cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Consistency and variability in causal attributions and coping with stress.

Temporal and cross-situational consistency in causal attributions and coping were examined in reference to two ongoing stressors over a period of 4 weeks. Patterns of coping were characterized by moderate consistency in response to the same stressor over time and low consistency across two different types of stress (academic and interpersonal stressors). Causal attributions were moderately to highly consistent in response to the same stressor over time, but levels of consistency in attributions were low across the two stressors. There were individual differences in the degree of coping consistency, with some individuals displaying more stability in coping than others. Higher levels of consistency in coping were associated with higher levels of negative affect; negative emotions predicted significant portions of the variance in subsequent consistency in coping, but consistency in coping did not predict later emotions.
Concepts in Sediment Budgets

ROSATI, J.D., 2005, Concepts in sediment budgets. Journal of Coastal Research, 21(2), 307‐322. West Palm Beach (Florida), ISSN 0749-0208. The sediment budget is fundamental in coastal science and engineering. Budgets allow estimates to be made of the volume or volume rate of sediment entering and exiting a defined region of the coast and the surplus or deficit remaining in that region. Sediment budgets have been regularly employed with variations in approaches to determine the sources and sinks through application of the primary conservation of mass equation. Historically, sediment budgets have been constructed and displayed on paper or maps. Challenges in constructing a sediment budget include determining the appropriate boundaries of the budget and interior cells; defining the possible range of sediment transport pathways, and the relative magnitude of each; representing the uncertainty associated with values and assumptions in the budget; and testing the sensitivity of the series of budgets to variations in the unknown and temporally-changing values. These challenges are usually addressed by representing a series of budget alternatives that are ultimately drawn on paper, maps, or graphs. Applications of the methodology include detailed local-scale sediment budgets, such as for an inlet or beach fill project, and large-scale sediment budgets for the region surrounding the study area. The local-scale budget has calculation cells representing features on the order of 10s to 100s of meters, and it must be shown separately from the regional sediment budget, with cells ranging from 100s of meters to kilometers. This paper reviews commonly applied sediment budget concepts and introduces new considerations intended to make the sediment budget process more reliable, streamlined, and understandable. The need for both local and regional sediment budgets is discussed, and the utility of combining, or collapsing, cells is shown to be beneficial for local budgets within a regional system. Collapsing all cells within the budget creates a ‘‘macrobudget,’’ which can be applied to check for overall balance of values. An automated means of changing the magnitude of terms, while maintaining the same dependency on other values within the sediment budget, is presented. Finally, the need for and method of tracking uncertainty within the sediment budget, and a means for conducting sensitivity analyses, are discussed. These new concepts are demonstrated within the Sediment Budget Analysis System with an application for Long Island, New York, and Ocean City Inlet, Maryland.
Software Internationalization: Testing Methods for Bidirectional Software

Abstract - Testing Global software differs from conventional software testing in that the test design approach and the testing methods must consider the defined and implied issues of specific culture, language, date format, and currency format [1, 2]. In the case of Bidirectional software testing (Software targeting Arabic, Hebrew, Farsi, and Urdu markets) there are many unique and crucial aspects that require thorough and carefully planned and executed tests [3]. In this paper we propose testing methods that can be used to test critical aspects of bi-directional software in general and specifically Arabic software. These testing methods are discussed in the context of the Dynamic Systems Development Methodology(DSDM) process lifecycle that integrate internationalization (I18n) and localization(L10n) processes into the software lifecycle.
Event Builder and Level 3 at the CDF experiment

Abstract The Event Builder and Level 3 systems constitute critical components of the DAQ in the Collider Detector at Fermilab experiment. These systems are responsible for collecting data fragments from the Front End electronics, assembling the data into complete event records, reconstructing the events and forming the final trigger decision. With Tevatron Run IIa in progress, the systems have been running successfully at high throughput rates, the design utilizing scalable architecture and distributed event processing to meet the requirements. Brief descriptions of current performance in Run IIa and possible upgrade for Run IIb are presented.
A Greedy Performance Driven Algorithm for Decision Fusion Learning

