cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Time Dependant Quantum Efficiency and Dark Current Measurements in an RF Photocathode Injector with a High Quantum Efficiency Cathode

Studies of photo-emission and field emission behavior in an RF gun have been carried out. Unexpected phenomena were observed. In situ changes in the cathode’s quantum efficiency and dark current with time were seen during operation of the photo-injector. These changes were correlated with the magnetostatic field at the cathode. In addition, multipacting has been observed under certain conditions. Recent measurements indicate a correlation between multipacting and anomalous photo-and field emission behavior.
Variability of Arrival Dates of Maine Migratory Breeding Birds: Implications for Detecting Climate Change

Many authors have recently used changes in arrival dates of migratory breeding birds as a measure of environmental change due to global warming. In this paper, I present a comparative analysis of the intra-annual variability in first arrival dates for 107 species of migratory breeding birds in Maine. Data come from volunteer observers in the southern two-thirds of the state from 1994 through 2005. Using the Julian date for each first arrival, standard deviations were tabulated for each species in each year. The results indicate that some species, specifically leaf-gleaning insectivores and aerial insectivores, have relatively low variance of first arrival dates while other species show more protracted migrations and hence greater variability around the mean arrival date. Post hoc considerations of the pat- terns of variability suggest that diet may be an important determinant of variance in arrival date. The data indicate that researchers should concentrate on species with lower variances of arrival date to increase the statistical power for testing changes in arrival dates as global warming proceeds.
Input impedance of dielectric resonator antennas excited by a coaxial probe

A formulation based upon the method of moments (MoM) is presented for the computation of input impedance of dielectric resonator antennas. The class of antennas modeled by this method consists of axially symmetric dielectric resonators fed by thin wire elements. The formulation is general in that the feed structure may be interior or exterior to the dielectric resonator. To demonstrate the utility of this technique, parametric studies are performed on a cylindrical dielectric resonator antenna (CDRA) operating at frequencies that excite the important HEM/sub 11/ resonator antenna mode. The integrity of this technique is established both experimentally and numerically. >
CA5-03: Bringing Data Closer to Investigators

Background/Aims To allow rapid response to FDA data inquiries, Mini-Sentinel Operations Center (MSOC) has developed seven modular programs (MP) for use within FDA’s Mini-Sentinel Pilot, a large, multi-institutional distributed database with 17 data partners (DP) designed to support the agency’s efforts to develop an active surveillance system for monitoring medical product safety in the United States.
Disclosure Of Nonaudit Services Fees: Perceptions Of Investors And Accounting Professionals

This study examines investors’ and accounting professionals’ perceptions related to the necessity and form of disclosure of nonaudit service (NAS) fees pursuant to the Security and Exchange Commission’s Final Rule on auditor independence. A between-subjects design was used to examine participants’ opinions as to the need for disclosure of the performance of NAS and the particular form of disclosure that was preferred. The design incorporated four types of NAS (actuarial services, internal audit outsourcing, legal services, and software training), two levels of materiality (40 percent and 3 percent), and three categories of participants (non-Big 5 CPA firm professionals, Big 5 CPA firm professionals, and investors). A larger percentage of investors favored disclosure of NAS fees than either non-Big 5 CPA firm professionals or Big 5 CPA firm professionals. In addition, of those who favored disclosure, investors favored disclosure of the amount of NAS along with the total audit fees, regardless of the amount, while non-Big 5 CPA firm professionals and Big 5 CPA firm professionals both favored disclosure of the amount of NAS alone and only if those services exceeded a specified threshold. The investor results lend support to the SEC’s revised auditor independence rules.
The Minnesota Heart Health Program community Quit and Win contests.

The Quit and Win contest was developed by the Minnesota Heart Health Program (MHHP) at the University of Minnesota. ~ The contests were implemented in the three MHHP education communities: Mankato, Fargo-Moorhead, and Bloomington. Mankato is a rural community of approximately 38,000 in southern Minnesota. Fargo-Moorhead is an urban area consisting of two neighboring communities (total population approximately 110,000) on the Minnesota-North Dakota border. Bloomington is a community of approximately 85,000 in the Twin Cities metropolitan area. The first contest was held in Mankato in 1982-83. Contests continued through 1988-89 under the auspices of MHHP. Contests were incorporated by Bloomington following the termination of MHHP intervention.’-’
Characterizing prevalence and severity of depression in coronary artery disease patients in Bangkok, Thailand.

