cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Hemolytic properties of special materials exposed to a shear flow, and plasma changes with shear.

Three types of materials of special interest to the NIH Biomaterials Program were evaluated for their tendency to induce hemolysis when exposed to a laminar blood flow between rotating parallel disks. The three types were: (1) TDMAC-heparinized surfaces of polycarbonate (Lexan), silicone rubber, and poly-vinylchloride; (2) polyacrylamide hydrogels (PAH) prepared by three different chemical processes; and (3) fluorinated ethyl-cellulose (FEC). All were compared to a polyethylene (PE) standard, to normalize data for variations in blood quality.Multiple tests, showing good reproducibility, demonstrated: FEC is a very low hemolyzer, about 60% of PE; the PAH surfaces are poorer than PE, giving 120—220% of PE hemolysis depending on fabrication and shipment history; and TDMAC-heparinized surfaces are highly hemolytic, in the range 160—440% of PE depending on substrate. Plastics used as substrates for the coatings cited above were also evaluated: Delrin, Lexan, Nylon 6, propylene, and a polyether urethane. Tentat...
Industrial Salesperson Development: A Career Stages Perspective:

The scope of research on the development of salespeople has been very limited, in part because of an incomplete conceptual framework of salespeople's life and career changes. As a first step toward...
A DEGENERATE SOLID ELEMENT FORMULATION FOR LARGE DEFORMATIONS OF THIN SHELL STRUCTURES

A geometrically nonlinear finite element formulation for an 18-node degenerated solid element was developed for analyzing large deformations of thin shell structures. The element, degenerated from a 27node solid element from the Lagrange family, contains only translational degrees-of-freedom and thus it can be used to analyze not only thin shell structures but also beam and non-thin-wall structures. Reduced integration is employed to relax locking which is a deficiency in finite elements based upon the ReissnerMindlin theory. A stabilization procedure using an assumed strain field was developed to alleviate spurious energy modes resulting from the use of reduced integration. Compared with the stabilization procedure formulated based upon the HellingerReissner principle1, the proposed stabilization procedure in conjunction with the principle of virtual work yielded a more efficient finite element formulation.
NATIONWIDE TRENDS IN PULMONARY ARTERY ENDARTERECTOMY FOR CHRONIC THROMBOEMBOLIC PULMONARY HYPERTENSION

Pulmonary artery endarterectomy (PAE) is a complex curative surgery for the treatment of chronic thromboembolic pulmonary hypertension (CTEPH) and is performed in a limited number of centers across the United States. We used the nationwide inpatient sample (NIS), which is a 20% stratified sample of
Glycemic Management in Diabetes and the Associated Cardiovascular Risk : Are We Helping or Hurting Our Patients?

Diabetes, which is a metabolic disorder with multiple comorbidities, increases the risk of cardiovascular disease. Although it was once assumed that controlling plasma glucose levels would reduce diabetes-related morbidity and mortality, recent trials have demonstrated that this is not consistently the case. Data from large, well-designed trials suggest that intensive glycemic therapy may be useful in preventing cardiovascular events if initiated early in the disease course, but may be harmful or not useful if applied to high-risk patients with a longer history of diabetes. Furthermore, the cardiovascular safety of existing individual antihyperglycemic agents remains largely unknown. We review the relationship between glycemic control targets and cardiovascular outcomes, as well as the current understanding of the cardiovascular effects of existing glucose-lowering therapies. This information has affected recommendations for diabetes care in Japan and the United States differently, and supports a more comprehensive and prospective approach to cardiovascular safety assessments of diabetes therapies in the future. Results from ongoing cardiovascular outcomes trials of diabetes medications may help to define optimal glucose-lowering strategies for patients at high risk of cardiovascular complications. Until then, glycemic control targets and the medications used to achieve them should be individualized according to each patient's age, duration of diabetes, risk of hypoglycemia, risk of cardiovascular complications, and life expectancy.
Dissociation among hemodynamic measures in asymptomatic high grade carotid artery stenosis

Abstract Background Cerebral blood flow (CBF) regulation is a critical element in cerebrovascular pathophysiology, particularly in large vessel disease, but the best method to use for hemodynamic assessment is not clear. We examined 4 different blood-flow related measures in patients with unilateral high-grade carotid artery disease, assessing asymmetry between the occluded vs non-occluded side, and the correlations among the measures. Methods Thirty-three patients (age 50–93, 19 M) with unilateral 80–100% ICA occlusion but no stroke underwent: 1) mean flow velocity (MFV) in both middle cerebral arteries by transcranial Doppler (TCD), 2) quantitative resting CBF using pseudo-continuous arterial spin labeling (pCASL) MRI, 3) vasomotor reactivity (VMR) in response to 5% CO2 inhalation, and 4) dynamic cerebral autoregulation (DCA) assessing the counter-regulation of blood flow to spontaneous changes in blood pressure using TCD monitoring and finger photoplethysmography. Paired t-tests and Pearson correlations assessed side-to-side differences within each measure, and correlations between measures. Results CBF (p = 0.001), MFV (p 0.468). Conclusions These 4 measures showed high sensitivity to the occluded carotid artery, but their dissociation suggests that any given measure only partially characterizes the hemodynamic state. Additional research is needed to explore the multifaceted biology of cerebral blood flow regulation.
Research on calibration of blade root bending signal at wind turbine load measurement

