cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Not by number alone: The effect of teachers' knowledge and its value in evaluating "sins of omission".

What constitutes good teaching, and what factors do learners consider when evaluating teachers? Prior developmental work suggests that even young children accurately recognize and evaluate under-informativeness. Building on prior work, we propose a Bayesian model of teacher evaluation that infers the teacher’s quality from how carefully he selected demonstrations given what he knew. We test the predictions of our model across 15 conditions in which participants saw a teacher who demonstrated all or a subset of functions of a novel device and rated his helpfulness. Our results suggest that human adults seamlessly integrate information about the number of functions taught, their values, as well as what the teacher knew, to make nuanced judgments about the quality of teaching; the quantitative pattern is well predicted by our model.
Capillary driven flow of polydimethylsiloxane in open rectangular microchannels

The flow of liquid polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS, Dow Corning Sylgard 184, 10 : 1 base to cross-linker ratio) in open, rectangular silicon microchannels, with and without a coating (100 nm) of poly-tetra-fluoro-ethylene (PTFE), was studied. Photolithographic patterning and etching of silicon wafers was used to create microchannels with a range of widths (∼5–50 μm) and depths (5–20 μm). Experimental PDMS flow rates in both PTFE-coated and uncoated channels were compared to an analytical model based on the work of Lucas and Washburn. The experimental flow rates matched the predicted flow rates reasonably well when the channel aspect ratio (width to depth), p, was less than 2. For channels with p > 2, the observed flow rates progressively lagged model predictions with increasing p. The experimental data, including zero flow rates in certain high aspect ratio PTFE-coated channels, can largely be explained by changes in the front and upper meniscus morphology of the flow as the channel aspect ratio is varied. The results strongly suggest that meniscus morphology needs to be taken into account to accurately model capillary flow in microchannels, especially those with large aspect ratios.
Circulating Chemerin Is Associated With Carotid Plaque Instability, Whereas Resistin Is Related to Cerebrovascular Symptomatology

Objective— The rupture of unstable carotid atherosclerotic plaques is one of the main causes of cerebrovascular ischemic events. There is need for circulating markers that can predict plaque instability and risk of stroke. Proinflammatory chemerin, leptin, and resistin, along with anti-inflammatory adiponectin, are adipokines with direct influence on vascular function. We investigated the association of circulating adipokines with carotid plaque instability and cerebrovascular symptomatology. Approach and Results— Neurologically symptomatic and asymptomatic patients (n=165) scheduled for carotid endarterectomy were recruited. Fasting blood samples were collected preoperatively; adiponectin and leptin levels were determined by radioimmunoassay; and chemerin and resistin levels were measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays. The instability of plaque specimens was assessed using gold-standard histological classifications. Chemerin was significantly associated with plaque instability. The fully adjusted model, accounting for age, sex, body mass index, high-sensitivity C-reactive protein, type 2 diabetes mellitus, and circulating adiponectin, leptin, and resistin, yielded an odds ratio of 0.991 (95% confidence interval 0.985–0.998) for plaque instability per unit increase in chemerin. High leptin levels were significantly associated with presence of specific features of plaque instability. In subjects with type 2 diabetes mellitus, resistin levels were significantly elevated in symptomatic when compared with asymptomatic subjects ( P =0.001) and increased the risk of cerebrovascular symptomatology (adjusted odds ratio 1.264, 95% confidence interval 1.004–1.594). Conclusions— Low chemerin and high resistin levels were associated with carotid disease severity, suggesting that these adipokines may act as potential markers for plaque instability and stroke risk. Future studies are needed to assess causation between circulating adipokines and plaque instability.
Application of a Mathematical Model to the Study of RES Phagocytosis in Mice

A mathematical model of RES phagocytic function has been developed. Data obtained using this model are compatible with results obtained from animal experimentation. Following administration of a large dose of colloidal carbon, the clearance observed in the “blood” is initially zero order, gradually changing to first order as the concentration in “blood” decreases. It may therefore be invalid to accept the previous conclusions that colloid clearance follows first-order kinetics, with rate constants that are dependent upon initial concentration. Short segments of model clearance curves may appear to be first order when in fact they may be zero order.
Attentional Network Deficits in Autism Spectrum Disorders

Attentional dysfunction is one of the most consistent findings in individuals with autism spectrum disorders (ASD). However, the significance of such findings for the pathophysiology of autism is unclear. To elucidate the relationship of ASD and attention, deficits in each of several functions of attention are examined by conceptualizing attention as an organ system. The functions of attention are alerting, orienting, and executive control, each with their own neuroanatomy and neurochemistry. The findings related to attentional difficulties in autism may best be explained as deficits among attentional functions and their interactions. Such deficits are important to the development and maintenance of cognitive and social dysfunction in ASD, and may constitute a key biomarker for these disorders.
SARM1-specific motifs in the TIR domain enable NAD+ loss and regulate injury-induced SARM1 activation

