cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Unique Characteristics of the Photoparoxysmal Response in Patients With Neuronal Ceroid Lipofuscinosis Type 2: Can EEG Be a Biomarker?

Objective:The objective was to identify unique features of the photoparoxysmal response seen in patients with neuronal ceroid lipofuscinosis type 2 as compared to patients with a photoparoxysmal response associated with other epilepsy syndromes.Methods:Electroencephalograms from patients with neuronal ceroid lipofuscinosis type 2 seen at the authors’ institution in the past 10 years as well as electroencephalograms (EEGs) reported to have a photoparoxysmal response during a single year were reviewed.Results:A photoparoxysmal response was seen in 60% of the patients with neuronal ceroid lipofuscinosis type 2. This was most commonly seen with low frequency intermittent photic stimulation (76%) which often occurred in a time-locked fashion (63%) and was seen on the patient’s initial EEG (78%). A unique pattern the authors called “sentinel” discharge was identified in 30% of EEGs in patients with neuronal ceroid lipofuscinosis.Conclusions:Photoparoxysmal responses in patients with neuronal ceroid lipofuscinos...
Comparable perioperative mortality outcomes in younger patients undergoing elective open and endovascular abdominal aortic aneurysm repair

Abstract Background Evidence for benefit of endovascular aneurysm repair (EVAR) over open surgical repair for de novo infrarenal abdominal aortic aneurysms (AAAs) in younger patients remains conflicting because of heterogeneous study populations and small sample sizes. The objective of this study was to compare perioperative and short-term outcomes for EVAR and open surgery in younger patients using a large national disease and procedure-specific data set. Methods We identified patients 65 years of age or younger undergoing first-time elective EVAR or open AAA repair from the Vascular Quality Initiative (2003-2014). We excluded patients with pararenal or thoracoabdominal aneurysms, those medically unfit for open repair, and those undergoing EVAR for isolated iliac aneurysms. Clinical and procedural characteristics were balanced using inverse propensity of treatment weighting. A supplemental analysis extended the study to those younger than 70 years. Results We identified 2641 patients, 73% (n = 1928) EVAR and 27% (n = 713) open repair. The median age was 62 years (interquartile range, 59-64 years), and 13% were female. The median follow-up time was 401 days (interquartile range, 357-459 days). Unadjusted perioperative survival was 99.6% overall (open repair, 99.1%; EVAR, 99.8%; P P = .9). Unadjusted reintervention rates were five (open repair) and seven (EVAR) reinterventions per 100 person-years ( P = .8). After propensity weighting, the absolute incidence of perioperative mortality was P P = .6) and reintervention rates (open repair, 6; EVAR, 8; reinterventions per 100 person-years; P = .8) did not differ between the two interventions. The analysis of those younger than 70 years showed similar results. Conclusions In this study of younger patients undergoing repair of infrarenal AAA, 30-day morbidity and mortality for both open surgery and EVAR are low, and the absolute mortality difference is small. The prior published perioperative mortality and 1-year survival benefit of EVAR over open AAA repair is not observed in younger patients. Further studies of long-term durability are needed to guide decision-making for open repair vs EVAR in this population.
EVEREST II: Two MitraClip Procedure with Partial Detachment of Second Device

An important complication of the MitraClip procedure is single leaflet detachment. This case illustrates such a complication and demonstrates the echocardiographic and fluoroscopic images associated with it.
Robotic Lung Resection

The traditional approach for performing anatomic lung resections has been via posterolateral thoracotomy. This incision allows generous exposure and access to pulmonary hilum at a cost of significant post-operative pain and morbidity. With the rapid improvement in video technology in the 1980s and development of more sophisticated endoscopic staplers, there has be a shift toward a minimally invasive approach to lung resections.
Weight misperception and disordered weight control behaviors among U.S. high school students with overweight and obesity: Associations and trends, 1999–2013

Abstract Objective To examine prevalence of weight misperception (incongruence between one's perceived weight status and one's actual weight status) and disordered weight control behaviors (DWCBs; unhealthy behaviors aiming to control or modify weight), associations between weight misperception and DWCBs, and temporal trends in prevalence and associations among adolescents with overweight and obesity from 1999 to 2013. Methods Self-reported data from eight biennial cycles (1999–2013) of the cross-sectional national Youth Risk Behavior Survey were used in analyses restricted to respondents with overweight/obesity. Data on weight status perception, use of fasting, purging, and diet pills to control weight, sex, race/ethnicity, and grade in school were used in multivariate logistic regression models. Results Among U.S. high school students with overweight and obesity, no linear temporal trends were detected for prevalence of weight misperception, fasting, or purging between 1999 and 2013, while a significant linear decrease was observed for prevalence of diet pill use between 1999 and 2013 ( b = − 0.81, p Discussion In the context of increasing prevalence of overweight and obesity, weight misperception appears to be a robust protective factor for DWCBs.
Empowering community partners: A case study motivating environmentally sustainable behavioral changes in Latino migrant agricultural families