CHARACTERIZING PREVALENCE AND SEVERITY OF DEPRESSION IN CORONARY ARTERY DISEASE PATIENTS IN BANGKOK, THAILAND. Anna Yusim and Thomas Stewart. Department of Psychiatry, Yale University, School of Medicine, New Haven, CT. Numerous studies in North America, Europe and Australia have linked depression to increased risk of morbidity and mortality in coronary artery disease (CAD). Although the co-morbidity of depression and CAD is well documented in the western world, little work on the subject has been carried out in Asia. Differing depression presentations in Asia necessitate the use of culture-specific depression rating scales. This study sought to determine whether the correlation between CAD and depression documented in western countries also exists in an Asian nation: Thailand. It was hypothesized that rates of depressive symptoms were higher in Thai inpatients with either unstable angina or recent myocardial infarction than in Thai inpatients with non-cardiac (orthopedic) complications. A 15-question culturally-appropriate self-rating depression inventory was administered to 56 Thai inpatients—33 cardiac and 23 orthopedic—at two public and one private hospital in Bangkok. Subjects were asked to rate each of the fifteen items on a scale from 0-3 based on how they felt during the past week. Higher scores correlated with greater depressive symptoms. Five cardiac and two orthopedic patients were excluded from the final analysis because of past medical history of major depressive disorder. Of the remaining 49 patients, questionnaire scores ranged from 1 to 23, with a mean depression score of 9.00 (S.E.M.=.84). Cardiac patients showed significantly greater depressive symptoms than their orthopedic counterparts at one public and one private hospital: Ramathibodi Hospital (P=.01) and Bangkok General Hospital (P=.005), respectively. For cardiology patients, the three highest scoring items were early insomnia (Mean = 1.39), late insomnia (Mean = 1.25) and loss of appetite (Mean = 1.04). For orthopedic patients, the three highest scoring items were work inhibition (Mean = 1.05), anxiety (Mean = .86), and early insomnia (Mean = .86). On post-hoc analysis, it was shown that patients in hospital units with air-conditioning showed significantly fewer depressive symptoms than patients without air-conditioning (P=.003), where the daily temperature often reached 115F. Rates of depressive symptoms did not differ in accordance with education level (P=.15), gender (P=.49) or age (P=.29). In conclusion, this study provides some evidence that Thai inpatients hospitalized for severe CAD have greater depressive experience than their orthopedic counterparts. This finding supports our hypothesis that depression and CAD are linked in Thailand as they are in western countries.
The Coupler Surface of the RSRS Mechanism

Two degree-of-freedom (2-DOF) closed spatial linkages can be useful in the design of robotic devices for spatial rigid-body guidance or manipulation. One of the simplest linkages of this type, without any passive DOF on its links, is the revolute-spherical-revolute-spherical (RSRS) four-bar spatial linkage. Although the RSRS topology has been used in some robotics applications, the kinematics study of this basic linkage has unexpectedly received little attention in the literature over the years. Counteracting this historical tendency, this work presents the derivation of the general implicit equation of the surface generated by a point on the coupler link of the general RSRS spatial mechanism. Since the derived surface equation expresses the Cartesian coordinates of the coupler point as a function only of known geometric parameters of the linkage, the equation can be useful, for instance, in the process of synthesizing new devices. The steps for generating the coupler surface, which is computed from a distance-based parametrization of the mechanism and is algebraic of order twelve, are detailed and a web link where the interested reader can download the full equation for further study is provided. It is also shown how the celebrated sextic curve of the planar four-bar linkage is obtained from this RSRS dodecic.
Specht Modules and Simple Modules for Centralizer Algebras of the Symmetric Group

Let Σn be the symmetric group on n letters. For l ≤ n identify Σl with a subgroup of Σn in the natural way. Let k be an algebraically closed field of characteristic p. This article begins to develop a theory for modules over the centralizer algebras kΣnΣl that is analogous to James's theory of permutation modules, Specht modules, and simple modules over kΣn. We make a conjecture about how to construct all simple kΣnΣl-modules, we develop tools to test the conjecture, and we prove that it is correct for all n when l < p.
Intermittent BRAF Inhibition Can Achieve Prolonged Disease Control in BRAF Mutant Melanoma

BRAF V600E is the most common somatic mutation seen in patients with metastatic melanoma. BRAF inhibitors (BRAFi), along with MEK inhibitors (MEKi), have been shown to improve overall survival in these patients with a median time to resistance of 6-10 months. We describe a patient with an ongoing response of 48 months on intermittent BRAFi therapy. She was started on vemurafenib at initial diagnosis, which was discontinued after a total of 39 weeks of therapy, and achieved a complete response due to cumulative toxicity. Upon evidence of progression on serial imaging following 81 weeks of disease-free status, BRAFi was resumed with dabrafenib, along with trametinib. Complete response was seen with seven weeks of treatment. Therapy was discontinued again, due to side effects, with an intention to pursue intermittent therapy. Serial imaging, so far, has shown no progression or recurrence of disease after over a year (66 weeks and ongoing) since discontinuation of therapy. This case underscores the clinical feasibility of intermittent BRAFi therapy in patients while still achieving a prolonged response. Disease control of 48 months, to date, has been achieved using therapy only "as needed" and keeping toxicities to the minimum.
Analyzing Economic and Environmental Performance of Switchgrass Biofuel Supply Chains

