cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Turning on the Turbo: Fast Third-Order Non-Projective Turbo Parsers

We present fast, accurate, direct nonprojective dependency parsers with thirdorder features. Our approach uses AD 3 , an accelerated dual decomposition algorithm which we extend to handle specialized head automata and sequential head bigram models. Experiments in fourteen languages yield parsing speeds competitive to projective parsers, with state-ofthe-art accuracies for the largest datasets (English, Czech, and German).
On gain scheduled sampled-data control systems

A framework for sampled-data gain scheduling has been developed that builds directly upon previous results for the continuous-time case. This approach, which accommodates both linear time-invariant (LTI) and linear parameter-varying (LPV) design techniques, focuses on a linearization requirement imposed on the gain scheduled controller, corresponding existence conditions, and ways to satisfy these conditions. An example is presented that suggests the necessity of the linearization requirement.
Natural Fertility, Population Cycles and the Spectral Analysis of Births and Marriages

Abstract Birth and marriage series are viewed as simultaneous mixed auto-regressive and moving average processes with known coefficients, subject to random rates of nuptiality and marital fertility. The theoretical spectra and cross-spectrum are calculated under various hypotheses and compared to empirical estimates for historical birth and marriage series. We reject the “natural fertility” hypothesis and conclude that nuptiality and marital fertility were equally variable and very highly correlated. We also use the model to explain how the age structure of reproduction and nuptiality and duration structure of marital fertility act as filters which transform white noise variation into 30-year cycles in series of births and marriages.
Application of a low power/reduced pressure helium ICP ionization source for mass spectrometric detection of organobromine compounds and derivatized organotin compounds

A low power, reduced pressure helium inductively coupled plasma source for mass spectrometry with capillary gas chromatography was applied to the detection of the organobromine species bromobenzene, 1-bromoheptane and benzyl bromide and ethylated forms of the ionic tri-substituted organotin species tributyltin chloride (TBuSnCl) and tripropyltin chloride (TPrSnCl). Total elemental information obtained with plasma source ionization was augmented with a capability to take fragment spectra that provides structural information about gas chromatographic eluents. Limits of detection for bromobenzene, 1-bromoheptane and benzyl bromide were 11, 6 and 4 pg, respectively. Molecular ions for all three organobromine compounds were obtained, as well as some characteristic alkyl chain fragments for 1-bromoheptane, resembling an electron impact mass spectrum. The ethyl, propyl and butyl substituents of ethylated TBuSnCl and TPrSnCl were clearly identified as fragments in the mass spectra. Chromatographic retention time and mass spectral matches with ethylated organotin standards were obtained for the TBuSnCl component of the certified reference material NIES-11.
Development of a community-based return to work program for people with AIDS.

SUMMARYThis article overviews the needs assessment and program development process conducted by an occupational therapist in partnership with a community-based agency. The resulting work rehabilitation program for persons living with HIV/AIDS and based on the Model of Human Occupation is utilized as a case example to illustrate the process. The needs assessment of the target population, the processes of organizational and environmental assessment and the resulting program design and program evaluation are discussed.
Crowdsourcing and knowledge sharing: strategic user behavior on taskcn

Witkeys are a thriving type of web-based knowledge sharing market in China, supporting a form of crowdsourcing. In a Witkey site, users offer a small award for a solution to a task, and other users compete to have their solution selected.In this paper, we examine the behavior of users on one of the biggest Witkey websites in China, Taskcn.com. On Taskcn, we observed several characteristics in users' activity over time. Most users become inactive after only a few submissions. Others keep attempting tasks. Over time, users tend to select tasks where they are competing against fewer opponents to increase their chances of winning. They will also, perhaps counterproductively, select tasks with higher expected rewards. Yet, on average, they do not increase their chances of winning, and in some categories of tasks, their chances actually decrease. This does not paint the full picture, however, because there is a very small core of successful users who manage not only to win multiple tasks, but to increase their win-to-submission ratio over time. This core group proposes nearly 20% of the winning solutions on the site. The patterns we observe on Taskcn, we believe, hold clues to the future of crowdsourcing and freelance marketplaces, and raise interesting design implications for such sites.
Tolerance of Superficial Dose to Setup Error With Tomotherapy: Is a Skin Flash Tool Required?

Background In cancers of the head and neck, gross tumor or areas at risk of microscopic disease often lie close to the skin, while the skin itself may not be at risk. With intensity-modulated radiotherapy, setup errors can lead to underdosage of superficial structures because the collimator will not by default open beyond the skin surface to apply coverage in the air overlying the skin. Thus, small setup errors can move superficial structures out of field for some beams. Some planning systems allow for manually extrapolating fluence for beams tangential to superficial targets. It is unclear whether this problem is significant with tomotherapy. Methods A head and neck phantom was utilized. A 3-mm bolus was used to represent the skin and allow placement of dosimeters at 3 mm depth. Thermoluminescent dosimeters were placed at reproducible points on the skin surface and at 3 mm depth. The phantom was irradiated, with the target volume deep to the thermoluminescent dosimeters receiving a dose of 5 Gy. This process was repeated with the phantom displaced 2.5 mm and again with a displacement of 5 mm. These displacements simulated setup errors that in clinical practice would correspond to bending or twisting of the neck that could not be corrected with rotations or translations. Results When the phantom was displaced 2.5 mm, the dose measured at 3 mm depth was 99.2% (95.9%-102.5%) of the control. With a 5-mm displacement, the dose at 3 mm only dropped to 91.1% (88.8%-93.4%) of the control. Dose measured at skin surface decreased to a greater degree with such setup error. Conclusions Dose at superficial depths degraded only slightly with 2.5-mm and even 5-mm displacements. With the tomotherapy system, superficial dose appears to be robust to clinically relevant setup errors. However, if the skin is at risk, bolus should be used to ensure adequate coverage.
Mutation of the Melastatin-Related Cation Channel, TRPM3, Underlies Inherited Cataract and Glaucoma