We propose a greedy performance driven algorithm for learning how to fuse across multiple classification and search systems. We assume a scenario when many such systems need to be fused to generate the final ranking. The algorithm is inspired from Ensemble Learning but takes that idea further for improving generalization capability. Fusion learning is applied to leverage text, visual and model based modalities for 2005 TRECVID query retrieval task. Experiments using the well established retrieval effectiveness measure of mean average precision reveal that our proposed algorithm improves over naive baseline (fusion with equal weights) as well as over Caruana's original algorithm (NACHOS) by 36% and 46% respectively.
Decoding intention: A neuroergonomic perspective

Decoding the intentions of other people based on non-linguistic cues such as their body movement is a major requirement of many jobs. Whether it is maintaining security at an airport or negotiating with locals in a foreign country, there is a need to augment maximize the effectiveness of training or real-time performance in this decoding process. This review considers the potential utility of neuroergonomic solutions, and in particular, of electroencephalographic (EEG) methods for augmenting action understanding. Focus is given to body movements and hand-object interactions, where there is a rapid growth in relevant science. The interpretation of EEG-based signals is reinforced by a consideration of functional magnetic resonance imaging experiments demonstrating underlying brain mechanisms that support goal oriented action. While no EEG method is currently implemented as a practical application for enhancing the understanding of unspoken intentions, there are a number of promising approaches that merit further development.
How to Handle the Bone Considerations in Manipulation and Alteration of Bones During Orthopaedic Surgery

Orthopedic surgery is a very “osseous-centric” surgical discipline that has placed very little emphasis on the role of the attached soft tissues. This article highlights some modern techniques and useful tips when a procedure requires handling bone, with particular emphasis on minimizing the impact of surgical manipulation. The importance of choosing appropriate surgical approaches, dissection, types of manipulative instrumentation, and technique are paramount to a successful outcome for patients. In modern orthopedics, appreciation for our surgical impact on both bone and surrounding soft tissues share top priority.
Sodium, an obligate growth requirement for predominant rumen bacteria.

Sodium is an obligate growth requirement for most currently recognized predominant species of rumen bacteria. The isoosmotic deletion of Na+ from a nutritionally adequate defined medium completely eliminated growth of most species. Growth yields and rates were both a function of Na+ concentration for Na+-requiring species, and Na+ could not be replaced by Rb+, Li+, or Cs+ when these ions were substituted for Na+ at a concentration equivalent to an Na+ concentration that supported abundant growth. Li+, Cs+, or Rb+ was toxic at an Na+-replacing concentration (15 mM) but not at a K+-replacing concentration (0.65 mM). K+ was also an obligate growth requirement for rumen bacteria in media containing Na+ and K+ as major monovalent cations, but K+ could be replaced, for most species, by Rb+. The quantities of Na+ that support rapid and abundant growth of Na+-requiring rumen bacteria show that these organisms are slight halophiles. A growth requirement for Na+ appears more frequent among nonmarine bacteria than has been previously believed.
The human endogenous retrovirus (HERV) derived kidney Cancer antigen CT-RCC1 induces proliferation of CD8+ antigen-specific T-cells in vitro that kill renal cell carcinoma (RCC) and is up-regulated by inhibiting histone deacetylase

1033 Recently, we identified a genetic sequence (called CT-RCC) derived from a HERV type E that encodes an HLA-A11 restricted 10-mer peptide tumor antigen named CT-RCC1. CT-RCC was found to be expressed in approximately 70% of RCC cells and is not expressed in normal tissues including normal kidney tissue or other non-RCC tumor lines. To evaluate whether the CT-RCC1 peptide is immunogenic in vitro, PMBCs from healthy, HLA-A11+ donors were stimulated with autologous, CT-RCC1 peptide-loaded (10ug/ml) dendritic cells and B-cells followed by antigen-independent nonspecific rapid expansion. Flow analysis using a CT-RCC1 /HLA-A11+ tetramer showed bulk T-cell cultures contained up to 75% CD8+ /CT-RCC1 peptide binding T-cells. Cytotoxicity assays showed in vitro expanded CT-RCC1 specific T-cells lysed an HLA-A11+ RCC cell line that expressed the CT-RCC1 antigen but did not lyse HLA-A11+ fibroblasts or RCC cells that were either HLA-A11 negative or HLA-A11+ /CT-RCC negative; HLA-A11+ /CT-RCC negative RCC cells that were not killed by in vitro expanded CT-RCC1 specific T-cells were killed when pulsed with 10ug/ml of CT-RCC1 peptide. Quantitative Real time PCR showed expression of CT-RCC was upregulated following a six hour exposure to 25ng/ml of the histone deacetylase inhibitor depsipeptide (DP); DP induced a mean 2.5 fold increase in CT-RCC expression, suggesting histone acetylation is involved in the regulation of this HERV gene. In vitro expanded CT-RCC1 specific T-cells killed HLA-A11+ /CT-RCC+ DP-treated tumor cells at significantly higher levels compared to non-DP treated RCC cells (24% vs 11% lysis at a 7:1 E:T ratio; p=0.04). These data suggest the CT-RCC1 peptide antigen is immunogenic in vitro and appears to be a good potential target for T-cell based immunotherapy directed at RCC.
Evaluating Intelligibility and Battery Drain of Mobile Sign Language Video Transmitted at Low Frame Rates and Bit Rates

