cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
The merging burden of HIV infection and stroke in the developing world

According to the WHO, at the end of 2014, the majority of the approximately 36.9 million people living with HIV/AIDS resided in low- to middle-income countries in sub-Saharan Africa.1 The same report indicated that cases in sub-Saharan Africa account for almost 70% of the global total of new HIV infections.1 The burden of stroke in developing countries parallels that of HIV/AIDS. Approximately 80% of people who have had a stroke live in low- to middle-income nations.2 Over the past 4 decades, stroke incidence in these countries has increased by more than 100%.3 In developing nations, HIV/AIDS and stroke are not mutually exclusive. Growing evidence suggests that HIV infection independently increases the risk for stroke.4,5 Given the high prevalence of HIV/AIDS in sub-Saharan Africa, HIV infection may be the cause for a measureable subset of strokes in this region. However, incomplete disease surveillance and record-keeping make studying the relationship between HIV/AIDS and stroke difficult, especially in low-income nations.
An Active Service Reselection Triggering Mechanism

Actively identifying service faults and actively trigger service reselection are important management methods for efficiently promoting system reliability. Composite Web services, however, are often long-running, loosely coupled and cross-organizational applications. They always run in a highly dynamic and changing environment(The Web) which imposes many uncertainties, such as server unavailable or network interruption or temporarily interrupt and so on. Under these uncontrollable circumstances, it is impractical to monitor the changes in Quality of Service parameters for each and every service in order to timely trigger service reselection, due to high computational costs associated with the process. In order to overcome the above problem, this paper proposes an efficient reselection mechanism by mining early patterns in advance. The system will trigger service reselection once potential execution failure is detected by matching these early patterns with the current situation. The process is real time and low-cost, and as such, the proposed mechanism will improve system reliability.
Cortical and motor responses to acute forced exercise in Parkinson's disease.

Abstract Introduction Studies in animal models of Parkinson's disease (PD) have suggested that the rate of exercise performance is important in treatment efficacy and neuroprotection. In humans with PD, lower-extremity forced-exercise (FE) produced global improvements in motor symptoms based on clinical ratings and biomechanical measures of upper extremity function. Methods fMRI was used to compare the underlying changes in brain activity in PD patients following the administration of anti-parkinsonian medication and following a session of FE. Results Nine individuals with PD completed fMRI scans under each condition: off anti-PD medication, on anti-PD medication, and off medication + FE. Unified Parkinson's Disease Rating Motor Scale scores improved by 50% in the FE condition compared to the off-medication condition. The pattern of fMRI activation after FE was similar to that seen with anti-PD medication. Direct comparison of the fMRI activation patterns showed high correlation between FE and anti-PD medication. Conclusion These findings suggest that medication and FE likely utilize the same pathways to produce symptomatic relief in individuals with PD.
Accounting Implications for Managed Earnings via Pension Expense

Recent earnings management studies provide evidence firms manage reported earnings to achieve certain capital market reporting objectives. This study extends earlier research by focusing directly on pension expense rather than focusing on the effect of individual pension rate assumptions. This study uses a $.10 screening technique in selecting the sample for testing. Based on a proxy for premanaged earnings, firms hypothetically missing their capital market benchmark earnings (i.e. prior year earnings target) are predicted and shown to reduce their actual pension expense to increase actual reported earnings; whereas firms hypothetically beating their capital market benchmark earnings (i.e. prior year earnings target) are predicted and shown to increase their actual pension expense to reduce their actual reported earnings. Results suggest firms use pension expense to actively and predictably manage actual reported earnings.
Teaching popular music: Investigating music educators’ perceptions and preparation:

The purpose of this study was to investigate in-service music teachers’ perceptions of popular music in the classroom and to examine their own preparation to teach popular music. A sample of music teachers, drawn from two regional chapters of the American Orff-Schulwerk Association, completed a researcher-designed survey instrument. Results suggest that these teachers perceived popular music to be an effective instructional tool in the music classroom, although their responses suggest that they perceived it to be appropriate for older students and in certain classroom settings only. In addition, the sample reported a lack of training in popular music pedagogy and responded that they generally felt unprepared to teach popular music. Among three types of preparation, they provided significantly higher preparation ratings for informal experiences, followed by performance-oriented experiences and formal educational experiences. Implications for music educators and music teacher educators are discussed.
Parametric biostimulation

This paper reports how through computer-assisted field shaping a method can be developed which may lead to a practical, non-invasive and non-galvanic stimulation system. In this new concept, the major portion of the required stimulus energy will be supplied by an eddy current, produced inside the biological conductor by means of an induced EMF. The magnetic field is shaped in such a way that the electrical field strength within the specimen nowhere exceeds the stimulus threshold. A small additional amount of energy, e.g., ultrasonic radiation, is focused into a small volume containing the tissue to be stimulated. This, partly by mechanical excitation, partly by rectification of a sine component in the EMF, will result in exceeding the stimulus threshold only within the focal volume. This concept can be expected to be superior to galvanic methods where field densities in unwanted areas always far exceed those in the tissue to be stimulated. Results of magnetic field calculations produced optimization criteria and show how system requirements can be met by field shaping, resulting from a suitable arrangement of independently excited coil elements on a spheroidal ferromagnetic core structure.
Aerosol Measurements at South Pole: Climatology and Impact of Local Contamination

