cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Secondary Structures of Ubiquitin Ions Soft-Landed onto Self-Assembled Monolayer Surfaces

The secondary structures of multiply charged ubiquitin ions soft-landed onto self-assembled monolayer (SAM) surfaces were studied using in situ infrared reflection–absorption spectroscopy (IRRAS). Two charge states of ubiquitin, 5+ and 13+, were mass selected separately from a mixture of different charge states produced by electrospray ionization (ESI). The low 5+ charge state represents a nativelike folded state of ubiquitin, while the high 13+ charge state assumes an extended, almost linear conformation. Each of the two charge states was soft-landed onto a CH3- and COOH-terminated SAM of alkanethiols on gold (HSAM and COOH-SAM). HSAM is a hydrophobic surface known to stabilize helical conformations of soft-landed protonated peptides, whereas COOH-SAM is a hydrophilic surface that preferentially stabilizes β-sheet conformations. IRRAS spectra of the soft-landed ubiquitin ions were acquired as a function of time during and after ion soft-landing. Similar to smaller peptide ions, helical conformations of u...
Professional Formation And The Political Economy of the American Law School

This article proposes that a comprehensive model for doing professional formation in law school is now in sight. The model can work for formation – which is to say that it has the right vision of the fundamentals and the appropriate program features and pedagogies to effectively support students in the development of their professional identities. The model also can work for the political economy of the typical American law school – which is to say that its strategy and approach to roles and resources makes it congenial to postulates about power, resources, work, and governance that shape relations inside the law school. The model can work because it leverages and reinforces the existing efforts of the law school’s faculty, staff, and external stakeholders – uniting those efforts in an enterprise-wide program that students can appreciate and use to their benefit. What is more, the habits a law school would cultivate applying the model also could well improve the school's political economy in ways it will appreciate when tackling the sizable challenges ahead for legal education.
Prevalence of Gastrointestinal Symptoms in Obese and Normal Weight Binge Eaters

OBJECTIVES: Disturbances in gastrointestinal function may result from disordered eating and may lead to increases in gastrointestinal (GI) symptoms. We compared GI symptoms in obese and non-obese binge eaters and non-binge eaters. METHODS: One hundred nineteen obese and 77 normal-weight females completed a questionnaire on bowel symptoms and binge eating behaviors for the previous 3 months. Based on binge behaviors and body mass index (> 30 kg/m2), individuals were grouped as obese binge eaters (n = 73), obese non-binge eaters (n = 43), non-obese binge eaters (n = 14), and normal-weight controls (n = 61). RESULTS: Obese binge eaters reported more upper GI symptoms than normal controls or obese non-binge eaters (p < 0.001). Compared with normal controls, nausea, vomiting, and bloating was 2-4 times more prevalent in both binge eating groups. Indigestion was more prevalent in both obese groups. Obese binge eaters reported more lower GI symptoms than normal-weight controls (p < 0.05). Binge eating in both weight groups was associated with more frequent abdominal pain and dyschezia. Obesity was associated with more frequent constipation, diarrhea, straining, and flatus, whether or not subjects reported binge eating. Chi-square showed a significant association between obesity, binge eating, and symptoms of irritable bowel syndrome, using the Manning criteria. CONCLUSIONS: Specific GI symptoms were associated with binge eating and obesity. Overall, symptoms were more prevalent and more severe in obese binge eaters. The high prevalence of GI symptoms in obese patients who indulge in binge eating should be considered in their evaluation and treatment.
Multilayer matching of metric structures using hierarchically well-separated trees

A novel method to match metric distributions is proposed.Method utilizes both spatial distribution of nodes and individual features.Method allows matching to be done in multiple layers of detail.A primal-dual approximation algorithm is provided for improving the performance of the method.Application of the method to the image matching problem is demonstrated. Display Omitted We consider the matching problem between two metric distributions where establishing a one-to-one matching of features may not always be possible. Although many-to-many graph matching techniques achieve the desired multi map between features, they ignore the spatial structure of the nodes. We propose a novel technique, multilayer matching, for solving the matching problem which utilizes both the individual node features and the clustering information of nodes. Our method uses the hierarchically well-separated trees (HSTs) to represent the metric distribution such that non-leaf nodes in the tree representation corresponds to a constellation of features in the original structure. By using HSTs in a linear programming setup, we obtain a matching between features through finding a mapping between non-leaf nodes among the two HSTs. We further provide a primal-dual approximation algorithm for the multilayer matching which runs several order of magnitudes faster while achieving comparable success rates. Application of the method to the image matching problem is also presented in the paper. Empirical evaluation of the method and its primal-dual extension on a set of recognition tests show the robustness and efficiency of the overall approach.
Levels: Realms of Existence

