cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Weak response of saltmarsh infauna to ecosystem-wide nutrient enrichment and fish predator reduction: A four-year study

We examined the effect of whole-ecosystem manipulations of predator removal and nutrient enrichment on saltmarsh macroinfauna in the Plum Island Estuary, Massachusetts. Nitrate and phosphate loading rates were increased 10× above background levels in experimental creeks, and we significantly reduced (by 60%) the abundance of the killifish, Fundulus heteroclitus, a key predator in this system. Two creek pairs were manipulated; Creek Pair 1 for three growing seasons and Creek Pair 2 for one. Infaunal responses were examined in four habitats along the inundation gradient: mudflat, creek wall, Spartina alterniflora, and S. patens habitats. Although benthic microalgae increased synergistically in our treatments, we detected no long-term, population-level numerical response by any taxon. Similarly, no long-term species diversity or community responses were observed. However, nutrient enrichment increased the population biomass of the polychaete Manayunkia aestuarina in the creek wall habitat and the oligochaete Cernosvitoviella immota in the S. alterniflora habitat. No numerical or biomass responses of infauna were detected in predator removal treatments although indirect effects associated with killifish reduction may have contributed to an ephemeral interaction between nutrient addition and predator reduction in S. patens habitat. Our data suggest that population and community responses between benthic microalgae and macroinfauna are not tightly coupled even though some species benefit from increased benthic algae biomass by achieving larger body size.
Magnetoresistance of avalanching semiconductor diodes

The magnetoresistance of avalanching semiconductor diodes is analyzed in terms of the Lorentz force acting on a Maxwellian distribution of carriers, assuming a scattering mechanism characterized by a constant mean free path. At low current levels, the magneto-resistance only arises in the generation region close to the junction interface, and is a result of the reduction in the hot carrier temperature caused by the deflection of the carriers from their original trajectories. The fractional change in the maximum field strength in the junction to maintain the carrier temperature at its original value is shown to be ΔEm/Em = 0.388 (μ(Em) H)2 where μ(Em) is the conductivity mobility corresponding to the average scattering rate of carriers in equilibrium with the maximum field in the junction. This magnetoresistance may be determined through measurement of the change in reverse bias required to maintain a constant avalanche current through the device. At high current levels a correction must be made for the magnetoresistance of the bulk semiconductor in series with the exhaustion region. From measurements on a series of diodes with different breakdown field strengths, it is possible to measure the field dependence of the scattering rate of the majority carriers on the lower doped side of the junction at field strengths of interest in device operation. The predictions of the paper are in good agreement with experimental observations. Es wird der Magnetowiderstand von Halbleiter-Avalanche-Dioden mit der Lorentzkraft, die auf eine Maxwellverteilung von Ladungstragern wirkt, analysiert, wobei ein Streumechanismus angenommen wird, der durch eine konstante mittlere freie Weglange charakterisiert ist. Bei niedrigen Stromen entsteht der Magnetowiderstandseffekt in dem Generationsbereich in der Nahe der Ubergangsgrenzflache und ist ein Ergebnis der Verringerung der Temperatur der heisen Ladungstrager, die durch die Ablenkung der Ladungstrager von ihren ursprunglichen Bahnen verursacht wird. Es wird gezeigt, das die Teilanderung der maximalen Feldstarke am Ubergang, die die Ladungstragertemperatur auf ihrem ursprunglichen Wert halt, ΔEm/Em = 0,388 (μ(Em) H)2 ist, wobei μ(Em) die Leitfahigkeitsbeweglichkeit ist, die der mittleren Streurate der Ladungstrager im Gleichgewicht mit dem Maximalfeld im Ubergang entspricht. Dieser Magnetowiderstandseffekt kann durch Messung der Anderung der Vorspannung bestimmt werden, die erforderlich ist, um einen konstanten Lawinenstrom in der Diode aufrechtzuerhalten. Bei hohen Stromen mus eine Korrektur fur den Magnetowiderstandseffekt des Halbleitervolumens in Reihe mit der Vorarmungs region angebracht werden. Aus Messungen einer Reihe von Dioden mit unterschiedlicher Durchbruchsfeldstarke ist es moglich, die Feldabhangigkeit der Streurate der Majoritatstrager an der niederdotierten Seite des Ubergangs bei Feldstarken, die fur die Arbeitsbereiche des Elements interessant sind, zu messen. Die Vorhersagen der Arbeit befinden sich in guter Ubereinstimmung mit experimentellen Beobachtungen.
Macroconsumer effects on insect detritivores and detritus processing in a tropical stream