Environmental sustainability outreach programs can benefit significantly through adaptation that connects to and fosters change within the Spanish speaking community. This article demonstrates a case study in which the authors partnered with a local Latino organization through an undergraduate service-learning project. The goal of this project was to incorporate environmentally sustainable behaviors both with young Latino students in school and with their families at the household level.
NADPH-cytochrome c reductases of Trypanosomacruzi

Abstract NADPH-dependent reduction of cytochrome c is catalyzed both by microsomes and the cytosolic fraction isolated from Trypanosoma cruzi homogenates. About one-third of the activity is microsomal and two-thirds is cytosolic. The microsomal activity is increased by Lubrol and sodium cholate, but pretreatment with phenobarbital has negligible effect. On the other hand, detergents do not affect the cytosolic activity but it is increased by phenobarbital. From these observations, it is concluded that the NADPH-dependent reduction of cytochrome c by microsomes and the cytosol corresponds to two distinct enzymes. The cytosolic enzyme has been purified to a single SDS-PAGE band of about 53,000 da and partially characterized.
Generation of cygnss level 2 wind speed data products

An overview of the wind speed retrieval algorithm used to generate the first CYGNSS Level 2 wind speed products is presented. The algorithm uses two observables derived from Level 1b calibrated Delay/Doppler Maps, and constructs a geophysical model function which maps the observable value and its associated incidence angle into a wind speed value. The wind estimates from the two observables are also combined to form a best-weighted estimator, which represents our final retrieved wind speed. Here the major steps needed to implement the algorithm are reviewed, with a focus on some new aspects, such as the characterization of the dependence of the observables on incidence angle based on real data. An analysis of the algorithm performance is also presented.
Martin Luther King in Newcastle upon Tyne: The African American Freedom Struggle and Race Relations in the North East of England

Brian Ward has written a riveting account of Martin Luther King, Jr.’s final trip across the Atlantic, which was also King’s first and only visit to England’s north-east. Yet Martin Luther King in ...
On the electrical characterization of electroadhesive displays and the prominent interfacial gap impedance associated with sliding fingertips

We report on the characterization of two variable friction electroadhesive displays using careful electrical and electrochemical impedance measurements. We qualitatively and quantitatively examine the properties of the skin, body, surface coating, and various electrode interface impedances in isolation using different contact interface conditions and measurement types. A lumped series impedance model explains how all impedances are related during normal usage, and the linearity of this model is shown to be valid under certain assumptions, such as high applied frequencies or small applied currents. Speculation as to the physical mechanisms underlying each impedance element is also given. This analysis unambiguously verifies the existence of a previously hypothesized key electrical system parameter: the sliding interfacial impedance (or air gap impedance). This parameter represents the large increase (100–1000 percent) in overall electrical impedance observed when a finger is sliding versus when it is stationary. It is concluded that this impedance increase cannot be explained by other measured electrical impedance elements in the system and that it vanishes again when the finger comes to rest.
Extracorpuscular Hemolytic Anemia

Publisher Summary This chapter highlights the causes of hemolytic anemia due to extracorpuscular defects, which may be immune or nonimmune. Immune hemolytic anemia can be either isoimmune or autoimmune. Isoimmune haemolytic anemia results from a mismatched blood transfusion or from hemolytic disease in the newborn. In autoimmune hemolytic anemia (AIHA), shortened red cell survival is caused by the action of immunoglobulins, with or without the participation of complement on the red cell membrane. The red cell autoantibodies may be of the warm type, the cold type, or the cold–warm Donath–Landsteiner type. Complement participation is usually confined to the IgM type of antibody; only rarely is it associated with IgG. AIHA may be idiopathic or secondary to a number of conditions that are listed in the chapter. Non-immune conditions are due to extracorpuscular causes of hemolytic anemia in which the direct antiglobulin (Coombs) test is negative. The various causes are listed here in this chapter. Conditions caused by various infections, drugs and underlying hematologic disease respond to treatment of the underlying condition, as well as the necessary acute supportive care including red cell transfusions as needed.
Malignant Transformation of Mammalian Cells in Culture by Chemical Carcinogens

The bioassay of the rapidly growing list of chemicals for mutagenic and carcinogenic properties by in vivo studies is an insurmountable task. It is, therefore, hoped that short-term in vitro tests, especially those employing mammalian cells, may be of predictive value in terms of human risk as prescreening methods.
Isotope-Assisted Metabolite Analysis Sheds Light on Central Carbon Metabolism of a Model Cellulolytic Bacterium Clostridium thermocellum.