Wind turbine load measurement is one of the most significant type approval certification issues,which is related to the wind turbine life and safety.The main content of the wind turbine load measurement is the bending moment measurement of main part,such as tower,main shaft and blades.The strain gauges and Wheatstone bridge are used to take the blade root bending moment measurement.For the blade root bending signal calibration,due to the complicated structure and material,the traditional shunt calibration method is not available.In this article,three kinds of methods of blade root bending signal calibration and their characteristics are introduced and analyzed within the measure ment project.
Tegaserod (Zelnorm) for irritable bowel syndrome.

Despite design limitations common to drug therapy trials for c-IBS (e.g., subjective outcomes, high placebo response rate), tegaserod is at least somewhat effective at relieving troublesome symptoms in women. Considering the modest benefits and high cost, tegaserod is best used as a short-term, second-line agent for those women who do not respond adequately to changes in diet, to bulk-forming agents like psyllium, or to other interventions.
Immunofluorescent and immunoelectron microscopic localization of protein antigens in red cells infected with the human malaria Plasmodium falciparum

Erythrocytes infected with the human malaria Plasmodium falciparum produce elevations of the surface membrane of the red cell called knobs. Through the use of transmission electron microscopy and a post-embedding protein A-immunogold technique, it was possible to show changes in the distribution of band 3, glycophorin A and spectrin in the region of the knob. These proteins appeared to be aggregated or condensed in the area of the knob, whereas the remainder of the red cell surface showed no such dense clusters; haemoglobin and the histidine-rich protein of P. lophurae could not be localized to the knobby protuberances. It was not possible to detect any changes in protein distribution using the light microscope and indirect immunofluorescence.
Job Choice and Performance: Revisiting Core Assumptions about Public Service Motivation

ABSTRACTAlthough there has been considerable enthusiasm for public service motivation (PSM) research in recent years, two of PSM's fundamental assumptions have been relatively untested: its impacts on job choice and on job performance. Using panel data from two different studies, we offer stronger observational tests of these core assumptions. The findings provide mixed evidence. When testing PSM's effect on employment choice, we find that PSM measured during a law student's first year predicts the sector in which they are employed after graduation three years later. In a separate study investigating PSM's effect on job performance, we find that government employee PSM does not predict employee absenteeism or supervisor assessments of their in-role and extra-role performance. Our findings support recent calls for a more nuanced theory and analyses of PSM to help better understand its implications for recruiting, retaining, and motivating the workforce used to provide public goods and services.
Oxidized Derivatives of n-Hexane from a Water/Argon Continuous Flow Electrical Discharge Plasma Reactor

A non-thermal continuous flow plasma reactor with a liquid water stream and argon carrier gas is shown to convert n-hexane and water into alcohols, alkenes, ketones, hydroperoxides, alpha-hydroxy-ketones and diketones. Fragmented (short chain) primary alcohols, fragmented aldehydes and fragmented carboxylic acids are also formed. The variation of the supply voltage and oxygen concentration allows moderate fine-tuning of yield and selectivity of this organic “diversity-oriented” synthetic process. A (pH based) procedure for rapid separation of the organic hydroperoxides has been developed. Computationally determined thermodynamic and kinetic parameters of several reaction pathways support their feasibility. The construction of a mechanistic pathway map was accomplished, providing deeper insight into this radical and plasma based transformation process.
Separation and Identification of APO-B-Containing Lipoprotein Particles in Normolipidemic Subjects and Patients with Hyperlipoproteinemias

The operationally-defined plasma lipoproteins have provided the theoretical basis for most studies and current views on the mechanism of lipid transport [1,2]. The popularity of these classification systems has been enhanced by clinical studies which have related certain derangements of lipid transport to particular density classes or electrophoretic patterns [2,3]. However, the discovery of a number of apolipoproteins [1,4] and the detection of marked protein heterogeneity of lipoprotein density classes and electrophoretic bands [4,5] have become incompatible with the view that operationally-defined lipoproteins represent the fundamental chemical and metabolic entities of lipid transport system. Results from laboratories have shown that major density classes consist of several distinct lipoprotein families or particles rather than single lipid-protein complexes [4-9]. Based on these and similar findings showing that lipoprotein density classes consist of distinct lipoprotein particles of similar hydrated densities but different apolipoprotein composition, we have proposed that apo-lipoproteins be used as specific markers for the identification of lipoprotein particles and as a new means for the classification of plasma lipoproteins [10,11]. According to this proposal, lipoprotein families or particles which contain a single apolipoprotein are called simple lipoproteins and those which contain two or more apolipoproteins are referred to as complex lipoproteins [11]. The nomenclature of lipoprotein particles is based on the ABC nomenclature of apolipoproteins [10] in that lipoprotein particles are named after their constitutive apolipoproteins. For example, lipoprotein particles which only contain ApoB as their protein moiety are called lipoprotein B (LP-B), while lipoprotein particles which contain apolipoproteins B, C and E are named lipoprotein B:C:E (LP-B:C:E).
Exploring Parent-Teacher Partnerships as Border Pedagogy: Supporting Emergent Bilingual Student Learning

