cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Suicidal Behavior and Prescription Opioid Medication

Abstract Suicide is among the top 10 leading causes of death in the United States and suicide rates have been increasing in recent years. Self-poisoning is one of the most common forms of suicide: one in five suicides in the United States employs poisoning as a primary method and nearly 70% of individuals who die by suicide consume a substance prior to death. Further, suicides using self-poisoning in the United States have increased markedly since the 1990s. A potentially important component of this increase in self-poisoning is a parallel increase in the volume of opioid prescriptions dispensed to the population. Such medications may be used in suicides and suicide attempts, providing a lethal means for suicidal individuals. In addition, populations that are commonly prescribed opioids and that commonly misuse opioids share many psychiatric comorbidities with individuals who contemplate and commit suicide. Supporting the proposition that increased suicide rates may in part be due to increased prescription opioids, suicide attempts and completions using opioids have increased over the same time frame as increases in opioid prescriptions. Similarly, suicide frequency is increased in regions in which increases in opioid medications are observed. Given this constellation of evidence, clinicians contemplating opioids for patient treatment should also assess comorbidities that may predispose to suicidal behavior in their target population.
A High Precision Solution of Pitch Detection

To get a precise pitch contrail, an efficient solution is presented in this paper. The solution introduces a voiced/unvoiced decision step based on artificial neural networks and then applies the dynamic programming algorithm based on autocorrelation function method to extract the pitch value. It avoids the wrong pitch detection in unvoiced/silence segment of speech signal and wrong pitch value judgment in the point of double or half pitch value. The performance of this system shows that this solution greatly improves the precision of pitch detection.
Numerical Study of the Roughness Influence on NACA 63-430 Profile Aerodynamic Performance

Among the interests of the studied flow is the disturbances caused by the fluid creating aerodynamic forces, which implies the appearance of noise, erosion, vibrations ...etc., at the profile level. The aim of this study is to investigate and analyze the influence of the roughness of a profile NACA 63-430 performance using CFX code. For this purpose, the investigation is split in two major parts; a smooth surface is used to understand the phenomenon of flows around obstacles firstly then a rough surface is investigated. Drag and lift coefficient are simulated for both surfaces. These numerical results show a good agreement with experimental data. Moreover, the analyses showed that for a profile of a meter of chord, aerodynamic coefficients decrease quickly when the roughness increases until a critical value of 0.3 mm where the lift decreases and drag increases. Beyond this critical value, the variation of forces became slow.
Interstitial glucose concentrations and hypoglycemia during 2 days of caloric deficit and sustained exercise: a double-blind, placebo-controlled trial

This paper provides novel data characterizing glucose homeostasis during acute, severe energy deficit, in conjunction with extensive aerobic exercise in normal, healthy volunteers using continuous ...
Memory for Space, Time, and Episodes

Memory is one of the most studied cognitive abilities. Episodic memory, the capacity to remember personal experiences, has unquestionably increased the survival fitness of mammalian species, including humans. In fact, as animals live in a dynamic environment, the memory for unique experiences, organized in both space and time, has presumably evolved to complement other types of memories that are specialized in extracting generalities from multiple experiences. Here, we seek to review the behavioral approaches used to investigate spatial, temporal, and episodic memory in mammals and to provide insight into the specific brain structures and potential neuronal mechanisms underlying these capacities.
False responses of Renilla luciferase reporter control to nuclear receptor TR4

Renilla luciferase reporter is a widely used internal control in dual luciferase reporter assay system, where its transcription is driven by a constitutively active promoter. However, the authenticity of the Renilla luciferase response in some experimental settings has recently been questioned. Testicular receptor 4 (TR4, also known as NR2C2) belongs to the subfamily 2 of nuclear receptors. TR4 binds to a direct repeat regulatory element in the promoter of a variety of target genes and plays a key role in tumorigenesis, lipoprotein regulation, and central nervous system development. In our experimental system using murine pituitary corticotroph tumor AtT20 cells to investigate TR4 actions on POMC transcription, we found that overexpression of TR4 resulted in reduced Renilla luciferase expression whereas knockdown TR4 increased Renilla luciferase expression. The TR4 inhibitory effect was mediated by the TR4 DNA-binding domain and behaved similarly to the GR and its agonist, Dexamethasone. We further demonstrated that the chimeric intron, commonly present in various Renilla plasmid backbones such as pRL-Null, pRL-SV40, and pRL-TK, was responsible for TR4's inhibitory effect. The results suggest that an intron-free Renilla luciferase reporter may provide a satisfactory internal control for TR4 at certain dose range. Our findings advocate caution on the use of Renilla luciferase as an internal control in TR4-directed studies to avoid misleading data interpretation.
In vivo lineage tracing reveals Axin2-expressing, long-lived cortical thymic epithelial progenitors in the postnatal thymus

