cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Structural Features of Sibling Dyads and Attitudes Toward Sibling Relationships in Young Adulthood

This study examined sibling-dyad structural variables (sex composition, age difference, current coresidence, position adjacency, family size, respondent and/or sibling ordinal position) and attitudes toward adult sibling relationships. A sample of 1,053 young adults (M age = 22.1 years) described one sibling using the Lifespan Sibling Relationship Scale. Position adjacency and family size were related to attitudes toward sibling relationships, including more positive recalled childhood sibling relationships in adjacent dyads and larger families and less positive sibling relationships recalled from childhood and in adulthood experienced by individuals with only one sibling. Results for respondent and sibling ordinal position were consistent, with individuals in the youngest-of-two ordinal position and those describing eldest siblings reporting less positive attitudes toward adult siblings. Implications for future research on the quality of adult sibling relationships throughout the life span are discussed.
Reconstructing the keystream from a chaotic encryption scheme

A new technique of secure communication was developed which uses a synchronizing chaotic communication channel to transmit an encrypted message. The important feature of this system is that the keystream used in the encryption stage is not transmitted but may be dynamically reconstructed by the intended receiver. Since an additional level of encryption is employed, it was claimed that an eavesdropper may have limited success using nonlinear dynamic (NLD) forecasting techniques to extract the message. In this paper we show that there may be sufficient geometric information in the transmission to extract an estimate of the keystream (although it could require a difficult search) as well as characteristics of the encrypting function. Consequently, it may be possible to recover the hidden message with good accuracy.
IFRit: interference-free regions for dynamic data-race detection

We propose a new algorithm for dynamic data-race detection. Our algorithm reports no false positives and runs on arbitrary C and C++ code. Unlike previous algorithms, we do not have to instrument every memory access or track a full happens-before relation. Our data-race detector, which we call IFRit, is based on a run-time abstraction called an interference-free region (IFR). An IFR is an interval of one thread's execution during which any write to a specific variable by a different thread is a data race. We insert instrumentation at compile time to monitor active IFRs at run-time. If the runtime observes overlapping IFRs for conflicting accesses to the same variable in two different threads, it reports a race. The static analysis aggregates information for multiple accesses to the same variable, avoiding the expense of having to instrument every memory access in the program.We directly compare IFRit to FastTrack and ThreadSanitizer, two state-of-the-art fully-precise data-race detectors. We show that IFRit imposes a fraction of the overhead of these detectors. We show that for the PARSEC benchmarks, and several real-world applications, IFRit finds many of the races detected by a fully-precise detector. We also demonstrate that sampling can further reduce IFRit's performance overhead without completely forfeiting precision.
Noncoding mitochondrial loci for corals

We developed five degenerate primer pairs for the amplification and sequencing of two noncoding regions found in the mitochondrial genome of corals. These primers amplify products ranging from 380 to 950 bp, and work in a wide variety of scleractinian taxa from both the Pacific and Caribbean. Based on our initial analysis of ∼ ∼ ∼ 300 sequences from 13 scleractinian taxa, both these noncoding regions appear to have equivalent levels of variability to the most variable of previously published coral mitochondrial loci, but work in a wider variety of taxa. We believe these primers will be of use to coral biologists studying questions above the level of species; as with other mithochondrial DNA markers in corals, these loci will likely provide little resolution for within-species studies.
The male minor transplantation antigen preferentially activates recipient CD4+ T cells through the indirect presentation pathway in vivo.

To evaluate the priming and trafficking of male Ag-reactive CD4+ T cells in vivo, we developed an adoptive transfer model, using Marilyn (Mar) TCR transgenic T cells that are specific for the H-Y minor transplantation Ag plus I-Ab. By manipulating donor and recipient strain combinations, we permitted the Mar CD4+ T cells to respond to the H-Y Ag after processing and presentation by recipient APCs (indirect pathway), or to the male Ag as expressed on donor APCs (direct pathway). Mar CD4+ T cells responding through the indirect pathway specifically proliferated and expressed activation markers between days 2 and 4 posttransplant, migrated to the graft 2–3 days before cessation of graft heartbeat, and were detected in close proximity to transplant-infiltrating recipient APCs. Intriguingly, adoptively transferred Mar T cells did not respond to male heart or skin grafts placed onto syngeneic MHC class II-deficient female recipients, demonstrating that activation of Mar T cell preferentially occurs through cognate interactions with processed male Ag expressed on recipient APCs. The data highlight the potency of indirect processing and presentation pathways in vivo and underscore the importance of indirectly primed CD4+ T cells as relevant participants in both the priming and effector phases of acute graft rejection.
Recognizing image invariants in a neural network architecture