Abstract : As a bilingual teacher educator in the U.S. working with in-service teachers serving predominantly bilingual students from U.S. and Mexico, this study is uniquely positioned to use innovative research in bilingual teacher education for empowering teachers to develop culturally and linguistically responsive border pedagogies. Specifically, this study explores parent-teacher partnerships as border pedagogy that supports emergent bilingual student teaching and learning. Aimed at disrupting traditional modes of research and practice grounded in monolingualism, this qualitative critical study uses the concept of border pedagogy as a theoretical framework to explore how 16 bilingual in-service teachers enrolled in a master’s program, engaged in parent-teacher partnerships that supported bilingual and bicultural teaching and learning at the US-Mexico border.
Development and evaluation of germanium telluride phase change material based ohmic switches for RF applications

We report on the device structure and performance of germanium telluride phase change material based ohmic RF switches. Two main types of the phase change switches using direct and indirect heating methods have been designed, fabricated and measured to analyze and compare the performance of germanium telluride in RF switch applications. Both types of switches are proven to have an insertion loss of less than 0.6 dB and an isolation of more than 13 dB for up to 20 GHz. Good linearity and power handling capability results are also measured. A reconfigurable bandpass filter using the indirectly heated phase change switch has also been developed, and shows promising performance. Efforts have been made to further analyze the issues with switching reliability, and explore possible ways of improving the performance of phase change RF switches.
Employment specialists’ perspectives on implementing supported employment with young adults

ABSTRACTObjective: Youth and young adults with serious mental health conditions have particularly poor records of stable employment, but stable employment is a key to recovery. Employment specialists have a key role in supported employment services in assisting them with employment. This article describes the thoughts and concerns of employment specialists about finding and supporting employment for youth and young adults with serious mental health conditions. Method: The authors undertook 12 intensive interviews with supported employment specialists in two states. These interviews were transcribed and coded by the authors. A number of themes were identified and prototypical examples identified and included in the findings. Results: Although the employment specialists varied in their enthusiasm and optimism about the job, they agreed on key problems that they face in supporting employment for young adults that include employer resistance to hiring people with mental illness, increasing use of online appli...
Reproduction of walnut twig beetle in black walnut and butternut

The walnut twig beetle [WTB (Pityophthorus juglandis Blackman)] is the primary insect vector for a pathogen that causes thousand cankers disease (TCD), a disease complex that leads to mortality in species of walnut (Juglans L.). We performed field and laboratory trials to determine if reproduction by WTB varies between two black walnut (Juglans nigra L.) parent trees of a full-sib mapping population of 323 offspring, and between black walnut and butternut (Juglans cinerea L.). These two tree species are native to eastern North America. In field trials, we found no significant differences in colonization density or mean number of adult offspring per female among branch sections from black walnut parent trees or among branch sections from black walnut and butternut, respectively. In laboratory trials with controlled colonization densities of WTB, we found that significantly fewer adult offspring developed in branch sections of the black walnut maternal 'Sparrow' parent than the paternal 'Schessler' parent over three summer months and one winter month. In the field, high colonization densities likely limited reproduction due to increased intraspecific competition beneath the bark. In the laboratory, where we established a lower colonization density, reproduction was likely influenced by differences in host quality. In laboratory trials, no differences were detected in the number of adult offspring emerging from black walnut and butternut accessions. This finding suggests that butternut is a suitable host for WTB. Future screening of the full-sib mapping population of 323 offspring of black walnut parent trees for WTB resistance is a warranted next step in developing alternative management strategies for TCD in black walnut.
Temperature Sensitivity of Drosophila Gustatory Receptor Gr28b

Gustatory receptors are a family of transmembrane proteins that have been extensively studied in the context of insect taste and odor sensory systems. A recent study has identified a Drosophila gustatory receptor, Gr28b(D), as a thermosensor expressed in peripheral “hot cell” neurons responsible for rapid heat avoidance. Gr28b(D) is the first gustatory receptor shown to be involved in thermosensation. However, little is known mechanistically about the protein, and previous attempts at heterologous expression were reported unsuccessful. Although proposed to have a seven-transmembrane domain topology, it is unknown whether Gr28b(D) functions as a G-protein coupled receptor (GPCR) or as an ion channel, and fundamental questions about the biophysical properties of the protein remain completely unanswered. Here, we sho successful heterologous expression of Gr28b(D) in Xenopus laevis oocytes and confirm temperature-sensitivity as an intrinsic property of the protein. Furthermore, we have generated Gr28b(D) single amino acid and truncation mutations to investigate structural correlates of ion selectivity and temperature sensitivity.
The Influence of an Orthopedic, Manual Therapy Residency Program on Improved Knowledge, Psychomotor Skills, and Clinical Reasoning in Nairobi, Kenya