Inherited forms of cataract are a clinically important and genetically heterogeneous cause of visual impairment that usually present at an early age with or without systemic and/or other ocular abnormalities. Here we have identified a new locus for inherited cataract and high-tension glaucoma with variable anterior segment defects, and characterized an underlying mutation in the gene coding for transient receptor potential cation channel, subfamily M, member-3 (TRPM3, melastatin-2). Genome-wide linkage analysis mapped the ocular disease locus to the pericentric region of human chromosome 9. Whole exome and custom-target next-generation sequencing detected a heterozygous A-to-G transition in exon-3 of TRPM3 that co-segregated with disease. As a consequence of alternative splicing this missense mutation was predicted to result in the substitution of isoleucine-to-methionine at codon 65 (c.195A>G; p.I65 M) of TRPM3 transcript variant 9, and at codon 8 (c.24A>G; p.I8 M) of a novel TRPM3 transcript variant expressed in human lens. In both transcript variants the I-to-M substitution was predicted in silico to exert damaging effects on protein function. Furthermore, transient expression studies of a recombinant TRPM3-GFP reporter product predicted that the I-to-M substitution introduced an alternative translation start-site located 89 codons upstream from the native initiator methionine found in eight other TRPM3 transcript variants (1-8). Collectively, these studies have provided the first evidence that TRPM3 is associated with inherited ocular disease in humans, and further provide support for the important role of this cation channel in normal eye development.
Network‐based regularization for matched case‐control analysis of high‐dimensional DNA methylation data

The matched case-control designs are commonly used to control for potential confounding factors in genetic epidemiology studies especially epigenetic studies with DNA methylation. Compared with unmatched case-control studies with high-dimensional genomic or epigenetic data, there have been few variable selection methods for matched sets. In an earlier paper, we proposed the penalized logistic regression model for the analysis of unmatched DNA methylation data using a network-based penalty. However, for popularly applied matched designs in epigenetic studies that compare DNA methylation between tumor and adjacent non-tumor tissues or between pre-treatment and post-treatment conditions, applying ordinary logistic regression ignoring matching is known to bring serious bias in estimation. In this paper, we developed a penalized conditional logistic model using the network-based penalty that encourages a grouping effect of (1) linked Cytosine-phosphate-Guanine (CpG) sites within a gene or (2) linked genes within a genetic pathway for analysis of matched DNA methylation data. In our simulation studies, we demonstrated the superiority of using conditional logistic model over unconditional logistic model in high-dimensional variable selection problems for matched case-control data. We further investigated the benefits of utilizing biological group or graph information for matched case-control data. We applied the proposed method to a genome-wide DNA methylation study on hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) where we investigated the DNA methylation levels of tumor and adjacent non-tumor tissues from HCC patients by using the Illumina Infinium HumanMethylation27 Beadchip. Several new CpG sites and genes known to be related to HCC were identified but were missed by the standard method in the original paper.
Evolutionary relationships among proteins probed by an iterative neighborhood cluster analysis (INCA). Alignment of bacteriorhodopsins with the yeast sequence YRO2.

Purpose. Searching the existing databases for homologous sequences is essential to understanding a protein's structure and function. For a query sequence, its nearest neighbors can be identified by BLAST (basic local alignment search tool). However, a single query sequence is insufficient to define the entire neighborhood of related sequences, and multiple BLAST queries are needed. We describe here a program which permits automated and iterative BLAST analysis of an entire neighborhood of sequences and apply this to search for homologs of the bacteriorhodopsins outside the archaea phylum. Methods. We have developed a Java program, 'Iterative Neighborhood Cluster Analysis' (INCA), which performs iterative BLAST searches, beginning with a single starter sequence, and proceeding with any other sequence achieving a predefined minimum alignment score. This results in a cluster of sequences where each sequence is related to at least one other sequence by the cutoff score, and additional lists of more distantly related sequences for each member of the cluster. Results. Bacteriorhodospins had not been previously aligned with any other protein family with scores indicative of probable homology. Using INCA, we identified a probable homolog in yeast, YRO2_YEAST, also containing seven putative transmembrane domains. A finding of probable homology was supported by additional alignment strategies. Conclusions. INCA is a useful tool to assess complete protein neighborhoods. With an increasing database, INCA can serve to detect the emergence of evolutionary links between even the most distantly related protein families. Identifying a homolog of the bacteriorhodopsins in yeast illustrates this approach but at the same time highlights the vast evolutionary distances between polytopic membrane proteins, such as the bacteriorhodopsins.
Thoracic Endovascular Aortic Stent Graft to Facilitate Aortic Resection During Pneumonectomy and Vertebrectomy for Locally Invasive Lung Cancer

