cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Scalability analysis of partitioning strategies for finite element graphs: a summary of results

The authors present a scalability analysis of three partitioning strategies, namely striped partitioning, binary decomposition, and scattered decomposition. The analysis is performed using the Isoefficiency metric, which helps in predicting the performances of these schemes on a range of processors and architectures. The performance of each of these schemes is related to the various problem characteristics such as mesh geometry and density. Isoefficiencies are presented for hypercube and mesh connected architectures. Theoretical results are verified through simulations. >
Talking about interpersonal violence: Cultural influences on Latinas' identification and disclosure of sexual assault and intimate partner violence.

Low rates of disclosure among Latina survivors of sexual assault and intimate partner violence may be related to cultural influences that stigmatize disclosure and make identifying instances of sexual assault and intimate partner violence difficult. In an effort to add to existing literature, the current study conducted a series of 10 focus groups with Spanish-speaking Latinas of varying educational, immigration, and generational statuses to identify the range of cultural influences that affect Latinas’ ability to identify and disclose instances of sexual assault and intimate partner violence. Results suggested that gender role ideologies, traditional beliefs about marriage, familism, taboos against talking about sex, respect for authority, lack of community resources, and fear of violence operate in different ways to obscure and justify acts of sexual assault and intimate partner violence and to maintain silence when such acts do occur. Yet, most participants also felt that other people, particularly Latinos living abroad and the older generation of Latinas living in the United States, held far more conservative and traditional beliefs than the participants themselves did, suggesting that important differences exist in both the acceptance of cultural beliefs and the mechanisms through which these beliefs affect Latinas’ ability to identify and disclose instances of sexual assault and intimate partner violence. Implications of these findings are discussed.
Directly Observed Therapy for Treatment Completion of Pulmonary Tuberculosis: Consensus Statement of the Public Health Tuberculosis Guidelines Panel

Objective.—To evaluate evidence on the relative effectiveness of directly observed therapy in achieving treatment completion for pulmonary tuberculosis.Participants.—A panel of 11 practitioners representing the public health, behavioral, and clinical management of tuberculosis was convened by the Council on Linkages Between Academia and Public Health Practice in 1995 to develop public health guidelines for tuberculosis treatment completion.Evidence.—English-language articles identified through MEDLINE (1966 to August 1, 1996) with original data on directly observed therapy, supervised therapy, compliance, treatment completion, case management, and treatment adherence for tuberculosis.Consensus Process.—Each eligible article underwent structured review by at least 2 panel members for study design, sample size, evaluation methods, and treatment completion as the primary outcome. The full panel was convened twice, with intercurrent small group meetings, conference calls, and summary workshop to review findings. Recommendations made through this process were drafted by the panel chair and circulated twice for additional panel comments.Conclusions.—Treatment completion rates for pulmonary tuberculosis are most likely to exceed 90%, as recommended by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, when treatment is based on a patient-centered approach using directly observed therapy with multiple enablers and enhancers. Other less intensive interventions, including nonsupervised strategies and modified approaches to directly observed therapy, are unlikely to achieve this recommended treatment completion goal. Directly observed therapy also appears to be cost-effective compared with self-administered therapy, although data on cost-effectiveness are limited.
Lessons That Bear Repeating and Repeating That Bears Lessons An Interdisciplinary Unit on Principles of Minimalism in Modern Music, Art, and Poetry (Grades 4–8)

This theory-to-practice article focuses on interdisciplinary classroom activities based on principles of minimalism in modern music, art, and poetry. A lesson sequence was designed for an inner-city Grades 4 and 5 general classroom of English language learners, where the unit was taught, assessed, and documented by the authors. Included in the article is a detailed teaching script for use by classroom teachers, music teachers, and related arts specialists for Grades 4–8. Readers are guided through lesson materials, instructions, interactive hands-on activities, and assessments for young students with little or no background in music or other arts.
A Coding Technique for the Spectral Shaping of Ultra-Wideband Time-Hopping Signals

We introduce spectral-shaping coding techniques for interference mitigation, which is based on look-ahead block inversion applied to ultra-wideband time-hopped signals, by changing both the time offsets and the polarity of each pulse. Implementation complexity is reduced through the use of the Viterbi algorithm, and simulation results and design guidelines are presented. We calculate the effect of timing jitter on the performance and conclude that jitter effects are negligible for rms jitter values of less than 10 ps in most situations.
Pentecostal Hermeneutics and the Society for Pentecostal Studies

This address engages two interrelated pentecostal hermeneutical concerns. The first section identifies an emergence of a pentecostal theological hermeneutic integrated around a holy triad—Holy Spirit, Holy Scripture, and holy community. This resulted when Pentecostals took a linguistic and postmodern turn. The second section focuses upon the significance of the Society for Pentecostal Studies ( SPS ) as a hermeneutical community. SPS is a unique and diverse interpretive community comprised primarily of Pentecostals and Charismatics. SPS must live in the tension of being and performing as an academic society committed to rigorous standards of research while being a diverse community of scholars who also maintain close relationships with pentecostal and charismatic denominations, educational institutions, and coalitions.
Optical absorption in 3D topological insulator Bi2Te3 with applications to THz detectors (Presentation Recording)