1. Few studies have assessed the effects of macroconsumers, such as fishes and shrimps, on detritus and detritivores. 2. We used an underwater electric field to prevent macroconsumers from feeding in and on leaf packs in a lowland stream in Costa Rica and thus to determine their effects on the density of insect detritivores and decay rates of leaves. 3. Exclusion of macroconsumers resulted in significantly higher densities of small invertebrates inhabiting leaf packs. Most of these were collector–gatherers, none were shredders. 4. Despite the increase in invertebrate density, decay rates of leaves were not statistically different. These findings contrast with results from temperate streams showing that increases in the density of invertebrates in leaf packs typically result in an increased rate of decay. 5. Leaf decay rates and invertebrate densities were also compared between leaf packs placed in electric exclusion treatments and those placed in coarse (2 cm) plastic net bags (as used in many previous studies). Our results suggest that using such netting in tropical streams may deter macroconsumers, which can affect insect density and, potentially, decay rates of organic matter.
Missing Feature Speech Recognition using Dereverberation and Echo Suppression in Reverberant Environments

This paper describes an algorithm that efficiently segregates desired speech features from spatially-separated interfering sources in reverberant environments. Although most binaural segregation techniques successfully remove interference components in the absence of reverberation, source segregation in reverberant environments remains a challenging problem. In order to reduce the effects of reverberation, we present a method that dereverberates input signals before they are segregated. The dereverberation filter is estimated from the autocorrelation of the observations and primarily deals with early reflections, while late reflections are effectively suppressed by an inhibitory mechanism that estimates their relative contribution in each time-frequency segment. Information about the salience of the target in a given time-frequency segment based on source separation is combined with the corresponding information based on reverberation suppression through the use of a continually-variable weighting function or mask. Use of the novel reverberation processing results in a relative decrease in WER of 11.5% to 20.9% and use of the combined approaches reduces relative WER by as much as 65.3%.
When does environmental variation most influence species coexistence

The ability of environmental variation to affect species coexistence is much studied, yet environmental variation is not always important. I present an approximate calculation for the long-run growth rate of a species in the presence of spatially and temporally correlated environmental variation. I then perform a factorial numerical experiment, varying the mean seed dispersal distances, competition radii, and overwinter seed survival probabilities for two competing species for an array of variational regimes, noting the effects on their long-run growth rates. I find, first, that purely spatial variation has a greater capacity for influence than variation with a temporal component. Second, spatiotemporal variation can promote coexistence as strongly as purely temporal variation or more so, given the right species traits. Third, if the environmental variation has a spatial component, traits which enable species to become spatially segregated promote coexistence most strongly. That is, it is the possibility of spatial segregation which gives spatial variation its large potential to promote coexistence.
Varicella-zoster virus (VZV) ORF17 protein induces RNA cleavage and is critical for replication of VZV at 37 degrees C but not 33 degrees C.

Varicella-zoster virus (VZV) open reading frame 17 (ORF17) is homologous to herpes simplex virus (HSV) UL41, which encodes the viral host shutoff protein (vhs). HSV vhs induces degradation of mRNA and rapid shutoff of host protein synthesis. An antibody to ORF17 protein detected a 46-kDa protein in VZV-infected cells. While HSV vhs is located in virions, VZV ORF17 protein was not detectable in virions. ORF17 protein induced RNA cleavage, but to a substantially lesser extent than HSV-1 vhs. Expression of ORF17 protein did not inhibit expression from a β-galactosidase reporter plasmid, while HSV type 1 vhs abolished reporter expression. Two VZV ORF17 deletion mutants were constructed to examine the role of ORF17 in virus replication. While the ORF17 VZV mutants grew to peak titers that were similar to those of the parental virus at 33°C, the ORF17 mutants grew to 20- to 35-fold-lower titers than parental virus at 37°C. ORF62 protein was distributed in a different pattern in the nuclei and cytoplasm of cells infected with an ORF17 deletion mutant at 37°C compared to 33°C. Inoculation of cotton rats with the ORF17 deletion mutant resulted in a level of latent infection similar to that produced by inoculation with the parental virus. The importance of ORF17 protein for viral replication at 37°C but not at 33°C suggests that this protein may facilitate the growth of virus in certain tissues in vivo.
Adoption of an Organizational Practice by Subsidiaries of Multinational Corporations: Institutional and Relational Effects

We examine the adoption of an organizational practice by subsidiaries of a multinational corporation (MNC) under conditions of “institutional duality.” Drawing on institutional theory, we identify ...
Farm Practice Attributes and Adoption Rates

This study provides a systematic analysis of relationships between attributes of innovations in one segment of agriculture and the rate at which those innovations have been accepted by farm operators. In several respects the data support other studies and discussions of the role of attributes of innovations in adoption: those new farm practices which are least complex and most nearly compatible with existing procedures tended to be adopted rapidly. Several other practice attributes were not related to speed of adoption in the expected manner: high cost practices were adopted at least as quickly as low cost practices; the possibility of trying an innovation on a small scale did not seem to encourage rapid adoption; and mechanical qualities, as such, were not factors in rapid adoption. Innovations which permit a saving of working time tended to be adopted rapidly, and there is some evidence for inferring that this attribute is given an unduly high priority in adoption decisions.
Regulation of proximal-distal intercalation during limb regeneration in the axolotl (Ambystoma mexicanum)

