cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Arctic Mixed-Phase Cloud Properties from AERI Lidar Observations: Algorithm and Results from SHEBA

Abstract A new approach to retrieve microphysical properties from mixed-phase Arctic clouds is presented. This mixed-phase cloud property retrieval algorithm (MIXCRA) retrieves cloud optical depth, ice fraction, and the effective radius of the water and ice particles from ground-based, high-resolution infrared radiance and lidar cloud boundary observations. The theoretical basis for this technique is that the absorption coefficient of ice is greater than that of liquid water from 10 to 13 μm, whereas liquid water is more absorbing than ice from 16 to 25 μm. MIXCRA retrievals are only valid for optically thin (τvisible < 6) single-layer clouds when the precipitable water vapor is less than 1 cm. MIXCRA was applied to the Atmospheric Emitted Radiance Interferometer (AERI) data that were collected during the Surface Heat Budget of the Arctic Ocean (SHEBA) experiment from November 1997 to May 1998, where 63% of all of the cloudy scenes above the SHEBA site met this specification. The retrieval determined that...
Editor's Introduction: I. Writing Modern Art and Science – An Overview; II. Cubism, Futurism, and Ether Physics in the Early Twentieth Century

This issue of Science in Context presents a sampling of current work by art historians examining modern artists' engagement with science as well as the relationship of photography to both science and art. The essays' topics span the mid-to-later nineteenth century to the 1960s and, thus, in a series of case studies provide an introduction to aspects of artistic modernism. Indeed, it is impossible to understand fully many of the radical innovations of modern art without some knowledge of an artist's cultural context, and developments in science have often played a critical role in defining that milieu. Collected together, these essays also represent methodological models of historical work on art and science that serve as useful examples in this developing field.
Tsai Receives 2012 Keiiti Aki Young Scientist Award: Response

I am honored to receive the Aki Award, but I would not be receiving this award without the benefit of many collaborations and inspirations as well as extensive mentoring and infrastructural, personal, and financial support. Although there are more individuals to thank than can be listed here, special thanks are due to Jim Rice, Hiroo Kanamori, Dave Stevenson, and Goran Ekstrom, who have all been irreplaceable mentors. I am also indebted to many other teachers, colleagues, and friends and to my parents, who have inspired in me a curiosity about the world, taught me the importance of hard work and persistence, supported my endeavors, and provided unimaginably rich opportunities throughout my life.
Four Pedagogical Mistakes: A Mea Culpa

Abstract. The theological pedagogies which dominate degree-granting schools originated in the courses of study and graduate programs of the teachers. These pedagogies foster a deep rift between theology as an academic or scholarly discipline (science?) and the situations and interests of students. Students are taught to imitate what scholars do: interpreting texts, making formal arguments, and writing essays. Accordingly, theology recedes from the present and future of students including future clergy, having little to do with their religious life or career. By defining theology as scholarship, academic pedagogy obscures its primary meaning, the critical and creative thinking of the situations of life and world under the perspective of the Gospel. If theology's primary meaning is scholarly knowledge and its preoccupation with text interpretation and doctrinal exposition, the result will be to ignore religion's actual practices, especially its idolatrous tendency to literalize its own language and absolutize its institutional mediations. A pedagogy that reflects theology's primary meaning will focus on contemplation, reflection, and thinking and thus order methods, texts, and doctrines to that.
Effect of a brief, regular telephone intervention by paraprofessionals for type 2 diabetes

Brief, cost-effective interventions to promote diabetes self-management are needed. This study evaluated the effects of a brief, regular, proactive, telephone "coaching" intervention delivered by paraprofessionals on diabetes adherence, glycemic control, diabetes-related medical symptoms, and depressive symptoms. Therapeutic mechanisms underlying the intervention's effect on the primary outcomes were also examined. Adults diagnosed with type 2 diabetes (N = 62) were randomly assigned to receive the "coaching" intervention and treatment as usual, or only treatment as usual. The intervention increased frequency of exercise and feet inspection, improved diet, reduced diabetes medical symptoms, and lowered depressive symptoms. Self-efficacy, reinforcement, and awareness of self-care goals mediated the treatment effect on depression, exercise, and feet inspection, respectively. A brief telephone intervention delivered by paraprofessionals had positive effects on type 2 diabetes patients.
Commentary: Smoke pulls the blinds

The association between fuelstove and cataract remained strong even after controlling fornumerous cofactors, including kitchen ventilation. The risksincreased monotonically with exposure duration and across thethree exposure gradients (unvented stoves, improved ventedstoves, and clean fuel stoves).The observations are biologically plausible and add anoutcome to the list of similar effects reported for active or passivesmoking and for exposure to smoke from biomass and burningfossil fuel.
Effects of algal diversity on the production of biomass in homogeneous and heterogeneous nutrient environments: A microcosm experiment