The Atmospheric Research Observatory (ARO), part of the National Science Foundation's (NSF's) Amundsen-Scott South Pole Station, is located at one of the cleanest and most remote sites on earth. NOAA has been making atmospheric baseline measurements at South Pole since the mid-1970's. The pristine conditions and high elevation make the South Pole a desirable location for many types of research projects and since the early 2000's there have been multiple construction projects to accommodate both a major station renovation and additional research activities and their personnel. The larger population and increased human activity at the station, located in such close proximity to the global baseline measurements conducted at the ARO, calls into question the potential effects of local contamination of the long-term background measurements. In this work, the long-term wind and aerosol climatologies were updated and analyzed for trends. Winds blow toward the ARO from the Clean Air Sector ~88% of the time and while there is some year-to-year variability in this number, the long-term wind speed and direction measurements at South Pole have not changed appreciably in the last 35 years. Several human activity markers including station population, aircraft flights and fuel usage were used as surrogates for local aerosol emissions; peak human activity (and thus likely local emissions) occurred in the 2006 and 2007 austral summer seasons. The long-term aerosol measurements at ARO do not peak during these seasons, suggesting that the quality control procedures in place to identify and exclude continuous sources of local contamination are working and that the NSF's sector management plan for the Clean Air Sector is effective. No significant trends over time were observed in particle number concentration, aerosol light scattering coefficient, or any aerosol parameter except scattering Angstrom exponent, which showed a drop of ~0.02 yr^(-1) over the 36-year record. The effect of discrete local contamination events in the Clean Air Sector is discussed using one well-documented example.
Therapeutic effects of fluconazole on thrush in infant

Objective To study the clinical effects of fluconazole(Fluc) on infant thrush. Methods There were 109 patients divided into two groups:treatment group 1 treated with fluconazole,and group 2 as control treated with nystatin(Nys). Results In group 1 91.3% patients were cured within 5 d and in group 2 it was 47.5%.There was significant difference between the two groups.Conclusion The therapeutic effect of Fluc is better and the course of treatment is shorter than those of Nys for the infant thrush.
A 23-year-old woman with panic disorder treated with psychodynamic psychotherapy

York, NY I 0021. lasted for 20 minutes and then gradually abated over the better part of an hour. Ms. A did not think of her panic as a reason for seeking psychiatric treatment. She did not have agoraphobia but lived with a chronic, vague sense of severe anxiety, accompanied by the fantasy that she was “doomed.” She had no specific phobias. The symptom that caused Ms. A the most distress was her chronic difficulty negotiat. ing relationships with others. Beginning with her earliest relationships with her parents and older sister in childhood, Ms. A found herself in interpersonal situations in which she felt abused and demeaned, either emotionally or physically. In high school and college she had often felt belittled by friends and boyfriends. Currently, these issues recurred in the context of her relationship with her fianc#{233} and her interactions with colleagues at graduate school. In the course of these stormy relationships, Ms. A would become so agitated and panicked that she was often violent. In the middle of fights with her fianc#{233}, for example, she would find herself hitting him and running out of the apartment dressed in insufficient clothing in the middle of the night. She had no vegetative symptoms. She had no history of depression, mania, psychosis, or substance abuse. She had never been suicidal. Ms. A’s medical history was considered noncontributory.
Microlithography for VLSI and Beyond

The well known drive for smallness in integrated circuits stems from the potential for smaller devices to be faster, lower power and cheaper. Lithography is the most universal integrated circuit process and is of great influence in gating progress towards smallness, but other areas are of equal importance. They include device design, material deposition (epitaxial films, oxides, silicides, etc.), and development of processes for transferring resist structures into real devices (ion implantation, dry etching, metallization, etc.). Because these other areas are complex and numerous progress has been slower than it would have been had lithography alone been the gate. As a result, the smallest dimensions in production today (~1µ) are still within the capabilities of optical lithography. In addition, it appears optical lithography can be extended to dimensions of ~0.5µ, so it is likely to dominate for many years, and the resolution advantage of electron beam and X-ray methods will not be needed except in research and development. An exception to this is when fast turnaround is an asset such as in mask making and gate-array personalization. Here scanning electron beams are very valuable. They are also best for device research because, in addition to quick turn-around, they offer highest resolution (10 nm–20 nm) and best registration.
Presentation and management of nasopharyngeal carcinoma, a rare childhood malignancy

Abstract Nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) is a rare malignancy of epidermoid origin, one that is especially uncommon in children in low risk areas such as the United States. The relative rarity in children makes the diagnosis of this malignancy difficult, and therefore childhood nasopharyngeal carcinoma is associated with advanced locoregional disease and higher prevalence of distant metastasis. A case of pediatric nasopharyngeal carcinoma is described here to highlight a possible presentation of this uncommon pediatric disease and reasons for delayed diagnosis. This is followed by a brief discussion of epidemiology, diagnosis, treatment, and outcomes for this malignancy in children.
Neurologic Complications of Intrauterine Herpes Simplex Virus Infection