Axon injury in response to trauma or disease stimulates a self-destruction program that promotes the localized clearance of damaged axon segments. Sterile alpha and Toll/interleukin receptor (TIR) motif-containing protein 1 (SARM1) is an evolutionarily conserved executioner of this degeneration cascade, also known as Wallerian degeneration; however, the mechanism of SARM1-dependent neuronal destruction is still obscure. SARM1 possesses a TIR domain that is necessary for SARM1 activity. In other proteins, dimerized TIR domains serve as scaffolds for innate immune signaling. In contrast, dimerization of the SARM1 TIR domain promotes consumption of the essential metabolite NAD+ and induces neuronal destruction. This activity is unique to the SARM1 TIR domain, yet the structural elements that enable this activity are unknown. In this study, we identify fundamental properties of the SARM1 TIR domain that promote NAD+ loss and axon degeneration. Dimerization of the TIR domain from the Caenorhabditis elegans SARM1 ortholog TIR-1 leads to NAD+ loss and neuronal death, indicating these activities are an evolutionarily conserved feature of SARM1 function. Detailed analysis of sequence homology identifies canonical TIR motifs as well as a SARM1-specific (SS) loop that are required for NAD+ loss and axon degeneration. Furthermore, we identify a residue in the SARM1 BB loop that is dispensable for TIR activity yet required for injury-induced activation of full-length SARM1, suggesting that SARM1 function requires multidomain interactions. Indeed, we identify a physical interaction between the autoinhibitory N terminus and the TIR domain of SARM1, revealing a previously unrecognized direct connection between these domains that we propose mediates autoinhibition and activation upon injury.
Paygo for punctuality

The federal budgeting process is wrought with conflict that makes it nearly impossible for the budget to be passed on time, or so it seems. One aspect overlooked is the effects of statutory Pay-As-You-Go (PAYGO) rules. The cursory evidence indicates PAYGO may be beneficial under certain circumstances. The analysis relies on an Autoregressive-Moving-Average (ARMA) time series model with data from appropriations bills signed into law from fiscal years 1994 to 2014. The findings indicate mixed effects for PAYGO statutes with a shorter budgeting timeline under the Budget Enforcement Act of 1990, but a longer timeline under the Statutory PAYGO Act of 2010. Additional findings suggest substantive relationships between the length of the budgeting process and party polarization, presidential leadership, and the economy.
Coaching and Group Dynamics

The following article examines concepts and models of group dynamics from three different perspectives for the coaching context. In the first part, group dynamics training sessions are described as a learning setting in which persons who work, e.g. as consultants or coaches, interact and have intensive and reflection-rich experiences of their own. The second part examines group dynamics models and theories which are regularly of particular relevance when coaching persons with leadership responsibilities who lead groups or teams, or are themselves a part of groups and teams. Finally, in the last section, methods and intervention options will be presented which allow the dynamics of groups to be shaped and/or influenced.
The family context of language brokering among Latino/a young adults:

Immigrant youth in the U.S. are often enlisted to translate and interpret for their parents who may lack English proficiency. This activity is called language brokering, and it is commonly observed...
Multichannel conformal blocks for scattering amplitudes

Abstract By performing resummation of small fermion–antifermion pairs within the pentagon form factor program to scattering amplitudes in planar N = 4 superYang–Mills theory, we construct multichannel conformal blocks within the flux-tube picture for N-sided NMHV polygons. This procedure is equivalent to summation of descendants of conformal primaries in the OPE framework. The resulting conformal partial waves are determined by multivariable hypergeometric series of Lauricella–Saran type.
Consumer-adoption Modeling of Distributed Solar Using an Agent-based Approach

The electricity market in the U.S. is changing rapidly from a utility-scale centralized generation-distribution model to a more distributed and customer-sited energy model. Increasingly, residential consumers are showing interest in solar-based electricity, which has resulted in increased adoption of distributed solar on the rooftops of owner-occupied residences. However, limited accessibility of rooftop photovoltaic (PV) has led to equity concerns among policymakers. Also, utility companies face a decline in revenues as more residents adopt rooftop PV. In response to these issues, utility companies must consider providing alternative renewable energy options to their customers and incorporate consumer adoption modeling in their expansion planning approach. Agent-based modeling enables energy consumers' socially-motivated adoption decisions to be realistically captured. This paper describes an agent-based model that demonstrates the value of incorporating consumer-adoption modeling in a utility company's expansion planning approach.
Prediction of the Hydrogen Peroxide–Induced Methionine Oxidation Propensity in Monoclonal Antibodies

Methionine oxidation in therapeutic antibodies can impact the product's stability, clinical efficacy, and safety and hence it is desirable to address the methionine oxidation liability during antibody discovery and development phase. Although the current experimental approaches can identify the oxidation-labile methionine residues, their application is limited mostly to the development phase. We demonstrate an in silico method that can be used to predict oxidation-labile residues based solely on the antibody sequence and structure information. Since antibody sequence information is available in the discovery phase, the in silico method can be applied very early on to identify the oxidation-labile methionine residues and subsequently address the oxidation liability. We believe that the in silico method for methionine oxidation liability assessment can aid in antibody discovery and development phase to address the liability in a more rational way.
cfDNA analysis of mCRPC patients expressing mutations in Wnt signaling.