Cellulolytic bacteria have the potential to perform lignocellulose hydrolysis and fermentation simultaneously. The metabolic pathways of these bacteria, therefore, require more comprehensive and quantitative understanding. Using isotope tracer, gas chromatography-mass spectrometry, and metabolic flux modeling, we decipher the metabolic network of Clostridium thermocellum, a model cellulolytic bacterium which represents as an attractive platform for conversion of lignocellulose to dedicated products. We uncover that the Embden–Meyerhof–Parnas (EMP) pathway is the predominant glycolytic route whereas the Entner–Doudoroff (ED) pathway and oxidative pentose phosphate pathway are inactive. We also observe that C. thermocellum's TCA cycle is initiated by both Si- and Re-citrate synthase, and it is disconnected between 2-oxoglutarate and oxaloacetate in the oxidative direction; C. thermocellum uses a citramalate shunt to synthesize isoleucine; and both the one-carbon pathway and the malate shunt are highly active in this bacterium. To gain a quantitative understanding, we further formulate a fluxome map to quantify the metabolic fluxes through central metabolic pathways. This work represents the first global in vivo investigation of the principal carbon metabolism of C. thermocellum. Our results elucidate the unique structure of metabolic network in this cellulolytic bacterium and demonstrate the capability of isotope-assisted metabolite studies in understanding microbial metabolism of industrial interests.
Whatever Happened to the "People of God"? Thoughts on the Reception of Vatican II

This article explores the ecclesiology of Vatican II, particularly its understanding of the Church as the People of God, in order to consider how that teaching is currently being received in the Church by Catholics who embrace different views of the Council and its meaning. After examining the theology of the Church presented in Lumen gentium , Vatican II’s “Dogmatic Constitution on the Church,” the article considers various ways in which the teaching on Lumen gentium has and has not been embraced in the Church. It concludes by considering the challenge involved in the reception of conciliar teaching of any sort and proposes ways in which more liberal and more conservative Catholic sensibilities might appreciate each other’s efforts to live out the teachings of the Council in the one community of faith.
Dysregulated Marginal Zone B Cell Compartment in a Mouse Model of Sjögren's Syndrome with Ocular Inflammation.

The risk of developing lymphoma in patients with Sjogren’s syndrome (SS) is 44 times higher than in the normal population with the most common lymphomas derived from marginal zone B (MZB) cells. Current understanding of the role of MZB cells in SS is primarily based on salivary gland pathology, while their contextual association with lacrimal glands and ocular manifestations largely remains unknown. We examined this possibility using a SS mouse model (thrombospondin-1 deficient (TSP1−/−)) with well-characterized ocular disease. We determined the frequency, localization, and cytokine profiles of MZB cells and their association with an antibody response in TSP1−/− mice treated with a TSP-derived peptide. A significantly increased frequency of MZB cells was detected in the spleens and lacrimal glands of TSP1−/− mice in comparison to wild-type tissues as detected by immunostaining. An altered cytokine profile of TSP1−/− MZB cells was supportive of T helper 17 (Th17)-related pathogenesis. A significantly reduced antibody response and the splenic MZB compartment against an eye-derived antigen were noted in TSP-derived peptide-treated mice. These changes correspond with the previously reported ability of the peptide to ameliorate SS-related ocular manifestations. Collectively, our results demonstrate dysregulation of MZB cells in TSP1−/− mice and highlight their role in the context of SS-related chronic ocular surface disease.
Neoplasia in Patients with Excess Fat Mass

The world’s population is confronted with the consequences of excess adiposity. In the United States alone, two-thirds of the population is currently classified as having overweight or obesity. Increasing rates of obesity have been reported in adults and children, in both genders, and in all ethnic groups. The incidence of many cancers is reported elevated in persons who have overweight or obesity, and the American Cancer Society estimates suggest that all adult cancer-related deaths could be decreased by 20% in women and by 14% in men by maintaining a healthy weight. This chapter reviews the association between excess adiposity with cancer incidence and cancer-related mortality and discusses potential mechanisms by which adiposopathy, with visceral adiposity and obesity-related inflammation, may contribute to cancer development in addition to increased body mass index.
Clinical Impact of Clostridium difficile PCR Cycle Threshold–Predicted Toxin Reporting in Pediatric Patients

BACKGROUND Reliance on tests that detect only the presence of toxigenic Clostridium difficile can result in overdiagnosis and overtreatment of C difficile infection (CDI). The C difficile polymerase chain reaction (PCR) cycle threshold (CT) can sensitively predict the presence of free C difficile toxins; however, the clinical application for this testing strategy remains unexplored. We evaluated the impact of dual PCR and toxin result reporting, as predicted by the CT, on CDI management and outcomes in children. METHODS Before the intervention, results for C difficile testing at Lucile Packard Children's Hospital Stanford were reported as PCR positive (PCR+) or negative (PCR-) according to the GeneXpert C diff Epi tcdB PCR assay (Cepheid, Sunnyvale, California). Beginning October 5, 2016, the presence of free toxins, as predicted by the CT, was reported also. The CDI treatment rates 1 year before and 18 months after implementation of toxin reporting were compared. Demographic and treatment-related data were collected, and patient outcomes were followed up 8 weeks later. RESULTS CDI treatment decreased 22% after the intervention (96% [preintervention] vs 74% [postintervention]; P < .001). During the postintervention period, there were 152 PCR+C difficile results, and 94 (62%) of them were toxin positive (toxin+) according to the CT. Of the 58 PCR+/toxin-negative (toxin-) results, 38 (66%) did not result in CDI treatment. Seven (18%) of the untreated PCR+/toxin- patients underwent repeat testing within 8 weeks, and 5 (13%) of them were subsequently PCR+/toxin+ and treated. No CDI-related complications were identified. CONCLUSIONS Addition of the CT-predicted C difficile toxin result to PCR reporting reduces the proportion of PCR+ children treated for CDI.
Attitudes of Community Hospital Critical Care Nurses Toward Family-Witnessed Resuscitation.