Every narrative invites the creation of a story world1 in the reader’s or listener’s mind. The characters and events of the story transpire within this imagined space, which may be lightly sketched or elaborately described in the text. Some theorists characterize the story world as a projection implied by the action and characters, some as a bounded set of possibilities strongly guided by and partially constituting genre, and some as a fictional level, surrounded by nonfictional apparatus (and at times containing additional layers of fiction within it). Bakhtin’s chronotope (discussed as a keyword in Chapter 6) combines the time/place of the narrative level in order to characterize a genre’s and story’s possibilities. The details of place and space that contribute to the imagining of the story world are ordinarily referred to as the setting. The elements of setting resemble fictional characters, the other ‘existents’ inside story worlds, in that they provide the particulars out of which readers create fictional worlds in their minds. Sometimes narratives demand that readers imagine worlds inside worlds, not always in conformity with the laws of physics. Theories of fictional worlds and spatiality in literature are discussed in the next chapter, where I consider the fictional worlds that are designed to contain other worlds, as in some fantasy fiction. This chapter takes on a more limited task, the description of the manipulation of stories within stories that occurs when a character becomes a narrator, or when a story is presented inside another story.
A Reevaluation of Alcuin’s Disputatio de rhetorica et de virtutibus as Consular Persuasion: The Context of the Late Eighth Century Revisited

ABSTRACTAlcuin’s Rhetoric possesses a singular relationship to the history of rhetoric and to its own unique historical period. The puzzlingly diverse evaluations of the Rhetoric’s purpose and “importance” are often clouded by the question of its subsequent historical influence. The purpose of the present argument is to present contextualizing information based on newly emerging historical data surrounding the mid-790s, the date of the Rhetoric’s composition, and its Augustinian influence. Alcuin’s Rhetoric is an early example of consular rhetoric to “advise the prince” that forms, in itself, a deliberative argument regarding a very specific set of historical exigencies that relate to legal policies toward unconverted subjects in the Carolingian empire. Alcuin’s motivation for the composition of the Rhetoric can be understood in the historically imminent adoption of the Saxon Code and its contradiction of the rhetorical counsel found in Augustine’s De Catechizandis Rudibus.
Extracellular Nucleotide UTP Regulate Lipopolisaccharide-Induced Cytokine Production in Human Neutrophils.

Abstract Extracellular nucleotides can function as paracrine and autocrine mediators that signal through P2Y nucleotide receptors. Human polymorphonuclear (PMN) cells express P2Y receptors on the cell surface but the role of these G protein-coupled receptors in human neutrophils is not well established. Interleukin-8 (IL-8), which is a CXC-chemokine that induces adherence of neutrophils to vascular endothelium and extravasation into tissue, is produced by macrophages and endothelium. Additionally, neutrophils can synthesize and release interleukin-8 upon stimulation with lipopolisacharides (LPS) but the intracellular signaling pathways involved in this process are not clearly understood. LPS is a potent activator of macrophages and is responsible for the initiation the septic shock, increasing the secretion of various cytokines. Here we present evidence that LPS (1 ng/ml to 100 ng/ml) causes IL-8 production in a dose- and time- dependent manner and demonstrate that LPS itself is responsible for mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) ERK1/2 phosphorylation. We used an enzyme immunosorbent-linked assay (ELISA) to determinate the amount of IL-8 released by isolated human neutrophils and present evidence that extracellular nucleotide uridine triphosphate (UTP) (1 μM/ml to 100 μM/ml) can inhibit IL-8 production in human neutrophils in a dose- and time- dependent manner. The addition of ATP had a similar inhibitory effect suggesting that nucleotides act on neutrophils via the P2Y2 receptor, which is equally activated by UTP and ATP. A cytokine array was used to detect the release of 42 different cytokines in the extracellular medium. IL-8 and IL-6 ere the major cytokines detected in the medium, though other cytokines were detected in lower concentrations. In the current study, we demonstrated that extracellular nucleotides may have an important role in regulating IL-8 production in neutrophils and potentially modulating the inflammatory response.
Collectively ill: a preliminary case that groups can have psychiatric disorders

In the 2000s, several psychiatrists cited the lack of relational disorders (what I call “collective disorders”—disorders of groups rather than individuals) in the DSM-IV as one of the two most glaring gaps in psychiatric nosology, and campaigned for their inclusion in the DSM-5. This campaign failed, however, presumably in part due to serious “ontological concerns” haunting such disorders. Here, I offer a path to quell such ontological concerns, adding to previous conceptual work by Jerome Wakefield and Christian Perring. Specifically, I adduce reasons to think that collective disorders are compatible with key metaphysical commitments of contemporary scientific psychiatry, and argue that if one accepts the existence of mental disorders in individuals as medical, then one has good reasons to accept the existence of collective disorders as medical. First, I outline how collective disorders are reconcilable with both the harmful dysfunction model of disorder and a denial of mind-body dualism. I then identify some potential weaknesses in the main pre-existing example of a collective disorder, offering my own examples as supplements. These examples’ medical plausibility is bolstered by: (1) work in philosophy of biology on the generalized selected effects theory of function (largely from Justin Garson), and (2) work in analytic philosophy of mind on collective mentality (largely from Bryce Huebner). Finally, after offering preliminary responses to the objection that the recognition of collective disorders may lead to an overpathologization of everyday life, I spell out ways in which this recognition may have empowering effects for some would-be patients; for example, by providing substance to the notion of a “sane response to an insane world.”
A first principles study of spinel ZnFe2O4 for electrode materials in lithium-ion batteries

