cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Model-free distributed learning

Model-free learning for synchronous and asynchronous quasi-static networks is presented. The network weights are continuously perturbed, while the time-varying performance index is measured and correlated with the perturbation signals; the correlation output determines the changes in the weights. The perturbation may be either via noise sources or orthogonal signals. The invariance to detailed network structure mitigates large variability between supposedly identical networks as well as implementation defects. This local, regular, and completely distributed mechanism requires no central control and involves only a few global signals. Thus, it allows for integrated, on-chip learning in large analog and optical networks. >
Regulation of Cell Contraction and Membrane Ruffling by Distinct Signals in Migratory Cells

Cell migration and wound contraction requires assembly of actin into a functional myosin motor unit capable of generating force. However, cell migration also involves formation of actin-containing membrane ruffles. Evidence is provided that actin-myosin assembly and membrane ruffling are regulated by distinct signaling pathways in the migratory cell. Interaction of cells with extracellular matrix proteins or cytokines promote cell migration through activation of the MAP kinases ERK1 and ERK2 as well as the molecular coupling of the adaptor proteins p130CAS and c-CrkII. ERK signaling is independent of CAS/Crk coupling and regulates myosin light chain phosphorylation leading to actin-myosin assembly during cell migration and cell-mediated contraction of a collagen matrix. In contrast, membrane ruffling, but not cell contraction, requires Rac GTPase activity and the formation of a CAS/Crk complex that functions in the context of the Rac activating protein DOCK180. Thus, during cell migration ERK and CAS/Crk coupling operate as components of distinct signaling pathways that control actin assembly into myosin motors and membrane ruffles, respectively.
Delayed platelet engraftment in group O patients after autologous progenitor cell transplantation

BACKGROUND: Fucosylated glycans, including H-antigen, play critical roles in hematopoietic progenitor cell homing, adhesion, growth, and differentiation. H-active antigens are strongly expressed on CD34+ progenitor cells and committed megakaryocytic progenitors and may mediate adhesion to marrow stromal fibroblasts. We examined the possible influence of donor ABO type on platelet (PLT) engraftment after autologous peripheral blood progenitor cell transplant (PBPCT). STUDY DESIGN AND METHODS: A retrospective analysis of all patients who underwent a single autologous PBPCT between 1996 and 2000 were reviewed. Neutrophil and PLT engraftment were compared by patient ABO type and CD34+ cell dose by t test, chi-square test, analysis of variance, Kaplan-Meier probability, and log-rank test. RESULTS: Engraftment data was available in 195 patients. PLT engraftment was delayed in all patients, regardless of ABO type, at CD34+ PBPC doses of 2 × 106 to 3 × 106 per kg (p 50 × 109/L) was significantly delayed in group O patients relative to all non-group O patients (32.4 days vs. 19.6 days, p < 0.001). Approximately 50 percent of group O patients required more than 40 days to achieve late PLT recovery (p < 0.005). CONCLUSIONS: A group O phenotype may be associated with delayed PLT engraftment at lower CD34 doses.
An ultra-low-power low-noise amplifier in 45nm SOI CMOS for portable EEG applications

There is a great demand for technologies that enable researchers to be able to measure “real-world” brain activity, i.e., activity recorded outside a clinical setting, such as would be required for portable brain-machine-interfaces (BMI). Presently, power is a major limiting factor to be able to conduct experiments outside a laboratory setting, either from restrictions due to the size and weight of the batteries or by requiring subjects to maintain and replace batteries, drastically limiting the usability of the systems.
Recent Literature on Lichens—179*

