cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Age-sex structure of the United States in 2000: Early results from Census 2000

Recently data on age and sex for the United States have beenreleased in the Census 2000 data product Summary File 1. This paper presents someearly analysis on the shape of the age and sex structure from Census 2000 data throughstatistics and graphics on national and sub-national levels. Also highlighted are comparisonswith data from the 1990 census.
Eton and Keynes

Between the ages of fourteen and nineteen Keynes spent two-thirds of every year at Eton, a boarding school founded by Henry VI in 1440 with close links to King’s. The way of life of the school, its spirit, philosophy and curriculum, could not but have an impact on Keynes, eventually affecting both the structure and the beliefs of The General Theory. This chapter outlines the basic characteristics of Eton in the closing decades of the nineteenth century, suggesting also some of the most obvious effects on Keynes’s views.
Role of fiber distribution and air evacuation time on capillary driven flow into fiber tows

Abstract Composite materials are created by reinforcing a matrix material with fibers. In Liquid Composite Molding (LCM) processes, dry fiber preforms are impregnated with resin to form the composite. The fiber preforms usually contain fiber tows and resin impregnation into the tows is driven by the applied pressure gradient and the capillary pressure. The fiber tows are usually less permeable than the regions in between them hence the resin will typically flow around the fiber tows at much faster rate than into them. Due to the dual scale nature of the pore structure, there are often microvoids within fiber tows that result from air and volatiles being trapped. This paper introduces a novel methodology to include both capillary and void pressure in the prediction of tow filling. The methodology allows for addressing the effect of non-uniform fiber volume fraction distributions within the tow on void distribution. The time dependent applied pressure experienced by the tow is also taken into account. The method is used to study the effect of wetting properties and the length of air evacuation time on void entrapment.
Thermal decomposition of methanol adsorbed on alumina

Abstract The kinetic behavior of methanol adsorbed on alumina powder was studied by thermal desorption and isotopic tracer techniques using an ultrahigh vacuum System. Several products were desorbed; CH3OH is predominant at low temperatures, H2CO, H2O, and CH3OCH3 become significant at 500 °K and higher, CO and CH4 are observed above 700 °K (CO predominates), H2 is desorbed at both low and high temperatures peaking with H2CO and CO, and finally CO2 is observed in small amounts at all temperatures. The isotopic composition of ethers desorbed after coadsorption of CH3OH and CD3OD was investigated. Below 500 °K, only CH3OCH3, CD3OCH3, and CD3OCD3 appeared, while above this temperature the deuterium in ethers approached a random distribution. From this result it is concluded that below 500 °K, adsorbed methanol (methoxide) is stable with respect to hydrogen exchange whereas at higher temperatures the H for D exchange is facile. In the presence of gas phase CD3OD, thermal desorption was examined from CH3OH-preadsorbed substrate. The ether produced was primarily CH3OCH3 suggesting that ether is formed through the interaction of two adsorbed methoxides. The reactivity of adsorbed methoxides is discussed and it is suggested that heterogeneity is induced by adsorption and/or desorption.
On the Null Distribution of Bayes Factors in Linear Regression

AbstractWe show that under the null, the 2log (Bayesfactor) is asymptotically distributed as a weighted sum of chi-squared random variables with a shifted mean. This claim holds for Bayesian multi-linear regression with a family of conjugate priors, namely, the normal-inverse-gamma prior, the g-prior, and the normal prior. Our results have three immediate impacts. First, we can compute analytically a p-value associated with a Bayes factor without the need of permutation. We provide a software package that can evaluate the p-value associated with Bayes factor efficiently and accurately. Second, the null distribution is illuminating to some intrinsic properties of Bayes factor, namely, how Bayes factor quantitatively depends on prior and the genesis of Bartlett's paradox. Third, enlightened by the null distribution of Bayes factor, we formulate a novel scaled Bayes factor that depends less on the prior and is immune to Bartlett's paradox. When two tests have an identical p-value, the test with a larger powe...
Lipids and Ions Traverse the Membrane by the Same Physical Pathway in the nhTMEM16 Scramblase

From bacteria to mammals, different phospholipid species are segregated between the inner and outer leaflets of the plasma membrane by ATP-dependent lipid transporters. Disruption of this asymmetry by ATP-independent phospholipid scrambling is important in cellular signaling, but its mechanism remains incompletely understood. Using MD simulations coupled with experimental assays, we show that the surface hydrophilic transmembrane cavity exposed to the lipid bilayer on the fungal scramblase nhTMEM16 serves as the pathway for both lipid translocation and ion conduction across the membrane. Ca2+ binding stimulates its open conformation by altering the structure of transmembrane helices that line the cavity. We have identified key amino acids necessary for phospholipid scrambling and validated the idea that ions permeate TMEM16 Cl- channels via a structurally homologous pathway by showing that mutation of two residues in the pore region of the TMEM16A Ca2+-activated Cl- channel convert it into a robust scramblase.
Flare magnetic reconnection fluxes as possible signatures of flare contributions to gradual SEP events