Zinc ferrite (ZnFe2O4) is a prospective lithium ion battery (LIB) material, owing to its large theoretical capacity (1000 mA h g−1). Here, we report a density functional study of the discharge process at an early stage from ZnFe2O4 up to LixZnFe2O4 (x = 2), aiming to provide a fundamental understanding of the mechanism. According to our calculations, with x increasing up to 1 the intercalation of Li+ ions prefers octahedral 16c sites, which is accompanied by Zn2+ ion displacement from tetrahedral 8a sites to 16c sites starting at x = 0.25 and a gain in stability, while the stability decreases for 1 < x ≤ 2 due to the occupation of Li+ ions at the less active tetrahedral 8a/48f/8b sites. The open-circuit voltages estimated based on the structures of stable intermediates identified by DFT calculations are in good agreement with the experimental values. Our results highlight the importance of the interplay among Li, O2−, Fe3+ and Zn2+ in enabling their high performance as LIB materials.
Experimental effects of acute exercise duration and exercise recovery on mood state.

Abstract Objective Accumulating evidence suggests that, in addition to various psychosocial parameters, affective responses to exercise play an important role in subserving future exercise behavior. This study comprehensively evaluated whether acute exercise duration and recovery period influenced the relationship between moderate-intensity walking exercise and mood profile. Method We employed a randomized controlled cross-over trial. Participants completed two laboratory visits, separated by one-week. One of the visits involved a mood profile assessment with no exercise, while the other visit involved a mood profile assessment after an acute bout of exercise. Participants (N = 352; 22 per group; young [Mage = 21 yrs] healthy adults) were randomized into one of 16 experimental groups: 10, 20, 30, 45 or 60 min bout of exercise coupled with either a 5, 15 or 30 min recovery period. The exercise bout was of moderate-intensity (40–59% of HRR). Mood profile was assessed from the POMS survey, considering subscales of depression, anger and hostility. Results For all three mood profile parameters, there was no evidence of a group x time interaction effect. However, the main effect for time was statistically significant for each mood parameter. These significant results demonstrate that, generally, exercise had a favorable effect on each of the mood profile, regardless of exercise duration and recovery period. In addition to the significant main effects for time, we also observed a significant main effect for group for the mood parameter hostility. With the exception of the group 13 (60 min of exercise with 5 min recovery) and the 3 groups that employed a 10-min bout of exercise (groups 1–3), all other experimental groups had a lower (better) hostility score after the exercise visit. Conclusions Generally, exercise had a favorable effect on various mood profiles, regardless of exercise duration (between 10 and 60 min) and recovery period (between 5 and 30 min).
Robotic Endoscopic Airway Challenge: REACH Assessment.

Purpose Bronchoscopy for peripheral pulmonary lesions continues to present challenges to clinicians. One potential limitation may be the inability to advance conventional bronchoscopes into close proximity of peripheral lesions before biopsy. This study was performed to assess the reach of a robotic endoscopic system within human cadaveric lungs compared with conventional thin bronchoscopes. Description All segmental bronchi (RB1 to 10, LB1 to 10) were accessed in two human cadavers using a conventional thin bronchoscope and robotic endoscope of identical outer diameter. Bronchus generation count and insertion depth measured by electromagnetic navigation and external fluoroscopy were recorded. Evaluation The robotic endoscope was advanced beyond the conventional thin bronchoscope in all segments, particularly in bronchi with increased angulation such as RB1 (mean generation count 8 versus 3.5, respectively) and LB1+2 (mean generation count 8 versus 4.5). Conclusions The robotic endoscopic system was advanced beyond a conventional thin bronchoscope with identical outer diameter into the periphery of human cadaveric lungs. Improved reach within the lung periphery may address some limitations with contemporary bronchoscopic approaches for peripheral lesion biopsy.
Deflection behavior of a prestressed concrete beam reinforced with carbon fibers at elevated temperatures

Fiber reinforced polymer(FRP) have unique advantages like high strength to weight ratio, excellent corrosion resistance, improving deformability and cost effectiveness. These advantages have gained wide acceptance in civil engineering applications. FRP tendons for prestressing applications are emerging as one of the most promising technologies in the civil engineering industry. However, the behavior of such members under the influence of elevated temperatures is still unknown. The knowledge and application of this could lead to a cost effective and practical considerations in fire safety design. Therefore, this study examines the deflection behavior of the carbon fiber reinforced polymer(CFRP) prestressed concrete beam at elevated temperatures. In this article, an analytical model is developed which integrates the temperature dependent changes of effective modulus of FRP in predicting the deflection behavior of CFRP prestressed concrete beams within the range of practical temperatures. This model is compared with a finite element mode (FEM) of a simply supported concrete beam prestressed with CFRP subjected to practical elevated temperatures. In addition, comparison is also made with an indirect reference to the real behavior of the material. The results of the model correlated reasonably with the finite element model and the real behavior. Finally, a practical application is provided.
A two-site filtration model for silica nanoaggregate mobility in porous media under high salinity conditions