Introduction: The purpose of this study was to describe the influence of a post-graduate orthopaedic manual therapy residency program in Kenya on the development of physical therapists (PT) knowledge and clinical reasoning related to the performance of a musculoskeletal examination and evaluation as compared to an experienced matched control group of PTs waiting to enter the program. Methods: A cross-sectional design was utilized in which 12 graduating residents and 10 PTs entering the residency program completed a live-patient practical examination to assess the knowledge, clinical reasoning, and psychomotor skills related to the examination and evaluation of musculoskeletal conditions. The assessment utilized was based on the tasks, procedures, and knowledge areas identified as important to advanced clinicians in the US as outlined by the Orthopaedic Description of Specialty Practice. Inclusion criteria included participation in or acceptance to the residency program, practice as a PT between 3 and 25 years, and 50% of workday being involved in direct patient care. Overall pass rates were analyzed using the Pearson chi-square and Fisher’s exact test to determine if the graduating residents achieved significantly higher scores than experienced matched controls consisting of PTs entering the residency program. Results: PTs completing a post-graduate orthopaedic manual therapy residency in Nairobi, Kenya achieved higher scores and passing rates compared to their colleagues that had not completed a residency program as determined by a live-patient practical examination. Graduating residents demonstrated statistically significant higher scores in the categories of examination, evaluation, and diagnosis. The average live-patient practical examination score for PTs without residency training was 38.2% and their pass rate was 0.0%. The average live-patient practical examination score for residency-trained PTs was 83.4% and their pass rate was 92.3%. These findings are statistically significant (p<0.001). Discussion: The study results suggest that the residency program had a positive influence on the residents’ ability to perform musculoskeletal examination and evaluation and to determine a treatment diagnosis. Future studies should be performed to determine if the improvements in assessment have a positive impact on clinical practice.
Simulation-Equivalent Reachability of Large Linear Systems with Inputs

Control systems can be subject to outside inputs, environmental effects, disturbances, and sensor/actuator inaccuracy. To model such systems, linear differential equations with constrained inputs are often used, \(\dot{x}(t) = A x(t) + B u(t)\), where the input vector u(t) stays in some bound. Simulating these models is an important tool for detecting design issues. However, since there may be many possible initial states and many possible valid sequences of inputs, simulation-only analysis may also miss critical system errors. In this paper, we present a scalable verification method that computes the simulation-equivalent reachable set for a linear system with inputs. This set consists of all the states that can be reached by a fixed-step simulation for (i) any choice of start state in the initial set and (ii) any choice of piecewise constant inputs.
Communication and Marketing: Toward a Responsive Ethical Framework

Ethics in marketing, up to this point, has been largely prescriptive. Violations continue to garner headlines, and those engaged in violations find justification. This work extends the literature in marketing ethics by moving past prescription and exploring a responsive ethic. It looks to Levinas, considering acknowledgement of the other to provide an ethical marketing framework that is responsive.
Regulation of Myeloid Derived Suppressor Cell (MDSC) dynamics by T regulatory cells

Multiple sclerosis is an inflammatory demyelinating autoimmune disorder affecting the central nervous system whose severity is reduced using immune suppressive drugs. Therapeutic intervention with interferon-b reduces disease exacerbations and delays relapses. The receptor for type 1 interferon, IFNAR, is present on virtually all cell types making it difficult to dissect the mechanisms involved. We generated mice with a conditional deletion (cKO) of IFNAR in Treg cells (IFNAR fl/fl Foxp3 cre ). cKO mice developed severe EAE with an earlier onset than control mice. The activation status and effector cytokine production of CD4 + and CD8 + T cells in the draining lymph nodes (dLN) was similar in WT and cKO mice during the priming phase. Treg activation and expansion were also similar in WT and cKO mice. However, we noted a substantial reduction of myeloid derived suppressor cells (MDSCs) in the dLN of cKO mice while equivalent numbers of MDSCs were present in bone marrow and spleen of WT and cKO mice. IFNAR fl/fl LysM cre mice do not show a similar reduction in MDSC number indicating that the enhanced disease severity in the cKO mice is dependent on IFNAR signaling on Treg cells. CD4 + T cells from cKO mice were found to be defective in chemokine secretion suggesting that IFNAR signaling on Treg modulates the capacity of CD4 + T cells to secrete MDSC recruiting chemokines during the priming phase. While modulation of Treg number and function by MDSCs has been documented, this study is one of the first to demonstrate that Treg may modulate MDSC homing and raises the possibility of a novel role for Treg cells in regulating the kinetics of MDSC recruitment during inflammatory conditions. Supported by the Division of Intramural Research NIAID.
Behavioral Health Treatment Patterns Among Employer-Insured Adults in Same- and Different-Gender Marriages and Domestic Partnerships.