A description is given of an architecture for efficient storage and reference of model memories stored as stable patterns of activity in a parallel, distributed, connectionist, neural network. The emergent properties of content addressability and resistance to noise are used to perform indexing of the appropriate object-centered model from image-centered primitives. The system consists of three network modules, each of which represents information relative to a different frame of reference. The model memory network is a large state-space vector, where fields in the vector correspond to ordered component objects and relative, object-based spatial relationships between the component objects. The component assertion network represent evidence about the existence of object primitives in the input image. It establishes local frames of reference for object primitives relative to the image-based frame of reference. The spatial relationship constraint network is an intermediate representation which enables the association between the object-based and the image-based frames of reference. This intermediate level represents information about possible object orderings and establishes relative spatial relationships from the image-based information in the component assertion network below. It is also constrained by the lawful object orderings in the model memory network above. >
How Race Is Made: Slavery, Segregation, and the Senses – By Mark M. Smith

W. E. B. DuBois in The Souls of Black Folk[1903] and Gunnar Myrdall in American Dilemma [1944] identified race as the major divisive element in American society. In Race: The History of an Idea in ...
RTSAH Traversal Order for Occlusion Rays

We accelerate the finding of occluders in tree based acceleration structures, such as a packetized BVH and a single ray kd-tree, by deriving the ray termination surface area heuristic (RTSAH) cost model for traversing an occlusion ray through a tree and then using the RTSAH to determine which child node a ray should traverse first instead of the traditional choice of traversing the near node before the far node. We further extend RTSAH to handle materials that attenuate light instead of fully occluding it, so that we can avoid superfluous intersections with partially transparent objects. For scenes with high occlusion, we substantially lower the number of traversal steps and intersection tests and achieve up to 2 speedups.
Efficient and specific rescue of human immunodeficiency virus type 1 budding defects by a Nedd4-like ubiquitin ligase

To exit infected cells, human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) exploits the vacuolar protein-sorting pathway by engaging Tsg101 and ALIX through PTAP and LYPx n L late assembly (L) domains. In contrast, less-complex retroviruses often use PPxY L domains to recruit Nedd4 family ubiquitin ligases. Although HIV-1 Gag lacks PPxY motifs, we now show that the budding of various HIV-1 L-domain mutants is dramatically enhanced by ectopic Nedd4-2s, a native isoform with a truncated C2 domain. The effect of Nedd4-2s on HIV-1 budding required a catalytically active HECT domain and was specific, since other Nedd4 family proteins showed little activity and an unrelated retrovirus was not rescued. The residual C2 domain of Nedd4-2s was critical for the enhancement of HIV-1 budding and for the association of Nedd4-2s with Gag, as reflected by its incorporation into virus-like particles. Interestingly, the incorporation of Nedd4-2s also depended on its active site, indicating that the ability to form a thioester with ubiquitin was required. These data suggest a novel mechanism by which HIV-1 Gag can connect to cellular budding machinery.
Perceptive animated interfaces: first steps toward a new paradigm for human-computer interaction

This paper presents a vision of the near future in which computer interaction is characterized by natural face-to-face conversations with lifelike characters that speak, emote, and gesture. These animated agents will converse with people much like people converse effectively with assistants in a variety of focused applications. Despite the research advances required to realize this vision, and the lack of strong experimental evidence that animated agents improve human-computer interaction, we argue that initial prototypes of perceptive animated interfaces can be developed today, and that the resulting systems will provide more effective and engaging communication experiences than existing systems. In support of this hypothesis, we first describe initial experiments using an animated character to teach speech and language skills to children with hearing problems, and classroom subjects and social skills to children with autistic spectrum disorder. We then show how existing dialogue system architectures can be transformed into perceptive animated interfaces by integrating computer vision and animation capabilities. We conclude by describing the Colorado Literacy Tutor, a computer-based literacy program that provides an ideal testbed for research and development of perceptive animated interfaces, and consider next steps required to realize the vision.
Scaling snow observations from the point to the grid element: Implications for observation network design

[1] The spatial distribution of snow water equivalent (SWE) within 16-, 4-, and 1-km2 grid elements surrounding six snow telemetry (SNOTEL) stations in the Rio Grande headwaters was characterized using field observations of snowpack properties, satellite data, binary regression tree models, and a spatially distributed net radiation/temperature index snowpack mass balance model. In some cases, SNOTEL SWE values were 200% greater than mean grid element SWE. Analyses designed to identify the optimal location for measuring mean grid element SWE accumulation indicated that only 2.4% of each grid element satisfied the criteria of optimality. Similar analyses for the ablation season showed that point SWE and mean grid element SWE were highly correlated (r = 0.73) in areas with relatively persistent snow cover. These locations did not overlap in space with areas deemed optimal at maximum accumulation; areas with persistent snow cover have relatively high accumulation rates. Therefore future observations may need to be placed with the specific objective of representing either accumulation or ablation season processes. These results have implications for large-scale studies that require ground observations for updating purposes; we show an example of this utility using the SWE product of the National Operational Hydrologic Remote Sensing Center. Furthermore, the relatively consistent spatial patterns of snow accumulation and melt have implications for future observation network design in that results from short-term studies (e.g., 2 years) can be used to design long-term observation networks. Copyright 2005 by the American Geophysical Union.
Towards building a scholarly big data platform: challenges, lessons and opportunities