The primary sources of solar energetic (E > 20 MeV) particle (SEP) events are flares and CME-driven shocks. Some studies claim that even up to GeV energies solar flares are major contributors to SEP events. There are several candidate flare processes for producing SEPs, but acceleration in magnetic reconnection regions is probably the most efficient. Previous studies have relied on flare radiation signatures to determine the times and locations of SEP injections. An alternative approach is to use the amount of magnetic flux that gets reconnected during solar flares. The photospheric magnetic flux swept out by flare ribbons is thought to be directly related to the amount of magnetic reconnection in the corona and is therefore a key diagnostic tool for understanding the physical processes in flares and CMEs. We use the database of flare magnetic reconnection fluxes to compare these parameters with peak intensities of SEP events. We find that while sizes of 15 ~25-MeV SEP events in the western hemisphere correlate with both CME speeds and reconnection fluxes, there are many cases of large reconnection fluxes with no observed SEP events. The occurrence of large reconnection fluxes accompanied by slow CMEs but no SEP events suggests that the CME shocks are the primary, if not the only, sources of high energy (E > 100 MeV) SEP events.
Ansätze zur gesellschaftlichen Berichterstattung

Im letzten Kapitel ist auf verschiedene Typen von Sozialindikatoren ausfuhrlich eingegangen worden. Uberlegungen uber ihren Verwendungszweck sowie die Grenzen ihrer Aussagefahigkeit standen dabei im Vordergrund. Auser acht gelassen wurde, das soziale Indikatoren weniger als isolierte Masgrosen irgendwelcher Sachverhalte fungieren sollen, sondern Basiselemente umfassender, aufeinander abgestimmter Informationssysteme buden sollen, in denen die Einzelindikatoren in ein ubergreifendes Konzept eingeordnet sind. Im folgenden richten wir unser Augenmerk nunmehr auf die Rolle von Indikatorsystemen als Instrument gesellschaftlicher Berichterstattung/Rechnungslegung. Dabei sind noch nicht die Umrisse eines gesellschaftsbezogenen Informationssystems erkennbar, das in seiner allgemeinen Struktur vergleichbar unbestritten ware wie es im okonomischen Bereich mit dem Basisschema der VGR der Fall ist. Das Bud, das sich dem Beobachter auf dem Gebiet der Indikatorensysteme bietet, ist buntscheckig und unubersichtlich.
Detection and characterization of molecular-level collagen damage in overstretched cerebral arteries

Abstract It is well established that overstretch of arteries alters their mechanics and compromises their function. However, the underlying structural mechanisms behind these changes are poorly understood. Utilizing a recently developed collagen hybridizing peptide (CHP), we demonstrate that a single mechanical overstretch of an artery produces molecular-level unfolding of collagen. In addition, imaging and quantification of CHP binding revealed that overstretch produces damage (unfolding) among fibers aligned with the direction of loading, that damage increases with overstretch severity, and that the onset of this damage is closely associated with tissue yielding. These findings held true for both axial and circumferential loading directions. Our results are the first to identify stretch-induced molecular damage to collagen in blood vessels. Furthermore, our approach is advantageous over existing methods of collagen damage detection as it is non-destructive, readily visualized, and objectively quantified. This work opens the door to revealing additional structure-function relationships in arteries. We anticipate that this approach can be used to better understand arterial damage in clinically relevant settings such as angioplasty and vascular trauma. Furthermore, CHP can be a tool for the development of microstructurally-based constitutive models and experimentally validated computational models of arterial damage and damage propagation across physical scales. Statement of Significance Arteries play a critical role by carrying oxygen and essential nutrients throughout the body. However, trauma to the head and neck, as well as surgical interventions, can overstretch arteries and alter their mechanics. In order to better understand the cause of these changes, we employ a novel collagen hybridizing peptide (CHP) to study collagen damage in overstretched arteries. Our approach is unique in that we go beyond the fiber- and fibril-level and characterize molecular-level disruption. In addition, we image and quantify fluorescently-labeled CHP to reveal a new structure-property relationship in arterial damage. We anticipate that our approach can be used to better understand arterial damage in clinically relevant settings such as angioplasty and vascular trauma.
Shielding in Enclosures with Apertures

The fast data and edge rates of modern high-speed digital electronics often necessitate the use of some type of shielding to comply with EMI regulatory or other design requirements. The specifics of the shielding for a particular type of product and the expectations for EMI reduction can vary widely. At one end of the spectrum might be the transmitter or receiver of a wireless communication link operating in the microwave region. In this case, the shielding enclosure will typically be a cast or machined conductive enclosure. The distinct pieces of the enclosure might be screwed together, with careful attention devoted to the seam geometry at the microwave design frequency in order to prevent leakage from the interior or interference from external sources. All penetrations of the shielding enclosure will be carefully designed. Signals into or out of the design will be on shielded cables, with connectors that have 360° connections, e.g., a coaxial connector. Any microwave signals will be on coaxial cables. An electronic design requiring this level of attention to the shielding enclosure will be one for which cost is not an issue, or the design cannot function without such intricate attention to every enclosure penetration.
Elemental mercury exposure in early pregnancy.