Mobile sign language video conversations can become unintelligible if high video transmission rates cause network congestion and delayed video. In an effort to understand the perceived lower limits of intelligible sign language video intended for mobile communication, we evaluated sign language video transmitted at four low frame rates (1, 5, 10, and 15 frames per second [fps]) and four low fixed bit rates (15, 30, 60, and 120 kilobits per second [kbps]) at a constant spatial resolution of 320 × 240 pixels. We discovered an “intelligibility ceiling effect,” in which increasing the frame rate above 10fps did not improve perceived intelligibility, and increasing the bit rate above 60kbps produced diminishing returns. Given the study parameters, our findings suggest that relaxing the recommended frame rate and bit rate to 10fps at 60kbps will provide intelligible video conversations while reducing total bandwidth consumption to 25p of the ITU-T standard (at least 25fps and 100kbps). As part of this work, we developed the Human Signal Intelligibility Model, a new conceptual model useful for informing evaluations of video intelligibility and our methodology for creating linguistically accessible web surveys for deaf people. We also conducted a battery-savings experiment quantifying battery drain when sign language video is transmitted at the lower frame rates and bit rates. Results confirmed that increasing the transmission rates monotonically decreased the battery life.
The MyomiR Network in Skeletal Muscle Plasticity

MicroRNA (miRNA) are a class of noncoding RNA involved in regulating gene expression by a posttranscriptional mechanism. Based on work from our laboratory, this review explores the hypothesis that a recently described muscle-specific miRNA, myomiR, network has a central role in the regulation of skeletal muscle plasticity by coordinating changes in fiber type and muscle mass in response to altered contractile activity.
Pseudomyxoma peritonei due to a ruptured mucinous cystadenoma of the spleen

BACKGROUND: Pseudomyxoma peritonei is a rare disease. The appendix is the primary site of origin in the majority of cases. METHODS: Case report. RESULTS: We report an unusual case of pseudomyxoma peritonei that developed from a primary splenic mucinious cyst adenoma. The patient was managed by splenectomy, appendectomy, bilateral salpingo oopherectomy and local debulking of the disease along with intraperitoneal hyperthermic chemotherapy. CONCLUSIONS: In this rare case, Pseudomyxoma peritonei that occurred due to spontaneous rupture of primary splenic mucinous cystadenoma was successfully managed by surgery and hyperthermic intraperitoneal chemotherapy.
Geringere Ruß-/Partikelemission beim Manövrieren von Schiffen

Die Rusemission beim Manovrieren von Schiffen ist ein in der Praxis noch weitgehend unbefriedigend gelostes Thema, selbst bei Motoren, die bei Betrieb mit konstanter Leistung keine sichtbare Abgasfahne mehr aufweisen. Der vorliegende Artikel beschreibt die von MAN B&W Diesel im Rahmen des BMBF-geforderten Forschungsvorhabens „Clean II“ untersuchten Methoden einer Verbesserung des instationaren Betriebsverhaltens und die damit erzielbaren Ergebnisse.
The Preparation of Crystalline NbSe2/TiSe2 Superlattices from Modulated Elemental Reactants