Topological insulators (TI) are a new class of materials that have an energy gap in bulk but possess gapless states bound to the sample surface or edge that have been theoretically predicted and experimentally observed [1]. The topological state in Bi2Te3 is characterized by a linear dispersion and a Dirac cone at the Γpoint. The optical absorption on the surface of a TI is given by the standard graphene-like απ/2 when a linear dispersion is assumed. Realistically, at k-points away from Γ, higher order cubic terms in k that represent the underlying hexagonal symmetry [2] of the crystal dominate and give rise to warping of bands. The optical absorption of a ferromagnetic coated gapped 3D TI film with warping terms considered is longer απ/2 but significantly modified. We demonstrate, by using wave functions from a continuum-Hamiltonian and Fermi-golden rule, the absorption spectrum on the surface of a TI as a function of the chemical potential, film-thickness and incident photon energy. A linear response theory based calculation is also performed using the Kubo formula to determine the longitudinal optical conductivity whose real part gives absorption as a function of photon frequency. The absorption in materials with Dirac fermions which is significantly higher than in normal THz detectors [3] can be further modulated in a TI by explicitly including the warping term making them highly efficient and tunable photodetectors. [1] M.Hasan and C.Kane, Rev.Mod.Phys. 82, 3045(2010) [2] L.Fu, Phys.Rev.Lett.103, 266801(2009) [3] X.Zhang et al., Phys. Rev B, 82, 245107(2010)
The periosteal counterpart of benign osteoblastoma.

Two additional cases of the periosteal counterpart of benign osteoblastoma, occurring over the greater trochanter of the femur and on the lower anterior tibia, respectively, are presented. The roentgenologic appearance suggests a benign process, and the histologic features, which are indistinguishable from those of benign osteoblastoma of intramedullary origin, allow differentiation from myositis ossificans restricted to or primarily involving periosteum and parosteal osteosarcoma, in addition to other less common entities which display juxtacortical calcification or ossification.
R∗2 mapping for robust brain function detection in the presence of magnetic field inhomogeneity

T(*)2 mapping or R(*)2 mapping for brain function offers advantages such as providing quantitative measurements independent of the MRI acquisition parameters (e.g. echo time TE). However, magnetic field susceptibility in the human brain can prevent an accurate estimation of R(*)2, which in turn impacts the ability to study brain function. The present work investigates the effects of in-plane magnetic susceptibility-induced magnetic field gradients on R(*)2 decay. An iterative method is developed for R(*)2 estimation with an increased robustness to field inhomogeneity. The new method is further tested in a visual fMRI experiment with and without magnetic field gradients and its performance is compared to a standard BOLD fMRI and a BOLD fMRI based on echo summation. Reduced sensitivity in fMRI to in-plane magnetic gradients is obtained with the present methodology.
Susceptibility of the Velvetbean Caterpillar and Soybean Looper (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae) to Nomuraea rileyi: Effects of Pathotype, Dosage, Temperature, and Host Age

Comparisons among four Nomuraea rileyi isolates tested against Anticarsia gemmaatalis and Pseudoplusia includens demonstrated distinct differences in both the susceptibility of the two noctuid hosts and the virulence of strains. Host susceptibility to N. rileyi infection was directly influenced by larval age. Maturation of host larvae resulted in increased Lc50 values and in the mean days to death of the N. rileyi strains. The in vivo developmental rate of N. rileyi was affected by the ambient temperature. Temperatures below the calculated optima (26°C) for N. rileyi decreased the developmental rate of the infection process but did not alter the percent N. rileyi -induced mortality of treated A. gemmatalis larvae. A. gemmatalis , with a developmental optimum of 31°C, became increasingly resistant to N. rileyi infection when reared at temperatures above 26°C. The assay and food substrate influenced both the development of the host and the relative virulence of N. rileyi to A. gemmatalis larvae. Comparisons of concentration and time responses demonstrated that larvae assayed on the soybean leaflets were more resistant to N. rileyi infection than larvae assayed on agar substrate and fed artificial diet. The A. gemmatalis feeding on mature soybean foliage (pod set stage) appeared to be more resistant to N. rileyi infections than did the larvae feeding on prebloom and bloom soybean stages.
Diminished Activity of Protein Kinase C in Tetanus Toxin-Treated Macrophages and in the Spinal Cord of Mice Manifesting Generalized Tetanus Intoxication