We present a case of first-trimester elemental mercury exposure and review the literature to demonstrate that the reproductive toxicity of mercury varies depending on the form of mercury to which one is exposed. It appears that elemental mercury exposure poses less of a reproductive threat than the well-known hazards of exposure to organic mercurials. It is critical to determine the form of exposure when counseling patients at risk.15 references.
Linearized MFL Model for Embedded Flaw Detection in Rails

Numerical models simulating magnetic flux leakage (MFL) phenomenon in ferromagnetic materials are nonlinear in nature and hence require excessive computational effort. This paper describes an approach for developing an equivalent linear model (ELM) where the ferromagnetic region is appropriately partitioned into different domains with each domain being assigned a constant permeability value depending on the magnetization level and the flaw size. The nonlinear behavior of the multi-layered object is then modeled using a linearized MFL model. The model is first validated and then applied to the flaw detection problem in a rail geometry.
Iron Requirements and Adverse Pregnancy Outcomes

Optimal iron (Fe) status across pregnancy is recognized for its benefits on maternal pregnancy outcomes and is increasingly linked to neonatal Fe stores at birth and subsequent health outcomes in the offspring. In spite of the importance of this nutrient, many unresolved questions exist on the basic science of Fe regulation at this key life stage. Increased attention has been placed on identification of optimal biomarkers of maternal Fe status across gestation, and on the challenge of evaluating Fe status indicators as a function of variable plasma volume expansion and maternal inflammatory status. While maternal consequences of anemia are well appreciated, elevated hemoglobin concentrations have also been linked to increased risk of adverse pregnancy outcomes. Discussion of maternal Fe status during gestation is incomplete without concurrent consideration of how maternal stores influence placental Fe transfer and the adequacy of neonatal Fe stores at birth. This is especially important when considering data that finds associations between neonatal Fe status and subsequent cognitive and neurobehavioral outcomes. This review summarizes new data on maternal Fe utilization across pregnancy as it impacts the pregnant woman and her neonate at birth.
Application of adaptive strategy for supply chain agent

With the tremendous increase in the globalization of trade the corresponding supply chains supporting the manufacture, distribution and supply of goods has become extremely complex. Intelligent agents can help with the problem of effective management of these complex supply chains. In this paper we introduce the design, implementation and testing of an intelligent agent for handling procurement, customer sales, and scheduling of production in a stylized supply chain environment. The supply chain environment used in this paper is modeled after the trading agent competition that is held annually to choose the best agent for managing a supply chain. Our supply chain agent, which we call SCMaster, uses dynamic inventory control and various reinforcement learning techniques like Q-learning, Softmax, e-greedy, and sliding window protocol to make our agent adapt dynamically to the changing environment created by competing agents. A multi-agent simulation environment is developed in Java to test the efficacy of our agent design. Two competing agents are created modeled after the winners of past trading agent competitions and are tested against our agent in various experimental designs. Results of simulations show that our agent has better performance compared to the other agents.
Outcomes of knee arthroplasty for primary treatment of pathologic peri-articular fractures of the distal femur and proximal tibia

Treatment goals for pathologic fractures about the knee include pain relief and unrestricted weight bearing. In cases of condylar destruction, these fractures may not be amenable to internal fixation, and arthroplasty may be considered. The purpose of this study was to analyze the outcomes of knee arthroplasty for primary treatment of impending or pathologic fractures of the distal femur or proximal tibia. Fifteen (8 males and 7 females) patients, mean age 62 ± nine years, undergoing arthroplasty for management of a pathologic peri-articular distal femur (n = 11) or proximal tibia (n = 4) fracture between 2001 and 2017 were reviewed. Implants included tumour endoprostheses (n = 11) and rotating hinged total knees (n = 4). Pathology included metastatic disease (n = 14) and lymphoma (n = 1). Eight (53%) patients presented with a fracture while the remainder had large impending lesions. Mean follow-up was 19 months. At final follow-up, 11 patients had died with overall five year survival of 33%. Two (13%) patients required re-operation; including wound irrigation and debridement (n = 1) and above knee amputation for local recurrence (n = 1). An additional two (13%) patients developed post-operative VTE. MSTS, KSS, and KSS-F scores improved from a mean 12 ± 16%, 30 ± 11, and 14 ± 24 pre-operatively to 69 ± 26%, 75 ± 16, and 67 ± 25 at final follow-up, respectively (P < 0.001). Thirteen (87%) patients had severe pain prior to surgery with no patients (0%, P < 0.001) reporting severe pain at last follow-up. Knee arthroplasty provided improved function and full weight-bearing making it an effective treatment for pathologic periarticular fractures of the distal femur and proximal tibia.
Applying Machine Learning to Understand Write Performance of Large-scale Parallel Filesystems

