cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Regulatory Shift: The Rise of Judicial Liberalization at the WTO

In the early years of the GATT/WTO regime, trade regulation occurred through a negotiated legislative process associated with trade rounds. Over the last fifteen years, however, the focus of GATT/WTO trade regulation has moved to the judicial process. GATT negotiations, reliant on reciprocity between big territories, non-reciprocity for developing countries, and the extension of Most Favored Nation status to all, created a regulatory system that substantially liberalized trade, but also enabled some powerful protectionist sectors to remain entrenched in industrialized countries. Since conclusion of the Uruguay Round, the decline in non-reciprocity for developing countries has catalyzed legislative gridlock at the GATT/WTO, reflected in the current Doha Round impasse. The failure of the Ministerial negotiating process has opened up space for public sector entrepreneurs - the Appellate Body - to push for regulatory change. The same divisions that have undermined trade talks have made it increasingly difficult for the membership to provide a check on judicial lawmaking. The result is that we are entering a period of "judicial liberalization" at the WTO, led by the Appellate Body.
Role of Coronary Artery Calcium Score of Zero and Other Negative Risk Markers for Cardiovascular Disease: The Multi-Ethnic Study Of Atherosclerosis (MESA)

Background—Limited attention has been paid to negative cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk markers despite their potential to improve medical decision making. We compared 13 negative risk markers usi...
Gossip in Organizations: From an Evolutionary Psychological Perspective

Gossip is often portrayed as a trivial and even destructive behavior at work. The purpose of this paper is to integrate previous studies on the nature and adaptive functions of gossip in order to d...
Mars Phoenix Entry, Descent, and Landing Simulation Design and Modelling Analysis

The 2007 Mars Phoenix Lander was launched in August of 2007 on a ten month cruise to reach the northern plains of Mars in May 2008. Its mission continues NASA s pursuit to find evidence of water on Mars. Phoenix carries upon it a slew of science instruments to study soil and ice samples from the northern region of the planet, an area previously undiscovered by robotic landers. In order for these science instruments to be useful, it was necessary for Phoenix to perform a safe entry, descent, and landing (EDL) onto the surface of Mars. The EDL design was defined through simulation and analysis of the various phases of the descent. An overview of the simulation and various models developed to characterize the EDL performance is provided. Monte Carlo statistical analysis was performed to assess the performance and robustness of the Phoenix EDL system and are presented in this paper. Using these simulation and modelling tools throughout the design and into the operations phase, the Mars Phoenix EDL was a success on May 25, 2008.
The USGS Water Availability and Use Science Program: Needs, Establishment, and Goals of a Water Census†

Many reports have recognized the need for a national water census for the United States and have called upon the U.S. Geological Survey to undertake this challenge. For example, the National Science and Technology Council stated: “The United States has a strong need for an ongoing census of water that describes the status of our Nation's water resource at any point in time and identifies trends over time.” Responding to the need for this information, the U.S. Congress established the SECURE Water Act. The directives are to provide a more accurate assessment of the status of the water resources of the United States; determine the quantity of water available for beneficial uses; identify long-term trends in water availability; assist in determination of the quality of the water resources; and develop the basis for an improved ability to forecast the availability of water for future economic, energy production, and environmental uses. This article provides summary and new information on the process and progress on work to estimate water budget components nationwide, involvement of stakeholder interests, efforts to examine water-use characteristics throughout the Nation, studies of water availability in geographically focused areas and the initiation of methods to provide open access to existing and new water resources information contributing to Open Water Data Initiative (OWDI) efforts and objectives.
Palliative treatment of esophageal carcinoma using esophageal dilation and prosthesis.

SUMMARY Esophageal cancer is incurable in most patients. Tumor anatomy must be carefully defined using radiographic and endoscopic techniques. These techniques can also provide useful information to plan palliative treatment. The goals of palliation must be explicitly discussed and defined with the patient and family. Palliative manipulation is best done by a physician with experience in the procedures, after consideration of all available options to ensure effective palliation with minimal risk of complications. Esophageal dilation is an integral part of most palliative treatment programs, either as sole or adjunctive therapy. Dilation can maintain luminal patency in most patients and can be performed easily, effectively, and safely in an outpatient setting. An esophageal prosthesis can further alleviate symptoms in patients in whom more conventional palliative techniques are unsuccessful. Because prosthesis placement is associated with a relatively high rate of complications, it should be reserved for patients with advanced refractory disease or tracheo-esophageal fistula, for whom no other palliative alternatives exist.
The Molecular Basis of Adaptation in Drosophila