Intercalation is the process whereby cells located at the boundary of a wound interact to stimulate proliferation and the restoration of the structures between the boundaries that were lost during wounding. Thus, intercalation is widely considered to be the mechanism of regeneration. When a salamander limb is amputated, the entire cascade of regeneration events is activated, and the missing limb segments and their boundaries (joints) as well as the structures within each segment are regenerated. Therefore, in an amputated limb it is not possible to distinguish between intersegmental regeneration (formation of new segments/joints) and intrasegmental regeneration (formation of structures within a given segment), and it is not possible to study the differential regulation of these two processes. We have used two models for regeneration that allow us to study these two processes independently, and report that inter- and intrasegmental regeneration are different processes regulated by different signaling pathways. New limb segments/joints can be regenerated from cells that dedifferentiate to form blastema cells in response to signaling that is mediated in part by fibroblast growth factor.
Lysosomal Targeting of Palmitoyl-protein Thioesterase

Palmitoyl-protein thioesterase is a newly described long chain fatty-acid hydrolase that removes fatty acyl groups from modified cysteines in proteins. We have recently identified palmitoyl-protein thioesterase as the defective enzyme in the recessive hereditary neurological degenerative disorder infantile neuronal ceroid lipofuscinosis (Vesa, J., Hellsten, E., Verkruyse, L. A., Camp, L. A., Rapola, J., Santavuori, P., Hofmann, S. L., and Peltonen, L. (1995) Nature 376, 584–587). A defect in a lysosomal enzyme had been postulated for the disease, but until recently, the relevant defective lysosomal enzyme had not been identified. In this paper, we present evidence for the lysosomal localization of palmitoyl-protein thioesterase. We show that COS cells take up exogenously supplied palmitoyl-protein thioesterase intracellularly and that the cellular uptake is blocked by mannose 6-phosphate, a hallmark of lysosomal enzyme trafficking. The enzyme contains endoglycosidase H-sensitive oligosaccharides that contain phosphate groups. Furthermore, palmitoyl-protein thioesterase cosediments with lysosomal enzyme markers by Percoll density gradient centrifugation. Interestingly, the pH optimum for the enzyme is in the neutral range, a property shared by two other lysosomal enzymes that remove post-translational protein modifications. These findings suggest that palmitoyl-protein thioesterase is a lysosomal enzyme and that infantile neuronal ceroid lipofuscinosis is properly classified as a lysosomal storage disorder.
Agitation, wandering, pacing, restlessness, and repetitive mannerisms

Behavioral disturbances of dementia are associated not with cognitive decline but with progression of the disease and concomitant functional impairment. Thus, these distressing behaviors occur later in the course of the illness, at a time when caregivers' resources may be sorely taxed. Behavioral disturbances are often cited as precipitating placement in nursing homes.
Exposure to low oxygen tension and increased osmolarity enhance the ability of Mycobacterium avium to enter intestinal epithelial (HT-29) cells

Current evidence indicates that Mycobacterium avium infection in patients with AIDS is acquired mostly through the gastrointestinal (GI) tract and that M. avium binds to and invades GI mucosal cells in vitro. Since M. avium is exposed to specific environmental conditions in the GI tract such as changes in pH, low oxygen (O2) tension, increased osmolarity, and low concentration of iron, we investigated the effects of these conditions on the bacterium's ability to enter HT-29 intestinal cells. M. avium 101 (serovar 1) was cultured in 7H9 broth and then exposed to pH 4.5 to 8.0, low O2 tension, 0.1 to 0.3 M dextrose, and absence of iron for 2 h. After washing, bacteria (10(7)/ml) were used in the invasion assay. Confluent HT-29 cells were exposed to 10(6) bacteria for 1 h and then treated with amikacin (200 microg/ml) for 2 h to selectively kill extracellular but not intracellular M. avium. The supernatant was then removed, the monolayer was lysed, and the lysate was plated onto 7H10 agar plates. While exposure to acidic and basic pHs, as well as iron-free medium, had no significant effect on M. avium invasion of intestinal epithelial cells, low O2 tension and increased osmolarity enhanced invasion 11- and 9-fold, respectively, compared with the control. Exposure of M. avium to the combination of low O2 concentration and hyperosmolarity resulted in an approximate 10- to 15-fold increase in penetration of HT-29 cells. Hyperosmolarity and low O2 tension induced the invasive M. avium phenotype and can be useful for the identification of genes associated with M. avium invasion of intestinal mucosa.
Do-Not-Resuscitate and Stratification-of-Care Forms in Rhode Island

Congress passed the Patient Self-Determination Act of 1990 to ensure that patients are informed of their rights to express healthcare preferences in advance of loss of capacity. Thus, a patient may elect to forgo cardiopulmonary resuscitation in favor of a treatment approach that favors comfort over survival. Do-not-resuscitate and stratification-of-care forms provide a means for expression of healthcare preferences in hospitals. These forms can often guide the important discussion of healthcare preferences. Unfortunately, no clear standard exists for what should be included in do-not-resuscitate or stratification-of-care forms that institutions seeking to improve in this vital area of practice could use for guidance. Existing forms in use at adult general hospitals throughout Rhode Island were reviewed.
Collaborative content caching algorithms in mobile ad hoc networks environment

