cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Beliefs of Applied Studio Faculty on Desirable Traits of Prospective Music Education Majors: A Pilot Study.

The purpose of this pilot study was to examine the beliefs of applied music faculty on desirable traits of prospective music education majors. Researcher-designed surveys were sent electronically to applied music faculty at 12 National Association of Schools of Music–accredited institutions randomly selected from each of the four major divisions of the United States. Data from returned surveys were analyzed to describe the admissions process for music majors at each institution, in addition to respondents’ perceptions of the desirability of various professional dispositions and selection criteria for entering music education majors. Results suggest that music education faculty hold limited responsibility in the admissions process at the majority of respondents’ institutions and that admissions decisions are primarily determined by applied music faculty. In addition, respondents reported that certain professional dispositions and selection criteria were more important than others in admitting prospective m...
Incident Shock Interactions with Boundary Layers

NCIDENT shock wave interactions with laminar and turbulent boundary layers were investigated experimentally. The work extends the existing data base used for comparisons with results of analytical methods for estimating: free interaction pressure distributions; extent of the pressure rise upstream of the incident shock location; and peak heat transfer rates. Pressure and heating rate distributions were obtained for wedge-generated shock waves interacting with Mach 8 laminar boundary layers, and for wedge- and sphere-generated shock waves interacting with Mach 6 turbulent layers. The Mach 6 data were obtained for Reynolds numbers up to 440 million, considerably larger than those obtained in most other similar investigations. Contents Shock waves that impinge on a surface can greatly amplify the local heat transfer and pressure loads on the surface. A sufficiently strong shock wave causes the boundary layer to
Social Reactions to Sexual Assault Disclosure and Problem Drinking Mediating Effects of Perceived Control and PTSD

Sexual assault survivors receive various positive and negative social reactions to assault disclosures, yet little is known about mechanisms linking these social reactions to posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms and problem drinking. Data from a large, diverse sample of women who had experienced adult sexual assault were analyzed with structural equation modeling to test a theoretical model of the relationships between specific negative social reactions (e.g., controlling, infantilizing) and positive reactions (e.g., tangible support), perceived control over recovery, PTSD, and drinking outcomes (N = 1,863). A model disaggregating controlling reactions from infantilizing reactions showed that infantilizing reactions in particular related to less perceived control, which in turn was related to more PTSD and problem drinking, whereas controlling reactions were not related to perceived control, PTSD, or problem drinking. Tangible support was related to increased perceived control over recovery, yet it was not protective against PTSD or problem drinking. Finally, PTSD and drinking to cope fully mediated the effect of perceived control on problem drinking. Implications for practice and suggestions for future research are discussed.
Counseling Theories Within a Postmodernist Epistemology: New Roles for Theories in Counseling Practice

Counseling theories have traditionally been considered within a modernist epistemology. Reconsidering theories from a postmodern vantage point opens up new possibilities for theory utilization in the counseling process. The author discusses 3 of these possibilities—theories as narrative structures, theoretical truth redefined as pragmatic utility, and egalitarianism in the counseling relationship—along with their implications for counseling practice.
Reuniting natural philosophy and scientific research

Scientific research, at its best, involves innovation. My experience over the years is that not all innovations are greeted with the same enthusiasm. Mine have variously garnered initial outrage, widespread adoption, marginal interest, and indifference. This experience reminds me that science is a human endeavour and perhaps not as objective as we might have thought. This article is an attempt to show just how wonderfully human and artistically creative scientific innovation really is. Also, I hope it shows how an appreciation of the artful part of science can affect and enhance the way we do and express our work. The subject of philosophy once included natural philosophy which was the study of why nature works the way it does. Natural philosophy has morphed, over the years, into scientific research, now quite divorced from the liberal arts subject of philosophy. I recommend reconciliation.
Application of a Fuzzy Measure in Problems of Monitoring the Technical State of Space Vehicles

The questions are considered of estimating the reliability of results of monitoring using a fuzzy measure. An example of implementing the monitoring procedure is given.
Understanding and evaluating blind deconvolution algorithms

Blind deconvolution is the recovery of a sharp version of a blurred image when the blur kernel is unknown. Recent algorithms have afforded dramatic progress, yet many aspects of the problem remain challenging and hard to understand. The goal of this paper is to analyze and evaluate recent blind deconvolution algorithms both theoretically and experimentally. We explain the previously reported failure of the naive MAP approach by demonstrating that it mostly favors no-blur explanations. On the other hand we show that since the kernel size is often smaller than the image size a MAP estimation of the kernel alone can be well constrained and accurately recover the true blur. The plethora of recent deconvolution techniques makes an experimental evaluation on ground-truth data important. We have collected blur data with ground truth and compared recent algorithms under equal settings. Additionally, our data demonstrates that the shift-invariant blur assumption made by most algorithms is often violated.
The Primacy of Speech: An Historical Sketch