In high-performance computing (HPC), I/O performance prediction offers the potential to improve the efficiency of scientific computing. In particular, accurate prediction can make runtime estimates more precise, guide users toward optimal checkpoint strategies, and better inform facility provisioning and scheduling policies. HPC I/O performance is notoriously difficult to predict and model, however, in large part because of inherent variability and a lack of transparency in the behaviors of constituent storage system components. In this work we seek to advance the state of the art in HPC I/O performance prediction by (1) modeling the mean performance to address high variability, (2) deriving model features from write patterns, system architecture and system configurations, and (3) employing Lasso regression model to improve model accuracy. We demonstrate the efficacy of our approach by applying it to a crucial subset of common HPC I/O motifs, namely, file-per-process checkpoint write workloads. We conduct experiments on two distinct production HPC platforms — Titan at the Oak Ridge Leadership Computing Facility and Cetus at the Argonne Leadership Computing Facility — to train and evaluate our models. We find that we can attain ≤ 30% relative error for 92.79% and 99.64% of the samples in our test set on these platforms, respectively.
Machine learning as a tool to design glasses with controlled dissolution for healthcare applications.

Abstract The advancement of glass science has played a pivotal role in enhancing the quality and length of human life. However, with an ever-increasing demand for glasses in a variety of healthcare applications – especially with controlled degradation rates – it is becoming difficult to design new glass compositions using conventional approaches. For example, it is difficult, if not impossible, to design new gene-activation bioactive glasses, with controlled release of functional ions tailored for specific patient states, using trial-and-error based approaches. Notwithstanding, it is possible to design new glasses with controlled release of functional ions by using artificial intelligence-based methods, for example, supervised machine learning (ML). In this paper, we present an ensemble ML model for reliable prediction of time- and composition-dependent dissolution behavior of a wide variety of oxide glasses relevant for various biomedical applications. A comprehensive database, comprising of over 1300 data-records consolidated from original glass dissolution experiments, has been used for training and subsequent testing of prediction performance of the ML model. Results demonstrate that the ensemble ML model can predict chemical degradation behavior of glasses in aqueous solutions over a wide range of pH relevant for their usage in a human body where the environment can be highly acidic (for example, pH = 3), for example, due to secretion of citric acid by osteoclasts, or highly alkaline (pH ≈10) due to the release of alkali cations from bioactive glasses. Outcomes of this study can be leveraged to design glasses with controlled dissolution behavior in various biological environments. Statement of Significance In this paper, we present an ensemble machine learning (ML) model for prediction of dissolution behavior of a wide variety of oxide glasses relevant for various biomedical applications. The results demonstrate that the ML model can predict the chemical degradation behavior of glasses in aqueous solutions over a wide range of pH relevant for their usage in a human body where the environment can be highly acidic (for example, pH = 3), for example, due to secretion of citric acid by osteoclasts, or highly alkaline (pH ≈10) due to the release of alkali cations from bioactive glasses. Outcomes of this study can be leveraged to design new biomedical glasses with controlled (desired) dissolution behavior in various biological environments.
The influences of environmental change and development on leaf shape in Vitis

Premise The size and shape (physiognomy) of woody, dicotyledonous angiosperm leaves are correlated with climate. These relationships are the basis for multiple paleoclimate proxies. Here we test whether Vitis exhibits phenotypic plasticity and whether physiognomy varies along the vine. Methods We used Digital Leaf Physiognomy (DiLP) to measure leaf characters of four Vitis species from the USDA Germplasm Repository (Geneva, New York) from the 2012-2013 and 2014-2015 leaf-growing seasons, which had different environmental conditions. Results Leaf shape changed allometrically through developmental stages; early stages were more linear than later stages. There were significant differences in physiognomy in the same developmental stage between the growing seasons, and species had significant differences in mean physiognomy between growing seasons. Phenotypic plasticity was defined as changes between growing seasons after controlling for developmental stage or after averaging all developmental stages. Vitis amurensis and V. riparia had the greatest phenotypic plasticity. North American species exhibited significant differences in tooth area:blade area. Intermediate developmental stages were most likely to exhibit phenotypic plasticity, and only V. amurensis exhibited phenotypic plasticity in later developmental stages. Conclusions Leaves have variable phenotypic plasticity along the vine. Environmental signal was strongest in intermediate developmental stages. This is significant for leaf physiognomic-paleoclimate proxies because these leaves are likely the most common in leaf litter and reflect leaves primarily included in paleoclimate reconstructions. Early season and early developmental stages have the potential to be confounding factors but are unlikely to exert significant influence because of differential preservation potential.
Racial and ethnic disparities in severe maternal morbidity and anesthetic techniques for obstetric deliveries: A multi-state analysis, 2007-2014.