In this paper, we address the problem of collaborative video caching in ad hoc mobile networks. We consider network portraying static video server with wired interface to gateway node that is equipped with wireless interfaces, other nodes are requiring access to the video streams that is stored at video server. In order to reduce the average access latency as well as enhance the video accessibility, efficient video caching placement and replacement strategies are crucial at some of the distributed intermediate nodes across the network. Virtual backbone caching nodes will be elected by executing caching placement algorithm after running the routing protocol phase. The simulation results indicate that the proposed collaborative aggregate cache mechanism can significantly improve the video QoS in terms of packet loss and average packet delay.
Support service use patterns by early TANF leavers

The expansion of income and service supports to reinforce work efforts has been an important component of welfare reform. This chapter examines support service use patterns by leavers of Temporary Assistance to Needy Families, as well as reasons for nonuse of services.
A Practical SNR-Guided Rate Adaptation

Rate adaptation is critical to the system performance of wireless networks. Typically, rate adaptation is considered as a MAC layer mechanism in IEEE 802.11. Most previous work relies only on frame losses to infer channel quality, but performs poorly if frame losses are mainly caused by interference. Recently SNR- based rate adaptation schemes have been proposed, but most of them have not been studied in a real environment. In this paper, we first conduct a systematic measurement-based study to confirm that in general SNR is a good prediction tool for channel quality, and identify two key challenges for this to be used in practice: (1) The SNR measures in hardware are often uncalibrated, and thus the SNR thresholds are hardware dependent. (2) The direct prediction from SNR to frame delivery ratio (FDR) is often over optimistic under interference conditions. Based on these observations, we present a novel practical SNR- Guided Rate Adaptation (SGRA) scheme. We implement and evaluate SGRA in a real test-bed and compare it with other three algorithms: ARF, RRAA and HRC. Our results show that SGRA outperforms the other three algorithms in all cases we have tested.
Thermomechanical and thermo-optical properties of the LiCaAlF 6 :Cr 3+ laser material

Measurements of the intrinsic thermomechanical and thermo-optical properties of the new laser material LiCaAlF6:Cr3+ (known as Cr:LiCAF) are performed. Thermal diffusivity, heat capacity, thermal expansion, elastic constants, fracture toughness, and dispersion and temperature variation of the refractive index are all characterized for this material. In addition, the magnitude of the thermal lensing induced in a flash-lamp-pumped laser rod of Cr:LiCAF is measured and compared with the results obtained for an alexandrite laser rod in the same laser head. We find that the thermal lensing of Cr:LiCAF is favorably small and that the thermomechanical properties are expected to be adequate for applications at low and medium average power.
Emerging agents for the therapy of advanced prostate cancer

Since 2010, multiple advances have been made in the field of metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer including regulatory approvals for five new agents including androgen pathway inhibitors (enzalutamide, abiraterone acetate), immunotherapy (sipuleucel-T), cytotoxic chemotherapy (cabazitaxel) and radiopharmaceuticals (radium-223) that have improved overall survival in this patient population. Despite these advances, each therapy has only extended median survival by 3–5 months and data suggest substantial cross-resistance among them. Given these modest increments, there is a major role for the vigorous investigation of new drugs and predictive biomarkers to select suitable patients who will benefit from them. This review describes emerging promising agents and their ongoing clinical development.
Protein Expression Signatures for Inhibition of Epidermal Growth Factor Receptor-mediated Signaling

Analysis of cellular signaling networks typically involves targeted measurements of phosphorylated protein intermediates. However, phosphoproteomic analyses usually require affinity enrichment of phosphopeptides and can be complicated by artifactual changes in phosphorylation caused by uncontrolled preanalytical variables, particularly in the analysis of tissue specimens. We asked whether changes in protein expression, which are more stable and easily analyzed, could reflect network stimulation and inhibition. We employed this approach to analyze stimulation and inhibition of the epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) by EGF and selective EGFR inhibitors. Shotgun analysis of proteomes from proliferating A431 cells, EGF-stimulated cells, and cells co-treated with the EGFR inhibitors cetuximab or gefitinib identified groups of differentially expressed proteins. Comparisons of these protein groups identified 13 proteins whose EGF-induced expression changes were reversed by both EGFR inhibitors. Targeted multiple reaction monitoring analysis verified differential expression of 12 of these proteins, which comprise a candidate EGFR inhibition signature. We then tested these 12 proteins by multiple reaction monitoring analysis in three other models: 1) a comparison of DiFi (EGFR inhibitor-sensitive) and HCT116 (EGFR-insensitive) cell lines, 2) in formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded mouse xenograft DiFi and HCT116 tumors, and 3) in tissue biopsies from a patient with the gastric hyperproliferative disorder Menetrier's disease who was treated with cetuximab. Of the proteins in the candidate signature, a core group, including c-Jun, Jagged-1, and Claudin 4, were decreased by EGFR inhibitors in all three models. Although the goal of these studies was not to validate a clinically useful EGFR inhibition signature, the results confirm the hypothesis that clinically used EGFR inhibitors generate characteristic protein expression changes. This work further outlines a prototypical approach to derive and test protein expression signatures for drug action on signaling networks.
Support vector machines for classification of hyperspectral data