We introduce a big data platform that provides various services for harvesting scholarly information and enabling efficient scholarly applications. The core architecture of the platform is built on a secured private cloud, crawls data using a scholarly focused crawler that leverages a dynamic scheduler, processes by utilizing a map reduce based crawl-extraction-ingestion (CEI) workflow, and is stored in distributed repositories and databases. Services such as scholarly data harvesting, information extraction, and user information and log data analytics are integrated into the platform and provided by an OAI and RESTful API. We also introduce a set of scholarly applications built on top of this platform including citation recommendation and collaborator discovery.
A 65 nm Sub- $V_{t}$ Microcontroller With Integrated SRAM and Switched Capacitor DC-DC Converter

Aggressive supply voltage scaling to below the device threshold voltage provides significant energy and leakage power reduction in logic and SRAM circuits. Consequently, it is a compelling strategy for energy-constrained systems with relaxed performance requirements. However, effects of process variation become more prominent at low voltages, particularly in deeply scaled technologies. This paper presents a 65 nm system-on-a-chip which demonstrates techniques to mitigate variation, enabling sub-threshold operation down to 300 mV. A 16-bit microcontroller core is designed with a custom sub-threshold cell library and timing methodology to address output voltage failures and propagation delays in logic gates. A 128 kb SRAM employs an 8 T bit-cell to ensure read stability, and peripheral assist circuitry to allow sub-Vt reading and writing. The logic and SRAM function in the range of 300 mV to 600 mV, consume 27.2 pJ/cycle at the optimal V DD of 500 mV, and 1 muW standby power at 300 mV. To supply variable voltages at these low power levels, a switched capacitor DC-DC converter is integrated on-chip and achieves above 75% efficiency while delivering between 10 muW to 250 muW of load power.
High-performance battery-pack power estimation using a dynamic cell model

In some battery applications, such as in hybrid electric vehicles or battery electric vehicles, it is necessary to be able to estimate, in real time, the present available power that may be sourced by the battery pack. Similarly, in rechargeable packs, it may be necessary to know how much charging power the pack can accept. These values must be carefully calculated in such a way that the pack will not be damaged by over/under charge or voltage or by exceeding a design current or power limit. This paper describes a method that uses a dynamic cell model and state-of-charge side information to very accurately predict the battery-pack available power.
Obesity, Type 2 Diabetes and Cancer

A large percentage of the developed world’s population is now either officially overweight or obese; meanwhile, cancer rates have been rising steadily. Cases of type 2 diabetes have also become alarmingly common. In this chapter, we discuss the epidemiological evidence which suggests that obesity, type 2 diabetes and ­cancer are linked. Possible mechanisms for obesity leading to type 2 diabetes and cancer are discussed, as well as the recent studies which potentially uncover ­therapies to treat aspects and reduce the rates of cancer associated with obesity and type 2 diabetes.
A Phase II Pilot Trial of High-Dose Hydroxyurea in Chronic Myelogenous Leukemia

Suppression or eradication of the Philadelphia (Ph1) chromosome has been a major goal in the therapy of chronic myelogenous leukemia (CML). Variable levels of Ph1 chromosome negativity have been achieved using interferon-alfa, busulfan, combination chemotherapy, and allogeneic bone marrow transplantation. This study evaluated the effect of achieving a predetermined level of myelosuppression using hydroxyurea on bone marrow cytogenetics in CML. Fourteen patients with chronic phase CML received 25 cycles of therapy. Fourteen of the 25 cycles were associated with cytogenetic responses consisting of 25% or more Ph1 negative metaphases (range, 25% to 100%). Nine of the responses consisted of 50% or greater Ph1 negative metaphases. Toxicity was exclusively due to consequences of myelosuppression, including febrile neutropenia and thrombocytopenia. In chronic phase CML, hydroxyurea induces cytogenetic responses with tolerable toxicity and is an attractive agent for further study as a component of treatment strategies aimed at eradicating the Ph1 + population in CML.
Mineralogical and sulphur isotopic evidence for the influence of sulphatereducing and -disproportionating bacteria on pyrite and marcasite formation in the Georgia kaolins