In previous studies, we have demonstrated that tetanus toxin (TT) inhibits macrophage (MO) lysozyme secretion and that the inhibition of secretion was not directly linked to perturbation of cytosolic calcium homeostasis. Because MO secretion in response to phorbol myristate acetate, a stimulus that activates protein kinase C (PKC), was inhibited by TT, we examined whether TT might interfere with PKC activity. We report that MOs treated with TT have diminished PKC activity. Purified TT as well as commercial TT diminished PKC activity, whereas heated TT and supernatant from which TT had been removed had no effect on PKC activity. We further examined PKC activity in homogenates of brain and spinal cord from mice manifesting generalized tetanus. Spinal cord cytosolic PKC activity (pmol/mg of protein per min) was depressed in TT-intoxicated mice (87.3 i 25) compared with controls (182.6 s 47; P < .02, n = 7). In contrast, cytosolic protein kinase A activity was similar in control- and TT-treated MOs and mice. These results provide the first evidence that PKC activity is diminished during TT intoxication.
Factors responsible for the development of infections in hospitalized patients.

Factors relating to the development of an infection in a hospitalized patient are considered with respect to the microorganism, the susceptibility of the patient, the environment and other sources of the organism, and the mechanisms responsible for transmission of the organism to the patient.
A Dynamic Model of Entrepreneurial Learning

We model entrepreneurial learning as a calibrated algorithm of an iterated choice problem in which entrepreneurs learn by updating a subjective stock of knowledge accumulated on the basis of past e...
Profiling, modeling, and predicting energy harvesting for self-powered body sensor platforms

Energy harvesting offers the promise of mobile sensor systems capable of quasi-perpetual operation, but the discontinuous and dynamic characteristics of harvesting in real-world scenarios — necessary for the design and operation of self-powered systems — are not yet well understood. The paper presents a hardware platform for providing a comprehensive real-world evaluation of two energy harvesting modalities common to body sensor networks: indoor light and thermoelectric. Day-long multi-modal energy harvesting profiles were generated, which were then used to develop a mathematical model to predict real time energy harvesting values from the sampled environmental and human behavioral parameters. Experimental results demonstrate that the model is effective in calculating and predicting harvested energy in real time, and a multi-source scheme for continuous operation of self-powered sensors is demonstrated.
Designing Interactive Dynamic Technology Activities to Support the Development of Conceptual Understanding

Technology can make a difference in teaching and learning mathematics when it serves as a vehicle for learning and not just as a tool to crunch numbers and to draw graphs. This paper discusses a technology leveraged program to develop student understanding of core mathematical concepts. A sequence of applet-like dynamically linked documents allows students to take a meaningful mathematical action, immediately see the consequences, and then reflect on those consequences in content areas associated with the middle grades U.S. Common Core State Standards. The materials are based on the research literature about student learning, in particular enabling students to confront typical misconceptions, and designed to support carefully thought out mathematical progressions within and across the grades.
Characterization of the signal response of a prototype amorphous silicon active matrix flat panel dosimeter

The data reduction algorithms used for active matrix flat panel imagers (AMFPIs) require that a dark frame taken prior to x-ray exposure be subtracted from a radiation frame to remove offset and dark current components. This reduction model is linear and assumes that the dark current contribution to a radiation frame is equal to the dark current obtained from a dark data frame. This work investigates the behavior of a prototype active matrix flat panel dosimeter (AMFPD), based on an AMFPI, operated radiographically in a direct detection mode without a scintillator for dosimetric measurements. The experiments described were performed with the AMFPD at 10 cm deep in solid water with a source to surface distance of 90 cm. Measurements were made at dose rates ranging from 80 cGy/min to 320 cGy/min with total doses varied from 0.4 cGy to 300 cGy for a 6 MV beam from a linear accelerator. Field sizes ranged from 5 times 5 cm2 to 20 times 20 cm2. For long frame times and high exposures, a linear data reduction model (similar to the model used for image reconstruction in AMFPIs) is incorrect due to the loss of signal incurred in the radiation frame. Dose and dark current signals are decreased because of charge accumulation within the volume of the detector material (amorphous silicon) due to charge trapping. This effect can exceed 20%, which is dosimetrically unacceptable. To account for the nonlinear behavior, a reconstruction algorithm was developed with one free parameter. The free parameter is the effective dielectric constant for the detector material. A model based on the loss of the effective bias voltage across the detector is proposed. Validation of this model was performed by a direct comparison of measured data from the detector under this model with data from ion chamber scanned dose profiles. Finally, the consequences of this non-linear model for the use of an AMFPD operating in radiographic mode are discussed.
2013 Report of the Chief Executive Officer

I’m delighted to be here today to talk to you about some of our accomplishments this year and how we intend to keep ASHP strong. But, first, I’d like to take a moment to acknowledge the absolutely wonderful job that Kathy Schultz, Pharm.D., FASHP, has done in her role as president. Among many
Sustainable Development and Critical Theory

What is sustainable development? Why is it an issue? Ideally, what needs to be done ? and Practically, what can be done? are answered through the Critical theory of Paul Piccone and his colleagues at the journal, Telos, particularly Tim Luke who has made an extended critique of sustainable development.1
Estimating personalized diagnostic rules depending on individualized characteristics.