Background: One of the most common questions addressed by ecologists over the past decade has been-how does species richness impact the production of community biomass? Recent summaries of experiments have shown that species richness tends to enhance the production of biomass across a wide range of trophic groups and ecosystems; however, the biomass of diverse polycultures only rarely exceeds that of the single most productive species in a community (a phenomenon called ‘transgressive overyielding’). Some have hypothesized that the lack of transgressive overyielding is because experiments have generally been performed in overly-simplified, homogeneous environments where species have little opportunity to express the niche differences that lead to ‘complementary’ use of resources that can enhance biomass production. We tested this hypothesis in a laboratory experiment where we manipulated the richness of freshwater algae in homogeneous and heterogeneous nutrient environments. Methodology/Principal Findings: Experimental units were comprised of patches containing either homogeneous nutrient ratios (16:1 nitrogen to phosphorus (N:P) in all patches) or heterogeneous nutrient ratios (ranging from 4:1 to 64:1 N:P across patches). After allowing 6–10 generations of algal growth, we found that algal species richness had similar impacts on biomass production in both homo- and heterogeneous environments. Although four of the five algal species showed a strong response to nutrient heterogeneity, a single species dominated algal communities in both types of environments. As a result, a ‘selection effect’–where diversity maximizes the chance that a competitively superior species will be included in, and dominate the biomass of a community–was the primary mechanism by which richness influenced biomass in both homo- and heterogeneous environments. Conclusions/Significance: Our study suggests that spatial heterogeneity, by itself, is not sufficient to generate strong effects of biodiversity on productivity. Rather, heterogeneity must be coupled with variation in the relative fitness of species across patches in order for spatial niche differentiation to generate complementary resource use.
Urinary incontinence and its association with death, nursing home admission, and functional decline.

Objectives: To determine whether urinary incontinence (UI) is an independent predictor of death, nursing home admission, decline in activities of daily living (ADLs), or decline in instrumental activities of daily living (IADLs). Design: A population-based prospective cohort study from 1993 to 1995. Setting: Community-dwelling within the United States. Participants: Six thousand five hundred six of the 7,447 subjects aged 70 and older in the Asset and Health Dynamics Among the Oldest Old study who had complete information on continence status and did not require a proxy interview at baseline. Measurements: The predictor was UI, and the outcomes were death, nursing home admission, ADL decline, and IADL decline. Potential confounders considered were comorbid conditions, baseline function, sensory impairment, cognition, depressive symptoms, body mass index, smoking and alcohol, demographics, and socioeconomic status. Results: The prevalence of UI was 14.8% (18.5% in women; 8.5% in men). At 2-year follow-up, subjects incontinent at baseline were more likely to have died (10.9% vs 8.7%; unadjusted odds ratio (OR)=1.29, 95% confidence interval (CI)=1.02–1.64), be admitted to a nursing home (4.4% vs 2.6%, OR=1.77; 95% CI=1.18–2.63), and to have declined in ADL function (13.6% vs 8.1%; OR=1.78, 95% CI=1.36–2.33) and IADL function (21.2% vs 13.8%; OR 1.69, 95% CI 1.39–2.05). However, after adjusting for confounders, UI was not an independent predictor of death (adjusted OR (AOR)= 0.90, 95% CI=0.67–1.21), nursing home admission (AOR=1.33, 95% CI=0.86–2.04), or ADL decline (AOR=1.24, 95% CI=0.92–1.68). Incontinence remained a predictor of IADL decline (AOR=1.31; 95% CI=1.05–1.63), although adjustment markedly reduced the strength of this association. Conclusion: Higher levels of baseline illness severity and functional impairment appear to mediate the relationship between UI and adverse outcomes. The results suggest that, although UI appears to be a marker of frailty in community-dwelling elderly, it is not a strong independent risk factor for death, nursing home admission, or functional decline.
High-speed hyperspectral Raman imaging for label-free compositional microanalysis.

We present high-speed hyperspectral Raman imaging with integrated active-illumination for label-free compositional microanalysis. We show that high-quality Raman spectra can be acquired from as many as ~1,000 spots/sec semi-randomly distributed among a ~100x100 μm2 area without mechanical scanning. We demonstrate rapid data acquisition from three types of samples: 1) uniform, strong Raman scatterers, e.g., silicon substrates; 2) non-uniform, medium-strength Raman scatterers, e.g., polymer microparticles; and, 3) non-uniform, relatively weak Raman scatterers, e.g., bacterial spores. We compare the system performance to that of point-scan with an electron-multiplied CCD camera, as implemented in some commercial systems. The results suggest that our system not only provides significant imaging speed advantage for various types of samples, but also permits substantially longer integration time per spot, leading to superior signal-to-noise ratio data. Our system enables the rapid collection of high quality Raman spectra for reliable and robust compositional microanalysis that are potentially transformative in applications such as semiconductor material and device, polymer blend and biomedicine.
Facetedpedia: dynamic generation of query-dependent faceted interfaces for wikipedia

This paper proposes Facetedpedia, a faceted retrieval system for information discovery and exploration in Wikipedia. Given the set of Wikipedia articles resulting from a keyword query, Facetedpedia generates a faceted interface for navigating the result articles. Compared with other faceted retrieval systems, Facetedpedia is fully automatic and dynamic in both facet generation and hierarchy construction, and the facets are based on the rich semantic information from Wikipedia. The essence of our approach is to build upon the collaborative vocabulary in Wikipedia, more specifically the intensive internal structures (hyperlinks) and folksonomy (category system). Given the sheer size and complexity of this corpus, the space of possible choices of faceted interfaces is prohibitively large. We propose metrics for ranking individual facet hierarchies by user's navigational cost, and metrics for ranking interfaces (each with k facets) by both their average pairwise similarities and average navigational costs. We thus develop faceted interface discovery algorithms that optimize the ranking metrics. Our experimental evaluation and user study verify the effectiveness of the system.
Development of a Solid Sorbent Monitoring Method for Chlorine and Bromine in Air with Determination by Ion Chromatography