In the field of population genetics, genetic variation is of primary importance because it serves as the basis for evolutionary adaptation. Adaptation, another primary concern in population genetics, and one where Bruce Wallace has made numerous scientific contributions, refers to the integration of the phenotype into its environment (Hartl and Clark, 1989). With the advent of the techniques of molecular genetics, we are now able to look at genetic variation at the DNA level. Although this higher resolution provides a wealth of information and, in some cases, can shed light on previously intractable questions, it is certainly one step more removed from the phenotype. It also can quickly become overwhelming: regulatory variation versus variation in structural genes, and the complexity of mapping genotypes into phenotypes especially for quantitative traits, all in order to get at the genetic basis of an adaptation, seems impossibly intricate. The question then is, how can we best make progress in this scientific arena? One reasonable solution is to very carefully select an amiable system in which to work. Such a system should involve an organism that is genetically tractable and genes whose function in a natural environment can be investigated.
Multiphase Flow in Fractured Porous Media

This chapter discusses physical processes of multiphase flow and concepts for fracture–matrix interaction in fractured porous media. To quantify fracture–matrix flow, it discusses a general mathematical framework model and numerical approach for dealing with fracture–matrix interactions, applicable to both continuum and discrete-fracture models. It shows possibility of formulating a uniform, generalized mathematical model as well as unified numerical scheme to simulate multiphase fluid flow in any type of fractured reservoir. This chapter demonstrates that, with this unified approach, modeling a particular process of fractured-media flow becomes a matter of defining a set of state variables along with their interrelations, once a fractured-medium system is properly discretized into an unstructured grid. For application, the general numerical formulation as well as its numerical modeling approach is applied for analyzing transient flow in fractured reservoirs and laboratory results.
Abstract 32: Inhibition of cancer cell growth by combined treatment with lactate dehydrogenase (LDHA) inhibitors and either phenformin or inhibitors of 6-phosphofructo-2-kinase/fructose-2,6-biphosphatase 3 (PFKFB3)

The tendency for enhanced glycolysis in cancer cells presents a target for chemotherapy. In previous studies we observed that proliferation of colon and bladder cancer cells can be inhibited by treatment with either phenformin or an inhibitor of PFKFB3 namely 3-(3-pyridinyl)-1-(4-pyridinyl)-2-propen-1-one (3PO). In the present work we have examined the action of two inhibitors that are effective at lower concentrations than 3PO, namely 1-(3-pyridinyl)-3-(2-quinolinyl)-2-propen-1-one (PQP) and 1-(4-pyridinyl)-3-(2-quinolinyl)-2-propen-1-one (PFK15). The LDHA inhibitors that we chose to study in increasing order of IC50s were methyl 1-hydroxy-6-phenyl-4-(trifluoromethyl)-1H-indole-2-carboxylate (NHI-2) Citation Format: Michael A. Lea, Yolanda Guzman, Charles desBordes. Inhibition of cancer cell growth by combined treatment with lactate dehydrogenase (LDHA) inhibitors and either phenformin or inhibitors of 6-phosphofructo-2-kinase/fructose-2,6-biphosphatase 3 (PFKFB3). [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 107th Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2016 Apr 16-20; New Orleans, LA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2016;76(14 Suppl):Abstract nr 32.
Clinical report: variable phenotypic expression in a large sibling cohort with a deletion of 4p16.1

Key Clinical Message We report a half-sibling cohort with deletion of 4p16.1, astigmatism, gross and fine motor delay, variable intellectual disability, and variable behavioral concerns. However, two siblings without the deletion also had learning delays and psychological concerns. Thus, variable phenotypic expression was seen and the significance of deletion of 4p16.1 remains unclear.
Identification of Optimal Mouse Models of Systemic Sclerosis by Interspecies Comparative Genomics

Objective Understanding the pathogenesis of systemic sclerosis (SSc) is confounded by considerable disease heterogeneity. Animal models of SSc that recapitulate distinct subsets of disease at the molecular level have not been delineated. We applied interspecies comparative analysis of genomic data from multiple mouse models of SSc and patients with SSc to determine which animal models best reflect the SSc intrinsic molecular subsets. Methods Gene expression measured in skin from mice with sclerodermatous graft-versus-host disease (GVHD), bleomycin-induced fibrosis, Tsk1/+ or Tsk2/+ mice was mapped to human orthologs and compared to SSc skin biopsy–derived gene expression. Transforming growth factor β (TGFβ) activation was assessed using a responsive signature in mice, and tumor necrosis factor receptor superfamily member 12A (TNFRSF12A) expression was measured in SSc patient and mouse skin. Results Gene expression in skin from mice with sclerodermatous GVHD and bleomycin-induced fibrosis corresponded to that in SSc patients in the inflammatory molecular subset. In contrast, Tsk2/+ mice showed gene expression corresponding to the fibroproliferative SSc subset. Enrichment of a TGFβ-responsive signature was observed in both Tsk2/+ mice and mice with bleomycin-induced skin fibrosis. Expression of TNFRSF12A (the TWEAK receptor/fibroblast growth factor–inducible 14) was elevated in skin from patients with fibroproliferative SSc and the skin of Tsk2/+ mice. Conclusion This study reveals similarities in cutaneous gene expression between distinct mouse models of SSc and specific molecular subsets of the disease. Different pathways underlie the intrinsic subsets including TGFβ, interleukin-13 (IL-13), and IL-4. We identify a novel target, Tnfrsf12a, with elevated expression in skin from patients with fibroproliferative SSc and Tsk2/+ mice. These findings will inform mechanistic and translational preclinical studies in SSc.
Semiclassical modeling of high-order harmonic generation driven by an elliptically polarized laser field: the role of recolliding periodic orbits