AHTI, T. 2000. Arvo Jaakko Juhani Jalas (1920–1999). Taxon 49: 321–323. 1 fig. [Although best known for his work with vascular plants, this well known Finnish botanist’s early publications also included lichens and bryophytes.] AHTI, T. 2000. Cladoniaceae. Flora Neotropica, 78. Organization for Flora Neotropica and New York Botanical Garden, Bronx. 362 pages. 215 fig. [Treatment of 4 genera, including Cladia (3 spp.), Cladina (16 spp.), Cladonia (164 spp.), and Pycnothelia (1 sp.). Also includes detailed introductory sections on history, morphology, chemistry, and biogeography, among others. New: Cladia globosa sp. nov. (Venezuela, Guyana), Cladina arbuscula subsp. boliviana (Ahti) comb. nov., C. arbuscula subsp. imshaugii (Ahti) comb. nov., C. arbuscula subsp. pachyderma subsp. nov. (Venezuela), C. atrans sp. nov. (Venezuela), C. kalbii sp. nov. (Brazil), C. kriegeri Ahti & S. Stenroos sp. nov. (Brazil), Cladonia anaemica (Nyl.) comb. nov., C. chimantae sp. nov. (Venezuela), C. cinerella sp. nov. (Bahama Archipelago, Florida, Cuba, Puerto Rico, Guadeloupe), C. crustacea sp. nov. (Brazil), C. curta Ahti & Marcelli sp. nov. (Brazil), C. cyanescens sp. nov. (Venezuela, Peru), C. farinophylla sp. nov. (Paraguay, Brazil), C. glabra sp. nov. (Ecuador, Peru), C. hians sp. nov. (Venezuela, Colombia), C. huberi sp. nov. (Venezuela), C. itatiaiae Ahti & Marcelli sp. nov. (Brazil), C. latiloba Ahti & Marcelli sp. nov. (Brazil, Uruguay), C. lingulata sp. nov. (Dominican Republic), C. marcelli Ahti & S. Stenroos sp. nov. (Brazil), C. megaphylla Ahti & Marcelli sp. nov. (Brazil), C. multipartita (Mull. Arg.) comb. nov., C. obscurata sp. nov. (Brazil), C. obtecta sp. nov. (Brazil), C. parvipes (Vainio) S. Stenroos comb. nov., C. piedadensis sp. nov. (Brazil), C. polystomata Ahti & Sipman sp. nov. (Brazil, Venezuela, Guyana), C. prancei sp. nov. (Brazil, Venezuela, Guyana, Suriname, Ecuador, Peru), C. pulverulenta (L. Scriba) comb. nov., C. pumila sp. nov. (Brazil), C. sipmanii sp. nov. (Guyana, Venezuela), C. spathulata sp. nov. (Dominican Republic), C. tachirae sp. nov. (Venezuela), Cladonia sect. Strepsiles sect. nov.] AHTI, T., MING-JOU LAI & ZHI-GUANG QIAN. 1999. Notes on the lichen flora of China: Parmeliaceae and Sphaerophoraceae. Fungal Science 14: 123–126. [New to China: Canoparmelia amazonica, Imshaugia aleurites, Parmelia omphalodes, P. masonii, and Parmelina tiliacea.] ALVAREZ ANDRES, J., A. TERRON ALFONSO & J. MARTINEZPINEIRO. 1999. Biodiversidad liquenica epifitica de Los Ancares (Leon, Lugo) en el NO de Espana [Epiphytic
Effects of Continuous Octreotide Infusion on Intraoperative Transfusion Requirements During Orthotopic Liver Transplantation.

Orthotopic liver transplantation (OLT) is often associated with major hemorrhage and a large red blood cell (RBC) transfusion requirement. Massive transfusion during OLT has been associated with decreased patient and graft survival. As a result, the anesthesiologist may use various techniques to decrease intraoperative blood loss and transfusion requirements, including maintenance of a low central venous pressure, antifibrinolytic drugs, cell salvage, and vasopressors. Due to its properties of splanchnic vasoconstriction and resultant decrease in portal venous blood flow, octreotide may decrease blood loss during the preanhepatic phase of OLT. We performed a retrospective review of 50 consecutive liver transplantations; a continuous octreotide infusion was used during the preanhepatic phase in 30 of these cases. We hypothesized that intraoperative transfusion requirements would be reduced in those patients treated with octreotide. Statistical analysis found that the number of RBCs transfused decreased from 20.4 U to 18.1 U when octreotide was used, although this result was not statistically significant (P = .5). Additional analysis found a significant positive correlation between the number of RBCs transfused and total operating room (OR) time, preoperative international normalized ratio (INR), and model for end-stage liver disease (MELD) and a negative correlation between the number of RBCs transfused and preoperative platelets and hemoglobin. Although our small study did not show a statistical difference in the number of units transfused, there was an absolute difference. A prospective, randomized trial would be useful in elucidating the true effect of octreotide on RBC transfusion requirements during OLT.
Books Not Burgers: Six Highly Effective Ways to Motivate and Retain Library Student Employees.

Although there is a healthy amount in the literature about the importance of motivating student library employees in an academic setting, very little of it discusses the practical aspects of how to motivate students. A supervisor must often use ideas from other disciplines, including the business world and academia. In this article, the author suggests six highly effective, yet cost-conscious methods that have been used successfully in an academic library setting to keep student employees motivated and to retain them year after year. These six methods are: (a) encouraging autonomy, (b) holding contests, (c) providing food, (d) being open to suggestions, (e) using employee strengths, and (f) celebrating seasonal or university-specific events.
Effect of enzymatic and mechanical methods of dissociation on neural progenitor cells derived from induced pluripotent stem cells

Abstract Purpose To determine the most effective method of dissociating neural stem and progenitor cells into a single-cell suspension. Materials/methods Induced pluripotent stem cells were differentiated toward the neural fate for 4 weeks before clusters were subjected to enzymatic (Accutase, trypsin, TrypLE, dispase, or DNase I) or mechanical (trituration with pipettes of varying size) or combined dissociation. Images of cells were analyzed for cluster size using ImageJ. Results Cells treated with the enzymes Accutase, TrypLE, or trypsin/EDTA, these enzymes followed by trituration, or a combination one of these enzymes followed by incubation with another enzyme, including DNase I, were more likely to be dissociated into a single-cell suspension. Conclusions Cells treated with enzymes or combinations of methods were more likely to be dissociated into a single-cell suspension.
Radiopharmaceuticals for Imaging in Oncology with Special Emphasis on Positron-Emitting Agents