Endovascular stent graft placement has been used to facilitate resection of tumors invading the thoracic aorta. Here we describe the first use of an aortic endograft for preoperative protection of the thoracic descending aorta before left pneumonectomy for a primary lung cancer invading the thoracic spine and thoracic descending aorta.
Dynamics of sensory afferent synaptic transmission in aortic baroreceptor regions on nucleus tractus solitarius

1. Synaptic responses of medial nucleus tractus solitarius (mNTS) neurons to solitary tract (ST) activation were studied in a horizontal brain slice preparation of the rat medulla. Slices included sections of ST sufficiently long that the ST could be electrically activated several millimeters from the recording site of cell bodies in mNTS. 2. Three types of synaptic events were evoked in response to ST stimulation: simple excitatory postsynaptic potentials (EPSPs), simple inhibitory postsynaptic potentials (IPSPs), and complex EPSP-IPSP sequences. Simple EPSPs had substantially shorter latencies than IPSPs (3.39 +/- 0.65 ms, mean +/- SE, n = 42, vs. 5.86 +/- 0.71 ms, n = 6, respectively). 3. EPSP amplitude increased linearly with increasing hyperpolarization, with an extrapolated reversal potential near 0 mV. 4. EPSPs were maximal at 85% at 100 Hz). Between 5 and 10 Hz, this periodic stimulation-suppression cycle clearly entrained action potential activity to the ST stimuli. Similar patterns of current pulses (5 ms) reliably evoked action potentials with each pulse to higher frequencies (50 Hz) without failures, and entrainment was similar to ST stimulation. 7. In a subset of nucleus tractus solitarius (NTS) neurons (3 of 9 studied), bursts of ST stimuli were as much as 50% more effective at transmitting high frequencies (> 10 Hz) of ST stimulation than the equivalent constant frequencies (P < 0.0001). 8. The long-latency simple IPSPs with no preceding EPSPs reversed to become depolarizing at potentials more negative than -62.9 +/- 7.0 mV (n = 5) and were blocked by the non-N-methyl-D-aspartate antagonist 6-cyano-7-nitroquinoxaline-2,3-dione (n = 3). The ST stimulation frequency-response relation of these IPSPs was similar to that for the short-latency EPSP response excited by ST synapses. Thus these IPSPs appear to be activated polysynaptically via a glutamatergic-GABAergic sequence in response to ST activation. 9. The results suggest that sensory afferent synapses in mNTS have limited transmission of high-frequency inputs. Both synaptic transmission and the characteristics of the postsynaptic neuron importantly contribute to the action potential transmission from afferent to NTS neuron and beyond. This overall frequency response limitation may contribute to the accommodation of reflex responses from sensory afferent inputs such as arterial baroreceptors within their physiological discharge frequency range.
Accuracy enhancement of roadway anomaly localization using connected vehicles

AbstractThe timely identification and localisation of roadway anomalies that pose hazards to the traveling public is currently a critical but very expensive task. Hence, transportation agencies are evaluating emerging alternatives that use connected vehicles to lower the cost dramatically and to increase simultaneously both the monitoring frequency and the network coverage. Connected vehicle methods use conventional GPS receivers to tag the inertial data stream with geospatial position estimates. In addition to the anticipated GPS trilateration errors, numerous other factors reduce the accuracy of anomaly localisation. However, practitioners currently lack information about their characteristics and significance. This study developed error models to characterise the factors in position biases so that practitioners can estimate and remove them. The field studies revealed the typical and relative contributions of each factor, and validated the models by demonstrating agreement of their statistics with the a...
VASOPRESSIN EFFECT ON URINARY CONCENTRATION IN RATS WITH HEREDITARY HYPOTHALAMIC DIABETES INSIPIDUS (BRATTLEBORO STRAIN).

SummaryWhen given large doses of vaso-pressin tannate in oil, rats with hereditary hypothalamic diabetes insipidus at first do not concentrate urine normally. This defect is progressively corrected as daily injections of hormone are continued for 4 weeks.
Church and State in Colonial Peru: The Bishop of Cuzco and the Túpac Amaru Rebellion of 1780

With the end of the Tupac Amaru rebellion in Peru in 1783, representatives of the Spanish crown began to investigate closely the activities of many prominent Creoles, or American-born whites, whom they suspected of complicity in several of the numerous uprisings that had wracked the viceroyalty.1 The growing convic tion of Spain's Bourbon rulers that Americans were a disloyal lot was heightened in Peru with the arrival in 1777 of Visitor-General Jose Antonio de Areche. Areche was aghast at the inefficiency and corruption of the creole-dominated bureaucracy of Lima, the "City of the Kings," that served as the viceregal capital and primary commercial entrepot. Initially he directed his attentions toward ousting the creole judges of the prestigious Audiencia de Lima, the superior tribunal which also exercised enormous executive and legislative authority over the viceroyalty. With the outbreak of several tax revolts, notably in Cuzco and Arequipa early in 1780, Areche's efforts to extirpate creole influence in Peru were momen tarily deflected. The outbreak of a rebellion near Cuzco led by the cacique, or Indian chieftain, Jose Gabriel Tupac Amaru II on 4 November 1780, required that Areche assume the role of military commander. During the three years they spent in suppressing several related rebellions in Cuzco and Upper Peru (present-day Bolivia), Areche
Endogenous substrates for UDP-glucuronosyltransferases.