We model high-order harmonic generation (HHG) from an argon atom driven by an elliptically polarized laser field, using classical electron trajectories that are initialized from a discrete set of microcanonical distributions. Analysis of the returning trajectories reveals that when the atomic potential is accounted for, there are two possible ionization pathways leading to the same photon energy for both the short and the long trajectories found in the recollision model of HHG. We also demonstrate that the threshold ellipticity, a measure of the sensitivity to ellipticity, decreases as the harmonic order increases for both short and long trajectories, in qualitative agreement with recent experimental results (Larsen et al 2015 arXiv:1506.08660). We use a nonlinear dynamical analysis to show that this behavior is regulated by a set of recolliding periodic orbits (RPOs) that survive at ellipticities greater than 0.2 and can therefore drive the recollision dynamics even at relatively high ellipticity. The connection between the threshold ellipticity dependence we find and RPOs means that the effect should be general.
GHetting to know ADPKD proliferative signaling, STAT

Due to their common pathogenesis and parallel proliferative signaling pathways, the cystic diseases have been recently studied in the context of cancer biology. The present study continues this paradigm by identifying signal transducer and activator of transcription (STAT5) and growth hormone (GH) as potentially modifiable pathways in polycystic kidney disease. GH, which is a potent activator of STAT5, has the additional possibility of being a biomarker, as well as providing a potential mechanism of action of somatostatin analogs in clinical trials.
A rare case of hyper ige syndrome : case study

This is the story of an eight-year, 10-month-old girl, who presented to the Paediatric Service at the Red Cross War Memorial Children's Hospital at the age of 20 months with a history of eczema since birth, recurrent superficial and deep-seated skin infections, and multiple severe viral and bacterial pneumonias. Laboratory analysis displayed a persistent eosinophilia, significantly elevated serum total IgE and evidence of food-specific IgE mediated sensitisations. Genetic studies for mutations and deletions in the STAT3, DOCK8 and Tyk2 gene for Hyper IgE syndrome were negative. Currently, she has interstitial lung disease with features of reversible lower airway obstruction, primary immunodeficiency with abnormal immunoglobulin levels, low vaccine responses and recurrent infections. She is on maximal therapy for her asthma and receiving intravenous immunoglobulin monthly, and Omalizumab injections fortnightly. A good clinical response has been achieved since these latter two therapies were started.
Parental Controls: Oxymoron and Design Opportunity

This paper summarizes a set of findings from an extended research project on family dynamics around digital media use, and in particular, on parental concerns and practices in managing their children’s media use. Here we focus primarily on qualitative results from a nationwide online survey and follow-up interviews that enrich and extend previously published quantitative findings, and permit a more nuanced understanding of this important yet often neglected socio-technical landscape. We then challenge the design community to re-imagine parental control technologies (PCLs) as collaborative self-regulation training tools.
Let's Get Physical, Physical: Answering What Constitutes a Search of a Cellphone after Riley Through a 'Use-Based' Approach

Investigating and prosecuting in the twenty-first century requires that the government have clear and workable rules to determine what action constitutes a Fourth Amendment search of a cellphone. The use-based approach provides this guidance. The use-based approach, which will substitute for the physical trespass doctrine, holds that any physical manipulation of the cellphone or any act that requires, or prompts, internal action on the part of the cellphone internally constitutes a Fourth Amendment search. This approach prevents advancements in technology from eradicating Fourth Amendment protections, while the already-established exceptions allow law enforcement the latitude necessary to conduct investigations.
The Anglo-Frisian Relationship as Contact and Linkage

This note places Rolf Bremmer’s views on a possible ‘Anglo-Frisian’ branch of West Germanic in the context of theoretical discussions about subgrouping, and in this way provides further underpinning for Bremmer’s position. The key test for subgrouping as defined since Leskien 1876 has been synapomorphy, namely shared innovations unlikely to have arisen independently, and many features presented as support for an Anglo-Frisian branch do not conform to that. Bremmer’s views on the role of longstanding contact between English and Frisian and related varieties now finds support in the notion of ‘linkages’. The author concludes, with Bremmer, that the similarities between English and Frisian reflect a mixture of inheritance plus complex and ongoing contacts, but does not necessarily reflect a sub- branch of West Germanic.
Biexponential T1ρ relaxation mapping of human knee cartilage in vivo at 3 T