Abstract A solid sorbent sampling and analytical method for chlorine (Cl2) and bromine (Br2) in air, based on the reaction of halogen gases with silver to form silver halides, has been developed. The sampler uses an opaque, 25-mm cassette containing a Zefluor™ or polyester prefilter and a cleaned silver membrane filter. The silver halides are complexed with thiosulfate, releasing the halide ion, which is determined by ion chromotography. The method was laboratory evaluated using generated test atmospheres (room temperature, 20% and 80% relative humidities, and concentration levels of 0.1 to 2 times the Permissible Exposure Limit [PEL] set by the U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration [OSHA]), and field evaluated at a chlorine-containing industrial environment. Precision of the method was 7.2 percent, and the bias was insignificant (-1.3%). High humidity (∼80%) dramatically increased the capacity of the silver filter for Cl2 and Br2. Hydrogen chloride is a minor positive interference; however, ...
Evaluation of various deployment strategies of imidacloprid-treated spheres in highbush blueberries for control of Rhagoletis mendax (Diptera: Tephritidae).

Biodegradable, ammonium-baited spheres treated with the neonicotinoid insecticide Provado (imidacloprid) at 2% (AI) were evaluated for controlling blueberry maggot flies, Rhagoletis mendax Curran. Three strategies for sphere deployment in highbush blueberries, Vaccinium corym- bosum L., were compared with untreated control plots in 1999 and once again compared against control plots and organophosphate insecticide sprays in 2000. The patterns of sphere deployment were as follows: (1) perimeter deployment in which spheres were hung individually and spaced equally around the perimeter of experimental plots; (2) cluster deployment in which four groups of three spheres were hung in equally spaced perimeter locations of experimental plots; and (3) uniform deployment in which spheres were placed 10 m apart (in a grid-like pattern) within experimental plots. In 1999, there were no significant differences in fruit injury levels based on observed R. mendax oviposition scars and reared larvae among plots containing imidacloprid-treated spheres in perimeter, cluster, and internal-grid patterns. However, all plots containing spheres had significantly lower fruit infestation levels (,2%), compared with unsprayed control plots with no spheres deployed, which had infestation levels (.20%). In 2000, there were no significant differences in fruit injury based on observed R. mendax oviposition scars between plots containing imidacloprid- treated spheres in the three deployment strategies tested and plots that received Guthion (Azinphos- methyl) spray applications. However, significantly fewer R. mendax larvae were reared from berries collected from plots that received two applications of Guthion compared with plots in which imidacloprid-treated spheres were deployed. Irrespective of sphere deployment strategies, all sphere-treated and sprayed plots had significantly lower injury levels (,1.5%), based on numbers of reared larvae compared with berries collected from the control plots (.4.0%). Based on captures of flies on unbaited Pherocon AM boards placed in the center of treatment plots, we observed a suppression of R. mendax in plots containing imidacloprid-treated spheres compared with control plots. The potential of using imidacloprid-treated spheres as a behavioral control integrated pest management tactic for blueberry maggot flies is discussed.
ORGANIC PRODUCTION IN THE REPUBLIC OF SERBIA: SITUATION ANALYSIS AND THE WAY OF DEVELOPMENT

Serbia has a huge potential for organic production (pure agriculture area, climate factors, numerous of private holdings), but in the same time there are an extremely small number of organic farm with export program. One of the ways for achieve competitive advantage in the whole agricultural sector - is organic production. Future orientation this agriculture sector implied strong and systematic support public and official sector, with the larger entrepreneurship programs and initiatives in the private sector.
Collective climate: Agreement as a basis for defining aggregate climates in organizations.

Agreement of psychological climate perceptions is proposed as a basis for a composition theory of aggregate climate. Climates based on agreement, termed “collective climates,” are shown to meet sev...
Severe and Persistent Thyroid Dysfunction Associated with Tetracycline-Antibiotic Treatment in Youth

Thyroid dysfunction in adolescents treated with minocycline for acne has been previously described as transient effect and/or associated with autoimmune thyroiditis. We report nonimmune-mediated thyroid dysfunction associated with minocycline/doxycycline in 3 adolescents whose clinical courses suggest an adverse effect that may be more common, serious, and persistent than realized previously.
Temperature-emissivity separation for LWIR sensing using MCMC

