cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
NDSP, a novel biomarker for high risk neuroblastoma

Abstract Introduction: Advanced stage neuroblastoma is associated with 60–70% mortality. We propose that expression microarrays can be used to effectively identify novel biomarkers and targets for high risk disease. Methods: Using a cDNA microarray comparing tumor tissue from high risk versus low risk disease, an expression sequence tag (EST) over-expressed in high risk neuroblastoma was identified and found to correlate with a candidate gene designated as neuroblastoma secreted protein (NDSP). Northern blot, reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR), and quantitative PCR were used to screen expression in cell lines and tissue samples. NDSP was cloned into an expression vector with a C-terminus V5-tag (NDSP-V5) and transfected into HEK293T cells for Western analysis. A polyclonal antibody (anti-NDSP-Ab) was generated to test endogenous protein synthesis in neuroblastoma. Results: The NDSP gene is located on chromosome 1q24.3 and consists of a 501 base pair open reading frame encoding a 167 amino acid peptide. NDSP is expressed in neuroblastoma, retinoblastoma, and neuroepithelioma; however, expression is not found in normal human tissues or 10 other cancer types tested. Additionally, NDSP is expressed in 9 neuroblastoma tissue samples representing stages 1–4 and 4S. Quantitative PCR revealed that NDSP over-expression correlates with high risk disease (stage 3 and 4). Western blot of cell lysate and supernatant from NDSP-V5 transfected cells shows a 20 kDa band. Additional Western blots with anti-NDSP-Ab showed abundant NDSP protein levels within all neuroblastoma cell lines tested. Conclusions: NDSP is a novel protein biomarker identified by microarray analysis and over-expressed in high risk neuroblastoma.
Mechanistic approaches to understanding and predicting mammalian space use: recent advances, future directions

The coming of age of global positioning system telemetry, in conjunction with recent theoretical innovations for formulating quantitative descriptions of how different ecological forces and behavioral mechanisms shape patterns of animal space use, has led to renewed interest and insight into animal home-range patterns. This renaissance is likely to continue as a result of ongoing synergies between these empirical and theoretical advances. In this article I review key developments that have occurred over the past decade that are furthering our understanding of the ecology of animal home ranges. I then outline what I perceive as important future directions for furthering our ability to understand and predict mammalian home-range patterns. Interesting directions for future research include improved insights into the environmental and social context of animal movement decisions and resulting patterns of space use; quantifying the role of memory in animal movement decisions; and examining the relevance of these advances in our understanding of animal movement behavior and space use to questions concerning the demography and abundance of animal populations.
Radiation exposure of anesthesiologists

Abstract Study Objective: To determine the level of radiation exposure of anesthesiologists in the operating rooms and cardiac catheterization laboratory. Design: Prospective study of all anesthesia fellows. Setting: Operating rooms (ORs) and radiology department of a tertiary care pediatric hospital. Subjects: Anesthesiologists caring for patients in a pediatric hospital requiring anesthesia or monitored anesthesia care. (Patients were not directly studied.) Measurements and Main Results: Anesthesiologists wore standard radiation safety film badges, which were sensitive to cumulative doses of radiation greater than 10 mrem. In the ORs, anesthesiologists were exposed to less than 10 mrem/mon. In the cardiac catheterization laboratory, they had dosimetric readings that ranged from 20 to 180 mrem/mon and frequently exceeded the guidelines for nonradiation workers. Conclusions: There is no need for routine dosimetric monitoring of- anesthesiologists working in the OR setting, since this is associated with negligible radiation exposure. Monitoring of radiation film badges should be considered for anesthesiologists who frequently work in fluoroscopy areas, such as the cardiac catheterization laboratory. All personnel working near radiation sources should wear appropriate shielding and, whenever patient safety permits, distance themselves as far as possible from the source of radiation.
Random doping fluctuation effects on static noise margins of 6-T SRAM cells

The effects of random dopant fluctuations (RDF) on the static noise margins (SNM) of 6-T SRAM cells are analyzed by using a doping sensitivity approach. The approach presented in this article is based on a full circuit perturbation theory at the level of each device transport model. The bias points and the magnitude of random dopant induced fluctuations are computed by solving the Poisson, current continuity, and Density-Gradient equations for all the devices self-consistently (mixed-mode simulation). It is shown that random dopant induced fluctuations can significantly impinge on the yield and reliability of SRAM circuits and constitute a fundamental limit for further scaling unless these devices are properly optimized. Simulation results for a well scaled SRAM cell with 30 nm channel length transistors show that the most sensitive regions to doping fluctuations extend for approximately 10 nm below the oxide/semiconductor interface and are located in the middle of the conduction channels for both p-channel and n-channel transistors.
In the Simian Virus 40 In Vitro Replication System, Start Site Selection by the Polymerase α-Primase Complex Is Not Significantly Altered by Changes in the Concentration of Ribonucleotides