This study optimized the net present value (NPV) of profit of various switchgrass-based ethanol supply chains and estimated associated greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions in west Tennessee. Three configurations of feedstock harvesting and storage, including a large round baler system, a large square baler system, and a chopping/densification system, were evaluated. A mixed-integer mathematical programming model incorporating high-resolution spatial data was used to determine the optimal locations and capacities of cellulosic ethanol plants and feedstock preprocessing facilities, and associated feedstock-draw areas by maximizing the NPV of profit over 20 years. The optimized outputs were then used to estimate the GHG emissions produced in the biofuel supply chain (BSC) per year. The study shows that BSC configurations have important implications for the economic and environmental performance of the system. The harvest and storage configurations affect the locations of conversion and preprocessing facilities, and associated feedstock-draw areas, hence impacting the cost and emissions of both feedstock and biofuels transportation. The findings suggest the BSC system that harvests feedstock with forage choppers and utilizes stretch-wrap balers to increase feedstock density has the highest NPV of profit. The BSC system that uses large square balers for harvest and storage emits the lowest amount of GHGs per year. In addition, the sensitivity analysis suggests that biofuel price and scaling factor of facility capital was influential to the economics of BSC systems. The breakeven price of biofuel for the three BSCs was around $0.97 L−1.
Recent Developments in Binaural Modeling

The goal of a mathematical model is to express a hypothesis for understanding natural phenomena in such a manner that assumptions are stated explicitly and quantitative predictions can be evaluated for measureable phenomena. The value of a particular model is generally related to the number of phenomena that are successfully described within a small set of assumptions, the degree to which the assumptions are consistent with fundamental physical principles, and the degree to which the model captures the current understanding of the field.
Propagation testing multi-cell batteries.

Propagation of single point or single cell failures in multi-cell batteries is a significant concern as batteries increase in scale for a variety of civilian and military applications. This report describes the procedure for testing failure propagation along with some representative test results to highlight the potential outcomes for different battery types and designs.
Penetrating Abdominal Trauma

A 24-year-old male is brought to the emergency room following a gunshot wound (GSW) to the left lower abdomen. On initial examination, his blood pressure is 80/65 mmHg, heart rate is 140/min, and respiratory rate is 26/min. He appears pale and is diaphoretic. He is unable to remain still secondary to pain. The patient’s airway is patent and there are equal breath sounds bilaterally. He has a rigid abdomen with diffuse tenderness, guarding, and rebound. There is a single entry wound to the left lower quadrant. No other GSWs are noted on exam. Palpation of the patient’s lower extremity pulses reveals a diminished left femoral pulse and a normal right femoral pulse. His left leg is cool to touch. The patient is urgently taken to the operating room.
Field-Based High-Throughput Plant Phenotyping Reveals the Temporal Patterns of Quantitative Trait Loci Associated with Stress-Responsive Traits in Cotton

The application of high-throughput plant phenotyping (HTPP) to continuously study plant populations under relevant growing conditions creates the possibility to more efficiently dissect the genetic basis of dynamic adaptive traits. Toward this end, we employed a field-based HTPP system that deployed sets of sensors to simultaneously measure canopy temperature, reflectance, and height on a cotton (Gossypium hirsutum L.) recombinant inbred line mapping population. The evaluation trials were conducted under well-watered and water-limited conditions in a replicated field experiment at a hot, arid location in central Arizona, with trait measurements taken at different times on multiple days across 2010-2012. Canopy temperature, normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI), height, and leaf area index (LAI) displayed moderate-to-high broad-sense heritabilities, as well as varied interactions among genotypes with water regime and time of day. Distinct temporal patterns of quantitative trait loci (QTL) expression were mostly observed for canopy temperature and NDVI, and varied across plant developmental stages. In addition, the strength of correlation between HTPP canopy traits and agronomic traits, such as lint yield, displayed a time-dependent relationship. We also found that the genomic position of some QTL controlling HTPP canopy traits were shared with those of QTL identified for agronomic and physiological traits. This work demonstrates the novel use of a field-based HTPP system to study the genetic basis of stress-adaptive traits in cotton, and these results have the potential to facilitate the development of stress-resilient cotton cultivars.
Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder: The road traveled and the road ahead

As we learn more about lisdexamfetamine, the latest addition to the arsenal of medications used for the treatment of attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), it is a good time to reflect upon this disorder and its treatment. We know that ADHD is a genuine, neurobiological disorder that
A single digit as a cue for recalling two-digit numbers.