Over the past twenty years, nuclear imaging has arguably had more impact on oncology than any other field of medicine, particularly due to the ability of nuclear imaging to provide functional information about tumors rather than anatomical images alone. As a result, the design, synthesis, and development of cancer-targeted radiopharmaceuticals, particularly those for positron emission tomography (PET), have become areas of significant and intense investigation. A wide variety of factors must be considered in the design and synthesis of a novel, effective cancer-targeted radiopharmaceutical, including the choice of a cancer-specific molecular target capable of producing high tumor-to-background contrast, the creation of a targeting molecule able to bind the target with high specificity and affinity, the selection of a radioisotope appropriate for the pharmacokinetics of the targeting molecule, the methodology for incorporating the radiolabel into the targeting molecule, and the synthetic strategy for radiolabeling the targeting molecule. By a wide margin, the most commonly employed PET tracer in oncology is [18F]-fluorodeoxyglucose ([18F]FDG), an FDA-approved radiopharmaceutical that concentrates in tumors due to the tendency of many neoplasms to possess up-regulated glycolytic pathways and over-expressed glucose transporters. However, [18F]FDG is far from the only cancer-targeted PET agent: a large number of effective radiopharmaceuticals have been developed to target other differences between neoplastic and normal tissue. Indeed, radiopharmaceuticals have been created to target over-expressed cell surface biomarkers (e.g. HER2/neu or PSMA), up-regulated processes in tumor cells (e.g. nucleic acid metabolism or amino acid transport), and traits of the tumor microenvironment (e.g. acidosis or hypoxia). In the following chapter, the fundamental principles of the design, synthesis, and development of small molecule, peptidic, and antibody-based radiopharmaceuticals will be presented along with a wide-ranging review of the most promising emerging cancer-targeted PET and SPECT imaging agents.
When Verbs Become Nouns

Lots of legal writing contains nouns that could have been verbs. These nouns wanted to be verbs-they really did. But lawyerly habits and the default patterns of legal writing made these verbs into nouns, and only you can put them back.
Embryological considerations on the bilateral reversed palmaris longus muscle: a case report in human

This study describes a rare case of bilateral reversed palmaris longus muscle. An unusual variation was observed during the male cadaver dissection (60-year-old White). According to the literature, a reversed palmaris longus muscle may cause a compartment syndrome in the wrist area, carpal tunnel, and Guyon's syndrome. Moreover, this particular variation of the reversed palmaris longus muscle is rarely reported and has the potential to cause compression of both the median and ulnar nerves. Thus, the described variation is also useful to the hand surgeon, as the anomalous muscle is an anatomical landmark for operations at this area. Morphological variability and clinical significance are reviewed.
Newborn With Multiple Congenital Anomalies

He was transferred to our facility for evaluation of multiple congenital anomalies (Figure 1). Figure 1. ### Physical Examination
Regulation of Hyaluronic Acid Capsule Production by the has Operon Promoter in Group A Streptococci

Streptococcus pyogenes or group A Streptococcus (GAS) is an important cause of infections including pharyngitis, skin and soft tissue infections, as well as the postinfectious autoimmune syndromes of poststreptococcal glomerulonephritis and acute rheumatic fever.
Correlation of human menopausal gonadotropin human chorionic gonadotropin stimulation and oocyte quality in an in vitro fertilization program

One hundred forty-seven cycles in normal ovulatory patients are reported. All were stimulated with human menopausal/human chorionic gonadotropin. Three estrogen responses were identified: normal, high, and low. Patients who achieved pregnancy formed a fourth category, the pregnancy group. The number of preovulatory and immature oocytes, the preovulatory and immature oocytes that fertilized normally or abnormally, the ones that cleaved in culture, and the ones that were transferred were used as parameters to compare quality of the oocytes in each of the estrogen responders. No significant differences were found in any of them. Abnormal zonae pellucidae are described as possibly due to overmaturation of the follicle. No significant difference in the proportion of abnormal zonae in the different categories was found.
Niacin I: Dissolution Profiles of Sustained-Release Niacin Products by Automated and Manual Procedures.

Automated and manual procedures were developed to obtain dissolution profiles of sustained-release niacin formulations. The procedures are based on the United States Pharmacopeia XXII apparatus 1 (basket) at 100 rpm with 900 mL 0.1N HCl as the dissolution medium. Filtered aliquots are read at 260 nm. No interference was found from excipients. The procedures are straightforward and will discriminate between sustained-release and regular niacin formulations.
CRITICAL PATH METHODS