The simian virus 40 (SV40) in vitro replication system was previously used to demonstrate that the human polymerase (Pol) α-primase complex preferentially initiates DNA synthesis at pyrimidine-rich trinucleotide sequences. However, it has been reported that under certain conditions, nucleoside triphosphate (NTP) concentrations play a critical role in determining where eukaryotic primase initiates synthesis. Therefore, we have examined whether increased NTP concentrations alter the template locations at which SV40 replication is initiated. Our studies demonstrate that elevated ribonucleotide concentrations do not significantly alter which template sequences serve as initiation sites. Of considerable interest, the sequences that serve as initiation sites in the SV40 system are similar to those that serve as initiation sites for prokaryotic primases. It is also demonstrated that regardless of the concentration of ribonucleotides present in the reactions, DNA synthesis initiated outside of the core origin. These studies provide additional evidence that the Pol α-primase complex can initiate DNA synthesis only after a considerable amount of single-stranded DNA is generated.
GPU-accelerated surface denoising and morphing with lattice Boltzmann scheme

In this paper, we introduce a parallel numerical scheme, the Lattice Boltzmann method, to shape modeling applications. The motivation of using this originally-designed fluid dynamics solver in surface modeling is its simplicity, locality, parallelism from the cellular-automata-originated updating rules, which can directly be mapped onto modern graphics hardware. A surface is implicitly represented by the signed distance field. The distances are then used in a modified LBM scheme as its computing primitive, instead of the densities in traditional LBM. The scheme can simulate curvature motions to smooth the surface with a diffusion process. Furthermore, an initial value level set method can be implemented for surface morphing. The distance difference between a morphing surface and a target surface defines the speed function of the evolving level sets, and is used as the driving force in the LBM. Our GPU-accelerated LBM algorithm has achieved outstanding performance for the denoising and morphing examples. It has the great potential to be further applied as a general GPU computing framework to many other solid and shape modeling applications.
Successful rituximab therapy in refractory autoimmune hepatitis and Evans syndrome

A 44-year-old woman was found to have elevated aminotransferases, twice the upper limit of normal. Liver biopsy demonstrated a mixed inflammatory process suggestive of both primary biliary cirrhosis and autoimmune hepatitis (AIH). Prednisone and azathioprine were started, with normalization of aminotransferases. Six months later, she returned with worsening pruritus and re-evaluation demonstrated probable reactivation of AIH with acute elevation of liver injury tests. Repeat liver biopsy was suggestive of a flare of AIH which did not respond to prednisone, azathioprine, or mycophenolate mofetil. One month later the patient was hospitalized for sudden onset of anemia and thrombocytopenia, suggestive of autoimmune hemolytic anemia and idiopathic thrombocytopenic purpura consistent with Evans syndrome. Rituximab was initiated and mycophenolate mofetil discontinued. After one infusion of rituximab, liver injury tests significantly improved. Within four weeks of rituximab infusion (4 doses) the patient's Evans syndrome completely resolved with normal hemoglobin and platelet levels; aminotransferases also significantly improved to less than twice the upper limit of normal.
Biomarkers for Insulin Resistance and Inflammation and the Risk for All-Cause Dementia and Alzheimer Disease: Results From the Framingham Heart Study

Objective To investigate the contribution of biomarkers of glucose homeostasis (adiponectin, glucose, glycated albumin, and insulin levels) and inflammation (high-sensitivity C-reactive protein and lipoprotein-associated phospholipase A 2 levels) to the risk of developing Alzheimer disease (AD) and all-cause dementia. Design Prospective cohort study. Setting Dementia-free Framingham Heart Study participants had sera measured for these biomarkers at the 19th biennial examination (1985-1988) and were followed up prospectively for the development of AD and all-cause dementia. Participants Eight hundred forty (541 women, median age of 76 years) subjects participated in the study. Main Outcome Measures We used sex-pooled and sex-specific multivariable Cox proportional hazards models adjusted for age, education, body mass index, recent change in weight, APOE ϵ4 allele status, and plasma docosahexaenoic acid levels to determine association of these biomarkers with the development of all-cause dementia and AD. Results Over a mean follow-up period of 13 years, 159 persons developed dementia (including 125 with AD). After adjustment for other risk factors, only adiponectin in women was associated with an increased risk of all-cause dementia (hazard ratio [HR], 1.29; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.00-1.66; P = .054) and AD (HR, 1.33; 95% CI, 1.00-1.76; P = .050) per 1-SD increase in adiponectin level. Women with baseline adiponectin values more than the median had a higher risk of all-cause dementia (HR, 1.63; 95% CI, 1.03-2.56; P = .04) and AD (HR, 1.87; 95% CI, 1.13-3.10; P = .01) as compared with those with values less than the median. Conclusion In women, increased plasma adiponectin levels are an independent risk factor for the development of both all-cause dementia and AD.
Musical priming by the right hemisphere post-callosotomy

The hemispheric representation of auditory functions mediating the perception of harmony in music was investigated in two split-brain patients using a musical chord priming task. Previous experiments in normal subjects had demonstrated that the harmonic context established by a prime chord influences the accuracy of target chord intonation judgements. Only the right hemisphere of each callosotomy patient manifested the normal interaction between harmonic relatedness and intonation. The results raise the possibility that associative auditory functions which generate expectancies for harmonic progression in music are lateralized within the right hemisphere.
Leverage and VAR as Measures of Bank Distress: Comment on 'Endogenous and Systemic Risk'

I discuss the asset pricing and policy implications of Danielsson, Shin and Zigrand, "Endogenous and Systemic Risk." I show that leverage as conventionally measured was not a reliable indicator of systemic stress and that a more detailed examination of bank balance sheets and asset holdings is required..
Interactive tools for inpatient medication tracking: a multi-phase study with cardiothoracic surgery patients.