Signal processing for long-wave infrared (LWIR) sensing is made complicated by unknown surface temperatures in a scene which impact measured radiance through temperature-dependent black-body radiation of in-scene objects. The unknown radiation levels give rise to the temperature-emissivity separation (TES) problem describing the intrinsic ambiguity between an object’s temperature and emissivity. In this paper we present a novel Bayesian TES algorithm that produces a probabilistic posterior estimate of a material’s unknown temperature and emissivity. The statistical uncertainty characterization provided by the algorithm is important for subsequent signal processing tasks such as classification and sensor fusion. The algorithm is based on Markov chain Monte Carlo (MCMC) methods and exploits conditional linearity to achieve efficient block-wise Gibbs sampling for rapid inference. In contrast to existing work, the algorithm optimally incorporates prior knowledge about inscene materials via Bayesian priors which may optionally be learned using training data and a material database. Examples demonstrate up to an order of magnitude reduction in error compared to classical filter-based TES methods.
Perceived Cooling Using Asymmetrically-Applied Hot and Cold Stimuli

Temperature perception is a highly nonlinear phenomenon with faster rates of change being perceived at much lower thresholds than slower rates. This paper presents a method that takes advantage of this nonlinear characteristic to generate a perception of continuous cooling even though the average temperature is not changing. The method uses multiple thermal actuators so that a few are cooling quickly while the rest of the actuators are heating slowly. The slowly-heating actuators are below the perceptual threshold temperature change and hence are not perceived, while the quickly-cooling actuators are above the perceptual temperature change, hence are perceived. As a result, a feeling of decreasing temperature was elicited, when in fact, there was no net change in the temperature of the skin. Three sets of judiciously designed experiments were conducted in this study, investigating the effects of actuator sizes, forearm measurement locations, patterns of actuator layout, and various heating/cooling time cycles. Our results showed that 19 out 21 participants perceived the continuous cooling effect as hypothesized. Our research indicates that the measurement location, heating/cooling cycle times, and arrangement of the actuators affect the perception of continuous cooling.
Distinguishing complex ideas about climate change: knowledge integration vs. specific guidance

ABSTRACTWe compared two forms of automated guidance to support students’ understanding of climate change in an online inquiry science unit. For specific guidance, we directly communicated ideas that were missing or misrepresented in student responses. For knowledge integration guidance, we provided hints or suggestions to motivate learners to analyze features of their response and seek more information. We guided both student-constructed energy flow diagrams and short essays at total of five times across an approximately week-long curriculum unit. Our results indicate that while specific guidance typically produced larger accuracy gains on responses within the curriculum unit, knowledge integration guidance produced stronger outcomes on a novel essay at posttest. Closer analysis revealed an association between the time spent revisiting a visualization and posttest scores on this summary essay, only for those students in the knowledge integration condition. We discuss how these gains in knowledge integrati...
Your Genes, Your health and Personalised Medicine

We are fast approaching the era of personalised medicine, in which we will each be able to know our level of risk for many diseases, and medical treatments will be tailored to fit the individual, rather than treating all patients who have the same disorder in the same manner. This book is intended to help you understand how your genes influence your health.
TRPC1-STIM1 activation modulates transforming growth factor β-induced epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition

// Anne Schaar 1 , Pramod Sukumaran 1 , Yuyang Sun 1 , Archana Dhasarathy 1 , Brij B Singh 1 1 Department of Biomedical Sciences, School of Medicine and Health Sciences, University of North Dakota, Grand Forks, ND 58201, USA Correspondence to: Brij B Singh, email: brij.singh@med.und.edu Keywords: calcium, SOCE, TRPC1-STIM1, calpain, EMT Received: July 15, 2016 Accepted: October 19, 2016 Published: October 25, 2016 ABSTRACT Activation of Epithelial-to-Mesenchymal Transition (EMT) is important for tumor metastasis. Although growth factors such as TGFβ and EGF have been shown to induce EMT in breast epithelial cells, the mechanism resulting in migration is not well understood. Herein, we provide evidence that Ca 2+ entry into the cell, especially upon store-depletion, plays an important role in TGFβ-induced EMT by promoting cellular migration and potentially leading to metastasis. The increased migration by TGFβ in non-cancerous cells was due to the loss of E-cadherin along with a subsequent increase in N-cadherin levels. Importantly, TGFβ-treatment increases store-mediated Ca 2+ entry, which was essential for the activation of calpain leading to the loss of E-cadherin and MMP activation. Inhibition of Ca 2+ entry by using Ca 2+ channel blocker SKF-96365, significantly decreased Ca 2+ entry, decreased TGFβ-induced calpain activation, and suppressed the loss of E-cadherin along with inhibiting cell migration. Furthermore, TRPC1 function as an endogenous Ca 2+ entry channel and silencing of either TRPC1 or its activator, STIM1, significantly decreased TGFβ induced Ca 2+ entry, inhibited TGFβ-mediated calpain activation and cell migration. In contrast, overexpression of TRPC1 showed increased Ca 2+ entry and promoted TGFβ-mediated cell migration. Moreover, increased TRPC1 expression was observed in ductal carcinoma cells. Together these results suggest that disrupting Ca 2+ influx via TRPC1/STIM1 mechanism reduces calpain activity, which could restore intercellular junction proteins thereby inhibiting EMT induced motility.
Application of the entropic mirror descent algorithm to TOF PET image reconstruction