Three new crystalline NbSe2/TiSe2 superlattice compounds with 43.472±0.005A, 80.66±0.03A and 117.9±0.1A unit cells in thec direction were prepared through controlled crystallization of Ti/Se/Nb/Se superlattice reactants with different compositional layer thicknesses. Theta-theta and rocking curve data were collected using a theta-theta diffractometer to study the evolution of the initially layered reactants into the crystalline superlattices as a function of temperature. Low angle diffraction data demonstrates that the initial layered reactant contracts in the c-axis direction upon initial annealing and suggests that the interfaces become smoother during this initial interdiffusion. High angle rocking curve diffraction data shows the development of caxis oriented NbSe2fTiSe2 crystal growth perpendicular to the substrate surface. Theta-theta scans show a gradual decrease of the (001) diffraction linewidths of the growing compound as a function of annealing time and temperature indicating an increase in the c-axis domain size. High quality caxis oriented TiSe2/NbSe2 crystalline superlattices result from annealing at the relatively low temperature of 500oC. The rational synthesis of intergrowth compounds from superlattice reactants as described herein will permit the tailoring of physical properties as a function of compositional layer thicknesses and nativeproperties of the parent compounds.
The relationship between fine root demography and the soil environment in northern hardwood forests

We used minirhizotrons to measure growing-season fine root dynamics at 0–30 and 50–100 cm depths in two northern hardwoods forests. Concomitant measurements of several soil and site environmental v...
The Blood Supply to Preputial Island Flaps

The prepuce is formed by a combination of folding and epithelial proliferation, and separates from the glans after it has developed a blood supply. The arterial input, through 4 branches from the external pudendal arteries, is terminal and after birth supplies the outer and inner preputial surfaces in succession. Similarly, the venous return arises from small veins running transversely in the prepuce that connect to larger subcutaneous veins along the dorsal aspect of the shaft. Because the 2 preputial surfaces have a single blood supply they must be treated as 1 unit. Unfolding the prepuce leaves the former inner segment with only a terminal blood supply. The pedicle containing the superficial blood supply must remain attached to the skin flap or it will be devascularized. However, since this circulation goes exclusively to the flap, the more proximal portion of the prepuce that was raised to form the pedicle becomes ischemic when used as ventral cover. A double-faced flap avoids this complication.
Piezoelectric-Based Micro- and Nano-Positioning Systems

This chapter provides an overview of piezoelectric-based micro- and nano-positioning systems with their widespread applications in scanning probe-based microscopy and imaging. Starting from single-axis nano-positioning actuators to 3D positioning piezoactive systems, this chapter presents a complete overview of the piezoelectric-based nano-positioning systems.
The Role of FSH in Prostate Cancer: A Case Report

Castrate Resistant Prostate Cancer (CRPC) is a difficult entity to treat in the spectrum of prostate cancer disease. Recently, Follicle Stimulating Hormone (FSH) has been shown to play an important part in the natural history of prostate cancer disease progression (Crawford et al., 2014). Here, we discuss a now deceased 94 year-old patient who illustrates the importance of this.
Unification, War, and the New York City Transit Authority

By the time the Independent Subway’s Eighth Avenue line was opened to the public in 1932, the economics of public transportation had radically changed. Anchored to a political policy of retaining the five-cent fare, public transportation, and rapid transit in particular, were doomed to be money-losing enterprises. It was clear that it was necessary for the city to provide massive funding to keep the system running, and that private entrepreneurs were no longer trying to get into the business. Those that were still in it, the IRT and the BMT, were looking for ways to get out. Between 1932 and 1953, the city would struggle to determine an effective means of dealing with the responsibility of providing and operating public transportation.
Introduction: Sounds, Scripts, and Linking Language to Power

On his 109th birthday, linguist Zhou Youguang (周有光 1906–) gave the same remark he had been giving every year since he passed the centennial mark in 2006: “God is too busy—he has forgotten about me....
Don't sleep on it: Less sleep reduces risk for depressive symptoms in cognitively vulnerable undergraduates.

The current research tested a new theory of depression that integrates work on sleep and cognition. In general, good sleep is essential for physical and mental health. However, we theorize that sleep can actually increase risk for depressive symptoms in cognitively vulnerable individuals. This is because the negative cognitions generated by these individuals are strengthened and consolidated each night during sleep. Three studies were conducted to test this theory. Studies 1 (n = 134) and 2 (n = 47) used prospective designs and showed that undergraduates with high, but not low, levels of cognitive vulnerability were most likely to exhibit increases in depressive symptoms when sleeping well as operationalized by self-reported quality and objectively measured duration (via actigraphy). Study 3 (n = 40) used an experimental design and provides the first causal evidence that it may be possible to prevent future depressive symptoms in cognitively at-risk undergraduates by restricting their sleep during times of high perceived stress. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2017 APA, all rights reserved)
Moving Toward 21st-Century Clinical Licensure Examinations in Dentistry.