This chapter reviews the basis of the critical path method (CPM) model and the CPM algorithm. It also discusses the way by which the algorithm may be programmed into a system designed to perform the day-to-day scheduling of activities. CPM is a network-based method used to determine the earliest and latest times that activities within a project may start if that project is to be finished in the shortest possible time. CPM is of interest to the systems analyst for four reasons: (1) it may be the solution to a client's problem; (2) it may be an important element in a tailor-made system designed to solve the client's problem; (3) it forms the basis for more elaborate algorithms, such as resource constrained scheduling methods; and (4) it may be used by the systems analyst to manage his own activities. CPM can be used whenever a project can be partitioned into activities with fixed durations. Algorithms to calculate the earliest start times for individual activities are based on the premise that an activity cannot start until all its predecessor activities have been completed. The earliest start time for an activity is the exact moment that the last of the activity's predecessor activities finishes. CPM is valuable as a tool to assist in the day-to-day management of an ongoing project. Day-to-day control can present a situation where the problem is continually changing as activities are delayed or finished ahead of schedule and as precedence requirements change.
Track estimation using link line crossing information in wireless networks

Device-free or non-cooperative localization uses the changes in signal strength measured on links in a wireless network to estimate a person's position in the network area. Existing methods provide an instantaneous coordinate estimate via radio tomographic imaging or location fingerprinting. In this paper, we explore the problem of, after a person has exited the area of the network, how can we estimate their path through the area? We present two methods which use recent line crossings detected by the network's links to estimate the person's path through the area. We assume that the person took a linear path and estimate the path's parameters. One method formulates path estimation as a line stabbing problem, and another method is a linear regression formulation. Through simulation we show that the line stabbing approach is more robust to false detections, but in the absence of false detections, the linear regression method provides superior performance.
The Importance of the Uranium-238 Inelastic Transfer Matrix for Fast-Reactor Analysis

The /sup 238/U inelastic scattering was modified to reflect the recently recommended larger values for the 45-keV (2/sup +/) and 146-keV (4/sup +/) levels. The partial inelastic cross sections for the other levels given in ENDF/B-IV between 0.8 and 3.7 MeV were accordingly decreased such as to keep the total inelastic cross section unchanged. To investigate the consequences of these modifications three fast-neutron assemblies have been analyzed. The above modifications result in a general improvement between calculated and measured fast-reactor parameters.
Nucleic acid amplification methodologies for the detection of pulmonary mold infections

ABSTRACTIntroduction: The detection of pulmonary mold infections has historically required technically demanding methods obtained through invasive procedures. Nucleic acid amplification assays have the potential to circumvent the technical hurdles associated with diagnosis, but are not without potential pitfalls.Areas covered: In this paper, the authors review new assays for the diagnosis of pulmonary mold infections due to aspergillosis, mucormycosis, and hyalohyphomycoses as well as uncommon infections caused by dematiaceous molds.Expert commentary: Nucleic acid amplification assays have the potential to rapidly identify patients with invasive mycoses and could shorten the time to implementation of appropriate antimicrobial therapy. However, selection of appropriate patient populations will be crucial to ensure the highest Bayesian positive predictive value for any novel diagnostic platform.
Pathologic nodal response in gastric cancer: Do all patients need adjuvant therapy?

107Background: Recent data from the MAGIC trial show that pathologically positive lymph nodes (ypN+) despite neoadjuvant (NA) chemotherapy are associated with poorer survival. Although the use of NA therapy has increased, pathologic disease response to multimodality therapy (MMT) and its impact on outcome have not been well-defined. Methods: This retrospective cohort study of the National Cancer Database included patients with cN+ gastric cancer who underwent NA therapy followed by surgical resection between 2006 and 2012. Patients were categorized by NA treatment (chemotherapy or concurrent chemoradiation). Pre-treatment clinical (cN) and pathologic nodal staging (ypN) were used to determine downstaging rates from cN+ to ypN0. The association between overall risk of death and NA treatment, nodal response, and the use of adjuvant therapy was evaluated with multivariable Cox regression. Results: Among 1,489 patients with cN+ gastric cancer receiving NA therapy, 45.5% were treated with chemotherapy and 54.5...
Attributes of nuclear imaging centers impacting physician referrals for single-photon emission computed tomography myocardial perfusion imaging tests.

AbstractAim: To evaluate nuclear imaging center attributes that cardiologists and primary care physicians (PCPs) consider when referring patients for single-photon emission computed tomography myocardial perfusion imaging (SPECT-MPI) tests, and how these attributes impact physician referral decisions in the United States.Methods: A targeted literature review and seven one-to-one interviews with physicians and imaging center directors were conducted to identify attributes that could impact physicians’ referral decisions. The impact of the identified attributes was assessed via an online discrete choice survey among eligible PCPs and cardiologists randomly selected from a nationally representative panel, and quantified with an odds ratio (OR) scale estimated with a multivariable logistic regression.Results: Nine two-level attributes were identified: ease of the referral process, waiting time for tests, insurance preauthorization assistance, time to receive results, conclusive test reports, patient satisfact...
Towards production-run heisenbugs reproduction on commercial hardware

We present a new technique, H3, for reproducing Heisenbugs in production runs on commercial hardware. H3 integrates the hardware control flow tracing capability provided in recent Intel processors with symbolic constraint analysis. Compared to a state-of-the-art solution, CLAP, this integration allows H3 to reproduce failures with much lower runtime overhead and much more compact trace. Moreover, it allows us to develop a highly effective core-based constraint reduction technique that significantly reduces the complexity of the generated symbolic constraints. H3 has been implemented for C/C++ and evaluated on both popular benchmarks and real-world applications. It reproduces realworld Heisenbugs with overhead ranging between 1.4%- 23.4%, up to 8X more efficient than CLAP, and incurs only 4.9% runtime overhead on PARSEC benchmarks.
Childhood body mass index is associated with early dental development and eruption in a longitudinal sample from the Iowa Facial Growth Study.