In the literature of the seventeenth century we found several statements about methods of teaching languages. Various authorities emphasized the importance of communication competence in Latin, rather than the teaching of Latin grammar for grammar's sake. Eichard Lubin' of Amerland suggested that the teaching of formal grammar is an impediment to teaching and that languages can be best acquired through conversational practice. His contemporary, Ezekiel Holberg,2 provided 15 sentences daily which the student had to memorize and recite as the basic activity of language learning. The leading pioneer in the oral approach was, however, John A. Comenius,3 scholarly proponent of many ideas on learning. He pointed up the impo tance of forming direct association between a word and an object in normal conversation situation , rather than working through transl tion. His plan for learning a language was arranged in four stages: stammering, speaking, fluency, and eloquence. He insisted that every language must be learned by practice rather than by rules, and that we should teach systematically all sounds, phrases, and idioms of the particular foreign language. Some of the ideas of Comenius were shared
An exploratory factor analysis of the Pittsburgh Freshman Engineering Attitudes Survey

The Pittsburgh Freshman Engineering Attitudes Survey (PFEAS) has become an important tool in engineering education for measuring studentspsila attitudes about engineering and their confidence in their abilities to achieve in the engineering classroom. Although different versions of the scale have been developed for students at different points in their educational careers, 28 of the items are equable across the various forms of the survey. The authors administered these items to a large sample (N = 372) of engineering majors at a large public university in the southwest. Item and factor analysis of the items revealed problems with the structural validity of the scale, and items and factors were removed based on theoretical and empirical justification. The remaining items produced a structurally valid three factor solution. The authors found these factors were significantly correlated with student study strategies.
Robustness of unmodified stochastic adaptive control algorithms

Originally, adaptive control theory was developed for the ideal system models, i.e., linear system models under the assumption that relative degree and upper bounds on the order of the systems are known. In the early 1980s, adaptive control algorithms designed for such ideal system models were strongly attacked by many researchers due to "lack of robustness" in the presence of unmodeled dynamics and external disturbances. The purpose of the present paper is to relax existing constant pressure on the adaptive control algorithms originally designed for the ideal system models. It is shown that such adaptive control algorithms are globally stable and robust with respect to unmodeled dynamics and external disturbances without any modifications, such as i/spl sigma/-modification, /spl epsiv//sub 1/-modification, relative dead-zone, projection of the parameter estimates, etc. Global stability of the unmodified algorithms is established by requiring the reference signal to be persistently exciting. >
Must . . . stay . . . strong

It is a recurring matra that epistemic must creates a statement that is weaker than the corresponding flat-footed assertion: It must be raining vs. It’s raining. Contrary to classic discussions of the phenomenon such as by Karttunen, Kratzer, and Veltman, we argue that instead of having a weak semantics, must presupposes the presence of an indirect inference or deduction rather than of a direct observation. This is independent of the strength of the claim being made. Epistemic must is therefore quite similar to evidential markers of indirect evidence known from languages with rich evidential systems. We work towards a formalization of the evidential component, relying on a structured model of information states (analogous to some models used in the belief dynamics literature). We explain why in many contexts, one can perceive a lack of confidence on the part of the speaker who uses must.
Social and institutional performance indicators for wildlife and fishery resource management systems

Abstract Following a model based on the development and use of social indicators in the field of public administration, the article describes a system of wildlife and fishery resource management indicators for all dimensions of the resource management complex. The system includes a comprehensive series of biologic, social, and institutional dimensions. These dimensions are arrayed with four management system components—inputs, processes, outputs, and impacts—to form a 16‐cell matrix containing 377 resource management indicators. Social and institutional dimensions are discussed as being most in need of explicit management attention. The indicator system has utility for improving all phases of the management process, from goal‐ and objective‐setting through evaluation. Use of the indicator system will lead to more comprehensive and explicit resource management decisions and will help identify promising new areas for research, especially in the human dimension.
Care at the front line: Clinical decisions in the management of pediatric acid–related disorders