Background Family-witnessed resuscitation is not consistently practiced in critical care despite the fact that it is recommended and research shows that it supports the emotional needs of families and patients and improves decision-making, care, and communication. Nurses support the idea of family-witnessed resuscitation but may not believe it should be standard practice. Objectives To examine the attitudes of American community hospital critical care nurses about family-witnessed resuscitation and to identify differences in attitudes between nurses who have and have not experienced it. Methods This cross-sectional, descriptive study of 40 critical care nurses was conducted at 2 community hospitals. Demographic data were collected and a previously developed questionnaire was used to survey participants on their attitudes about family-witnessed resuscitation factors including decision-making, process, and outcomes. Results Most participants (92%) had experienced family-witnessed resuscitation and most had positive attitudes about the benefits and outcomes of family-witnessed resuscitation. Participants did not believe that family presence is too distressing for families or that resuscitation team performance would be negatively affected. Participants indicated that fear of litigation, family disruption of resuscitation, and family misinterpretation of procedures would not increase with family presence. Conclusions Findings show that community hospital critical care nurses support family-witnessed resuscitation. Prior experiences and cultural beliefs should be considered when developing family-witnessed resuscitation policies. Further research is needed on the influence of these factors on nurses' attitudes toward family presence to inform practice.
Estimating Metric Scale Visual Odometry from Videos using 3D Convolutional Networks

We present an end-to-end deep learning approach for performing metric scale-sensitive regression tasks such visual odometry with a single camera and no additional sensors. We propose a novel 3D convolutional architecture, 3DC-VO, that can leverage temporal relationships over a short moving window of images to estimate linear and angular velocities. The network makes local predictions on stacks of images that can be integrated to form a full trajectory. We apply 3DC-VO to the KITTI visual odometry benchmark and the task of estimating a pilot’s control inputs from a first-person video of a quadrotor flight. Our method exhibits increased accuracy relative to comparable learning-based algorithms trained on monocular images. We also show promising results for quadrotor control input prediction when trained on a new dataset collected with a UAV simulator.
The Internal Image: Mind and Brain in the Age of Charcot

This article uses the work of French neurologist Jean-Martin Charcot and his contemporaries to explore the central role played by internal or mental images in late nineteenth-century understandings of mental function. It argues that the assumed existence of internal images allowed scientists and clinicians of the time to integrate experimental psychological work on mental pathologies such as memory dysfunction, hysteria, hypnosis, and hallucination into contemporary research on brain physiology. The internal image—a general term that embraced concepts such as “memory images,” “sensory images,” and multi-faceted “language images”—linked older ideas about how memory, perception, and consciousness worked with new research on cerebral localization that dominated studies of the brain throughout Europe and the United States. For practitioners of the new physiological (also called experimental) psychology, internal images offered a physiological mechanism for explaining how sensory perceptions are transformed into memories, how memories create perceptions of the self, how the brain generates ideas, and how all these processes can go awry.
Clinical experience with the low-frequency rotary chair test

The primary strength of the CRC test appears to be its sensitivity to monitor change within the vestibular system, particularly in the early detection of a bilateral, peripheral weakness. Although ...
Model-Agnostic Linear Competitors -- When Interpretable Models Compete and Collaborate with Black-Box Models

Driven by an increasing need for model interpretability, interpretable models have become strong competitors for black-box models in many real applications. In this paper, we propose a novel type of model where interpretable models compete and collaborate with black-box models. We present the Model-Agnostic Linear Competitors (MALC) for partially interpretable classification. MALC is a hybrid model that uses linear models to locally substitute any black-box model, capturing subspaces that are most likely to be in a class while leaving the rest of the data to the black-box. MALC brings together the interpretable power of linear models and good predictive performance of a black-box model. We formulate the training of a MALC model as a convex optimization. The predictive accuracy and transparency (defined as the percentage of data captured by the linear models) balance through a carefully designed objective function and the optimization problem is solved with the accelerated proximal gradient method. Experiments show that MALC can effectively trade prediction accuracy for transparency and provide an efficient frontier that spans the entire spectrum of transparency.
Flow of High Expansion Form in Pipes

The results of tests of the flow of high expansion foam in smooth and rough pipes are presented. It is concluded that foam is non-Newtonian with pressure loss a function of average velocity to a power less than unity. In addition, it is found that at a given velocity, pressure loss is an inverse function of bubble size with expansion factor of little significance in the range of velocities studied. The effect of bubble size on pressure loss decreases with increasing velocity in both rough and smooth pipes. The presence of apparent wall slip or the sliding of the foam on a thin liquid film on the wall of the smooth pipes was observed. The flow mechanism is described qualitatively using photographs taken from motion pictures of the flow.
Age-associated sperm DNA methylation patterns do not directly persist trans-generationally