256Background: Alterations in Wnt signaling have been shown to play a role in the development of castrate resistant prostate cancer. Cell free DNA (cfDNA) isolated from patient plasma can provide a non-invasive way to further assess this role. The goal of this study was to identify patients with cfDNA alterations in major canonical Wnt signaling components (APC and/or beta-catenin), and relate the emergence of these mutations during treatment to alterations in other common mutations. Methods: 134 clinically progressive metastatic CRPC patients from Tulane Cancer Center underwent cfDNA analysis through Guardant360 test (Guardant Health, Redwood City, CA). This analysis consisted of exonic coverage of 70 genes as well as amplifications in 18 genes, with mutations categorized as either pathologic, non-pathologic or as variants of unknown significance (VUS). Clinical annotation of prior treatment history was recorded. Results: 21.6% (29/134) of the mCRPC patients evaluated had a canonical Wnt signaling (APC a...
The future of brain-computer interaction: How future cars will interact with their passengers

Traditional automotive industry has reached advanced levels of car mechanics, performance, efficiency, and safety. A differentiating factor in future cars would be the embedded and interactive digital technology in the cockpit and under the hood, requiring high levels of interactivity with the occupants. While automotive industry has -in the last few years-rapidly, and successfully assimilated several decades of computing, Artificial Intelligence, and Human Computer Interaction (HCI) principles in autonomous and driver vehicles, they are still limited to traditional interaction paradigms like GUI, touch screens, and speech recognition. In this paper, we look ahead into emerging interaction paradigms, and assess their potential application in future cars. We summarize our findings of critical research regarding promising technologies, namely brain-computer interaction (BCI) as a viable alternative. A literature review was performed for the purposes of understanding the past and present of BCI. This information is used in formulating predictions regarding the nature of future interaction between human brains and the vehicles that transport them.
Quasi-Monte Carlo Methods for Integral Equations

In this paper, we establish a deterministic error bound for estimating a functional of the solution of the integral transport equation via random walks that improves an earlier result of Chelson generalizing the Koksma-Hlawka inequality for finite dimensional quadrature. We solve such problems by simulation, using sequences that combine pseudorandom and quasirandom elements in the construction of the random walks in order to take advantage of the superior uniformity properties of quasirandom numbers and the statistical (independence) properties of pseudorandom numbers. We discuss implementation issues that arise when these hybrid sequences are used in practice. The quasi-Monte Carlo techniques described in this paper have the potential to improve upon the convergence rates of both (conventional) Monte Carlo and quasi-Monte Carlo simulations in many problems. Recent model problem computations confirm these improved convergence properties.
Theories of Health and Disease

Whatever benefits came to philosophy by way of Greek medicine, Greek medicine also received from the early Pre-Socratic philosophers the impetus to emancipate the healing arts from magic and superstition. In this chapter it is my aim to explore some of the main facets of two theories of health and disease that most strongly influenced Greek physicians, namely, the humoral theory associated with Hippocrates and the eclectic theory of the best constitution associated with Galen. The Pre-Socratic influence toward seeking the universal causes of phenomena in the natural order governed by lawlike, non-magical forces (knowable to man through rational reflection and observation) was an influence unquestionably felt by the Hippocratic authors. However, I shall not stop to argue this point owing both to the long digression it would entail and to the fact that scholars like Sigerist, Jaeger, and Edelstein, among others, have admirably secured this position and stand virtually unopposed. I shall be concentrating instead on the results of the general Pre-Socratic quest for natural explanations; particular Pre-Socratic philosophers will receive only the briefest mention, and some familiarity with their theories is taken for granted. Also, to promote continuity in the account I am about to give, Democritus, Plato, and Aristotle will receive additional exposure so that their theories of health and disease may at least be glimpsed in relation to pertinent medical developments.
Hispano-skepticism, Classical Liberalism, and Popular Historiography On Guia Politicamente Incorreto da América Latina. Leandro Narloch and Duda Teixeira

In a brief, scathing review published on August 30, 2011 in the Folha de Sao Paulo, Sylvia Colombo wrote that Leandro Narloch and Duda Teixeira’s recent Guia Politicamente Incorreto da America Latina, “coloca agora mais um tijolinho no muro de ignorância e soberbia que separa o Brasil do resto do continente,” before summarily judging the book “horrible” (ruim). Colombo’s dismissal of the Guia, though uncharitable, is comprehensible. Narloch and Teixeira’s book follows Narloch’s Guia Politicamente Incorreto da Historia do Brasil (2009), an exercise in deliberately provocative revisionist history that, though a popular success, angered academic historians and political leftists with its heretical interpretations of the national past—in which, for example, Brazil’s indigenous communities benefited from colonization through exposure to the edifying force of global trade.
Mangrove vegetation inspires a new approach to protect shorelines