Abstract Study objective To evaluate racial and ethnic disparities in severe maternal morbidity (SMM) and administered anesthesia techniques. Design Retrospective cohort study. Setting Administrative database study using 2007–2014 data from California, Florida, New York, Maryland, and Kentucky from the State Inpatient Databases (SID), Healthcare Cost and Utilization Project (HCUP), Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ). Patients 6,879,332 parturients aged ≥18 years old who underwent deliveries were identified by International Classification of Disease, 9th Revision, Clinical Modification (ICD-9-CM) codes: V27.0 and V27.1 for singleton deliveries, and V27.2 through V27.8 for multiple births. Interventions Patients who had a singleton or multiple delivery. Measurements Patients were cohorted by race/ethnicity: white (reference category), black, Hispanic, other, or missing. Demographic characteristics and comorbidities were compared. Adjusted odds ratios with generalized linear mixed modeling were calculated for SMM. We also conducted additional exploratory analyses of racial/ethnic disparities in the anesthesia technique used for cesarean deliveries, as well as the use of analgesia in vaginal deliveries. Main results When controlling for patient demographics, comorbidities, and hospital characteristics, black women were more likely than white women to experience any SMM (adjusted odds ratio: 1.38, 95% CI: 1.35–1.41). This finding was consistent in stratified analyses. Black women were also more likely than white women to receive general anesthesia for cesarean delivery (aOR: 1.44, 95% CI: 1.39–1.49) and to receive no analgesia for vaginal delivery (aOR: 1.45, 95% CI: 1.43–1.47). Conclusions Our findings highlight the differences in outcomes and care for black as compared to white parturients related to SMM and administered anesthesia techniques.
A registered report on how implicit pro-rich bias is shaped by the perceiver's gender and socioeconomic status.

Although high status is often considered a desirable quality, this may not always be the case. Different factors may moderate the value of high status along a dimension such as wealth (e.g. gender,...
Optimized cardiac functional MRI of small-animal models of cancer radiation therapy

Abstract Cardiac MRI of small animal models of cancer radiation therapy (RT) is a valuable tool for studying the effect of RT on the heart. However, standard cardiac MRI exams require long scanning times, which is challenging for sick animals that may not survive extended periods of imaging under anesthesia. The purpose of this study is to develop an optimized, fast MRI exam for comprehensive cardiac functional imaging of small-animal models of cancer RT. Ten adult female rats (2 non-irradiated and 8 irradiated) were scanned using the developed exam. Optimal imaging parameters were determined, which minimized scanning time while ensuring measurement accuracy and avoiding imaging artifacts. This optimized, fast MRI exam lasted for 30 min, which was tolerated by all animals. EF was normal in all imaged rats, although it was significantly increased in the irradiated rats, which also showed ventricular hypertrophy. However, myocardial strain was significantly reduced in the irradiated rats. In conclusion, a fast MRI exam has been developed for comprehensive cardiac functional imaging of rats in 30 min, with optimized imaging parameters to ensure accurate measurements and tolerance by irradiated rats. The generated strain measurements provide an early marker of regional cardiac dysfunction before global function is affected.
Association of Teen Dating Aggression With Risk Behavior and Academic Adjustment

This study constructed a six-item Teen Dating Aggression (TDA) scale, investigated the prevalence of TDA in a statewide sample, and identified associations between TDA and high-risk behaviors and academic adjustment. Based on a review of literature, TDA included physical harm, threats to harm, verbal aggression, forced sexual contact, coercion to use alcohol or drugs, and harassment after the relationship ended. The sample consisted of 32,428 students (Grades 9-12) in 320 Virginia high schools who completed a statewide school climate survey. Participation rates were 99% for schools and 80.5% for students. Confirmatory factor analysis and hierarchical regression analyses investigated the associations between TDA and high-risk behaviors and poor academic adjustment. School fixed-effects analyses accounted for school-level influences in student responses. Nearly four in 10 students (39%) reported experiencing at least one form of dating aggression in the past year. The 12,596 students who experienced TDA (40%) in the past year reported more marijuana use (26% vs. 13%), alcohol use (40% vs. 22%), fighting (13% vs. 5%), suicidal ideation (31% vs. 13%), and suicide attempts (17% vs. 5%), as well as lower school engagement, educational aspirations, and grades than 19,832 students who dated without TDA. The current study emphasized the need for dating aggression to be a focus of secondary school prevention programs due its associations with poorer academic performance, high-risk behavior with potentially serious mental health consequences. Accurate assessment of TDA can also guide the evaluation of intervention programs that target TDA.
On the Dequantization of Fedosov's Deformation Quantization

To each natural deformation quantization on a Poisson manifold M we associate a Poisson morphism from the formal neighborhood of the zero section of T*M to the formal neighborhood of the diagonal of the product M×\({\tilde M}\), where \({\tilde M}\) is a copy of M with the opposite Poisson structure. We call it dequantization of the natural deformation quantization. Then we 'dequantize' Fedosov's quantization.
Isoform-level transcriptome Atlas of Macrophage Activation