Three case reports of intrauterine herpes simplex virus infection (HSV) and 61 cases published between 1963 and 2009 are reviewed by researchers at Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX.
A Triumph of Multiple Hypothesis Testing

In an era of big data, it might be considered quaint to spend over a decade studying a Victorian question, one that has been debated by Wallace [1], Darwin [2], and a cast of others: namely, the function of stripes on animals. And, indeed, why zebras, uniquely among equids (horses, zebras, and wild asses), have stripes. However, Tim Caro’s book, Zebra Stripes, is a testament to the power of comprehensive scholarship, logic, creativity, self-criticism, persistence, and passion, and shows that outstanding science can be done with limited support (he cites no sources of financial support).
Evaluation of the Body Parts That Preoccupy Adolescents With Body Dysmorphic Disorder

Objective To evaluate which body parts preoccupy adolescents with body dysmorphic disorder (BDD). Methods Patients admitted to an inpatient psychiatric hospital who agreed to take part in the study completed the Body Dysmorphic Disorder Questionnaire (child and adolescent version) and Body Dysmorphic Disorder Diagnostic Module. Patients also completed a questionnaire that addressed age at onset, coping strategies, history of sexual abuse, amount of time patients spent thinking about their perceived defects, and the area of the body that the participants were preoccupied with and the specific coping strategy used. All patients met DSM-5 criteria for BDD. The study was conducted from January 17, 2014, to September 29, 2014. Results Patients with BDD (N = 17) were preoccupied with the face: 6 (35.2%), skin: 3 (17.6%), lips: 5 (29.4%), nose: 3 (17.6%), teeth: 3 (17.6%), ears: 1 (5.8%), and eyes: 1 (5.8%), while gender-specific parts included breasts: 5 (50%) and penis: 4 (57.1%). The mean age at onset of BDD was 10.5 years, and the time spent thinking about the imagined defect averaged 3.5 hours per day. Conclusions Patients with BDD are more preoccupied with exposed facial body parts such as skin, lips, nose, teeth, ears, and eyes and body parts with sexual connotations such as breasts in females and the penis in males.
Importance of the C-Terminus of Aldehyde Dehydrogenase 7A1 for Oligomerization and Catalytic Activity.

Aldehyde dehydrogenase 7A1 (ALDH7A1) catalyzes the terminal step of lysine catabolism, the NAD+-dependent oxidation of α-aminoadipate semialdehyde to α-aminoadipate. Structures of ALDH7A1 reveal the C-terminus is a gate that opens and closes in response to the binding of α-aminoadipate. In the closed state, the C-terminus of one protomer stabilizes the active site of the neighboring protomer in the dimer-of-dimers tetramer. Specifically, Ala505 and Gln506 interact with the conserved aldehyde anchor loop structure in the closed state. The apparent involvement of these residues in catalysis is significant because they are replaced by Pro505 and Lys506 in a genetic deletion (c.1512delG) that causes pyridoxine-dependent epilepsy. Inspired by the c.1512delG defect, we generated variant proteins harboring either A505P, Q506K, or both mutations (A505P/Q506K). Additionally, a C-terminal truncation mutant lacking the last eight residues was prepared. The catalytic behaviors of the variants were examined in steady-...
Radiation Therapy: A Privilege, Not a Right Treatment of Cervical Cancer with Limited Radiotherapy in Low-Resource Settings

Trang is a 63-year-old woman from a small village about 250 miles away from Hue, Vietnam. She is old enough to remember life in Vietnam under French colonization, and as with millions of other Vietnamese people, she endured 30 years of civil war. She has never had a Pap smear. She was brought to the gynecologic clinic at Hue University Hospital with a complaint of vaginal bleeding for 6 months.
Scholarly activity in family medicine residency programs: a national survey.

Background and objectives In 2006, the Family Medicine Review Committee (RC) began requiring resident scholarly activity. This study sought to (1) determine how resident scholarly activity requirements and productivity changed after this alteration, (2) delineate characteristics of scholarship within family medicine residencies, and (3) determine the factors within programs that are associated with resident scholarly productivity. Methods We sent a 38-item electronic survey to all 450 US family medicine program directors. Multivariate analysis was performed to determine significant predictors of scholarship. Results Fifty-five percent of surveys were returned; 42.8% of programs modified scholarship requirements after 2006, and 48.6% required resident scholarship in 1997 versus 89.6% in 2009. A total of 76.6% have research curricula versus 51.5% in 1997; 87.5% report that 50% of residents conducted research during that same time. Three factors were associated with ≥25% of residents publishing within 2 years: "Residency director publishing" (OR=4.1, 95% CI=1.5-11.5), "≥6 faculty publications within 2 years" (OR=7.8, 95% CI=3.0-20.3), and "Residency opened before 1980" (OR=3.7, 95% CI=1.4-9.6). Five factors were associated with participation by ≥50% of program's residents in a research project: "Resident recognition for scholarship" (OR=2.2, 95% CI=1.1-4.1), "Dedicated resident time for research" (OR=2.3, 95% CI=1.2-4.4), "Local Research Day" (OR=2.5, 95% CI=1.3-5.1), "Academic advancement linked to scholarship" (OR=1.9, 95% CI=0.9-3.9), and "Residency director performs research" (OR=2.7, 95% CI=1.4-5.1). Conclusions Many family medicine residency programs have increased resident scholarly activity requirements since 2006. To date, these changes have not increased scholarly output, and most programs have low resident scholarship. This study confirms that dedicating resources and time to research combined with active faculty scholarship will likely increase resident scholarly production.
Alginate/poly(amidoamine) injectable hybrid hydrogel for cell delivery:

A covalently cross-linked injectable hybrid hydrogel, namely, alginate/poly(amidoamine) (PAMAM), with the objective of cell delivery was innovatively designed and synthesized using tetra-amino-func...
Prevalence of Concurrent Prescription Opioid and Hazardous Alcohol Use Among Older Women: Results from a Cross-Sectional Study of Community Members

Concurrent use of prescription medications and alcohol is prevalent among older adults and impacts women more than men, however little is known about characteristics of older women who use both. The current analysis aims to evaluate those characteristics. Participants were recruited through HealthStreet, an outreach program. Community health workers (CHWs) assess health needs and concerns among community members. CHWs collect demographic, substance use, and other health data from participants. Female participants (≥ 50 years) interviewed November 2011–November 2017 were included and stratified into four groups: neither prescription opioid nor hazardous alcohol use (three or more drinks in a single day), hazardous alcohol use only, prescription opioid use only, and both prescription opioid and hazardous alcohol use. Chi square and ANOVA tests were used to compare these groups. Among the 2370 women (53% black; mean age 61 years), 70% reported neither prescription opioid nor hazardous alcohol use, 12% reported hazardous alcohol use only, 15% reported prescription opioid use only, and 3% reported use of both in the past 30 days. Concurrent prescription opioid and hazardous alcohol use were significantly associated with comorbid depression and anxiety (p < 0.0001); women who endorsed prescription opioid use only were significantly more likely to report a history of back pain, cancer, or diabetes compared to their counterparts (p < 0.0001). Nearly a third of women reported prescription opioid and/or hazardous alcohol use in the past 30 days. Because the risk and consequences of concomitant alcohol and opioid use increase with age, interventions tailored to women are needed.
Demographic variation and change in the Inuit Arctic

Arctic societies, like Arctic environments, exhibit variability and rapid change. Social and environmental changes are sometimes interconnected, but Arctic societies also are buffeted by socioeconomic forces which can create problems or drive changes that eclipse those with environmental roots. Social indicators research offers a general approach for describing change and understanding causality through the use of numerical indices of population, health, education, and other key dimensions that can be compared across places and times. Here we illustrate such work with new analyses of demographic indicators, particularly involving migration, for contemporary communities of three predominantly Inuit Arctic regions: northern Alaska, Greenland, and Nunavut. Many places exhibit persistent outmigration, affecting population growth. Net migration and growth rates are not significantly different, however, comparing northern Alaska communities that are or are not threatened by climate-linked erosion. Stepping back to compare the three regions highlights their contrasting birth rates (high in northern Alaska and Nunavut) and outmigration (high in Alaska and Greenland)—yielding divergent population trajectories of gradual decline in Greenland, erratic but slow growth in Alaska, and rapid growth in Nunavut. Evidence for one consequential pattern observed in northern Alaska and Greenland, disproportionate outmigration by locally-born women, appears weak or absent in Nunavut.
Lower Systolic BP During Antihypertensive Treatment Associated with More Deaths in Older Adults.

In this small cohort study of patients older than 85 years, lower systolic blood pressure during treatment with antihypertensive medications is associated with higher death rates and greater cognitive decline.
scSVA: an interactive tool for big data visualization and exploration in single-cell omics

Abstract We present scSVA (single-cell Scalable Visualization and Analytics), a lightweight R package for interactive two- and three-dimensional visualization and exploration of massive single-cell omics data. Building in part of methods originally developed for astronomy datasets, scSVA is memory efficient for more than hundreds of millions of cells, can be run locally or in a cloud, and generates high-quality figures. In particular, we introduce a numerically efficient method for single-cell data embedding in 3D which combines an optimized implementation of diffusion maps with a 3D force-directed layout, enabling generation of 3D data visualizations at the scale of a million cells. To facilitate reproducible research, scSVA supports interactive analytics in a cloud with containerized tools. scSVA is available online at https://github.com/klarman-cell-observatory/scSVA.
Commentary to Chapter 11

