cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Designing Pore-Size in Silica Gels: [H2O] – [TMOS] System

A series of microporous silica gels were synthesized by hydrolyzing tetramethylorthosilicate (TMOS) with varying amounts of water. No catalyst or alcohal was added. The gels were characterized by water sorption isotherms, the BET nitrogen surface area measurements, and differential thermal analysis. Although the gelation time for all H2O/TMOS molar ratios (R) was approximately the same (about 3 hr), the pore-size (pore diameter) and sorption capacity were found to be minimum in the R range 4.96–5.37 but increased with both increasing and decreasing R. Water sorption isotherms measured at 25°C after degassing at 200°C of gels prepared with R = 4.96–5.37 exhibited moderate Type I (Brunauer classification) isotherm which changed to intermediate between Type I and Type IV with decreasing or increasing R. These results indicated that the amount of organic or water which was not utilized in the reaction and the degree of cross-linking apparently played a role for the observed variations in pore-size or shape of water isotherms.
Phospholipids and the Gaba Receptor

Much interest has been focused on the role of phospholipids in the nervous system. For example, it has been suggested that these are intimately involved in the cholinergic receptor. De Robertis and his colleagues isolated proteolipids from mammalian nerve ending membranes and showed that they have a high affinity for d-tubocurarine and. atropine (De Robertis et al., 1971). They also claimed to have isolated proteolipids from shrimp muscles that can bind glutamate and GABA (De Plazas and De Robertis, 1973). Eldefrawi et al., (1972) measured the binding of acetylcholine to torpedo electroplax and found that pretreatment with trypsin, pronase, phospholipase A and phospholipase C reduced the binding, suggesting that the cholinergic receptor is a phospholipoprotein. In sharp contrast to the above two views that phospholipids may be involved in the cholinergic receptor, Meunier et al., (1974) isolated the cholinergic receptor from Electrophorus electricus and concluded that the purified receptor protein is a globular, water-soluble protein, which interacts with concanavalin A and other plant agglutinins, indicating that it contains a carbohydrate moiety.
Demethylation and re-expression of epigenetically silenced tumor suppressor genes: sensitization of cancer cells by combination therapy

Epigenetic regulation in eukaryotic and mammalian systems is a complex and emerging field of study. While histone modifications create an open chromatin conformation allowing for gene transcription, CpG methylation adds a further dimension to the expression of specific genes in developmental pathways and carcinogenesis. In this review, we will highlight DNA methylation as one of the distinct mechanisms for gene silencing and try to provide insight into the role of epigenetics in cancer progenitor cell formation and carcinogenesis. We will also introduce the concept of a dynamic methylation-demethylation system and the potential for the existence of a demethylating enzyme in this process. Finally, we will explain how re-expression of epigenetically silenced tumor suppressor genes could be exploited to develop effective drug therapies. In particular, we will consider how a combination therapy that includes epigenetic drugs could possibly kill cancer progenitor cells and reduce the chance of relapse following chemotherapy.
Experimental Evidence That Scare Tactics and Effigies Reduce Corvid Occurrence

Abstract Common Ravens (Corvus corax) and American Crows (C. brachyrhynchos) are important predators of eggs and chicks of the Snowy Plover (Charadrius nivosus), which compromises population recovery of this federally listed species. We used a before-after, control-impact experiment over a 4-d interval to examine changes in corvid occurrence within 1, 10, and 50 m of a feeding area in response to scare tactics and corvid effigies, a non-lethal predator control method. We conducted our study during September–February at Clam Beach, California, where corvids are abundant and plovers experience high reproductive failure compared with other sites in northern California. On Day 1, food and trash attracted corvids within 1–2 h after sunrise, suggesting that some individuals frequented beaches to scavenge for food left by humans. On Days 2 through 4, effigies significantly reduced average corvid abundance and incidence (percentage of observations with at least 1 corvid present), but the effect was only significa...
Effects of Perturbation of Cell Polarity on Molecular Markers of Sperm-Egg Binding Sites on Mouse Eggs

The mouse germinal vesicle (GV)-intact oocyte is a symmetric cell, with the GV centrally localized and with components of the plasma membrane and cortex symmetrically distributed around the periphery of the oocyte. During oocyte maturation, two distinct regions of the egg plasma membrane and cortex develop: the amicrovillar region overlying the meiotic spindle and the microvillar region. The development of this polarity is significant, since sperm bind to and fuse with the microvillar region. We are interested in the development of egg polarity and have characterized the localizations of several markers for egg polarity in normal metaphase II eggs and GV-intact oocytes. The asymmetric distributions of these markers (including actin, cortical granules, binding sites for the sperm proteins fertilin a and fertilin b, and two different b1 integrin epitopes) develop during oocyte maturation in vitro, and this polarity can be perturbed by treatments that disrupt the actin microfilaments or microtubules. In addition, immunoelectron microscopy reveals that binding sites for recombinant fertilin b are specifically localized to the microvillar region, suggesting that the binding sites for this sperm ligand are either specifically localized or activated in this region. These results indicate that structural remodeling of the mouse egg plasma membrane is accompanied by molecular remodeling, resulting in the localization or activation of specific molecules in subdomains of the plasma membrane.
Reply to “Comment on ‘Revisiting the 1872 Owens Valley, California, Earthquake’ by Susan E. Hough and Kate Hutton” by William H. Bakun