A variable-viscosity colloid transport simulator is developed to model the mobility behavior of surface-engineered nanosilica aggregates (nSiO2) under high salinity conditions. A two-site (2S) filtration approach was incorporated to account for heterogeneous particle-collector surface interactions. 2S model was then implemented along with the conventional clean bed filtration (CFT) and maximum retention capacity (MRC) particle filtration models to simulate the results of a series of column tests conducted in brine (8% wt. NaCl and 2% wt. CaCl2)-saturated Ottawa sand columns at various pore velocities (7 to 71 m/day). Simulation results reveal the superiority of the MRC and 2S model classes over CFT model with respect to numerical performance criteria; a general decrease of normalized sum of squared residuals (ca. 20–90% reduction) and an enhanced degree of normality of model residuals were detected for 2S and MRC over CFT in all simulated experiments. Based on our findings, conformance with theories underpinning colloid deposition in porous media was the ultimate factor that set 2S and MRC model classes apart in terms of explaining the observed mobility trends. MRC and 2S models were evaluated based on the scaling of the fitted maximum retention capacity parameter with variation of experimental conditions. Two subclasses of 2S that consider a mix of favorable and unfavorable attachment sites with irreversible attachment to favorable sites (with and without physical straining effects) were found most consistent with filtration theory and shadow zone predictions, yielding theoretical conformity indices of 0.6 and higher, the highest among all implemented models. An explanation for such irreversible favorable deposition sites on the surface of silica nanoaggregates might be a partial depletion of stabilizing steric forces that had led to the formation of these aggregates.
Hybrid Free-Space Optics/Radio Frequency (FSO/RF) Networks for Mobile Robot Teams

In this paper, we introduce a hybrid free-space optics/radio frequency (FSO/RF) networking paradigm for mobile robot teams. We believe that such a model will emerge as a consequence of inherent limitations of RF based approaches. FSO technology has the potential to provide tremendous increases in per-node throughput for a mobile ad-hoc network (MANET). To motivate this paradigm, we first provide a brief background on FSO and discuss potential applications where its capabilities could be well leveraged. We then provide initial experimental results from autonomous deployments of a hybrid FSO/RF MANET with real-time video data routed across both optical and RF links.
Pediatric anterior capsulotomy preferences of cataract surgeons worldwide: Comparison of 1993, 2001, and 2003 surveys

We compared the pediatric anterior capsulotomy preferences of members of the American Society of Cataract and Refractive Surgery (ASCRS) and the American Association of Pediatric Ophthalmology and Strabismus (AAPOS) reported in 3 surveys (1993, 2001, and 2003). In 1993 and 2001, more than 50% of ASCRS respondents preferred manual anterior capsulotomy techniques; in 2001 and 2003, AAPOS respondents preferred manual and vitrector techniques. The ASCRS preferences remained unchanged when subdivided into domestic and international, as did AAPOS domestic preferences; however, more than 50% of AAPOS international preferences changed from manual alone in 2001 to a manual-vitrector combination in 2003. In 2003, more than 50% of AAPOS respondents worldwide preferred this combination: the vitrector for the very young patient and the manual anterior capsulotomy for the older child.
Alternate Strategies for Optimal Unmanned Aerial Vehicle Thermaling

This paper investigates optimal glider trajectories for gaining altitude from thermal updraft columns (“thermaling”). Thermal updraft columns provide a natural energy resource that can be beneficia...
Recurrent Rathke's Cleft Cysts: Incidence and Surgical Management in a Tertiary Pituitary Center over 2 Decades

BACKGROUND Limited data exist pertaining to outcomes following surgery for recurrent Rathke's cleft cysts (RCC). OBJECTIVE To determine treatment outcomes in patients undergoing reoperation for recurrent or residual RCCs. METHODS A retrospective analysis of 112 consecutive RCC operations in 109 patients between 1995 and 2017 was conducted. RESULTS Eighteen patients underwent 21 RCC reoperations with a mean follow-up of 58 mo. Patient symptoms prior to reoperation included headaches (14, 66.7%) and vision loss (12, 57.1%). Thirteen of 18 patients (72.2%) required hormone supplementation prior to reoperation including 5 with diabetes insipidus (DI). Mean RCC diameter was 16 mm and 76% had suprasellar extension. Compared to index RCC cases, intraoperative cerebrospinal fluid leak repair was more common in reoperation cases (15/21, 71% vs 43/91, 47%, P = .05). There was 1 carotid artery injury without neurological sequelae, and 2 postoperative cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) leaks (9.5%). Rates of transient hyponatremia (3/10, 30% vs 4/91, 4.4%, P = .04) and transient DI (5/10, 50% vs 17/91, 18.7%, P = .04) were higher in the reoperation vs index group. Improved headaches and vision were reported in 4/12 (33%) and 8/12 (61.5%) of RCC reoperation patients, respectively. Two patients developed new permanent DI. A higher proportion of reoperation patients had RCC squamous metaplasia (24% vs 5.4%, P = .02) or wall inflammation (42.9% vs 2.2%, P < .001) on pathological examination. CONCLUSION Reoperation for RCCs is generally safe at tertiary pituitary centers and often results in improved vision. Hypopituitarism is less likely to improve following reoperation for recurrent RCCs. Several histopathological features may help characterize "atypical RCCs" with a higher likelihood of recurrence/progression.
Systematic review and case series: flexible sigmoidoscopy identifies most cases of checkpoint inhibitor-induced colitis.