I find it difficult to respond to my wife, Sidney, in the formal manner of a paper destined to be published in a book. For one thing, it is considered a fallacy in lofty quarters to engage in ad hominem arguments. But of course marital disputes luxuriate in such arguments. For another, it is by no means easy to focus entirely on the written word, putting out of mind all the oral versions of the same ideas that we have wrestled with in private.
A Single-Channel EEG-Based Approach to Detect Mild Cognitive Impairment via Speech-Evoked Brain Responses

Mild cognitive impairment (MCI) is the preliminary stage of dementia, which may lead to Alzheimer’s disease (AD) in the elderly people. Therefore, early detection of MCI has the potential to minimize the risk of AD by ensuring the proper mental health care before it is too late. In this paper, we demonstrate a single-channel EEG-based MCI detection method, which is cost-effective and portable, and thus suitable for regular home-based patient monitoring. We collected the scalp EEG data from 23 subjects, while they were stimulated with five auditory speech signals. The cognitive state of the subjects was evaluated by the Montreal cognitive assessment test (MoCA). We extracted 590 features from the event-related potential (ERP) of the collected EEG signals, which included time and spectral domain characteristics of the response. The top 25 features, ranked by the random forest method, were used for classification models to identify subjects with MCI. Robustness of our model was tested using leave-one-out cross-validation while training the classifiers. Best results (leave-one-out cross-validation accuracy 87.9%, sensitivity 84.8%, specificity 95%, and F score 85%) were obtained using support vector machine (SVM) method with radial basis kernel (RBF) (sigma = 10/cost $= 10^{2}$ ). Similar performances were also observed with logistic regression (LR), further validating the results. Our results suggest that single-channel EEG could provide a robust biomarker for early detection of MCI.
William Penn: a life

The story of William Penn, as conventionally told, fits neatly into the overall American mythology: a self-starter who founded a colony for religious refugees, he championed liberty of conscience a...
Interrogating culture: Anthropology, social work, and the concept trade:

SummaryInterdisciplinary contributions to social work have supported the profession’s development as a helping profession. Indeed, drawing from other disciplines has been a way to hone intervention...
Comparative study on in vitro micropropagation response of seven globe artichoke [Cynara cardunculus var. scolymus (L.) Fiori] cultivars: open-pollinated cultivars vs F1 hybrids.

Globe artichoke [Cynara cardunculus var. scolymus (L.) Fiori] growing has gained commercial importance in recent years due to its consumption as food. It has also started to attract attention in pharmaceutics. Due to globe artichoke’s stated importance, growers need large amount of pathogen-free, healthy starting materials for production. Stated material will maximize the yield while minimizing the costs. Hybrid cultivars have uniform in height and maturity and could be harvested concurrently; on the other hand, an open-pollinated cultivar would have useful potential that could be smoothly produced locally at a lower cost. In vitro micropropagation enabling these goals as it serves large scale, fast, reliable and realistic alternative method to classic propagation via offshoots. The aim of the present study was to comparatively evaluate the micropropagation efficiency of two important local open-pollinated (OP) cultivars (‘Bayrampasa’, ‘Sakiz’) and five F1 hybrid cultivars (‘Olympus’, ‘Madrigal’, ‘Sambo’, ‘Green Globe’, ‘Imparator’), on the basis of total subcultures they were subjected to. Various plant growth regulators at various combinations were assessed for in vitro micropropagation and subsequent in vitro rooting. 3/4 basic MS medium supplemented with 0.05 mg L-1 BA + 0.005 mg L-1 IBA was determined as the best media combination for in vitro micropropagation, while 10.0 mg L-1 IAA + 1.0 g L-1 activated charcoal adding to 1/2 basic MS medium had positive effects on in vitro rooting. According to results, the micropropagation efficiency varied based on cultivar differences and number of subcultures regardless of being OP or F1 hybrid. The present study demonstrated that in vitro propagation of globe artichoke could be a valuable process for assessing mass propagation regardless of using F1 or OP cultivars. Considering the OP cultivars are cheap in terms of price in a comparison to F1 hybrid cultivars, OP cultivars could be also recommended to be used for in vitro mass propagation.
Daily Morning Blue Light Therapy for Post-mTBI Sleep Disruption: Effects on Brain Structure and Function.