Bakun (2009) argues that the conclusions of Hough and Hutton (2008) are wrong because the study failed to take into account the Sierra Nevada attenuation model of Bakun (2006). In particular, Bakun (2009) argues that propagation effects can explain the relatively high intensities generated by the 1872 Owens Valley earthquake. Using an intensity attenuation model that attempts to account for attenuation through the Sierra Nevada, Bakun (2006) infers the magnitude estimate (M_w 7.4–7.5) that is currently accepted by National Earthquake Information Center (NEIC).
MHC-II but not MHC-I responses are required for vaccine-induced protection against ocular challenge with HSV-1.

PURPOSE. To determine the importance of major histocompatibility complex (MHC) class-I versus MHC class-II immune responses in protecting naive versus vaccinated mice against an ocular HSV-1 challenge. METHODS. Class-II deficient A s o/o (CD4 – CD8 + T cells) knock-out mice, which are effectively CD4 + T cells-negative, and class-I deficient s 2 m o/o (CD4 + CD8 – T cells) knockout mice, which are effectively CD8 + T cells negative, were either vaccinated or mock-vaccinated and examined for their ability to withstand HSV-1 ocular challenge. RESULTS. Unvaccinated A s o/o and s 2 m o/o mice were both more susceptible to lethal ocular HSV-1 infection than the parental wild type C57BL/6J mice, indicating that both MHC-I and MHC-II were required for optimal protection of naive mice against ocular HSV-1 challenge. Vaccinated s 2 m o/o mice produced significant neutralizing antibody titers, and following ocular challenge, these mice were completely protected against death and corneal scarring. In contrast, vacci...
Optical wave transport and localization in disordered photonic crystal waveguides

Effects of disorder on linear wave propagation in photonic crystal waveguides are investigated. In-plane translational and vertical symmetry of the crystal are broken by disorder. High-Q cavity excitation mechanism based on polarization mixing is introduced.
Professional Norms Regarding How Radiologists Handle Incidental Findings

The author reviews the dilemmas posed by incidental radiologic findings and provides an analysis of factors that underlie how radiologists handle them. Particular attention is paid to professional standards that mediate clinical decision making and communication in the setting of risk. The author concludes that individual radiologists should report the incidental findings they detect and use existing evidence-based recommendations when possible. Such recommendations, however, face their own challenge in maintaining consistency with norms around risk-related decision making in other clinical realms.
The Gray Ladies of the American Red Cross

Much has been heard of the valuable help given, through the American Red Cross, by those voluntary aids known as “Gray Ladies”, in hospitals, sanatoria, rest homes, clinics and convalescent centres in the United States. Qualified volunteers of all ages undertake these missions (in some cases men also help these services), especially for people who are incapacitated through illness for long periods.
An analytical calibration approach for the polarimetric airborne C band radiometer

Passive microwave remote sensing is sensitive to the quantity and distribution of water in soil and vegetation. During summer 2000, the Microwave Geophysics Group at the University of Michigan conducted the 7 th Radiobrighness Energy Balance Experiment (REBEX-7) over a corn canopy in Michigan. Long time series of brightness temperatures, soil moisture and micrometeorology on the plot scale were taken. This paper addresses the calibration of the NASA GSFC polarimetric airborne C band microwave radiometer (ACMR) that participated in REBEX-7. Passive polarimeters are typically calibrated using an end-to-end approach based upon a standard artificial target or a well-known geophysical target. Analyzing the major internal functional subsystems offers a different perspective. The primary goal of this approach is to provide a transfer function that not only describes the system in its entirety but also accounts for the contributions of each subsystem toward the final modified Stokes parameters. This approach also serves as a realistic instrument simulator, a useful tool for future designs. The ACMR architecture can be partitioned into several functional subsystems. Each subsystem was extensively measured and the estimated parameters were imported into the overall system model. We will present the results of polarimetric antenna measurements, the instrument model as well as four Stokes observations from REBEX-7 using a first order inversion
A 30.1μm 2 , < ±1.1°C-3σ-error, 0.4-to-1.0V temperature sensor based on direct threshold-voltage sensing for on-chip dense thermal monitoring

This paper presents on-chip temperature sensor circuits for dense thermal monitoring in digital VLSI systems. The sensor directly captures the temperature dependency of threshold voltage. The prototype in a 65nm demonstrates that as compared to the state of the arts it can achieve a 9× smaller footprint of 30.1μm2 and a 3× smaller 3σ-error of <±1.1°C after one temperature point calibration. The proposed sensor also achieves a 0.2V better voltage scalability than the previous best voltage-scalable design.
Is growth a valid outcome measure of dialysis clearance in children undergoing peritoneal dialysis