The purpose of this study was to demonstrate the feasibility of biexponential T1ρ relaxation mapping of human knee cartilage in vivo. A three-dimensional, customized, turbo-flash sequence was used to acquire T1ρ-weighted images from healthy volunteers employing a standard 3-T MRI clinical scanner. A series of T1ρ-weighted images was fitted using monoexponential and biexponential models with two- and four-parametric non-linear approaches, respectively. Non-parametric Kruskal–Wallis and Mann–Whitney U-statistical tests were used to evaluate the regional relaxation and gender differences, respectively, with a level of significance of P = 0.05. Biexponential relaxations were detected in the cartilage of all volunteers. The short and long relaxation components of T1ρ were estimated to be 6.9 and 51.0 ms, respectively. Similarly, the fractions of short and long T1ρ were 37.6% and 62.4%, respectively. The monoexponential relaxation of T1ρ was 32.6 ms. The experiments showed good repeatability with a coefficient of variation (CV) of less than 20%. A biexponential relaxation model showed a better fit than a monoexponential model to the T1ρ relaxation decay in knee cartilage. Biexponential T1ρ components could potentially be used to increase the specificity to detect early osteoarthritis by the measurement of different water compartments and their fractions.
Reverse Engineering Product Lines in Agile Environments: Lesson learned and challenges

In order to meet competitive market deadlines and to reduce development costs, families of software systems are increasingly developed as Software Product Lines [2]. Adopting agile practices for product-line development brings the promise of faster time-to-market and less costly delivery, while maintaining or even improving safety. Therefore, agile practices are often adopted even though many product lines, such as medical infusion pumps, pacemakers, and flight-control systems, operate in safety-critical domains. This introduces non-trivial risks related to the safe reuse of components across multiple products. The goal is to dynamically compose demonstrably safe products within the constraints of a fast-moving, incrementally delivered project.This talk describes these challenges, with illustrations drawn from Dronology -- a cyber physical environment for managing and coordinating the flight of Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) [3]. Dronology was designed to support UAV-based search-and-rescue, environmental data collection, fire reconnaissance, commercial product delivery and other such applications. It was initially targeted toward river-rescue scenarios; and is currently being reverse engineered into a product line.Reverse engineering a product line from a single product, especially one with safety implications, is a challenging task [1]. Within the context of an agile project, the goal is to introduce variability points that bring immediate value to the project stakeholders without breaking the system and without sacrificing safety or other system qualities. On the other hand, by strategically looking ahead, the architecture can be extended incrementally to support the desired variability points. To address incremental delivery, feature models can be evolved over time by adding new common and variable features. As features are planned for current or upcoming sprints, corresponding functional, architectural, and safety stories can be added to the backlog. Practical traceability solutions can be employed from early phases of the project to support product line engineering in order to facilitate the metamorphosis from a single product to a full-fledged product line.These ideas, challenges, and solutions, are presented in this talk, with rich examples drawn from the Dronology system.
A Writing Apprenticeship for Sixth-Grade English Learners: An Application of the Theory of Systemic Functional Linguistics:

The writing achievement of English learners (ELs) is often lower than that of other subgroups (Fry, 2007, 2008). To address this gap, a partnership was formed between university faculty and doctora...
Superfluid Transition of 4He for Two-Dimensional Crossover, Heat Capacity, and Finite-Size Scaling

We report heat capacity measurements of confined films of4He. These studies were undertaken to test predictions of correlation-length scaling. They are the first measurements for completely confined films over a range of confinements, and represent a geometry where criticality changes from 3-dimensions (3D) to 2D. The finite system is realized with a4He film confined between two, 2″ diameter, silicon wafers, which are separated by a small gap. A new technique was developed to bond these wafers at a uniform separation. The gap size, which determines the film thickness, ranges from 0.05 to 0.7 μm in the present work, and has better than 1% uniformity. The bonded cells are used to conduct high precision heat capacity measurements using a modified ac technique. This involves oscillating the sample temperature, as in conventional ac calorimetry, but with simultaneous dc regulation of the average temperature. The data are analyzed using a modified Sullivan–Seidel equation, which takes into account in an empirical way the finite conductivity of the cell. This procedure yields heat capacity data with good absolute accuracy and high resolution. Scaling analysis of the data both above and below the bulk transition temperature shows collapse onto universal curves determined only by the ratio of the correlation length to the confinement size. This is true everywhere except near the heat capacity maximum. Here, and into the superfluid side there is lack of scaling which might be associated with 2D crossover. We compare this result with calculations of scaling functions and find that these tend to underestimate the effect of confinement. Comparison with earlier results for cylindrical confinement shows differences which are most striking in the region of the specific heat maximum. The cylindrical and planar confinement data follow similar trends above the superfluid transition of bulk helium. Below the transition, however, the present data show much more structure. Fits of the scaled planar data above the transition to an empirical scaling function yield a correlation length exponent of νeff=0.674±0.001.
The Romantic Russell and the Legacy of Shelley