38. 16. Thomas EJ, Kumar R, Dasan JB, Kabra SK, Bal CS,Menon S,Malhothra A. Gastroesophageal reflux in asthmatic children not responding to asthma medication: a scintigraphic study in 126 patients with correlation between scintigraphic and clinical findings of reflux. Clin Imaging 2003;27:333-6. 17. Ruhl CE, Everhart JE. Respiratory complications of gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) in a prospective, population-based study. Gastroenterology 1999;116:A92. 18. Hassall E. Decisions in diagnosing and managing chronic gastroesophageal reflux. J Pediatr 2004. 19. El-Serag HB, Gilger M, Kuebeler M, Rabeneck L. Extraesophageal associations of gastroesophageal reflux disease in children without neurologic defects. Gastroenterology 2001;121:1294-9. 20. Holmes PW, Campbell AM, Barter CE. Acute changes of lung volumes and lung mechanics in asthma and normal subjects. Thorax 1978;33:394-400. 21. Moote EW, Lloyd DA, McCourtie DR, Wells GA. Increase in gastroesophageal reflux during methacholine-induced bronchospasm. J Allergy Clin Immunol 1986;78:619-23. 22. Stein MR. Possible mechanisms of influence of esophageal acid on airway hyperresponsiveness. Am J Med 2003;115(Suppl 3A):55S-9S. 23. Harding SM. Recent clinical investigations examining the association of asthma and gastroesophageal reflux. Am JMed 2003;115(Suppl 3A):39S-44S. 24. Field SK. A critical review of the studies of the effects of simulated or real gastroesophageal reflux on pulmonary function in asthmatic adults. Chest 1999;115:848-56. 25. Boyle JT, Tuchman DN, Altschuler SM, Nixon TE, Pack AI, Cohen S. Mechanisms for the association of gastroesophageal reflux and bronchospasm. Am Rev Respir Dis 1985;131:S16-20. 26. Malfroot A, Cohen S. Pathophysiology and mechanisms of gastroesoph- ageal reflux in childhood asthma. Pediatr Pulmonol Suppl 1995;11:55-6. 27. Field SK. Underlying mechanisms of respiratory symptoms with esophageal acid when there is no evidence of airway response. Am J Med 2001;111(Suppl 8):37S-40S. 28. Moser G, Vacariu-Granser GV, Schneider C, Abatzi TA, Pokieser P, Stacher-Janotta G, et al. High incidence of esophageal motor disorders in consecutive patients with globus sensation. Gastroenterology 1991;101: 1512-21. 29. Canning BJ, Mazzone SB. Reflex mechanisms in gastroesophageal reflux disease and asthma. Am J Med 2003;115(Suppl 3A):45S-8S. 30. AGA 2002 American Gastroenterological Association medical position statement: guidelines on the use of esophageal pH recording. Gastroenterol-
Polysome Profiling in Liver Identifies Dynamic Regulation of Endoplasmic Reticulum Translatome by Obesity and Fasting

Obesity-associated metabolic complications are generally considered to emerge from abnormalities in carbohydrate and lipid metabolism, whereas the status of protein metabolism is not well studied. Here, we performed comparative polysome and associated transcriptional profiling analyses to study the dynamics and functional implications of endoplasmic reticulum (ER)–associated protein synthesis in the mouse liver under conditions of obesity and nutrient deprivation. We discovered that ER from livers of obese mice exhibits a general reduction in protein synthesis, and comprehensive analysis of polysome-bound transcripts revealed extensive down-regulation of protein synthesis machinery, mitochondrial components, and bile acid metabolism in the obese translatome. Nutrient availability also plays an important but distinct role in remodeling the hepatic ER translatome in lean and obese mice. Fasting in obese mice partially reversed the overall translatomic differences between lean and obese nonfasted controls, whereas fasting of the lean mice mimicked many of the translatomic changes induced by the development of obesity. The strongest examples of such regulations were the reduction in Cyp7b1 and Slco1a1, molecules involved in bile acid metabolism. Exogenous expression of either gene significantly lowered plasma glucose levels, improved hepatic steatosis, but also caused cholestasis, indicating the fine balance bile acids play in regulating metabolism and health. Together, our work defines dynamic regulation of the liver translatome by obesity and nutrient availability, and it identifies a novel role for bile acid metabolism in the pathogenesis of metabolic abnormalities associated with obesity.
Useful geometric properties of the generalized cone

The authors present results on geometric properties of the generalized cone, in an effort to utilize it for a shape description system. They first derive the relationship between the generalized cone description and the surface description given by differential geometry. Then they derive expressions for the Gaussian and mean curvatures of a generalized cone, in general, and obtain expressions for some special cases like the torus, the solid of revolution etc. They study the planarity property of the contour generators of a generalized cone, in particular, one with a planar axis. They find that homogeneous generalized cones with planar axes and circular cross sections or constant-size cross sections have planar contour generators in an orthographic side view. An example of such a generalized cone is the torus. However, the contour generators are not planar in a general view. They also study symmetry properties of some generalized cones and find, in particular, that in orthographic projection the contour of the solid of revolution is symmetric about the projection of its axis from any point of view. >
Impact of diagnosed depression on healthcare costs in adults with and without diabetes: United States, 2004-2011.

Abstract Objective This study used the Medical Expenditures Panel Survey (MEPS) to estimate the cost of diabetes, depression, and comorbid diabetes and depression over 8 years. Methods An 8-year pooled dataset was created using the household and medical provider components of MEPS. Medical expenditures were adjusted to a common 2014 dollar value. Analyses used responses of 147,095 individuals ≥18 years of age for the years 2004–2011. The dependent variable in this study was total healthcare expenditure and the primary independent variables were diabetes and depression status. A two-part (probit/GLM) model was used to estimate the annual medical spending and marginal effects were calculated for incremental cost. Results In the pooled sample, after adjusting for socio-demographic factors, comorbidities and time trend covariates, the incremental cost of depression only was $2654 (95% CI 2343–2966), diabetes was $2692 (95% CI 2338–3046), and both was $6037 (CI 95% 5243–6830) when compared to patients with none. Based on the unadjusted mean, annual average aggregate cost of depression only was estimated at $238.3 billion, diabetes only $150.1 billion and depression and diabetes together was $77.6 billion. Conclusion Costs at both the individual and aggregate level are significant, with comorbid diagnoses resulting in higher incremental costs than the sum of the costs for each diagnosis alone. In addition, while the cost of depression increased over time, the cost of diabetes decreased over time, much due to decreased inpatient costs. This study highlights the tremendous cost savings possible through more aggressive screening, diagnosis, and treatment of depression.
How Uncertainty about War Outcomes Affects War Onset

