cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Antisymmetric male genitalia in Western Australian populations of Mecyclothorax punctipennis (Coleoptera: Carabidae: Moriomorphini)

Western Australian populations of Mecyclothorax punctipennis (MacLeay) exhibit chiral polymorphism for male genitalic asymmetry. The plesiomorphic genitalic enantiomorph, wherein the male aedeagal median lobe is left side superior when retracted in the abdomen, is rotated 180° to a right side superior position in 23% of males from Western Australia. Conversely, population samples from eastern Australia are monomorphic for the plesiomorphic left side superior condition. Western Australian population samples are significantly heterogeneous for the percentages of chirally reversed males, with right side superior frequencies ranging 0–58%. Conversely, asymmetry of the M. punctipennis female reproductive tract, wherein the apex of the bursa copulatrix is distally expanded toward the right side of the individual, is shown to be monomorphic within the species. Based on the vast disparity in frequencies of left versus right enantiomorphs among populations of Western Australian M. punctipennis, we hypothesize that population demographic factors related to very small population size and differential gene sampling via genetic drift could interact to establish populations fixed for the novel form. When such chiral genitalic substitu tions are coupled with speciation, subsequent diversification stemming from that common ancestor would result in monophyletic lineages characterized by genitalic inversion. This hypothesis is corroborated by the sporadic occurrences of individual males with chirally inverted genitalia throughout the Carabidae, and the known occurrence of eight carabid taxa — individual species to diverse lineages — that are monomorphically characterized by male genitalic inversion.
A device architecture for computing with quantum dots

We describe a paradigm for computing with interacting quantum dots, quantum-dot cellular automata (QCA). We show how arrays of quantum-dot cells could be used to perform useful computations. A new adiabatic switching paradigm is developed which permits clocked control, eliminates metastability problems, and enables a pipelined architecture.
An Examination of the Media Portrayal of Femicide–Suicides: An Exploratory Frame Analysis

Recent research has been focused on the portrayal of intimate partner homicides in the news media with specific emphasis on the most commonly occurring type, femicides (the murder of a female intim...
Sensitive, seminested PCR amplification of VP1 sequences for direct identification of all enterovirus serotypes from original clinical specimens.

A reverse transcription-seminested PCR (RT-snPCR) assay was developed for the detection and identification of enterovirus (EV) RNA in clinical specimens. Three conserved protein motifs were identified by aligning the VP3 and VP1 sequences of prototype EV strains. Consensus degenerate primers were designed from a conserved VP3 motif and a distal VP1 motif for the first PCR. Consensus-degenerate hybrid oligonucleotide primers were designed from an internal VP1 motif and used with the same distal VP1 motif for the second, seminested PCR step. The primers were designed for broad target specificity and amplified all recognized and proposed EV serotypes and other antigenic variant strains tested. The VP1 RT-snPCR assay was slightly more sensitive than our in-house EV 5′ nontranslated region RT-snPCR assay, detecting as few as 10 RNA copies per reaction. As an example application, the VP1 RT-snPCR assay was used to identify EVs in clinical specimens. A product of the expected size was successfully amplified and sequenced from cerebrospinal fluid; serum; stool suspensions; and nasopharyngeal, eye, and rectal swab specimens, allowing unambiguous identification of the infecting virus in all cases. The VP1 sequences derived from the RT-snPCR products allow rapid phylogenetic and molecular epidemiologic analysis of strains circulating during the EV season and comparison with EV sequences from past seasons or from different locations around the world.
Explicit multimonopole solutions in SU(N) gauge theory

We construct multimonopole solutions containing N{minus}1 distinct fundamental monopoles in SU(N) gauge theory. When the gauge symmetry is spontaneously broken to U(1){sup N{minus}1}, the monopoles are all massive, and we show that the fields can be written in terms of elementary function for all values of the monopole positions and phases. In the limit of unbroken U(1){times}SU(N{minus}2){times}U(1) symmetry, the configuration can be viewed as containing a pair of massive monopoles, each carrying both U(1) and SU(N{minus}2) magnetic charges, together with N{minus}3 massless monopoles that condense into a cloud of non-Abelian fields. We obtain explicit expressions for the fields in the latter case and use these to analyze the properties of the non-Abelian cloud. {copyright} {ital 1998} {ital The American Physical Society}
Integrating symbolic and statistical methods for testing intelligent systems: Applications to machine learning and computer vision

Embedded intelligent systems ranging from tiny implantable biomedical devices to large swarms of autonomous unmanned aerial systems are becoming pervasive in our daily lives. While we depend on the flawless functioning of such intelligent systems, and often take their behavioral correctness and safety for granted, it is notoriously difficult to generate test cases that expose subtle errors in the implementations of machine learning algorithms. Hence, the validation of intelligent systems is usually achieved by studying their behavior on representative data sets, using methods such as cross-validation and bootstrapping. In this paper, we present a new testing methodology for studying the correctness of intelligent systems. Our approach uses symbolic decision procedures coupled with statistical hypothesis testing to validate machine learning algorithms. We show how we have employed our technique to successfully identify subtle bugs (such as bit flips) in implementations of the k-means algorithm. Such errors are not readily detected by standard validation methods such as randomized testing. We also use our algorithm to analyze the robustness of a human detection algorithm built using the OpenCV open-source computer vision library. We show that the human detection implementation can fail to detect humans in perturbed video frames even when the perturbations are so small that the corresponding frames look identical to the naked eye.
Design of electrodes and circuits for cell trapping on CMOS