During the time frame in which this editorial was being written, most of the 2016 predoctoral dental and dental hygiene graduates of U.S. academic dental institutions were completing their studies and preparing to become full-fledged oral health care providers. One of their final hurdles is
Preliminary Investigation of Walking Motion Using a Combination of Image and Signal Processing

We present the results of analyzing gait motion in first-person video taken from a commercially available wearable camera embedded in a pair of glasses. The video is analyzed with three different computer vision methods to extract motion vectors from different gait sequences from four individuals for comparison against a manually annotated ground truth dataset. Using a combination of signal processing and computer vision techniques, gait features are extracted to identify the walking pace of the individual wearing the camera as well as validated using the ground truth dataset. Our preliminary results indicate that the extraction of activity from the video in a controlled setting shows strong promise of being utilized in different activity monitoring applications such as in the eldercare environment, as well as for monitoring chronic healthcare conditions.
A Cross-Sectional Study of School Experiences of Boys with Duchenne and Becker Muscular Dystrophy

The objectives of this study were to investigate types of supportive school services received and factors related to provision of these services. We conducted a cross-sectional study to describe the school experience of males with Duchenne and Becker muscular dystrophies. Study subjects were identified through the Muscular Dystrophy Surveillance, Tracking, and Research Network. Non-ambulatory males with Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD) were significantly more likely to use an instructional assistant and resource room support when compared to ambulant males with DMD at the time of the caregiver interview. Males with DMD who received occupational therapy were more likely to use an instructional assistant, while those who received speech therapy were more likely to repeat a grade, use an instructional assistant, and receive resource room support. Males with DMD whose primary caregivers had less than 12 years of education were more likely to use an instructional assistant and resource room support. Non-ambulatory males with DMD should continue receiving appropriate school accommodations so they can keep pace with their physical demands. Males with DMD with speech deficits should be considered for various educational interventions.
Projected climate change effects on subsurface drainage and the performance of controlled drainage in the Western Lake Erie Basin

The US Midwest is expected to experience higher intensity rainfall events along with an increased chance of drought during the mid- and late 21st century under projected future climate scenarios. Development of strategies to mitigate the impact of these projected changes on agricultural production and environmental quality is important for ensuring agricultural resiliency to future climate. This study used the DRAINMOD hydrologic model to simulate subsurface drainage discharge at a field site in the headwaters of the Western Lake Erie Basin using future climate patterns projected by 20 general circulation models. Despite projected increases in rainfall, by the late twenty-first century, subsurface discharge was projected to decrease 7% and 11% under representative concentration pathway (RCP) 4.5 and RCP 8.5, respectively. Reductions in subsurface discharge were attributed to increased temperature and evapotranspiration. The performance of controlled drainage was not projected to change on an annual basis throughout the next century. The benefits of controlled drainage systems as an agricultural best management practice were still evident under the projected climate change of the next century. The role of controlled drainage as a means to potentially retain more crop available water in the soil profile could become critically important under future climate conditions.
Longitudinal patient-reported mobility assessment in fibrodysplasia ossificans progressiva (FOP).

Abstract Background Fibrodysplasia ossificans progressiva (FOP) is a rare, disabling genetic disorder characterized by episodic soft tissue swelling (flare-ups) that leads to progressive heterotopic ossification and restricted joint mobility. Methods Here we present the first longitudinal patient-reported mobility assessment (PRMA) in FOP based on a simple evaluation tool. At initial presentation and follow-up (1–11 year span; median: 6 year span), 64 patients (36 females; 28 males) with classic FOP completed a questionnaire designed to rapidly assess mobility at 15 sites (three axial; six upper limb, and six lower limb). In order to validate this instrument, twenty-one of 64 patients (33%) underwent a cumulative analogue joint involvement scale (CAJIS) evaluation by two physicians within six months of their second self-assessment. Results We found that: 1) mobility changes were episodic and regional, occurring first in the neck and trunk, followed by the upper limbs and finally the lower limbs; 2) interval improvements in mobility did occur, most notably in the lower limbs (18%), and less so in the upper limbs (12%) and trunk (3%), and 3) patient-reported mobility assessments correlate highly (R2 = 0.81) with physician-reported CAJIS evaluations. Conclusion This is the first longitudinal PRMA in FOP and provides a simple and valid tool that can be used in the design and evaluation of clinical trials in this progressively disabling disease.
Giant solitary fibrous tumour of the pleura an unpredictable entity: case series and literature review.