When Bertrand Russell is a writer's subject, the reader may well ask, "Which Russell is being considered?" As Mario Bunge has put the matter in a study of Russell's philosophical method, "It is well known that Bertrand Russell was not a single person but a whole sequence of scholars. Everyone of them was eminent in at least one field and all of them were responsible, deep and clear thinkers as well as superb writers and outspoken men."! This notion ofdiverse selves, which goes beyond the usual conception of the polymath, is applicable to Russell not only as a philosopher but also as a man of letters. To assess the method and role ofa writer who was both lyrical and austere, who was a formal and familiar essayist, epistolary artist, social and political polemicist, popularizer of philosophy, expositor of science, and author of short stories, is a difficult task. One way to integrate this diversity of literary Russells is to focus on his attraction to the romantics and their influence on his expression. In the conflict of allegiances that beset the adolescent Russell, the romantics opened patterns of meaning that were liberating and invigorating. From Shelley in particular, whose life, like Russell's, was challenged by double desires-in Shelley's case, the need to be a poet-philosopher and the need to be a reformer-Russell drew delight and inspiration. Characterized by a pervasive dualism of reason and feeling, Russell struggled in vain to match his prodigious gifts for rationality with corresponding abilities in the realm of feelings and values. Especially during adolescence and young manhood, Russell was trying to find his way into that second realm through imaginative writing. To do so, he needed guides, and one source where he sought them was the romantic literary legacy. From the aspiring literary portion of Russell's mind, which felt the impact of the romantic imagination, came writings so different from the mathematical and logical works that we can
Children Should Not Be Protected from Using Interactive Screens

Whether young children should have access to digital screens remains a matter of great contention among scholars. Although the American Academy of Pediatrics has historically recommended against allowing young children access to digital screens, research evidence to support this position has not always been clear. This chapter reviews research evidence that suggests that prohibition of screen access for young children is unwarranted and may be counterproductive. This chapter also considers related issues for older children such as social media use and exposure to suicide-themed fictional media.
Clinical Dementia Rating Score 0.5 Predicts Clinical Decline in Familial Frontotemporal Dementia (S48.007)

Objective: To determine whether Clinical Dementia Rating (CDR) score 0.5 is associated with higher rates of cognitive decline and regional gray matter loss in carriers of genetic mutations associated with familial frontotemporal lobar degeneration (f-FTLD), compared to normal controls. Background: Mutations in the C9ORF72 , progranulin ( GRN ) and tau ( MAPT ) genes are the leading cause of f-FTLD. Studies of the natural history of f-FTLD are needed to quantify rates of clinical decline and corresponding biomarker changes in anticipation of clinical trials. Design/Methods: We compared 157 carriers of C9ORF72 (n=85), GRN (n=49), or MAPT (n=23) mutations with 263 control individuals. Regional gray matter volumes, neuropsychological performances (composite z scores), and CDR scores were assessed during consecutive follow up visits. We assessed whether mutation carriers with CDR score 0.5 showed different slopes in the relationship between regional gray matter atrophy or neuropsychological composite scores and age, compared to controls, using linear mixed effects models. Results: Compared to normal controls: i) C9ORF72 carriers with CDR 0.5 showed a higher rate of decline in performance on the executive function composite score (−0.3%/decade; CI=−0.6,−0.001; p=0.04), while differences in the rate of regional gray matter atrophy did not reach statistical significance; ii) GRN carriers with CDR 0.5 showed higher rates of gray matter atrophy in the frontal (−5.13 mm 3 /decade; CI=−7.9,−0.5; p=0.03) and limbic (−1.36 mm 3 /decade; CI=−2.3,−0.5; p=0.003) lobes, while differences in cognitive performances did not reach statistical significance; iii) MAPT carriers with CDR 0.5 showed significantly higher rates of temporal gray matter atrophy (−11.86 mm 3 /decade; CI=−16.9,−6.8; p Conclusions: Our data show that CDR score 0.5 in f-FTLD mutation carriers is associated with gene-specific changes in rates of regional gray matter atrophy and/or cognitive performance compared to normal controls. Disclosure: Dr. Spina has nothing to disclose. Dr. Staffaroni has nothing to disclose. Dr. Bonham has nothing to disclose. Dr. Olney has nothing to disclose. Dr. Attygalle has nothing to disclose. Dr. Cobigo has nothing to disclose. Dr. Chang has nothing to disclose. Dr. Binney has nothing to disclose. Dr. Yokoyama has nothing to disclose. Dr. Kornak has nothing to disclose. Dr. Boxer has nothing to disclose. Dr. Miller has nothing to disclose. Dr. Lee has nothing to disclose. Dr. Boeve has received research support from GE Heathcare and Axovant. Dr. Rosen has nothing to disclose.
IL-17 integrates multiple self-reinforcing, feed-forward mechanisms through the RNA binding protein Arid5a