We discuss design issues related to realization of a CMOS Lab-on-Chip (LoC) platform for sorting of cells and microorganisms. The proposed platform is based on dielectrophoresis (DEP) which is the force experienced by any dielectric particle including biological entities in non-uniform electrical field. DEP depends on the permittivity of the cells, its size and shape and also the permittivity of the medium. This paper discusses the important issues of electrode design using the built-in metal layers of the CMOS process for the most effective trap for single or group of cells. Given the need to perform the operation in real-time, in-situ impedance monitoring of the trapping function is also suggested. We present simulation results for three electrode designs, and CMOS implementation for one, namely the three-dimensional (3D) octapole electrode geometry. It also presents an analog front end for impedance monitoring of biological targets as they are repositioned on electrodes due to DEP in real-time. Experimental results with yeast cells validate the design.
Mental health service utilization in autism spectrum disorders

Abstract Purpose The purpose of this study is to examine patterns in autism spectrum disorder (ASD) outpatient mental health services including cost and length of services, return to care rates, and dropout by the presence of commonly co-morbid mental health conditions, modality and provider type. Methodology This study is a longitudinal, retrospective study using administrative data from Cigna, a leading health care insurance provider in the U.S. Participants ( n = 1614, ages 1–61) included individuals diagnosed with an ASD from 2001 to 2006, who had claims for outpatient mental health services. Results Across all age groups, the cost and length variables were lowest for family therapy, followed by individual therapy. Mixed therapy (combination of family and individual therapy) was significantly longer and more costly. Rates of dropout and return to care were lowest for mixed therapy. Dropout was significantly higher for children than for adults or adolescents. Among provider types, social workers had the lowest cost among adolescents and the highest return to care rates among adults and counselors had the longest service length and the lowest dropout rates among children.
Interactive Procedural Building Generation Using Kaleidoscopic Iterated Function Systems

We present an approach to designing and generating buildings at interactive rates. The system can run entirely on the GPU in a fragment shader and results can be viewed in real time. High quality raycast or raytraced results can be efficiently visualized because the buildings are represented as distance fields. By exploiting the visual complexity of a class of fractals known as kaleidoscopic iterated function systems (KIFS) we can generate detailed buildings reminiscent of ornate architectural styles, such as Gothic and Baroque, with simpler rules than grammar based methods.
Diytterbium(II) lithium indium(III) digermanide, Yb2LiInGe2

The title compound, Yb2LiInGe2, a new ordered quaternary inter­metallic phase, crystallizes with the ortho­rhom­bic Ca2LiInGe2 type (Pearson code oP24). The crystal structure contains six crystallographically unique sites in the asymmetric unit, all in special positions with site symmetry .m.. The structure is complex and based on [InGe4] tetra­hedra, which share corners in two directions, forming layers parallel to (001). Yb atoms fill square-pyramidal (Yb1) and octa­hedral (Yb2) inter­stices between the [InGe4/2] layers, while the small Li+ atoms fill tetra­hedral sites.
The Oxygen Environment at Birth Specifies the Population of Alveolar Epithelial Stem Cells in the Adult Lung.

Alveolar epithelial type II cells (AEC2) maintain pulmonary homeostasis by producing surfactant, expressing innate immune molecules, and functioning as adult progenitor cells for themselves and alveolar epithelial type I cells (AEC1). How the proper number of alveolar epithelial cells is determined in the adult lung is not well understood. Here, BrdU labeling, genetic lineage tracing, and targeted expression of the anti-oxidant extracellular superoxide dismutase in AEC2s are used to show how the oxygen environment at birth influences postnatal expansion of AEC2s and AEC1s in mice. Birth into low (12%) or high (≥60%) oxygen stimulated expansion of AEC2s through self-renewal and differentiation of the airway Scgb1a1 + lineage. This non-linear or hormesis response to oxygen was specific for the alveolar epithelium because low oxygen stimulated and high oxygen inhibited angiogenesis as defined by changes in V-cadherin and PECAM (CD31). Although genetic lineage tracing studies confirmed adult AEC2s are stem cells for AEC1s, we found no evidence that postnatal growth of AEC1s were derived from self-renewing Sftpc + or the Scbg1a1 + lineage of AEC2s. Taken together, our results show how a non-linear response to oxygen at birth promotes expansion of AEC2s through two distinct lineages. Since neither lineage contributes to the postnatal expansion of AEC1s, the ability of AEC2s to function as stem cells for AEC1s appears to be restricted to the adult lung. Stem Cells 2016;34:1396-1406.
Observations on Agricultural Policy