There is an increasing demand for personalization of disease screening based on assessment of patient risk and other characteristics. For example, in breast cancer screening, advanced imaging technologies have made it possible to move away from ‘one-size-fits-all’ screening guidelines to targeted risk-based screening for those who are in need. Because diagnostic performance of various imaging modalities may vary across subjects, applying the most accurate modality to the patients who would benefit the most requires personalized strategy. To address these needs, we propose novel machine learning methods to estimate personalized diagnostic rules for medical screening or diagnosis by maximizing a weighted combination of sensitivity and specificity across subgroups of subjects. We first develop methods that can be applied when competing modalities or screening strategies that are observed on the same subject (paired design). Next, we present methods for studies where not all subjects receive both modalities (unpaired design). We study theoretical properties including consistency and risk bound of the personalized diagnostic rules and conduct simulation studies to examine performance of the proposed methods. Lastly, we analyze data collected from a brain imaging study of Parkinson's disease using positron emission tomography and diffusion tensor imaging with paired and unpaired designs. Our results show that in some cases, a personalized modality assignment is estimated to improve empirical area under the receiver operating curve compared with a ‘one-size-fits-all’ assignment strategy. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Isolation of lignocellulose nanofibrils (LCNF) and application as adhesive replacement in wood composites: example of fiberboard

Thermomechanical pulp (TMP) produced using atmospheric refining was ground to isolate lignocellulose nanofibrils (LCNF). Forty minutes and a specific energy of about 1300 kWh/t were necessary to reach the end-point of the process defined by the presence of 95% fines in the slurry. 100% fines were reached after 90 min and 5800 kWh/t. The similarity in structure between pilot-scale produced reference cellulose nanofibrils (CNF) and LCNF with an average fibril diameter of 12 nm confirmed the negligible effect of residual lignin on the defibrillation process. The thermal stability of LCNF was found to be 30 °C lower compared to that of CNF due to the lignin influence, but it was in the range of processing temperatures used for wood composite materials. The effect of using LCNF as adhesive replacement in fiberboard has been assessed. A maximum modulus of rupture of 12.1 MPa comparable to that of commercial fiberboards and high modulus of elasticity, was obtained at 20% LCNF content for panels produced at 180 °C. The binding ability of LCNF and its effect on the mechanical properties of fiberboards were more perceptible when a less refined TMP with lower fine content and longer fibers was used in the process.
Carbon Dioxide as Feedstock in Selective Oxidation of Propane

Carbon dioxide is a promising nonconventional oxidant for catalytic dehydrogenation of lower alkanes to olefins. Lower catalytic activity of CO2 as compared to oxygen that is typically used in oxidative dehydrogenation (ODH) also means that more reactive olefins are less likely to undergo undesirable combustion in the presence of CO2. Supported vanadia catalysts synthesized by incipient wetness impregnation of silica support, and by varying the surface coverage of VOx species using sodium on the silica surface, the nature of the catalyst was investigated. The promotion with Na cations significantly improved the dispersion of surface VOx species and resulted in the formation of surface Na-metavanadate or another reduced V3+/V4+ phase, which lacked catalytic activity in propane ODH in the presence of CO2.
Prevalence and characteristics of Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli in finishing pigs: Implications on public health

Abstract Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli (STEC) are important food-borne pathogens, which can cause serious illnesses, including hemorrhagic colitis and hemolytic uremic syndrome. To study the epidemiology of STEC in finishing pigs and examine the potential risks they pose for human STEC infections, we conducted a longitudinal cohort study in three finishing sites. Six cohorts of pigs (2 cohorts/site, 20 pigs/cohort) were randomly selected, and fecal samples (n = 898) were collected every two weeks through their finishing period. Eighty-two pigs (68.3%) shed STEC at least once, and the proportion of STEC-positive pigs varied across sites (50–97.5%) and cohorts (15–100%). Clinically important serotypes, O157:H7 (stx2c, eae) and O26:H11 (stx1a, eae), were recovered from two pigs at sites C and A, respectively. The most common serotype isolated was O59:H21 (stx2e), which was particularly prevalent in site B as it was recovered from all STEC positive pigs (n = 39). Each cohort showed different patterns of STEC shedding, which were associated with the prevalent serotype. The median shedding duration of STEC in pigs was 28 days, consistent with our prior study. However, among pigs shedding O59:H21 at least once, pigs in cohort B2 had a significantly longer shedding duration of 42 days (P
Frequency and distribution of primary site among gender minority cancer patients: An analysis of U.S. national surveillance data.