Mangroves are found worldwide across the rivers and coastlines in tropical regions. They are robust against storm surges and tsunamic for a long time. The roots have the most contributions for their resiliency and therefore can be inspired for future manmade structures. The motion of water in riverine mangrove forest is expected to be impacted by mangrove roots, which in turn disturb the transport of nutrients, contaminants, and residues in these systems. In this paper, a facile method for protecting shoreline is described and review and the significant impact of this method were reviewed. Bioinspired simplified models as and obstruction to water currents in shorelines, and coastal areas are presented. It was found that Mangrove roots produce complex flow structure interactions with their environment, which affect the nutrient, habitat and aquatic animals. Analysis of the flow structure behind the roots extend to a broad range of mangrove-inspired applications and provide understandings into flows that are more complex and more indicative of the flows encountered in the unidirectional riverine flow.
Using Facebook Pages to Connect With Students, Faculty, Alumni, and Friends: An Empirical Analysis

Facebook pages have been promoted as a cost-effective way of communicating with department alumni, students, faculty, and friends. We analyzed Facebook engagement metrics across a 2-year span for t...
Single-Polymer–Particle Growth Kinetics with Molecular Catalyst Speciation and Single-Turnover Imaging

The dynamics of the local environments surrounding molecular polymerization catalysts plausibly impact turnover kinetics, but the impact of and nature of such dynamics have previously been obscured...
Social alliances improve rank and fitness in convention-based societies.

Social hierarchies are widespread in human and animal societies, and an individual’s position in its hierarchy affects both its access to resources and its fitness. Hierarchies are traditionally thought of in terms of variation in individual ability to win fights, but many are structured around arbitrary conventions like nepotistic inheritance rather than such traits as physical strength or weapon size. These convention-based societies are perplexing because position in the hierarchy appears to be gained irrespective of individual physical ability, yet social status strongly affects access to resources and fitness. It remains unclear why individuals abide by seemingly arbitrary conventions regarding social status when they stand to benefit by ignoring these conventions and competing for top positions or access to resources. Using data from wild spotted hyenas collected over 27 y and five generations, we show that individuals who repeatedly form coalitions with their top allies are likely to improve their position in the hierarchy, suggesting that social alliances facilitate revolutionary social change. Using lifetime reproductive success as a fitness measure, we go on to demonstrate that these status changes can have major fitness consequences. Finally, we show that the consequences of these changes may become even more dramatic over multiple generations, as small differences in social rank become amplified over time. This work represents a first step in reconciling the advantages of high status with the appearance of “arbitrary” conventions that structure inequality in animal and human societies.
Stability and molar absorptivity of aflatoxin M1 in acetonitrile-benzene (1+9).

A solvent mixture of acetonitrile-benzene (1 + 9) was investigated as a means to eliminate instability of aflatoxin M1 standard solutions prepared with chloroform. Solutions (10.0 .mu.g/ml) were prepared and sealed in glass ampules that were opened as needed for absorbance measurements on the individual solutions over 13 mo. A coefficient of variation of 0.69% for the absorbance reading indicated that the solutions were stable. Numerous powdered milk extracts containing aflatoxin M1 were dissolved in both chloroform and acetonitrile-benzene (1 + 9), and the solutions were spotted on TLC plates and developed. Densitometric measurement of the developed zones showed no differences due to the spotting solvent. The molar extinction coefficient was determined in acetonitrile-benzene (1 + 9) on 4 different M1 solutions from 2 separate crystalline aflatoxin M1 preparations; the value was 18,815 .+-. 24.
Female Faculty, Tenure, and Student Graduation Success: Efficiency Implications for University Funding

Renewed interest in reforming the funding mechanisms of U.S. public colleges and universities has focused on holding institutions accountable for the academic success of students. Public concern over low graduation rates has stimulated political interest in tying taxpayer financing to university baccalaureate degree completions. Other studies indicate that improvements in student academic success follow from increases in the proportion of female faculty employment. Thus, female faculty could affect the future of university funding. In this paper, stochastic frontier analysis is employed to investigate the potential efficiency gains associated with female faculty employment in producing university student graduation rates. A panel data specification using 199 U.S. publicly owned universities is based on an inefficiency component comprised of percentages of females employed according to different tenure statuses. Results suggest that increased female employment in tenure track positions offer efficiency gains for improving graduation rates. The findings hold for both men and women students. Increases in proportions of tenured females could produce opposing effects, while non-tenure track appointments have unbalanced effects for men compared to women students. The absence of age and student-faculty course specific data suggests caution in the interpretation of the latter results. However, the main findings should be of value to both public policy makers and university administrators.
Confirming Mentoring: Mutual Experiences of Incarnation

The Confirmation Project research clearly identified the impact of the faith-forming culture of a congregation on youth confirmation. When the congregational ecology is intentional about lifelong a...
Chapter 29 – Immunopharmacological Drugs