In the thymus, cortical and medullary thymic epithelial cells (TECs) are instrumental for generating a repertoire of functional T cells. Hence, there has been much interest in the ontogeny of TECs. While medullary TEC (mTEC) and bipotent progenitors have been identified, the existence of a cortical TEC (cTEC) progenitor remains ambiguous. In this study, we used lineage tracing based on a target gene of the Wnt pathway, Axin2. We found that Axin2 initially labels cells in both the cortical and medullary compartments. Using Axin2-CreERT2 mice to track the fate of labelled cells, we identified long-lived cortical TEC progenitors that give rise to expanding clones and contribute to homeostasis in postnatal thymus. In contrast, no clonal expansion was found in the medullary or in the K5K8-double positive compartments. The identification of cTEC progenitors and their regulation by Wnt signaling have important implications for our understanding of thymus physiology during homeostasis and TEC-related disorders.
Cue-induced changes in the stability of finger force-production tasks revealed by the uncontrolled manifold analysis.

We compared the stability of multifinger, isometric force-production tasks for trials in which force changes of unknown direction and timing were expected with trials in which there was no expectat...
Structure and magnetic properties of nano-structured heterogeneous Au-Co alloys

High-resolution and analytical transmission electron microscopy, X-ray diffraction, magnetic and magnetoresistance measurements were used to investigate nanostructures of melt-spun Au86Co14 and Au78Co22 alloys. The microstructure of the Au86Co14 alloy was composed of very small Co precipitates inside the Au grains with some larger Co precipitates (20–35 nm) dispersed at the grain boundaries, while the microstructure of the Au78Co22 alloy consisted of Au/Co lamellar eutectic grains with Co precipitates (50–70 nm) dispersed at the grain boundaries. A few grains had very small (4 nm) Co precipitates. Annealing at 773 K for 10 min caused Co depletion in the Au matrix from 5.4–10 at.% to 0.9–2.0 at.%. Annealing also caused transitions from superparamagnetic to ferromagnetic and from single to multiple domain magnetic structure of some of the small and some of the larger Co precipitates, respectively. The MR ratios (Δρ/ρ, in magnetic field of 14.5 kOe) of the as-cast Au86Co14 and Au78Co22 alloys were 2.5% and 2.6%, respectively. Annealing of the alloys at 673 K for 1 hr reduced Δρ/ρ to 0.9–1%.
METAL FLOW IN FORGING: A PRACTICAL STUDY

SUMMARY The paper describes an experimental investigation into metal flow in forging. The operations considered are: upsetting between flat platens, upsetting between punches, and forging with a closed (impression) die. The objective of the study is to determine, in practical terms, those factors which affect the flow of metal restrained, in varying degrees, by a die. To the forging designer, this is a problem of considerable importance yet one which, in contrast to the study of deformation forces, has received scant attention as a research topic. The materials considered are lead worked at room temperature and steel at hot-working temperatures. The three forging operations will be examined as representative examples of three different types of boundary condition: upsetting between flat platens is affected only by friction and, in hot work, cooling on the contact faces; upsetting between punches has, in addition, restraint imposed by material outside the punches; and in closed-die forging the restraint of friction and cooling on the die walls is added. The fundamental changes to the flow patterns produced by these boundary conditions are examined. The work shows that friction, which is the dominant effect on flow patterns in upsetting between flat platens, assumes a negligible importance in upsetting between punches; then, the restraint of the material outside the punches becomes the most important factor and its geometry determines the shape changes during deformation. The work on closed-die forging shows that friction and cooling once again become important, but that their effects can be largely overcome by suitable choices of deformation pattern before contact with the die takes place. A simple analysis of shape changes is presented, based on the observed flow patterns, and the practical implications of the work discussed.
The LETOR Datasets

In this chapter, we introduce the LETOR benchmark datasets, including the following aspects: document corpora (together with query sets), document sampling, feature extraction, meta information, cross validation, and major ranking tasks supported.
Valve-preserving aortic root reconstruction: a comparison of techniques.

Background and aim of the study Controversy exists with regard to the indications and technique for valve-preserving aortic root reconstruction. Here, the authors' clinical experience with three techniques is reported. Methods Between October 1994 and October 2000, 71 patients (46 men, 25 women; median age 53 years; range: 21-81 years) underwent aortic root reconstruction with preservation of the aortic valve and replacement of ascending aorta. Factors that affected survival and need for subsequent aortic valve replacement were analyzed using univariate analysis. Results Indications for operation were chronic aneurysm in 65 patients, acute dissection in five, and chronic aneurysm with dissection in one patient. Forty patients were asymptomatic. Presenting symptoms included shortness of breath in 16 patients, chest pain in 14 and transient ischemic attacks in one patient. Twenty patients had Marfan syndrome. The reimplantation technique was performed in 52 patients, remodeling technique in 14, and remodeling with sinus graft root replacement technique in five. Postoperative echocardiography demonstrated absent to mild aortic insufficiency in 63 patients. Operative mortality was 2.8%. Actuarial survival was 84.1% at 5 years; freedom from reoperation was 88.8% and 78.9% at one and three years, respectively. Eleven patients (21.2%) repaired by the implantation technique required aortic valve replacement secondary to aortic valve insufficiency. By univariate analysis, the necessity of aortic cusp repair (p = 0.0009), aortic annulus size >25 mm (p = 0.04), and male gender (p = 0.04) were predictors for subsequent aortic valve replacement. Conclusion Aortic valve-preserving surgery is possible with a low morbidity and mortality. The authors' experience shows a high failure rate in males with a large annulus needing aortic cusp repair and undergoing the reimplantation technique.
Priming and Fake News: The Effects of Elite Discourse on Evaluations of News Media