1. Multiple forms of UDP-glucuronosyltransferase (UDPGTs) have been demonstrated in the livers of all mammalian species that have been studied. Rat liver possesses at least eight different isozymes and human liver has at least five different forms which have been identified. 2. Endogenous substrates (e.g., steroids) are helpful in distinguishing UDPGTs as they generally react with only a single form, whereas xenobiotic substrates (e.g., 4-methyl-umbelliferone, p-nitrophenol) react with several forms of the enzyme. 3. Human liver UDPGTs differ in physical properties and substrate specificity from these enzymes obtained from laboratory animals. Hence, it is necessary to study human liver UDPGTs to elucidate substrate specificity and to understand drug-endogenous substrate interaction in humans.
FORMATION OF SKETCHING RULES FOR A MULTIVARIABLE EVANS DESIGN TECHNIQUE

New results are summarized which extend the Evans root locus design technique to fully coupled, twochannel control law architectures. The new results are based upon various root migration plots, and the underlying framework concerning how the plots influence one another, for the closed-loop poles and zeros in each channel, as key system gains are varied. Instead of traditionally closing one feedback loop at a time to build-up a multi-loop system, the new theory facilitates closure of all loops simultaneously, allowing efficient assessment of stability and performance in all channels. The closed-loop pole migration behavior is uniquely interesting in that poles "track moving zeros". Atypical root migration features include direction reversal on real axis loci. Root locus sketching rules for this new framework are developed to assist the designer in implementing gain and compensation strategies by anticipating effects upon system stability and performance. The new theory is demonstrated with a lateral-directional flight control example.
On the Beamsteering Characteristics of MFC Phased Arrays for Structural Health Monitoring

Piezoceramic phased arrays are effective for guided wave beamsteering in structural health monitoring (SHM) systems. Researchers have investigated phased arrays of monolithic piezoceramic (PZT) actuators for beamsteering using Lamb waves by assuming omnidirectional point sources for each actuator. However, this assumption can lead to erroneous results for a phased array of actuators with anisotropic actuation. The objective of this research is to investigate the beamforming and beamsteering characteristics of a phased array of MacroFiber Composites (MFC) actuators and to compare the performance with PZT actuators. General analytical models of the PZT and MFC actuators for antisymmetric modes of Lamb waves are developed. The genetic algorithm (GA) is utilized to attain exact beamforming directivity, decrease side lobe magnitudes, and reduce the main lobe width. The results of the phased array beamforming for the PZT and MFC are compared for various steering directions and number of actuators. The advantages of the MFC phased array are highlighted and discussed. This investigation provides valuable design insight and guidelines for the MFC phased arrays.
Designing for Learning Conversations: How Parents Support Children's Science Learning Within an Immersive Simulation

This research investigates the social learning affordances of a room-sized, immersive, and interactive augmented reality simulation environment designed to support children's understanding of basic physics concepts in a science center. Conversations between 97 parent–child pairs were analyzed in relation to categories of talk through which children's activities are structured, and their physical and perceptual experiences are related to scientific content knowledge. We provide a detailed account of how parents guide children's scientific reasoning in this novel learning environment, such as by structuring the exploration, and emphasizing perceptual observations as evidence and data. We argue that this particular type of interactive environment affords activities that support learning of complex ideas in science, empowering parents to provide support to the children's perceptual focus and physical engagement. Our findings contrast with studies on high-interactive immersive environments that have typically shown that children tend to isolate themselves from their social surroundings. Mixed-reality environments, in contrast, appear to support significant social interaction, while still offering children playful and engaging experiences.
Evaluating a Police-Led Community Initiative to Reduce Gun Violence in St. Louis

This study evaluated a police-led community initiative that combined various enforcement and prevention efforts to reduce gun violence and other violence in a selected area of St. Louis, Missouri. A quasi-experimental multiple time-series design was used to compare trends in total violence and gun violence in the program neighborhood with the average of these trends in seven matched comparison neighborhoods. Total violence and gun violence declined in the program area relative to trends in the comparison areas during the 9-month program period, and these reductions seemed to be most strongly associated with the program's heightened enforcement efforts. However, the results were not sufficient to conclude that the program had statistically significant effects beyond its early weeks when enforcement efforts were most intensive and total violence declined significantly. This study adds to the limited evidence based on comprehensive, criminal justice-led initiatives to prevent violent crime, including gun offenses. We suggest that programs like those in St. Louis might be refined through further emphasis on formalized problem solving, high-risk groups, hot spot locations, community participation, and project maintenance. Language: en
Survey Finds Federal Workers Share Poor Retirement Planning with All Workers, but Have More Savings

The U.S. Office of Personnel Management conducted an online survey of federal workers in mid-2005 to measure the retirement readiness of civilian federal workers. Results of OPM's Retirement Readiness Survey (RRS) were made public during the summer of 2006, and allow a number of comparisons between the retirement preparations and savings habits of federal workers and American workers as a whole, as measured by the 2005 Retirement Confidence Survey (RCS) conducted by the Employee Benefit Research Institute (EBRI) and Mathew Greenwald & Associates. This paper contrasts the findings of OPM's Retirement Readiness Survey with the 2005 Retirement Confidence Survey sponsored by EBRI and Mathew Greenwald & Associates.
Utility of clinical decision rule for intensive care unit admission in patients with traumatic intracranial hemorrhage.