In this work, we apply the theoretically convergent entropic mirror descent algorithm (EMDA) to the maximization of the list mode maximum likelihood objective function for time-of-flight (TOF) positron emission tomography (PET) image reconstruction. The algorithm also has a theoretically convergent ordered subsets implementation and is readily generalizable to priors. Here we demonstrate the algorithm on simulated TOF PET data and exhibit the improvement in initial convergence rate of the ordered subsets variant. We additionally demonstrate that the algorithm can be adapted to minimize the list mode likelihood with a total variation (TV) penalty term.
Selling Digital Music, Formatting Culture by Jeremy Wade Morris: (2015). Oakland, CA: University of California Press. 288 pp., [$29.95]. ISBN 978-0-52028794-5 (paperback)

Over the past two decades, the experience of listening to recorded music has changed drastically—from CD to MP3, through Winamp, Napster, the iTunes Store, the iPod, and via social networking sites...
Hydrogen Oxidation and Water Dissociation over an Oxygen-Enriched Ni/YSZ Electrode in the Presence of an Electric Field: A First-Principles-Based Microkinetic Model

Elucidating the sulfur poisoning or coking for electrochemical cells (e.g., a solid oxide fuel cell (SOFC) and a solid oxide electrolysis cell (SOEC)) is highly dependent on studying such mechanisms by which said catalysts deactivate under experimentally relevant conditions. For a SOFC (or a SOEC) system, this requires the inclusion of the effect of a negative (or a positive) electric field when modeling the elementary catalytic reactions. In this contribution, the field effects on hydrogen oxidation and water decomposition over the triple phase boundary (TPB) region of the Ni/YSZ electrode are investigated using a field-dependent microkinetic model. Our results first show that the field effects on the Ni surface of the Ni/(YSZ+O) model are different as compared to a pure Ni(111) surface due to a difference in the charge distribution on the said surfaces. Between 400 to 1200 K, the negative fields assist in hydrogen oxidation over the TPB region of the Ni/(YSZ+O) cermet, which can potentially result in a ...
Development and Implementation of Early Learning Standards in the United States

In the United States, individual states have published Early Learning Standards to describe the knowledge, skills, and characteristics expected of children before they enter formal schooling/kindergarten. This article summarizes the status of the Early Learning Standards Movement in the United States, providing data on which states have Early Learning Standards, how the standards were developed, and how they are being implemented.
Treatment of mucocutaneous manifestations in Behçet's disease with anakinra: a pilot open-label study.

The effect of IL-1 blocking therapy on mucocutaneous manifestations of Behcet’s disease is incompletely understood. Six patients with Behcet’s disease and ongoing oral/genital ulcers for ≥1 month were enrolled into an adaptive, two-phase clinical trial and included in the analysis. Study duration was 6 months with extension up to 16 months. All were treated non-blinded with anakinra 100 mg subcutaneous daily with the option to escalate the dose to 200 mg in partial responders after 1 month and 300 mg after 6 months. Patients recorded the number and severity of ulcers in daily diaries. The primary outcome was remission defined as no ulcers on physical exam for two consecutive monthly visits between months 3 and 6. Secondary outcomes included the number and severity of patient-reported ulcers, patient/physician global scores, and standardized disease activity scores. Two of six patients achieved the primary outcome. Five of six patients had improvement in the number and severity of ulcers. Non-statistically significant improvements were seen in secondary outcomes. Over the entire study, patients reported ≥1 oral and ≥1 genital ulcer on 665 (66%) and 139 (14%) days, respectively. On anakinra 200 mg vs 100 mg, patients reported fewer days with oral ulcers (65% vs 74% of days, p = 0.01) and genital ulcers (10% vs 22% of days, p < 0.001) and milder oral ulcer severity (p < 0.001). Increase of anakinra to 300 mg did not result in further improvements. Adverse events were notable for mild infections. Anakinra at an optimal dose of 200 mg daily had an acceptable safety profile and was partially effective in the treatment of resistant oral and genital ulcers in Behcet’s disease. Clinicaltrials.gov. NCT01441076 . Registered on 24 September 2011.
Is Learning Data in the Right Shape

In this short thought-piece, I attempt to capture the type of freewheeling discussions I had with our late colleague, Mika Seppala, a research mathematician from Helsinki. Mika, not being a psychometrician or learning scientist, was blissfully free from the design constraints that experts sometimes ingest, unwittingly. I also draw on delightful conversations with the German research mathematician, Heinz-Otto Peitgen, a polyglot whose work includes advances in medical imaging and explorations in fractal geometry for K–12 students. Together, they taught me to reconsider foundational assumptions about learning, how to describe it, and how to grow it. Accordingly, I use this set of papers as a prompt for examining assumptions that numerical precision ensures scientific insight, that linear models best capture growth in learning, and that relaxing a fixation with time (exemplified by the reification of pre- and post-testing) might open up new topologies for describing, predicting, and promoting learning in its myriad manifestations.
Unrelated Donor Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplantation for Sickle Cell Disease