BACKGROUND Immune checkpoint inhibitors are used in the treatment of multiple advanced stage cancers but can induce immune-mediated colitis necessitating treatment with immunosuppressive medications. Diagnostic colonoscopy is often performed but requires bowel preparation and may delay diagnosis and treatment. Sigmoidoscopy can be performed rapidly without oral bowel preparation or sedation. AIMS Characterize the colonic distribution of immune-mediated colitis to determine the most efficient endoscopic approach. METHODS A systematic review of checkpoint inhibitor-induced colitis case reports and series was conducted in both PubMed and Embase through 3 January 2017. A single centre retrospective chart review of patients who underwent endoscopic evaluation for diarrhoea after treatment with a checkpoint inhibitor (ipilimumab, nivolumab or pembrolizumab) between 1 January 2011 and 3 January 2017 was performed. Clinical, endoscopic and histologic data were collected. RESULTS A detailed systematic review resulted in 61 studies, in which 226 cases of colitis were diagnosed by lower endoscopy (125 colonoscopy, 101 sigmoidoscopy). Only four patients had isolated findings proximal to the left colon. In our centre, 31 patients had histologic features of checkpoint inhibitor-induced colitis, for which 29 patients had complete data. The left colon was involved in all cases. Sigmoidoscopy would be sufficient to diagnose >98% of reported cases of checkpoint inhibitor-mediated colitis diagnosed by lower endoscopy. CONCLUSIONS Moderate to severe checkpoint inhibitor-induced colitis involves the left colon in the majority of cases (>98%). Sigmoidoscopy should be the initial endoscopic procedure in the evaluation of this condition.
Body composition predicts mortality and decompensation in compensated cirrhosis patients: A prospective cohort study

Background & Aims Body composition, particularly sarcopenia, is associated with mortality in patients with decompensated cirrhosis undergoing transplant evaluation. Similar data are limited for non-transplant eligible or compensated patients. Methods A total of 274 patients with cirrhosis were followed prospectively for ≤5 years after a CT scan. We utilized Analytic Morphomics® to measure body composition (fat, muscle, and bone) which was rendered into relative values (percentiles) in relation to a reference population. The model for end-stage liver disease (MELD) score was used as a reference model for survival prediction. We validated our models in a separate cohort. Results Our cohort had a mean Child-Pugh score of 7.0 and a mean MELD of 11.3. The median follow-up time was 5.05 years. The proportion of patients alive at 1, 3 and 5 years was 86.5%, 68.0%, and 54.3%; 13 (4.6%) underwent liver transplantation. Child-Pugh B/C (vs. A) cirrhosis was associated with decreased muscle, subcutaneous, and visceral fat area but increased subcutaneous/visceral fat density. Decreased normal density muscle mass was associated with mortality (hazard ratio [HR] 0.984, p Conclusion The addition of body composition features to predictive models improves the prospective determination of prognosis in patients with cirrhosis, particularly those with compensated disease. Fat density, a novel feature, is associated with the risk of decompensation. Lay summary Am I at high risk of getting sicker and dying? This is the key question on the mind of patients with cirrhosis. The problem is that we have very few tools to help guide our patients, particularly if they have early cirrhosis (without symptoms like confusion or fluid in the belly). We found that how much muscle and fat the patient has and what that muscle or fat looks like on a CT scan provide helpful information. This is important because many patients have CT scans and this information is hiding in plain sight.
Limahong's Pirates, Ming Mariners, and Early Sino– Spanish Relations: The Pangasinan Campaign of 1575 and Global History from Below

In late November 1574, the notorious Limahong and his pirates arrived in the Philippine archipelago. Previous studies have focused on their infamous Manila raid. Cross-examining Ming Chinese and Spanish sources, the present study examines the campaign to capture them in Pangasinan in 1575, which reveals a temporary tripartite Sino–Spanish–Luzonese antipiracy alliance that is occluded in contemporary sources. This study highlights global history based on transregional linkages as embodied by Limahong’s marauding pirates who, as nonstate actors, precipitated state-to-state contact between South China and the Philippine archipelago but whose escape in August 1575 unraveled early Sino–Spanish relations. KEYWORDS: MARITIME PREDATION • SPANISH EMPIRE • MING CHINA • TRANSREGIONAL HISTORY • HISTORY FROM BELOW
Same benefits, different communication patterns: Comparing Children's reading with a conversational agent vs. a human partner