The support vector machine (SVM), recently introduced by Boser, Guyon, and Vapnik is useful in solving supervised classification in high dimensions. The authors discuss the SVM and its application to high dimensional hyperspectral data taken from NASA's AVIRIS sensor (224 bands) and from a commercially available sensor called AISA (20-40 bands), built by SPECIM of Finland. Traditionally, classifiers model the density of the various classes and then find a separating surface. However density estimation in high dimensions suffers from the Hughes effect, necessitating a feature selection step to reduce the dimensionality of the data. The SVM approach does not suffer this limitation because it directly seeks a separating surface through an optimization procedure that finds the exemplars that form the boundaries of the classes. These exemplars are called the support vectors. This is significant because it is usually true that there are a small subset of all the training data that are involved in defining the separating surface, i.e., those examples thatare closest to the separating surface. In addition, the SVM approach uses the kernel method, discussed below, to map the data with a non-linear transformation to a higher dimensional space and in that space attempts to find a linear separating surface between the two classes. Why the curse of dimensionality is not a problem for the kernel method is discussed below.
The Value of Advanced Interdisciplinary Classes for Students of Economics: Case Study of a 300-Level Class on Gender in the Economy

Interdisciplinary classes are valuable to students of economics for many reasons. This paper discusses three reasons why such classes, at an advanced level, are useful and important for students of economics. First, interdisciplinary classes have the potential to encourage theory building and critical thinking, especially through the use of primary sources. Second, interdisciplinary classes also provide students with a richer empirical understanding of the world, beyond the narrowly quantitative data used in most economics research. Fostering a ‘constructivist’ view of data, this facilitates future economists building the tools to tell marginalized stories. Lastly, interdisciplinary classes can create a diverse learning environment that facilitates peer learning about difficult subjects such as race, class, and gender. A case study of a 300-level class titled Gender in the Economy, in which a diverse group of students from backgrounds in women’s studies, economics, business, and American studies came together to study the economic history of gender, is used to explore such benefits.
Fast Algorithms for Signal Processing: Numbers and fields

Number theory has already been seen in earlier chapters of this book. It was used in the design of fast Fourier transform algorithms. We did make use of some ideas that only now will be proved. This chapter, which is a mathematical interlude, will develop the basic facts of number theory – some that were used earlier in the book and some that we may need later. We also return to the study of fields to develop the topic of an extension field more fully. The structure of algebraic fields will be important to the construction of number theory transforms in Chapter 10 and also to the construction of some multidimensional convolution algorithms in Chapter 11 and for some multidimensional Fourier transform algorithms in Chapter 12. Elementary number theory Within the integer quotient ring Z q , some of the elements may be coprime to q , and, unless q is a prime, others will divide q . It is important to us to know how many elements there are of each type. Definition 9.1.1 (Euler) The totient function, denoted ϕ(q), where q is an integer larger than one, is the number of nonzero elements in Z q that are coprime to q. For q equal to one, ϕ(q) = 1 . When q is a prime p , then all the nonzero elements of Z q are coprime to p , and so ϕ( p ) = p – 1 whenever p is a prime.
Person Knowledge and Attribution

The social neuroscience of person knowledge and attribution has revealed that the midline medial prefrontal and parietal cortices, along with the bilateral posterior temporal lobes and temporoparietal junction, are consistently and specifically activated by tasks that encourage participants to both consider others' mental states and make attributions about others' behaviors. Research suggests that these regions may be dissociable from one another such that the midline regions compute and represent information about enduring dispositions, whereas the lateral regions infer current goals and intentions.
Genetic Risk for Aortic Aneurysm in Adolescent Idiopathic Scoliosis.