Abstract Background Transgender people and persons with disorders of sex development (DSD) are two separate categories of gender minorities, each characterized by unique cancer risk factors. Although cancer registry data typically include only two categories of sex, registrars have the option of indicating that a patient is transgender or has a DSD. Methods Data for primary cancer cases in 46 states and the District of Columbia were obtained from the North American Association of Central Cancer Registries (NAACCR) database for the period 1995–2013. The distributions of primary sites and categories of cancers with shared risk factors were examined separately for transgender and DSD patients and compared to the corresponding distributions in male and female cancer patients. Proportional incidence ratios were calculated by dividing the number of observed cases by the number of expected cases. Expected cases were calculated based on the age- and year of diagnosis-specific proportions of cases in each cancer category observed among male and female patients. Results Transgender patients have significantly elevated proportional incidence ratios (95% confidence intervals) for viral infection induced cancers compared to either males (2.3; 2.0–2.7) or females (3.3; 2.8–3.7). Adult DSD cancer patients have a similar distribution of primary sites compared to male or female patients but DSD children with cancer have ten times more cases of testicular malignancies than expected (95% confidence interval: 4.7–20). Conclusion The proportions of certain primary sites and categories of malignancies among transgender and DSD cancer patients are different from the proportions observed for male or female patients.
The successes and future prospects of the linear antisense RNA amplification methodology

This Perspective discusses the development of the linear amplified RNA amplification technique over the last 25 years, and future applications of this important and versatile methodology. It has been over a quarter of a century since the introduction of the linear RNA amplification methodology known as antisense RNA (aRNA) amplification. Whereas most molecular biology techniques are rapidly replaced owing to the fast-moving nature of development in the field, the aRNA procedure has become a base that can be built upon through varied uses of the technology. The technique was originally developed to assess RNA populations from small amounts of starting material, including single cells, but over time its use has evolved to include the detection of various cellular entities such as proteins, RNA-binding-protein-associated cargoes, and genomic DNA. In this Perspective we detail the linear aRNA amplification procedure and its use in assessing various components of a cell's chemical phenotype. This procedure is particularly useful in efforts to multiplex the simultaneous detection of various cellular processes. These efforts are necessary to identify the quantitative chemical phenotype of cells that underlies cellular function.
Anatomical and Topological Foundations of Cognitive Neurodynamics in Cerebral Cortex

Perception requires action of the body into the environment in search of information that the brain needs to optimize engagement of its body with the world. Actions to achieve maximum grip are implemented in sequential motor command transmitted by the limbic system into the brain stem. Simultaneously preafference sends efference copies to the sensory cortices that activate landscapes of chaotic attractors, which serve to predict the sensory consequences of the impending actions. The microscopic sensory impact delivers trains of action potentials to the primary sensory areas. The trains select relevant basins of attraction; selected attractors send wave packets into the limbic system, where they are integrated in time and space into a multisensory percept that is re-transmitted to all sensory areas as efference copies. The action-perception cycle is conceived topologically as a helix for predictive hypothesis-testing and knowledge-accrual. The cycle categorizes sensory inputs, which then choose appropriate actions.
Topology of Electron Correlation

Topological analysis provides the tools for a concise description of multivariate functions. For functions that describe physical observables, the number and the location of critical points (the points at which the gradient of a function vanishes), and their mutual relationships are often directly related to the properties of the system under study. For example, topological analysis of the potential energy as a function of nuclear positions permits the partitioning of the potential energy hy-persurface into catchment regions, each of them defining (within the Born-Oppenheimer approximation) a locally stable molecular geometry [1]. The application of topological analysis to the one-electron density ρ1(r) is even more productive, furnishing rigorous quantum-mechanical definitions of atoms and bonds in molecules [2]. Topologies of other quantities, such as the nuclear potential [3] and the virial field [4], have also been investigated, and are believed to be homeomorphic with that of ρ1(r). Topological analysis of the electron density Laplacian affords sound justification for the VSEPR model [5].
A Passport at Any Price? Citizenship by Investment Through the Prism of Institutional Corruption

As of mid-2013, Cyprus and Antigua and Barbuda are set to join a small but growing list of states that offer naturalized citizenship to aliens on the basis of significant investment in their respective economies. Granting citizenship by investment may appeal to policymakers, particularly in states experiencing financial turmoil, as a means to attract much-needed foreign investment. This paper seeks to critique citizenship by investment policies through the prism of institutional corruption, adopting and applying institutional corruption concepts developed in other fields to this new field of analysis. This paper argues that citizenship by investment policies amount to institutional corruption because they threaten to destroy the value of national citizenship and corrode public trust in citizenship in a way that naturalization on other bases does not.
Fluorescent Molecular Probes in Fluorescence Microspectrophotometry and Microspectropolarimetry

In recent years the biochemist and the biophysical chemist have made considerable progress in their understanding of the behavior of complex biopolymers as studied in in vitro systems. However, it is ordinarily not possible to extrapolate the results of these studies to account with entire satisfaction for the behavior of intact cells. The cytochemist has indeed been devoting considerable attention to this problem, but has been hampered by the nature of his data, which are not comparable with those produced by the biochemist and biophysical chemist. This point is well appreciated and has been explicitly discussed by Spicer, Leppi, and Stoward (1965). As a consequence, it has not been possible for the cytochemist to produce a classification of substances, detected by cytochemical means, which can be considered an accurate classification in biochemical terms. This is particularly true for the carbohydrates and mucosubstances.
Tonotypic cortical representation in man (case report).