In canonical accounts of war, conflict outcomes are inherently uncertain. Contesting literatures posit that this uncertainty, arising from stochastic elements of the war-fighting process, may induce conflict due to greater risks of miscalculation or foster peace by breeding caution. We theorize that states, on average, exhibit prudence when confronting greater uncertainty. Despite its conceptual importance, extant proxies for uncertainty at various levels of analysis—such as polarity, balance of power, system concentration, and dyadic relative capabilities—are imprecise and theoretically inappropriate indicators. To overcome this shortcoming, we theorize the conditions that elevate the magnitude of uncertainty over conflict outcomes and introduce a novel measure that captures this uncertainty within any k-state system. Through extensive empirical analysis, we confirm uncertainty’s pacifying effect and show how this effect operates at different levels of analysis.
Molecular Fluorescence Tomography with Structured Light and Compressive Sensing

We apply compressive sensing based preconditioning techniques to improve time-resolved wide-field FMT reconstructions. By designing masks to illumination and detection experimental basis, the coherence of the sensitivity matrix is reduced and optical reconstructions are improved.
Temporal Summation in Children With a History of Retinopathy of Prematurity

PURPOSE To assess temporal summation in children with a history of retinopathy of prematurity (ROP) by determining the critical duration (tCRIT) for complete temporal summation under rod-mediated conditions. From prior ERG studies, it is known that the kinetics of activation of phototransduction are prolonged in the ROP rod photoreceptor. METHODS Dark-adapted thresholds for detecting 10° diameter stimuli with durations from 10 to 640 ms were measured. A two-alternative, spatial, forced-choice psychophysical procedure was used. The tCRIT for complete summation was estimated in former preterm subjects with a history of severe ROP (n = 7), mild ROP (n = 23), and no ROP (n = 15). The subjects ranged in age from 10.4 to 17.6 (median 15.6) years. Age-similar term-born control subjects (n = 5) were also tested. RESULTS Critical duration was significantly longer in subjects with a history of ROP than in subjects who never had ROP or who were born at term. Mean tCRIT in the mild ROP group [127.5 (SD = 19.9) ms] and severe group [147.6 (SD = 18.9) ms] did not differ significantly, but both were significantly longer than in former preterms who never had ROP [101.1 (SD = 16.5) ms] and in term-born controls [101.0 (SD = 19.5) ms]. CONCLUSIONS In ROP subjects, tCRIT is significantly prolonged. This is likely due to abnormal kinetics in the rod outer segment.
Characterization of a self-calibrating, high-precision, stacked-stage, vertical dual-axis goniometer

We present details on the alignment and calibration of a goniometer assembly consisting two stacked, optically encoded, vertical axis rotation stages. A technique for its calibration is presented that utilizes a stable, uncalibrated, third stage to position a mirror in conjunction with a nulling autocollimator. Such a system provides a self-calibrating set of angular stages with absolute accuracy of ±0.1 second of plane angle (k=2 expanded uncertainty) around the full circle, suitable for laboratory application. This calibration technique permits in situ, absolute angular calibration of an operational goniometer assembly that is requisite for fully traceable angle measurement, as the installation of the encoder is known to change its performance from the angular calibration data provided by the manufacturer.
Electrochemical, Spectroscopic, and Photophysical Properties of Structurally Diverse Polyazine-Bridged Ru(II),Pt(II) and Os(II),Ru(II),Pt(II) Supramolecular Motifs

Five new tetrametallic supramolecules of the motif [{(TL)2M(dpp)}2Ru(BL)PtCl2]6+ and three new trimetallic light absorbers [{(TL)2M(dpp)}2Ru(BL)]6+ (TL = bpy = 2,2′-bipyridine or phen = 1,10-phenanthroline; M = Ru(II) or Os(II); BL = dpp = 2,3-bis(2-pyridyl)pyrazine, dpq = 2,3-bis(2-pyridyl)quinoxaline, or bpm = 2,2′-bipyrimidine) were synthesized and their redox, spectroscopic, and photophysical properties investigated. The tetrametallic complexes couple a Pt(II)-based reactive metal center to Ru and/or Os light absorbers through two different polyazine BL to provide structural diversity and interesting resultant properties. The redox potential of the MII/III couple is modulated by M variation, with the terminal RuII/III occurring at 1.58–1.61 V and terminal OsII/III couples at 1.07–1.18 V versus Ag/AgCl. [{(TL)2M(dpp)}2Ru(BL)](PF6)6 display terminal M(dπ)-based highest occupied molecular orbitals (HOMOs) with the dpp(π*)-based lowest unoccupied molecular orbital (LUMO) energy relatively unaffected by th...
Entity Disambiguation with Linkless Knowledge Bases