Objective Prior studies of computing applications that support patients’ medication knowledge and self-management offer valuable insights into effective application design, but do not address inpatient settings. This study is the first to explore the design and usefulness of patient-facing tools supporting inpatient medication management and tracking. Materials and Methods We designed myNYP Inpatient, a custom personal health record application, through an iterative, user-centered approach. Medication-tracking tools in myNYP Inpatient include interactive views of home and hospital medication data and features for commenting on these data. In a two-phase pilot study, patients used the tools during cardiothoracic postoperative care at Columbia University Medical Center. In Phase One, we provided 20 patients with the application for 24–48 h and conducted a closing interview after this period. In Phase Two, we conducted semi-structured interviews with 12 patients and 5 clinical pharmacists who evaluated refinements to the tools based on the feedback received during Phase One. Results Patients reported that the medication-tracking tools were useful. During Phase One, 14 of the 20 participants used the tools actively, to review medication lists and log comments and questions about their medications. Patients’ interview responses and audit logs revealed that they made frequent use of the hospital medications feature and found electronic reporting of questions and comments useful. We also uncovered important considerations for subsequent design of such tools. In Phase Two, the patients and pharmacists participating in the study confirmed the usability and usefulness of the refined tools. Conclusions Inpatient medication-tracking tools, when designed to meet patients’ needs, can play an important role in fostering patient participation in their own care and patient-provider communication during a hospital stay.
A Note on the Derivation of Closed-Form Formulas for Duration and Convexity Statistics On and Between Coupon Dates

One of the niceties of fixed-income analysis is that one can do a great deal simply with the mathematics of the price-yield relationship. Even without a formal asset pricing model and the inevitable assumptions about behavior and information, one can assess how much a bond price will change for a given shift in its yield to maturity. In this article, I use this mathematical relationship to derive closed-form formulas for bond duration and convexity statistics, not just for coupon dates but also for days between coupons. There are two motivations for doing this: (1) to obtain formulas easily programmed onto a computer spreadsheet or a financial calculator, and (2) to demonstrate the source of the statistics for bond market professionals who rely largely on pre-programmed technology in their work. Comparable closed-form formulas have appeared in the academic literature. The results derived here, while not new theoretical findings, are presented in a unified and, hopefully, simplified manner.
A Multitude of Women: The Challenges of the Contemporary Italian Novel

Stefania Lucamante (2008) A Multitude of Women: The Challenges of the Contemporary Italian Novel (Toronto: University of Toronto Press), 322 pp., ISBN 0802097944, ISBN-13 9780802097941, $72.00, har...
Review: Peripheral thermometers do not have clinically acceptable accuracy for measuring core body temperature

Source Citation Niven DJ, Gaudet JE, Laupland KB, et al. Accuracy of peripheral thermometers for estimating temperature: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Ann Intern Med. 2015;163:768-77. 26571241
Does Halogen Adsorption Activate the Oxygen Atom on an Oxide Surface? I. A Study of Br2 and HBr Adsorption on La2O3 and La2O3 Doped with Mg or Zr

Experiments suggest that adsorbing halogen atoms on an oxide surface can improve its catalytic properties. We use density functional theory to examine the dissociative adsorption of Br2 and of HBr on La2O3(001) and on La2O3(001) doped with Mg or Zr. We find that the presence of Br on the surface makes it much easier to make oxygen vacancies. In addition, there is a very strong interaction between the fragments made by the dissociative adsorption of Br2 or HBr: the presence of one fragment increases substantially the binding energy of the other one. We propose that this is a general behavior whenever one fragment is a Lewis acid and the other is a Lewis base, while the oxide is neither.
Kidney alkaline phosphatase of rats following alloxan induced diabetes and acute hypo- and hyperglycemia.