The Georgia, USA, kaolins contain three major occurrences of Fe-sulphide minerals, namely (1) in burrow structures, (2) as nodules associated with lignite and (3) as finely disseminated material. We have used sulphur isotope analysis and X-ray powder diffraction to understand these three occurrences in order to gain insight into the diagenetic conditions and microbial influences affecting the kaolin mineralogy. Burrows and nodules are dominated by corroded marcasite with thin pyrite overgrowths. The δ34S composition of each sulphide sample has internal fractionations (δ34Shigh – δ34Slow) ranging from 22‰ to 67‰. The secondary pyrite phase tends to be the most 34S depleted, with a low δ34S value of –47‰, whereas marcasite displays a δ34S range from 30‰ to +33‰. Early acidic environments from organic acids could have facilitated the initial marcasite crystallization, with a pH increase during later diagenesis producing pyrite overgrowths. Sulphide formation would have continued until burial restricted the diffusion of sea-water sulphate. At this point, the metabolism of sulphate-reducing bacteria would have been retarded, producing δ34S values ranging from –30‰ (open sulphate supply) to +40‰ (highly restricted sulphate supply). Under the nutrient-starved conditions of later-diagenesis, disproportionate sulphur-reducing bacteria would likely have become more dominant, yielding additional δ34Ssulphide fractionation and producing the observed fractionation (δ34Ssulphate – δ34Ssulphide) values of +67‰.
Micellization Behavior of Aerosol OT in Alcohol/Water Systems

This paper examines the effects of solvent composition on the micellization behavior of the surfactant Aerosol OT (AOT). The critical micelle concentrations of AOT in the pure solvents methanol, ethanol, propanol, and isopropanol were measured using conductiometric techniques. These solvents were then mixed with water to create solvent spectra from pure alcohol to pure water in 12 increments. Critical micelle concentrations were measured at each solvent composition. Dynamic light scattering was used to verify the presence or absence of micelles in the solvent mixtures. It was found that inverse micelles exist over a range of solvent compositions where eeff < 48 with CMCs increasing with increasing solvent polarity. Micellization was found not to occur when 48 < eeff < 80. Regular micelles formed in pure water, with the measured CMC agreeing with the literature value of 2.25 mM.
Racial differences in central hemodynamic burden in men with HIV: preliminary findings.

OBJECTIVES: African Americans infected with HIV are almost 3 times more likely to die from cardiovascular disease (CVD) than their White HIV-infected counterparts. The purpose of this study was to examine racial differences in novel measures of vascular function and CVD risk in African American and White men infected with HIV. DESIGN: Our study uses a cross-sectional approach. SETTING: Participants were recruited from the nutrition/infectious disease clinic at a large metropolitan hospital. PARTICIPANTS: African American men (n=21) and White men (n=21) with HIV on stable anti-retroviral therapy were included in this study. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: High resolution ultrasound was used to assess brachial artery flow mediated dilation (FMD). Applanation tonometry was used to measure carotid-femoral and carotid-radial pulse wave velocity (PWV), carotid augmentation index (Alx) and carotid-brachial pulse pressure (PP) amplification. Left ventricular (LV) pressure effort was derived from the contour of the central BP waveform. RESULTS: There were no racial differences in brachial FMD (African American: 4.9 +/- 1.1 vs White: 5.4 +/- 1.0%; P>.05) or carotid-femoral PWV (African American: 8.9 +/- .6 vs White: 8.7 +/- .4 m/s; P>.05). African American men with HIV had significantly higher carotid-radial PWV (11.3 +/- .4 vs 9.8 +/- .3 m/s; P<.05), higher carotid Alx (6 +/- 3 vs -1 +/- 2%; P<.05), higher LV pressure effort (2262 +/- 369 vs 1030 +/- 140 dyne sec/cm2; P<.05) and lower PP amplification (1.10 +/- .03 vs 1.24 +/- .03; P<.05) compared to White men with HIV. CONCLUSION: Elevated CVD risk in African American men with HIV may be partially mediated by increased central hemodynamic burden and not endothelial dysfunction or increased aortic stiffness. ( Ethn Dis. 2013; 23[2]:217–222)
Social Security Tomorrow

The Social Security Trustees Report of 2015 outlines solvency concerns for Social Security, which are likely to bring Social Security to the policy agenda again soon. The politics of deservingness will have important implications for any Social Security policy proposal, and changes to Social Security policy could have implications for the positive politics of deservingness which have characterized Social Security debates. Beechey incorporates Social Security policy positions from the 2016 presidential campaigns in reviewing proposals to cut benefits, raise the retirement age, change the consumer price index (CPI) cost-of-living adjustment (COLA), introduce means testing, raise payroll taxes, infuse income from general revenue, lift the payroll tax cap, introduce private accounts, increase the poverty fighting power, introduce care credits, and restore student benefits.
Public Willingness to Pay and Policy Preferences for Tidal Energy Research and Development: A Study of Households in Washington State

Puget Sound in Washington State (WA) has significant tidal energy resources, but the industry is at a nascent stage of development. At this stage, the availability of research and development (R&D) funding plays a critical role in the success or failure of renewable energy schemes. However, information about public interest in developing marine renewable energy technology, including tidal energy technology, in WA and the U.S. has been limited. Responses to a dichotomous choice referendum question on a mail survey sent to a representative sample of WA households were used to estimate residents' Willingness to Pay (WTP) for tidal energy R&D. Public preferences for policies to support tidal energy R&D were also assessed. WA households are WTP between $29M and $127M annually for tidal energy R&D, indicating public preference for an increase in government spending on tidal energy R&D over current levels. Public perceptions of potential social, environmental, and economic risks and benefits of developing tidal energy emerged as highly significant predictors of WTP.
Vitamin D Status and Supplementation in Employer-Sponsored Wellness Program:

Purpose:To assess the response to information about vitamin D status by participants enrolled in employer-sponsored wellness programs.Design:A self-reported health risk assessment questionnaire was...
Institutional Investors and Information Processing

Firms that maintain business operations in multiple industries (i.e. conglomerate firms) demand high levels of information processing from investors. This study examines the ability of financial institutions to exploit pricing delays in conglomerate firms in an attempt to determine whether institutional investors possess and utilize information processing skill. On average, institutional trading in conglomerate firms yields significantly lower returns than institutional trading in firms that demand relatively low levels of information processing. A significant barrier to profitable institutional trading in conglomerate firms is the concentration of conglomerate firms in the institution’s portfolio. When demands for institutional investor attention are high financial institutions fail to demonstrate information processing skill. This study provides insight into how attention constraints and information processing costs influence the effectiveness of institutional investor skill.
Better-liked foods can produce more satiety

Abstract Food liking influences hunger and fullness, however, the direction of this influence has remained unclear due to the difficulty in capturing the complexity of hunger and fullness feelings and the subjective nature of evaluating food liking. The objective of this study was to investigate the impact of food liking on feelings of hunger and fullness utilizing the 5-Factor Satiety Questionnaire. Thirty participants attended two breakfast sessions one week apart in which they evaluated hunger and fullness feelings produced by two equal-caloric smoothies that differed only in that one contained a bittering agent to lower liking. Levels of the bittering agent were determined from a screening procedure and were panelist specific. Evaluations were made at 0 min, 60 min, 120 min, and 180 min after consumption. Food intake from a snack offered three hours after breakfast was covertly recorded. The more palatable control smoothie provided significantly greater mental fullness factor sensations over the three-hour testing period than the bitter smoothie. Physical fullness factor ratings were initially higher for the bitter smoothie than the control smoothie, but dropped to a nearly equal level two hours after consumption. Mental and physical hunger factor sensations were nearly equal between the two smoothies over the three hour testing period. Subjects consumed on average 77 more calories from the snack following the bitter smoothie in comparison to the control. These findings suggest that if people eat a food they greatly enjoy, instead of eating a less-well-liked version, they will experience more pleasure, satisfaction, and satiety.
A Case-Study Analysis of Costs and Benefits of Geographic Information Systems: Relationships to Firm Size and Strategy.

Costs and benefits (C/B) of geographic information systems (GIS), methods of spatial C/B, and relationships of GIS costs and benefits to firm size and spatial strategic level are analyzed through a multi-firm case study analysis. Managers responsible for GIS in fourteen U.S.-based firms were interviewed about their company’s spatial applications, costs and benefits, spatial strategic level, and management and planning of spatial technologies and GIS. The findings indicate that large firms tend to realize large benefits from GIS and have formal C/B methods. Medium and small firms do not utilize formal C/B methods, and yet report large benefits from GIS. For large firms, the use of cost-benefit methods is associated with higher spatial strategic levels. Findings are compared to the literature on cost-benefit analysis for GIS and spatial technologies.
Combined Medial Column Arthrodesis with Open Reduction Internal Fixation of Central Column for Treatment of Lisfranc Fracture-Dislocation: A Review of Consecutive Cases

Abstract Lisfranc fracture-dislocations can be devastating injuries with significant long-term sequelae with or without surgical intervention. The main goal of treatment is to minimize the common long-term complications including pain, progressive arch collapse, degenerative joint disease, hardware failure, and reoperation. Partial primary fusion involving the first, second, and third tarsometatarsal joints has become a common approach for primarily dislocation injuries, with open reduction and internal fixation (ORIF) favored for Lisfranc injuries involving fracture. ORIF commonly requires revision surgery for hardware removal or delayed fusion. Major revision creates hardship for the patient due to the prolonged recovery required, and even “simple” hardware removal can be traumatic to local nerve, artery, and tendon structures. A common injury pattern includes the findings of primary dislocation and instability of the first tarsometatarsal joint with oftentimes comminuted fracture to the second and third tarsometatarsal joints, which does not fit the standard surgical approach. We report a review of our preferred surgical approach consisting of medial column primary arthrodesis combined with central column ORIF and lateral column temporary pinning. We undertook an institutional review board-approved review of 35 consecutive Lisfranc injuries treated with this hybrid approach. Mean follow-up time was 22.14 ± 22.39 (range 2.5 to 84) months. All but 2 (5.71%) patients had radiographic evidence of union at 10 weeks. Complications included 3 with neuritis, 1 with medial column nonunion that was treated with a bone stimulator, and 1 with revision of second metatarsal nonunion. The present retrospective series highlights our experience with isolated primary fusion of the medial column in both subtle and obvious Lisfranc injuries.
Negotiating statist neoliberalism: the political economy of post-revolution Egypt