Objective:This study examined specialty behavioral health treatment patterns among employer-insured adults in same- and different-gender domestic partnerships and marriages.Methods:The study used b...
How Community and Public Health Partnerships Contribute to Disaster Recovery and Resilience.

Objective To summarize ways that networks of community-based organizations (CBO), in partnership with public health departments, contribute to community recovery from disaster. Methods The study was conducted using an online survey administered one and 2 years after Hurricane Sandy to the partnership networks of 369 CBO and the New York Department of Health and Mental Hygiene. The survey assessed the structure and durability of networks, how they were influenced by storm damage, and whether more connected networks were associated with better recovery outcomes. Results During response and recovery, CBOs provide an array of critical public health services often outside their usual scope. New CBO partnerships were formed to support recovery, particularly in severely impacted areas. CBOs that were more connected to other CBOs and were part of a long-term recovery committee reported greater impacts on the community; however, a partnership with the local health department was not associated with recovery impacts. Conclusion CBO partners are flexible in their scope of services, and CBO partnerships often emerge in areas with the greatest storm damage, and subsequently the greatest community needs. National policies will advance if they account for the dynamic and emergent nature of these partnerships and their contributions, and clarify the role of government partners. (Disaster Med Public Health Preparedness. 2018;12:635-643).
Diversity in dermatology: Roadmap for improvement.

The American Academy of Dermatology has taken an active stance in addressing the lack of racial and ethnic diversity in the specialty. At the American Academy of Dermatology President's Conference on Diversity in Dermatology, which was held on August 5, 2017, key action items to increase the number of practicing board-certified dermatologists who are under-represented in medicine (UIM) were identified in 3 main areas. The action items include increasing the pipeline of UIM students applying to medical school, increasing UIM medical students' exposure to the field of dermatology and their level of interest in it, and increasing the number of UIM students recruited into dermatology residency programs.
Oral Vaccination with Different Antigens from Yersinia pestis KIM Delivered by Live Attenuated Salmonella Typhimurium Elicits a Protective Immune Response Against Plague

The use of live recombinant Salmonella attenuated vaccine (RASV) encoding Yersinia proteins is a promising new approach for the vaccination against Yersinia pestis. We have tested the efficacy of 2 proteins, Psn and a portion of LcrV in protecting mice against virulent Yersinia pestis challenge. To remove the immunosuppressive properties of LcrV protein, the lcrV gene, without the TLR2 receptor sequence, was cloned into a beta-lactamase secretion vector. Immunizations were performed with RSAV expressing LcrV or Psn. Challenge with a virulent Y. pestis strain was performed 4 weeks after the last immunization. Our results show that the truncated LcrV protein delivered by RASV is sufficient to afford a full protective immune response in a mouse model of bubonic plague and the Psn protein afforded partial protection in a non-optimized system. This finding should facilitate the design and development of a new generation of vaccines against Y. pestis.
ReadPRO: Read Prioritization Scheduling in ORAM for Efficient Obfuscation in Main Memories

Modern memory systems are susceptible to data confidentiality attacks that leverage memory access pattern information to obtain secret data. Oblivious RAM (ORAM) is a secure cryptographic construct that effectively thwarts access-pattern-based attacks. However, in Path ORAM (state-of-the-art efficient ORAM for main memories) and its variants, each memory request (read or write) is transformed to an ORAM access, which is a sequence of read and write operations, increasing the latency of the memory requests and degrading system performance. In practice, the ORAM access for a read request is on the critical path of program execution, blocked by ORAM accesses for older write requests. Although modern memory controllers (MCs) realize read prioritization through write buffering, the ORAM access translation of each memory request to multiple memory read and write operations results in frequent MC write buffer overflow, decreasing its efficiency. ReadPRO (Read Prioritization) scheduling in ORAM addresses this challenge by promoting read requests over write requests in the ORAM controller prior to their ORAM access translation, while preserving all data dependencies. ReadPRO complements read promotion with staggered writes, wherein ORAM accesses for write requests can be paused securely to serve ORAM accesses for read requests. Full-system evaluations on composite SPEC CPU2006 workloads show that ReadPRO decreases the average ORAM read latency by 75%, improving system performance by 40%.
Revaluing Leisure in Philosophy and Education.

