixture reactions. High-pressure supercritical conditions led to the formation of significant amounts of high-molecular-weight compounds that were not observed under low-pressure conditions. The decomposition rate of one compound was affected by the addition of the second compound.
Assessing fluctuating evolutionary pressure in yeast and mammal evolutionary rate covariation using bioinformatics of meiotic protein genetic sequences

The evolutionary rate co-variation in meiotic proteins has been reported for yeast and mammal using phylogenic branch lengths which assess retention, duplication and mutation. The bioinformatics of the corresponding DNA sequences could be classified as a diagram of fractal dimension and Shannon entropy. Results from biomedical gene research provide examples on the diagram methodology. The identification of adaptive selection using entropy marker and functional-structural diversity using fractal dimension would support a regression analysis where the coefficient of determination would serve as evolutionary pathway marker for DNA sequences and be an important component in the astrobiology community. Comparisons between biomedical genes such as EEF2 (elongation factor 2 human, mouse, etc), WDR85 in epigenetics, HAR1 in human specificity, clinical trial targeted cancer gene CD47, SIRT6 in spermatogenesis, and HLA-C in mosquito bite immunology demonstrate the diagram classification methodology. Comparisons to the SEPT4-XIAP pair in stem cell apoptosis, testesexpressed taste genes TAS1R3-GNAT3 pair, and amyloid beta APLP1-APLP2 pair with the yeast-mammal DNA sequences for meiotic proteins RAD50-MRE11 pair and NCAPD2-ICK pair have accounted for the observed fluctuating evolutionary pressure systematically. Regression with high R-sq values or a triangular-like cluster pattern for concordant pairs in co-variation among the studied species could serve as evidences for the possible location of common ancestors in the entropy-fractal dimension diagram, consistent with an example of the human-chimp common ancestor study using the FOXP2 regulated genes reported in human fetal brain study. The Deinococcus radiodurans R1 Rad-A could be viewed as an outlier in the RAD50 diagram and also in the free energy versus fractal dimension regression Cook’s distance, consistent with a non-Earth source for this radiation resistant bacterium. Convergent and divergent fluctuating evolutionary pressure could be studied with extension to genetic sequences in organisms in possible astrobiology conditions, with the assumption that the continuation of a book of life would require meiotic proteins everywhere in the universe.