Su.nmary.-This study examined S's memory for 2-digit numbers. During recall, one digit of each number appeared as a cue and S had to recall the entire number. The cue was either the first digit or the second. For English speakers the initial digit was a better cue. German speakers, though, utter the digits in reverse order. For them the superiority of the initial digit disappeared. In some important kicds of memory, the stimulus is actually a part of the response: When S sees the stimulus, he is supposed to think of the larger response unit that contains chat sti~ulus as one of its parts. This kind of memory has been labeled "redincegrative" memory by Hollingworch ( 1928). A very simple example of redincegrative memory occurs when a fragment of a word makes S think of the whole word. Horowitz, White, and Arwood ( 1968) examined different fragments eliciting the recall of high-frequency words. They found that the beginning of a word is best able to elicit the whole word, and the middle part is least able. Each S snidied a list of 9 common words. Later he was tested for his recall of the words: He was shown a fragment of each word he had seen, and he had to supply the entire word as quickly as possible. A beginning fragment elicited the correct response fastest and with the highest probability. The middle fragmert elicited the correct response most slowly and with the lowest probability. The present study concerns redintegrative memory for 2-digit numbers. If S has seen "83," which cue would aid his recall more effectively, the initial-fragment "8-," or the end-fragment "-3"? The following experiment shows that the initial-fragment is the better cue for English speakers. This result, however, does not hold with German speakers; in German the digits are uttered in reverse order, "drei-und-achtzig," and the superiority of the initial digit disappears. Procedure.-First S learned 8 pairs of associates which appeared singly on 3- X 5-in. index cards. The stimuli were picnues and the responses were 2-digit numbers. Each stimulus apleared alone for 1 sec., and then the entire pair appeared for 1 sec. A 3-sec. interval separated pairs. Each time S anticipated a response correctly, that pair was removed from the deck until S anticipated each response correctly once. Then S was tested for his recall of these responses. The first digit of each number was the cue for four pairs, and the second digit, the cue for the other 'This research war, supported in part by Grant GB-4561 of the National Science Foundation to the second author. The authors are indebted to rhe National Science Foundauon for this support. They would also like to thank Mr. Leland Wirnberly and Mr. John Williamson for their help in collecting the data.
MONILINIA VACCINII-CORYMBOSI (SCLEROTINIACEAE): ITS BIOLOGY ON BLUEBERRY AND COMPARISON WITH RELATED SPECIES

A six year study of Monilinia vaccinii-corymbosi in a 700 m2 site at Greenbelt, Maryland, revealed that this fungus attacks Vaccinium corymbosum and closely related species which, together, comprise the commercial blueberries of North America. Monilinia polycodii and M. taxonomic sp. 1 also grew at the site and, respectively, attacked V. stamineum and Gaylussacia baccata. Apothecia of M. vaccinii-corymbosi ejected viable ascospores for 2932 da; infection by ascospores caused leaf and shoot blight. Conidia were collected for 2547 da and they caused mummification of fruit. However the two inocula overlapped for several days when the bloom was 100%. In a growth chamber at 12 C, cups matured in 26 da beginning with the apical flattening of the stipe. Ascospores stored at 12 C, r.h. 50-65%, were viable for 23 da but no conidia germinated after 6 da. Occurrence of conidia on mummified fruits on plants of V. corymbosum and a technique to produce them in vitro are reported for the first time. Observations from inoculation of eight species of Vaccinium and one species of Gaylussacia with six species of Monilinia, and other data, revealed that the following are host specific: M. baccarum on V. myrtillus; M. ledi, anamorph on V. uliginosum, teleomorph on Ledum palustre; M. megalospora on V. uliginosum; M. oxycocci on V. macrocarpon and V. oxycoccos; M. polycodii on V. stamineum; M. urnula on V. vitis-idaea and M. taxonomic sp. 1 on G. baccata. The foregoing species, plus M. azaleae, and M. rhododendri are described, including their cultural characteristics. Useful taxonomic criteria include the extent of host specificity, the location of the ectostroma in relation to host epidermis and the parts in which it is lodged, the anatomical structure of the entostroma, and cultural characteristics. A dichotomous key is provided to delineate all Monilinia species on Monilinia vaccinii-corymbosi (Reade) Honey is an economically important fungus common on commercial blueberries in the United States and Canada. It is one of the 10 species of Monilinia Honey that attack plants of the ericaceous genera Vaccinium, Gaylussacia, Ledum, and Rhododendron. It causes symptoms rather similar to the effects of other Vaccinium-inhabiting species, and it is sometimes confused with M. urnula (Weinm.) Whet. (3, 4, 27). However, M. vacciniicorymbosi has a characteristically wide host range of related Vaccinium species and is otherwise distinct from all other Monilinia species. Monilinia has monilioid macroconidia (anamorph: Monilia), hollow-sphaeroid or (rarely) solid pseudosclerotia (a resting fungus mass enclosing substratum), and fructicolous apothecia (12, 25). The genus was segregated from Sclerotinia Fuckel, which now includes species with tuberoid, true sclerotia (a resting fungus mass) but lacking a conidial state.
Hydrogen Desorption from Ti-Doped MgH2(110) Surfaces: Catalytic Effect on Reaction Pathways and Kinetic Barriers

Transition-metal (TM) catalytic dopants are widely used in hydrogen-storage materials to increase hydrogen (H2) desorption and absorption kinetics. Using density functional theory calculations, we ...
Numerical Simulation of a Transient Dynamic Process for Phase-transition Heat Exchange

With a steam condenser serving as a physical model a dynamic model of transient distributed parameters was set up with divided zones and divided flow patterns. During the setting-up of the model some specific details have been taken into account, such as fluid transient physical-property parameters, liquid content in wet zones, flow pressure losses and tube-wall heat accumulation, etc, thereby markedly enhancing the accuracy and usage scope of the model. In the process of simulation a computer can on the basis of a refrigerant condition automatically check and select corresponding physical-property parameters from an established physical-property database. The model adopts an explicit-type equation group, which expedites resolution speed. With the help of the model it is possible to conduct the non-steady performance study of a condensation heat-exchange process, acquiring a time-dependent variation process, such as the cold and hot fluid temperature, pressure and condensation state, etc during a heat-exchange process. By way of an experimental verification it has been shown that the model under discussion features relatively high precision.
A hospital-based, hazardous materials decontamination and treatment unit: utilization patterns over a nine-month period.