Background: Mild traumatic brain injuries (mTBIs) are associated with novel or worsened sleep disruption. Several studies indicate that daily morning blue light therapy (BLT) is effective for reducing post-mTBI daytime sleepiness and fatigue. Studies demonstrating changes in brain structure and function following BLT are limited. The present study’s purpose is to identify the effect of daily morning BLT on brain structure and functional connectivity and the association between these changes and self-reported change in post-mTBI daytime sleepiness. Methods: A total of 62 individuals recovering from a mTBI were recruited from two US cities to participate in a double-blind placebo-controlled trial. Eligible individuals were randomly assigned to undergo six weeks 30 minutes daily morning blue or placebo amber light therapy (ALT). Prior to and following treatment all individuals completed a comprehensive battery that included the Epworth Sleepiness Scale as a measure of self-reported daytime sleepiness. All individuals underwent a multimodal neuroimaging battery that included anatomical and resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging. Atlas-based regional change in gray matter volume (GMV) and region-to-region functional connectivity from baseline to post-treatment were the primary endpoints for this study. Results: After adjusting for pre-treatment GMV, individuals receiving BLT had greater GMV than those receiving amber light in 15 regions of interest, including the right thalamus and bilateral prefrontal and orbitofrontal cortices. Improved daytime sleepiness was associated with greater GMV in 74 ROIs, covering many of the same general regions. Likewise, BLT was associated with increased functional connectivity between the thalamus and both prefrontal and orbitofrontal cortices. Improved daytime sleepiness was associated with increased functional connectivity between attention and cognitive control networks as well as decreased connectivity (all FDR corrected p < 0.05). Conclusions: Following daily morning BLT, moderate to large increases in both gray matter volume and functional connectivity were observed in areas and networks previously associated with both sleep regulation and daytime cognitive function, alertness, and attention. Additionally, these findings were associated with improvements in self-reported daytime sleepiness. Further work is needed to identify the personal characteristics that may selectively identify individuals recovering from a mTBI for whom BLT may be optimally beneficial.
Small tunneled central venous catheters as an alternative to a standard hemodialysis catheter in neonatal patients.

Abstract Background/Purpose Continuous renal replacement therapy (CRRT) is difficult in neonates for several reasons, including problems with catheter placement and maintenance. We sought to compare outcomes between standard hemodialysis catheters (HDC) and 6Fr-tunneled central venous catheters (TC-6Fr). Methods We evaluated neonates who received CRRT from December 2013 – January 2018. All patients received CRRT with the Aquadex (Baxter Corporation, Minneapolis, Minnesota) circuit. Data regarding patient demographics, CRRT indication, catheter days, reason for removal, and catheter-specific complications were analyzed. Results Forty-six catheters were placed in 26 neonates; nine of these were 6Fr-tunneled catheters. The median age and mean weight at CRRT initiation was 9.5 days (IQR 4–31) and 3.5 kg (+/- 0.6 kg), respectively. TC-6Fr lasted longer (median of 28 days vs 10 days, p = 0.02), required fewer revisions (0 vs 0.16/10 catheter days) and were less commonly removed due to bleeding complications (0% vs 10.8%), occlusion (11.1% vs 18.9%), or malposition (0% vs 8.1%); none of these differences were statistically significant. TC-6Fr were associated with higher infection rates (33.3% vs 0%, p = 0.01) than HDC. Conclusions TC-6Fr use resulted in less need for catheter revisions and provided longer-lasting vascular access, which may influence infection rates. This catheter provides neonates in need of CRRT more reliable vascular access. Level of evidence : III.
Studies With Ion Exchange Calcium Electrodes: III. The state of serum calcium in patients with cirrhosis

Ion exchange calcium electrodes provide the first practical means for direct study of calcium-protein interaction in biologic fluids. Since cirrhotic patients frequently have hypocalcemia, hypoalbuminemia, hyperglobulinemia, and alkalosis, they are of particular interest for study of calcium binding and other physicochemical factors influencing serum calcium in man. Previous studies in normal subjects 2, 3 have shown that variation in serum total calcium [Ca] is almost entirely accounted for by variation in protein-bound calcium [CaProt]; serum-ionized calcium [Ca ++ ] remained within rather narrow limits. About 80% of [CaProt] was bound to albumin and 20% to globulin(s). Serum [Ca] was therefore an indirect measure of serum albumin. Binding appeared to obey the mass law equation and a nomogram was constructed for estimation of [CaProt] without ultrafiltration. In the present paper, these same normal subjects are compared with 42 patients with advanced cirrhosis. In both groups, there was no apparent relationship between serum-ionized and total calcium concentrations. Serum [Ca ++ ] was more variable in cirrhotic patients and, on the average, was reduced about 5%. Serum [Ca], [CaProt], and [Alb] were also significantly reduced; total ultrafiltrable calcium and diffusible calcium complexes [CaR] were significantly increased. The increase in [CaR] was not due to citrate or phosphate; the complexing ligand(s) remain unidentified. As in normal subjects, variation in [Ca] was almost entirely accounted for by variation in [CaProt]; the latter was linearly related to serum [Alb]. Serum [Ca] was therefore an indirect measure of [Alb]. In contrast to normal subjects, there was no detectable binding to globulins in patients with cirrhosis, despite significantly elevated globulin levels, an observation which strongly suggests deficiency of a normal globulin. A model is presented for the relation between total calcium and each of the three calcium fractions of serum as a function of serum albumin, and an equation is presented for estimating [CaProt] without ultrafiltration. A subsequent paper will consider the calcium-binding properties of serum proteins in cirrhosis in relation to the mass law equation. While the calcium electrode has not been perfected to the extent of current p H electrodes, we believe that it provides an important new tool for studies of calcium-protein interaction in biologic systems.
Multimodal Graph-Theoretic Approach for Segmentation of the Internal Limiting Membrane at the Optic Nerve Head