This paper shows that philosophy and contemplation are integral parts of leisure (schole) and of a fully conscious educative experience. Through examination of the concepts of philosophy, the philosopher, and contemplation, it will be proposed that leisure is a necessary condition for philosophy and for education. To conceptually bring together philosophy and education with leisure, the act of teaching as “an overflow of contemplation,” following Yves Simon’s definition, will be considered. Supporting the philosophical view of education as constituting an inward transformation of the individual, from which he or she can better regard the world and his or her place in it, a serious theory of education rooted on leisure is a timely and valuable idea to consider.
Deviser - An AI planner for spacecraft operations

The 'Deviser III' automated spacecraft mission planner prototype can plan complete Voyager spacecraft operational sequences consisting of over 100 data capture goals, working 10-50 times faster than a human analyst. The planner generates a loop-free network of actions and events resembling a program evaluation and review technique chart. Actions, events, and inferences are the building blocks from which plans are assembled. It is noted that, for a very large spacecraft mission plan, the backtracking through remembered decision trees entailed by this artificial intelligence system can consume megabite quantities of computer memory.
Lessons for artificial intelligence from the study of natural stupidity

Artificial intelligence and machine learning systems are increasingly replacing human decision makers in commercial, healthcare, educational and government contexts. But rather than eliminate human errors and biases, these algorithms have in some cases been found to reproduce or amplify them. We argue that to better understand how and why these biases develop, and when they can be prevented, machine learning researchers should look to the decades-long literature on biases in human learning and decision-making. We examine three broad causes of bias—small and incomplete datasets, learning from the results of your decisions, and biased inference and evaluation processes. For each, findings from the psychology literature are introduced along with connections to the machine learning literature. We argue that rather than viewing machine systems as being universal improvements over human decision makers, policymakers and the public should acknowledge that these system share many of the same limitations that frequently inhibit human judgement, for many of the same reasons. Artificial intelligence and machine learning systems may reproduce or amplify biases. The authors discuss the literature on biases in human learning and decision-making, and propose that researchers, policymakers and the public should be aware of such biases when evaluating the output and decisions made by machines.
Mitochondrial protein import is regulated by p17/PERMIT to mediate lipid metabolism and cellular stress

How lipid metabolism is regulated at the outer mitochondrial membrane (OMM) for transducing stress signaling remains largely unknown. We show here that this process is controlled by trafficking of ceramide synthase 1 (CerS1) from the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) to the OMM by a previously uncharacterized p17, which is now renamed protein that mediates ER-mitochondria trafficking (PERMIT). Data revealed that p17/PERMIT associates with newly translated CerS1 on the ER surface to mediate its trafficking to the OMM. Cellular stress induces Drp1 nitrosylation/activation, releasing p17/PERMIT to retrieve CerS1 for its OMM trafficking, resulting in mitochondrial ceramide generation, mitophagy and cell death. In vivo, CRISPR-Cas9–dependent genetic ablation of p17/PERMIT prevents acute stress-mediated CerS1 trafficking to OMM, attenuating mitophagy in p17/PERMIT−/− mice, compared to controls, in various metabolically active tissues, including brain, muscle, and pancreas. Thus, these data have implications in diseases associated with accumulation of damaged mitochondria such as cancer and/or neurodegeneration.
Delayed presentation of a firearm injury in a patient with recent use of phencyclidine: A case report.

Abstract The rapid delivery of care for penetrating traumatic injury, such as gunshot wounds, is essential to minimizing the morbidity and mortality rate. It is highly unusual for a patient who has sustained a firearm injury to present over 24 h after the event and even more unusual for the patient to be amnestic to the event. We report a case of a 44-year old woman who presented to the Emergency Department (ED) with an abdominal firearm injury sustained over 24 h earlier. The patient had no recollection of the events surrounding this injury. An abdominal Computed Tomography (CT) scan confirmed an intra-abdominal injury consistent with ballistic trauma. Upon further questioning, the patient continued to deny having sustained a gunshot but did reveal that she smoked phencyclidine (PCP) one day earlier with her boyfriend. The patient was admitted for emergency laparotomy and bowel resection and had a prolonged hospital course due to development of necrotizing soft tissue infection of the abdominal wall and an enterocutaneous fistula. This case represents an unusual delayed presentation of ballistic trauma after recreational consumption of PCP.
Association of the sinonasal bacterial microbiome with clinical outcomes in chronic rhinosinusitis: a systematic review.