Submerged as we commonly are in specific tasks, we do well at times to seek to view policy issues in the large. Perhaps discussions such as this may stimulate some of us to make more effective contributions toward wise evolution of our national agricultural policy. I appear on the program at the urgent request of the President of the Association, after two others whom he had previously invited had declined. In drafting my paper I have tried to follow his suggestions. I shall speak with the freedom of one who for years has had no official connection, and who is not more or less involved in implementing national policies through a state agricultural college. I cannot do full justice to the subject, not only because of limited time for preparation and delivery, but also because I do not pretend to have mastered its intricacies. But I hope to give a provocative discussion, temperately critical and constructive, presenting ample targets for your verbal shots.
Congenital Sacral Agenesis together with Arthrogryposis Multiplex Congenita: A Case Report

This paper presents a rare case of congenital sacral agenesis together with arthrogryposis multiplex congenita, which affected the flexion contracture of the hip, the extension contracture of the knee and resulted in equinovarus deformity of the foot. We could not find any other risk factors except that the patient was born when the mother was 42 years old. 6 operations were performed, posteromedial release of left foot, talectomy of both feet and puadriceps plasty of both knees. Now the child can walk with the use of a crutch.
Structural dynamics of two-dimensional charge-density waves in CeTe 3 investigated by ultrafast electron crystallography

The electron-phonon mechanism that gives rise to various charge-ordered systems is often controversial because of the cooperative nature of the transformation, and because the structural aspect of the transformation is generally poorly understood. Using femtosecond electron crystallography, we reveal a two-step ($\ensuremath{\approx}$400 fs and 3.3 ps) suppression of the structural order parameter of a two-dimensional charge-density wave (CDW) that clearly decouples from its electronic counterpart following fs optical quenching. Through atomic fluctuational analysis on Bragg reflections and satellite features, we identify important momentum-dependent electron-phonon couplings appearing on both time scales that may be related to interactions between the unidirectional CDW collective modes, the lattice phonons, and the perturbed electronic subsystem. We show that the characteristic time scales of these couplings and relative fluctuational amplitudes as characterized by fs crystallography jointly determine the cooperativity between the electronic and structural subsystems, and from this it is possible to elucidate the underlying mechanism of the charge-ordered system.
A Temporally Constrained Fast Dynamic Image Reconstruction Method

We introduce here a temporally constrained image reconstruction method that enables fast dynamic tomographic imaging of the spatial distribution of tissue parameters (e.g., HbO2, Hb, StO2, etc). The proposed method decomposes the original time varying function into two parts: the time-invariant part and the time variant part. The time variant part is predefined to best represent the time variant feature of the unknowns, and the time invariants are only to be reconstructed. We evaluated the algorithm performance through experimental studies with dynamic imaging of vascular disease in foot. The results show that the temporally constrained algorithm leads to 26-fold acceleration in the image reconstruction as compared to conventional dynamic imaging methods that reconstruct all time frames data sequentially.
Target‐oriented wavefield tomography using demigrated Born data

We present a method to reduce the computational cost of image-domain wavefield tomography. Instead of using the originally recorded data for velocity estimation, the proposed method simulates a new data set obtained using Born modeling or demigration based on the initial image and gathers. The modeling can be performed in a target-oriented fashion, and it can use arbitrary types of source functions and acquisition geometries. Hence the size of the new data set can be substantially smaller than the original one. We demonstrate with numerical examples that the new data set correctly preserves velocity information useful for velocity estimation, and that it generates wavefield-tomography gradient similar to that obtained using the original data set. We apply the proposed method to a modified version of the Sigsbee2A model, where two square anomalies below the salt have been successfully recovered in a target-oriented fashion at much lower computational cost.
Real or False Improvement of Adjudication Enforcement:Two Mechanisms Affecting the Enforcement

This article intends to explain the reasons for the “enforcement difficulty" that the courts have been facing in China for the past decade. By analyzing about 5,000 adjudication and enforcement cases that a court in China handled in recent years, this article concludes that both internal factors such as the judicial enforcement inability and outside factors such as mandatory requirements imposed by state-owned asset regulations upon parties' choices of judicial enforcement procedures contribute to the “enforcement difficulty" in China. The improvement of judgment enforcement in the court where the research data come from reflects the positive results of the judicial reform measures undertaken by this court in recent years as well changes to the outside factors that brought cases of higher quality into such court, which led to a seemingly better enforcement outcome as measured by certain judicial statistics indicators. Although both factors play their roles, the targets of the two factors and the mechanisms through which the two factors play their roles are fundamentally different. The improvement of the enforcement outcome that is primarily brought by the outside factors is not a genuine improvement. Although judicial statistics in respect of the judicial performance in enforcing judgments appear to be improved, no meaningful changes to or improvement of the enforcement results have been observed. On the contrary, the improvement of the enforcement results that are primarily due to judicial reform measures is a genuine improvement. Such improvement is not a mere change to judicial statistics but a real enhancement of judicial efficiencies as well as the improvement of enforcement results.
Death Status of Gastric Cancer in Jiyuan City during 1990—2005