This article explores the reproduction of Egypt’s post-revolutionary political economy under the military regime. Through an examination of tax and fiscal policy, the authors argue that a strategic...
Robotic Excision of Full-thickness Diaphragmatic Endometriosis

ABSTRACT Study Objective To describe a robotic approach to excision of full-thickness diaphragmatic endometriosis. Design Surgical technique demonstration. Setting Symptomatic diaphragmatic endometriosis is commonly associated with lesions that are deeply invasive. In the presence of symptomatic diaphragmatic endometriosis, the posterior diaphragm should be explored. Interventions This video presents a systematic robotic approach to the excision of diaphragmatic endometriosis, highlighting key anatomic landmarks and technical considerations to complete the procedure safely and effectively. Resection of hepatic ligaments, use of a 30° endoscope, and right lateral access can be used to visualize this anatomic area [1] . The phrenic nerve is rarely identified during laparoscopy, if at all, and an inability to identify this structure during hemidiaphragm resection does not seem to result in significant patient morbidity. After diaphragm resection, the pleural cavity and lung should be systematically inspected to rule out the presence of additional endometriotic lesions. If the long axis of the diaphragmatic defect is parallel to the posterior chest wall and can be closed tension-free, then mesh is not necessary [1] . Insertion of a red rubber catheter into the thorax along with the use of negative pressure suction at the end of closure of the diaphragmatic defect may avoid use of a postoperative chest tube. Conclusion The use of robotic assistance for resection of diaphragmatic endometriosis makes this procedure easy and safe to perform. Compared with ablative procedures, complete surgical excision offers higher rates of symptom improvement and resolution in patients with diaphragmatic endometriosis.
Dogecoin: A Brief Overview & Survey

The Dogecoin cryptocurrency has experienced a wide range of success and exposure. In this paper, we survey the origins, inner workings, and potential issues with “the Internet cryptocurrency.”
Oxime-mediated reactivation of organophosphate-inhibited acetylcholinesterase with emphasis on centrally-active oximes

This review provides an overview of the global research leading to the large number of compounds developed as reactivators of acetylcholinesterase inhibited by a variety of organophosphate compounds, most of which are nerve agents but also some insecticides. A number of these organophosphates are highly toxic and effective therapy by reactivators contributes to saving lives. Two major challenges for more effective therapy with reactivators are identification of a broad spectrum reactivator efficacious against a variety of organophosphate structures, and a reactivator that can cross the blood-brain barrier to protect the brain. The most effective of the reactivators developed are the nucleophilic pyridinium oximes, which bear a permanent positive charge from the quaternary nitrogen in the pyridinium ring. The permanent positive charge retards the oximes from crossing the blood-brain barrier and therefore restoration of normal cholinergic function in the brain is unlikely. A number of laboratories have developed nucleophiles, mostly oximes, that are theorized to cross the blood-brain barrier by several strategies. At the present time, no reactivator is optimally broad spectrum across the wide group of organophosphate chemistries. Some oximes, including the substituted phenoxyalkyl pyridinium oximes invented by our laboratories, have the potential to provide neuroprotection in the brain and show evidence of efficacy against both nerve agent and insecticidal chemistries, so these novel oximes have promise for future development. This article is part of the special issue entitled 'Acetylcholinesterase Inhibitors: From Bench to Bedside to Battlefield'.
On the Dimension Reduction in Prestrained Elasticity (Survey)

The purpose of this review is to report on the recent developments concerning the rigorous derivation of thin film models for structures with the imposed nontrivial geometrical constraints. Examples of such structures include: growing leaves, specifically engineered polymer gels, and torn plastic sheets. The literature and results discussed in this review pertain to the study of non-Euclidean (incompatible) elastic energy functionals in the description of prestrained thin films, at their singular limits (Γ-limits) as h, the thickness of the film, approaches zero.
Minimum Overhead Beamforming and Resource Allocation in D2D Edge Networks.

Device-to-device (D2D) communications is expected to be a critical enabler of distributed computing in edge networks at scale. A key challenge in providing this capability is the requirement for judicious management of the heterogeneous communication and computation resources that exist at the edge to meet processing needs. In this paper, we develop an optimization methodology that considers the network topology jointly with device and network resource allocation to minimize total D2D overhead, which we quantify in terms of time and energy required for task processing. Variables in our model include task assignment, CPU allocation, subchannel selection, and beamforming design for multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) wireless devices. We propose two methods to solve the resulting non-convex mixed integer program: semi-exhaustive search optimization, which represents a "best-effort" at obtaining the optimal solution, and efficient alternate optimization, which is more computationally efficient. As a component of these two methods, we develop a novel coordinated beamforming algorithm which we show obtains the optimal beamformer for a common receiver characteristic. Through numerical experiments, we find that our methodology yields substantial improvements in network overhead compared with local computation and partially optimized methods, which validates our joint optimization approach. Further, we find that the efficient alternate optimization scales well with the number of nodes, and thus can be a practical solution for D2D computing in large networks.
Management of pituitary spindle cell oncocytomas: A case report and review of the literature