Named Entity Disambiguation is the task of disambiguating named entity mentions in natural language text and link them to their corresponding entries in a reference knowledge base (e.g. Wikipedia). Such disambiguation can help add semantics to plain text and distinguish homonymous entities. Previous research has tackled this problem by making use of two types of context-aware features derived from the reference knowledge base, namely, the context similarity and the semantic relatedness. Both features heavily rely on the cross-document hyperlinks within the knowledge base: the semantic relatedness feature is directly measured via those hyperlinks, while the context similarity feature implicitly makes use of those hyperlinks to expand entity candidates' descriptions and then compares them against the query context. Unfortunately, cross-document hyperlinks are rarely available in many closed domain knowledge bases and it is very expensive to manually add such links. Therefore few algorithms can work well on linkless knowledge bases. In this work, we propose the challenging Named Entity Disambiguation with Linkless Knowledge Bases (LNED) problem and tackle it by leveraging the useful disambiguation evidences scattered across the reference knowledge base. We propose a generative model to automatically mine such evidences out of noisy information. The mined evidences can mimic the role of the missing links and help boost the LNED performance. Experimental results show that our proposed method substantially improves the disambiguation accuracy over the baseline approaches.
Applying fuzzy comprehensive evaluation method on road transport system of liquid chlorine

A system mode for transporting dangerous chemicals was established based on Fuzzy comprehensive evaluation method and analytic hierarchy process.Five factors on safety level of dangerous materials transportation were discussed including dangerous materials,driver,vehicles,road,and circumstance.In this paper,quantified risk analysis was used in consequence assessment.The concentration distribution of the dangerous material in atmosphere environment was obtained,which is useful and significant in construction guidance to setup hot zone.
Hashing It Out Over Cannabis: Moving Toward a Standard Guideline on Substance Use for Cardiac Transplantation Eligibility That Includes Marijuana.

> When I was in England, I experimented with marijuana a time or two, and didn’t like it. I didn’t inhale, and I didn’t try it again. > > —President Bill Clinton During the 1992 presidential campaign, then Governor Bill Clinton’s infamous words sparked substantial controversy regarding the appropriateness of prior marijuana use in a presidential candidate.1 Approximately 15 years later, then Senator Barack Obama’s openness regarding his prior marijuana use—and statements that he did inhale—drew little negative attention, reflecting a societal shift in which the stigma previously ascribed to marijuana has been blunted. Likewise, the field of medicine has evolved in its regard of the medicinal properties of marijuana in the treatment of some diseases.2 In parallel, this decade has witnessed rapid decriminalization of marijuana use: 25 states and the District of Columbia and Guam have now legalized medical marijuana, whereas 4 states (Alaska, Colorado, Oregon, and Washington) and a handful of cities have legalized recreational use.3 Although federal law considers cannabis a Schedule I substance on the books, the executive branch has frequently deferred to state and local authority with respect to enforcement.4 Internationally, there is significant variability in the legal status of cannabis use. See Article by Neyer et al Because intoxicating and potentially addictive agents are an inherent part of nearly every society, their relationship to complex medical therapies must be thoughtfully considered and managed. Central among contemporary considerations is the overlap of marijuana use and transplantation candidacy. Heart transplant is not typical therapy; it is extraordinary therapy that requires an extraordinary level of teamwork and patient engagement to optimize the likelihood of good outcomes. In addition, it is an exceedingly limited resource in which donor organs are only available to a small fraction of patients with end-stage heart failure. Not all patients are candidates, and not all …
Discovery and Validation of Agonistic Angiotensin Receptor Autoantibodies as Biomarkers of Adverse Outcomes.

Background:Agonistic angiotensin II type 1 receptor autoantibodies (AT1RaAbs) have not been associated with functional measures or risk for adverse health outcomes. AT1RaAbs could be used to strati...
Fluidized bed drying of a pharmaceutical powder: A parametric investigation of drying of dibasic calcium phosphate

ABSTRACTA parametric analysis of four fluidized bed dryer operating parameters—initial moisture content, material loading, heating air temperature, and air flux—was carried out using two factorial experimental designs. Two different dryer scales, the Glatt GPCG-1 and MiniGlatt, with chamber volumes of 23 and 3 L, respectively, were used to dry dibasic calcium phosphate powders. According to a Pareto analysis, initial moisture content and air flux were the most significant variables. For the larger GPCG-1, the four variables used in the factorial tests were found to be independent. For the smaller MiniGlatt, the interaction of the initial moisture content and the air flow rate was also significant. From the parametric analysis, it was observed that drying is dominated by the constant drying stage, and zero-order kinetics, for the mild drying conditions (appropriate for many pharmaceutical products) we considered in this work. A comparison of the two dryers and an evaluation of energy efficiency were also c...
Association of Fatigue and Depression With Circulating Levels of Proinflammatory Cytokines and Epidermal Growth Factor Receptor Ligands: A Correlative Study of a Placebo-Controlled Fatigue Trial