[Objective]To analyze the death change of gastric cancer from 1990 to 2005 in Jiyuan city, and provide scientific evidence for control strategy for gastric cancer. [Methods] An analysis was made on the data collected from death reports of gastric cancer during 1990—2005 in Jiyuan city. [Results]5759 cases of death caused by gastric cancer were reported from 1990 to 2005, the standardized mortality was 48.23 /100 000～72.98/ 100,000, the standardized mortality for male was 55.91 /100 000 ～103.13/100 000 and 40.22 /100 000 ～ 46.70/ 100 000 for female. The death age was (65±10) occupied 74.94% of total death cases. [Conclusion] The total mortality shows a decreasing trend, especially for male.
Ultrasound-Guided Percutaneous Tendon Treatments

OBJECTIVE. The purpose of this article is to review currently available tendon treatments, especially those performed with sonographic guidance. CONCLUSION. Treatments of tendon disease have continued to develop and expand, and multiple therapeutic options have become available, all with varying levels of supportive clinical evidence of their efficacy. The use of ultrasound to direct these treatments improves accuracy and performance by facilitating visualization of the target and relevant adjacent structures.
Iatrogenic cholesteatoma arising from the vascular strip.

Objectives/hypothesis To highlight the phenomenon of cholesteatoma arising from the vascular strip following tympanoplasty and tympanomastoidectomy. Study design Multi-institutional retrospective chart review. Methods Consecutive adult and pediatric patients evaluated between 2000 and 2015 with acquired cholesteatoma arising from the skin of a prior vascular strip were identified. Patients with evidence of residual or recurrent cholesteatoma elsewhere in the middle ear, mastoid, or ear canal were excluded. Results Seventeen cases (71% female, 53% right-sided) were identified, and the mean age at presentation was 39.2 years. Patients presented on average 12.9 years following prior otologic surgery, which was most commonly tympanoplasty without mastoidectomy (59%). However, younger patients presented with symptoms sooner following prior surgery (r = 0.61, r2 = 0.37, P = 0.0095). The most common presenting symptom was otorrhea (76%). All patients were found to have mastoid cholesteatoma with bony erosion, and three patients exhibited additional tegmen or posterior fossa bone defects. The middle ear was not involved with cholesteatoma in any case. A canal wall down procedure was performed due to extensive bony canal erosion in 29% of cases. Conclusion The vascular strip is an uncommon source of iatrogenic cholesteatoma that can present years following an otherwise uncomplicated otologic surgery. The findings presented herein highlight the importance of careful vascular strip orientation at the conclusion of otologic surgery. Level of evidence 4. Laryngoscope, 127:698-701, 2017.
Energy Efficient Iris Recognition With Graphics Processing Units

For the past 40 years, Moore’s law has predicted the rapid growth of the computer industry. In the past few years, however, this growth has slowed for central processing units (CPUs). Instead, there has been a shift to multicore computing, specifically with the general purpose graphic processing units (GPUs). Conventional CPUs have between two and eight cores, but the GPUs can have hundreds, even thousands of cores. By parallelizing code, the computing power of these cores can be utilized to greatly accelerate the performance of certain algorithms. The GPUs, however, have been known to consume more power than the conventional processing units. While previous research has focused on the impact that the GPUs have on performance, there are much fewer studies on the impact of GPUs on energy consumption and efficiency. Some researchers have hypothesized that if the performance of an algorithm was sufficiently increased on a GPU, then the accelerated time would actually cause the GPU to consume less energy. For the first time to our knowledge, we study the energy efficiency of a GPU with an application to iris recognition. Using GPU-based code written in the C++ compatible compute unified device architecture language, energy consumption tests are performed on basic image processing techniques, including image inversion, thresholding, dilation, erosion, and memory/computationally intensive calculations, such as the template matching. We demonstrate that the portions of these algorithms implemented on the GPU reduce energy consumption by as much as 272 times.
Re-conceptualizing the Science of Sustainability: A Dynamical Systems Approach to Understanding the Nexus of Conflict, Development and the Environment

The concept of sustainability has come to permeate many spheres of governance, decision-making and scientific inquiry. Although current academic conceptualizations of sustainability often acknowledge the conflicts inherent in the pursuit of sustainable development, the present discourse does not explicitly include the concepts of peace and conflict. This omission has been in error, as the pursuits of sustainable environmental governance and sustainable human development are themselves efforts to manage and resolve conflict. Thus, this article advocates for an expanded framework of sustainability that operates at the nexus of conflict, environment and development by exploring current mainstream conceptualizations of sustainability and illustrating the direct connections between sustainability and the fields of peace studies and conflict resolution. It goes on to discuss the utility of applying a complex systems approach to the expanded conceptualization of sustainability, including aspects of both coupled systems and dynamical systems theory, in order to provide an analytical framework for studying mechanisms that enable sustainable development by dealing explicitly with conflicting needs and interests among actors in social–ecological systems. Copyright © 2016 The Authors Sustainable Development published by ERP Environment and John Wiley & Sons Ltd
Electoral Consequences of Welfare State Expansion: The Case of the Food Stamp Program