Cortical stimulation—evoked perception of tones differing in pitch suggests that the perception of pitch may be discretely organized in the human auditory parakoniocortex. Findings, obtained from a neurosurgical patient undergoing temporal lobectomy, are discussed with reference to anatomical and functional considerations of the auditory parakoniocortex in humans. These tonotypic findings are potentially significant since, as previously reported (see references in Discussion section), auditory sensations have not been analyzed in relation to perceptual categories of pitch.
Analysis of microRNA functions

Abstract MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are small non-coding RNAs that repress the translation and reduce the stability of target mRNAs in animal cells. Post-transcriptional regulation mediated by miRNAs is a highly conserved mechanism utilized by organisms throughout phylogeny to fine tune gene expression. We document the approaches used to study the function of a single miRNA and miRNA regulation of biological pathways in the sea urchin embryo. The protocols that are described include selection of miRNA inhibitors, test of miRNA direct targets, and the use of target protector morpholinos to evaluate the impact of miRNA inhibition on its targets. Using the described techniques and strategies, the sea urchin researcher will be able to validate a miRNA's direct targets and evaluate how inhibition of the miRNA affects developmental processes. These results will contribute to our understanding of the regulatory roles of miRNAs in development.
Placental Expression of Imprinted Genes, Overall and in Sex-Specific Patterns, Associated with Placental Cadmium Concentrations and Birth Size

Background: Prenatal cadmium (Cd) exposure has been recognized to restrict growth, and male and female fetuses may have differential susceptibility to the developmental toxicity of Cd. Imprinted ge...
Challenges and Opportunities in Transportation Data

From the time and money lost sitting in congestion and waiting for traffic signals to change, to the many people injured and killed in traffic crashes each year, to the emissions and energy consumption from our vehicles, the effects of transportation on our daily lives are immense. A wealth of transportation data is available to help address these problems; from data from sensors installed to monitor and operate the roadways and traffic signals to data from cell phone apps and -- just over the horizon -- data from connected vehicles and infrastructure. However, this wealth of data has yet to be effectively leveraged, thus providing opportunities in areas such as improving traffic safety, reducing congestion, improving traffic signal timing, personalizing routing, coordinating across transportation agencies and more. This paper presents opportunities and challenges in applying data management technology to the transportation domain.
Screening for Alzheimer’s Disease Using Saliva: A New Approach Based on Machine Learning and Raman Hyperspectroscopy

Background Alzheimer's disease and related dementias (ADRDs) are being diagnosed at epidemic rates, with incidence to triple from 35 to 115 million cases worldwide. Most ADRDs are characterized by progressive neurodegeneration, and Alzheimer's disease (AD) is the sixth leading cause of death in the United States. The ideal moment for diagnosing ADRDs is during the earliest stages of its progression; however, current diagnostic methods are inefficient, expensive, and unsuccessful at making diagnoses during the earliest stages of the disease. Objective The aim of this project was to utilize Raman hyperspectroscopy in combination with machine learning to develop a novel method for the diagnosis of AD based on the analysis of saliva. Methods Raman hyperspectroscopy was used to analyze saliva samples collected from normative, AD, and mild cognitive impairment (MCI) individuals. Genetic Algorithm and Artificial Neural Networks machine learning techniques were applied to the spectral dataset to build a diagnostic algorithm. Results Internal cross-validation showed 99% accuracy for differentiating the three classes; blind external validation was conducted using an independent dataset to further verify the results, achieving 100% accuracy. Conclusion Raman hyperspectroscopic analysis of saliva has a remarkable potential for use as a non-invasive, efficient, and accurate method for diagnosing AD.
Do the social roles that women and men occupy in science allow equal access to publication