A small proportion of tumours can undergo malignant transformation. We report a case series of five patients diagnosed with giant solitary fibrous tumours of the pleura. These cases highlight the unpredictable nature of this disease process, with significant variability in clinical course observed, from indolence to aggressive progression. Three patients were found to have malignant disease on explant, with two of these having preoperative imaging and histology suggesting benign pathology. This finding emphasises that accurately differentiating between benign and malignant disease on imaging and/or biopsy has low specificity and sensitivity and cannot be relied upon in guiding the management of these tumours. Patients with solitary fibrous tumours of the pleura should be managed cautiously, owing to the unpredictable and potentially aggressive clinical course. We would advocate the position that all patients with solitary fibrous tumours of the pleura should be managed as if they have malignant disease. P...
Abstract 1874: First demonstration that hypoxia targeting with radiation improves tumor control in a mammal tumor model

For over a century, resistance of radiation to living tissues has been associated with hypoxia, a local lack of molecular oxygen, or low pO2. The focus of this research has been to validate the hypothesis that has been assumed, but not proven over the past century, that radiation treatment focused specifically on hypoxic regions of tumors would improve tumor curability. This research used Electron Paramagnetic Resonance (EPR) imaging to provide absolute pO2 images in volume elements or voxels of murine tumors with 1 torr pO2 resolution and 0.7 mm spatial resolution in FSa fibrosarcomas in the legs of C3H mice. We define hypoxic regions of tumors as those whose image subvolumes or voxels have low pO2, voxels less than 10 torr. We have established EPR pO2 imaging as a reliable locator of relevant radiobiologically relevant hypoxia. To determine if pO2 based dose painting improves tumor cure, we implemented the XRAD225Cx system to deliver gantry based x-ray treatments to mouse tumors accurately registered with EPR pO2 images. All tumors were pretreated with a dose of radiation that had been determined in separate experiments to cure 30% of tumors, a TCD30. Conclusive failure to demonstrate a difference between treating crude spherical volumes including ~ 85% of hypoxic voxels with an additional curative dose compared with treatment with shells of radiation avoiding hypoxia (anti-boosts) proved tenets of radiation biology: a few surviving hypoxic clonogens cause radiation treatment failure. In response, we implemented rapid 3D printing Tungsten loaded, highly conformal plastic blocks to compare treating ~100% of hypoxic tumor voxels with hypoxia avoidance, treating similar volumes of well oxygenated tumor. Only then did we observe significant (p Citation Format: Howard J. Halpern, Boris Epe;, Matthew C. Maggio, Martyna Krzykawska-Serda, Gage H. Redler, Richard C. Miller, Eugene D. Barth, Ralph R. Weichselbaum. First demonstration that hypoxia targeting with radiation improves tumor control in a mammal tumor model [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the American Association for Cancer Research Annual Meeting 2017; 2017 Apr 1-5; Washington, DC. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2017;77(13 Suppl):Abstract nr 1874. doi:10.1158/1538-7445.AM2017-1874
Protecting and promoting population health in the context of climate and other global environmental changes

Abstract The past 150 years have seen substantial public health advances globally. The intensive exploitation of energy and resources, the associated disruption of earth systems, and the resulting decline in some ecosystem services, however, threaten these advances. Global climate change, biodiversity loss, land use alterations, depletion of soil and water, and altered biogeochemical cycles drive these risks. Of these, climate change is the best studied with respect to human health. Adaptation is needed within the health sector, by strengthening public health and clinical care systems, and through collaboration with other sectors. This paper reviews health threats with an emphasis on climate change and then outlines a framework for prioritizing adaptation options based on: a) probability of adverse health impacts; b) effectiveness of protective interventions; and c) magnitude of the public health impact. The proposed framework can inform adaptation implementation, focusing on options that protect particularly vulnerable populations from climate change and other global environmental changes over coming decades.
Performance Analysis of Coarray-Based MUSIC in the Presence of Sensor Location Errors