Interleukin-17A (IL-17A) not only stimulates immunity to fungal pathogens but also contributes to autoimmune pathology. IL-17 is only a modest activator of transcription in experimental tissue culture settings. However, IL-17 controls posttranscriptional events that enhance the expression of target mRNAs. Here, we showed that the RNA binding protein (RBP) Arid5a (AT-rich interactive domain-containing protein 5a) integrated multiple IL-17-driven signaling pathways through posttranscriptional control of mRNA. IL-17 induced expression of Arid5a, which was recruited to the adaptor TRAF2. Arid5a stabilized IL-17-induced cytokine transcripts by binding to their 3' untranslated regions and also counteracted mRNA degradation mediated by the endoribonuclease MCPIP1 (Regnase-1). Arid5a inducibly associated with the eukaryotic translation initiation complex and facilitated the translation of the transcription factors (TFs) IκBζ (Nfkbiz ) and C/EBPβ (Cebpb). These TFs in turn transactivated IL-17-dependent promoters. Together, these data indicated that Arid5a orchestrates a feed-forward amplification loop, which promoted IL-17 signaling by controlling mRNA stability and translation.
Inter-annual rainfall variability may foster lake regime shifts: An example from Lake Bourget in France

Abstract The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change anticipates increasing extreme rain events in the 21st century, leading to more frequent floods and more phosphorus transported into lakes, enhancing the risk of their eutrophication. This paper reports research assessing this risk on Lake Bourget in France, by coupling a statistical estimation of annual phosphorus transportation from annual rainfall and a dynamical model estimating the evolution of the phosphorus concentration in the lake in the period 2000–2050 according to yearly phosphorus transportation. The study of the model on the past suggests that the relative drought of the 2000s has fostered the effect of management measures to reduce phosphorus loading, enabling compliance with the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development guidance target for 2020. Simulations on different scenarios for the future show that a 10% increase in the rainfall standard deviation nearly doubles the probability of eutrophication, from 2.40% to 4.26% between 2016 and 2050.
Psychometric Evaluation of the Improved Work-Disability Functional Assessment Battery.

Abstract Objective To assess psychometric properties of the improved Work Disability Functional Assessment Battery (WD-FAB 2.0). Design Longitudinal study. Setting Community. Participants Three samples of working-age (21-66) adults (N=1006): (1) unable to work because of a physical condition (n=375); (2) unable to work because of a mental health condition (n=296); (3) general United States working age sample (n=335). Intervention NA. Main Outcome Measures All samples completed the WD-FAB 2.0; the second administration came 5 days after the first. Construct validity was examined by convergent and divergent correlational analysis using legacy measures. Test-retest reliability was assessed by intraclass correlation coefficients (ICC3,1). Standard error of the mean (SEM) and minimal detectable change (MDC90) were calculated to measure scale precision and sensitivity. Results Physical function ICCs ranged from 0.69 to 0.77 in the general sample, and 0.66 to 0.86 in the disability sample. Mental health function scales ICCs ranged from 0.62 to 0.73 in the general sample, and 0.74 to 0.76 in the disability sample. SEMs for all scales indicated good discrimination; those for the physical function scales were generally lower than those for the mental health scales. MDC90 values ranged from 3.41 to 10.55. Correlations between all WD-FAB 2.0 scales and legacy measures were in the expected direction. Conclusions The study provides substantial support for the reliability and construct validity of the WD-FAB 2.0 among 3 diverse samples. Although initially developed for use within the Social Security Administration (SSA), these results suggest that the WD-FAB 2.0 could be used for assessment and measurement of work-related physical and mental health function in other contexts as well.
Examining ACTV: an argument for implementing neuroscience-based and trauma- informed treatment models in offender treatment programs

Abstract There is a well-established link between experiencing traumatic events in childhood such as witnessing violence and later perpetration of domestic violence. Within the United States, literature in the area of domestic violence has largely neglected the link between the neuroscience of trauma exposure in childhood and later instances of perpetration. Few research studies have explored the neurological impact of adverse childhood experiences on adult offending behavior. Additionally, the most common treatment models for these offenders do not focus on addressing prior trauma that may be related to offending behavior. Through the development of two theoretical models, this paper explores the relationship between childhood trauma and later perpetration of domestic violence. This paper argues that ACTV (Achieving Change Through Values-Based Behavior), a relatively new treatment model that incorporates elements of mindfulness, interoception, and experiential avoidance may be an effective treatment intervention for domestic violence offenders with a history of trauma.
Iododemetallation of potassium organotrifluoroborates and tributylarylstannanes using sodium iodide/iron(III) chloride

Abstract A combinative iron(III) chloride/sodium iodide system was found to be very efficient for the iododemetallation of both organotrifluoroborates and tributyl(aryl)stannanes. A variety of functional groups tolerate the mild reaction conditions.
Barbershops Encouraging Black Boys to Read