CONTEXT The biology of fatigue and depression in cancer patients is poorly understood. Hypotheses regarding cytokines and growth factors related to sickness behavior and disruption of circadian signaling have been proposed. OBJECTIVES We prospectively examined proinflammatory cytokines (e.g., sickness behavior model) and epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) ligands (e.g., circadian disruption model) in the serum of cancer patients enrolled in a clinical trial testing levocarnitine for fatigue. METHODS Serum samples were collected at baseline and week 4. Cytokine/growth factor analyses were performed with a Luminex analyzer. The Brief Fatigue Index and the Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Index were used to measure fatigue and depression severity. The association between cytokine and symptoms was examined using logistic models. RESULTS Among 101 analyzable patients, all ten cytokines/growth factors examined were highly elevated at baseline and all significantly decreased at week 4 (p<0.001) regardless of treatment intervention. At baseline, the odds of severe fatigue significantly increased for patients with higher level of interleukin-1 receptor antagonist (IL-1Ra), whereas patients with higher levels of IL-1Ra, tumor necrosis factor-α, interleukin (IL)-6, IL-8, interferon-γ, transforming growth factor α, and vascular endothelial growth factor had higher odds of severe depression. At week 4, fatigue (p=0.023) and depression (p=0.007) responders had less decrease in IL-1 level than the corresponding non-responders. CONCLUSION In this correlative analysis of a fatigue clinical trial, levels of fatigue were significantly associated with levels of IL-1 and IL-1Ra. Circadian-signaling pathways related to EGFR signaling were correlated with depression as were other cytokines. A major placebo effect was associated with a global decrease in cytokine and growth factors. These data provide further basis for testing hypotheses regarding the mechanisms of fatigue and depression in cancer patients.
Relapsed Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia of Childhood

Relapsed ALL remains a major therapeutic challenge with little improvements in outcome over the last three-decades. In late relapsing BCP-ALL bone marrow disease, MRD has been employed to stratify for allogeneic stem cell transplantation (allo-SCT) or chemotherapy. In patients receiving an allo-SCT, the use of mitoxantrone may be associated with decreased relapse rates post SCT. Outcome for early relapsing patient is very poor except a the small minority of patients who become MRD low/negative at the end of re-induction. Early isolated extramedullary relapse has better outcomes that bone marrow relapses. In T-ALL patients with bone marrow relapse, little progress has been made over the last three decades. A better understanding of the biology of disease recurrence, targeted therapy and innovative approaches to allografts offers possible ways of improving outcomes in the coming decades.
The Clinical Correlations between Diabetes, Cigarette Smoking and Obesity on Intervertebral Degenerative Disc Disease of the Lumbar Spine.

Author(s): Jakoi, Ande M; Pannu, Gurpal; D'Oro, Anthony; Buser, Zorica; Pham, Martin H; Patel, Neil N; Hsieh, Patrick C; Liu, John C; Acosta, Frank L; Hah, Raymond; Wang, Jeffrey C | Abstract: Study designRetrospective analysis of a nationwide private insurance database. Chi-square analysis and linear regression models were utilized for outcome measures.PurposeThe purpose of this study was to investigate any relationship between lumbar degenerative disc disease, diabetes, obesity and smoking tobacco.Overview of literatureDiabetes, obesity, and smoking tobacco are comorbid conditions known to individually have effect on degenerative disc disease. Most studies have only been on a small populous scale. No study has yet to investigate the combination of these conditions within a large patient cohort nor have they reviewed the combination of these conditions on degenerative disc disease.MethodsA retrospective analysis of insurance billing codes within the nationwide Humana insurance database was performed, using PearlDiver software (PearlDiver, Inc., Fort Wayne, IN, USA), to identify trends among patients diagnosed with lumbar disc degenerative disease with and without the associated comorbidities of obesity, diabetes, and/or smoking tobacco. Patients billed for a comorbidity diagnosis on the same patient record as the lumbar disc degenerative disease diagnosis were compared over time to patients billed for lumbar disc degenerative disease without a comorbidity. There were no sources of funding for this manuscript and no conflicts of interest.ResultsThe total number and prevalence of patients (per 10,000) within the database diagnosed with lumbar disc degenerative disease increased by 241.4% and 130.3%, respectively. The subsets of patients within this population who were concurrently diagnosed with either obesity, diabetes, tobacco use, or a combination thereof, was significantly higher than patients diagnosed with lumbar disc degenerative disease alone (p l0.05 for all). The number of patients diagnosed with lumbar disc degenerative disease and smoking rose significantly more than patients diagnosed with lumbar disc degenerative disease and either diabetes or obesity (p l0.05). The number of patients diagnosed with lumbar disc degenerative disease, smoking and obesity rose significantly more than the number of patients diagnosed with lumbar disc degenerative disease and any other comorbidity alone or combination of comorbidities (p l0.05).ConclusionsDiabetes, obesity and cigarette smoking each are significantly associated with an increased diagnosis of lumbar degenerative disc disease. The combination of smoking and obesity had a synergistic effect on increased rates of lumbar degenerative disc disease. Patient education and preventative care is a vital goal in prevention of degenerative disc disease within the general population.
The Rise of the Mega Breach and What Can Be Done About It