In this work, we present a multimodal multiresolution graph- based method to segment the top surface of the retina called the inter- nal limiting membrane (ILM) within optic-nerve-head-centered spectral- domain optical coherence tomography (SD-OCT) volumes. Having a pre- cise ILM surface is crucial as this surface is utilized for measuring several structural parameters such as Bruch's membrane opening-minimum rim width (BMO-MRW) and cup volume. The proposed method addresses the common current segmentation errors due to the presence of retinal blood vessels, deep cupping, or a very steep slope of the ILM. In order to resolve these issues, the volume is resampled using a set of gradient vector flow (GVF) based columns. The GVF field is computed according to an initial surface segmentation which is obtained through a multires- olution framework. The retinal blood vessel information (obtained from corresponding registered fundus photographs) along with shape prior in- formation are incorporated in a graph-theoretic approach to compute the ILM segmentation. The method is tested on the SD-OCT volumes from 44 glaucoma subjects and significantly smaller errors were obtained than that from current approaches.
Do Concealed Gun Permits Deter Crime? New Results from a Dynamic Model

In 1997, Lott and Mustard (1977) set off an ongoing controversy by famously contending that so-called shall-issue laws (SILs) -- state laws providing for the liberal issue of concealed gun permits -- deterred violent crime. They argued that these laws increase the probability that a would-be perpetrator's crime will fail because he is more likely to be threatened with a gun or shot by his intended victim. In this controversy the weapon of choice has been the diff-in-diff estimator applied to state and county panel data spanning various intervals of time and different investigators have come to different conclusions spanning from "more guns less crime" to "more guns more crime." This study brings to bear more general methods, a cohort panel data model (CPDM). Treating violent crime as a career, we interpret their deterrence hypothesis in the context of forward looking choices to enter and exit this career and estimate the corresponding cohort panel data model (CPDM). Our model distinguishes among three key parameters or effects of SILs, (i) a direct effect on entry decisions, (ii) a surprise effect on exit decisions by individuals who entered criminal careers prior to the passage of SILs, and (iiI) a selection effect on exit decisions on those how entered after the passage of SILs. Entry into a criminal career is confined to youth's "entry window." Thus, the evolution of crime rates depend on the evolution of the shares of the population in entry and exit windows and when these shares are covered by SILs. Applying generalized least squares with autocorrelated errors to state-panel data on changes in violent crime rates, our preliminary results strongly reject the deterrence hypotheses. Moreover, as the CPDM nests the diff-in-diff model, we reject the restrictions that reduce the CPDM to the diff-in-diff. Thirdly, we expect that future draft of this paper will shed light on the way the reliance on diff-in-diff estimator estimates has fueled the controversy. We can show that the diff-in-diff estimator is a weighted sum of the three key CPDM parameters and the weights depend on the span of years covered by the sample. Thus, for example, early investigators used samples that ended shortly after the initial wave of the adoption of SILs. Correspondingly, it seems likely that their estimated diff-in-diff parameters put heavy weight on (ii), the surprise effect. In contrast later investigators used longer sample periods covering more years since SILs were adopted and, we expect to show that their estimated diff-in-diff parameters were more a mix of the three effects and averaged out to no effect.
Do Middle-Class Students Perceive Poor Women and Poor Men Differently?

In this study, we examined attitudes toward poor women, stereotypes about them, attributions for their poverty, and whether these thoughts and feelings differ from those about poor men. In our Midwestern college students sample (n = 206), attitudes toward poor women were significantly more positive than attitudes toward poor men. In addition, stereotypes of poor women were both more positive and more consistent with gender stereotypes than were those of poor men. Participants endorsed internal attributions for the poverty of both women and men more strongly than external or cultural attributions. However, the content of these attributions was different for the two target groups. Poor women were held responsible for nontraditional familial and reproductive patterns, whereas poor men were held responsible for lack of initiative and self-improvement. For poor men, all types of attributions included references to ability or willingness to work. The three types of attributions were more conceptually distinct for poor women.
Coarctation of the aorta and mild to moderate developmental delay in a child with a de novo deletion of chromosome 15(q21.1q22.2)

Deletion of 15q21q22 is a rare chromosomal anomaly. To date, there have been nine reports describing ten individuals with different segmental losses involving 15q21 and 15q22. Many of these individuals have common features of growth retardation, hypotonia and moderate to severe mental retardation. Congenital heart disease has been described in three individuals with interstitial deletion involving this region of chromosome 15. We report a child with coarctation of the aorta, partial agenesis of corpus callosum and mild to moderate developmental delay, with a de novo deletion of 15q21.1q22.2, detected by the array Comparative Genomic Hybridization (CGH). We utilized chromosome 15-specific microarray-based CGH to define the chromosomal breakpoints in this patient. This is the first description of mapping of an interstitial deletion involving the chromosome 15q21q22 segment using the chromosome 15-specific array-CGH. The report also expands the spectrum of clinical phenotype associated with 15q21q22 deletion.
Schools of Democracy: A Political History of the American Labor Movement