Summary1. The alkaline phosphatase activity of the rat kidney, which reflects principally the enzyme content of the proximal convoluted tubules, could not be changed from the normal by varying the amount of glucose for reabsorption over periods of 6 to 12 hours.2. The kidneys of rats suffering from chronic alloxan diabetes as a rule contained less than normal amounts of alkaline phosphatase. The lowest values were obtained when first examined one week after the dose of alloxan, but recovery of a normal content was not complete when the last examination was performed after 42 days. The proximal convoluted tubule epithelium that had regenerated after the alloxan injury was thus observed to be slow in acquiring its normal enzyme content.
Influence of mandrel parameters on cross-section deformation of 3A21 rectangular tube in rotary-draw bending process

The cross-section deformation seriously affects the communication signals transmission quality of thin-walled rectangular wave-guide aluminum alloy tube,which can be properly resolved by using a mandrel with cores.So based on the ABAQUS / Explicit platform,a 3-D finite element model of thin-walled rectangular 3A21 tube in rotary draw bending process is established,and its reliability is validated by experimental results.Then the influences of mandrel parameters on the cross section deformation are studied.The results show that with the increase of number of cores,cores thickness and space distance between cores,the cross section deformation decreases,but the larger arc angle of cores makes cross section deformation severely.When the support angle of mandrel with cores keeps unchanged,the number of cores and cores thickness still have large effects on cross section deformation,the cross-section deform ation decreases with the increase of cores thickness.
Observed Workplace Incivility toward Women, Perceptions of Interpersonal Injustice, and Observer Occupational Well-Being: Differential Effects for Gender of the Observer.

The present study examined perceptions of interpersonal injustice as a mediator of the relationship between observed incivility toward women at work and employees’ occupational well-being. We also examined gender of the observer as a moderator of these mediational relationships. Using online survey data from 1,702 (51% women; 92% White) employees, results showed that perceptions of injustice partially mediated the relationship between observed incivility toward women and job satisfaction, turnover intentions, and organizational trust. Men reported greater perceptions of injustice than did women the more they observed the uncivil treatment of women at work and the indirect effects of observed incivility toward women on well-being were stronger for men compared to women. Observed incivility toward women also had direct relationships with the occupational well-being outcomes over and above the impact mediated through injustice, particularly for women. Specifically, observing incivility toward female coworkers directly related to lowered job satisfaction and perceptions of safety for female bystanders. In addition, although both male and female bystanders reported heightened turnover intentions and lowered trust in the organization with higher levels of observed incivility toward women, these relationships were stronger for female than male observers. Our findings both replicate and extend past research on vicarious workplace incivility toward women.
Blunt trauma of uterovaginal and vesical prolapse with associated bladder rupture.

AbstractA 71-year-old woman had complete uterovaginal and vesical prolapse associated with a large decubitus ulcer on the anterior vaginal wall. She sustained blunt trauma to the perineum after a fall, which resulted in rupture of the prolapsed bladder. The management of this rare problem is discussed.
Nuclear Deoxyribonucleic Acid Ploidy in Squamous Cell Bladder Cancer

AbstractFlow cytometric analysis of nuclear deoxyribonucleic acid content was performed on 76 primary squamous cell bladder carcinomas treated between January 1970 and December 1975. Patients were followed for a median of 10.1 years. Nuclei were extracted from paraffin-embedded archival material and isolated nuclei were stained with propidium iodide. Of the 76 tumors 73 were evaluable by flow cytometry providing high quality deoxyribonucleic acid histograms: 27 (37 per cent) showed a deoxyribonucleic acid diploid or normal pattern, 17 (23 per cent) exhibited a significant increase in the 4C peak (deoxyribonucleic acid tetraploid) and 29 (40 per cent) showed a distinct aneuploid peak. High grade (grades 3 and 4) and high stage (stages T2 to T4) tumors had a significantly higher incidence of abnormal (either tetraploid or aneuploid) deoxyribonucleic acid patterns than low grade (grades 1 and 2) and low stage (stages Tis/Ta/Tl) tumors (p less than 0.005). The 5 and 10-year rate free of disease for patients w...
Heating and hydrodynamic expansion of intensely irradiated metal targets measured by femtosecond time-resolved refletivity

Intense femtosecond excitation of metal targets has attracted fundamental interest in the properties of solid-density plasmas1–3 as well as practical interest in the generation of ultrafast soft x-ray pulses.4 In several recent studies,1,2 the ultrafast response of reflectivity from metal targets was observed with a single intense pulse serving both as target excitation and as optical probe. Consequently, it was difficult to distinguish the competing processes of electron heating and hydrodynamic surface expansion, which influence the optical reflectivity to different degrees and at different times.
Propagation of Spatial Entanglement in Quantum Beams

We quantify separately the degree of entanglement in the amplitude and phase parts of the biphoton wave function, and observe its evolution from amplitude to phase, and back, upon propagation.
New Urban Economics and Residential Location

The new urban economics views the urban economy from a general equilibrium perspective. It improves on earlier theories by permitting an integrated treatment of different facets of the urban economy, such as land use, transportation, housing, local public finance, and environmental quality. Its centrepiece is the monocentric city model, which describes a static city with a central business district surrounded by residences. Land rent falls with distance from the centre to offset higher commuting costs, housing density is positively related to land rent, and the equilibrium location of different household groups depends on the premium each is willing to pay per unit area of land for a more central location. The model has been extended to treat urban dynamics with durable structures and infrastructure, and via external scale economies in production to treat polycentric cities.
Shareholder Value-Orientated Quality Management in Banks