Federal [U.S.] law and the Joint Commission on the Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations mandate plans and mechanisms for response by hospitals to hazardous material incidents/accidents be developed and implemented. This paper describes the response of the University Hospitals of Cleveland to these regulations and to the anticipated needs of the community and local industry. The physical plant constructed and its relationship to the emergency department personnel for staffing this unit are described. Utilization patterns since implementation of this program are presented.
Five years of lesson modification to implement non-traditional learning sessions in a traditional-delivery curriculum: A retrospective assessment using applied implementation variables.

Abstract Non-traditional learning (NTL), including aspects of self-directed learning (SDL), may address self-awareness development needs. Many factors can impact successful implementation of NTL. Objectives: To share our multi-year experience with modifications that aim to improve NTL sessions in a traditional curriculum. To improve understanding of applied implementation variables (some of which were based on successful SDL implementation components) that impact NTL. Methods: We delivered a single lesson in a traditional-delivery curriculum once annually for five years, varying delivery annually in response to student learning and reaction-to-learning results. At year 5, we compared student learning and reaction-to-learning to applied implementation factors using logistic regression. Results: Higher instructor involvement and overall NTL levels predicted correct exam responses (p=0.0007 and p
Valvoplastia Mitral Percutânea por Balão: Sobrevivendo ao Teste do Tempo

doenca cardiovascular continua a ser a doenca mais importante do Mundo Ocidental. Como tal, muitos avancos contra a doenca cardiovascular foram feitos nas ultimas decadas, especialmente quando se considera a doenca arterial coronaria. Cardiologistas passaram de uma era de “espera vigilante” em um pa -ciente com infarto agudo do miocardio e doenca co -ronaria grave a uma era de revascularizacao cirurgica e, finalmente, evoluiram para a era da intervencao percutânea, que culminou com os stents farmacologi -cos. Assim, nasceu uma nova subespecialidade, a cardiologia intervencionista.
Chronic Stress Exposure and Generation Are Related to the P-Factor and Externalizing Specific Psychopathology in Youth.

Psychopathology is posited to be transdiagnostically linked to chronic stress. Yet efforts to understand the specificity and directionality of these links have been sparse, and the ubiquitous comor...
The Hayekian Religion

Hayek ‘rectified’ his own past: Spann, who aspired to be the Nazi’s sole intellectual Fuhrer, must have been the major influence on the undergraduate Hayek. Hayek’s ‘spontaneous’ order collapses upon inspection; and his promotion of ‘an “un-understood” moral tradition’ corresponds with Margaret Thatcher’s concern: ‘what can be done with a people who are their own masters if they are not submissive to the Deity?’ According to Hayek, ‘You might call every belief in moral principles, which are not rationally justified, a religious belief. In the wide sense, yes, one has to be religious. Whether it really needs to be associated with a belief in supernatural spiritual forces, I am not sure…It’s by no means impossible that to the great majority of people nothing short of such a belief will do.’ His ‘cultural heritage’ survived so long as it was ‘not articulated in words’ and ‘not discussed or consciously examined’—sentiments shared by the John Birch Society.
What does a library accessibility specialist do? How a new role advances accessibility through education and advocacy

Across North America, academic librarians are quietly converting print materials into accessible files, testing databases for usability, and applying principles of universal design to services, spaces, and instruction. Most of us do this work under unassuming job titles like director of access services or humanities librarian. But a few of us occupy new positions explicitly devoted to library accessibility.
Setting mechanism of a new injectable Dicalcium Phosphate Dihydrate (DCPD) forming cement

We previously described the gelation mechanism of calcium polyphosphate (CPP) in the presence of water. In this study, we developed novel and injectable poly-dicalcium phosphate dihydrate (P-DCPD) forming cement by the reaction of acidic CPP gel with alkali tetracalcium phosphate (TTCP). The setting reaction mechanism of P-DCPD is due to the intermolecular interaction between CPP gel and TTCP that was supported by XRD, AFM, Raman spectra analysis and SEM. The setting mechanism of P-DCPD is completely different from the classical calcium phosphate cement (CPC) that achieves crystallization by monophosphates reaction. P-DCPD represents a new type of poly-CPCs with significant advantages, including strong mechanical strength, excellent cohesion and easy of handling. More extensive experiments are currently underway to further evaluate the performance of P-DCPD cements, including biocompatibility, degradation behavior and bone defect hearing efficacy, among others.
Follicular maturation parameters associated with the failure of oocyte retrieval, fertilization, and cleavage in vitro