Background: Scoliosis is a feature of several genetic disorders that are also associated with aortic aneurysm, including Marfan syndrome, Loeys-Dietz syndrome, and type-IV Ehlers-Danlos syndrome. Life-threatening complications of aortic aneurysm can be decreased through early diagnosis. Genetic screening for mutations in populations at risk, such as patients with adolescent idiopathic scoliosis, may improve recognition of these disorders. Methods: The coding regions of five clinically actionable genes associated with scoliosis ( COL3A1, FBN1, TGFBR1, TGFBR2, and SMAD3 ) and aortic aneurysm were sequenced in 343 adolescent idiopathic scoliosis cases. Gene variants that had minor allele frequencies of <0.0001 or were present in human disease mutation databases were identified. Variants were classified as pathogenic, likely pathogenic, or variants of unknown significance. Results: Pathogenic or likely pathogenic mutations were identified in 0.9% (three) of 343 adolescent idiopathic scoliosis cases. Two patients had pathogenic SMAD3 nonsense mutations consistent with type-III Loeys-Dietz syndrome and one patient had a pathogenic FBN1 mutation with subsequent confirmation of Marfan syndrome. Variants of unknown significance in COL3A1 and FBN1 were identified in 5.0% (seventeen) of 343 adolescent idiopathic scoliosis cases. Six FBN1 variants were previously reported in patients with Marfan syndrome, yet were considered variants of unknown significance based on the level of evidence. Variants of unknown significance occurred most frequently in FBN1 and were associated with greater curve severity, systemic features of Marfan syndrome, and joint hypermobility. Conclusions: Clinically actionable pathogenic mutations in genes associated with adolescent idiopathic scoliosis and aortic aneurysm are rare in patients with adolescent idiopathic scoliosis who are not suspected of having these disorders, although variants of unknown significance are relatively common. Clinical Relevance: Routine genetic screening of all patients with adolescent idiopathic scoliosis for mutations in clinically actionable aortic aneurysm disease genes is not recommended on the basis of the high frequency of variants of unknown significance. Clinical evaluation and family history should heighten indications for genetic referral and testing.
Factors Predicting an Escalation of Restrictive Eating During Adolescence.

Abstract Purpose To examine longitudinal risk factors and short-term risk correlates for the development of extreme forms of restrictive eating among adolescent dieters. Methods Data from Project Eating and Activity in Teens and Young Adults, a population-based study of 2,516 students aged 12–18 years, were collected in 1998–1999 (Time 1) and 5 years later (Time 2). Within this sample, 243 adolescents who reported dieting but not engaging in disordered forms of restrictive eating (e.g., fasting, skipping meals) at Time 1 were followed to determine the self-reported psychological, familial, and social variables predicting initiation of disordered restrictive eating at Time 2. To investigate short-term risk correlates of initiating disordered restrictive eating, the same risk factors were also compared cross-sectionally at Time 2 between the dieters who had and had not initiated disordered restrictive eating. Poisson regression models with robust standard errors were fit for each predictor adjusted for covariates. Results Depressive symptoms and low self-esteem were significantly associated with the initiation of disordered restrictive eating in both longitudinal and cross-sectional analyses. Poor family communication/caring and maternal dieting significantly predicted long-term risk for escalating restrictive eating severity; whereas, individual body image issues (i.e., weight concerns, body dissatisfaction) and social concerns (i.e., weight-related teasing, peer dieting) were significant short-term correlates of initiating disordered restrictive eating. Conclusions Depressive symptoms and low self-esteem may be especially important targets for risk identification and prevention for disordered restrictive eating. Intervening on family influences may decrease long-term risk, whereas intervening on body image and responses to social influences may decrease short-term risk for disordered restrictive eating.
On the Measurement of National Happiness Index

This paper aims to measure national happiness with the national happiness index and find the main factors that impact happiness. Based on population quality life index, social equity index, social progress index, social satisfaction index and environmental satisfaction index,a measurement for the national happiness index was constructed to calculate the national happiness indexes of Chinese urban residents,Chinese rural residents and all the Chinese in 1991—2012. The results showed that Chinese people's happiness has not simultaneously increased with income increase,and the most important factor impacting national happiness is the gap between the rich and the poor.
A Fast Motion Estimation Algorithm for Motion Complexity Decision

To improve the performance of motion estimation(ME),a new fast motion estimation algorithm is proposed for motion complexity decision(MC-FME).The algorithm adaptively estimates the frame-level motion complexity by using the frame texture information and the macro-block residual value at first,and then adaptively estimates the macro-block-level motion complexity by calculating the variations of predictions in the prediction set of the macro-block motion vectors.The complexity is finally used to estimate the motion.Experimental results and comparisons with the diamond search algorithm and the hierarchical motion estimation algorithm show that the proposed algorithm can get 5% to 21% reduction in the number of matched points and save 3% to 5% motion estimation time while the image quality is guaranteed.
Demographic Trends in New HIV Diagnoses in the U.S., 2009−2013