Introduction Children with high body mass index (BMI) values have been demonstrated to have precocious dental development. Research has largely focused on cross-sectional data sets, leaving an incomplete understanding of the longitudinal relationship between BMI and dental maturation. Methods We used a pure longitudinal growth series to examine the relationship between dental development and childhood BMI. Periapical radiographs from 77 children from the Iowa Growth Study were used to estimate dental development for those with high BMI values. Results We confirmed prior studies in finding that children with higher BMI values were more likely to have advanced dental development for their ages (P Conclusions High BMI values at young ages predict advanced dental development at later times, suggesting a long-term effect of BMI on dental maturation and implying the need for earlier orthodontic interventions in obese children. These results corroborate those of previous studies, building further evidence that relatively early dental eruption is another consequence of childhood obesity.
The Hermeneutic Versus the Scientific Conception of Psychoanalysis: An Unsuccessful Effort to Chart a Via Media for the Human Sciences

According to the so-called “hermeneutic” reconstruction of classical psychoanalytic theory, the received scientific conception of the Freudian enterprise gave much too little explanatory weight to so-called “meaning” connections between unconscious motives, on the one hand, and overt symptoms on the other. Thus in a paper on schizophrenia, the German philosopher and professional psychiatrist Karl Jaspers [8, p. 91] wrote: “In Freud’s work we are dealing in fact with [a] psychology of meaning, not causal explanation as Freud himself thinks.” The father of psychoanalysis, we are told, fell into a “confusion of meaning connections with causal connections.”
Tobacco company strategies to identify and promote the benefits of nicotine.

Background In response to a changing regulatory and consumer landscape, tobacco companies developed new strategies to promote cigarettes and smoking. We examined one of these strategies: to fund and conduct scientific research related to potential benefits of nicotine, and to use their findings to promote nicotine. Methods Qualitative analysis of previously secret tobacco industry documents from the Truth (formerly Legacy) Tobacco Documents Library (industrydocuments.library.ucsf.edu/tobacco), triangulated with data from other sources, including the online search engine Google, from the 1970s to December 2017. Results After publication of the 1988 Surgeon General’s report on nicotine addiction, tobacco companies (particularly RJ Reynolds) intensified efforts to promote the benefits of nicotine while downplaying its addictiveness and health risks. Activities included building relationships with academic institutions and funding scientific studies of the benefits of nicotine on cognition and other performance areas through intramural and extramural programmes. Companies then promoted their research findings through public relations campaigns, often minimising nicotine’s health risks by comparing it to caffeine or coffee. These comparisons appeared in highly publicised scientific meetings and interviews with the press. Nicotine-positive messages reappeared in the popular press and on some company websites in the 2010s. Conclusions Tobacco companies implemented strategies to promote benefits of nicotine to scientific and general audiences while minimising its health risks. These strategies reappeared at the time novel tobacco products like electronic cigarettes were introduced. A greater awareness of the source of claims related to purported benefits of nicotine could inform discussions about emerging tobacco products.
Framework for Speech-Language Pathology Services in Patients with Oral Cavity and Oropharyngeal Cancers.

This article provides a framework speech-language pathology services to optimize functional outcomes of patients with oral cavity and oropharyngeal cancers. Key principles include (1) a proactive rehabilitation model that minimizes intervals of disuse or inactivity of speech and swallowing systems, (2) standardized evaluation paradigms that combine objective instrumental assessments with patient-reported outcome measures, and (3) systematic methods for surveillance and intensive rehabilitation for late dysphagia.
New England Offers Sound Advice for Building: Ice Hockey Rinks

Abstract Between 1948 and 1958 approximately 30 new artificial rinks were constructed in the New England area alone. The information presented here purposes to aid those who are interested in the costs of building, maintaining, and operating various kinds of ice hockey rinks. The data were compiled from answers to a questionnaire sent to schools and colleges in the New England area which have recently acquired hockey rinks; figures quoted are educated guesses based on the average of figures submitted by the ten reporting institutions.
Converting existing transmission corridors to HVDC is an overlooked option for increasing transmission capacity

A changing generation mix and growing demand for carbon-free electricity will almost certainly require dramatic changes in the infrastructure and topology of the electricity system. Rather than build new lines, one way to minimize social opposition and regulatory obstacles is to increase the capacity of existing transmission corridors. In addition to upgrading the capacity of high-voltage alternating current (HVAC) lines, we identify a number of situations in which conversion from HVAC to high-voltage direct current (HVDC) is the least-cost strategy to increase the capacity of the corridor. If restricted to the existing right-of-way (ROW), we find DC conversion to be the least-cost, and in some cases the only, option for distances of >200 km or for increases of >50% capacity. Across all configurations analyzed, we assess HVDC conversion to be the lower-cost option at >350 km and >50% capacity increases. While we recognize that capacity expansion through HVDC conversion may be the optimal solution in only some situations, with future improvements in the cost and performance of solid-state power electronics, conversion to HVDC could be attractive in a growing set of circumstances.
Technique for Placement of Silastic® Continuous Epidural Conduit