Successful outcomes in children with sickle cell disease after matched sibling donor (MSD) transplantation are encouraging. Overall and event-free survival rates are >90%, disease symptoms such as pain improve over time, and neurologic and pulmonary functions stabilize. These outcomes support investigation of unrelated donor (URD) transplantation as an alternative given the paucity of human leukocyte antigen (HLA)-matched siblings (approximately 18%). In the MSD setting, outcomes are better when transplants are performed in the young (<16 years), as graft versus host disease (GVHD) and mortality risks increase with age. A number of URD hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT) trials are underway in children, fewer in adults. Early outcomes described after URD transplants have identified higher risks of rejection, GVHD, and mortality albeit in higher magnitude in some reports. This has triggered a second generation of URD HSCT trials focused on improving safety utilizing unrelated donor stem cell sources, new conditioning regimens, modern GVHD prophylaxis, and specific supportive care measures for known SCD-related problems. These trials typically are important because URD HSCT is undertaken typically after the disease has proved to be severe, i.e., generally in older children where transplant risks are higher. It is imperative that transplant methods continue to improve so results can mirror those after MSD transplants. This chapter describes indications for alternative donor HSCT, current status of this field of investigation, and future directions. URD HSCT, since investigational, should be performed in the context of well-planned clinical trials that aim to improve upon previous experience and track safety and success.
The mitochondrial UPR: mechanisms, physiological functions and implications in ageing

Mitochondrial function declines during ageing owing to the accumulation of deleterious mitochondrial genomes and damage resulting from the localized generation of reactive oxygen species, both of which are often exacerbated in diseases such as Parkinson disease. Cells have several mechanisms to assess mitochondrial function and activate a transcriptional response known as the mitochondrial unfolded protein response (UPRmt) when mitochondrial integrity and function are impaired. The UPRmt promotes cell survival and the recovery of the mitochondrial network to ensure optimal cellular function. Recent insights into the regulation, mechanisms and functions of the UPRmt have uncovered important and complex links to ageing and ageing-associated diseases. In this Review, we discuss the signal transduction mechanisms that regulate the UPRmt and the physiological consequences of its activation that affect cellular and organismal health during ageing.
Physical activity barriers, preferences, and beliefs in childhood cancer patients.

Childhood cancer patients report low physical activity levels despite the risk for long-term complications that may benefit from exercise. Research is lacking regarding exercise barriers, preferences, and beliefs among patients (1) on- and off-therapy and (2) across the age spectrum. Cross-sectional study in the Yale Pediatric Hematology-Oncology Clinic (October 2013–October 2014). Participants were ≥ 4 years old, > 1 month after cancer diagnosis at 6 months, and received chemotherapy and/or radiation. Participants (or parents if < 13 years) completed a survey. The 162 patients (99% participated) were 34% children (4.0–12.9 years), 31% adolescents (13.0–17.9 years), and 35% adults (≥ 18 years). Most had leukemia/lymphoma (66%); 32% were on-therapy. On-therapy patients were more likely than off-therapy patients (73 vs. 48%; p = 0.003) to report ≥ 1 barrier related to physical complaints, such as “just too tired” (46 vs. 28%; p = 0.021) or “afraid” of injury (22 vs. 9%; p = 0.027). The majority preferred walking (73%), exercising at home (91%), exercising in the afternoon (79%), and a maximum travel time of 10–20 min (54%); preferences did not vary significantly by therapy status or age. Most respondents (94%) recognized the benefits of exercise after cancer, but 50% of on- vs. 12% of off-therapy patients believed “their cancer diagnosis made it unsafe to exercise regularly” (p < 0.001). Physical activity barriers pertaining to physical complaints and safety concerns were more pronounced in on-therapy childhood cancer patients but persisted off-therapy. Preferences and beliefs were relatively consistent. Our data can inform interventions in different patient subgroups.
Tribute to Gerardo Marín (February 19, 1947-January 14, 2018):

Latino psychologist, Gerardo Marin, passed away on January 14, 2018. This tribute highlights biographical information and exposes upon his extraordinary life and career. Significant scholarly achievements are described including Gerardo’s immense impact as a Latino scholar in his native Columbia, the United States, and within the international community of Latino psychologists. Noteworthy areas of research are underscored including how they spanned his expertise as a Latin Americanist, U.S. Latino researcher, and multiculturalist. Gerardo’s many years as professor and senior administrator at the University of San Francisco are summarized with emphasis on his deep leadership and contributions to diversity and internationalization. Finally, personal reflections are offered by the authors, fortunate to call Gerardo Marin a friend and colleague.
Analysis and catalogue of sneaker waves in the US Pacific Northwest between 2005 and 2017

Sneaker waves are responsible for many casualties and beach rescues in the Pacific Northwest (PNW) region of the USA. In this paper, a catalogue of these events from 2005 to mid-2017 in Oregon and Northern California is presented. The events are grouped depending on the local characteristics into those involving structures, semi-enclosed beaches, and open-coast beaches. It was found that sneaker waves occurred between the months of October and April, which is also the time of the year of most storm activity in the PNW. The majority of the events are associated with long-period swell approaching the coast. Beach slope and significant wave height were not found to correlate with sneaker wave incidents. However, total water level analysis reveals that the run-up level was expected to reach the beachgoers for the majority of the investigated cases indicating that a forecasting system to warn beachgoers is possible.
A rat model of leptomeningeal human neoplastic xenografts