Introduction HIV testing is key to achieving the National HIV/AIDS Strategy goals. A new diagnosis metric evaluated whether testing services are reaching the remaining undiagnosed people living with HIV (PLWH), by subpopulation. Methods Centers for Disease Control and Prevention surveillance data from 2008 to 2013 were obtained for: (1) new HIV diagnoses; (2) HIV prevalence; and (3) percentage of PLWH aware of serostatus. The number of new HIV diagnoses in a given year divided by the number of undiagnosed PLWH in the previous year was determined. Trends were evaluated by calculating net percentage change in this measure from 2009 to 2013 for all new diagnoses and stratified by subpopulation. Analyses were conducted during 2015–2016. Results The proportion of all undiagnosed PLWH who achieve serostatus awareness was 26.0%, 25.9%, 26.1%, 27.7%, and 30.4% from 2009 to 2013, respectively. The absolute net change was 4.3% (5.2% for men and 0.5% for women). There was an absolute net change of 5.0%, 3.1%, and 5.5% for the black, Hispanic, and men who have sex with men communities, respectively. An absolute net change >10% was observed only for those aged 13–24 years (10.9%) and ≥65 years (17.8%), and for men who inject drugs (11.7%). Conclusions The proportion of undiagnosed PLWH who achieve serostatus awareness increased minimally from 2009 to 2013, especially for blacks, Hispanics, and men who have sex with men. Redirecting HIV testing efforts and funds to disproportionately affected communities is essential.
Automatic regionalization algorithm for distributed state estimation in power systems

The deregulation of the power system and the incorporation of generation from renewable energy sources recessitates faster state estimation in the smart grid. Distributed state estimation (DSE) has become a promising and scalable solution to this urgent demand. In this paper, we investigate the regionalization algorithms for the power system, a necessary step before distributed state estimation can be performed. To the best of the authors' knowledge, this is the first investigation on automatic regionalization (AR). We propose three spectral clustering based AR algorithms. Simulations show that our proposed algorithms outperform the two investigated manual regionalization cases. With the help of AR algorithms, we also show how the number of regions impacts the accuracy and convergence speed of the DSE and conclude that the number of regions needs to be chosen carefully to improve the convergence speed of DSEs.
My Baby Won’t Eat

It was just after lunch on a beautiful spring day, when a poison information specialist at the New Jersey Poison Center, and Bruce Ruck, the managing director, appeared at my office. They wanted to discuss a very interesting case and asked me to speak to a pediatric resident from a teaching hospital about an infant in their pediatric intensive care unit. The resident had called asking about how to treat a baby with the “gasping syndrome.”
Reconstructing Transient Images from Single-Photon Sensors

Computer vision algorithms build on 2D images or 3D videos that capture dynamic events at the millisecond time scale. However, capturing and analyzing transient images at the picosecond scale&#x2014;i.e., at one trillion frames per second&#x2014;reveals unprecedented information about a scene and light transport within. This is not only crucial for time-of-flight range imaging, but it also helps further our understanding of light transport phenomena at a more fundamental level and potentially allows to revisit many assumptions made in different computer vision algorithms. In this work, we design and evaluate an imaging system that builds on single photon avalanche diode (SPAD) sensors to capture multi-path responses with picosecond-scale active illumination. We develop inverse methods that use modern approaches to deconvolve and denoise measurements in the presence of Poisson noise, and compute transient images at a higher quality than previously reported. The small form factor, fast acquisition rates, and relatively low cost of our system potentially makes transient imaging more practical for a range of applications.
Nickel nanoparticles supported on silica for the partial oxidation of isooctane

Abstract A Ni-based nanoparticle catalyst was synthesized over a silica support via wet impregnation using either ethylene glycol or water. X-ray diffraction and transmission electron microscopy analysis showed that the particle size of the Ni catalyst prepared using ethylene glycol as the solvent tended to be smaller than that obtained when water was used. The resulting catalysts were tested for performance toward partial oxidation (POX) of isooctane at high weight hourly space velocities (WHSV). The results were compared with those from a Rh-based catalyst, which is commonly used for the same reaction. At a WHSV of 13.8 h −1 , a Ni/SiO 2 catalyst with an average Ni particle size of 6.8 nm exhibits higher catalytic activity and stability with an improved resistance to carbon formation than a Ni/SiO 2 catalyst with an average Ni particle size of 16.6 nm. The catalyst with the smaller Ni particles outperformed the supported Rh catalyst for the POX of isooctane. To further improve the Ni dispersion and enhance its ability to run at even higher WHSVs with milliseconds of residence time, ceria was used as a promoter. The ceria-promoted Ni catalyst was also prepared by the wet impregnation method using ethylene glycol as the solvent. The addition of ceria corresponded with a further reduction in the size of the Ni nanoparticles and improved Ni dispersion. Using the Ni-Ce/SiO 2 catalyst the WHSV could be increased up to 20.0 h −1 while still maintaining its good catalytic activity. At this high WHSV of 20.0 h -1 , the Ni/SiO 2 catalyst without the ceria promoter and the Rh catalyst showed severe deactivation due to the formation of surface carbon deposits.
Vinyl Acetate Formation on Au/Pd(100) Alloy Surfaces