The impact of aging on the sperm methylome is well understood. However, the direct, subsequent impact on offspring and the role of altered sperm DNA methylation alterations in this process remain poorly understood. The well-defined impact of aging on sperm DNA methylation represents an excellent opportunity to trace the direct, transgenerational transmission of these signals. We utilized the Illumina MethylationEPIC array to analyze the sperm of 16 patients with older (> 40 years of age) paternal grandfathers (‘old grand paternal age’ patients; OGPA) and 16 patients with younger (< 25 years of age) grandfathers (‘young grand paternal age’ patients; YGPA) identified through the Subfertility Health Assisted Reproduction and the Environment (SHARE) cohort to investigate differences in DNA methylation. No differentially methylated regions were identified between the OGPA and YGPA groups. Further, when assessing only the sites previously shown to be altered by age, no statistically significant differences between OGPA and YGPA were identified. This was true even despite the lower bar for significance after removing multiple comparison correction in a targeted approach. Interestingly though, in an analysis of the 140 loci known to have decreased methylation with age, the majority (~ 72%) had lower methylation in OGPA compared to YGPA though the differences were extremely small (~ 1.5%). This study suggests that the robust and consistent age-associated methylation alterations seen in human sperm are ‘reset’ during large-scale epigenetic reprograming processes and are not directly inherited trans-generationally (over two generations). An extremely small trend was present between the YGPA and OGPA groups that resemble the aging pattern in older sperm. However, this trend was not significant and was so small that, if real, is almost certainly biologically inert.
Considering violence against police by citizen race/ethnicity to contextualize representation in officer-involved shootings

Abstract Purpose The current study examined racial/ethnic disparities in officer-involved shootings, employing violence directed toward police by race/ethnicity as a benchmark for comparison. Methods Odds ratios comparing white and African-American as well as white and Hispanic differences were calculated using three separate datasets: The Washington Post's counts of fatal officer-involved shootings, fatal and injurious officer-involved shootings in Texas, and all firearm discharges by officers in California. Results African-Americans were not more likely than whites to be fatally shot nationally or shot and injured/killed by police in Texas based on the benchmarks used. However, African-Americans were more likely than whites to be shot at by California police. Conclusions Racial/ethnic overrepresentation (or the lack thereof) in officer-involved shootings appears to be a function of the specific benchmark for comparison as well as the outcome being examined. Studies focusing exclusively on fatalities represent an incomplete and non-random sample of all officer-involved shooting incidents. Data limitations may omit factors, such as place or departmental policies, that are cofounding the relationship between race/ethnicity and fatal police-citizen violence.
LArSoft and Future Framework Directions at Fermilab

The diversity of the scientific goals across HEP experiments necessitates unique bodies of software tailored for achieving particular physics results. The challenge, however, is to identify the software that must be unique, and the code that is unnecessarily duplicated, which results in wasted effort and inhibits code maintainability.Fermilab has a history of supporting and developing software projects that are shared among HEP experiments. Fermilab’s scientific computing division currently expends effort in maintaining and developing the LArSoft toolkit, used by liquid argon TPC experiments, as well as the event-processing framework technologies used by LArSoft, CMS, DUNE, and the majority of Fermilab-hosted experiments. As computing needs for DUNE and the HL-LHC become clearer, the computing models are being rethought. Presented here are Fermilab’s plans for addressing the evolving software landscape as it relates to LArSoft and the data-processing frameworks, specifically as it relates to the DUNE experiment.
REJECTION OF CARE, AGGRESSION, AND AGITATION IN PERSONS WITH DEMENTIA: A SYSTEMATIC REVIEW OF DEFINITIONS USED IN BEHAVIORAL AND PSYCHOLOGICAL SYMPTOMS OF DEMENTIA MEASURES

Introduction Objective: To examine how rejection of care, aggression, and agitation are described and operationalized in existing measures of dementia-related behaviors with a particular focus on whether these behaviors are conceptualized as separate phenomena in rating scales. Methods Methods: We identified instruments developed to measure behavioral symptoms of dementia from two systematic reviews. Additionally, we conducted a systematic review of English-language peer-reviewed articles published from 1980 to 2017 to update the previous list of the instruments and identify additional measures that were not captured in previous reviews. Results Results: 43 instruments (23 general behavior measures, 20 symptom-specific measures) developed to measure behavioral symptoms of dementia were examined. Of these, 25 (58.1%) included items related to rejection of care; 32 (74.4%) included items related to aggression; and 35 (81.4%) included agitation items. Descriptions and definitions of these behaviors were highly variable across the instruments. 13 of 23 general measures and 3 of 20 symptom specific measures included items measuring all three behaviors while the rest of the instruments included items measuring only one or two behaviors of our interest. Conclusions Conclusions: The review demonstrated that rejection, aggression, and agitation are measured in most scales, yet their operationalization is highly variable, and they are often not distinguished from each other. Researchers and clinicians need to consider each symptom in its own right and revise existing instruments to address possible misnomers to improve measurement of dementia behaviors. This research was funded by: None
Increasing cold resistance of stem sections of Cornus stolonifera by artificial dehydration. A preliminary report.