In this new political history of the labor movement, Clayton Sinyai examines the relationship between labor activism and the American democratic tradition. Sinyai shows how America’s working people and union leaders debated the first questions of democratic theory—and in the process educated themselves about the rights and responsibilities of democratic citizenship. In tracing the course of the American labor movement from the founding of the Knights of Labor in the 1870s to the 1968 presidential election and its aftermath, Sinyai explores the political dimensions of collective bargaining, the structures of unions and businesses, and labor’s relationships with political parties and other social movements. Schools of Democracy analyzes how labor activists wrestled with fundamental aspects of political philosophy and the development of American democracy, including majority rule versus individual liberty, the rule of law, and the qualifications required of citizens of a democracy. Offering a balanced assessment of mainstream leaders of American labor, from Samuel Gompers to George Meany, and their radical critics, including the Socialists and the Industrial Workers of the World, Sinyai provides an unusual and refreshing perspective on American labor history.
Condensation nuclei measurements in the midlatitude (1982–2012) and Antarctic (1986–2010) stratosphere between 20 and 35 km

[1] Balloon-borne stratospheric condensation nuclei (CN) measurements have been made from McMurdo Station, Antarctica (78°S), 1986–2010, and from Laramie, Wyoming (41°N), 1982 to the present. In the Antarctic region, the measurements show the formation of a layer of enhanced concentrations of stratospheric CN, between 21 and 27 km, around mid August, reaching its maximum extent between September and early October. CN concentrations increase from backgrounds of 10–20 cm−3 to over 100 cm−3 in the layer. In the northern midlatitudes, the measurements show a quasi-annual and smaller layer of enhanced CN concentrations between 25 and 31 km in late winter and early spring. In the quasi-annual layers, CN concentrations increase from backgrounds of 1–10 cm−3 to over 20 cm−3. Volcanic eruptions appear to enhance the CN layers observed over Laramie and McMurdo. The Arctic Oscillation generally correlates with the magnitude of the Laramie CN layer, suggesting the importance of meridional transport. Volatility measurements and nucleation modeling support a sulfuric acid and water composition and binary homogeneous nucleation as the likely CN formation mechanism in both locations. Bimonthly measurements above Laramie support coagulation as the main reason for the dissipation of the CN layer. Air parcel trajectory modeling confirms that the CN layer forms locally to McMurdo and that it is related to solar exposure, while above Laramie trajectory analysis indicates that Arctic conditions and ambient temperature changes during northerly transport impact the magnitude of the CN layer above Laramie.
The Equator Principles and the ‘Business and Human Rights Debate’: hype or hope?

The paper reviews the Equator Principles (EPs)-initiative in light of the recent ‘business and human rights’-debate. It shows that there is a substantial need for improving the EPs, especially, in terms of human-rights protection. In particular, the current ‘human-rights minimalism’ of the EPs – focusing solely on the negative duty to respect while neglecting positive duties to protect and realize human rights – needs to be overcome. What is required from a business-and-human-rights perspective are the introduction of (more) mandatory and legally-binding elements into the EP-framework as well as the strengthening of the governance-structures of the EPs and its association – including adequate enforcement-, monitoring- and sanctioning-mechanisms. The paper gives an overview of potential reform steps which should be taken to ‘harden’ this soft law transnational governance regime and to move towards a positive and leverage-based CSR-concept.
Limiting excitation of unmodeled high modes with negative input shapers

Vibration of flexible structures can be greatly reduced by using properly shaped reference commands. Input shaping is a command generation scheme that filters the reference command in real time by convolving it with a sequence of impulses, called the input shaper. The resulting shaped command has a slower rise time than the unfiltered command. The rise time is increased by the time duration of the input shaper, so it is desirable to keep the duration as short as possible. To achieve very short durations, the shaper must contain negatively valued impulses. The improved rise time of negative input shapers comes with the potential drawbacks of actuator saturation, increased sensitivity to modeling errors, and excitation of unmodeled high modes. A method for controlling the potential excitation of unmodeled high modes is presented. Characteristics of the impulse sequence as a function of the limitation on high-mode excitation are presented. Simulations of a linear system with unmodeled high modes are used to demonstrate the important features of this approach.
Suicide Risk Screening and Assessment Designing Instruments with Dissemination in Mind

This paper summarizes recommendations made regarding the National Action Alliance for Suicide Prevention Research Prioritization Task Force's Aspirational Goal 2, to "determine the degree of suicide risk (e.g., imminent, near-term, long-term) among individuals in diverse populations and in diverse settings through feasible and effective screening and assessment approaches." We recommend that researchers shift to using "design for dissemination" principles to maximize both the goodness of fit and validity of screening and assessment measures for a given setting. Three specific recommendations to guide research efforts are made to achieve this shift: (1) the parameters related to each setting, including the logistics, scope of practice, infrastructure, and decision making required, should be identified and used to choose or design screening and assessment instruments that have a good fit; (2) to the greatest feasible extent, technology should be used to support screening and assessment; and (3) researchers should study the best methods for translating validated instruments into routine clinical practice. We discuss the potential barriers to implementing these recommendations and illustrate the paradigm shift within the emergency department setting.