The immune system is a complex network of integrated combination of organs, tissues, cells, hormones, other chemical signaling molecules, and cell products such as antibodies that protect organism from potential pathogens (bacteria, viruses, parasites, fungi, and others) neutralizing them and eliminating disease. There are two general classes of immunotherapeutic drugs: those that stimulate and activate the immune system are called immunostimulants, and those that suppress the immune system are called immunosuppressants. Immunosuppressants are used to suppress the immune system in organ transplantations as antirejection drugs to prevent rejection of transplanted organs, and to treat autoimmune diseases such as rheumatoid arthritis, lupus, psoriasis, Crohn disease (a chronic inflammation of the digestive tract), multiple sclerosis, and alopecia, and to treat nonautoimmune diseases such as allergy. Immunosuppressants are a structurally and functionally heterogeneous group of drugs, and can be subclassified as xenobiotic and biological immunosuppressants. Xenobiotics, in turn, can be subcategorized as corticosteroids, antimetabolites, calcineurin inhibitors, protein kinase inhibitors of the mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR inhibitors); mTOR is a protein kinase that regulates cell growth, cell proliferation, etc. Immunostimulants or immunopotentiators are chemical substances capable of increasing the overall activity of immune system represent an emerging class of drugs, which has shown some promise in the treatment of primary immunodeficiencies, cancers, and viral infection such as human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) and acquired immune deficiency syndrome (AIDS). There are two main categories of immunostimulants: • Specific immunostimulants are those that stimulate an immune response to specific antigenic types. • Nonspecific immunostimulants are those that do not have antigenic specificity and are widely used in chronic infections, immunodeficiency, autoimmunity, and neoplastic diseases. Immunostimulants are classified as bacteria-derived immunostimulants, immunostimulants of mammalian origin, immunostimulants of endogenous origin, and small molecule immunostimulants. The immunosuppressants mycophenolate, cyclosporine, and tacrolimus are included in the list of Top 200 Drugs by sales for the 2010s. No immunostimulant is included in this list.
Analysis of Consistency in Structural and Functional Connectivity of Human Brain

Analysis of structural and functional connectivity of brain has become a fundamental approach in neuroscientific research. Despite several studies reporting consistent similarities as well as differences for structural and resting state (rs) functional connectomes, a comparative investigation of connectomic consistency between the two modalities is still lacking. Nonetheless, connectomic analysis comprising both connectivity types necessitate extra attention as consistency of connectivity differs across modalities, possibly affecting the interpretation of the results. In this study, we present a comprehensive analysis of consistency in structural and rs-functional connectomes obtained from longitudinal diffusion MRI and rs-fMRI data of a single healthy subject. We contrast consistency of deterministic and probabilistic tracking with that of full, positive, and negative functional connectivities across various connectome generation schemes, using correlation as a measure of consistency.
Routine Revascularization Versus Initial Medical Therapy for Stable Ischemic Heart Disease: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Randomized Trials.

Background: Revascularization is often performed in patients with stable ischemic heart disease. However, whether revascularization reduces death and other cardiovascular outcomes is uncertain. Met...
From abstract futures to concrete experiences: How does political ideology interact with threat perception to affect climate adaptation decisions?

Abstract Climate change forecasts predict impacts that will increasingly expose coastal residents to existential risks, necessitating aggressive adaptation. While the polarization of climate change attitudes in American politics represents a barrier to climate adaptation efforts, it is not well-understood how political ideology mediates how individuals connect the abstract concept of “climate change” to concrete experiences with environmental risks. Understanding this link in the context of adaptation decision-making is important, as the effects of many, household-level adaptation efforts compound over space and time, affecting community flood risk and vulnerability. This paper asks, how do political ideologies interact with threat perception to affect coastal climate adaptation decisions? We frame this analysis using the Theory of Planned Behavior (TPB) and Protection Motivation Theory (PMT). Using responses from a survey of residents (n = 164) in North Carolina’s (USA) Albemarle-Pamlico Peninsula, we examine how measures of residents’ subjective norms, threat-appraisals, and self-efficacy influence their intent to retreat or topographically adapt. We find that, despite political polarization around climate change, generally, when given concrete examples of risk, respondents’ political beliefs appear unrelated to their plans to protect their property and livelihoods.
“#JeSuisSirCornflakes”: Racialization and resemiotization in French nationalist Twitter