♦ ObjectiveOur study evaluated growth as a clinical outcome measure of peritoneal dialysis (PD) adequacy in children with end-stage renal disease (ESRD).♦ DesignThis retrospective single-center stu...
Heterogeneous Char Reaction Processes

Chapter 3 outlined general coal reaction processes and considered coal particle heatup, ignition, devolatilization, and volatiles combustion in detail. This chapter considers heterogeneous char reactions in detail.
Using a Cuk converter to interface a pulsed load to a fuel cell

The use of an isolated Cuk converter to interface a pulsed load to a fuel cell is presented in this paper. The cuk converter provides constant current drain on the fuel cell with little current ripple while supplying the pulsed load. Because of the high operating frequency of the pulsed load, the DC-DC converter output capacitor supplies the pulsed current requirement of the load. As a result, the Cuk converter is operated in the capacitor charging mode. A simple control circuit is used to maintain load voltage. Experimental results demonstrate that the pulsed load can be operated from a fuel cell by using a Cuk converter.
In Favor of a Skills-Based Approach to Music Appreciation: Pedagogy and Personal History

This essay describes the ways the student population has changed during my lifetime and the pedagogical style I have developed to address those changes: a style that has shaped the writing of my own new text, Take Note: An Introduction to Music through Active Listening , which is being readied for its launch next year by Oxford University Press.
Numerical Simulation of Aerodynamic Plasma Actuator Effects

The aerodynamic plasma actuator has shown considerable promise as a flow control device in different applications. A model for the plasma body force was created from the basic principles. To account for the spatial and temporal behavior of the plasma discharge the lumped-element circuit model was used. The objective of this work is to relate the numerical model to the experimental results qualitatively and quantitatively, demonstrating that plasma actuator thrust is proportional to voltage at the electrodes raised to the 7/2 power (Umax ∼ V ). The obtained results are utilized to lead to optimum designs that enhance the actuators effectiveness at producing unsteady disturbances as a means to prevent or delay boundary layer separation.
Leg and Trunk Impairments Predict Participation in Life Roles in Older Adults: Results From Boston RISE

BACKGROUND The physical impairments that affect participation in life roles among older adults have not been identified. Using the International Classification of Functioning Disability and Health as a conceptual framework, we aimed to determine the leg and trunk impairments that predict participation over 2 years, both directly and indirectly through mediation by changes in activities. METHODS We analyzed 2 years of data from the Boston Rehabilitative Impairment Study of the Elderly, a cohort study of 430 primary care patients with self-reported mobility limitation (mean age 77 years; 68% female; average of four chronic conditions). Frequency of and limitations in participation were examined using the Late-Life Disability Instrument. Baseline physical impairments included: leg strength, leg speed of movement, knee range of motion (ROM), ankle ROM, leg strength asymmetry, kyphosis, and trunk extensor endurance. Structural equation modeling with latent growth curve analysis was used to identify the impairments that predicted participation at year 2, mediated by changes in activities. Models were adjusted for baseline participation, age, and gender. RESULTS Leg speed and ankle ROM directly influenced participation in life roles during follow-up (βdirect = 1.39-4.53 and 4.70, respectively). Additionally, ankle ROM and trunk extensor endurance contributed indirectly to participation score at follow-up via effects on changes in activities (βindirect = -1.06 to -4.24 and 1.01 to 4.18, respectively). CONCLUSIONS Leg speed, ankle ROM, and trunk extensor endurance are key physical impairments predicting participation in life roles in older adults. These results have implications for the development of exercise interventions to enhance participation.
Study on Low Voltage Reactive Power Compensation Technology in Power Distribution System

The advantages and disadvantages of traditional low voltage reactive power compensation technology were introduced systematically.The compensation methods,switching and system monitoring technology and so on of intelligent low voltage reactive power compensation in low voltage distribution system were expounded.The appli-cation of the technology could raise grid voltage quality and reduce electrical loss.
Papaverine-Induced Priapism: 2 Case Reports

AbstractIntracorporeal papaverine injection therapy for impotence has been reported recently as a therapeutic option with low morbidity. We report 2 cases of papaverine-induced priapism that required surgical intervention.
[Pulmonary blastoma: a light-microscopic, immunohistochemical and electron-microscopic study of six cases in childhood].