Welfare programs are hard to reconcile with the notion that politicians are motivated primarily by electoral considerations, since these programs benefit the most politically marginalized citizens. I present evidence to resolve this apparent puzzle, documenting how welfare can indeed pay dividends at the ballot box. Taking advantage of the decade-long rollout of the American Food Stamp Program, I estimate the effect of this new benefit on election outcomes. Overall, I find that Democrats gained votes in counties where the program had been implemented, primarily through mobilization of new supporters rather than the conversion of political opponents. Reflecting the implementation challenges that plagued FSP in its early years, I also show that Democrats paid an initial electoral price when the program was first introduced, but that this penalty faded quickly as Democratic candidates began to see significant, persistent gains only a few years later.
Potentially inappropriate medication use in elderly breast cancer patients.

6588 Background: Screening for potentially inappropriate medication (PIM) use is recommended in elderly cancer patients receiving chemotherapy. However, few studies have examined the patterns and i...
The predictive value of protein, glucose, and lactate for a diagnosis of neoplastic meningitis.

e12005 Background: Neoplastic Meningitis (NM) is a complication of many common cancers that occurs with an incidence as high as 15% in some cancer types. Diagnosis remains elusive with poor screening tools and insensitive diagnostic options. Methods: A retrospective analysis of 341 consecutive patients with suspected NM was undertaken. Clinical presentation, demographic, cytologic and MRI data were recorded. Using cytology as the diagnostic gold standard, sensitivity, specificity, ROC curves and likelihood ratios were calculated. Results: 210 patients met inclusion criteria, 87 with primary brain tumors (PBT), 72 with non-CNS solid tumors, and 44 with lymphomas. 111 patients were male; 123 (58.6%) ultimately had a positive cytology. Only 59% of patients with positive cytology presented with symptoms concerning for NM. 32.9% of patients with PBTs and positive CSF cytology exhibited neurologic symptoms suggestive of NM. Patients with non-CNS solid tumors and positive CSF cytology presented with symptoms con...
Distributional responses to small-scale habitat variability by early juvenile silver hake, Merluccius bilinearis

Early juvenile (0-year) silver hake, Merluccius bilinearis, occurred at higher densities on bottoms with greater amphipod tube cover at a 55 m deep site in the Middle Atlantic Bight. The size range of individuals at this site was 1.5–5 cm total length. Additional observations at other sites showed that 0-year silver hake only occurred on silt-sand bottom with amphipod tubes at bottom water temperatures of 8.7–11.4 °C. This distribution pattern could be the result of either selective settlement into appropriate habitats or differential predation with higher survivorship in more complex habitats. We posit that 0-year silver hake occur in patches of dense amphipod tube cover to avoid visual predators and co-occur with preferred prey (i.e., amphipods and shrimps).
Obesity and type 2 diabetes, not a diet high in fat, sucrose, and cholesterol, negatively impacts bone outcomes in the hyperphagic Otsuka Long Evans Tokushima Fatty rat.

Abstract Background Obesity and type 2 diabetes (T2D) increase fracture risk; however, the association between obesity/T2D may be confounded by consumption of a diet high in fat, sucrose, and cholesterol (HFSC). Objective The study objective was to determine the main and interactive effects of obesity/T2D and a HFSC diet on bone outcomes using hyperphagic Otuska Long Evans Tokushima Fatty (OLETF) rats and normophagic Long Evans Tokushima Otsuka (LETO) controls. Methods At 8 weeks of age, male OLETF and LETO rats were randomized to either a control (CON, 10 en% from fat as soybean oil) or HFSC (45 en% from fat as soybean oil/lard, 17 en% sucrose, and 1 wt%) diet, resulting in four treatment groups. At 32 weeks, total body bone mineral content (BMC) and density (BMD) and body composition were measured by dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry, followed by euthanasia and collection of blood and tibiae. Bone turnover markers and sclerostin were measured using ELISA. Trabecular microarchitecture of the proximal tibia and geometry of the tibia mid-diaphysis were measured using microcomputed tomography; whole-bone and tissue-level biomechanical properties were evaluated using torsional loading of the tibia. Two-factor ANOVA was used to determine main and interactive effects of diet (CON vs. HFSC) and obesity/T2D (OLETF vs. LETO) on bone outcomes. Results Hyperphagic OLEFT rats had greater final body mass, body fat, and fasting glucose than normophagic LETO, with no effect of diet. Total body BMC and serum markers of bone formation were decreased, and bone resorption and sclerostin were increased in obese/T2D OLETF rats. Trabecular bone volume and microarchitecture were adversely affected by obesity/T2D, but not diet. Whole-bone and tissue-level biomechanical properties of the tibia were not affected by obesity/T2D; the HFSC diet improved biomechanical properties only in LETO rats. Conclusions Obesity/T2D, regardless of diet, negatively impacted the balance between bone formation and resorption and trabecular bone volume and microarchitecture in OLETF rats.
How children remember the Strange Situation: The role of attachment