The general change from stakeholder to shareholder management in Germany at the beginning of the 1990s1 also increasingly concerns the banking industry. Reasons for this are the globalization and harmonization of financial markets and the associated stronger competition around investors, who are increasingly professional and are themselves subjected as institutional investors to permanent performance pressure. In addition, in particular in Germany, managers orientate themselves at traditional sizes of accounting, like net earnings for the year, earnings per share, and from accounting sizes derive ratios, like return on equity, return on investment, which seem to be unsuitable for performance rating and capital allocation due to their potential for manipulation.2 Value-orientated management is therefore considered as a widely accepted norm today.3
Cross section of experience in SafeHull applications

This paper provides information regarding the use of the ABS SafeHull program/criteria for review of tanker and bulk carrier structures. It focuses on the submittal and review processes as carried out by the classification society in an effort to address the needs of the client. Detailed examples are provided which illustrate the necessary information to be submitted and the results of a typical review. The paper demonstrates lessons learned from the reviews which have been performed to date. The paper also includes a brief discussion of future program developments.
Acceptance Equipment System Data Acquisition and Processing Utility

My internship at Sandia National Laboratories took place in the Department of Sensors and Embedded Systems, which is tasked with, among many things, the non-destructive testing of thermal batteries. The Acceptance Equipment System (AES) is a flexible rack system designed to electrically test thermal batteries individually for internal defects before they are stored in the battery stock pile. Aside from individual testing, data acquired by the AES is used for many things including trending and catching outliers within the tolerance levels of a particular battery type, allowing for the development of more refined acceptance requirements and testing procedures.
Characterization and modeling of interfaces in polymer electrolyte membrane fuel cells

Abstract: Research on polymer electrolyte fuel cells (PEFCs) has shown the technology to be a viable clean energy solution for commercial and automotive applications. Further elucidation is required on the role of interfaces in performance and durability noting that interfacial regions are of critical importance. The chapter summarizes current research and understanding of the role of interfaces in PEFCs. Experimental and modeling efforts are discussed, emphasizing how these interfaces affect cell performance and durability. State-of-the-art interface characterization and imaging techniques are discussed. The contribution of PEFC interfaces to ohmic resistance and water transport and the techniques used are detailed. Future research to enable proper treatment of interfaces in PEFC models is discussed.
Spatial-temporal load forecasting using AMI data

One of the critical requirements in power grid operation and planning is the ability to accurately forecast expected load. This allows for a heightened enhancement in grid operations, energy management, and planning. Load forecasting is historically based on aggregated spatial and temporal consumption data; with the deployment of Advanced Metering Infrastructure (AMI) systems, it can be achieved not only at a system level but also down to the consumer level. With this new increase in data, novel approaches and methods to load forecasting at a refined level can be explored. In this paper, a novel k-nearest Vector Autoregressive framework with exogenous input is proposed to spatial-temporally model household-level electricity demand from very short-term (15 min) to mid-term (2 weeks).We processed smart meter time series and geographical data from thousands of residential and commercial households. Our systematic experimental results showed an average of 27.3% RMSE and 31.6% MAPE improvement over the baseline model on a comprehensive 4-month dataset.
Possible Errors in the Use of P32 Orthophosphate for the Estimation of Platelet Life Span

Specific activities of platelet lecithin, plasma lecithin, and plasma inorganic phosphate were followed in patients for 4-5 weeks following a single therapeutic injection of P32 orthophosphate, and were found to be of the same order of magnitude at any one specific time. Platelets labeled in vivo with P32 orthophosphate were incubated with non-radioactive plasma, and lost some of the labeled phosphatides to the plasma. Platelets incubated in vitro with P32 orthophosphate incorporated the label into some phosphatides. The findings suggest there is some intrinsic platelet metabolism, and that this must be considered when estimates of platelet life span are made using a P32 orthophosphate label.
Searching for Correlated Conformational Dynamics: Analysis of the NMR Relaxation Dispersions with Akaike's Information Theory and Hierarchical Clustering

In this manuscript, I am proposing an approach for identification of correlated exchange in proteins via analysis of the NMR relaxation dispersion data. For a set of spins experiencing exchange, every relaxation dispersion datasets is fit individually and then-globally while paired with every other dataset. The corrected Akaike9s Information Criteria (AICc) for individual and global fits are used to evaluate the likelihood of two spins to report on the same dynamic event. Application of hierarchical cluster analysis reveals correlated spin groups using the difference in AICcs as a measure of similarity within the pairs. This approach to detection of correlated dynamics is independent of accuracy of best-fit parameters rendering it less sensitive to experimental noise. High throughput and the absence of the operator bias might make it applicable to a relatively lower quality NMR relaxation dispersion data from large and poorly soluble systems.
Prolonged, but not complicated, grief is a mental disorder

The DSM and ICD have taken steps to introduce a grief disorder as a new diagnostic entity. Evidence justifies the inclusion of prolonged grief disorder, but not complicated grief, as a new mental disorder.
The Legacy of Justice Scalia and His Textualist Ideal