Abstract Storybook reading accompanied by adult-guided conversation provides a stimulating context for children's language development. Conversational agents powered by artificial intelligence, such as smart speakers, are prevalent in children's homes and have the potential to engage children in storybook reading as language partners. However, little research has explored the effectiveness of using conversational agents to support children's language development. This study examined how an automated conversational agent can read stories to children via a smart speaker while asking questions and providing contingent feedback. Using a randomized experiment among 90 children aged three to six years, this study compared these children's story comprehension and verbal engagement in storybook reading with a conversational agent versus an adult. The conversational agent's guided conversation was found to be as supportive in improving children's story comprehension as that provided by an adult language partner. At the same time, this study uncovered a number of differences in children's verbal engagement when interacting with a conversational agent versus with an adult. Specifically, children who read with the conversational agent responded to questions with better intelligibility, whereas those who read with an adult responded to questions with higher productivity, lexical diversity, and topical relevance. And the two groups responded to questions with a similar level of accuracy. In addition, questions requiring high cognitive demand amplified the differences in of verbal engagement between the conversational agent and adult partner. The study offers important implications for developing and researching conversational agent systems to support children's language development.
Hybrid Approach to HPC Cluster Telemetry and Hardware Log Analytics

The number of computer processing nodes and processor cores in cluster systems is growing rapidly. Discovering, and reacting to, a hardware or environmental issue in a timely manner enables proper fault isolation, improves quality of service, and improves system up-time. In the case of performance impacts and node outages, RAS policies can direct actions such as job quiescence or migration. Additionally, power consumption, thermal information, and utilization metrics can be used to provide cluster energy and cooling efficiency improvements as well as optimized job placement. This paper describes a highly scalable telemetry architecture that allows event aggregation, application of RAS policies, and provides the ability for cluster control system feedback. The architecture advances existing approaches by including both programmable policies, which are applied as events stream through the hierarchical network to persistence storage, and treatment of sensor telemetry in an extensible framework. This implementation has proven robust and is in use in both cloud and HPC environments including the Summit system of 4,608 nodes at Oak Ridge National Laboratory [5].
Advances in antimicrobial activity analysis of fluoroquinolone, macrolide, sulfonamide, and tetracycline antibiotics for environmental applications through improved bacteria selection.

Abstract The widespread use of antibiotics has led to their ubiquitous presence in water and wastewater and raised concerns about antimicrobial resistance. Clinical antibiotic susceptibility assays have been repurposed to measure removal of antimicrobial activity during water and wastewater treatment processes. The corresponding protocols have mainly employed growth inhibition of Escherichia coli. The present work focused on optimizing bacteria selection to improve the sensitivity of residual antimicrobial activity measurements by broth microdilution assays. Thirteen antibiotics from four classes (i.e., fluoroquinolones, macrolides, sulfonamides, tetracyclines) were investigated against three gram-negative organisms, namely E. coli, Mycoplasma microti, and Pseudomonas fluorescens. The minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) and half-maximal inhibitory concentration (IC50) were calculated for each antibiotic-bacteria pair. P. fluorescens produces a fluorescent siderophore, pyoverdine, that was used to assess sublethal effects and further enhance the sensitivity of antimicrobial activity measurements. The optimal antibiotic-bacteria pairs were as follows: fluoroquinolone-E. coli (growth inhibition); macrolide- and sulfonamide-M. microti (growth inhibition); and, tetracycline-P. fluorescens (pyoverdine inhibition). Compared to E. coli growth inhibition, the sensitivity of antimicrobial activity analysis was improved by up to 728, 19, and 2.7 times for macrolides (tylosin), sulfonamides (sulfamethoxazole), and tetracyclines (chlortetracycline), facilitating application of these bioassays at environmentally-relevant conditions.
Efficacy and Safety of Using Dual Versus Monotherapy Antiplatelet Agents in Secondary Stroke Prevention: Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Randomized Controlled Clinical Trials

Background: Dual antiplatelet treatment (DAPT) with aspirin plus clopidogrel for a limited time is recommended after minor noncardioembolic stroke. Methods: We performed a meta-analysis of all majo...
Relative Importance of Soluble and Microsomal Epoxide Hydrolases for the Hydrolysis of Epoxy-Fatty Acids in Human Tissues

Epoxy-fatty acids (EpFAs) are endogenous lipid mediators that have a large breadth of biological activities, including the regulation of blood pressure, inflammation, angiogenesis, and pain perception. For the past 20 years, soluble epoxide hydrolase (sEH) has been recognized as the primary enzyme for degrading EpFAs in vivo. The sEH converts EpFAs to the generally less biologically active 1,2-diols, which are quickly eliminated from the body. Thus, inhibitors of sEH are being developed as potential drug therapeutics for various diseases including neuropathic pain. Recent findings suggest that other epoxide hydrolases (EHs) such as microsomal epoxide hydrolase (mEH) and epoxide hydrolase-3 (EH3) can contribute significantly to the in vivo metabolism of EpFAs. In this study, we used two complementary approaches to probe the relative importance of sEH, mEH, and EH3 in 15 human tissue extracts: hydrolysis of 14,15-EET and 13,14-EDP using selective inhibitors and protein quantification. The sEH hydrolyzed the majority of EpFAs in all of the tissues investigated, mEH hydrolyzed a significant portion of EpFAs in several tissues, whereas no significant role in EpFAs metabolism was observed for EH3. Our findings indicate that residual mEH activity could limit the therapeutic efficacy of sEH inhibition in certain organs.
News Coverage of Racism, White Supremacy, and Hate Speech