This study tested predictions from Bowlby's attachment theory about children's memory and suggestibility. Young children (3-5years old, N=88; 76% Caucasians) and their parents took part in the Strange Situation Procedure, a moderately distressing event and "gold standard" for assessing children's attachment quality. The children were then interviewed about what occurred during the event. Children's age and attachment security scores positively predicted correct information in free recall and accuracy in answering specific questions. For children with higher (vs. lower) attachment security scores, greater distress observed during the Strange Situation Procedure predicted increased resistance to misleading suggestions. In addition, for children who displayed relatively low distress during the Strange Situation Procedure, significant age differences in memory and suggestibility emerged as expected. However, for children who displayed greater distress during the Strange Situation Procedure, younger and older children's memory performances were equivalent. Findings suggest that attachment theory provides an important framework for understanding facets of memory development with respect to attachment-related information and that distress may alter assumed age patterns in memory development.
Best linear estimation via minimization of relative mean squared error

We propose methods to construct a biased linear estimator for linear regression which optimizes the relative mean squared error (MSE). Although there have been proposed biased estimators which are shown to have smaller MSE than the ordinary least squares estimator, our construction is based on the minimization of relative MSE directly. The performance of the proposed methods is illustrated by a simulation study and a real data example. The results show that our methods can improve on MSE, particularly when there exists correlation among the predictors.
The Effect of Gender and Age on Medical School Performance: An Important Interaction

Being able to predict medical school performance is essential to help ensure the supply of quality physicians. The purpose of our study was to examine the influence of gender and age on academic performance (AP) and on academic difficulty (AD). The study involved all matriculants of 3 classes at one medical school. Independent variables included gender, age (categorized into younger and older than 23 years) and the gender by age interaction. Dependent variables included an AP scale score, a clinically based performance examination and AD. The Wilson AP Scale score was developed to assess both excellent and poor performance. The Wilson AP Scale included first-, second-, and third-year medical school grade-point-averages, USMLE Step 1score and USMLE Step 2 score. Older women as a group had the highest mean Wilson AP Scale score. Women performed better than men on the clinically based performance examinations. Younger men were least likely to have AD and younger women were most likely to have AD. Five of 123 younger men versus 13/66 older men had AD. Also, 15/63 younger women had AD versus 2/27 older women. A significant gender by age interaction was present in predicting the Wilson AP Scale score (p = 0.009) and AD (p = 0.002). Older women performed better than both older men and younger women in 3 classes of medical students at one medical school. A significant gender by age interaction was predictive of AP and AD. These findings may have implications on admission decisions.
Prevalence and survival impact of pretreatment cancer-associated weight loss: A tool for guiding early palliative care

Purpose:Cancer-associated weight loss is associated with poor prognosis in advanced malignancy; however, its pretreatment prevalence and survival impact are inadequately described in large cohorts. Such data, stratified by tumor type and stage, may facilitate the optimal and timely allocation of complementary care, leading to improvements in patient survival and quality of life.Methods:We performed a retrospective cohort study of 3,180 consecutively treated adult patients with lung or GI (including colorectal, liver, and pancreatic) cancer. Pretreatment cancer-associated weight loss was based on the international consensus definition of cachexia. Prevalence and survival impact of pretreatment cancer-associated weight loss were evaluated using the Kaplan-Meier method and compared using log-rank test.Results:Cancer-associated weight loss was observed at the time of cancer diagnosis in 34.1% of patients. Pretreatment weight loss was documented in 17.6%, 25.8%, 36.6%, and 43.3% of stage I, II, III, and IV can...
Fast, High-Quality Histology of Cleared Tissue Samples by Polygon-Based Multiphoton Microscopy

A polygon mirror-based, stage-scanning multiphoton microscopy approach is presented for rapidly obtaining, high-resolution images at depth from optically-cleared human tissue samples, capable of substituting for physically-sectioned slides and enabling high-quality, large, 3D histologic reconstructions.
Molecular engineering of interphases in polymer/carbon nanotube composites to reach the limits of mechanical performance