This research project Involved interviewing Title I personnel in Charles County Public Schools and visiting six barbershop owners in Charles County Maryland who are a part of the Barbershop Books project. The visit to these barbershops included interviewing the owners of the barbershops as well as reviewing the books used in the project. These barbershops display a variety of books for young black boys to read while they are waiting to get their hair cut. These books are located on a small bookcase in the corner of the barbershops’ waiting area. The idea of books in the barbershops was to help improve reading skills for Black boys in elementary school. The project was purposed and funded by the Charles County Public Schools Title I Program. The literacy project began in August 2018. Mr. Alvin Irby, who is a former kindergarten teacher in New York City, is the founder of Barbershop Books.
Semi-Supervised Adaptive Learning for Decoding Movement Intent from Electromyograms

This paper presents an adaptive learning algorithm for predicting movement intent using electromyogram (EMG) signals and controlling a prosthetic arm. The adaptive decoder enables use of the prosthetic systems for long periods of time without the necessity to retrain them. The method of this paper employs a neural network-based decoder and we present a method to update its parameters during the operation phase. Initially, the decoder parameters are estimated during a training phase. During the normal operation, the parameters of the algorithm are updated in a semi-supervised manner based on a movement model. The results presented here, obtained from a single amputee subject, suggest that the approach of this paper improves long-term performance of the decoders over the current state-of-the-art with statistical significance.
Relevance of Microvascular Flow Assessments in Critically Ill Neonates and Children: A Systematic Review.

Objectives Resolution of impaired microvascular flow may lag the normalization of macrocirculatory variables. The significance of microcirculatory dysfunction in critically ill children and neonates is unknown, but microcirculatory variables can be measured using Doppler or videomicroscopy imaging techniques. We outline the current understanding of the role of the microcirculation in critical illness, review methods for its assessment, and perform a systematic review of how it has been monitored in critically ill neonates and children. Design Systematic review (PROSPERO CRD42019117993). Setting Not applicable. Subjects Not applicable. Interventions None. Measurements and results We systematically searched MEDLINE, EMBASE, PubMed, and Web of Science. We included studies of critically ill patients 0 to 18 years old investigating microcirculatory blood flow. Two reviewers analyzed abstracts and articles. Results were qualitatively analyzed due to study heterogeneity. A total of 2,559 abstracts met search criteria, of which 94 underwent full-text review. Of those, 36 met inclusion criteria. Seven studies investigated microcirculatory changes in critically ill children. Twenty studies investigated the microcirculatory changes in neonates with variable diagnoses compared with a diverse set of clinical endpoints. Nine studies assessed the effects of age, sex, and birth weight on microvascular flow in neonates. Across all studies, microcirculatory dysfunction was associated with poor outcomes and may not correlate with observed macrovascular function. Conclusions Assessment of microvascular flow in critically ill children and neonates is possible, although significant challenges remain. In many such patients, microvascular blood flow is disrupted despite medical management targeting normalized macrovascular variables. Future studies are needed to define normal pediatric microvascular flow variables and to assess the impact of patient and treatment factors on its function.
Treatment of Juvenile Homicide Offenders

This chapter will focus on treatment factors related to juvenile homicide. Literature related to the treatment is sparse, providing little direction for prevention, intervention, and postvention. Findings suggest that the mental health needs of the majority of these perpetrators are not consistently addressed, creating grave consequences for our youth and society collectively. Treatment of homicidal youth will be summarized, including a review of psychotherapy, psychiatry, psychiatric hospitalizations, and former institutionalizations. Suggestions for future research as it relates to treatment and both clinical and societal implications will be discussed.
Grouping Proofs for Dynamic Groups of RFID Tags: A Secure and Scalable Protocol

Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) improves the efficiency of tracking, monitoring, and managing assets throughout an entire life cycle or while in transit. A grouping proof built by an RFID reader establishes that the RFID tags belonging to a group are present in range of the reader at the same time. In many practical scenarios, such as supply chain applications, RFID grouping proofs improve item (group)-level visibility throughout the supply chain and accuracy of tracking. RFID grouping-proof protocols aim to construct a proof in a way that is efficient in terms of computation and communication while preserving the privacy of the tags. Further, a protocol must be robust to attacks on its security that could cause the proof to fail or that would expose secret information on the tags. In this work, we present a grouping-proof protocol for subgroups of a larger group that are defined dynamically and that can overlap. We analyze our dynamic grouping-proof protocol in comparison to existing grouping-proof protocols in terms of privacy, security, and efficiency.
LunAero: Automated "Smart" Hardware for Recording Video of Nocturnal Migration

Abstract Moon watching is a method of quantifying nocturnal bird migration by focusing a telescope on the moon and recording observations of flying birds silhouetted against the lunar surface. Although simple and well-established, researchers use moon watching infrequently due in part to the hours of late night observation it requires. To reduce the labor entailed in moon watching, we designed a low-cost system called LunAero that can track and record video of the moon at night. Here we present a proof-of-concept prototype that can serve as a platform for citizen scientists interested in observing nocturnal bird migration. We tested the video recording on clear nights from February 2018 to May 2019 when the moon was full or nearly full. Manual analysis of a 1.5 h sample of video revealed a total of 450 birds, which is a much higher detection rate than previous moon watching efforts have yielded. The hardware described here is part of a larger effort involving software development (currently underway) to automate recorded video analysis. We argue that LunAero can reduce the labor involved in moon watching, offer improved data quality over traditional moon watching, and provide insights into social behavior and wind-drift compensation in migrating birds.
Patient-reported outcomes among women with unilateral breast cancer undergoing breast conservation versus single or double mastectomy