Recent reports have documented the analgesic potency of epidurally administered morphine in relieving both acute and chronic pain states. This approach is limited by the necessity for repeated injections and the risk of epidural infection when the commonly used commercial continuous percutaneous epidural catheters are implanted. The authors herein describe a technique for percutaneous epidural placement of a highly flexible Silastic® catheter with subcutaneous tunnelling away from the epidural site to reduce the infection risk. This technique may provide continuous epidural access percutaneously. Alternatively, continuous analgesia might be accomplished by a subcutaneously implanted pump attached to this epidural conduit.
Influence of Selected Fungicides on in vitro Growth of Artillery Fungi (Sphaerobolus spp.)

Abstract We tested the inhibitory effect of 14 fungicides, 13 of which were known to be effective against the basidiomycete Agaricus, at 5 and 20 ppm on the in vitro growth of three species of artillery fungi: Sphaerobolus iowensis, S. stellatus, and a previously undescribed Sphaerobolus sp. Captafol, epoxiconazole, thiophanate-methyl, triflumizole, and triphenyltin acetate were the most effective inhibitors against all three Sphaerobolus species, and the reduction in growth was directly related to fungicide concentration. Chloroneb, chlorothalonil/zinc oxide, fuberidazole, glyodin, and tolylfluanid showed varying results, depending on fungal species and fungicide concentration; however, they were much less effective than the previous five fungicides. Dazomet, dinocap, folpet, and ferbam failed to slow the growth of any artillery fungi at either concentration. This preliminary study revealed that certain fungicides suppress growth of artillery fungi and should be further tested in the field.
Physical Activity for Lent: Changes in and Associations between Religiosity, Enjoyment, Motivation, and Physical Activity.

ABSTRACTPurpose: Given the unequal distribution of physical activity (PA) opportunities across middle schools, alternative options for promoting it should be explored. Faith-based schools are posit...
The health burden fall, winter and spring extreme heat events in the in Southern California and contribution of Santa Ana Winds

Background: Extreme heat is associated with increased morbidity but most studies examine this relationship in warm seasons. In Southern California, Santa Ana winds (SAWs) are associated with high temperatures during the fall, winter and spring, especially in coastal region. Objectives: Our aim was to examine the relationship between hospitalizations and extreme heat events in the fall, winter and spring, and explore the potential interaction with SAWs. Methods: Hospitalizations from 1999-2012 were obtained from the Office of Statewide Health Planning and Development Patient Discharge Data. A time-stratified case crossover design was employed to investigate the association between off-season heat and hospitalizations for various diagnoses. We examined the additive interaction of SAWs and extreme heat events on hospitalizations. Results: Over 2 million hospitalizations occurred in the Southern California coastal region during non-summer seasons. The 99th percentile-based thresholds that we used to defined extreme heat events varied from a maximum temperature of 22.8 oC to 35.1 oC. In the fall and spring, risk of hospitalization increased for dehydration (OR: 1.23, 95% CI: 1.04, 1.45 and OR: 1.47 95% CI: 1.25, 1.71, respectively) and acute renal failure (OR: 1.35, 95% CI: 1.15, 1.58 and OR: 1.39, 95% CI: 1.19, 1.63, respectively) during 1-day extreme heat events. We also found an association between 1-day extreme heat events and hospitalization for ischemic stroke, with the highest risk observed in December. The results indicate that SAWs correspond to extreme heat events, particularly the winter. Finally, we found no additive interaction with SAWs. Discussion: Results suggest that relatively high temperatures in non-summer months are associated with health burdens for several hospitalization outcomes. Heat action plans should consider decreasing the health burden of extreme heat events year-round.
Statistical Learning Methods for Optimizing Dynamic Treatment Regimes in Subgroup Identification

Many statistical learning methods have been developed to optimize multistage dynamic treatment regimes (DTRs) and identify subgroups that most benefit from DTRs using data from sequential multiple assignment randomized trials (SMARTs) and for observational studies. These methods include regression-based Q-learning and classification-based outcome-weighted learning. For the latter, a variety of loss functions can be considered for classification, such as hinge loss, ramp loss, binomial deviance loss, and squared loss. Furthermore, data augmentation can be used to further improve learning performance. In this chapter, we describe the development of an R-package, namely “DTRlearn2”, to incorporate the methods from Q-learning and outcome-weighted learning to be widely used for medical clinical trials and public health observational studies. We illustrate the new R package via application to data from a 2-stage ADHD study. We compare the performance of different learning methods that are obtained from the package. The analysis reveals that children with medication history can benefit from starting treatment of behavioral modification.
Chapter 11 – Work environment