Fake news has become a prominent topic of public discussion, particularly among elites. Recent research has explored the prevalence of fake news during the 2016 election cycle and possible effects ...
Chemical vapor deposition of magnetic iron-cobalt alloy thin films: Use of ammonia to stabilize growth from carbonyl precursors

In previous work, it was demonstrated that FexCo(1−x) alloy thin films with near ideal magnetic properties can be grown by chemical vapor deposition (CVD) from the precursors Fe(CO)5 and Co2(CO)8; previous attempts to grow such films by CVD, using these or other precursors, had not been able to afford high saturation magnetization. However, it was found that the morphology and composition were extremely sensitive to small variations in the deposition temperature and the precursor partial pressures. In a second work, it was showed that the CVD of pure iron films from Fe(CO)5 is subject to a self-poisoning effect in which the growth surface accumulates carbon, which causes the growth rate to decline progressively to zero. Then it was shown that the poisoning effect can be eliminated by adding a coflow of NH3 during CVD, which does not introduce measurable quantities of nitrogen into the film. In the current work, the authors return to the compositional instabilities in FexCo(1−x) alloy growth and show that, as seen for pure Fe growth, these instabilities can be as attributed to a surface poisoning effect involving dissociative chemisorption of carbon monoxide. It was found that a coflow of ammonia, which inhibits CO adsorption, enables the growth of FexCo(1−x) films over a wide temperature window with highly reproducible morphology and stoichiometry. Alloys that were grown under the NH3 coflow with suitable compositions (x ∼ 0.6) achieve near ideal values of the saturation magnetization.In previous work, it was demonstrated that FexCo(1−x) alloy thin films with near ideal magnetic properties can be grown by chemical vapor deposition (CVD) from the precursors Fe(CO)5 and Co2(CO)8; previous attempts to grow such films by CVD, using these or other precursors, had not been able to afford high saturation magnetization. However, it was found that the morphology and composition were extremely sensitive to small variations in the deposition temperature and the precursor partial pressures. In a second work, it was showed that the CVD of pure iron films from Fe(CO)5 is subject to a self-poisoning effect in which the growth surface accumulates carbon, which causes the growth rate to decline progressively to zero. Then it was shown that the poisoning effect can be eliminated by adding a coflow of NH3 during CVD, which does not introduce measurable quantities of nitrogen into the film. In the current work, the authors return to the compositional instabilities in FexCo(1−x) alloy growth and show that,...
Definition and Revision of the pectoralis Species-Group of Eastern North American Pachybrachis Chevrolat (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae: Cryptocephalinae)

Abstract The pectoralis species-group of Nearctic Pachybrachis Chevrolat, 1836 is defined and revised. The group is composed of seven species: Pachybrachis clarki Barney, Pachybrachis diversus Fall, Pachybrachis obsoletus Suffrian, Pachybrachis peccans Suffrian, Pachybrachis pectoralis (F. E. Melsheimer), Pachybrachis sobrinus Haldeman, and Pachybrachis tridens (F. E. Melsheimer). Pachybrachis sobrinus Haldeman is elevated to full species status (revised status), while Pachybrachys sticticus Blatchley and Pachybrachys oculatus Suffrian are designated as synonyms of P. sobrinus. Lectotypes are designated for Cryptocephalus pectoralis Melsheimer, P. sobrinus, Pachybrachys sticticus Blatchley, Cryptocephalus tridens Melsheimer, Cryptocephalus flavicornis Melsheimer, Pachybrachis mollis Haldeman, and Pachybrachys diversus Fall. Thirty-six new state records are confirmed. A key to species is given, and a description, figure, and range map is presented for each species.
Newsfeed native advertising on Facebook: young millennials’ knowledge, pet peeves, reactance and ad avoidance

This study explores how young millennials understand and respond to newsfeed native advertising on Facebook, rooting our focus on its covert nature of the ad format. Drawing insight from two persua...
Quantitative depth selective measurements of flow using acousto-optic diffuse correlation spectroscopy (Conference Presentation)