Pulmonary blastoma is a very rare primary tumor of the lung, which mostly occur at a late age in adults. Six cases in children under four years of age are reported in this series. The light-microscopic, immunohistochemical and electron-microscopic characteristics revealed that the elements of P.B. in childhood consist mainly of mesenchymal components, including undifferentiated large cells and small round cells, which tend to differentiate toward rhabdomyosarcoma. The epithelial components comprise only a small portion of the total tumor, and most appear as the well-demarcate branching tubular structures lined with columnar or cubiodal epithelium merging with the stroma. The degree of differentiation of mesenchymal elements is closely related to the prognosis.
Use of theory in computer-based interventions to reduce alcohol use among adolescents and young adults: a systematic review

Alcohol use and binge drinking among adolescents and young adults remain frequent causes of preventable injuries, disease, and death, and there has been growing attention to computer-based modes of intervention delivery to prevent/reduce alcohol use. Research suggests that health interventions grounded in established theory are more effective than those with no theoretical basis. The goal of this study was to conduct a literature review of computer-based interventions (CBIs) designed to address alcohol use among adolescents and young adults (aged 12–21 years) and examine the extent to which CBIs use theories of behavior change in their development and evaluations. This study also provides an update on extant CBIs addressing alcohol use among youth and their effectiveness. Between November and December of 2014, a literature review of CBIs aimed at preventing or reducing alcohol in PsychINFO, PubMed, and Google Scholar was conducted. The use of theory in each CBI was examined using a modified version of the classification system developed by Painter et al. (Ann Behav Med 35:358–362, 2008). The search yielded 600 unique articles, 500 were excluded because they did not meet the inclusion criteria. The 100 remaining articles were retained for analyses. Many articles were written about a single intervention; thus, the search revealed a total of 42 unique CBIs. In examining the use of theory, 22 CBIs (52 %) explicitly named one or more theoretical frameworks. Primary theories mentioned were social cognitive theory, transtheoretical model, theory of planned behavior and reasoned action, and health belief model. Less than half (48 %), did not use theory, but mentioned either use of a theoretical construct (such as self-efficacy) or an intervention technique (e.g., manipulating social norms). Only a few articles provided detailed information about how the theory was applied to the CBI; the vast majority included little to no information. Given the importance of theory in guiding interventions, greater emphasis on the selection and application of theory is needed. The classification system used in this review offers a guiding framework for reporting how theory based principles can be applied to computer based interventions.
Impacts of beaver dams on channel hydraulics and substrate characteristics in a mountain stream

Beaver dams have significant impacts on the hydrology, temperature, biogeochemical processes, and geomorphology of streams and riparian areas. They have also been used as a viable tool in restoring impaired riverine systems. Because of the dynamic nature of beaver dams, these influences vary and are difficult to quantify. To begin understanding the impacts of beaver dams in mountain streams, we developed 1D hydraulic models for a beaver impacted reach that includes eight dams and a non-impacted reach to compare hydraulic responses (e.g. channel depth, width, and velocity distributions). We also compared observations of substrate size distributions for different geomorphic/habitat units within each reach. Results from the models indicated shifts in channel hydraulics through statistically significant increases in depths and widths as well as a decrease in flow velocities through the beaver impacted reach. These hydraulic adjustments, as a result of beaver dams, are consistent with observed changes in the increased variability and spatial heterogeneity in sediment size distributions. Through the application of three different modelling approaches, we found that a relatively low number of beaver dams would result in significant changes in channel hydraulics. These results provide preliminary information regarding the number of dams per unit stream length required to begin meeting various restoration goals.
Constrained and Constructed Choices in Career: An Examination of Communication Pathways to Dignity

Choice is foundational to contemporary careers. Yet, it often is constrained and contested in imperceptible ways. We reposition Ciulla’s (2000) four reasons for work—meaningful work, leisure, money, and security—as discursive frames whereby people make career choices, craft their choice-legitimizing stories, and overemphasize the rhetoric of individual choice. These frames attend to, as well as underplay, profound discursive and material differences and socio-political and economic forces that enable and constrain career choice across lifespans. We describe and critique communication and related literature that extends and chal challenges each frame. We conclude by advancing a research agenda on communication, choice, and dignity.
Large animal canine endovascular ischemic stroke models: A review

Abstract Background Stroke is one of the leading causes of death and long-term disability worldwide. Recent exciting developments in the field with endovascular treatments have shown excellent outcomes in acute ischemic stroke. Prior to translating these treatments to human populations, a large-animal ischemic stroke model is needed. With the advent of new technologies in digital subtraction angiography, less invasive endovascular stroke models have been developed. Canines have gyrencephalic brain similar to human brain and accessible neurovascular anatomy for stroke model creation. Canine stroke model can be widely utilized to understand the disease process of stroke and to develop novel treatment. Less invasive endovascular internal carotid emboli injection and coil embolization methods can be used to simulate transient or permanent middle cerebral artery occlusion. Major restriction includes the extensive collateral circulation of canine cerebral arteries that can limit the stroke size. Transient internal carotid artery occlusion can decrease collateral circulation and increase stroke size to some degree. Additional method of manipulating the extent of collateral circulation needs to be studied. Other types of canine stroke models, including vertebral artery occlusion and basilar artery occlusion, can also be accomplished by endovascular thrombi injection. Conclusions We extensively review the literature on endovascular technique of creating canine ischemic stroke models and their application in finding new therapies for ischemic stroke.
Digital trust and peer-to-peer collaborative consumption platforms : a mediation analysis