Abstract Pituitary spindle cell oncocytomas represent a rare pathologic entity within the differential diagnosis for pituitary tumors. As part of a class of tumors that includes low grade non-endocrine pituitary tumors such as pituicytomas and granular cell tumors (GCT), these can have similar characteristics to pituitary adenomas, and are occasionally misdiagnosed as such. We present a case of a 74-year-old woman who presented for work up of persistent headaches and vertigo. MRI brain demonstrated a heterogeneously enhancing soft tissue mass at the left lateral aspect of the sella. Patient underwent a biopsy and resection of the lesion. Histopathological examination is reviewed which revealed a spindle cell oncocytoma. Follow up MRI and examination at 6 months revealed partial resection. Additionally, we present an overview of the literature on clinical characteristics of this tumor and considerations for treatment and follow up.
Analysis of Falls Efficacy Scale and Vulnerable Elders Survey as Predictors of Falls.

Introduction Falls are the leading cause of injury-related death among older adults according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). The Falls Efficacy Scale (FES) and Vulnerable Elder Survey (VES-13) are validated screening tools used to assess concern of falling, health deterioration and functional decline. We set out to determine if the FES or VES-13 could serve as a predictor of falls among older adults in the Emergency Department (ED) setting. Methods This prospective pilot cohort study was conducted at a Level 1 Trauma Center. ED patients aged ≥65 were eligible for the study if they had a mechanical fall risk defined by CDC criteria. After consent and enrollment, FES and the VES surveys were completed. Participants were followed by phone quarterly, and results of the one-year follow-up self-report of fall history described. Results There were 200 subjects enrolled and after excluding those that were withdrawn, deceased, or lost to follow-up, 184 were available for analysis of their follow-up visit at 12 months. A greater proportion of the participants were women (108 (58.7%) vs 76 (41.3%); P=0.88). The average age of the study participants was 74.2±7.3 years. There was no significant difference in age between men and women (median: 73 vs 73; p=0.47). At the follow-up visit, 33 (17.9%) had a reported fall. The mean age did not significantly differ when comparing those with versus without a fall (75.6 vs 73.9; p=0.24). There was no significant difference in the proportion with a VES-13 ≥ 3 when comparing those with and without a reported fall (45.5% vs 37.8%; p = 0.41). The median FES score did not differ among those with as compared to without a fall (11 vs 10; p=0.12). Conclusions Subjects who had a VES-13 score of ≥3 were statistically no more likely to have fallen than those with a score of <3. Additionally, the FES score did not statistically differ when comparing those who had fallen to those who had not. Further research into alternative screening methods in the ED setting for fall risk is recommended.
Modelling visibility judgments using models of decision confidence

How can we explain the regularities in subjective reports of human observers about their subjective visual experience of a stimulus? The present study tests whether a recent model of confidence in perceptual decisions, the weighted evidence and visibility model, can be generalized from confidence to subjective visibility. In a postmasked orientation identification task, observers reported the subjective visibility of the stimulus after each single identification response. Cognitive modelling revealed that the weighted evidence and visibility model provided a superior fit to the data compared with the standard signal detection model, the signal detection model with unsystematic noise superimposed on ratings, the postdecisional accumulation model, the two-channel model, the response-congruent evidence model, the two-dimensional Bayesian model, and the constant noise and decay model. A comparison between subjective visibility and decisional confidence revealed that visibility relied more on the strength of sensory evidence about features of the stimulus irrelevant to the identification judgment and less on evidence for the identification judgment. It is argued that at least two types of evidence are required to account for subjective visibility, one related to the identification judgment, and one related to the strength of stimulation.
Journeys to St. Malo: a history of Filipino Louisiana

In this essay, I present a long history of St. Malo, Louisiana, revealing the ways in which the site’s social, cultural, and physical landscape has been shaped and unmade by the forces of slavery, ...
Perovskites for x-ray detection

Hybrid perovskite materials are attractive for detection of X-ray and gamma-ray in both direct and indirect ways. The high stopping power of perovskites as well as excellent charge transport properties enables direct detection of single photon gamma ray in photon counting mode. The strong absorption of UV-vis light by most hybrid perovskites also enable very sensitive photodetectors which can count the emitted photons from scintillators under radiation. In addition, many perovskite compositions are also explored for scintillator applications. I am going to review the progress made at UNC on these three main research directions.
Outcomes of cardiac arrest complicating acute myocardial infarction in patients with current and historical cancer: An 18-year United States cohort study