Abstract Background Recent literature suggests the majority of traumatic intracranial hemorrhage does not require intervention. One recently described clinical decision rule was sensitive in identifying patients requiring critical care interventions in an urban setting. We sought to validate its effectiveness in our predominately rural setting. Methods A retrospective study was conducted of adult patients with traumatic intracranial hemorrhage. The rule, based on age, initial Glasgow coma scale score, and presence of a non-isolated head injury, was applied to externally validate the previously reported findings. Results In our population, the rule displayed a sensitivity of 0.923, specificity of 0.251, positive predictive value of 0.393, and negative predictive value of 0.862. The area under curve was 0.587. While our population has a similar adjusted head injury severity score as that from which the rule was developed, significant differences in age and intracranial hemorrhage pattern were noted. Conclusions The rule displayed decreased performance in our population, most likely secondary to differences in age and intracranial hemorrhage patterns. Prospective evaluation and cost-savings analysis are appropriate subsequent steps for the rule.
Primary hyperparathyroidism in patients who have received radiation therapy and in patients who have not received radiation therapy

BACKGROUND Primary hyperparathyroidism (HPT) occurs more frequently in persons who have been exposed to low-dose therapeutic radiation. Little information is available concerning whether or not the clinical, metabolic, and pathologic manifestations, as well as outcome, differ in these patients when compared with patients with sporadic HPT. STUDY DESIGN Records from 438 unselected patients with primary HPT, who were treated from 1982 to 1993 were retrospectively analyzed. All patients prospectively received a standard questionnaire preoperatively and postoperatively concerning clinical manifestations and a history of radiation exposure. Forty-nine patients had a history of radiation exposure (rHPT), whereas 389 did not have sporadic HPT (sHPT). RESULTS There was no difference in gender (36 women and 13 men versus 289 women and 100 men) or age (mean of 52 +/- 12 versus 57 +/- 16 years) in patients with rHPT or sHPT. Fatigue, neuropsychiatric disorders, memory loss, nocturia, and polyurea were more common in patients with sHPT (p < 0.05), whereas pain in joints was more common in patients with rHPT (63 versus 52 percent; p < 0.001). Serum calcium levels were similar (11.1 +/- 0.8 versus 11.2 +/- 0.8 mg per dL), but serum parathyroid hormone levels were higher in rHPT (448 +/- 14 percent of upper limit of normal versus 371 +/- 12 percent upper limit of normal). The parathyroid pathology was similar in the two groups (single adenoma 74 versus 72 percent, hyperplasia 14 versus 16 percent, and double adenoma 12 versus 12 percent in rHPT versus sHPT, respectively). Thyroid pathology was more common in the rHPT group (multinodular goiter 27 versus 7 percent and papillary thyroid carcinoma 14 versus 0.3 percent). Seven (1.8 percent) of patients not receiving radiation therapy treated by us had persistent HPT, but no patients receiving or not receiving radiation therapy had recurrent HPT during the follow-up period (six years). CONCLUSIONS Patients who have HPT after radiation treatment have more thyroid neoplasms but are otherwise quite similar to other patients with primary hyperparathyroidism.
Torsión de útero gestante

La torsion del utero es una ocurrencia rara en el humano. Se le ve mas frecuentemente en los animales con utero bicorne durante la prenez avanzada o el trabajo de parto. Es un accidente frecuente en la vaca, algo menos en la oveja y la cabra y rara, aun cuando existe, en el caballo, perro y cerdo.Es por su rareza en la mujer que poco o nada se encuentra sobre este topico en los tratados de obstetricia. La mayor parte de lo descrito hace referencia a la torsion uterina que podriamos llamar ginecologica, es decir, a la torsion de uteros no gravidos y siempre en asociacion con entidades como miomas uterinos y algunos tumores ovaricos.
Pineal gland calcification within Saudi Arabian populations