The reaction between ethylene and acetate species on oxygen-covered Au/Pd(100) alloy surfaces is explored using reflection–absorption infrared spectroscopy and temperature-programmed desorption (TPD). Distinctly different behavior is found for alloys with less than ~ 0.5 monolayers (ML) of gold, where the alloy contains Pd‒Pd bridge sites, and alloys with gold coverages above ~ 0.5 ML, where only isolated Pd sites are available. Ethylene reacts with η2 acetate species on alloys with low gold coverages where it is found that acetate removal rate increases linearly with gold coverage with a concomitant decrease in carbon monoxide formation, indicating that the selectivity also increases. A different acetate species forms on the isolated palladium sites present on the alloy with high gold coverages, which exhibits infrared peaks at ~ 1450 and 1590 cm−1, as opposed to the characteristic frequency of ~ 1414 cm−1 found for the η2 acetate. It is confirmed that the infrared features are due to adsorbed acetate species by using TPD, but this form of adsorbed acetate is found to be completely unreactive with ethylene, even in a relatively high background pressure of ~ 2 Torr, compared with the η2 acetate species that react rapidly in the presence of ethylene pressures of ~ 10−4 Torr. The structure is assigned to a unidentate acetate species with a strong Pd‒O bond, in which the C=O group can interact with an adjacent gold atom and such a structure would rationalize the lack of reactivity with ethylene because ethylene insertion into the Pd‒O bond of this species would be prohibited. This result is surprising because previous catalytic measurements on model gold–palladium alloys under realistic conditions have shown that high-gold coverage Au/Pd(100) alloys are the most active. A possible explanation for this discrepancy is that the alloys become enriched by palladium under reaction conditions until the gold coverage is reduced below ~ 0.5 ML to yield a very catalytically active surface.
Cloud computing for genomic data analysis and collaboration

Next-generation sequencing has made major strides in the past decade. Studies based on large sequencing data sets are growing in number, and public archives for raw sequencing data have been doubling in size every 18 months. Leveraging these data requires researchers to use large-scale computational resources. Cloud computing, a model whereby users rent computers and storage from large data centres, is a solution that is gaining traction in genomics research. Here, we describe how cloud computing is used in genomics for research and large-scale collaborations, and argue that its elasticity, reproducibility and privacy features make it ideally suited for the large-scale reanalysis of publicly available archived data, including privacy-protected data.
Case Report: First Reported Combined Heart-Liver Transplant in a Patient With a Congenital Solitary Kidney.

Abstract We report a case of successful combined heart liver transplant in a patient with a congenital solitary kidney. The patient had normal renal function before combined heart-liver transplantation and developed acute kidney injury requiring slow continuous dialysis and subsequent intermittent dialysis for almost 8 weeks post transplantation. Her renal function recovered and she remains off dialysis now 7 months post transplantation. She only currently has mild chronic renal insufficiency. We believe this is the first reported case of successful heart liver transplant in a patient with a congenital solitary kidney.
The Long-Term Durability of Multilumen Concentric Percutaneous Spinal Cord Stimulator Leads.

Background Lead fracture is a well-known complication of cylindrical spinal cord stimulator leads. In order to reduce this complication, anchor design and techniques have been modified, but internal lead design has received little attention. Objectives The goal of this study was to study the impact of lead design by a retrospective determination of the fracture rate of multilumen concentric (MLC) 8-contact leads. Study design Retrospective chart review. Setting University teaching hospital. Methods A registry of spinal cord stimulator implants and corresponding billing data were used to identify patients. Procedural details were reviewed for technique, lead insertion, anchoring details, manufacturer, and lead longevity from 2002 to 2014. Data storage was in RedCap data-capturing software (REDCap eData Collection web-based application). All analyses were performed using SAS 9.3 (SAS Institute, Cary, NC, U.S.A.). Results In a near 12"-year time period, 172 patients received 305 permanently implanted 8-contact leads, with an overall fracture rate of 4.3%. Of these, 191 leads were of the MLC design. No lead fracture was observed in the MLC leads over an average 4.5 years of follow-up. Limitation Retrospective single center. Conclusion MLC lead design has the potential to significantly mitigate lead fracture.
An Imaginary Tale: The Story of . By Paul J. Nahin

(1999). An Imaginary Tale: The Story of . By Paul J. Nahin. The American Mathematical Monthly: Vol. 106, No. 6, pp. 593-594.
Have You Heard?: US journalistic “listening” in cacophonous times

This study seeks to understand “listening” as a practice and norm of journalism in the context of an eruption of journalistic discourse about listening surrounding the 2016 US election. An examinat...
Catheter-directed treatment for pulmonary embolism in light of current evidence

Pulmonary embolism (PE) is the leading cause of in-hospital morbidity and mortality and accounts for approximately 100,000 deaths in the United States and 300,000 deaths in Europe annually. Although societal guidelines for low- and high-risk PE are well established, the present management of submassive (intermediate)-risk PE is evolving. Catheter-directed thrombolysis (CDT) represents a viable treatment option for treatment of submassive PE given its ability to rapidly reduce right heart strain with an acceptably low rate of major hemorrhagic complication. The current review aims to discuss the existing guidelines and literature supporting CDT for PE and also to examine upcoming areas of future research to support its adoption in the algorithm for the management of submassive PE.