This paper investigates the nature of digital trust in the context of P2P collaborative consumption platforms. We have analyzed data from the website Trustpilot.com (N=5,606), survey data from users of the online sharing platform Airbnb (N=232), and data retrieved from an online experiment conducted among current non-users of a fictitious online sharing platform (N=462). The findings reveal that trust in P2P collaborative consumption platforms (Airbnb, Lyft, and Uber) is lower than trust in P2P exchange first generation platforms (Ebay), as well as large online retail services and non-P2P platforms (Walmart, Zappos, Amazon). Furthermore, we find that the three trust-building management measures: ‘reliable insurance cover’, ‘simultaneous reviews’, and a ‘large network: many offers worldwide’ had a positive effect on ‘trust in the platform provider’. The findings confirm the hierarchical nature of the two-fold trust construct, meaning that ‘trust in the platform provider’ has a positive effect on the ‘trust in peers’ sharing on this platform. A mediation analysis reveals that ‘trust in the platform’ fully mediates all statistically significant effects of trust-building measures on the ‘trust in peers’ variable.
Gender, Peer Advising, and College Success

Abstract This study leverages a natural experiment in which peer advisors (PA) were quasi-randomly assigned to first-year university students. Male students assigned to male peer advisors were significantly more likely to meet with their assigned PA, persist into the second year of postsecondary schooling, and graduate within four years. We find no such effect on male students’ academic performance, nor do we find a same-sex PA effect on female students’ use of the PA program or on subsequent academic outcomes.
Secure robotics

Security is an under-studied problem within robotics and Internet of Things. Part of the reason for this is that currently most robots and IoT devices remain in the lab at all times. Recent trends show more robots and IoT devices moving “out into the wild” with no humans to protect them. This creates vulnerabilities beyond the well known and well studied network/internet based threat. These threats include external network, local network, software, physical access, tricking the artificial intelligence, and intellectual property theft. This document discribes the above and shows our current work towards detection and mitigation.
Abstract POSTER-BIOL-1336: Investigating the role of phosphodiesterase 10A as a novel target in ovarian cancer

Abstracts: 10th Biennial Ovarian Cancer Research Symposium; September 8-9, 2014; Seattle, WA Cyclic nucleotide phosphodiesterases (PDEs) play major roles regulating cell signaling by hydrolyzing the second messengers cyclic adenosine monophosphate (cAMP) and cyclic guanosine monophosphate (cGMP). Phosphodiesterase 10A (PDE10A) is one of 21 PDEs encoded in the human genome. Its predominant expression in the brain striatum has guided intensive investigations on the therapeutic potential of PDE10A in psychiatric and neurological disorders, leading to several PDE10A inhibitors in clinical trials for schizophrenia and Hungtington's disease. Recently, we described for the first time an oncogenic role for PDE10A in colorectal cancer (N. Li et al . 2014 Oncogene 1-11). Our published data showed that PDE10A is overexpressed in colon tumor cells when compared to normal colonocytes, and that pharmacological inhibition or genetic knockdown of PDE10A suppresses colon tumor growth. Here, we are investigating the role of PDE10A in ovarian cancer and its potential as a novel therapeutic target. We detected expression of PDE10A in several ovarian cancer cell lines (SKOV3, SKOV3ip1, A2780, A2780-CP70, OV-90, ES-2 and TOV112D) by western-blotting and quantitative RT-PCR. In addition, our preliminary analysis revealed PDE10A expression in tumors and matched normal tissues from eight patients of ovarian cancer. Finally, we developed novel small molecule compounds targeting PDE10A which potently inhibit growth of all these ovarian cancer cell lines at low micromolar or sub-micromolar concentrations. Future work will focus on i) expanding the cohort of ovarian cancer patient tissues to analyze expression levels of PDE10A by western-blotting, quantitative RT-PCR and immunohistochemistry; ii) genetic silencing of PDE10A by siRNA/shRNA to investigate its role regulating cell proliferation, apoptosis, and cGMP/cAMP cell signaling in ovarian cancer; iii) investigate the signaling pathways suppressed by our novel PDE10A inhibitors. Our studies will determine the potential of using PDE10A as a novel therapeutic target for the treatment and chemoprevention of ovarian cancer. Citation Format: Luciana Madeira da Silva, Kevin Lee, Gary A. Piazza, Lavanya Bachaboina, Rodney P. Rocconi, Jennifer Scalici. Investigating the role of phosphodiesterase 10A as a novel target in ovarian cancer [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 10th Biennial Ovarian Cancer Research Symposium; Sep 8-9, 2014; Seattle, WA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Clin Cancer Res 2015;21(16 Suppl):Abstract nr POSTER-BIOL-1336.
Factors that deepen or attenuate decline of science utility value during the middle school years