Leptomeningeal (LM) cancer spread from either a primarybrain tumor or a systemic cancer is rapidlyfatal. Current therapies are ineffective and highly toxicto normal nervous system tissues. A xenograft modelof LM neoplasia in nude rats using adiversity of tumor cell types was established inorder to evaluate new treatment strategies and tostudy the pharmacokinetics and biological effects of treatmentsadministered into the subarachnoid space. Consistent leptomeningeal engraftmentand progressive tumor growth was seen after intrathecalinjection of 9 of 13 tumor cells lines,including 2 melanomas, 2 neuroblastomas, 2 medulloblastomas, 2gliomas, and 1 breast cancer. Clinical signs rangedfrom steady weight loss commencing from the dayafter tumor implantation to absence of any signsfor three weeks until the sudden occurrence ofmajor neurological deficits or death. Pathologic examination showedonly leptomeningeal tumor growth with some cell linesand severe parenchymal invasion with others. CSF cytologyconsistently demonstrated tumor cells in animals with LMdisease. Cranial magnetic resonance (MR) following intravenous (IV)administration of a contrast agent revealed enhancing lesionsone week following melanoma tumor implantation. Reliable ventricularpuncture was demonstrated by radiography following intraventricular (IVent)injection of an iodinated contrast material. IVent instillationof saline, albumin, or antibodies did not provokeclinical toxicity or an inflammatory response.
Forest Floor Leaf Cover as a Barrier for Dust Accumulation in Tai National Park: Implications for Primate Dental Wear Studies

Mastication causes distinct use wear scars on teeth that can aid in dietary reconstructions of fossils. However, the role played by exogenous grit in dental wear complicates the association between wear and diet. Dental wear analyses often assume that foods closer to the soil contain more exogenous grit than those in the forest canopy. Yet, a layer of leaf litter covering many forest floors may trap grit from the soil, keeping it from settling on surrounding vegetation or becoming part of atmospheric dust. Cercocebus atys is frequently referenced in dental wear studies because of its dependence on hard Sacoglottis gabonensis seeds collected from the forest floor. Here we examine quantities of dust deposition at different forest levels and assess its potential role in wear patterns observed in C. atys. We collected grit from S. gabonensis seeds (N = 64) found under the leaf litter and compared them to grit samples taken from the surface of leaves at different forest strata (N = 450) in Ivory Coast’s Tai National Park. Seeds underneath the leaf litter were coated with significantly more grit than leaves above the leaf material and we conclude that leaf litter is a significant barrier to grit particles originating from the soil. Given that evidence points to a significant difference in grit amount between foodstuffs on the ground and foods near the ground, the findings lead to a prediction of differences in dental wear patterns between purely arboreal foragers and those incorporating terrestrial food sources.
Abstract WP345: Pre-Intracerebral Hemorrhage Antiplatelet and Anticoagulant Use and Differences in Hospital Course; A Population-Based Study

Objective: Patients on antiplatelet (AP) or anticoagulant (AC) agents cause more alarm when they develop intracerebral hemorrhage (ICH) compared with non-users. This analysis aimed to quantitativel...
Neurons rely on glucose rather than astrocytic lactate during stimulation

Brain metabolism increases during stimulation, but this increase does not affect all energy metabolism equally. Briefly after stimulation, there is a local increase in cerebral blood flow and in glucose uptake, but a smaller increase in oxygen uptake. This indicates that temporarily the rate of glycolysis is faster than the rate of oxidative metabolism, with a corresponding temporary increase in lactate production. This minireview discusses the long-standing controversy about which cell type, neurons or astrocytes, are involved in this increased aerobic glycolysis. Recent biosensor studies measuring metabolic changes in neurons, in acute brain slices or in vivo, are placed in the context of other data bearing on this question. The most direct measurements indicate that, although both neurons and astrocytes may increase glycolysis after stimulation, neurons do not rely on import of astrocytic-produced lactate, and instead they increase their own glycolytic rate and become net exporters of lactate. This temporary increase in neuronal glycolysis may provide rapid energy to meet the acute energy demands of neurons.
Cost-Effectiveness Analysis of Virtual Surgical Planning in Mandibular Reconstruction.

Background Because of the complex nature of osteocutaneous free flap mandibular reconstruction, modern technologies such as virtual surgical planning have become popularized to refine the procedure. Compared with usual care, virtual surgical planning has been suggested to reduce operative time and improve accuracy of outcomes. The aim of this study was to examine the cost-effectiveness of virtual surgical planning versus usual care in mandibular reconstruction. Methods A decision-analytic model was constructed to comparatively understand cost-effectiveness of virtual surgical planning and usual care treatments based on additional costs of virtual surgical planning, and costs attributed to probabilities of postoperative complications. Model structure was informed through qualitative clinical interviews from the University of North Carolina, and supported through University of North Carolina clinical data and literature. Costs and complication probabilities were estimated from the literature. Sensitivity analyses of all uncertain model parameters were performed, and distributional parameters were selected based on best practices. Results Results of base-case analysis indicated that virtual surgical planning was more costly by a difference of $7099 per person and did not reduce the risk of complications or flap loss. Virtual surgical planning cases had an increased incidence of flap loss by 0.6 percent and an increased incidence of mandibular infection by 6.5 percent. Conclusions Virtual surgical planning has upfront expenses that do not necessarily translate into downstream reduction in complications or improved outcomes. Clinical decision-makers would benefit from future research to identify thresholds whereby virtual surgical planning may result in more cost-savings for particular types of patients.
Funding, capabilities and the use of child soldiers