This chapter discusses the impact of work environments on human performance. Particular attention is paid to the work environment’s influence on fatigue risk management. Lighting, temperature, and noise levels are some of the factors discussed, including how different levels can influence sleepiness or alertness. Sources for additional information are also provided.
Multi-morphology lattices lead to improved plastic energy absorption

Abstract While lattice metamaterials can achieve exceptional energy absorption by tailoring periodically distributed heterogeneous unit cells, relatively little focus has been placed on engineering heterogeneity above the unit-cell level. In this work, the energy-absorption performance of lattice metamaterials with a heterogeneous spatial layout of different unit cell architectures was studied. Such multi-morphology lattices can harness the distinct mechanical properties of different unit cells while being composed out of a single base material. A rational design approach was developed to explore the design space of these lattices, inspiring a non-intuitive design which was evaluated alongside designs based on mixture rules. Fabrication was carried out using two different base materials: 316L stainless steel and Vero White photopolymer. Results show that multi-morphology lattices can be used to achieve higher specific energy absorption than homogeneous lattice metamaterials. Additionally, it is shown that a rational design approach can inspire multi-morphology lattices which exceed rule-of-mixtures expectations.
Mapping the clean air haves and have-nots.

Abstract Gap junctions have well-established roles in cell-cell communication by way of forming permeable intercellular channels. Less is understood about their internalization, which forms double membrane vesicles containing cytosol and membranes from another cell, called connexosomes or annular gap junctions. Here, we systematically studied the fate of connexosomes in intact ovarian follicles. High pressure frozen, serial sectioned tissue was immunogold labeled for Connexin 43. Within a volume of electron micrographs, every labeled structure was categorized and counted. Surface area measurements indicate that large connexosomes undergo fission. Subsequent modifications are separation of inner and outer membranes, loss of Cx43 from the outer membrane, and outward budding of the modified membranes. We also documented several clear examples of organelle transfer from one cell to another by gap junction internalization. We discuss how connexosome formation and processing may be a novel means for gap junctions to mediate cell-cell communication.
Goles Berlin, goles Pariz: The Kultur-lige’s Unsuccessful Effort to Cultivate a Transnational Yiddishist Organization (1921–1924)

A Yiddishist cultural organization, the Kultur-lige was founded in Kiev in 1918 on the principle of umparteyishkeyt (non-partisanship). After successfully working in several cultural fields, even i...
Crafting Adversarial Examples for Deep Learning Based Prognostics (Extended Version).

In manufacturing, unexpected failures are considered a primary operational risk, as they can hinder productivity and can incur huge losses. State-of-the-art Prognostics and Health Management (PHM) systems incorporate Deep Learning (DL) algorithms and Internet of Things (IoT) devices to ascertain the health status of equipment, and thus reduce the downtime, maintenance cost and increase the productivity. Unfortunately, IoT sensors and DL algorithms, both are vulnerable to cyber attacks, and hence pose a significant threat to PHM systems. In this paper, we adopt the adversarial example crafting techniques from the computer vision domain and apply them to the PHM domain. Specifically, we craft adversarial examples using the Fast Gradient Sign Method (FGSM) and Basic Iterative Method (BIM) and apply them on the Long Short-Term Memory (LSTM), Gated Recurrent Unit (GRU), and Convolutional Neural Network (CNN) based PHM models. We evaluate the impact of adversarial attacks using NASA's turbofan engine dataset. The obtained results show that all the evaluated PHM models are vulnerable to adversarial attacks and can cause a serious defect in the remaining useful life estimation. The obtained results also show that the crafted adversarial examples are highly transferable and may cause significant damages to PHM systems.
Predicting fine-scale forage distribution to inform ungulate nutrition

Abstract The quantity and nutritional quality of forage are key drivers for ungulate populations, including mule deer (Odocoileus hemionus) and Rocky Mountain elk (Cervus elaphus nelsoni), in the western U.S., but current vegetation maps are too coarse spatially and temporally to effectively characterize fine-scale habitat. To address some of these gaps, we tested a novel approach using existing vegetation surveys, maps, and remotely sensed data to develop fine-scale forage species distribution models (SDMs) across Idaho, USA. We modelled 20 forage species that are suitable for mule deer and Rocky Mountain elk. Climatic, topographic, soil, vegetation, and disturbance variables were attributed to approximately 44.3 million habitat patches generated using multi-scale object-oriented image analysis. Lasso logistic regression was implemented to produce predictive SDMs. We evaluated if the inclusion of distal environmental variables (i.e., indirect effects) improved model performance beyond the inclusion of proximal variables (i.e., direct physiological effect) only. Our results showed that all models provided higher predictive accuracy than chance, with an average AUC across the 20 forage species of 0.84 for distal and proximal variables and 0.81 for proximal variables only. This indicated that the addition of distal variables improved model performance. We validated the models using two independent datasets from two regions of Idaho. We found that predicted forage species occurrence was on average within 10% of observed occurrence at both sites. However, predicted occurrences had much less variability between habitat patches than the validation data, implying that the models did not fully capture fine-scale heterogeneity. We suggest that future efforts will benefit from additional fine resolution (i.e., less than 30 m) environmental predictor variables and greater accounting of environmental disturbances (i.e., wildfire, grazing) in the training data. Our approach was novel both in methodology and spatial scale (i.e., resolution and extent). Our models can inform ungulate nutrition by predicting the occurrence of forage species and aide habitat management strategies to improve nutritional quality.
A New and Reinvigorated Research Agenda for U.S. Local Governments