After the 2016 spelling reforms deleted the accent circumflex from some French vowels, on right-wing French Twitter, the circonflexe reappeared in the center of the French flag – echoing the flag of Vichy France. Tweets with the hashtag #JeSuisCirconflexe resemiotized the accent circumflex as icon of a lost Frenchness, or voiced the racial other in a colonial faux pidgin to frame them as illiterate and brutish. Drawing on research on resemiotization (Leppanen, Sirpa, Samu Kytola, Henna Jousmaki, Saija Peuronen & Elina Westinen. 2014. Entextualization and resemiotization as resources for identification in social media. In The language of social media, 112–136. London: Palgrave Macmillan) and raciolinguistics (Flores, Nelson & Jonathan Rosa. 2015. Undoing appropriateness: Raciolinguistic ideologies and language diversity in education. Harvard Educational Review, 85(2). 149–171), this article explores how constructions of mock youth French use raciolinguistic tropes to imagine a language of social decline, connecting linguistic purism to racist myths of white genocide and the great replacement. Despite this, youth invert the imagination of their illiteracy, using playful language and satirizing white speech (Rosa, Jonathan. 2016b. Standardization, racialization, languagelessness: Raciolinguistic ideologies across communicative contexts. Journal of Linguistic Anthropology 26(2). 162–183) to contest French nationalism – reframing #JeSuisCirconflexe as #JeSuisSirCornflakes.
Transforming the Primary Care Oral Health Landscape through Quality Improvement

Purpose Children with decreased access to preventive care are at increased risk for dental caries, the most common chronic disease among children. Both the American Academy of Pediatrics and Michigan’s Medicaid policy recommend that appropriate well-child visits provided by primary care providers (PCPs) include preventive oral health services (i.e., oral health screenings, fluoride varnish applications, and dental home referrals/recommendations). However, a gap exists between policy and care provided. Launched in 2014 with support from the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Innovation (CMMI), the SmileConnect Continuing Medical Education (CME) initiative, formerly known as the Michigan Caries Prevention …
When are Difficulties Desirable for Children? First Steps Toward a Developmental and Individual Differences Account of the Spacing Effect

The spacing effect is one of the most robust and replicable phenomena in psychological science, and holds promise for improving children's learning outcomes in educational settings. However, there is a striking limitation in the literature: very few studies have been conducted with young children (0–5-year-olds). Moreover, most studies examine children's learning on the group level, whereas early curricula typically focus on both group and individual outcomes. We predict that developmental and individual differences in visual attention, memory, prior knowledge, and metamemory will affect children's learning on massed and spaced schedules. Thus, we argue that the next critical step in research on the spacing effect is to develop a developmental and individual differences account. Indeed, this account will address limitations in theory and barriers in implementing the spacing effect in early educational settings.
Analysis of biological noise in the flagellar length control system

Any proposed mechanism for organelle size control should be able to account not only for average size but also for the variation in size. We analyzed cell-to-cell variation and within-cell variation of length for the two flagella in Chlamydomonas, finding that cell-to-cell variation is dominated by cell size, whereas within-cell variation results from dynamic fluctuations. Fluctuation analysis suggests tubulin assembly is not directly coupled with intraflagellar transport (IFT) and that the observed length fluctuations reflect tubulin assembly and disassembly events involving large numbers of tubulin dimers. Length variation is increased in long-flagella mutants, an effect consistent with theoretical models for flagellar length regulation. Cells with unequal flagellar lengths show impaired swimming but improved gliding, raising the possibility that cells have evolved mechanisms to tune biological noise in flagellar length. Analysis of noise at the level of organelle size provides a way to probe the mechanisms determining cell geometry.
Modeling analytics in COVID-19: prediction, prevention, control, and evaluation

The outbreak of COVID-19 has attracted attention from all around the world. Governments and institutions have adopted ways to fight COVID-19, but its prevalence is still strong. The SIR model has i...
Bringing the Monkey King to the World: A Case Study of Arthur Waley’s Monkey

By the end of 1930s, Waley had already established his reputation as a sinologist and an outstanding translator of Chinese poetry. Under what circumstances did Waley decide to translate the novel Xiyou ji into English? How does Monkey connect to social and literary realities during his time? If we follow Pascale Casanova’s application of Abram de Swaan’s “floral figuration” to her discussion on the literary world, how is this Chinese novel of the periphery linked to the center through Waley’s translation and other “cosmopolitan intermediaries”? Furthermore, if world literature, as David Damrosch proposes, is “an elliptical refraction of national literatures,” in what ways does Monkey respond to the tension between the receiving culture and its national context? By addressing those questions, this paper seeks to demonstrate Waley’s multiple relationship with Xiyou ji and highlight various factors that contribute to the canonization of the novel in a larger space of world literature.
Recombination and Diversification of the Variant Antigen Encoding Genes in the Malaria Parasite Plasmodium falciparum

The most severe form of human malaria is caused by the protozoan parasite Plasmodium falciparum. These parasites invade and replicate within the circulating red blood cells of infected individuals leading to numerous disease manifestations, including severe anemia, altered circulation, and tissue inflammation. Malaria parasites are also known for their ability to maintain a chronic infection through antigenic variation, the ability to systematically alter the antigens displayed on the surface of infected cells and thereby avoid clearance by the host’s antibody response. The genome of P. falciparum includes several large, multicopy gene families that encode highly variable forms of the surface proteins that are the targets of host immunity. Alterations in expression of genes within these families are responsible for antigenic variation. This process requires the continuous generation of new antigenic variants within these gene families, and studies have shown that new variants arise through extensive recombination and gene conversion events between family members. Malaria parasites possess an unusual complement of DNA repair pathways, thus the study of recombination between variant antigen encoding genes provides a unique view into the evolution of mobile DNA in an organism distantly related to the more closely studied model eukaryotes.
Antidepressants and Platinum Drugs