BACKGROUND Data regarding cardiac arrest (CA) complicating acute myocardial infarction (AMI) in patients with cancers are limited. METHODS Using the HCUP-NIS database (2000-2017), we identified adult admissions with AMI-CA and current or historical cancers to evaluate in-hospital mortality, utilization of coronary angiography, percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI), coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG), mechanical circulatory support (MCS), palliative care consultation, do-not-resuscitate status use, among those with current, historical and without cancer. RESULTS Of 11,622,528 AMI admissions, CA was noted in 584,263 (5.0%). Current and historical cancers were identified in 14,790 (2.5%) and 26,939 (4.6%), respectively. Both current and historical cancer groups were on average older, of white race, had greater comorbidity, and received care at small/medium-sized hospitals compared to those without. The current cancer cohort had the lowest rates of coronary angiography (45.2% vs. 59.2% vs. 63.3%), PCI (32.4% vs. 42.3% vs. 47.0%), MCS (13.5% vs. 16.5% vs. 20.9%) and CABG (4.1% vs. 7.6% vs. 10.2%) compared to the historical cancer and no cancer cohorts (all p < 0.001). Compared to those without, the current (61.1% vs. 44.0%; adjusted odds ratio [OR] 1.25 [95% confidence interval {CI} 1.20-1.31], p < 0.001) and historical cancer cohorts (52.2% vs. 44.0%; adjusted OR 1.05 [95% CI 1.01-1.08], p = 0.003) had higher in-hospital mortality. Cancer admissions had higher rates of palliative care consultations and do-not-resuscitate status. CONCLUSION AMI-CA admissions with cancer were older, had lower utilization of cardiac procedures, and higher rates of palliative care and do-not-resuscitate status and in-hospital mortality compared to those without cancer.
Abstract P281: Vascular Remodeling And Impaired Vascular Smooth Muscle Cell Plasticity In Age And Sex-dependent Hypertension

Aim: Hypertension (HTN) and aging are associated with the development of vascular dysfunction. We speculated that vascular smooth muscle cell plasticity and vascular remodeling play major roles in ...
Outpatient Follow-up Care After Hospital Discharge of Children With Complex Chronic Conditions at a Rural Tertiary Care Hospital.

ObjectiveTo determine factors associated with completion of recommended outpatient follow-up visits in children with complex chronic conditions (CCCs) following hospital discharge.MethodsWe retrosp...
Description of historical and future projection simulations by the global coupled E3SMv1.0 model as used in CMIP6

Abstract. This paper documents the experimental setup and general features of the coupled historical and future climate simulations with the first version of the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Energy Exascale Earth System Model (E3SMv1.0). The future projected climate characteristics of E3SMv1.0 at the highest emission scenario (SSP5-8.5) designed in the Scenario Model Intercomparison Project (ScenarioMIP) and the SSP5-8.5 greenhouse gas (GHG) only forcing experiment are analyzed with a focus on regional responses of atmosphere, ocean, sea-ice, and land. Due to its high climate sensitivity, E3SMv1.0 is one of the CMIP6 models with the largest surface warming by the end of the 21st century under the high-emission SSP5-8.5 scenario. The global mean precipitation change is highly correlated to the global temperature change, while the spatial pattern of the change in runoff responds to the precipitation changes. The oceanic mixed layer generally shoals throughout the global ocean. The sea ice, especially in the Northern Hemisphere, rapidly decreases with large seasonal variability. The annual mean AMOC is overly weak with a slower change relative to other CMIP6 models. We detect a significant polar amplification in E3SMv1.0 from the atmosphere, ocean, and sea ice. Comparing the SSP5-8.5 all-forcing experiment with the GHG-only experiment, we find that the unmasking of the aerosol effects due to the decline of the aerosol loading in the future projection period causes accelerated warming in SSP5-8.5 all-forcing experiment. While the oceanic climate response is mainly controlled by the GHG forcing, the land runoff response is impacted primarily by forcings other than GHG over certain regions. However, the importance of the GHG forcing on the land runoff changes grows in the future climate projection period compared to the historical period.
Serodiagnosis of human granulocytic ehrlichiosis by a recombinant HGE- 44-based enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay

Current antibody testing for human granulocytic ehrlichiosis relies predominantly on indirect fluorescent-antibody assays and immunoblot analysis. Shortcomings of these techniques include high cost and variability of test results associated with the use of different strains of antigens derived from either horses or cultured HL-60 cells. We used recombinant protein HGE-44, expressed and purified as a maltose-binding protein (MBP) fusion peptide, as an antigen in a polyvalent enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). Fifty-five normal serum samples from healthy humans served as a reference to establish cutoff levels. Thirty-three of 38 HGE patient serum samples (87%), previously confirmed by positive whole-cell immunoblotting, reacted positively in the recombinant ELISA. In specificity analyses, serum samples from patients with Lyme disease, syphilis, rheumatoid arthritis, and human monocytic ehrlichiosis (HME) did not react with HGE-44–MBP antigen, except for one sample (specificity, 98%). We conclude that recombinant HGE-44 antigen is a suitable antigen in an ELISA for the laboratory diagnosis and epidemiological study of HGE.