Abstract Evaluations of hardiness and moisture content of stem sections of red-osier dogwood, Cornus stolonifera Michx., were made during cold acclimation and deacclimation periods in the fall and spring of 1967, 1968, and 1969. Artificial dehydration, via freeze drying, consistently affected an immediate increase in cold resistance of stem sections collected from the field, both in the spring and fall as well as on stem sections collected from actively growing plants in a warm greenhouse. Cold resistance was increased from 3 to 12 °C when 4–10% of the tissue water was removed. The increase in resistance was generally proportional to the amount of water removed. Supercooling of stems was consistently increased by artificial dehydration.
Mode locked fiber lasers

Mode locked fiber lasers are important for generation of short pulses for future high speed optical time division multiplexed (OTDM) transmission systems. The design and performance of mode locked fiber lasers are described in this talk.
Singing between two worlds: Lin Jaldati and Yiddish music in Cold War Europe and divided Berlin, 1945–1953

Although post World War II Berlin is usually held up as the front line of the Cold War, it was precisely in Berlin where the “Iron Curtain” was porous. Lin Jaldati (pronounced “Yaldati”), a Dutch J...
A Survey on Machine Learning Techniques for Auto Labeling of Video, Audio, and Text Data.

Machine learning has been utilized to perform tasks in many different domains such as classification, object detection, image segmentation and natural language analysis. Data labeling has always been one of the most important tasks in machine learning. However, labeling large amounts of data increases the monetary cost in machine learning. As a result, researchers started to focus on reducing data annotation and labeling costs. Transfer learning was designed and widely used as an efficient approach that can reasonably reduce the negative impact of limited data, which in turn, reduces the data preparation cost. Even transferring previous knowledge from a source domain reduces the amount of data needed in a target domain. However, large amounts of annotated data are still demanded to build robust models and improve the prediction accuracy of the model. Therefore, researchers started to pay more attention on auto annotation and labeling. In this survey paper, we provide a review of previous techniques that focuses on optimized data annotation and labeling for video, audio, and text data.
Revisiting Nakamoto Consensus in Asynchronous Networks: A Comprehensive Analysis of Bitcoin Safety and ChainQuality

The Bitcoin blockchain safety relies on strong network synchrony. Therefore, violating the blockchain safety requires strong adversaries that control a mining pool with 51% hash rate. In this paper, we show that the network synchrony does not hold in the real world Bitcoin network which can be exploited to lower the cost of various attacks that violate the blockchain safety and chain quality. Towards that, first we construct the Bitcoin ideal functionality to formally specify its ideal execution model in a synchronous network. We then develop a large-scale data collection system through which we connect with more than 36K IP addresses of the Bitcoin nodes and identify 359 mining nodes. We contrast the ideal functionality against the real world measurements to expose the network anomalies that can be exploited to optimize the existing attacks. Particularly, we observe a non-uniform block propagation pattern among the mining nodes showing that the Bitcoin network is asynchronous in practice. To realize the threat of an asynchronous network, we present the HashSplit attack that allows an adversary to orchestrate concurrent mining on multiple branches of the blockchain to violate common prefix and chain quality properties. We also propose the attack countermeasures by tweaking Bitcoin Core to model the Bitcoin ideal functionality. Our measurements, theoretical modeling, proposed attack, and countermeasures open new directions in the security evaluation of Bitcoin and similar blockchain systems.
Foreign aid, war, and economic development: The international value of the piaster

In this chapter we attempt to measure the value of the Vietnamese piaster, or dong (d), for the period up to 1972, when, for all practical purposes, it was allowed to float to seek its market value. Specifically, “international value” means the price of the piaster in terms of dollars or its exchange ratio. A method for deriving an approximation for the market value is laid out, rationalized, and employed later to compute a series called the “approximate market clearing rate of exchange” for the period 1964–70. Our calculated exchange rate series is then compared with a reported black market rate series. For those periods in which a marked difference is observed, an explanation is sought. Both series are then subjected to a test of consistency that utilizes national income data. Finally, a judgment is made on how the two rates, along with another derived from national income accounts, might be fused together to establish one series, the dollar “value of the piaster.” This series has already been used to translate piaster national income into its dollar equivalent, and it will be used subsequently in estimating the value of foreign aid to the Vietnamese economy. 9.1 The official exchange rate and misinformation It is difficult to think of any major economic problem in wartime Vietnam that was not related in some way to the foreign exchange rate.
Initial Concussion Presentation Does Not Predict Acute Impairments in Transitional Dynamic Postural Control (P7.159)