Background/Aim: Antidepressants are frequently prescribed concurrently with anti-cancer drugs and may have synergistic, additive or antagonistic effects. The present work investigated the effect of antidepressants on the cytotoxicity of platinum agents cisplatin, carboplatin and oxaliplatin. Materials and Methods: The cytotoxicity of platinum drugs alone or in combination with antidepressants was measured in HCT116 wild-type (wt), HCT116 (p53 -/-), HT-29, SKOV3 and A2780 cells using an apoptosis-based assay. Results: The effect of antidepressants on platinum cytotoxicity is both cell type- and drug dependent. Mostly additive effects were observed. Desipramine and fluoxetine caused the greatest effects, with cisplatin in general being most sensitive to their presence. There is little effect of p53 status on the drug-drug interaction while the calmodulin inhibitor W7 augmented cisplatin cytotoxicity relative to carboplatin and oxaliplatin. Conclusion: The drug-drug interaction between antidepressants and platinum anti-cancer agents requires detailed evaluation for optimization of patient care. Many cancer chemotherapeutic regimens include platinum- based agents. Patients with cancer also frequently receive adjuvant antidepressant therapy for depression, as well as to treat side-effects of cancer therapy, such as neuropathic pain. It is estimated that 25% of patients with cancer will experience major depression at some point during their illness (1). Given the frequency with which these drugs are prescribed, it is important to understand how antidepressants and anti-neoplastics interact - the combination may be synergistic, additive or antagonistic. The importance of this issue has been highlighted by recent discussion on the effects of selective serotonin re-uptake inhibitors on the efficacy of tamoxifen in breast cancer therapy (2, 3). We have previously shown that the tricyclic antidepressant desipramine augments the cytotoxicity of cisplatin, oxaliplatin and the pre-clinical trinuclear platinum drug BBR3464 in HCT116 wild type (wt) cells (4). The mechanisms of such augmentation are complicated and may not be the same for all drugs. Desipramine was also subsequently shown to enhance cytotoxicity of carboplatin. These initial findings prompted us to survey the interaction between platinum drugs and antidepressants for cell type and drug specificity, and potential mechanisms. The structures of all the compounds investigated in this study are shown in Figure 1.
An order-sorted logic for knowledge representation systems

Abstract Hybrid knowledge representation systems (such as those of the KL-ONE family) distinguish between taxonomical information (that is represented in the T-Box) and assertional information (which is contained in the A-Box). The basic concepts that establish a particular view of the world are considered static and given, once the knowledge base is set up, and these concepts are represented in the taxonomical hierarchy of the T-Box. For some applications in natural language processing this approach is insufficient as the taxonomical hierarchy may be changed while parsing new sentences. It may thus become necessary to express the changing taxonomical information in both the taxonomical hierarchy (the T-Box) and in the assertional knowledge base (the A-Box). In this case the notorious problems of coupling the two kinds of information (i.e. the A-Box and the T-Box) within one deductive calculus become even more complex, and we distinguish two approaches: a close coupling and a loose coupling. Within the framework of an order-sorted predicate logic we present a close coupling between the taxonomic information (that is expressed in the sort hierarchy) and the axiomatic part. We give a rigorous model-theoretic semantics, and present a deduction calculus that is based on three specially tailored rules of inference (extended order-sorted resolution, subsort resolution, and elimination). These rules are shown to be sound and complete for a clausal knowledge base which represents taxonomic information partly through sorts and partly by explicit sortal predication. This approach has been implemented in the knowledge representation language LLILOG which is used in a natural language understanding project for German.
Facile, controlled, room-temperature RAFT polymerization of N-isopropylacrylamide.

Poly(N-isopropyl acrylamide) is a thermoresponsive polymer that has been widely investigated for drug delivery. Herein, we report conditions facilitating the controlled, room-temperature RAFT polymerization of N-isopropylacrylamide (NIPAM). The key to success is the appropriate choice of both a suitable RAFT chain transfer agent (CTA) and initiating species. We show that the use of 2-dodecylsulfanylthiocarbonylsulfanyl-2-methyl propionic acid, a trithiocarbonate RAFT CTA, in conjunction with the room-temperature azo initiator 2,2‘-azobis(4-methoxy-2,4-dimethylvaleronitrile), in DMF, at 25 °C, yields conditions leading to NIPAM homopolymerizations which bear all of the characteristics of a controlled/“living” polymerization. We also demonstrate facile size exclusion chromatographic analysis of PNIPAM samples in DMF at 60 °C, directly on aliquots withdrawn during the polymerizations, which avoids the problems previously reported in the literature.
Effect of Reference Points and Masking on Tachistoscopic Pattern Perception