The late Justice Antonin Scalia reshaped statutory interpretation. Thanks to him, the Supreme Court has become far more textualist. Nonetheless, Justice Scalia never persuaded the Court to adopt his textualist ideal that “the text is the law.” In some cases, the Court still gives greater weight to other indicators of statutory meaning, such as perceived statutory purpose. Fundamental institutional features of courts and legislatures — particularly the fact that legislatures act generally and in advance, whereas courts resolve particular questions at the moment a statute is applied — justify this rejection of the textualist ideal.
Perceiving the Cultural Sea that is Our Home - Spiritual Formation and Western 21st Century Culture

Spiritual formation occurs in the routines of daily living. We are formed by choices made at the grocery store, as we reach for our medicine cabinet, as we consider whether to drive ten minutes or walk thirty. Such seemingly insignificant choices reflect assumptions held about who we are, and how we are supposed to live in the world. Spiritual formation, like notions of civic duty, develops from within a cultural context. Cultural environments give us largely unquestioned taken-for-granted assumptions about how the world is and how we should live in it. This essay explores three of the many Western 21st century assumptions (the autonomous self, eradicating pain, and overvaluing efficiency) that affect spiritual formation. Knowing how we are seeing a thing helps us better interpret what we are seeing and how it influences decisions we make. The hope is that in knowing, we can make choices with more intention, understanding that our decisions shape and form our soul.
Qualitative Versus Quantitative Approaches

F.R. Volkmar (ed.), Encyclopedia of Autism Spectrum Disor DOI 10.1007/978-1-4419-1698-3, # Springer Science+Bus activities, situations, and materials (Fraenkel & Wallen, 2006 in Gast, 2010). It is a systematic approach to studying phenomenon within a particular context (Gast, 2010). In qualitative research approaches, the researcher is a participant observer who goes from specific to more general by process of inductive analysis and does not focus on generalization of results. Qualitative methods focus on groups, in-depth interviews, and reviews; they are an inductive process used to formulate theory. Qualitative methods do not rely on statistics or numbers and are less generalizable than quantitative methods. Qualitative research approaches are subjective in nature. Quantitative approaches to research are based on formal, objective, and systematic processes in which data are numerically quantified. Another hallmark of quantitative research is replicability. Quantitative approaches are objective, deductive, and based on numeric quantification and generalization of results. Quantitative methods are used to test prespecified concepts, constructs, and hypotheses that make up a theory. Most commonly used quantitative methods include group design research and single-subject (within subject/single case) research designs; the latter is theoretical and based on specific research questions rather than hypotheses. Both group research designs and single-subject designs are more generalizable. In group design, the generalization comes in larger
Application of Domain Wall Pinning Theory to Amorphous Ferromagnetic Materials

Much work has been done on the coercive force of amorphous ferromagnetic materials.1–4 Although qualitative and some quantitative aspects of this property are beginning to be understood, further quantitative explanations are still desirable. Without these, it is difficult to arrive at any basic understanding of the interplay of the various characteristics of the medium on the coercive force or to set tolerances on the fabrication techniques for these materials.
Structured Perceptron with Inexact Search

Most existing theory of structured prediction assumes exact inference, which is often intractable in many practical problems. This leads to the routine use of approximate inference such as beam search but there is not much theory behind it. Based on the structured perceptron, we propose a general framework of "violation-fixing" perceptrons for inexact search with a theoretical guarantee for convergence under new separability conditions. This framework subsumes and justifies the popular heuristic "early-update" for perceptron with beam search (Collins and Roark, 2004). We also propose several new update methods within this framework, among which the "max-violation" method dramatically reduces training time (by 3 fold as compared to early-update) on state-of-the-art part-of-speech tagging and incremental parsing systems.
DIRECT EVIDENCE FOR ANTI-TUMOR ACTIVITY BY NK CELLS IN VIVO: GROWTH OF B16 MELANOMA IN ANTI-NK 1.1-TREATED MICE

Publisher Summary This chapter examines evidence for anti-tumor activity by natural killer (NK) cells in vivo. A model was developed to directly test the role of NK cells in vivo by specific depletion of cells: C57B1/6 (B6) mice were depleted of NK cells by in vivo treatment with antisera to the NK-associated alloantigen NK 1.1. When tested in vitro in the presence of complement, anti-NK 1.1 kills fewer than 5% of B6 spleen cells (SC), has no effect on cytolytic T cells or plaque forming cells. Anti-NK 1.1 alone does not affect NK activity. Injection of B6 mice with 25 μl of anti-NK 1.1 reduced the ability of their SC to lyse YAC-1 in vitro by 70% within 2 h. NK activity gradually returned to control levels but still was significantly depressed at 48 h. Decreased NK activity was comparable when the antiserum was injected i.p. or i.v. In a series of four experiments, tumor cell clearance was reduced 2–4-fold in the anti-NK 1.1 treated mice compared to injection controls. These results provided direct evidence that NK cells play an in vivo role in the elimination of circulating tumor cells.
HIV/AIDS: Implications for Health Care Reform:

The HIV/AIDS epidemic serves as an appropriate framework for evaluating various health care reform proposals. The author reviews the general health care needs of persons with HIV, current methods o...
Effects of the maternal factor Zelda on zygotic enhancer activity in the Drosophila embryo

Abstract The maternal factor Zelda is broadly bound to zygotic enhancers during early fly embryogenesis, and has been shown to be important for the expression of a large number of genes. However, its function remains poorly understood. Here, we carried out detailed analysis of the functional role of Zelda on the activities of a group of enhancers that drive patterned gene expression along the anterior -posterior axis. We found that among these enhancers, only one lost its activity entirely when all its Zelda bind sites were mutated. For all others, mutations of all of their Zelda binding sites only had limited effect, which varied temporally and spatially. These results suggest that Zld may exert a quantitative effect on a broad range of enhancers, which presumably is critical to generate highly diverse spatial and temporal expression patterns for different genes in the developmental gene network in fly embryo. Lastly, we found that the observed effect of Zelda site mutations was much stronger when a mutant enhancer was tested using a BAC based reporter construct than a simple reporter construct, suggesting that the effect of Zld is dependent on chromatin environment.
Augmented reality, augmented ethics: who has the right to augment a particular physical space?

Augmented reality (AR) blends the virtual and physical worlds such that the virtual content experienced by a user of AR technology depends on the user’s geographical location. Games such as Pokemon GO and technologies such as HoloLens are introducing an increasing number of people to augmented reality. AR technologies raise a number of ethical concerns; I focus on ethical rights surrounding the augmentation of a particular physical space. To address this I distinguish public and private spaces; I also separate the case where we access augmentations via many different applications from the case where there is a more unified sphere of augmentation. Private property under a unified sphere of augmentation is akin to physical property; owners retain the right to augment their property and prevent others from augmenting it. Private property with competing apps is more complex; it is not clear that owners have a general right to prevent augmentations in this case, assuming those augmentations do not interfere with the owner’s use of the property. I raise several difficult cases, such as augmenting a daycare with explicit sexual or violent images. Public property with competing apps is relatively straightforward, and most augmentation is ethical; those apps simply function like different guidebooks. Under a unified sphere of augmentation it is unclear whether augmentations should be treated more like public speech (which we value) or graffiti (which we do not) or (most likely) some of each. Further consideration is needed to determine what kinds of augmentations we view as ethical.
Breath-Holding Spells

Breath-holding spells (BHSs) are the most common nonepileptic paroxysmal events of early childhood. Because the infant stops breathing, usually becomes cyanotic, and loses consciousness, BHSs are also one of the most frightening paroxysmal events a parent or other person can witness. The historical literature uses various terms for BHSs, including cyanotic or pallid infantile syncope, reflex anoxic seizures, nonepileptic vagal attacks, white reflex syncope, and anoxic convulsions. The term BHS incorrectly implies that an infant voluntarily holds his or her breath during inspiration. However, in reality, these events are an involuntary reflex occurring at the end of expiration.
An Automated System for Measurement of Sensitive Microwave Radiometers

An automated system for measuring the sensitivity of microwave radiometers with a free-space input port is described. The Hot/Cold Test Facility (HCTF) exposes a test radiometer to two free-space loads: a hot load formed by ambient-temperature microwave absorber, and to cold sky to act as a cold load. Automation has been added to this facility to improve repeatability, enable long-term studies, and to minimize operator error. We describe the HCTF, discuss measurement errors, and show typical results.
Prospective Risk and Protective Factors for Juvenile Arrest Among Youth At Risk for Maltreatment.

This study aimed to prospectively identify ecological risk factors for juvenile arrest in a sample of youth at risk for maltreatment. Chi-Squared Automatic Interaction Detector analysis was perform...
Non-Directional Modulation Transfer Function for Optical Surfaces with Anisotropic Mid-Spatial Frequency Errors

Sub-aperture manufacturing creates anisotropic surface errors, and modulation transfer functions (MTF) not well represented by 1D cross-sections. We present a 1D ‘non-directional’ MTF for specification and characterization of optical surface errors.
55nm Ultra-low Power (55ULP) Automotive Grade HD SRAM with Sub 0.7V 16Mb Vmin

This work reports a 55nm planar-bulk automotive grade high density (HD) 0.425 $\mu$m2 SRAM cell for use in Ultra Low power (ULP) applications. Excellent Vmin of 0.68V for 95% limited Yield (LY) has been demonstrated on 16Mb array without the use of design assist techniques. The 55ULP HD cell’s standby power is among best in class values reported for foundry offerings. The cell fully qualified the stringent automotive grade 1000 hours of HTOL reliability testing.
Preliminary examination of the orexin system on relapse-related factors in cocaine use disorder.