RNA-seq is routinely used to measure gene expression changes in response to cell perturbation. Genes that are up or down-regulated following perturbation in RNA-seq studies are designated as target genes for follow-up. However, RNA-seq is limited in its ability to capture the complexity of gene isoforms, defined by the exact composition of exons and transcription start sites (TSS) and poly(A) sites they contain, as well as the expression of these isoforms. Without knowing the composition of the most dominant isoform(s) of a target gene, a minority or non-existent isoform could be selected for follow-up solely based on available annotations for that target gene from databases that are incomplete, or by their nature not tissue specific, or do not provide key information on expression levels. In all, this can lead to loss in valuable resources and time. As the vast majority of genes in the human genome express more than one isoform, there is a great need to identify the complete range of isoforms present for each gene along with their corresponding levels of expression. Here, using a long-read nanopore-based R2C2 technology, we generated an Isoform-level transcriptome Atlas of Macrophage Activation (IAMA) that identifies full-length isoforms in primary human monocyte-derived macrophages (MDMs). Macrophages are critical innate immune cells important for recognizing pathogens through use of Toll-like receptors (TLRs), culminating in the initiation of host defense pathways. We characterized isoforms for most moderate to highly expressed genes in resting and TLR-activated MDMs and generated a user-friendly portal built into the UCSC Genome Browser to explore the data (https://genome.ucsc.edu/s/vollmers/IAMA). Our atlas represents a valuable resource for innate immune research as it provides unprecedented isoform information for primary human macrophages.
Does Supplemental Instruction Improve Grades and Retention? A Propensity Score Analysis Approach

Many colleges and universities seek to promote student success through targeted strategies for individuals or groups of students who are believed to have a higher risk of attrition. Taking a differ...
Accounting Ethic: Credibility Dilemmas

Since 2002, accounting ethics has received tremendous renewed attention. The concerns of unethical conducts centered around fraudulent activities. Publicly traded corporations are pressured to provide a favorable earning, which causes unethical conducts. The pressure to establish strong standards code of conduct by many governing bodies. This is nothing new related to the financial market. The Security Act of 1933, The Securities Exchange Act of 1934, and The Sarbanes–Oxley Act of 2002 are just few important regulations, which intended to increase the accountability in the accounting profession. However, the credibility dilemmas remain.
Developmental potential of immature human oocytes aspirated after controlled ovarian stimulation.

Intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI) for initially immature oocytes that mature in vitro is controversial and practice varies widely. While it may increase the number of usable embryos, it may also be time-intensive and potentially low-yield. This study sought to elucidate which patients may benefit from ICSI of initially immature oocytes that matured in vitro. A retrospective study comparing fertilization, cleavage, blastulation, and embryo usage rates between sibling initially immature and mature oocytes that underwent ICSI between 2015 and 2019 was performed. Outcomes of initially immature oocytes were stratified by initial maturation stage, timing of progression to metaphase II (MII) in vitro, percentage of mature oocytes in the cycle, and female age. Ten thousand eight hundred seventeen oocytes from 889 cycles were included. Of 3137 (29.0%) initially immature oocytes, 418 (13.3%) reached MII later on the day of retrieval (day 0) and 1493 (47.6%) on day 1. Overall, embryos originating from initially immature oocytes had lower cleavage and blastulation rates compared to those from initially mature oocytes (P<0.05, all groups). However, embryos from oocytes that matured later on day 0 comprised a unique subset that had clinically similar cleavage (75% vs 80%, RR 0.93, P=0.047) and blastulation rates (41% vs 50%, RR 0.81, P=0.024) compared to initially mature oocytes. Women with low percentages of mature oocytes in the cycle overall and women ≥40 in cleavage cycles derived the highest relative benefit from the use of immature oocytes. ICSI of immature oocytes, particularly those that mature later on the day of retrieval, may improve numbers of usable embryos. This study supports routine reassessment of immature oocytes for progression to MII and ICSI on day 0. An additional reassessment on day 1 may also be of use in older women or those with low percentage of mature oocytes.
Inflammation modulates regeneration in the acute or chronically damaged zebrafish retina

Unlike mammals, zebrafish regenerate in response to retinal damage. Because microglia are activated by retinal damage, we investigated their role during regeneration following acute or chronic damage. At three weeks-post-fertilization (wpf), fish exhibiting NMDA-induced acute damage or cone photoreceptor-specific chronic degeneration, the gold rush (gosh) mutant, displayed reactive microglia and Muller glia proliferation. Retinas treated to inhibit the immune response lacked reactive microglia and possessed fewer PCNA-positive cells, while LPS treatment increased microglia and PCNA-labeled cells. NMDA-injured retinas upregulated the expression of il-1{beta} and tnf- pro-inflammatory cytokine genes, followed by increased expression of il-10 and arg1 anti-inflammatory/remodeling cytokine genes. An early and transiently TNF- pro-inflammatory microglia population was identified in the NMDA-damaged retina. In contrast, gosh mutant retinas exhibited a mild increase of pro-inflammatory cytokine gene expression concurrently with a greater increased in anti-inflammatory/remodeling cytokine gene expression. Few TNF- pro-inflammatory microglia were observed in the gosh retina. How inflammation regulates regeneration in zebrafish would provide important clues towards improving the therapeutic strategies for repairing injured mammalian tissues.
A Systematic Classification of Services to Gain Strategic Marketing Insights

This article proposes a systematic classification of services. The classification was developed following the principles and criteria suggested by Hunt (1991) and Bunge (1967) for the development of classifications. The structure of the systematic classification, an example and the managerial and theoretical contributions are provided.
Impairments in hormonal control of liver enzyme activity in aging rats.