4 experiments examined S's tendency to reproduce more accurately elements about reference points, i.e., fixation (fixation facilitation) and extreme positions (end-segregation), of binary patterns. Exp. I varied pattern length from 4 to 28 elements. As predicted, end-segregation was greatest for intermediate lengths, and absent for longer patterns. Unexpected results were an end-segregation effect for shortest patterns and no fixation facilitation. In Exp. II, pairs of elements at all eccentric positions were more accurately reproduced when presented alone. Exp. III found no fixation facilitation with 28-element patterns and fixation-reference markers on the responding templates. Exp. IV tested the hypothesis that the fixation marker had masked central elements in Exps. I and III. Fixation facilitation appeared with 28- and 12-element patterns when a smaller marker was used. These experiments show that mnemonic factors affect differential perceptual accuracy among elements in tachistoscopic patterns.
The PTH/PTHrP receptor in Jansen’s metaphyseal chondrodysplasia

JMC is a rare autosomal dominant form of short limb dwarfism characterized by asymptomatic hypercalcemia and skeletal deformities, despite low PTH and PTHrP levels. This rare disorder is likely to be caused by activating mutations in the PTH/PTHrP receptor leading to ligand-independent cAMP accumulation. The analysis of genetically altered mice which lack either PTHrP or the PTH/PTHrP receptor, as well as of transgenic mice in which the mutant receptor is targeted to the growth plate, has provided a molecular explanation for the severe skeletal abnormalities seen in JMC. In addition, the study of this rare human disorder has further elucidated the fundamental role played by the PTH/PTHrP receptor in mediating both the paracrine/autocrine actions of PTHrP in growth plate development and bone elongation, as well as the endocrine actions of PTH. The insight gained from the study of this human disease model is likely to continue to provide an important tool to define the cellular and molecular mechanisms that mediate the biological roles of the PTH, PTHrP and their receptor.
Temporal and spatial adaptive algorithm for reacting flows

A numerical integration scheme for quasi-one-dimensional unsteady flows with finite-rate chemistry is developed and demonstrated. The governing Euler and species-conservation equations are derived; the integration method and the spatial and temporal grid embedding techniques are explained; and results for sample problems involving stream-tube flow with one dissociating gas, shock-tube flow with one dissociating gas, and diverging-channel flow with multiple reactions are presented in extensive graphs and briefly characterized. Accuracy comparable to that of globally fine grid solutions is obtained with significant savings in CPU time.
Cyclophosphamide Exerts No Beneficial Effect over Prednisone Alone in the Initial Treatment of Acute Immune‐Mediated Hemolytic Anemia in Dogs: A Randomized Controlled Clinical Trial

Cyclophosphamide is commonly used with prednisone in the initial treatment of severe idiopathic immune-mediated hemolytic anemia (IMHA) in dogs because retrospective reports suggest its benefit. This randomized controlled prospective clinicaltrial evaluated whether combined cyclophosphamide and prednisone therapy is more efficacious than prednisone therapy alone in the initial treatment of IMHA. Eighteen dogs with acute, severe idiopathic IMHA were randomly assigned to 1 of 2 treatment groups. The P group received prednisone therapy alone (1-2 mg/kg PO q12h), and the PC group received prednisone (1-2 mg/kg PO q12h) and cyclophosphamide (50 mg/m2 PO q24h for 4 consecutive days a week) for 4 weeks. The mortality rate in the P group was 20% (2 of 10), and in the PC group, the mortality rate was 38% (3 of 8). There was no difference in sequential CBC evaluations between the 2 groups. However, whereas dogs in the P group showed increases in reticulocyte count, reticulocytosis was suppressed in dogs in the PC group during the 1st week of therapy. Spherocytosis resolved more quickly in the P group (day 21) than in the PC group (day 28), but the time taken to achieve a negative Coombs' test result was comparable between groups. No difference was observed in the volume of packed red blood cells (pRBCs) given per transfusion between treatment groups, but more dogs in the PC group required a 2nd transfusion. The results of this limited study suggest that cyclophosphamide plus prednisone has no benefit over prednisone alone in the initial treatment of acute, severe idiopathic IMHA indogs.
CFD Applications for Coal/Air Balancing in Power Plants

A new method for balancing coal / air flow to individual burners connected to a mill in a pulverized coal fired unit was proposed. A generalized calculation procedure based on this method was developed for sizing the orifices needed for balancing the coal / air flow. Efficient use of commercially available computational fluid dynamics (CFD) software was suggested for the calculation of the pressure drop in pipes with unclear specifications of geometries. The current industry practice is to balance the clean air flow and accept the resulting imbalance in the coal / air flow. By this new method the clean-air flow would be unbalanced in a tailored manner so that balanced coal / air flow would result. In order to implement this new method the power plants would still have to conduct clean air tests only.Copyright © 2003 by ASME
What is the Real Problem Whither (or Wither) Accounting Education in the New Millennium

(2001). What is the Real Problem Whither (or Wither) Accounting Education in the New Millennium? Accounting Forum: Vol. 25, No. 4, pp. 395-397.