Abstract Introduction Pineal gland calcification (PGC) is common among Western populations but is rare among African and Far Eastern populations; yet, no studies to date have examined Arabian Gulf populations for PGC. This retrospective study was conducted to determine the incidence of PGC within a Saudi Arabian population, to investigate the associations between PGC and age, and to examine the effects of age on both the degree of pineal calcification and the size of uncalcified pineal tissue. Methods Fifty-four (54) CT brain scans from individuals 2–87 years of age were procured from the Department of Radiology, Security Force Hospital, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. The scans were performed in both the coronal and sagittal planes. Results Pineal gland calcification was identified in 64.8% of individuals examined (p = 0.047), with a higher incidence in females (p = 0.05); both of these findings were statistically significant. The percentage of PGC was significantly correlated with increased age (r = 0.36; p = 0.04). Pineal gland calcification was also found to increase rapidly after the second decade of life, as 68.6% of individuals 50+ years of age exhibited PGC. No significant correlations were found between age and the degree of pineal calcification or between age and the amount of uncalcified pineal tissue. Discussion Key findings of the present study indicate that high PGC in females was associated with increased age within a Saudi Arabian population. This finding differs from the findings of previous studies and suggests the need for further research in populations of Arabian Gulf nations.
Acid-fast bacterium detection and identification from paraffin-embedded tissues using a PCR-pyrosequencing method.

Aims Acid-fast bacterium (AFB) identification from formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded (FFPE) tissues is challenging and may not be readily available to the clinical laboratory. A method to detect and identify AFB from FFPE tissues using PCR and pyrosequencing (PCR-Seq) was developed and evaluated. Methods The method was validated using spiked cell-clotted paraffin blocks before use with patients’ specimens. DNA was extracted from tissue sections, and a 16S rRNA gene fragment was amplified and a signature sequence was produced on a PyroMark ID system. Sequences were aligned to established databases for AFB identification. Additional tissue sections were stained and examined for AFB. Results Both sensitivity and specificity were 100% on spiked cell-clotted blocks without cross-reactivity with non-AFB. Of 302 FFPE tissues from patients, 116 (38%) were AFB-stain positive; 83 (72%) of these had AFB identified. The 21 AFB identified included Mycobacterium tuberculosis complex (14 cases), Mycobacterium leprae (3), Mycobacterium genavense (2), Mycobacterium marinum-ulcerans group (3) and 17 other AFB (61). Thirteen cases were AFB-stain indeterminate and 4 were positive by the PCR-Seq method. Of the AFB stain-negative cases, 167 were negative and 6 were positive by PCR-Seq. Conclusions The PCR-Seq method provided specific identification of various AFB species or complexes from FFPE tissues.
Combination Vancomycin/Cefazolin (VAN/CFZ) for Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) Bloodstream Infections (BSI)

Background VAN remains the standard for MRSA BSI but has been associated with treatment failures and resulted in prolonged BSI durations and recurrences. In vitro studies of VAN/CFZ against MRSA demonstrated synergy and prevention of VAN resistance. However, clinical use of VAN/CFZ has not been reported. The objective of this study was to compare patient outcomes treated with VAN/CFZ vs. VAN for MRSA BSI.
Too hot to reject: The effect of weather variations on the patent examination process at the United States Patent and Trademark Office

Abstract This paper documents a small but systematic bias in the patent evaluation system at the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO): external weather variations affect the allowance or rejection of patent applications. I examine 8.8 million reject/allow decisions from 3.5 million patent applications to the USPTO between 2001 and 2014, and find that on unusually warm days patent allowance rates are higher and final rejection rates are lower than on cold days. I also find that on cloudy days, final rejection rates are lower than on clear days. I show that these effects constitute a decision-making bias which exists even after controlling for sorting effects, controlling for applicant-level, application-level, primary class-level, art unit-level, and examiner- level characteristics. The bias even exists after controlling for the quality of the patent applications. While theoretically interesting, I also note that the effect sizes are relatively modest and may not require policy changes from the USPTO. Yet, the results are strong enough to provide a potentially useful instrumental variable for future innovation research.
E-field controlled phase transformation in bismuth ferrite thin films, and effect of laser energy density

Heterostructures of BiFeO3/Pb(Mg1/3Nb2/3)O3-30%PbTiO3 (BFO/PMN-30PT) were fabricated by pulsed laser deposition. Electric fields (E) were applied on the PMN-30PT substrates along the in-plane and out-of-plane directions, and the induced strain of BFO was measured as a function of E by X-ray diffraction. Reciprocal space maps along the (110) zone axis evidenced that a monoclinic MA phase was induced in both PMN-PT and BFO, where the dominate domain structures could be switched between biaxial directions under application of in-plane E. Studies were done for films prepared under different laser energy densities (LED), in order to optimize the in-plane strain of BFO. A relatively low LED of 1 J/cm2 produced a better BFO thin film with larger in-plane strain.
Insulin Detection Using a Corona Phase Molecular Recognition Site on Single-Walled Carbon Nanotubes

Corona phase molecular recognition (CoPhMoRe) is a technique whereby an external, adsorbed phase around a colloidal nanoparticle is selected such that its molecular conformation or interaction recognizes a specific target analyte. In this work, we employ a high-throughput screening of a library of poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG)-conjugated lipids adsorbed onto near-infrared fluorescent single-walled carbon nanotubes to discover a corona phase selective for insulin. We find that a C16–PEG(2000 Da)–ceramide causes a 62% fluorescent intensity decrease of the (10,2) chirality nanotube in the presence of 20 μg/mL insulin. The insulin protein has no prior affinity toward the C16–PEG(2000 Da)–ceramide molecules in free solution, verified by isothermal titration calorimetry, and the interaction occurs only upon their adsorption onto the single-walled carbon nanotube scaffolds. Testing a panel of proteins originating from human blood as well as short 7 amino acid fragments of the insulin peptide rules out nonselective...
A case of late-onset cytomegalovirus myocarditis in an orthotopic heart transplant recipient; case report and review of the literature.