More women with unilateral early stage breast cancer are electing bilateral mastectomy (BM). Many cite anxiety, fear of recurrence, and certain aesthetic desires in their decision-making. Yet conflicting data exist regarding how these factors both inform and are modulated by medical decision-making, especially among women eligible for breast conservation (BCT). This study sought to assess the trajectories of women undergoing various surgical procedures for breast cancer. We performed a prospective longitudinal study of women with unilateral, non-hereditary breast cancer who underwent BCT, unilateral mastectomy (UM), or BM. Women completed surveys before surgery and at 1, 9, and 15 months postop. Surveys included questions about treatment preferences, decisional control, the HADS-A anxiety scale, the Fear of Relapse/Recurrence Scale (FRRS), and the BREAST-Q. The Kruskal–Wallis test was used to compare outcomes between BCT, UM, and BM groups at each time point. 203 women were recruited and 177 (87.2%) completed 15-month follow-up. Of these, 101 (57.0%) underwent BCT, 33 (18.6%) underwent UM, and 43 (24.2%) underwent BM. Generalized anxiety and FRRS scores were similar between BCT, UM, and BM groups and declined uniformly after surgery. Although baseline breast satisfaction was similar between groups, at 15 months, it was significantly lower in BM patients than in BCT patients. Women who felt “very” confident and “very” informed before surgery had lower anxiety, lower fear of recurrence, better psychosocial well-being (PSWB), and greater breast satisfaction at 15 months. While patients who undergo mastectomy have less long-term breast satisfaction, all patients can expect to experience similar improvements in anxiety and PSWB. Efforts should be made to ensure that patients are informed and confident regardless of which surgery is chosen, for this is the greatest predictor of better outcomes.
Epigenetic mechanisms of bipolar disorder

Abstract Bipolar disorder (BD) is a severe, chronic, and multifactorial psychiatric disorder thought to result from an interaction between genetic susceptibility factors and environmental triggers. Part of BD’s heritability might be accounted for by epigenetic mechanisms, which mainly include DNA methylation, histone modifications, chromatin remodeling, and the actions of noncoding RNAs that can modulate gene expression in response to the environment. Epigenetic modifications, described as hereditary but potentially reversible alterations, have been consistently implicated in the pathogenesis of BD, with several studies suggesting that epigenetic alterations may alter the regulation of gene expression in BD, with a great potential use both for discovering disease biomarkers and for therapeutic interventions. This chapter aims to review evidence of the potential key role of epigenetic alterations in the pathophysiology of BD.
Diagnosing Dandy-Walker Complex by Computed Tomography: Experience in Uganda and Recommendations for Hospitals in Resource-Limited Settings

Clinicians in the developing world – particularly those treating infants and patients with congenital neurological diseases – should be equipped with the knowledge to diagnose Dandy-Walker complex (DWC) without relying on solely magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). In this paper, we will outline our recommendations for accurate diagnosis of DWC using computed tomography (CT) imaging on a sample of East African patients treated at our hospital in Uganda. Finally, we present a closer look at the social obstacles faced by this unique disease, and offer a framework for approaching these challenges.
Emerging technologies in business intelligence

Business organizations continuously make effort to improve their decision making capability using business intelligence (BI). On the other hand, they also want to improve performance of BI tools and drive down the information technology (IT) budget. With the advancement of computing technologies, software engineering, data warehousing technologies, cloud computing, computer processing powers and emergence of smart-phones the use of business intelligence tools has increased tremendously and these tools have become more sophisticated than ever before. Emerging technologies and methods are being adopted steadily in the near future by business organizations. This paper gives an account of the emerging technologies in business intelligence and data warehousing that significantly help with improving the performance data warehouses and business intelligence tools.
Correlation coefficient based template matching: Accounting for uncertainty in selecting the winner

The problem of selecting a template that matches a given candidate signal is applicable across a wide variety of domains. Using the correlation coefficient as the avenue for selecting the winning template is perhaps the most common technique. The challenge lies in selecting the winning template when there is no clear separation between the correlation coefficient values of the winning template and the others. In this paper, we present a simple Dempster-Shafer (DS) theoretic model that enables one to capture the uncertainty regarding the winner selection in correlation coefficient based template matching. The DS theoretic framework provides an avenue to develop the model with few resources and little to no prior knowledge. We validate the model using several numerical examples and a numerical character recognition application where the evidence provided by several sets of templates are combined using a DS theoretic fusion strategy to arrive at a better decision.