Publisher Summary The dual purpose of this chapter is (1) to review the case for apparent age-dependent changes in the availability of hormones which regulate in vivo the activity of glucokinase and tyrosine aminotransferase in rat liver, and (2) to implicate a possible age-dependent role for pituitary regulation of endocrine cell function. The time course of enzyme adaptations probably represents a general biochemical manifestation of modifications in the availability of hormones throughout life span. Importance of both insulin and adrenal hormones, whose production is impaired by aging, is evident for physiological regulation of glucokinase and tyrosine aminotransferase activities. The inability to modify age dependence of the enzyme adaptation by replacement of the cell population in vivo could be interpreted by means of either or both of two possible mechanisms: (1) modified liver enzyme regulation in aging animals is the consequence of genetic alterations that are copied during the regenerative process following partial hepatectomy; and (2) the age-dependent modifications reflect changes which are extrahepatic in origin.
Immersive panoramic imagery

An immersive experience where one views imagery captured from a panoramic camera with a head mounted display (HMD) or "cave" display system is an example of image processing that would be appreciated by the masses. In such a system, a user can see what would be seen from several viewpoints in a natural way by simply moving their head around. Virtual perspective views would be generated from recorded imagery collected by a panoramic camera from a set of locations. With image based rendering techniques, the user could also see views from viewpoints different from where the panoramic camera was placed. This paper proposes a simple framework for designing such systems based on image cubes which has the benefits of fast low latency operation and an efficient way to create intermediate images. The image cube method de-couples the image creation from the output image generation for the low latency required for realistic HMD immersive viewing. A fast algorithm for generating intermediate views along linear paths between capture sites based on pre-calculated disparity maps is also presented. A prototype system is shown.
Reduced order adaptive controller studies

The use of a reduced-order adaptive controller, can arise from a desire to reduce control complexity with a commensurate reduction in controller sensitivity or from necessity in an attempt to use a finite dimensional controller on an infinite dimensional system. An interest in developing adaptive controllers for flexible structures by application of existing lumped-parameter system (LPS) adaptive controller strategies to truncated expansion descriptions of the distributed parameter system (DPS) behavior of flexible structures has led to two qualitative descriptions of the misbehavior of reduced-order adaptive controllers. A summary is provided of these interpretations of the additional difficulties facing reduced-order adaptive controllers, which are bypassed by exact-order adaptive controllers. A test problem, which initializes attempts to quantify the qualitative insights, is also formulated.
FLUID ADMINISTRATION RATE AFFECTS ONSET OF BRAINSTEM HERNIATION (BH) IN DIABETIC KETOACIDOSIS (DKA)

Cerebral edema probably occurs universally with insulin and fluid treatment of severe DKA. The cause of life-threatening BH during treatment of DKA is unknown. No recommendations are proffered in recent reviews to suggest ways to prevent BH. History, laboratory data, rate of fluid administration and rapidity of onset from nine new cases of BH plus 33 cases from the literature were analyzed. Of note, calculated sodium conc. (M. Katz, NEJM [1973] 289:843) decreased between initiation of therapy and the hour of onset of BH (138.7 ± 6.2 mM vs 134.1 ± 8.3 mM, t=2.68, p=.02), and these were correlated: r=0.6l, p<0.01, n=18. Serum K+ conc. decreased during the same time period (5.0 ± 0.9 vs 3.7 ± 1.0 mM; t=5.54, p<0.001) but were not correlated. These data with the knowledge that vasopressin is inappropriately regulated in DKA, should alert the physician to be aware of the syndrome of inappropriate ADH in exacerbating BH. Unpaired t-test analysis excluded factors of sex, previous diagnosis of diabetes, NaHCO3 in the initial fluid treatment or the presence of stupor on admission as affecting laboratory values, fluid administration rates or onset of BH. Only the rate of fluid administration (7.4 ± 2.8 L/m2/day; n=40) was significantly related to rapidity of onset of BH (r=-0.32, p=.04). Only 4 of 40 cases occurred when fluid administration was <4 L/m2/day. Limitation of the rate of fluid administration to a value <4 L/m2/day continues to be a prudent recommendation in the treatment of DKA.
FOCUS: an experimental environment for validation of fault-tolerant systems-case study of a jet-engine controller

A simulation environment that allows the run-time injection of transient and permanent faults and the assessment of their impact in complex systems is described. The error data from the simulation are automatically fed into the analysis software in order to quantify the fault-tolerance of the system under test. The features of the environment are illustrated with case study of a fault-tolerant, dual-configuration real-time jet engine controller. The entire controller, described at the logic and functional levels, is simulated, and transient fault injections are performed. In the controller, fault detection and reconfiguration are performed by transactions over the communication links. The simulation consists of the instructions specifically designed to exercise this cross-channel communication. The level of effectiveness of the dual configuration of the system to single and multiple transient errors is measured. The results are used to identify critical design aspects from a fault-tolerance viewpoint. >
Phase II study of HCVIDD/MA in patients with newly diagnosed peripheral T‐cell lymphoma