Abstract We describe a male patient who presents 2 years posttransplant with cough and dyspnea. A negative pulmonary workup led to an endomyocardial biopsy and the diagnosis of cytomegalovirus (CMV) myocarditis. The patient was treated with ganciclovir and intravenous immunoglobulin. This illustrates a very late presentation of posttransplant CMV myocarditis and the usefulness of myocardial biopsy in diagnosis of CMV carditis.
The effect of diabetes self-management education on HbA1c and quality of life in African-Americans: a systematic review and meta-analysis

Type 2 diabetes presents a major morbidity and mortality burden in the United States. Diabetes self-management education (DSME) is an intervention associated with improved hemoglobin A1c(HbA1c) and quality of life(QOL), and is recommended for all individuals with type 2 diabetes. African-Americans have disproportionate type 2 diabetes morbidity and mortality, yet no prior meta-analyses have examined DSME outcomes exclusively in this population. This systematic review and meta-analysis examined the impact of DSME on HbA1c and QOL in African-Americans compared to usual care. Randomized controlled trials, cluster-randomized trials, and quasi-experimental interventions were included. 352 citations were retrieved; 279 abstracts were reviewed, and 44 full-text articles were reviewed. Fourteen studies were eligible for systematic review and 8 for HbA1c meta-analysis; QOL measures were too heterogeneous to pool. Heterogeneity of HbA1c findings was assessed with Cochran’s Q and I2. HbA1c weighted mean difference between intervention and usual care participants was not significant: − 0.08%[− 0.40–0.23];χ2 = 84.79 (p < .001), I2 = 92%, (n = 1630). Four of five studies measuring QOL reported significant improvements for intervention participants. Meta-analysis results showed non-significant effect of DSME on HbA1c in African-Americans. QOL did show improvement and is an important DSME outcome to measure in future trials. Further research is needed to understand effectiveness of DSME on HbA1c in this population. PROSPERO registration: CRD42017057282 .
Sterilization and Disinfection

Aquaculture production systems must provide good water quality and disease control in order to be productive and profitable. Disease can occur at all levels of production, but problems increase accordingly as the size of the facility increases and culture intensifies. In today’s world the difficulties encountered are magnified as good-quality surface water and groundwater supplies decrease and effluent regulations become more demanding. These factors encourage the use of more intensive culture methods to conserve water. However, under more intensive conditions the risk of disease transmission is greatly increased. Disinfection on some scale is usually necessary to minimize transmission of disease organisms and parasites.
Numerical Simulation of Crack Propagation in Shells

Numerical simulations of general crack propagation in arbitrary shells are accomplished by the use of automatic finite element remeshing and interactive computer graphics techniques. As part of each stage of this simulation, the curvature as well as the direction of crack propagation are calculated from the rate of energy release rate and the energy release rate, respectively. A fatigue model for mixed-mode fracture of arbitrary shell surface geometry is posed. For brittle fracture, a parameter which can be used to predict crack stability is also suggested.
Governmental Responsibilities in Genetic Diseases

All modern governments include among their responsibilites the protection of public health of their citizens. The term public health is often broadly drawn and includes the promotion of good medical care with access of the entire population to medical practitioners and hospitals. The specific measures that have given citizens of developed societies their current long life-span consisted largely of good hygiene, which cleaned up environmental contamination of water and milk and made available preventive immunization and antibiotic agents. These procedures, together with the provision of sufficient food to prevent malnutrition in the majority of the population, have led to better health of developed societies than was ever known previously in human history. With current attainments, however, we have not yet reached the optimum in good health. With the conquest of most infections and nutritional diseases, developed societies continue to face birth defects and genetic diseases as significant health problems.
Public Comments’ Influence on Science Use in U.S. Rulemaking: The Case of EPA’s National Emission Standards:

Scholarship on bureaucratic policymaking has long focused on both the use of expertise and public accountability. However, few have considered the degree to which public input affects the use of re...
Building resilience to environmental problems in Kenya: lessons for aid organizations from three successful community-based processes

ABSTRACTVulnerable communities are disproportionately affected by environmental changes and problems. Developing interventions that aim to foster resilience by utilizing existing local strengths can support these communities. This study explored experiences of community resilience to environmental problems in Kenya. This article offers 3 successful processes of mutual support: culturally appropriate charity, community-based micro financing, and community-based fundraising. Lessons learned are offered, which can be supported by aid organizations to increase impact and reach.
Sequential LASER ART and CRISPR Treatments Eliminate HIV-1 in a Subset of Infected Humanized Mice

Elimination of HIV-1 requires clearance and removal of integrated proviral DNA from infected cells and tissues. Here, sequential long-acting slow-effective release antiviral therapy (LASER ART) and CRISPR-Cas9 demonstrate viral clearance in latent infectious reservoirs in HIV-1 infected humanized mice. HIV-1 subgenomic DNA fragments, spanning the long terminal repeats and the Gag gene, are excised in vivo, resulting in elimination of integrated proviral DNA; virus is not detected in blood, lymphoid tissue, bone marrow and brain by nested and digital-droplet PCR as well as RNAscope tests. No CRISPR-Cas9 mediated off-target effects are detected. Adoptive transfer of human immunocytes from dual treated, virus-free animals to uninfected humanized mice fails to produce infectious progeny virus. In contrast, HIV-1 is readily detected following sole LASER ART or CRISPR-Cas9 treatment. These data provide proof-of-concept that permanent viral elimination is possible.
Macronutrient Analysis of Target-Pooled Donor Breast Milk and Corresponding Growth in Very Low Birth Weight Infants.