Background The association between sinonasal microbiome and clinical outcomes of patients with chronic rhinosinusitis (CRS) is unclear. We performed a systematic review of prior studies evaluating the CRS microbiome in relation to clinical outcomes. Methods Computerized searches of PubMed/Medline, Cochrane, and EMBASE were updated through October 2019 revealing a total of 9 studies including 244 CRS patients. A systematic review of the literature was performed, including data extraction focusing on sample region, sequencing platforms, predominant organisms, and outcomes measures. Results Nine criterion-meeting studies included 244 CRS patients, with varied results. Eight studies used 16s-ribosomal RNA (16s-rRNA) gene sequencing to assess the sinonasal microbiome and 1 used 16s-rRNA PhyloChip analysis. Seven studies used Sino-Nasal Outcome Test scores, 1 applied another CRS symptom metric, and 1 used need for additional procedures/antibiotics as the primary clinical outcome. Three studies suggest that baseline abundance of phylum Actinobacteria (specifically genus Corynebacterium) was predictive of better surgical outcome. One study found C. tuberculostearicum was positively correlated with symptom severity. Another study revealed genus Escherichia was overrepresented in CRS and had positive correlation with increased symptom scores. In addition, 1 study identified Acinetobacter johnsonii to be associated with improvement in symptom scores while supporting Pseudomonas aeruginosa as having a negative impact on quality of life. Conclusion Microbiome data are varied in their association with clinical outcomes of CRS patients. Further research is required to identify if predominance of certain microbes within the microbiome is predictive of CRS patients' outcomes.
The Outrageous Idea of Christian Teaching: edited by Perry L. Glanzer and Nathan F. Alleman, New York, NY: Oxford University Press, 2019, 258 pp., $28.99 (hardcover), ISBN-13: 978-0-1900-5648-3

With an eponymous nod to George Marsden’s seminal The Outrageous Idea of Christian Scholarship (1997), The Outrageous Idea of Christian Teaching examines what faith-informed teaching might look lik...
Memórias da Europa na arte de outros lugares

As artes contemporâneas contem e nutrem as vidas sociais da memoria Europeia, tanto dentro quanto fora da Europa. Mas a memoria Europeia nao pode ser fortalecida. Deve incluir memorias da Europa, uma vez que estas circulam em outras partes do mundo. A palestra se concentrara em tres artistas contemporâneos (Doris Salcedo, William Kentridge e Vivan Sundaram), cujo trabalho envolve memorias de violencia politica em formas esteticas imaginativamente apropriadas e transformadas a partir dos legados do modernismo Europeu e transatlântico. Abstract The contemporary arts contain and nurture the social lives of European memory, both in Europe and abroad. But European memory cannot be fortressed. It must include memories of Europe as they circulate elsewhere in the world. The lecture will focus on three contemporary artists (Doris Salcedo, William Kentridge, and Vivan Sundaram) whose work engages with memories of political violence in aesthetic forms imaginatively appropriated and transformed from the legacies of European and Transatlantic modernism.
Connecting with Celebrities: How Consumers Appropriate Celebrity Meanings for a Sense of Belonging

We propose that consumers appropriate brand symbolism that comes from celebrity endorsements to construct and communicate their self-concepts. We also argue that consumers with high need to belong (NTB) look to celebrities to a greater extent than those who have lower needs to belong, because high NTB consumers are more likely to look to celebrities for cues about which brands that may aid these consumers’ attempts to meet their affiliation needs. High NTB consumers are also prone to develop one-sided (para-social) relationships with celebrities, and these para-social relationships mediate the celebrity endorsement effect on self-brand connections. Three studies support these proposed relationships. Furthermore, the third study also manipulates the degree to which the celebrity’s image matches that of the brand being advertised, revealing that a symbolic match between the celebrity image and brand image is important for consumers who do not form para-social relationships with celebrities (i.e., low NTB consumers).
Soil-free pathogenicity assay of Fusarium oxysporum f.sp. vasinfectum race 4 on Pima cotton (Gossypium barbadense) seedlings

One of the devastating early season diseases of cotton is Fusarium wilt caused by Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. vasinfectum (Fov). Recent emergence of highly virulent Fov race 4 (Fov4) and its aggressiveness toward Gossypium barbadense (pima) cultivars are raising significant concerns for the US cotton industry. One of the key challenges in studying Fov4 virulence and cotton Fusarium wilt pathogenesis is establishing a disease assay strategy that can help researcher overcome several technical challenges, including efficient infection and highly reproducible and consistent symptom development. Here, we have developed a small-scale, soil-free Fusarium wilt disease assay that can complement conventional assays with faster symptom development and high reproducibility in infected pima cotton seedlings. Our data showed statistically significant differences (p<0.0001) between Fov4-infected and non-infected pima cotton at 4 and 6 days post inoculation (dpi) when compared to control experiments. At 6 dpi, longitudinal observations under magnification showed Fov4 colonization in primary xylem of infected plants, which is a common symptom observed in Fov4 triggered Fusarium wilt in pima cotton. While this is an artificial assay system, this soil-free disease testing strategy can offer another strategy to supplement current assays when studying pathogen-host interaction in soil-borne diseases.
Uniting Nesterov's Accelerated Gradient Descent and the Heavy Ball Method for Strongly Convex Functions with Exponential Convergence Rate

We propose a hybrid control algorithm that guarantees fast convergence and uniform global asymptotic stability of the set of minimizers of a convex objective function. The algorithm, developed using hybrid system tools, employs a uniting control strategy, in which Nesterov's accelerated gradient descent is used “globally” and the heavy ball method is used “locally”, relative to the set of minimizers. The proposed hybrid control strategy switches between these accelerated methods to ensure convergence to the set of minimizers without oscillations, with a (hybrid) convergence rate that preserves the convergence rates of the individual optimization algorithms. We analyze key properties of the resulting closed-loop system including existence of solutions, uniform global asymptotic stability, and convergence rate. Additionally, attractivity properties of Nesterov's algorithm are analyzed. Numerical results validate the findings.
Solitons and soliton interactions in repulsive spinor Bose–Einstein condensates with nonzero background