Recent years have seen increased scholarly attention given to the issue of child soldiering. Primarily dedicated to the decision-making calculus of rebel groups, this body of work has generally emp...
Influence of scan strategy on porosity and microstructure of Ti-6Al-4V fabricated by electron beam powder bed fusion

Abstract Ti-6Al-4V is of high value in biomedical, aerospace, and industrial sectors and is ideal for additive manufacturing (AM) because of its poor machinability. In electron beam powder bed fusion of Ti-6Al-4V, a raster scan is commonly used and often results in porosity that is detrimental to the fatigue strength. In this paper, we demonstrate that spot melting can significantly minimize porosity but produces a coarser microstructure compared to raster melting. Process parameters can be optimized to achieve minimal porosity with tailored microstructures. A finite element method was used to rationalize these observations.
Do Changes in Mental Energy and Fatigue Impact Functional Assessments Associated with Fall Risks? An Exploratory Study Using Machine Learning

Using a crossover-design, we assessed changes in 30-second chair stand test (30 s-CST), Timed Up-and-Go (TUG) and Berg Balance Scale (BBS) and energy and fatigue in older adults (N = 11) after perf...
Lysophosphatidic acid increased infarct size in the early stage of cerebral ischemia-reperfusion with increased BBB permeability

Abstract Background We investigated whether exogenous lysophosphatidic acid (LPA), a phospholipid extracellular signaling molecule, would increase infarct size and blood-brain barrier (BBB) disruption during the early stage of cerebral ischemia-reperfusion, and whether it works through Akt-mTOR-S6K1 intracellular signaling. Material and methods Rats were given either vehicle or LPA 1 mg/kg iv three times during reperfusion after one hour of middle cerebral artery (MCA) occlusion. In another group, prior to administration of LPA, 30 mg/kg of PF-4708671, an S6K1 inhibitor, was injected. After one hour of MCA occlusion and two hours of reperfusion the transfer coefficient (Ki) of 14C-α-aminoisobutyric acid and the volume of 3H-dextran distribution were determined to measure the degree of BBB disruption. At the same time, the size of infarct was determined and western blot analysis was performed to determine the levels of phosphorylated Akt (p-Akt) and phosphorylated S6 (pS6). Results LPA increased the Ki in the ischemic-reperfused cortex (+43%) when compared with Control rats and PF-4708671 pretreatment prevented the increase of Ki by LPA. LPA increased the percentage of cortical infarct out of total cortical area (+36%) and PF-4708671 pretreatment prevented the increase of the infarct size. Exogenous LPA did not significantly change the levels of p-Akt as well as pS6 in the ischemic-reperfused cortex. Conclusion Our data demonstrate that the increase in BBB disruption could be one of the reasons of the increased infarct size by LPA. S6K1 may not be the major target of LPA. A decrease of LPA during early cerebral ischemia-reperfusion might be beneficial for neuronal survival.
Linear Separation via Optimism.

Binary linear classification has been explored since the very early days of the machine learning literature. Perhaps the most classical algorithm is the Perceptron, where a weight vector used to classify examples is maintained, and additive updates are made as incorrect examples are discovered. The Perceptron has been thoroughly studied and several versions have been proposed over many decades. The key theoretical fact about the Perceptron is that, so long as a perfect linear classifier exists with some margin $\gamma > 0$, the number of required updates to find such a perfect linear separator is bounded by $\frac{1}{\gamma^2}$. What has never been fully addressed is: does there exist an algorithm that can achieve this with fewer updates? In this paper we answer this in the affirmative: we propose the Optimistic Perceptron algorithm, a simple procedure that finds a separating hyperplane in no more than $\frac{1}{\gamma}$ updates. We also show experimentally that this procedure can significantly outperform Perceptron.
Arthroscopic Distal Clavicle Glenoid Augmentation: Rationale and Surgical Technique

Glenoid bone loss remains an important determinant of outcome in the surgical management of anterior shoulder instability. Multiple options are available to address this bone loss including autograft bone transfers, such as coracoid or iliac crest grafts. Allograft options include both bone and osteochondral options, such as the distal tibial allograft. Each of these choices has potential advantages and disadvantages. An ideal approach would provide an autograft source of osteochondral material that is well-matched to the defect, readily available, cost effective, and with minimal morbidity. In this article, we present the distal clavicle autograft as an ideal option for consideration in the treatment of glenoid bone loss. The graft has a cortical and cancellous side for direct fixation and is amenable to arthroscopic techniques using standard portals and obviating the need to go near the neurovascular structures of the shoulder. Recent work has demonstrated the utility of this graft in providing an anatomic restoration of the glenoid articular surface with a cartilage cap comparable in thickness to that of the native glenoid. Along with a summary of the pertinent literature, this article outlines the rationale, indications, and technical evolution for this procedure.