ABSTRACTA data breach occurs when sensitive data records from an organization are released either intentionally or unintentionally to an untrusted environment. This research examines mega breaches, data breaches that constitute the loss of a million records or more, and how organizations have responded to recent mega breaches. Data from 2,273 data breaches that occurred between 2005 and 2015 that involved the confirmed loss of records are analyzed. This data is used to examine recent trends in the occurrences of mega breaches as well as the different categories of breaches and the different entities affected by breaches. In addition, this research examines methods that can be employed by organizations in order to prevent data breaches, such as encryption and employee training.
The perioperative effects of chronic preoperative opioid use on shoulder arthroplasty outcomes.

Hypothesis and background Chronic opioid therapy is an increasingly used modality for the treatment of osteoarthritis-associated pain. We hypothesized that chronic opioid use would be associated with adverse outcomes in shoulder arthroplasty. Methods A retrospective analysis of patients undergoing elective anatomic total shoulder arthroplasty (TSA) and reverse total shoulder arthroplasty (rTSA) at a single institution from 2012-2015 was performed. Patients were stratified by preoperative opioid use (nonusers, short-acting opioid users, and long-acting opioid users), and their postoperative clinical outcomes were assessed. Results We identified 262 patients (170 rTSA and 92 anatomic TSA), of whom 138 were using opioids preoperatively (82% short acting and 18% long acting). When non-opioid users, short-acting opioid users, and long-acting opioid users were compared, mean total milligrams of morphine equivalents administered during postoperative hospitalization was significantly higher for those with preoperative opioid use (66.9 mg, 111.4 mg, and 208.3 mg, respectively; P P = .007), day 1 (4.0, 4.9, and 6.0, respectively; P P Conclusion A preoperative history of opioid use before shoulder arthroplasty was associated with significantly higher perioperative opioid consumption and visual analog scale scores. However, unlike in patients undergoing total knee or hip arthroplasty, preoperative opioid use was not associated with increased hospital length of stay, perioperative complications, or 90-day readmission rates for shoulder arthroplasty.
Psychic phenomena and the mind-body problem: historical notes on a neglected conceptual tradition

Although there is a long tradition of philosophical and historical ­discussions of the mind–body problem, most of them make no mention of psychic phenomena as having implications for such an issue. This chapter is an overview of selected writings published in the nineteenth and twentieth centuries literatures of mesmerism, spiritualism, and psychical research whose authors have discussed apparitions, telepathy, clairvoyance, out-of-body experiences, and other parapsychological phenomena as evidence for the existence of a principle separate from the body and responsible for consciousness. Some writers discussed here include individuals from different time periods. Among them are John Beloff, J.C. Colquhoun, Carl du Prel, Camille Flammarion, J.H. Jung-Stilling, Frederic W.H. Myers, and J.B. Rhine. Rather than defend the validity of their position, my purpose is to document the existence of an intellectual and conceptual tradition that has been neglected by philosophers and others in their discussions of the mind–body problem and aspects of its history.
Algorithmic bias in autonomous systems

Algorithms play a key role in the functioning of autonomous systems, and so concerns have periodically been raised about the possibility of algorithmic bias. However, debates in this area have been hampered by different meanings and uses of the term, "bias." It is sometimes used as a purely descriptive term, sometimes as a pejorative term, and such variations can promote confusion and hamper discussions about when and how to respond to algorithmic bias. In this paper, we first provide a taxonomy of different types and sources of algorithmic bias, with a focus on their different impacts on the proper functioning of autonomous systems. We then use this taxonomy to distinguish between algorithmic biases that are neutral or unobjectionable, and those that are problematic in some way and require a response. In some cases, there are technological or algorithmic adjustments that developers can use to compensate for problematic bias. In other cases, however, responses require adjustments by the agent, whether human or autonomous system, who uses the results of the algorithm. There is no "one size fits all" solution to algorithmic bias.
Review of The Weight of Obesity: Hunger and Global Health in Postwar Guatemala, by Emily Yates-Doerr

The Weight of Obesity: Hunger and Global Health in Postwar Guatemala, by Emily Yates-Doerr. University of California Press, 2015.
Modern Practices to Improve Human Development Research