We characterize the soliton solutions and their interactions for a system of coupled evolution equations of nonlinear Schrodinger (NLS) type that models the dynamics in one-dimensional repulsive Bose–Einstein condensates with spin one, taking advantage of the representation of such model as a special reduction of a $$2\times 2$$ matrix NLS system. Specifically, we study in detail the case in which solutions tend to a nonzero background at space infinities. First we derive a compact representation for the multi-soliton solutions in the system using the Inverse Scattering Transform (IST). We introduce the notion of canonical form of a solution, corresponding to the case when the background as $$x\rightarrow \infty $$ is proportional to the identity. We show that solutions for which the asymptotic behavior at infinity is not proportional to the identity, referred to as being in non-canonical form, can be reduced to canonical form by unitary transformations that preserve the symmetric nature of the solution (physically corresponding to complex rotations of the quantization axes). Then we give a complete characterization of the two families of one-soliton solutions arising in this problem, corresponding to ferromagnetic and to polar states of the system, and we discuss how the physical parameters of the solitons for each family are related to the spectral data in the IST. We also show that any ferromagnetic one-soliton solution in canonical form can be reduced to a single dark soliton of the scalar NLS equation, and any polar one-soliton solution in canonical form is unitarily equivalent to a pair of oppositely polarized displaced scalar dark solitons up to a rotation of the quantization axes. Finally, we discuss two-soliton interactions and we present a complete classification of the possible scenarios that can arise depending on whether either soliton is of ferromagnetic or polar type.
Some Properties of Electromagnetic Radiation

Ever since the days of Newton and Huygens—that is, since the latter part of the seventeenth century—there have been two fundamentally different theories concerning the nature of light. Newton proposed a corpuscular theory of light without specifying definitely the nature of these corpuscles; Huygens proposed a wave theory to explain exactly the same phenomena that were explained by Newton in his corpuscular theory. In one important case, that of the velocity of light in material media, deductions from these two theories led to divergent results. On the basis of Newton’s corpuscular theory, light should travel faster in the denser medium, whereas on the basis of the wave theory light should travel slower in the denser medium. It was not until the middle of the nineteenth century that the velocity of light in a dense medium (water) was determined by Foucault and Fizeau and found to be less than that in a vacuum. By this time the wave theory had become fairly well established, mainly because of the work of Young, Fresnel, and Arago on the phenomena of interference and diffraction of light. Further, the polarization of light by reflection and by double refraction through crystals could be explained on the assumption that light waves were transverse waves. The wave theory of light was the only one that could explain satisfactorily all the optical phenomena then known.
International Environmental Databases: Optimal Utility / Low Cost

Data and information must be shared among countries and regions if increasing risks from environmental disasters are to be avoided and adequate protection provided for dwindling natural resources. The structured sharing of accurate, timely, and compatible data about the status of such resources nationally, regionally, and globally is intrinsic to their equitable use world-wide. The development and possible utility of two environmental database programs — an information system developed for the Danube River Basin in 1990–1991 and an EU Phare -European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) sponsored Environmental Standards Database (ESD) — are traced and their potential for use in improved environmental management is evaluated. The potential value of each data system to national and international decision-makers, scientists, non-governmental organizations and the general public, as well as the cost of keeping them current for their respective uses are described.
Hepatitis C: Treatment of difficult to treat patients

Over the past several years, more so recently, treatment options for hepatitis C virus (HCV) have seemed to exponentially grow. Up until recently, the regimen of pegylated interferon (peg-IFN) and ribavirin (RBV) stood as the standard of care. Direct acting antivirals, which target nonstructural proteins involved in replication and infection of HCV were first approved in 2011 as an addition to the peg-IFN and RBV regimen and with them have come increased sustained virological response rates (SVR). The previously reported 50%-70% SVR rates using the combination of peg-IFN and RBV are no longer the standard of care with direct acting antiviral (DAA) based regimens now achieving SVR of 70%-90%. Peg-IFN free as well as “all oral” regimens are also available. The current randomized controlled trials available show favorable SVRs in patients who are naive to treatment, non-cirrhotic, and not human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)-co-infected. What about patients who do not fit into these categories? In this review, we aim to discuss the currently approved and soon to be approved DAAs while focusing on their roles in patients that are treatment experienced, cirrhotic, or co-infected with HIV. In this discussion, review of the clinical trials leading to recent consensus guidelines as well as discussion of barriers to treatment will occur. A case will attempt will be made that social services, including financial support and drug/alcohol treatment, should be provided to all HCV infected patients to improve chances of cure and thus prevention of late stage sequela.