A phase II study was performed to evaluate the efficacy of hyper-fractionated cyclophosphamide, vincristine, pegylated liposomal doxorubicin and dexamethasone alternating with methotrexate/cytarabine (HCVIDD/MA) in patients with newly diagnosed peripheral T-cell lymphoma (PTCL), excluding ALK-positive anaplastic large cell lymphoma. Fifty-three patients were enrolled. Treatment was planned for up to 8 cycles but only 9% of patients received more than 6 cycles due primarily to disease progression (n = 13) or prolonged thrombocytopenia (n = 12). The overall response rate was 66% with a complete response rate of 57%. Median progression-free survival (PFS) was 7·5 months. With a median follow-up of 7·6 years, 5-year PFS and overall survival (OS) were 21% and 48%, respectively. The patients with extranodal Natural Killer-cell lymphoma had a shorter PFS (median, 2·4 months) than other subtypes. Grade 3/4 anaemia, neutropenia and thrombocytopenia were observed in 66%, 74% and 79% of patients, respectively. Of note, 23% of patients discontinued therapy due to prolonged thrombocytopenia. In conclusion, HCVIDD/MA for the first-line treatment of PTCL patients is associated with significant myelosuppression leading to poor treatment adherence, and the response and survival outcomes with this regimen are similar to standard CHOP. This study was registered at www.clinicaltrials.gov as #NCT00290433.
One-Dimensional Protestantism

American Sociology: World Rejection of Religions and Their Directions, by Arthur Vidich and Stanford Lyman
Exact Reconstruction of Time Series with Arbitrary Bandwidths Formed by Merging Windowed DFT Spectral Bins

Overlapped and windowed fast Fourier transforms (FFT) are an efficient method of synthesizing a bank of equally spaced and equal bandwidth narrowband filters. Often there is need to recover, from these narrowband filters, the original input broadband time series or a reduced bandwidth version of that time series. This paper presents the constraints and the techniques required to recover time signals with arbitrary bandwidth from the sequence of transform outputs. In particular we address the processing technique to recover the time signal when, due to prunning of the FFT, alternate narrowband filter outputs are not available for the reconstruction.
Completely thrombosed giant aneurysm of the angular artery

Abstract An unusual case of a completely thrombosed giant aneurysm arising from the angular artery is reported. A 69-year-old woman developed a subarachnoid hemorrhage with a large intracranial hematoma. Computed tomography scans and cerebral angiography could not detect the aneurysm. The rarity of aneurysms in this position is stressed and the difficulty of diagnosis in this case is discussed.
Combinatory localized cytolysis with micron precision by acoustic transducer array for fast screening of drug induced cytoskeleton alteration

This paper reports combinatory localized-cytolysis by an array of MEMS ultrasonic transducers for fast screening of drug-induced cytoskeleton variation with fluorescence-stained cytolysis assay. An array of 6×6 Self Focused Acoustic transducers (SFATs) and disposable cell culture microwells were fabricated for the cytolysis and the fluorescence stain analysis. Cells were cultured in the microwells, and different drugs were applied to the cells to modify cell cytoskeletons. Multi-spot, localized cytolysis with micron precision was carried out with the SFAT array. Experimental results show that the SFAT array produced localized cytolysis with a focal spot of about 100–300 microns in diameter in multiple microwells, and the changes of the acoustic intensity threshold (AIT) for cytolysis were in accord with the alterations of the cytoskeleton induced by the drug treatments. Therefore, cytoskeleton-specific fast drug screening can be realized by observing the variation of the AIT. Since the SFAT array can lyse multiple cell samples within 3 minutes, it is easy to discern the lysed cells under fluorescent microscope, and the SFAT array system improves the efficiency and simplicity of the drug screening greatly.
Processing of semiconductor materials and devices by neutron irradiation

Abstract Large volume neutron irradiation processing of semiconductor materials and devices has stimulated a renewed interest in neutron damage in semiconductors. Recent neutron damage experiments in Si are presented. Thermal neutron irradiation for industrial transmutation doping of float zone Si and fast neutron damage for the reduction of soft errors in Si computer memories are discussed.
Studying Age-dependent Genomic Instability using the S. cerevisiae Chronological Lifespan Model

Studies using the Saccharomyces cerevisiae aging model have uncovered life span regulatory pathways that are partially conserved in higher eukaryotes1-2. The simplicity and power of the yeast aging model can also be explored to study DNA damage and genome maintenance as well as their contributions to diseases during aging. Here, we describe a system to study age-dependent DNA mutations, including base substitutions, frame-shift mutations, gross chromosomal rearrangements, and homologous/homeologous recombination, as well as nuclear DNA repair activity by combining the yeast chronological life span with simple DNA damage and mutation assays. The methods described here should facilitate the identification of genes/pathways that regulate genomic instability and the mechanisms that underlie age-dependent DNA mutations and cancer in mammals.