Diffuse correlation spectroscopy (DCS) is an emerging technology that allows for the quantitative estimation of blood flow in tissue. By monitoring the autocorrelation of the time course of light speckle intensity, information about the motion of scattering particles, mostly red blood cells in the microvasculature of biological tissues, can be determined. The speckle fluctuations are due to motion of scatters along the entire path length of the photon from the source to the detector, which makes the determination of the location of the motion a difficult task. Multi-distance and tomographic methods have been employed to measure decorrelation times at different source detector separations, which helps to separate superficial blood flow from blood flow deeper in the tissue. DCS in the time-domain (TD-DCS) is being evaluated as a method to increase depth sensitivity by considering only the late arriving photons. Depth resolved quantification of blood flow is especially important when blood flow measurements of the brain are desired, as the superficial blood flow of the scalp is a known contaminant to the cortical signal. Recent demonstrations by other groups have shown the utility of ultrasound tagging of light to be an effective method to discriminate flow at different depths.1 Here we utilize ultrasound pulses to modulate the motion of particles at specific depths, which is dependent upon the time-of-flight of the ultrasound pulse. By analyzing the autocorrelation of the speckle intensity at different delay periods after the pulse, quantitative, depth specific information about the flow can be determined. References: 1. Tsalach, A. et al. Depth selective acousto-optic flow measurement. Biomed. Opt. Express 6, 4871–86 (2015).
Morphologic, intraoperative, and histologic risk factors for sinonasal inverted papilloma recurrence.

Objective Sinonasal inverted papillomas (IP) are benign neoplasms with a propensity for local recurrence. Many risk factors are reported, with little consistency between studies. This study aimed to comprehensively assess for demographic, imaging, histopathologic, and intraoperative risk factors for recurrence. Methods We performed a single-center retrospective cohort study of patients with pathologically diagnosed IP without malignancy who underwent surgical resection between 1997 and 2018. Eligible patients were identified through a database maintained by the Department of Pathology. Logistic regression identified variables associated with recurrence, and conjunctive consolidation was performed to create a predictive model. Results Of 76 subjects, 37% (n = 28) had recurrence. Median follow-up and time to recurrence were 2.9 (range 0.5-21.1) and 1.7 (range 0.2-13.0) years, respectively. Confirmed negative margins on histology were protective (odds ratio [OR] 0.25, 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.08-0.85). Frontal sinus involvement (adjusted odds ratio [aOR] 5.83, 95% CI 1.20-28.37), incomplete resection (aOR 9.67, 95% CI 2.24-41.72), and presence of dysplasia (aOR 4.38, 95% CI 1.01-19.10) were significantly associated with recurrence on multivariable analysis. A three-level composite recurrence risk staging system was created by consolidating the above three variables. The recurrence risks of composite stage I, II, and III disease were 20%, 38%, and 100%, respectively. No demographic, imaging, staging, or surgical approach variables were associated with recurrence. Conclusion Frontal sinus involvement, incomplete resection, and dysplasia were significant risk factors for IP recurrence, whereas confirmed negative margins were protective. Creation of a composite staging system using the above variables may allow for risk stratification and a patient-specific approach to postoperative IP management. Level of evidence 3 Laryngoscope, 130:590-596, 2020.
Evidentialism doesn’t make an exception for belief

Susanna Rinard has recently offered a new argument for pragmatism and against evidentialism. According to Rinard, evidentialists must hold that the rationality of belief is determined in a way that is different from how the rationality of other states is determined. She argues that we should instead endorse a view she calls Equal Treatment, according to which the rationality of all states is determined in the same way. In this paper, I show that Rinard’s claims are mistaken, and that evidentialism is more theoretically virtuous than its opponents sometimes give it credit for. Not only does evidentialism not make an exception for belief, but it fits naturally into a unified, explanatorily powerful account of the rationality of intentional mental states. According to such an account, the rationality of all intentional mental states, including belief, is determined by the right kind of reasons for those states. Since the right kind of reasons for belief just are evidential considerations, this unified account entails evidentialism. I conclude, contra Rinard, that evidentialism can be (and often is) situated within a general account of rationality that is at least as theoretically virtuous as pragmatism, if not more so.
Rucho V. Common Cause On Partisan Gerrymandering And The Political Questions Doctrine

The intentional shifting of electoral boundaries by the party in power in order to entrench their long-term control is an intuitive violation of democratic standards. But when we ask the specific questions of what right has been violated and who holds that right it becomes much less clear. The Court has struggled with identifying a clear right under the Constitution and hence whether gerrymandering is a question the Court can address rather than something it must leave to the elected branches of government. Moreover, if the Constitution has been violated, what standard should be applied to identify a gerrymander that crosses the line? Rucho addresses these crucial questions in an era of increasingly effective partisan gerrymandering.
Use of salmon ( Oncorhynchus spp.) by Brown Bears ( Ursus arctos ) in an Arctic, interior, montane environment

Salmon ( Oncorhynchus spp.) is a key dietary item for temperate coastal Brown Bears ( Ursus arctos ) across much of their circumpolar range. Brown Bears living in Arctic, interior, and montane environments without large annual runs of salmon tend to be smaller bodied and occur at much lower densities than coastal populations. We conducted ground and aerial surveys to assess whether Brown Bears fished for salmon above the Arctic Circle, in and around Gates of the Arctic National Park and Preserve. Here, we document the use of salmon by interior Brown Bears in the Arctic mountains of the central Brooks Range of Alaska. We believe our findings could be important for understanding the breadth of the species’ diet across major biomes, as well as visitor safety in the park and Brown Bear conservation in the region.
Joy flows through the city