This chapter argues that the mainstream media have been integral to the promulgation of a form of antiracism that has, in fact, helped maintain structural inequalities and everyday stereotypes about minoritized communities. This devotion to “official antiracisms” (Melamed, Represent and Destroy) which limit what can be said about race and racial inequality has always served the interests of powerful official actors by valorizing whiteness as a structuring ideology. Such a limiting framework for antiracism separates racist speech and actions from mainstream values, placing it as a fringe anomaly. In news, this stance has been inextricably tied to the norms and routines that have governed modern journalism, including the performance of objectivity. In an extreme populist moment and a digitally driven media environment, journalists must dismantle the rote quoting of sources, dueling soundbites, and frenzied news alerts that highlight incendiary speech and rethink objectivity as practiced through these routines. They must do so in order to reckon with a resurgence of overt racism.
The Government as a Shareholder: A Case From The U.S.

We study a sample of U.S. corporations in which the federal government held between 35 percent and 100 percent of the outstanding common stock during and following World War II. We find that the firms experienced abnormally high turnover among corporate board members but that the tenure of senior management was relatively stable. We also find that the performance of the government-owned companies was not significantly different than private-sector firms in the same industry. We attribute this comparable performance of the government-controlled firms to monitoring mechanisms such as analyst valuation, tradeable shares and competitive product markets that are not normally associated with public ownership.
The superfamily of heptahelical receptors

Despite a growing appreciation of functional analogies between visual and hormonal signalling systems in the early 1980s, the discovery of the close structural relationship between rhodopsin and the β2-adrenergic receptor, and of the existence of a larger ‘superfamily’ of such receptors, came as a total surprise. Here I provide a personal perspective on events leading up to and flowing from this exciting discovery that opened up a vast field of research.
Cognitive-behavioural interventions for emotional and behavioural disorders: school-based practice

(2010). Cognitive-behavioural interventions for emotional and behavioural disorders: school-based practice. Journal of Child & Adolescent Mental Health: Vol. 22, No. 2, pp. 155-156.
FIB tilting method for thin TEM lamella preparation

Scaling of TEM specimen thickness is vital to avoid overlapped semiconductor device structures due to the shrinking of device geometry and to obtain good high-resolution TEM images. Nevertheless, thinner TEM specimen fabricated by conventional ex-situ lift-out technique is often impeded by amorphization and warping effect. The problems can be resolved by in-situ lift-out technique coupled with lower accelerating energy of FIB but the bottlenecks remain to be solved by conventional ex-situ lift-out methodology. An ex-situ lift-out technique has been developed to prepare thin TEM lamella without warping. The specimens prepared by the so-called single and double holder-tilt method are warping free. It can be coupled with lower FIB voltage for ultrathin lamella fabrication.
Congenital aneurysm of the membranous interventricular septum with unique anomaly of the pulmonary vessels

Abstract A Negro woman, thirty-nine years of age, presented the clinical picture of congestive heart failure and physical signs of aortic valvular disease. Postmortem examination disclosed a congenital aneurysm of the membranous part of the ventricular septum, associated with fenestrations of the right cusp of the aortic valve and with numerous hemangioma-like lesions of the lungs which invaded the walls of the pulmonary arteries and bronchi.
Longitudinal study of cytomegalovirus retinitis in acquired immune deficiency syndrome.

Abstract The authors prospectively evaluated 67 consecutive patients with the acquired immune deficiency syndrome (AIDS) and cytomegalovirus (CMV) retinitis during a 33-month period to assess the clinical patterns of retinal infection, efficacy of treatment, long-term survival, and relationship of retinitis to immune function. Immediately sight-threatening retinitis presented in six patients (9%) with peripapillary disease; primary foveal infection was not observed. Eightyseven percent of patients were treated with ganciclovir. Thirty-nine patients (58%) presented with unilateral disease and contralateral infection developed in 15% of those while on ganciclovir. Smoldering (incompletely responsive) retinitis was seen in 33% of the 21 patients whose retinitis progressed while receiving ganciclovir. Progression of treated retinitis was associated with a lower lymphocyte count ( P = 0.04). Median survival after diagnosis of CMV retinitis was 8 months. This represents the largest reported prospective study of CMV retinitis and indicates that (1) CMV infrequently poses an immediate threat to vision on presentation, (2) response to therapy may be related to immune function, and (3) smoldering retinitis should be recognized as an important clinical entity associated with treatment failure.
Gas-hydrate promotion by smectite-bioproduct interactions