Abstract Rationale. Current evidence and literature reviews provide a strong justification for examining the orexin receptor (OXR) system as a therapeutic target in substance use disorders, including cocaine and other psychostimulants. Objectives. In this preliminary, proof-of-concept examination of orexin modulation in humans with cocaine use disorder, we measured changes in domains tied to relapse: stress, sleep, cue reactivity, and inhibitory control. Additionally, mood symptoms (anxiety, depression), medication compliance, and side effects were assessed. Methods. Twenty non-treatment seeking subjects with cocaine use disorder (CUD) received either the OX1R / OX2R antagonist suvorexant PO or placebo at 10 PM daily for two weeks (10 mg week 1, 20 mg week 2). Using psychometrics, smart-watch actigraphy, a cold-pressor stress challenge, and eye-tracking technology, the following domains were examined: sleep, stress/anxiety, cue-reactivity (attentional bias, craving), and inhibitory control. Psychometric data were collected every M/W/F (7 time points). Laboratory data were collected weekly (3 time points). Results. Bayesian and frequentist generalized linear models were employed in parallel to examine the effects of suvorexant compared to placebo, with a Bayesian posterior probability threshold >80% as evidence of a signal for suvorexant. Notable results favoring suvorexant over placebo included fewer total anti-saccade errors, improved sleep actigraphy (sleep/awake periods), pre/post cold-pressor change in heart rate and salivary cortisol (all posterior probabilities >94%), and craving (posterior probability >87%). Conclusions. Initial but restricted evidence is provided supporting the orexin system as a modulator of relapse-related processes in cocaine use disorder. Baseline differences in the main outcome variables were not experimentally controlled and differences in craving were observed at baseline. This, in combination with a limited sample size, constrain the nature of the project. The results may serve to inform more comprehensive future research.
Treatment of intracranial vertebral artery dissecting aneurysms involving the posterior inferior cerebellar artery origin.

Background Vertebral artery dissecting aneurysm (VADA) involving the origin of the posterior inferior cerebellar artery (PICA) is a complex disease entity in which the dual goals of preventing future rebleeding and maintaining perfusion of the lateral medulla must be considered. We present an illustrative case and review the literature surrounding treatment strategies. Case description We report a patient presenting with extensive subarachnoid hemorrhage due to rupture of an intracranial VADA involving the PICA origin. After consideration of the patient's cerebral vasculature and robustness of collaterals, a flow-diverting stent was placed with angiographic resolution of the lesion and maintenance of antegrade PICA flow. Ultimately, the patient experienced a contralateral intraparenchymal hemorrhage leading to death. Review of the literature identified 124 cases of VADA involving the PICA origin described over the past decade. The methods of surgical and endovascular treatment of these cases were reviewed, with particular focus on the rationale of treatment, outcomes, and complications. Conclusion Numerous treatment options for VADA involving PICA have been reported with different risk and benefit profiles. Flow-diverting stents appear to offer the most favorable balance of securing the aneurysm and avoiding medullary infarction, but the risks and optimal anti-thrombotic treatment strategy are incompletely understood. In select cases, in which the surgical risk is low or in which the anatomy is favorable (e.g., nondominant parent vessel or robust collateral circulation in the involved territories), parent artery trapping with or without microsurgical revascularization can be considered.
P373 You give me fever! – the autoinflammatory clinic in an irish tertiary paediatric hospital

Introduction Auto-inflammatory syndromes (AIS) are inherited disorders of the innate immune system that lead to pathogenic inflammation. Multiple organ systems can be involved and disease can lead to significant end organ damage. Early diagnosis and treatment may improve outcome;1 Diagnosis is often delayed due to the low incidence of these disorders. An autoinflammatory clinic was established in OLCH Crumlin, Dublin, a tertiary level Paediatric Hospital, in November 2015 to assess patients with known or suspected auto-inflammatory disease within a multi-disciplinary setting. This clinic is attended by immunology, rheumatology and dermatology specialists with multi-disciplinary team input as required. Aim The aim of this study was to survey the diagnosis and management of patients attending this clinic over a 2 and a half year period. Methods A retrospective observational chart review of all patients attending the Autoinflammatory clinic from November 2015 to June 2018. Age of onset, demographic details, diagnosis (if known) and management were documented. Details of any genetic analysis if undertaken were also included. Results A total of 47 patients attended the auto-inflammatory clinic over the identified period. Age of onset at first symptoms ranged from birth to 15 years. A diagnosis of an AIS was made in 57% with PFAPA (periodic fever, aphthous stomatitis, pharyngitis, adenitis) accounting for the majority. An undetermined autoinflammatory syndromes was suspected in 40%. 3% who attended had no symptoms or features supportive of an AIS. Overall, 36% were found to have a confirmed genetic mutation, either benign or pathogenic and 28% had a positive family history of auto-immune or auto-inflammatory syndrome in a 1st degree relative. Colchicine monotherapy (32%) was the first choice of therapy followed by anakinra monotherapy (19%) or a combination of both. All treated patients reported symptom improvement on therapy with the exception of 2. Conclusion This study gives an overview on the spectrum of autoinflammatory disease presenting in Ireland and their current management. The majority of patients attending were appropriately referred to this clinic and had improvement in symptoms following initiation of treatment. Reference Ter Haar NM, Oswald M, Jeyaratnam J, et al. Recommendations for the management of autoinflammatory diseases. Ann Rheum Dis 2015;74:1636–1644.