Abstract Utility value is associated with positive learning outcomes in science and is often used to motivate engagement in the sciences, but less is known about what influences its development and maintenance, particularly during the critical middle school years. Using multinomial regression applied to longitudinal data from approximately 2600 middle-school students, we test the relationship of science classroom experiences (affective engagement, behavioral-cognitive engagement, & perceived success) and optional formal and optional informal experiences to changes in science utility value. Furthermore, we address whether the same factors that predict growth in utility value also predict absence of decline. Overall, we find all five factors are associated with changes in utility value, but some have different relationships with growth vs. decline outcomes. These findings provide a more nuanced view of factors associated with utility value towards science (both in and out of the science classroom), as well as practical implications for educational practice.
Kernig's Sign

First described by a Russian physician Vladimer Mihailovich Kernig in 1882, Kernig's sign is elicited with the patient in a supine position. The hip is flexed 90°, and the knee is flexed. A positive sign for meningitis occurs when extension of the knee elicits resistance or pain in the lower back.
Auditing SNOMED CT hierarchical relations based on lexical features of concepts in non-lattice subgraphs.

Abstract Objective We introduce a structural-lexical approach for auditing SNOMED CT using a combination of non-lattice subgraphs of the underlying hierarchical relations and enriched lexical attributes of fully specified concept names. Our goal is to develop a scalable and effective approach that automatically identifies missing hierarchical IS-A relations. Methods Our approach involves 3 stages. In stage 1, all non-lattice subgraphs of SNOMED CT’s IS-A hierarchical relations are extracted. In stage 2, lexical attributes of fully-specified concept names in such non-lattice subgraphs are extracted. For each concept in a non-lattice subgraph, we enrich its set of attributes with attributes from its ancestor concepts within the non-lattice subgraph. In stage 3, subset inclusion relations between the lexical attribute sets of each pair of concepts in each non-lattice subgraph are compared to existing IS-A relations in SNOMED CT. For concept pairs within each non-lattice subgraph, if a subset relation is identified but an IS-A relation is not present in SNOMED CT IS-A transitive closure, then a missing IS-A relation is reported. The September 2017 release of SNOMED CT (US edition) was used in this investigation. Results A total of 14,380 non-lattice subgraphs were extracted, from which we suggested a total of 41,357 missing IS-A relations. For evaluation purposes, 200 non-lattice subgraphs were randomly selected from 996 smaller subgraphs (of size 4, 5, or 6) within the “Clinical Finding” and “Procedure” sub-hierarchies. Two domain experts confirmed 185 (among 223) suggested missing IS-A relations, a precision of 82.96%. Conclusions Our results demonstrate that analyzing the lexical features of concepts in non-lattice subgraphs is an effective approach for auditing SNOMED CT.
Feminist Psychotherapies: Theory, Research, and Practice

The introduction and development of feminist psychotherapy was one of the many accomplishments of second wave feminism in the West and very much a product of the social and cultural context of the late 1960s and early 1970s, during which time feminism enjoyed an unparalleled resurgence in Western societies. Within a brief time, it also appeared in various cultural incarnations in many non-Western and developing countries as local and indigenous groups began to realize that women’s rights are human rights.
Formation and Characterization of Transition-Metal Silicides

Publisher Summary This chapter focuses on formation and characterization of transition-metal silicides. Many deposition techniques can be applied to form thin silicide layers on very large-scale integration (VLSI) structures. The common methods are vacuum evaporation with filament or e-gun, sputtering, and chemical vapor deposition. The silicon for the silicide may be drawn from the silicon substrate in a subsequent metal-silicon reaction, in which case a metal film only is deposited. Modern methods of analysis of thin films are mainly based on the detection of beams that are emitted from or scattered by the film as a result of irradiation by a primary incident beam. Several transition metal silicides have been identified as semiconductors. The relatively high resistivity of these silicides and the ability to vary the resistivity and the thermal coefficient of resistance makes these materials attractive for thin-film resistors.
Exclusion, Punishment, Racism, and our Schools A Critical Race Theory Perspective on School Discipline

Punitive school discipline procedures have increasingly taken hold in America’s schools. While they are detrimental to the wellbeing and to the academic success of all students, they have proven to disproportionately punish minority students, especially African American youth. Such policies feed into wider social issues that, once more, disproportionately affect minority communities: the school-to-prison pipeline, high school dropout rates, the push-out phenomenon, and the criminalization of schools. Before such pervasive racial inequality can be addressed effectively, the social and the psychological mechanisms that create racial inequality in the first place must be examined. This Comment offers insights from the field of Critical Race Theory on the root causes for racial inequality in American society more broadly, and in the context of school discipline more specifically. It argues that racial stigmatization, stereotyping, and implicit biases that are based on a long history of racial prejudice in the United States continue to infuse seemingly objective standards of what is considered appropriate behavior, as well as the practices — such as punitive school discipline — that are used to enforce such standards. Because a comprehensive remedy to these systemic issues cannot be expected to come from efforts in the courts, advocates will have to rely on alternative strategies to soften and to reverse the negative impact that punitive school discipline imposes on students, especially minority students. This Comment proposes disciplinary practices based on the concept of Restorative Justice as a promising alternative to current disciplinary policies. It argues that Restorative Justice–based disciplinary policies are consistent with core principles of Critical Race Theory and are more conducive to creating a nurturing, safe, and inclusive school environment that not only keeps children in school but also helps to undermine the sources of racial conflict and of racial inequality that have plagued this nation for too long.
Factors associated with bone fractures following hematopoietic stem cell transplantation.