Follicular maturation parameters predictive of decreased success in human in vitro fertilization were evaluated in 104 gonadotropin-stimulated cycles. Falling estradiol (E 2 ) levels correlated with decreased fertilization (1.9 oocyte/cycle) and cleavage (1.4 oocyte/cycle), when compared with cycles with increasing E 2 (2.4 and 2.1 oocyte/cycle, respectively). Likewise, polyspermic fertilization was higher in the former group. Falling E 2 levels after human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG) administration correlated with similar trends. Delaying hCG (24 to 96 hours) relative to the last dose of gonadotropin did not affect the total number of oocytes fertilized per cycle. However, polyspermic fertilization and cancellation rates were higher. Leading follicles growing beyond 2.3cm (determined by ultrasound examination) were associated with decreased recovery, fertilization, and cleavage, and increased polyspermic fertilization. We conclude that ultrasonography and E 2 monitoring can predict decreased fertilization and cleavage and should also be monitored after hCG administration.
Book review: On intelligence as memory

On Intelligence by Jeff Hawkins with Sandra Blakeslee has been inspirational for nonscientists as well as some of our most distinguished biologists, as can be seen from the web site (http://www.onintelligence.org). The book is engagingly written as a first person memoir of one computer engineer’s search for enlightenment on how human intelligence is computed by our brains. The central insight is important—much of our intelligence comes from the ability to recognize complex situations and to predict their possible outcomes. There is something fundamental about the brain and neural computation that makes us intelligent and AI should be studying it. Hawkins actually understates the power of human associative memory. Because of the massive parallelism and connectivity, the brain essentially reconfigures itself to be constantly sensitive to the current context and goals [1]. For example, when you are planning to buy some kind of car, you start noticing them. The book is surely right that better AI systems would follow if we could develop programs that were more like human memory. For whatever reason, memory as such is no longer studied much in AI—the Russell and Norvig [3] text has one index item for memory and that refers to semantics. From a scientific AI/Cognitive Science perspective, the book fails to tackle most of the questions of interest. It is certainly true that vision, motor control, language, planning, learning, etc. involve recognizing new situations as similar to known ones, but memory alone does not address any of the core issues in these areas. Scientists (whether in AI or biology) study particular phenomena such as color, grammar, feedback, evidence combination, and neural development. The book should be read as suggesting how one essential component of intelligence might be realized by the human brain as we understand it.
Single-stranded binding proteins and helicase enhance the activity of prokaryotic argonautes in vitro

Prokaryotic argonautes are a unique class of nucleic acid-guided endonucleases putatively involved in cellular defense against foreign genetic elements. While their eukaryotic homologs and Cas protein counterparts require single-stranded RNAs as guides, some prokaryotic argonautes are able to utilize short single-stranded DNAs as guides for sequence-specific endonuclease activity. Many complications currently prevent the use of prokaryotic argonautes for in vivo gene-editing applications; however, they do exhibit potential as a new class of in vitro molecular tools if certain challenges can be overcome, specifically the limitations on substrate accessibility which leads to unequal levels of activity across a broad palate of substrates and the inability to act on double-stranded DNA substrates. Here we demonstrate the use of accessory factors, including thermostable single-stranded DNA binding proteins and UvrD-like helicase, in conjunction with prokaryotic argonautes to significantly improve enzymatic activity and enable functionality with a broader range of substrates, including linear double-stranded DNA substrates. We also demonstrate the use of Thermus thermophilus argonaute with accessory factors as a programmable restriction enzyme to generate long, unique single-stranded overhangs from linear double-stranded substrates compatible with downstream ligation.
Proceedings of the 2011 workshop on Energy Efficiency: HPC System and Datacenters

It is our great pleasure to welcome you to the 2011 Superomputing Conference Energy Efficient High Performance Computing Working Group Workshop. The title of this year's workshop is "Towards and Beyond Energy Efficiency: HPC System and Data Centers." This workshop keeps the audience abreast of trends in HPC energy efficiency in system software and architecture, as well as datacenter and power system design. We hope that these proceedings will serve as a valuable reference for a wide audience, including computer architects and data center managers.
410) Therapeutic Virtual Reality in Pain Management

Virtual Reality (VR) in its simplest form has been around for centuries. The advancement of VR technology along with substantial decrease in costs has enabled the development of scalable virtual reality products. The coalescence of these events has resulted in an exponential increase in investment in the field resulting in the generation of multiple industry verticals. One of the fastest growing sectors in VR is healthcare. Built on decades of research in the lab and in the clinic, VR has been shown to be a promising therapeutic modality for a variety of medical conditions. Pain management has been the most widely studied of all the disease areas explored to date. Over the past 30+ years, researchers have been focused on investigating the benefit of the immersive environment of VR, its durability of effect, mechanism of action and impact on pain regions of the brain in comparison to common opioid analgesics. Recent clinical have demonstrated significant reduction in patient pain levels when exposed to VR. The substantial scientific evidence and potential to help patients in need drives appliedVR's mission to revolutionize pain management through immersive technology.
Efficacy of selenium in controlling Acinetobacter baumannii associated wound infections