This essay offers a perspective on a new and reinvigorated research agenda for the study of U.S. local governments. It reports on the ideas and reflections of a set of local government scholars wit...
Expanding African Queer Visual Activism Within and Beyond the Continent: A Look into the Genre’s Past(s), Present, and Future(s)

This article examines the origin of the term “visual activism” in the context of post-independence South Africa, and further reflects on its development in response to anti-gay legislation in contemporary Nigeria and Uganda. The emergence of an explicitly queer strain of visual activism on the continent was sanctioned by South Africa’s pro-gay Constitution and propagated by the works of photographer Zanele Muholi. Whereas South Africa’s sociopolitical context has permitted the expression of queer visual activism through forms of photography and documentary media in Nigeria and Uganda, this expression has been routinely monitored and suppressed by such policies as the Same-Sex Marriage (Prohibition) Bill (SSMPA) and the Anti-Homosexuality Bill, respectively. This study specifically references the works of South African Muholi in conversation with those of Nigerian-American Adejoke Tugbiyele and Ugandan native Leilah Babirye as a means to articulate how these punitive national policies have forced contemporary queer visual activists to adopt expressive rather than representational forms of visual protest. This paper identifies a distinct difference in epistemological origin, aesthetic composition, and formal materiality across the practices of Muholi, Tugbiyele, and Babirye in order to explore the multiplicity of the genre as well as broaden conventional conceptions of African queer visual activism.
Incorporation of proline analogs into recombinant proteins expressed in Escherichia coli

Proline residues are unique in the extent to which they constrain the conformational space available to the protein backbone. Because the conformational preferences of proline cannot be recapitulated by any of the other proteinogenic amino acids, standard mutagenesis approaches that seek to introduce new chemical functionality at proline positions unavoidably perturb backbone flexibility. Here, we detail the incorporation of proline analogs into recombinant proteins in Escherichia coli via a residue-specific mutagenesis strategy. This approach results in global replacement of proline residues with high yields of the recombinant protein of interest, minimal genetic manipulation, and maintenance of backbone conformational constraints.
Efficient Facilities for Handling Cattle

It is well known to the seasoned practitioner that the livestock facilities you must use can make or break you. The practitioner is exposed to all types of restraining devices-all the way from the lariat to super effective, quietly operating hydraulic mechanisms. At any facility, design must be such to protect people and livestock from injury and to move animals smoothly. We all know that once you have been on a specific farm or ranch to work a considerable number of cattle, it is relatively easy to predict working time the next time you are called to that place. As human nature is, we know that only some operators will improve their facilities to enhance safety and working time.
A Continuous-Discontinuous Galerkin Method for the Modeling and Simulation of Electromagnetic Multiscale Problems

Many electromagnetic problems involve multiscale issues, which are usually induced by the size differences of the geometrical features in different parts of the objects under consideration. Typical examples of multiscale problems include the modeling and simulation of antenna arrays, integrated circuits, and electrical machines. To accurately and efficiently solve such problems, two challenges have to be properly addressed. The first challenge comes from the infamous low-frequency breakdown catastrophe, which refers to the fact that when applied to solve electrically small problems, the vector Helmholtz equation for the electrical field generates erroneous numerical solutions. As a result, the vector Helmholtz equation cannot be applied directly to solve multiscale problems where small features are unavoidable. The second challenge results from the geometrical discretization of the object. Due to the presence of both tiny geometrical features and the overall large-sized object, a tremendous number of unknowns need to be handled by a numerical method.
Feature selection for healthcare study: Modified WSM and Machine Learning approach

Over a past decade it has been observed that a good research is done in healthcare using Machine Learning(ML) and Deep Learning(DL). To carry on the research or implementation using ML or DL, the main concern is database fields or feature selection for the implementation to be done based on the disease or diagnosis method. This paper mainly focus on the two methodologies for feature selection, the first method is a survey based method with Modified Weighted Sum Method (MWSM) implemented on the data collected and second is the feature selection method using machine learning. The said methods are applied to the data collected from diabetic patients and doctors for finding the features useful for diagnosing Hypoglycemia state (lowering of blood glucose level(BGL) in diabetic patients. Comparative analysis is shown for these method and thus concluding for the features selected. Features considered for this work were superficial body features for hypoglycemia detection. The features which we selected from modified WSM were used for feature selection algorithm implementation using machine learning. Univariate Statistical Tests(UST), Recursive Feature Elimination(RFE), Principle Component Analysis(PCA) and Feature Importance(FI) algorithm were implemented on data thus obtained resulting in omitting or rethinking for features.