Abstract After more than 50 years of development, carbon fiber composites exhibit an order of magnitude higher specific strength as compared to structural metals such as steel. However, the strength of the current state-of-the-art carbon fiber composites remains less than 10% of their theoretical value. Recent studies show that the polymer-carbon nanotube (CNT) interphase, i.e., the region of carbon components in contact with multiple organic components in its vicinity, plays a major role. Engineering the polymer-CNT interphase at the molecular level is a promising pathway to improve the mechanical properties of nano-composite materials on the way to fully realize the potential of mechanical properties of carbon nanotubes. Examples for using pristine and flattened CNTs, combinations of polymers, and surface grafting, as well as analogies to biological systems to prepare strong polymer/CNT composites are reviewed. In support of these developments, molecular simulations have revealed the binding mechanisms of polymers to CNTs and relationships to mechanical properties such as modulus, tensile strength, and interfacial shear strength in the interphase. Recent computational models enable increasingly quantitative predictions, and examples that explain the influence of the type of polymers, polymer crystallinity, carbon nanotubes, and nanotube surface modification on the interphase properties are discussed. The developments in molecular engineering of interphases by experiment and simulations advance rational composite design.
Near) Dimension Independent Risk Bounds for Differentially Private Learning

In this paper, we study the problem of differentially private risk minimization where the goal is to provide differentially private algorithms that have small excess risk. In particular we address the following open problem: Is it possible to design computationally efficient differentially private risk minimizers with excess risk bounds that do not explicitly depend on dimensionality (p) and do not require structural assumptions like restricted strong convexity? In this paper, we answer the question in the affirmative for a variant of the well-known output and objective perturbation algorithms (Chaudhuri et al., 2011). In particular, we show that under certain assumptions, variants of both output and objective perturbation algorithms have no explicit dependence on p; the excess risk depends only on the L2-norm of the true risk minimizer and that of training points. Next, we present a novel privacy preserving algorithm for risk minimization over simplex in the generalized linear model, where the loss function is a doubly differentiable convex function. Assuming that the training points have bounded L∞-norm, our algorithm provides risk bound that has only logarithmic dependence on p. We also apply our technique to the online learning setting and obtain a regret bound with similar logarithmic dependence on p. In contrast, the existing differentially private online learning methods incur O(√p) dependence.
Evaluation of methods for measuring polyphenols in conifer foliage

There is a resurgence of interest in the quantification of polyphenols in plant tissues because of their presumed ecological importance in plant–litter–soil and plant–animal interactions. The influence of sample preparation, extracting solvent, foliage quality, and assay method was investigated for the quantification of total phenols and condensed tannins in conifer foliage. Our results suggest that it is not possible to recommend a single optimal protocol for quantification of total phenol and condensed tannin fractions from plant materials. In general, the use of aqueous acetone (50–70% v/v) with freeze-dried materials gave the highest recovery. The Folin-Ciocalteau method for total phenols and the butanol–HCl hydrolysis method for condensed tannins appear superior to other common assays tested. There were large differences (1.4–2.2 times) in the reactivity of purified condensed tannins among species, indicating the importance of an appropriate standard for polyphenol quantification. A solid-state 13C NMR method with an improved "interrupted decoupling" pulse sequence yielded the highest concentrations for condensed tannins. Assuming that 13C NMR provides an accurate measure of total condensed tannin, the other extraction/assay methods used in this study recovered 50–86% of the condensed tannin fraction. The recovery rate is correlated with the nitrogen content of the foliage, which suggests that the formation of protein–tannin complexes may limit the extractability of condensed tannins. While 13C NMR condensed tannin values may give the best value for total condensed tannin concentrations, the water-soluble fraction may have the greatest physiological and/or ecological significance.
Techniques of Observation

In this chapter some description is given of most of the techniques which are of importance in the observation of aurora. Since aurora is primarily an optical phenomenon more detail has been devoted to the description of optical methods with an emphasis on points which have been found valuable in choosing the best technique for particular studies.
The Impact of Moderate Priors For Bayesian Estimation and Testing of Item Factor Analysis Models When Maximum Likelihood is Unsuitable

In psychological research, available data are often insufficient to estimate item factor analysis (IFA) models using traditional estimation methods, such as maximum likelihood (ML) or limited infor...
DRESS syndrome-associated acute necrotizing eosinophilic myocarditis with giant cells

Drug reaction with eosinophilia and systemic symptoms (DRESS) syndrome is an uncommon drug hypersensitivity reaction caused by a wide variety of agents. It has a characteristic latent period between 2 and 8 weeks from the onset of drug ingestion followed by a slow resolution with the potential for relapse. Despite being a potentially fatal disease, little is understood about its variable clinical presentation and why it can present long after removal of the offending drug. Visceral organ involvement typically occurs, but rarely results in clinically manifested cardiac injury. In its most aggressive form, acute necrotizing eosinophilic myocarditis (ANEM) can present with DRESS. We present an unusual case of DRESS syndrome due to lamotrigine with confirmed ANEM showing both eosinophils and rare giant cell infiltrates on endomyocardial biopsy. Although lamotrigine has been reported to cause DRESS, it has not been previously implicated as a cause of ANEM.
Digital Natives or Digital Morons? An â€œInternalâ€ Debate on Technology and Critical Thinking Skills