Abstract Acinetobacter baumannii is a multi-drug resistant, nosocomial pathogen causing a variety of disease conditions, especially wound infections in humans. A. baumannii’s ability to form biofilms and colonize epithelial cells potentially makes it difficult to treat skin and soft-tissue infections of this pathogen. Thus, in light of the multidrug resistance and biofilm producing capacity, new strategies for controlling A. baumannii wound infections are necessary. This study investigated the efficacy of the essential mineral, selenium (Se) in inhibiting skin-colonizing and biofilm forming abilities of A. baumannii in vitro. The effect of Se on A. baumannii adhesion and invasion of human skin keratinocytes (HEK001) was studied. Additionally, the efficacy of Se in inhibiting A. baumannii biofilm formation was determined using an in vitro collagen matrix wound model, and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) was done to visualize its potential antibiofilm effect. The effect of Se on critical A. baumannii genes for biofilm synthesis was also determined using real-time qPCR (RT-qPCR). Selenium inhibited A. baumannii biofilm formation in the collagen-based wound model and reduced bacterial adhesion and invasion of HEK001 (P
Corticolimbic stress regulatory circuits, hypothalamo–pituitary–adrenocortical adaptation, and resilience

Abstract Successful adaptation to chronic stress is critical for optimization of survival and well-being of all organisms. Adaptive processes are mediated by complex neurocircuit interactions in the brain, encompassing corticolimbic and diencephalic circuits that appear to integrate stimulus valence, context, and chronicity into an appropriate situational response. Descending projections from the hippocampal formation, prelimbic, and infralimbic cortices appear to limit the duration of acute stress reactivity (in terms of glucocorticoid release) to promote recovery. These are opposed to some degree by amygdala circuits that appear critical for driving acute hypothalamo–pituitary–adrenocortical (HPA) activation. These regions converge on common subcortical relays that then modulate inhibition of HPA axis activity and likely also autonomic function and behavior. Importantly, corticolimbic regions may play very different roles in the context of chronic stress exposure, perhaps directed by interconnections with brain areas that register stressor chronicity, e.g., the paraventricular thalamus, or by neuroplastic changes occurring in subcortical corticolimbic targets. Importantly, corticolimbic and subcortical integrative nodes are all subject to modulation by glucocorticoid hormones, which likely provide a contextual signal regarding the physiological status of the organism against which to weigh future responses. Collectively, the literature suggests that stress adaptation and resilience is a complex process that requires meaningful dialog between a number of stress regulatory nodes to produce responses that match the current and anticipated needs of the organism.
Aorto-cardiac fistula etiology, presentation, and management: A systematic review

Abstract Background Aorto-cardiac fistulae are a rare but increasingly reported entity, and data are scarce. Method The authors performed a systematic review of ACFs to characterize the underlying etiology, clinical presentation, and compare outcomes of treatment strategies. Results 3,733 publications were identified in the search. Of those, 292 studies including 300 patients were included. Etiology of ACFs was 38% iatrogenic, 25% infectious, 14% traumatic, and 15% due to other causes. Most patients (74%) presented with heart failure. Common locations were aortic-right atrium (37%), and aortic-pulmonary artery (25%). The majority of patients (71%) were treated surgically, while 13% were treated percutaneously, and 16% were treated conservatively. Patients who were managed conservatively had a higher mortality than those treated with invasive closure (53% vs. 12% vs. 3%, p = Conclusions This systematic review sheds light on this highly morbid condition. Once recognized, fistula closure appears to be superior to conservative management.
Cross-modal Coherence Modeling for Caption Generation

We use coherence relations inspired by computational models of discourse to study the information needs and goals of image captioning. Using an annotation protocol specifically devised for capturing image--caption coherence relations, we annotate 10,000 instances from publicly-available image--caption pairs. We introduce a new task for learning inferences in imagery and text, coherence relation prediction, and show that these coherence annotations can be exploited to learn relation classifiers as an intermediary step, and also train coherence-aware, controllable image captioning models. The results show a dramatic improvement in the consistency and quality of the generated captions with respect to information needs specified via coherence relations.
Antihypertensive medications and physical function in older persons.