People may see the pain, suffering, and injustices in the built environment before thinking of joy in the city. There are many ways of responding to the challenges facing global cities including cr...
Crude extracts of and pure boswellic acid acetates isolated from Boswellia carterri Birdw inhibit cell growth and induce apoptosis in prostate cancer cells by inhibition of 5-lipoxygenase

3069 Gummy exudates of Boswellia carterri Birdw and Boswellia serrata have been traditionally used as anti-arthritic and anti-cancer mediations. Boswellic acid and its acetates isolated from these gummy exudates were found to be inhibitors of topoisomerases and to be non-redox, non-competitive specific inhibitors of 5-lipoxygenase (5-LOX). 5S-hydroxy-6,8,11,14-eicosatetraenoic acid, the product of 5-LOX activity, has been found to be both mitogenic and antiapoptotic in prostate cancer cells. The growth inhibitory effect of boswellic acid acetates (BAA), Boswellin (a crude methanol extract), and BEF (a chloroform extract) were used to test their ability to inhibit cell growth and to induce apoptosis in prostate cancer cells. The cell growth inhibitory effects were measured by an MTT assay and apoptosis was measured by a TUNEL assay in three prostate cancer cell lines, LNCaP, DU-145 and PC-3. BAA, Boswellin, and BEF had similar effects in the three prostate cancer cell lines tested. The IC50s of BAA, Boswellin, and BEF in LNCaP cells were 7.5, 8.0 and 12.5 ug/ml, respectively. To standardize the Boswellin and BEF based on BAA content using HPLC, only 3% and 64% of BAA was detected in Boswellin and BEF, respectively. These findings suggest that BAA was not the sole active component against prostate cancer growth in Boswellin and BEF. Using immunocytochemical and immunoblotting techniques, it was found that 5-LOX protein was highly expressed in all of the three prostate cancer cell lines. MK886, a 5-LOX inhibitor, enhanced BAA- and BEF-induced cell growth inhibition and apoptosis significantly. These data suggest that crude extracts Boswellia carterri Birdw and Boswellia serrata alone or in combination with a 5-LOX inhibitor may have therapeutic potential in the treatment of prostate cancer. (This work was supported by NIH R21AT001539).
Abstract 347: Neogenin as an anti-invasive target for diffuse intrinsic pontine gliomas

Introduction. Diffuse Intrinsic Pontine Glioma (DIPG) is a rare high-grade tumor of the brainstem that occurs almost exclusively in children. The significant mortality rates of DIPG stem largely from its capacity to invade adjacent normal brain. We have previously published studies identifying the axon guidance factor netrin-1 and its receptor neogenin as key drivers regulating brain tumor invasion in medulloblastoma and glioblastoma. Here we expand this work to investigate the role of netrin-1 and neogenin in DIPG and identify them as putative biomarkers and governors of tumor invasion. Methods. Urine of 49 DIPG patients and 42 age- and sex-matched controls was collected. Netrin-1 expression was quantified by ELISA. Results were subjected to univariate and multivariate statistical analyses and compared between clinical cohorts. In vitro experiments with established DIPG cell lines utilized RTqPCR, Western blot and flow cytometry to quantify expression of netrin-1 and neogenin. The effect of neogenin blockade on viability and invasion was assessed by flow cytometry (n=3) and transwell chamber assays (n=3) respectively. Results. Patient samples revealed a significantly low level of urinary netrin-1 compared to matched controls (p Conclusion. Expanding on previous work, this data suggests that urinary levels of netrin-1 may have utility as a non-invasive biomarker for DIPG. Our data demonstrates the vital role of neogenin as a regulator of tumor invasion and survival in DIPG. The blockade of neogenin in DIPG cells also demonstrates the potential utility of neogenin as a cell-surface druggable target, capable of reducing tumor invasion and increasing tumor cell death. Citation Format: Julie Sesen, Jessica Driscoll, Edward Smith. Neogenin as an anti-invasive target for diffuse intrinsic pontine gliomas [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research 2020; 2020 Apr 27-28 and Jun 22-24. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2020;80(16 Suppl):Abstract nr 347.
Associations Between Weight Loss Attempts, Food Planning, and the Home Food Environment.

Abstract Objective To evaluate whether food planning behaviors mediate the relationship between a reported weight loss attempt and the home food environment (HFE). Design Secondary data analysis of 4 home visits, included collecting an objective home food inventory of the HFE and self-reported food planning behaviors. Participants There were 196 participants (mean age, 44.4 years; 83.7% female). Main Outcome Measures The percentage of obesogenic foods and fruits and vegetables (FV). Analysis Four regression analyses to test mediation. Results Meal planning and grocery list use did not explain the relationship between a weight loss attempt and obesogenic foods or FV in the home (P > 0.05). Post hoc analyses that examined participants with a body mass index of >25, >28, and >30 found that a weight loss attempt was associated with fewer obesogenic foods. In contrast, mediation analyses with planning behaviors and associations with FV in the home were nonsignificant (P > 0.05). Conclusions and Implications Obesity was more indicative of the HFE than making a weight loss attempt. A weight loss attempt was not associated with food planning behaviors, which may be used for multiple reasons, including organization and time management. Future studies should evaluate individual differences in strategies to create a healthy HFE in the context of a weight loss attempt.
Supporting Today’s Students in the Library: Strategies for Retaining and Graduating International, Transfer, First-Generation, and Re-Entry Students. Ngoc-Yen Tran and Silke Higgins, eds. Chicago, IL: Association of College and Research Libraries, 2020. 275p. Paper.