Are video games, media rich environments, and social networking technologies producing collaborative and experienced problem-solvers and decision-makers, or are we creating (as one author titles it) the â€œDumbest Generationâ€? Is our educational system focusing on old skills for an industrial society, or preparing nimble and flexible students for jobs that donâ€™t even exist yet? Prensky, Jukes, Rosen, McCain and others have lionized the impact of new digital technologies and the need for digital â€œimmigrantsâ€ to refashion their teaching and step out of the â€œtest and tellâ€ model of talking heads. Bauerlein, Jackson, Zittrain, Oppenheimer and others foresee the rise of a new dark age, and decry the insidious influence of the internet and new communication technologies on attention spans, research habits, and test scores. This presentation features a solitary debater torn between two worldviews, presenting arguments and gibes from both sides, with a distributed annotated bibliography and Q&A periods for audience interaction. Constructive speeches will be followed by extended cross-examination time, concluding with summary rebuttals and general discussion.
Experimental Results of a Compressive Reflector Antenna Producing Spatial Coding

This paper presents the design and fabrication of a Compressive Reflector Antenna (CRA)for high-sensing-capacity millimeter-wave imaging applications. The CRA is fabricated using additive manufacturing or 3D printing and metalized by applying silver conductive coating spray on its surface. The near-fields of the CRA are measured when it is fed by a conical horn antenna, a compressive horn antenna, and a perturbed cavity. The singular value distribution and sensing capacity of the CRA fed by the aforementioned antennas are calculated and compared.
Experiencing Intangible Heritage on the Byway: The Mississippi Blues Trail and the Virginia Crooked Road

In the past 80 years in the USA, pop culture in American music has been driven by the diaspora of southern African-Americans and southern white Appalachians. This diaspora has caused what noted art historian Shelly Lowenstein describes as a “double conscious” of the place, which is both the real place and what we imagined it to be after we listen to the music that came from it and study the iconic historic photographs that depicted it throughout the decades. Two state government-funded initiatives, which are set in the center of lost homes of these diasporic peoples, try to capitalize on the economic tourism potential of their intangible heritage. This chapter will discuss how these initiatives have attempted to use the double consciousness of places for heritage tourism. The Mississippi Blues Trail and Virginia’s Crooked Road attempt to educate and entertain the true diasporist and the diasporist in all of us who love Mississippi blues and Virginia bluegrass music. By mixing together digital media, satellite mapping with traditional way-finding and traditional historic sites around the theme of a specific musical idiom, the Mississippi Blues Trail and Virginia’s Crooked Road attempt to bring the music and the history that made the music come to life in the specific geographies in our minds. But are these initiatives successful? And finally, what are we really going to find on these roads?
Antagonism of dsRNA-Induced Innate Immune Pathways by NS4a and NS4b Accessory Proteins during MERS Coronavirus Infection.

ABSTRACT Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus (MERS-CoV) was first identified in 2012 as a novel etiological agent of severe respiratory disease in humans. As during infection by other viruses, host sensing of viral double-stranded RNA (dsRNA) induces several antiviral pathways. These include interferon (IFN), oligoadenylate synthetase (OAS)-RNase L, and protein kinase R (PKR). Coronaviruses, including MERS-CoV, potently suppress the activation of these pathways, inducing only modest host responses. Our study describes the functions of two accessory proteins unique to MERS-CoV and related viruses, NS4a and NS4b, during infection in human airway epithelium-derived A549 cells. NS4a has been previously characterized as a dsRNA binding protein, while NS4b is a 2′,5′-phosphodiesterase with structural and enzymatic similarity to NS2 encoded by mouse hepatitis virus (MHV). We found that deletion of NS4a results in increased interferon lambda (IFNL1) expression, as does mutation of either the catalytic site or nuclear localization sequence of NS4b. All of the mutant viruses we tested exhibited slight decreases in replication. We previously reported that, like MHV NS2, NS4b antagonizes OAS-RNase L, but suppression of IFN is a previously unidentified function for viral phosphodiesterases. Unexpectedly, deletion of NS4a does not result in robust activation of the PKR or OAS-RNase L pathways. Therefore, MERS-CoV likely encodes other proteins that contribute to suppression or evasion of these antiviral innate immune pathways that should be an important focus of future work. This study provides additional insight into the complex interactions between MERS-CoV and the host immune response. IMPORTANCE Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus (MERS-CoV) is the second novel zoonotic coronavirus to emerge in the 21st century and cause outbreaks of severe respiratory disease. More than 2,200 cases and 800 deaths have been reported to date, yet there are no licensed vaccines or treatments. Coronaviruses encode unique accessory proteins that are not required for replication but most likely play roles in immune antagonism and/or pathogenesis. Our study describes the functions of MERS-CoV accessory proteins NS4a and NS4b during infection of a human airway-derived cell line. Loss of these accessory proteins during MERS-CoV infection leads to host antiviral activation and modestly attenuates replication. In the case of both NS4a and NS4b, we have identified roles during infection not previously described, yet the lack of robust activation suggests much remains to be learned about the interactions between MERS-CoV and the infected host.