OBJECTIVE: To determine if a relationship exists between loss of consciousness (LOC) and post-traumatic amnesia (PTA) initially after a concussion and center of pressure (CoP) measures during gait termination (GT). BACKGROUND: The presence of PTA, but not LOC, has been suggested as a predictor of neurocognitive deficits post-concussion. However, there is limited research regarding presence of LOC/PTA and measures of postural control. Gait termination has been identified as a sensitive indicator of post-concussion impairments in dynamic postural control and altered movement strategies. DESIGN/METHODS: Twenty-one concussed NCAA student-athletes (age: 19.0±1.1 years, height: 176.70±9.9 cm, weight: 83.4±19.0 kg) completed five GT trials using a Gaitrite portable walkway system and four force plates (1000 Hz). Change scores were calculated between Preseason baseline performance and Day 1 post-concussion. Anteroposterior (AP) and mediolateral (ML) CoP displacements were calculated on the force plates during the three phases of GT (S1, S2, S3), which correspond to locomotor, single leg stance and postural adjustment GT phases. Participants were grouped as either 1) LOC and/or PTA, or 2) no LOC or PTA. Changes were compared between groups using a one-way ANOVA. RESULTS: There were no significant differences between CoP displacements and the presentation of LOC and PTA post-concussion. Specifically, there were no differences in the primary dependent variables of interest: S1ML (1: 0.64±5.84, 2: -4.95±7.60, p= 0.115), and S2ML (1: -4.72±7.09, 2: -1.59±5.73, p= 0.285) change scores. CONCLUSIONS: The presence of LOC and PTA following a concussion does not affect CoP measures during GT. The presence of PTA has historically been a better predictor of lingering symptoms and cognitive deficits post-injury than LOC. However, the appearance of either in the initial presentation of concussion does not appear to be a sufficient indicator of acute postural control impairments. Study Supported by: NINDS 1R15NS070744-01A1 Disclosure: Dr. Oldham has nothing to disclose. Dr. Evans has nothing to disclose. Dr. Wikstrom has nothing to disclose. Dr. Buckley has nothing to disclose.
Fabrication of Carbon-Carbon Heat Pipes for Space Nuclear Power Applications

Significant advancements have been made in the development of lightweight, high performance, carbon-carbon heat pipes for space nuclear power applications. The subject program has progressed through the concept definition and feasibility analysis stages to the current test article component fabrication and assembly phase. This concept utilizes a carbon-carbon tube with integrally woven fins as the primary structural element and radiative surface, Nb-1Zr liners to contain a potassium working fluid, and welded end caps and fill tubes. Various tests have been performed in the development of suitable liner bonding techniques and in the assessment of material stability.
Interaction Potentials I: Atom-Molecule Potentials

The concept of the potential energy surface (or hypersurface) is without doubt one of the most fundamental in all of science.(1) The minima on a potential energy surface correspond to the equilibrium geometries of the various isomers. Saddle points or “transition states” play an important role in the determination of the rates of the various chemical reactions which may occur on a surface or hypersurface.
Kidney Disease Improving Global Outcomes guidelines and parathyroidectomy for renal hyperparathyroidism

Abstract Background Patients with end-stage renal disease develop hypocalcemia, resulting in secondary hyperparathyroidism (SHPT). No clear criterions exist to aid in surgical decision making for SHPT. The 2009 Kidney Disease Improving Global Outcomes (KDIGO) guidelines provide target ranges for serum calcium, phosphate, and parathyroid hormone (PTH) levels in patients with end-stage renal disease. Parathyroidectomy can help achieve these targets. The study purpose was to examine how parathyroidectomy for SHPT impacts KDIGO targets during immediate and long-term follow-up and to evaluate KDIGO categorization with receipt of additional surgical intervention. Methods A retrospective review of a prospective parathyroidectomy database was performed. Included patients had SHPT, were on dialysis, and underwent parathyroidectomy. Calcium, phosphate, and PTH values were classified as below, within, or above KDIGO targets. Results Between 2000 and 2013, 36 patients with SHPT met criteria. Subtotal parathyroidectomy was performed in 89%, total parathyroidectomy in 11%. Follow-up time was 54 ± 7 mo. Eight patients (22%) required additional surgery. Twenty-eight patients (76%) were alive at the last follow-up. At the last-follow up, patients had phosphate (46%), and PTH (17%) above KDIGO ranges. Factors associated with reoperation were assessed. Patient PTH within or above target immediately postoperative had a higher rate of reoperation (P Conclusions PTH and phosphate levels above KDIGO indices were associated with additional surgical intervention. Many patients had laboratory indices above range at the last follow up, suggesting more patients had persistent or recurrent disease than those who underwent reoperation. Patients may benefit from more aggressive medical and/or surgical management.
Minimum cost ring survivability in WDM networks

Recently, E. Modiano and A. Narula-Tam (see Proc. IEEE INFOCOM'01, 2001) introduced the notion of survivable routing and established a necessary and sufficient condition for the existence of survivable routes for a given logical topology in a physical topology. In two earlier papers, we showed that the survivability problem is NP-complete, both when the nodes of the logical topology are unlabeled (Sen, A. et al., Proc. IEEE Int. Commun. Conf. ICC'02, 2002) or labeled (Sen et al., Proc. IEEE Int. Symp. on Computers and Commun. ISCC'02, 2002). We also gave algorithms to test if survivable routing of a logical ring is possible in a WDM network with arbitrary physical topology. We now address finding the minimum number of links that have to be added to a physical topology so that the survivable routing of a logical ring is possible. We show that, not only is this problem NP-complete, but an /spl epsiv/-approximation algorithm for the problem cannot be found unless P=NP. We provide an ILP formulation for finding the optimal solution of the problem. We also provide an approximate solution of the problem. The approximate algorithm requires only a very small fraction of the time required by the optimal algorithm, but produces results that are close to the optimal solution on two test networks - ARPANET and the Italian National Network.
Introduction: The Impacts of Tourism in Latin America