The macronutrient composition of target-pooled donor breast milk (DBM) (milk combined strategically to provide 20 kcal/oz) and growth patterns of preterm infants receiving it have not been characterized. Caloric target-pooled DBM samples were analyzed by near-infrared spectroscopy. Weekly growth velocities and anthropometric z-scores were calculated for the first 30 days and at 36 weeks corrected gestational age (CGA) for 69 very low birthweight (VLBW) infants receiving minimum one week of DBM. Samples contained mean 18.70 kcal/oz, 0.91 g/dL protein, 3.11 g/dL fat, 7.71 g/dL carbohydrate (n = 96), less than labeled values by 2.43 kcal/oz and 0.11 g/dL protein (p 50% DBM had similar growth, but infants receiving >50% DBM were more likely to receive fortification >24 kcal/oz (83% vs. 51.9% in the <50% DBM group; p = 0.005). From birth to 36 weeks CGA (n = 60), there was a negative z-score change across all parameters with the greatest in length (−1.01). Thus, target-pooling does not meet recommended protein intake for VLBW infants. Infants fed target-pooled DBM still demonstrate a disproportionate negative change in length z-score over time.
Trajectory Tracking Control for an Underwater Vehicle Manipulator System Using a Neural-adaptive Network

A neural-adaptive trajectory tracking control strategy is proposed for an underwater vehicle manipulator system (UVMS). A feedback term based on a nominal dynamic model is used, and an adaptive neural network is utilized to approximate parametric uncertainties. The performance of this control scheme is demonstrated by applying it to a specific trajectory tracking task. The simulation results showed that the controller has a good performance under parametric uncertainty situations.
Effects of Selective Dopamine D2 or D3 Receptor Antagonism on Morphine-Induced Locomotion in Mice

Rationale: The dopamine D3 receptor (D3R) has garnered interest as a pharmacotherapeutic target for the treatment of opioid use disorder (OUD). Recent evidence suggests that D2R and D3R antagonism oppositely affect the locomotor-activating effects of cocaine, but whether this pattern extends to opioid-induced hyperactivity remains unresolved. Objective: This study compared the impact of selective D2R vs. D3R antagonists on the locomotor-activating effects of acute and repeated morphine administration in mice. Catalepsy following D2R vs. D3R antagonism alone or in combination with morphine was also assessed. Methods: C57Bl/6J mice were pretreated with either the highly-selective D3R antagonist PG01037 (vehicle, 10.0 mg/kg) or the selective D2R antagonist L-741,626 (vehicle, 10.0 mg/kg) and tested for 1) locomotor activity induced by acute morphine administration (10.0 - 56.0 mg/kg), 2) locomotor sensitization following repeated morphine administration (56.0 mg/kg), or 3) catalepsy after administration of either antagonist alone or in combination with morphine (10.0 - 56.0 mg/kg). Results: In locomotion studies, both PG01037 and L-741,626 shifted the acute morphine dose-response function rightward/downward, although the inhibitory effect of L-741,626 pretreatment was more robust. Likewise, PG01037 pretreatment partially attenuated, while L-741,626 pretreatment fully abolished, morphine-induced locomotor sensitization. L-741,626 produced catalepsy that was blunted by morphine, whereas PG01037 did not induce catalepsy under any conditions. Conclusions: D2R or D3R antagonism attenuates morphine-induced locomotor activity and sensitization. D2R antagonism produces a stronger suppression of these effects, but also induced modest cataleptic effects which were not observed following D3R antagonism. The results lend additional support to the investigation of selective D3R antagonists as treatments for OUD.
Fatigue in piezoelectric ceramic vibrational energy harvesting: A review

Abstract Piezoelectric energy harvesters have been thoroughly investigated from a material or mechanical application viewpoint. The need to understand the potential lifespan of these materials in mechanical applications requires information from both fields. This review presents methods on how these crystal structures are grown, doping agents for these materials, the architecture of transduction patches, and the vibrational energy harvester architecture that these transduction patches are placed. The cyclic nature of the vibrational energy harvester induces cyclic fatigue in these patches depending on fabrication defects and transduction material. Cyclic strain induces fatigue life, but cyclic polarization also induces crack expansion in the transduction material. This review also consolidates existing energy harvesting systems to give a basis on the current modeling and performance to show the lack of knowledge on important lifespan degradation. Critical discussions and future recommendations are provided to direct focus onto fatigue investigations to push vibrational energy harvester development forward.