Abstract Gas hydrates accumulate on the Gulf of Mexico seafloor around hydrocarbon seeps in waters sufficiently deep to provide adequate pressure/temperature combinations. High microbial activities occur around the hydrate accumulations. To understand apparent catalytic effects of bioproducts on hydrate formation, the mechanism of sII hydrate nucleation in unconsolidated porous media was investigated in our laboratory. Because smectite clays interacting with biopolymers had been shown to promote laboratory hydrates by decreasing induction times, increasing formation rates and altering morphology, these materials commonly found in near-surface sediments were selected for study as possible nucleating agents. Dynamic light scattering (DLS) with a helium–neon laser was used to measure particle diameters down to about 2 nm. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) was utilized to verify particle sizes and to give additional information on biopolymer–clay associations. This paper presents evidence that nanometer-sized particles of mineral–bioproduct associations of about 80 nm–450 nm diameter may act as nucleation sites for hydrate crystal initiations in sediments and then remain dispersed throughout the accumulated hydrate mass. Emulsan biopolymer was shown by SEM to apparently unfold and associate with the smectite (nontronite) in a backbone arrangement and to give multiple hydrate nucleation sites along a linear network. SEM and DLS measurements were in agreement on particle sizes and shapes. X-ray diffraction suggested that biopolymer intercalates the smectite interlayer, probably driven by clay associations with biopolymer hydrophilic groups. It is hypothesized that hydrocarbon gases attach to biopolymer hydrophobic fatty-acid branches protruding from clay interlayers and subsequently facilitate hydrate structure formation by interacting with nearby water associated with the hydrophilic segments of the biopolymer.
Integral Equation Method for the Continuous Spectrum Radial Schrödinger Equation

A new approach to the numerical solution of boundary value problems for differential equations, which originated in recent papers by Greengard and Rokhlin, is improved and adapted to the numerical solution of the radial Schrodinger equation. The approach is based on the conversion of the differential equation into an integral equation together with the application of a spectral type Clenshaw?Curtis quadrature method. Through numerical examples, the integral equation method is shown to be superior to finite difference methods.
A peer-to-peer collaboration framework for multi-sensor data fusion

A peer-to-peer collaboration framework for multi-sensor data fusion in resource-rich radar networks is presented. In this high data volume real-time application, data from multiple radars are combined to improve the accuracy of radar scans (e.g., correct for attenuation) and to provide a composite view of the area covered by the radars. Data fusion process is subject to two constraints: (1) the accuracy requirement of the final fused results, which may be different at different end nodes, and (2) the real-time requirements of the application. The accuracy requirement is achieved by dynamically selecting the appropriate set of data to exchange among the multiple radar nodes. A mechanism for selecting a dataset based on current application-specific needs is presented. We also present a dynamic peer-selection algorithm, Best Peer Selection (BPS), that chooses a set of peers based on their computation and communication capabilities to minimize the data processing time per integration algorithm. Simulation-based results show that BPS can deliver a significant performance improvement, even when the peers have high variability in available network and computation resources.
Postexodontia osseous repair involving the mandibular canal.

Osseous repair in the area of the mandibular canal after third molar removal was studied in 12 adult Rhesus monkeys (Macaca mulatta) by using ultraviolet and routine microscopy of specimens labeled intravitally with tetracycline. New reparative bone formed early postoperatively and remained for six to eight weeks when remodeling occurred. The bone formation constricted the canal available to the neurovascular bundle and could be responsible for changes in the nerve related to postoperative paresthesia.
A prospective study of prepregnancy serum concentrations of perfluorochemicals and the risk of gestational diabetes.

Objective To examine preconception serum concentrations of perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) and six other PFCs in relation to gestational diabetes (GDM) risk. Design Prospective cohort with longitudinal follow-up. Setting Not applicable. Patient(s) Among 501 women recruited upon discontinuing contraception for the purpose of becoming pregnant, 258 (51%) became pregnant and were eligible for the study, of which 28 (11%) reported having physician-diagnosed GDM during follow-up. Intervention(s) None. Main Outcome Measure(s) The odds ratios (ORs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) of GDM associated with each standard deviation (SD) increment of preconception serum PFOA concentration (ng/mL, log-transformed) and six other PFCs were estimated with the use of logistic regression after adjusting for age, prepregnancy body mass index, smoking, and parity conditional on gravidity. Result(s) Preconception geometric mean (95% CI) PFOA concentrations (in ng/mL) were higher for women with than without GDM (3.94 [3.15–4.93] vs. 3.07 [2.83–3.12], respectively). Each SD increment in PFOA was associated with a 1.87-fold increased GDM risk (adjusted OR 1.86 [95% CI 1.14–3.02]). A slightly increased risk associated with each SD increment for the six other PFCs was observed as well (all ORs >1.0, range 1.06–1.27), although the associations were not statistically significant. Conclusion(s) Our findings suggested that higher environmentally relevant concentrations of PFOA were significantly associated with an increased risk of GDM. If corroborated, these findings may be suggestive of a possible environmental etiology for GDM.