Tourism has been examined by economists on both the left and the right, geographers, political scientists, sociologists, and anthropologists. There are more than a dozen journals in English alone dedicated to tourism research, most which have been established since 1990 (Pearce, 1999: 2). The World Bank, the Inter-American Development Bank, other area banks, and the United Nations are among the bodies that have sponsored research on tourism and funded tourism projects throughout the underdeveloped world in general and Latin America in particular (Jenkins, 1999: 55; Clancy, 2001: 41, 53; Lumsdon and Swift, 2001: 34), For example, the Inter-American Development Bank lent US$800 million to Brazil in 1994 to develop tourism in the Northeast, then US$150 million in 2004 for the development of tourism in the South; a total of US$34.1 million to Argentina to develop tourism in the province of Salta; and US$300 million to Mexico in 1993 to develop its tourism infrastructure. It has also approved loans for tourism development in Bolivia, Chile, the Dominican Republic, Ecuador, Nicaragua, Panama, and Peru and has proposed loans for this industry for Guayana, Honduras, and Paraguay (Inter-American Development Bank, 2004). The theoretical works on tourism that I have perused tend to utilize a cost benefit analysis when examining the effects of the tourism industry. As might be expected, neoclassical approaches?those that welcome ''globalization'7? underscore the benefits of tourism, whereas neo-Marxist and dependency approaches?which view globalization as a new form of imperialism?focus on its costs. Unfortunately, most studies neglect regional differences within the same country. Some locales are indeed the recipients of benefits, at least to a point, while others?perhaps most?are impacted negatively. In most places there are both positive and negative impacts, though this black-and-white distinction overlooks shades of grey. For example, the increased employment opportunities provided by tourism development help to solve unemployment and under employment problems, but many of the jobs created are relatively unskilled, low-waged, and lacking in opportunities for advancement, similar to the jobs in hotels, restaurants, and maintenance work held by Mexican immigrants to the United States. Furthermore, the negative (and the positive) impacts should be assessed in relation to the impact of possible alternatives to tourism in any development program or balance-of-payments initiative. For example, would industrial development have more positive or more negative impacts than tourism development?
Anthropometric differences among occupational groups.

The increasing demands for anthropometric information for the design of machinery and personal protective equipment to prevent occupational injuries has necessitated an understanding of the anthropometric differences to be found among occupations. This study identified differences in various body measurements between occupational groups in the USA, as determined in the third National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey. Approximately 16,000 of its 32,900 subjects were associated with an occupational group. The analysis of the data showed that the body size, or body segment measurements, of some occupational groups differ significantly. For example, agricultural workers were shorter by an average of 2.5 cm in height, and had wider wrist breadths, than other workers. Female agricultural and manufacturing workers had larger waist circumferences than those in the ‘other occupations’ and ‘all occupations’ categories. Protective service workers (i.e. firefighters, police and guards) were taller and heavier ...
Prevalence and Severity of Anal Incontinence in Women With and Without Additional Vaginal Deliveries After a Fourth-Degree Perineal Laceration

The aim of this study was to compare the prevalence and severity of anal incontinence among women who had undergone no, one, or at least two additional vaginal deliveries after sustaining a fourth-degree sphincter tear as a nullipara. We conducted a telephone survey to determine our subjects’ anal function. The incontinence score was determined by adding the content (flatus, liquid, and solid stool = 1, 2, and 3 points, respectively) and frequency (less than weekly, weekly, and daily = 1, 2, and 3 points, respectively) points. Severe incontinence is defined as having a score of 5 or 6 points and the incontinence having a severe effect on the subject’s daily activities. Of the 148 women interviewed, 52 had undergone zero (Group 1), 60 had had one (Group 2), and 36 had had at least two (Group 3) additional vaginal deliveries. Among the three groups, 20 of 52 (38 percent), 14 of 60 (23 percent), and 10 of 36 (28 percent), respectively, reported anal incontinence (P = 0.208). The proportion that had 1 or 2 points (8/20, 4/14, and 3/10, respectively, P = 0.75) and 3 or 4 points (10/20, 9/14, and 2/10, respectively, P = 0.097) was similar among the three groups. Two of 20 (10 percent), 1 of 14 (7 percent), and 5 of 10 (50 percent), respectively, had a score of 5 or 6 points (P = 0.012). For the three groups, 0 of 20, 0 of 14, and 4 of 10 (40 percent) reported that their incontinence had a severe effect on their daily activities (P = <0.001), and 0 of 52, 0 of 60, and 4 of 36 (11 percent) had severe incontinence (P = 0.002). The proportion that had severe incontinence was significantly higher among women who had undergone at least two additional deliveries.