9600 Background: The number of long-term survivors of hematopoieticstem cell transplantation (HSCT) is growing. These survivors have increased bone fragility and susceptibility to fracture, leading...
The debate on discounting: Reconciling positivists and ethicists

Using a simple arbitrage argument, positivists claim that the interest rate provides the right basis to fix the discount rate to evaluate green investment projects. The real interest rate observed in the U.S. during the XXth century has been around 1% and 2%. On the contrary, ethicists estimate the discount rate by the marginal rate of substitution between current and future consumption. From classical estimations of intertemporal inequality aversion and prudence, they recommend a discount rate around 3% and 4%. Ethicists are less prone to investing for the future than positivists. I claim that the positivist approach is right if green investment projects are financed by a reallocation of resources from productive capital in the economy. Ethicists are right if they are financed by a reduction of consumption. I also claim that ethicists should use a rate between 1% and 2% to discount benefits occurring in the distant future. This provides two roads to reconcile the two approaches. A specific risk premium should be added to the discount rate that is proportional to the socio-economic beta of the investment project.
Examining the Impact of SMAP Soil Moisture Retrievals on Short-Range Weather Prediction Under Weakly- and Strongly-Coupled Data Assimilation with WRF-Noah

AbstractRemotely sensed soil moisture data are typically incorporated into numerical weather models under a framework of weakly coupled data assimilation (WCDA), with a land surface analysis scheme...
Donald Trump's Gift to Feminism: The Resistance

Donald Trump's surprise win in 2016 galvanized once-politically quiescent women and jolted those who had believed second-wave feminist victories were enduring. This “resistance” drew on two potent ...
Trial of Labor After Cesarean Delivery (TOLAC), with Uterine Dehiscence and Emergency Cesarean Delivery Under General Anesthesia

A 34-year-old woman, G3P2002 and in labor at term, arrives at Labor & Delivery at 5 cm of cervical dilation. She has no significant non-obstetric medical history. Her first baby had been born by cesarean delivery (CD) because of breech presentation and she had a successful vaginal birth after cesarean delivery (VBAC) with her second child (L-1). With this pregnancy, she had been told to come to the hospital as soon as her contractions started, but there has been a delay and she has already been laboring for an hour by the time she arrives. The obstetric staff admits her rapidly and explains that the anesthesiologist will see her shortly to start her epidural (L-2). The nursing staff places her IV cannula, draws blood samples for a complete blood count and type and crossmatch and then connects her IV tubing.
Optimal estimation of bacterial growth rates based on a permuted monotone matrix

Motivated by the problem of estimating the bacterial growth rates for genome assemblies from shotgun metagenomic data, we consider the permuted monotone matrix model $Y=\Theta\Pi+Z$, where $Y\in \mathbb{R}^{n\times p}$ is observed, $\Theta\in \mathbb{R}^{n\times p}$ is an unknown approximately rank-one signal matrix with monotone rows, $\Pi \in \mathbb{R}^{p\times p}$ is an unknown permutation matrix, and $Z\in \mathbb{R}^{n\times p}$ is the noise matrix. This paper studies the estimation of the extreme values associated to the signal matrix $\Theta$, including its first and last columns, as well as their difference. Treating these estimation problems as compound decision problems, minimax rate-optimal estimators are constructed using the spectral column sorting method. Numerical experiments through simulated and synthetic microbiome metagenomic data are presented, showing the superiority of the proposed methods over the alternatives. The methods are illustrated by comparing the growth rates of gut bacteria between inflammatory bowel disease patients and normal controls.
Method for Generating a Figure of Merit for the Selection of Antennas Under Volumetric Constraint

A method is proposed to directly compare a volumetric figure of merit for a variety of antenna designs. This construction, a two-point polar metric dubbed the A-B parameter, is built from a number of commonly used antenna benchmarks and assists in the selection of the most effective antenna in a volumetrically constrained design space. Various methods of generating the parameter and effectively visualizing the result are discussed. In addition, a comparative analysis between this method and a single-valued efficiency metric derived from this parameter is highlighted, along with a comparison to recent similar efforts. Additional complications of antenna types and methods of calculating gain, bandwidth, and physical parameters are noted, and the methods are shown to take these complications into account. Finally, the benefits and limitations of this method are explored, and it is shown that this method can be a promising way in which to analyze the comparative effectiveness of antenna designs function under volumetric constraints.
Single-cell transcriptomic analysis reveals molecular diversity of human oligodendrocyte progenitor cells