We review several methodological practices that are integral to enhancing developmental research in the social sciences. Our primary theme is shifting the dominant statistical and methodological paradigm in the developmental sciences to embrace modern modeling practices. Although null-hypothesis significance testing is unavoidable in some cases, techniques such as latent variable modeling and planned missing data designs can improve research. We also address instances in which only quasi-experiment designs are possible, highlighting three alternative designs: regression discontinuity, propensity score matching, and regression point displacement. Ill-guided and outdated methodological paradigms in research lead to biased results which can lead to biased conclusions.
Combating Crowdsourced Review Manipulators: A Neighborhood-Based Approach

We propose a system called TwoFace to uncover crowdsourced review manipulators who target online review systems. A unique feature of TwoFace is its three-phase framework:(i) in the first phase, we intelligently sample actual evidence of manipulation(e.g., review manipulators) by exploiting low moderation crowdsourcing platforms that reveal evidence of strategic manipulation;(ii) we then propagate the suspiciousness of these seed users to identify similar users through a random walk over a "suspiciousness»» graph; and(iii) finally, we uncover(hidden) distant users who serve structurally similar roles by mapping users into a low-dimensional embedding space that captures community structure. Altogether, the TwoFace system recovers 83% to 93% of all manipulators in a sample from Amazon of 38,590 reviewers, even when the system is seeded with only a few samples from malicious crowdsourcing sites.
Systemic Immune Responses to Oral Anaerobic Organisms

Periodontal diseases such as gingivitis and periodontitis are common infections of man after the fourth decade of life. Gingivitis also effects children and young adults, however, periodontitis, which results in loss of alveolar bone, is much less common in children than in adults. Most forms of periodontal disease represent long standing infections by anaerobic organisms. They are most likely mixed infections and hence, precise information about the infecting organisms is difficult to ascertain. As with most chronic bacterial infections, there is a delicate balance between host defense mechanisms and virulence factors expressed by the bacteria. Although direct effects of the organisms likely account for some of the pathology, the course, severity and eventual outcome of periodontal disease is thought to be determined to a large extent by host responses to the infecting organisms.
Social Representational Communities and the Imagined Antebellum South

ABSTRACTTourists come to museums with varied expectations and leave appreciating different aspects of their presentations. Thus, tourists/audiences are primed to see, hear, and experience certain representations and narratives when they enter museums. This is particularly so with plantation museums. Most Americans possess at the very least a vague sense of the antebellum South. They have a vague sense of a time and of a place populated by wealthy and esteemed plantation owners and their Black enslaved labor. We use, as our raw material, visitors’ responses to the question: “What is your level of interest in ...,” ten topics related to plantations’ presentations. This question was asked of visitors returning from tours at three plantation museums. Specifically, all three differ in their presentation of enslavement and as so, have been selected to represent the spectrum of plantation museums in regards to presentation of slavery and enslaved labor. It is expected that the differences in presentations at the...
“Everything inside me was silenced”: (Re)defining rape through visceral counterpublicity

ABSTRACTThis essay advances a theory of visceral counterpublicity through two case studies of recent high-profile rape crimes in the United States – the cases of Emily Doe and Emma Sulkowicz. Both cases garnered considerable public attention, yet neither perpetrator was convicted of rape. This essay analyzes how Doe and Sulkowicz performed public responses to these outcomes, using their bodies to argue what happened to them was indeed rape. These embodied forms constitute what I call visceral counterpublicity: modes of public engagement that (1) proceed when discursive frameworks understood through liberal subjectivity fall short; (2) expose the body's threatened boundaries to incite an affective response, or bodily intensity, in audiences; and (3) illuminate a subjugated position within the public sphere. Together, these cases call into question how mainstream publics define and discuss rape and suggest a potential shift in public opinion over rape to include visceral frameworks. This theory provides uti...
Thematic analysis of blog narratives written by people with Alzheimer's disease and other dementias and care partners.

Limited research takes a socio-biographical approach to study the experiences and perspectives of individuals affected by Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias. The purpose of this study was to thematically analyze blog narratives written by people with Alzheimer’s disease and related dementia and care partners in order to increase understanding of their experiences. Nineteen blogs written by people with Alzheimer’s disease and related dementia and 44 blogs written by care partners were analyzed. The first two authors utilized line-by-line open coding to analyze five posts from each group for the development of a codebook. Using NVivo software, the first author proceeded to code the remaining blogs for emergent themes and subcategories. Emergent themes included (1) effects of Alzheimer’s disease and related dementia on the person with Alzheimer’s disease and related dementia and/or the care partner; (2) seeing the positives; (3) feeling out of control; (4) advocacy and empowerment; (5) coping mechanis...
The Transient Semiconductor Problem with Generation Terms, II

We consider a modified time-dependent van Roosbroeck system with saturating velocities and a source term subject to assumptions designed to permit a standard generation term corresponding to impact ionization. This is then a nonlinear parabolic system with a right hand side of the form S = S(., u, Δu, ɛ), coupled with the map L : u ⇔ ɛ defined by the Poisson equation at each t. The analysis leads to existence of solutions for all time as well as uniqueness (and continuous dependence on data) under stronger conditions.