This collection brings together research from the library and student affairs fields to present a thorough look at methods for increasing student success among populations with distinct needs and characteristics: international, transfer, first-generation, and re-entry students, with international and first-generation populations receiving the most attention. It is a welcome addition to the academic library literature. The theories of well-established student affairs scholars, such as George Kuh and Vincent Tinto, are highlighted in many chapters’ literature reviews and appear in the bibliographies of nearly all chapters. Familiarity with this literature is key in engaging outside units within the academy and building the kinds of partnerships suggested by many authors in this work. Common themes include robust partnerships with academic writing centers, collaborating with graduate programs to increase ESL students’ research and writing skills, and deliberately structuring assignments to aid student comprehension and skill development.
BEYOND INDEX-BASED HEDGING: CAN REAL ESTATE TRIGGER A NEW BREED OF DERIVATIVES MARKET?

Executive Summary. As index-based real estate deriv-atives are being introduced in the United States, this pa-per questions the validity of these instruments for hedging risks involved in commercial real estate markets. It first shows that the concept of index-based derivatives may not be appropriate for intrinsically heterogeneous assets such as real estate. Based on an innovative frame-work drawn from the field of biomedical sciences, it then proposes the establishment of a radically new breed of derivatives market that would enable effective hedging of commercial real estate assets. It concludes by outlining a framework for modeling real estate risk based on ge-netics that could be used with the proposed derivatives market.This paper is the winner of the best paper on Innovative Thinking “Thinking Out of the Box” (sponsored by the Homer Hoyt Advanced Studies Institute) award pre-sented at the 2007 American Real Estate Society Annual Meeting in San Francisco, California.
Liberal Education in Nigeria: A Case Study of the General Studies Curriculum.

Liberal education is a product of the Western academy and is today most prominent in the USA, but in recent years has been described in various national contexts where it has seldom existed before. However, the spread of liberal education has been underexplored in some regions, such as sub-Sharan Africa, and empirical research is limited on how liberal education curricula are adapted in African contexts. In this qualitative case study, I explore the global, national, and local forces that have influenced an African liberal education program—the General Studies curriculum at the University of Nigeria Nsukka—over time. Analysis of primary and secondary textual sources indicates that at the global level the legacies of colonialism, dynamics of globalization, and agency of transnational partners and actors have influenced the character and evolution of General Studies in Nigeria since its inception.
Evolving Problems of Practice: How a Teacher’s Reflective Courses of Action Contributed to Her Learning and Change

Although literature emphasizes the value of recursive reflection on problems of practice to facilitate teacher learning and change, few studies investigate teachers’ iterative, evolving reflections...
Temperature Dependence of the Electron-Rubidium Spin-Exchange Cross Section

A spin-exchange optical-pumping experiment to study the temperature dependence of the electron-rubidium spin-exchange cross section is reported. In this experiment, electrons were polarized in a weak magnetic field by spin-exchange collisions with optically pumped Rb atoms. The electron-Rb collisions were the principal source of the electron-spin-resonance linewidth, and they also produced a shift in the resonance frequency. The magnitudes of the linewidth and frequency shift are functions of the electron-Rb-scattering phase shifts. The electron linewidth at fixed Rb density was essentially constant over the temperature range 200-840 \ifmmode^\circ\else\textdegree\fi{}K indicating the spin-exchange cross section is well approximated by a $\frac{1}{v}$ velocity dependence. The ratio of the frequency shift to linewidth was 0.075\ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{}0.005 at 300 \ifmmode^\circ\else\textdegree\fi{}K with an estimated Rb polarization of (20\ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{}10)%, and the ratio was 0.027\ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{}0.007 at 600 \ifmmode^\circ\else\textdegree\fi{}K with a Rb polarization of (10\ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{}5)%.
Resilience in the Orthopaedic Patient.

➤ Resilience is a dynamic psychological construct that refers to the ability to adapt and improve when facing adversity or other stressors. ➤ Recent investigations in various orthopaedic subspecialties have demonstrated that resilience may contribute to favorable mental health and physical function after a surgical procedure. ➤ More research, using well-designed prospective studies, is necessary to better define the role that resilience and other factors play in the health and outcomes of patients with orthopaedic conditions. ➤ Orthopaedic surgeons can consider incorporating resilience assessments into their practices to aid in identifying patients who will do well with a surgical procedure and those who may benefit from specialized therapy to optimize their health and function.
Middle Stone Age marine resource exploitation at Ysterfontein 1 rockshelter, South Africa.