ABSTRACT Injury and loss of oligodendrocytes can cause demyelinating diseases such as multiple sclerosis. To improve our understanding of oligodendrocyte development, which could facilitate development of remyelination-based treatment strategies, we performed single-cell-transcriptomic-analysis of developing human oligodendrocyte-precursor-cells (hOPCs). We engineered knock-in hESC-reporter lines in which an Identification-and-Purification tag is expressed under control of the endogenous, OPC-specific, PDGFRα promoter, and performed time-course single-cell-RNA-sequencing of purified hOPCs. Our analysis uncovered marked transcriptional heterogeneity of PDGFRα+ hOPCs and identified regulatory genes and networks that control their differentiation and myelination competence. Pseudotime trajectory analysis revealed two distinct trajectories for the development of oligodendrocytes vs astrocytes from hOPCs. We also identified novel transcription factors and other genes that developing hOPCs potentially use to choose between oligodendrocyte vs astrocyte lineages. In addition, pathway enrichment analysis followed by pharmacological intervention of those pathways confirm that mTOR and cholesterol biosynthesis signaling pathways are involved in maturation of oligodendrocytes from hOPCs.
Clonal versus non-clonal milkweeds (Asclepias spp.) respond differently to stem damage, affecting oviposition by monarch butterflies.

Background Oviposition decisions are critical to the fitness of herbivorous insects and are often impacted by the availability and condition of host plants. Monarch butterflies (Danaus plexippus) rely on milkweeds (Asclepias spp.) for egg-laying and as food for larvae. Previous work has shown that monarchs prefer to oviposit on recently regrown plant tissues (after removal of above-ground biomass) while larvae grow poorly on plants previously damaged by insects. We hypothesized that these effects may depend on the life-history strategy of plants, as clonal and non-clonal milkweed species differ in resource allocation and defense strategies. Methodology/principal findings We first confirmed butterfly preference for regrown tissue in a field survey of paired mowed and unmowed plots of the common milkweed A. syriaca. We then experimentally studied the effects of plant damage (comparing undamaged controls to plants clipped and regrown, or damaged by insects) on oviposition choice, larval performance, and leaf quality of two closely related clonal and non-clonal species pairs: (1) A. syriaca and A. tuberosa, and (2) A. verticillata and A. incarnata. Clonal and non-clonal species displayed different responses to plant damage, impacting the proportions of eggs laid on plants. Clonal species had similar mean proportions of eggs on regrown and control plants (≈35-40% each), but fewer on insect-damaged plants (≈20%). Meanwhile non-clonal species had similar oviposition on insect-damaged and control plants (20-30% each) but more eggs on regrown plants (40-60%). Trait analyses showed reduced defenses in regrown plants and we found some evidence, although variable, for negative effects of insect damage on subsequent larval performance. Conclusions/significance Overall, non-clonal species are more susceptible and preferred by monarch butterflies following clipping, while clonal species show tolerance to clipping and induced defense to insect herbivory. These results have implications for monarch conservation strategies that involve milkweed habitat management by mowing. More generally, plant life-history may mediate growth and defense strategies, explaining species-level variation in responses to different types of damage.
Supporting Use of Data and Evidence from Early Warning Indicator Systems in Research–Practice Partnerships:

Background/ContextResearch on data and evidence use suggest that productive use depends on interactive processes, including sustained interactions between educators and researchers. Recent research...
Immediate use steam sterilization optimization and a methodology to forecast and justify instrumentation

Abstract Background During the past two decades, the escalating rate of immediate use steam sterilization (IUSS) well beyond its intended use has become an area of intense focus as greater understanding of the link between IUSS and Surgical Site Infections (SSI) has emerged. Methods While in the process of completing an initial project, a team at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center developed a methodology that evolved into a framework used to determine instrument and kit requirements for various purposes. Results Most importantly, the tools and framework provide a reliable, sustainable process for providing exceptional patient care in the use, care, and cleaning of instrumentation for surgical procedures. Just as importantly, the framework has provided perioperative leadership at BIDMC with a way to evaluate the ongoing instrumentation needs and to assess, consider and justify budget expenses with a process that provides confidence and justification of expenditures to hospital administration. Conclusions With continued use, BIDMC has come to rely on the process and framework to provide insight, guide strategic decision making, and realize cost avoidance by making smart instrument purchasing decisions rather than buying more than needed when estimating usage.
Epilogue: Surveillance in the Information Society

Undoubtedly, CALEA and RIPA represented organized attempts by government agencies to gain access to the design of public telecommunications networks, which had previously developed in the absence of collateral principles, such as national security or law enforcement interests. The shared ambition of CALEA and RIPA was to elevate the status of such principles to guiding parameters in the design of digital telecommunications networks—an attempt that has been described by observers as “forced integration of specific enhanced surveillance features into the nation’s telecommunications infrastructure” (Dempsey 1998).
Parabolic Equation Modeling of Scholte Waves and Other Effects Along Sloping Fluid-Solid Interfaces

Several methods for handling sloping fluid–solid interfaces with the elastic parabolic equation are tested. A single-scattering approach that is modified for the fluid–solid case is accurate for so...