Abstract Background To further inform benefits and risks of medications on physical function in aging populations, we have evaluated the associations of antihypertensive (antiHTN) class and number used with skeletal muscle function, mobility, sedentary time, and symptoms in older persons. Methods Using baseline data from the Lifestyle Interventions and Independence in Elder (LIFE) study (N = 1567, mean age 78.9 years) and multivariable models, we evaluated cross-sectional associations of antiHTN class and number used with physical measures and symptom questionnaires. AntiHTN class included diuretics, angiotensin converting enzyme inhibitors (ACEi), angiotensin receptor blockers (ARB), calcium channel blockers (CCB), and beta blockers (BB). Physical measures included respiratory muscle weakness (maximal inspiratory pressure), grip weakness (dynamometer), impaired lower extremity proximal muscle strength (chair stands), impaired balance (three-stage test), slow gait (400 m walk), mobility impairment (Short Physical Performance Battery), and high sedentary time (accelerometry). Symptoms included dyspnea and fatigue. Covariates included clinical characteristics and non-antiHTNs. Results Use of any antiHTN was highly prevalent (n = 1248 [79.6%]). In the antiHTN subgroup, each antiHTN class was well represented (ranging 36.6%–62.7%) and included use of three or more antiHTNs (32.0%). In adjusted models, the only statistically significant associations were use of BB and three or more antiHTNs with high sedentary time: odds ratios (95% confidence intervals) 1.44 (1.12, 1.85) and 1.52 (1.04, 2.23), respectively. Conclusion Use of BB and three or more antiHTNs yielded 44% and 52% increased odds of accelerometry-defined high sedentary time, respectively. Notably, high sedentary time is a risk factor for adverse health outcomes. Thus, future work should evaluate whether high sedentary time mitigates benefits or increases risks, regarding antiHTN use in aging populations.
COVID-19 Pandemic Response: Development of Outpatient Palliative Care Toolkit Based on Narrative Communication.

Context:The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic laid bare the immediate need for primary palliative care education for many clinicians. Primary care clinicians in our health system reporte...
Improving near real-time precipitation estimation using a U-Net convolutional neural network and geographical information

Abstract Reliable near real-time precipitation estimates are essential for monitoring and managing of natural disasters such as floods. Quality of inputs and capability of the retrieval algorithm are two important aspects for developing satellite-based precipitation datasets. Most retrieval algorithms utilize infrared (IR) information as their input due to its fine spatiotemporal resolution and near-instantaneous availability. However, their sole reliance on IR information limits their capability to learn different mechanisms of precipitation during training, resulting in less accurate estimates. Moreover, recent advances in the field of machine learning offer attractive opportunities to improve the precipitation retrieval algorithms. This study investigates the effectiveness of adding geographical information (i.e. latitude and longitude) to IR information and the application of a U-Net-based convolutional neural network for improving the accuracy of retrieval algorithms. This research suggests that applying an appropriate CNN architecture on geographical and IR information provides an opportunity to improve the satellite-based precipitation products.
Generalized case-control sampling under generalized linear models

A generalized case-control (GCC) study, like the standard case-control study, leverages outcome-dependent sampling (ODS) to extend to nonbinary responses. We develop a novel, unifying approach for analyzing GCC study data using the recently developed semiparametric extension of the generalized linear model (GLM), which is substantially more robust to model misspecification than existing approaches based on parametric GLMs. For valid estimation and inference, we use a conditional likelihood to account for the biased sampling design. We describe analysis procedures for estimation and inference for the semiparametric GLM under a conditional likelihood, and we discuss problems with estimation and inference under a conditional likelihood when the response distribution is misspecified. We demonstrate the flexibility of our approach over existing ones through extensive simulation studies, and we apply the methodology to an analysis of the Asset and Health Dynamics Among the Oldest Old study, which motives our research. The proposed approach yields a simple yet versatile solution for handling ODS in a wide variety of possible response distributions and sampling schemes encountered in practice.
Analysis of Health Care Billing via Quantile Variable Selection Models

Fraudulent billing of health care insurance programs such as Medicare is in the billions of dollars. The extent of such overpayments remains an issue despite the emerging use of analytical methods for fraud detection. This motivates policy makers to also be interested in the provider billing characteristics and understand the common factors that drive conservative and/or aggressive behavior. Statistical approaches to tackling this problem are confronted by the asymmetric and/or leptokurtic distributions of billing data. This paper is a first attempt at using a quantile regression framework and a variable selection approach for medical billing analysis. The proposed method addresses the varying impacts of (potentially different) variables at the different quantiles of the billing aggressiveness distribution. We use the mammography procedure to showcase our analysis and offer recommendations on fraud detection.
Support for Research Data Management among U.S. Academic Institutions: Results from a National Survey

Report on survey results on research data management among United States academic institutions.
Biotic and Abiotic Release of Inorganic Substances Exploited by Bacteria

The planet earth has an atmosphere, abundant liquid water, and an extensive biota, including at least 0.5 million species of what are generally called plants and some 1.5 million species of animals. Although the length of time microorganisms have colonized and been present on the earth is three- to fourfold longer than plants and animals have been present, our knowledge of the microbial species present at different times in the biosphere is poor. The fossil record does show that microscopic forms of life have been present on the earth for at least 3.2 billion years and, from results of biogeochemical studies, it is evident that microorganisms made up the bulk of the mass of our biosphere (Schopf et al, 1965). Hattori et al. (1983) suggest that oxidative-reductive reactions involving sulfur in continental environments began about 2.2 x 109 years ago, as did also a significant rise in atmospheric C02 content. Microorganisms, with their biochemically diverse life processes, have interacted with the inorganic environment over a sufficient period of time to have had a pronounced influence on the organization of the biosphere (Cloud, 1983).