Niespolo et al. (1) report 230Th/238U “burial ages” for ostrich eggshell fragments from a 3.8-m-thick Middle Stone Age (MSA) sequence at Ysterfontein 1 shelter, west coast of South Africa (2). The ages are in expected stratigraphic order and imply that the entire 3.8-m sequence accumulated in as little as 2,300 y around 115,000 y ago. The authors believe they have identified the oldest firmly dated evidence for systematic human exploitation of coastal resources and that the remarkably rapid rate of deposition means that local MSA people were exploiting coastal resources as intensively as … [↵][1]1Email: rklein{at}stanford.edu. [1]: #xref-corresp-1-1
Racial Submarkets in Government Employment: African American Managers in New York State

This paper reports on a study of the employment situation of African American managers within New York State government. We argue that affirmative action, while having created employment opportunities for minority professionals, has also created racial submarkets in government. We identify three categories of jobs, a mainstream category and two sorts of minority categories, based on the racial composition of incumbents and constituencies that they serve. African Americans in minority submarket positions appear to have equal pay relative to comparable African Americans in mainstream jobs. They are less likely to have civil service job protection. There is limited mobility between submarkets; more professionals move from the mainstream to minority positions than vice versa. In the current period of budget reductions in state government, black professionals experience considerable job insecurity and express dissatisfaction with the policies that created the minority submarket.
Study of Microstructural Characteristics Using Mathematical Morphology

In NDE images, one often comes across overlapping or connected regions of interest. Segmentation of these regions becomes one of the preprocessing stages before any kind of image analysis. A secondary electron image showing silicon carbide particles dispersed in aluminum metal matrix composites is given in Figure 1. To study the microstructural characteristics of these composites, segmentation of the various particles is essential. Segmentation of these particles using conditional skeleton was about forty percent successful [1]. Three different approaches with varying degrees of complexity and accuracy are discussed in this paper. All three techniques are based on the principles of mathematical morphology [2]. The first step in all three techniques is to generate a marker or seed for each particle in the image. Once the seeds are generated, the techniques differ in the manner in which the seeds are grown. All the techniques work on binary images. Experimental results with microstructural statistics for each technique are presented in the paper. Some of the advanced morphological tools used are defined in the next section
A multi-agent architecture for automated process safety analysis

Abstract A multi-agent architecture has been proposed to cope with the complexity and diverse expertise required for developing intelligent software for process safety analysis. The rationale for such architecture is discussed and different kinds of agents are designed. This architecture can make the automated system more robust and reliable, and also make it possible to easily add new agents to enhance the analysis quality without affecting the operability of other agents, thereby increasing the scalability and flexibility of the system. Issues on implementation are also discussed.
Embedded Quantifiers in 'Which'- and 'Whether'-Questions

That the wide scope of exactly three men in ( 1 ) is truly exceptional can be inferred from (2) , which shows that exactly three men cannot scope out of a which-interrogative when the embedding verb belongs to the wonder-c lass (wonder, ask, inquire, etc . ; see Szabo lcs i 1 997) ; from (3), which shows that exactly three men cannot have wide scope when embedded in a whether­ interrogative (c£ Karttunen and Peters 1 980) ; and from (4) , which shows that exactly three men cannot have wide scope when embedded in a declarat ive .
Modeling the probability of defect excitation for a commercial IC with implications for stuck-at fault-based ATPG strategies

If many potential defects exist at each site in an integrated circuit, then as the number of applied test patterns increases, the number of defects which remain undetected decreases monotonically. Modeling this rate of decline in defective part level is a non-trivial problem. We show that the number of times each site is observed serves as a significantly superior basis for modeling this phenomenon when contrasted with the number of faults detected. This "site observation-based" predictor not only increases the accuracy of defective part level prediction, it also provides the first quantitative method for comparing the effectiveness of various ATPG strategies to reduce the defective part level.
Lateral Inhibition through Delta-Notch Signaling: A Piecewise Affine Hybrid Model

Biological cell networks exhibit complex combinations of both discrete and continuous behaviors: indeed, the dynamics that govern the spatial and temporal increase or decrease of protein concentration inside a single cell are continuous differential equations, while the activation or deactivation of these continuous dynamics are triggered by discrete switches which encode protein concentrations reaching given thresholds. In this paper, we model as a hybrid system a striking example of this behavior in a biological mechanism called Delta-Notch signaling, which is thought to be the primary mechanism of cell differentiation in a variety of cell networks. We present results in both simulation and reachability analysis of this hybrid system. We emphasize how the hybrid system model is computationally superior (for both simulation and analysis) to other nonlinear models in the literature, without compromising faithful modeling of the biological phenomena.
Implementing a Successful Writing Program in Public Schools for Students Who are Deaf

A 2-year project to improve the writing skills of children who are deaf included instruction for teachers in the process approach to teaching writing. The project encompassed 10 public school programs for students who are deaf and included 325 students in Grades 4-10 and 52 teachers. The project included specific training goals for teachers, a self-report procedure for the teachers, and a data-collection and analysis phase to assess short-term effects on students' writing. Teacher self-reports indicated widespread involvement in the project, and pretest and posttest results showed dramatic improvement in students' writing--particularly in grammatical skills. Scoring systems for students' papers are included.
Frog pineal photoreceptor renewal: Preliminary observations