Anyone who thinks that science is on a glide path to gender equality should read the study by Huang et al. (1) showing a publication gender gap favoring men that has increased over time as more women have entered science fields. Although the lesser publishing by women has also emerged in several other studies, this current PNAS article provides more extensive evidence by showing that the women’s publication deficit extends across science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) disciplines and nations (1). These findings may seem puzzling but less so if considered in the context of women’s positioning within science. Why is it that women are not gradually attaining status equal to that of men as contributors to scientific knowledge? Huang et al. (1) provide some guidance concerning possible causes of their perplexing findings. They show that women and men publish a similar number of articles per year of their publishing careers and have the same impact for the same number of publications. They further demonstrate that the overall sex difference in productivity is explained largely by women’s higher rates of dropping out of publishing, producing women’s shorter publishing careers. Therefore, a search for causes should focus on these shorter publishing histories. Although not testable within the limits of the bibliometric data of Huang et al. (1), likely explanations reside in the social roles that women and men occupy in science and the responsibilities that they undertake in these roles. Although this commentary addresses these considerations only in the context of available US data, they warrant investigation in all nations. Consider that entry to science takes place in the roles of graduate student and postdoctoral researcher in which beginning scientists typically achieve one or more usually coauthored publications, enabling their names first to appear in the research literature. Among students, from … [↵][1]1Email: eagly{at}northwestern.edu. [1]: #xref-corresp-1-1
P18 The Use of Guided Reading Questions as a Scaffolding Technique in a Flipped Graduate Metabolism Class

Objective Evaluate the use of guided reading questions (GRQ) as a scaffolding technique in a flipped classroom among graduate dietetic interns. Use of Theory The Staged Self-Directed Learning Model conceptualizes how students move towards self-directed learning in 4 stages. As students become more responsible for their own learning, they need different guidance or support from the teacher. In a previous study, students were initially resistant to flipped learning. It was hypothesized that if the instructor provided scaffolding techniques, such as GRQ, to help students learn on their own, the resistance to flipped learning may be minimized. Target Audience Graduate Dietetic Interns (n = 10) enrolled in a graduate-level metabolism course during their first semester at a midsize, private Midwestern university. Course/Curriculum Description In this flipped class, students read textbook chapters and/or watch videos prior to coming to class, then engage in activities (ie, case studies) to apply the information using team-based learning in class. GRQ were provided for students to use when reading the textbook for the first 5 weeks of the semester. Evaluation Methods Students completed 8 written learning reflections throughout the semester, which occurred approximately every other week. Content analysis was applied to these reflections to discover themes. Results Students viewed the GRQ as instructor support. Students reflected that they appreciated the GRQ at the beginning of the semester, but understood why they would not receive them for the entirety of the course. They reported that the GRQ helped them develop reading comprehension and note-taking skills. At the end of the semester, students reported that they would not need them. Conclusions Providing students GRQ in a flipped class, especially at the beginning of the semester, may be a useful scaffolding technique to help students gain skills in learning on their own and reading comprehension.
Deep Learning to Estimate RECIST in Patients with NSCLC Treated with PD-1 Blockade

Real-world evidence (RWE), conclusions derived from analysis of patients not treated in clinical trials, is increasingly recognized as an opportunity for discovery, to reduce disparities, and to contribute to regulatory approval. Maximal value of RWE may be facilitated through machine-learning techniques to integrate and interrogate large and otherwise underutilized datasets. In cancer research, an ongoing challenge for RWE is the lack of reliable, reproducible, scalable assessment of treatment-specific outcomes. We hypothesized a deep-learning model could be trained to use radiology text reports to estimate gold-standard RECIST-defined outcomes. Using text reports from patients with non-small cell lung cancer treated with PD-1 blockade in a training cohort and two test cohorts, we developed a deep-learning model to accurately estimate best overall response and progression-free survival. Our model may be a tool to determine outcomes at scale, enabling analyses of large clinical databases. SIGNIFICANCE: We developed and validated a deep-learning model trained on radiology text reports to estimate gold-standard objective response categories used in clinical trial assessments. This tool may facilitate analysis of large real-world oncology datasets using objective outcome metrics determined more reliably and at greater scale than currently possible.This article is highlighted in the In This Issue feature, p. 1.
Effectiveness of orthopedic implant removal surgery in patients with no implant-related symptoms after fracture union of isolated lower extremity shaft fractures: patient-centered evaluation.

Routine orthopedic implant removal surgery (OIRS) in patients with no implant-related symptoms after union is controversial. Various factors, such as various fracture sites, fracture types, and accompanying fractures at other sites, act as error variables in the evaluation of routine OIRS. The purpose of this study is to evaluate the benefits of orthopedic implant removal surgery (OIRS) in patients with no implant-related symptoms such as infection and soft tissue irritation after union of isolated lower extremity shaft fractures from a patient-centered evaluation Eighty-four patients who achieved fracture union after internal fixation of femoral shaft or tibial shaft fractures (March 2004 to December 2018) and who showed no implant-related symptoms were evaluated retrospectively. Minimum post-OIRS follow-up period was 1 year. Thirty-eight patients were treated with intramedullary nail and 13 were treated with plate and screws for femoral shaft fracture. Twenty patients were treated with intramedullary nail and 13 were treated with plate and screws for tibial shaft fracture. All patients subsequently underwent OIRS. Quality of life (QoL) and lower extremity pain using visual analogue scale (VAS) were evaluated 1 day before OIRS. Patient satisfaction with the OIRS, VAS, and QoL were assessed at least 1 year after OIRS using the SF-36 questionnaire. The physical component score, mental component score, and scores of all eight domains showed significant improvement after OIRS (p < 0.01). Patients with femoral shaft fractures tended to have lower pre- and post-OIRS SF-36 scores than those with tibial shaft fracture. Among patients with femoral shaft fracture, SF-36 scores were comparable in the nail and plate groups. Among patients with tibial shaft fracture, nail group showed relatively better QoL than the plate group, before and after OIRS in spite of several complications such as formation of scar tissue, nerve damage, and refracture. Patients with no implant-related symptoms showed significant improvement in QoL and satisfaction after OIRS. This suggests that OIRS is beneficial from the patients’ evaluation. Therapeutic Level II
Entrepreneurship, Broadband, and Gender: Evidence from Establishment Births in Rural America:

Broadband access may have important implications for establishment births in rural areas, which feature thinner markets. Broadband may be especially important for rural nonemployer businesses, part...
Decomposed bounded floats for fast compression and queries

Modern data-intensive applications often generate large amounts of low precision float data with a limited range of values. Despite the prevalence of such data, there is a lack of an effective solu...
Analysis of youtube videos related to a child's first dental visit.

Background As parents increasingly turn to online videos for paediatric dental information, it is important to assess the content of those videos and determine whether parents are receiving accurate information. Aim To describe and assess the video characteristics, viewer engagement, and content of the most-viewed YouTube videos about a child's first dental visit. Design The 100 most popular YouTube videos related to a child's first dental visit were assessed for consistency with current professional guidelines, which included a first visit by age 1, tooth cleaning or prophylaxis, fluoride application, caries risk assessment, dietary counseling, oral hygiene instruction, frequency of dental visits, and anticipatory guidance. Differences in video characteristics (length, age, and viewer engagement) were assessed using the Kruskal-Wallis test and the post hoc Mann-Whitney U test, and differences in content and characteristics by video upload source (healthcare professionals, parents/caregivers, and independent media outlets) were examined using the chi-square test and the Fisher's exact test. Results The predominant upload source was parents/caregivers (40%) followed by independent media outlets (32%) and healthcare professionals (28%). Median video length was 2 min, 24 s (IQR = 2:05-3:49), and median video age was 4 years (IQR = 3-4 years). Most videos were filmed in a paediatric dental office (73%) and focused on motivational vs. educational content (77% vs. 23%, respectively). With regard to viewer engagement, videos uploaded by media outlets generated higher viewing rates than those uploaded by parents/caregivers (mean rank [MR] = 44.7 vs. 24.8, respectively) and healthcare professionals (MR = 34.8 vs. 31.5) and higher interaction rates than those uploaded by parents/caregivers (MR = 50.8 vs. 25.0) and healthcare professionals (MR = 39.1 vs. 20.6). Videos uploaded by healthcare professionals were more likely to provide educational content consistent with professional recommendations, particularly regarding caries risk assessment (32.1%), dietary counseling (21.4%), and frequency of dental visits (10.7%), than videos uploaded by parents/caregivers (5.0%, 5.0%, and 0%, respectively) and media outlets (0%, 3.1%, and 0%, respectively). Conclusions This study found that the most popular videos related to a child' first dental visit, as measured by viewer engagement, were uploaded by parents or caregivers, were longer and newer, and featured motivational rather than educational content. The 100 most-viewed videos rarely presented information that was consistent with professional recommendations for children's oral health, particularly regarding caries risk assessment and anticipatory guidance.
The Legal Quality of Articles Published in School Psychology Journals: An Initial Report Card

As a follow-up to a companion study (Zaheer & Zirkel, in press) that focused on the legal content in school psychology, this analysis examined legal quality. The companion study found that only 35 ...
Escherichia coli 987P pilus: purification and partial characterization.

The Escherichia coli somatic pilus, 987P, has been purified after removal by homogenization from a 987P+ enterotoxigenic E. coli. Cell-free pili were precipitated by the addition of MgCl2, collected, and dissolved in MgCl2-free buffer. Five cycles of precipitation and dissolving resulted in a preparation of 987P that was judged to be homogeneous based on electron microscopy and sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis. In the electron microscope, 987P was rod shaped, having a diameter of 7 nm and an apparent axial hole. Cells and membrane vesicles were not observed in the purified pilus preparation. Electrophoresis of 987P through sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gels resulted in a single band when the sample was denatured in the absence of mercaptoethanol and in two bands when the sample was denatured in the presence of mercaptoethanol. The calculated molecular weight of 987 was variable, depending upon the polyacrylamide concentration and whether mercaptoethanol was included in the denaturing solution. Chemically, 987P is composed primarily of protein but also contains an unidentified amino sugar. The amino terminal amino acid of 987P is alanine and its isoelectric point is pH 3.7. 987P possesses no detectable hemagglutinating activity. Images