The intracranial epiphysis of the adult frog, Rana pipiens, has been examined by electron microscopic cytochemistry and radioautography. Acid phosphatase is localized within vacuoles of macrophages free in the lumen, in subspherical vesicles of the ellipsoid portions of photoreceptive cell inner segments, and in occasional heterogeneous cytoplasmic inclusions of the supportive cells. The distribution of radioactivity in the epiphysis at intervals of 1, 3, 5, 9, 14, 25, and 60 days following injection of tritiated leucine, as determined by quantitative radioautography, is consistent with an hypothesized process of continual renewal of photoreceptive cell outer segments. The pattern of radioautographic labeling of the pineal photoreceptors, which resembles more closely that of retinal cones than rods, is correlated with previous morphologic and electrophysiological studies of these cells. The radioautographic and cytochemical data suggest that macrophages within the epiphyseal lumen are involved in phagocytosis and, ultimately, in digestion of degenerate outer segments. They may perform a function similar to that of pigment epithelial cells of the lateral eye retina.
Alteration of human placental vascular tone by antiarrhythmic medications in vitro.

Antiarrhythmic and Placental Vessels. Introduction: Antiarrhythmic medications are commonly used during pregnancy for treatment of maternal or fetal arrhythmias, but little is known about their effect on human placental vascular tone and, consequently, placental blood flow. The objective of this study was to evaluate the tone responses caused by antiarrhythmic medications in human placental vessels from normal term pregnancies in vitro. Methods and Results: Isolated human placental arteries and veins from uncomplicated term pregnancies incubated in Krebs'-bicarbonate under 5% oxygen/5% carbon dioxide/balance nitrogen (PO2 35 to 38 torr) were exposed to cumulative doses of quinidine, procainamide, lidocaine, flecainide, propranolol, amiodarone, verapamil, digoxin, and adenosine after submaximal contraction with 5-hydroxytryptamine. The study was conducted both in the presence and absence of endothelium. The addition of the tested medications caused a significant, dose-dependent relaxation of human placental arteries and veins except for adenosine, which induced a sustained, dose-dependent contraction of human placental vessels regardless of the presence or absence of tone. Removal of the endothelium did not alter these responses. Conclusions: Based on these results, the medications tested should have no decremental effect on placental blood flow, with the possible exception of adenosine, which causes significant. dosedependent contraction of human placental vessels in vitro. Should similar contraction be present in vivo, it may have an adverse effect on the fetus when administering adenosine to pregnant women at term or during labor.
Outcomes of Tidal Evolution for Orbits with Arbitrary Inclination

Abstract Tides raised by a satellite on a rotating planet dissipate energy and result in an exchange of angular momentum between the orbit and the spin. A set of diagrams is constructed which shows the evolution of the angular momentum vectors. The results are applied to possible histories of the Uranus system.
Diel activity of the pink shrimp Penaeus duorarum

Twelve juvenile pink shrimp, Penaeus duorarum Burkenroad, were tested individually for 3-day periods in electronic shuttleboxes to determine their diel patterns of locomotor activity, in relation to a natural summer photoperiod. Nocturnal activity was twice that exhibited during the daytime; however, a bimodal pattern was evident with crepuscular peaks occurring at dawn and dusk. The dusk peak was more pronounced, with activity increasing markedly before sunset (indicative of an endogenous circadian rhythm component), and continuing during the initial hours of darkness, gradually declining later during the night with a secondary peak at dawn falling off to minimal activity during daylight. Crepuscular activity (mean of dawn and dusk) was twice the nocturnal average.
Comparison of diffusion- and T2-weighted MRI for the early detection of cerebral ischemia and reperfusion in rats

The sensitivity of diffusion-weighted MRI was compared to that of T2-weighted MRI following temporary middle cerebral artery occlusion (MCA-O) for 33 min followed by 4 h of reperfusion in rats. Diffusion-weighted spin-echo images using strong gradients (b value of 1413 s/mm2) demonstrated a significant increase in signal intensity in ischemic regions as early as 14 min after onset of ischemia in comparison to the normal, contralateral hemisphere (p less than 0.05). This hyperintensity returned to baseline levels during reperfusion. T2-weighted images showed no evidence of brain injury during the temporary occlusion. In three rats subjected to permanent MCA-O, diffusion-weighted MRI demonstrated an increased signal intensity on the first image following occlusion and continued to increase during the 4-h observation period. T2-weighted images failed to demonstrate significant injury until approximately 2 h after MCA-O. Signal intensity ratios of ischemic to normal tissues were greater in the diffusion-weighted images than in the T2-weighted MR images at all time points (p less than 0.05). Close anatomical correlation was found between the early and sustained increase in diffusion-weighted MRI signal intensity and localization of infarcts seen on post-mortem histopathology.