Sparse linear arrays, such as co-prime and nested arrays, can resolve more uncorrelated sources than the number of sensors by applying the MUtiple SIgnal Classification (MUSIC) algorithm to their difference coarray model. We aim at statistically analyzing the performance of the MUSIC algorithm applied to the difference coarray model, namely, the coarray-based MUSIC, in the presence of sensor location errors. We first introduce a signal model for sparse linear arrays in the presence of deterministic unknown location errors. Based on this signal model, we derive a closed-form expression of the asymptotic mean-squared error of a commonly used coarray-based MUSIC algorithm, SS-MUSIC, in the presence of small sensor location errors. We show that the sensor location errors introduce a constant bias that depends on both the physical array geometry and the coarray geometry, which cannot be mitigated by only increasing the signal-to-noise ratio. We next give a short extension of our analysis to cases when the sensor location errors are stochastic and investigate the Gaussian case. Finally, we derive the Cramer–Rao bound for joint estimation of direction-of-arrivals and sensor location errors for sparse linear arrays, which can be applicable even if the number of sources exceeds the number of sensors. Numerical simulations show good agreement between empirical results and our theoretical results.
Concomitant use of opioid medications with triptans or serotonergic antidepressants in US office-based physician visits.

Background Opioids are not recommended for routine treatment of migraine because their benefits are outweighed by risks of medication overuse headache and abuse/dependence. A March 2016 US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) safety communication warned of the risk of serotonin syndrome from using opioids concomitantly with 5-hydroxytryptamine receptor agonists (triptans) or serotonergic antidepressants: selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) or serotonin-norepinephrine reuptake inhibitors (SNRIs). Epidemiological information about co-prescribing of these medications is limited. The objective of this study was to estimate the nationwide prevalence of co-prescribing of an opioid with a serotonergic antidepressant and/or triptan in US office-based physician visits made by 1) all patients and 2) patients diagnosed with migraine. Methods National Ambulatory Medical Care Survey (NAMCS) data were obtained for 2013 and 2014. Physician office visits that included the new or continued prescribing of ≥1 opioid medication with a triptan or an SSRI/SNRI were identified. Co-prescribed opioids were stratified by agent to determine the proportion of co-prescriptions with opioids posing a higher risk of serotonergic agonism (meperidine, tapentadol, and tramadol). Results Of an annualized mean 903.6 million office-based physician visits in 2013-2014, 17.7 million (2.0% of all US visits) resulted in the prescribing of ≥1 opioid medication with a triptan or an SSRI/SNRI. Opioid-SSRI/SNRI was co-prescribed in 16,044,721 visits, while opioid-triptan was co-prescribed in 1,622,827 visits. One-fifth of opioid co-prescribing was attributable to higher-risk opioids, predominantly tramadol (18.6% of opioid-SSRI/SNRI, 21.8% of opioid-triptan). Of 7,672,193 visits for patients diagnosed with migraine, 16.3% included opioid prescribing and 2.0% included co-prescribed opioid-triptan. Conclusion During a period approximately 2 years prior to an FDA warning about the risk of serotonin syndrome from opioid-SSRI/SNRI or opioid-triptan co-prescribing, use of these combinations was common in the USA. Studies on prescribing patterns following the March 2016 warning, and on the risk of serotonin syndrome associated with these co-prescriptions, are needed.
Towards a model of interprofessional preparation to enhance partnering between educators and families

Interprofessional education (IPE) involves cross disciplinary learning, teaching, and supervision to foster greater interdisciplinary collaboration. In the field of medicine, this training approach...
Psychopathic Behavior: An Information Processing Perspective

In contrast to syndromes such as schizophrenia, depression, and the various anxiety disorders in which the contribution of some disordered psychological process is taken for granted, there is considerable skepticism regarding the existence of psychopathology in psychopaths. When a person has difficulty regulating thoughts or feelings we find it natural to attribute the problem to psychopathology but, when it is a person’s behavior that is poorly regulated, we are more inclined to attribute the problem to inadequate motivation or maliciousness. In other words, we find it plausible that thoughts and feelings may escape voluntary control, but we seem to have trouble thinking about behavior in the same way.
Supportive therapeutische Beziehungen

Nach der Theorie der psychoanalytischen Therapie ist eine supportive therapeutische Beziehung erforderlich, damit sich der Patient sicher genug fuhlen kann, um das Wagnis auf sich zu nehmen, die Einschrankungen im Erleben und Verhalten zu verringern, die ihn in die Psychotherapie gefuhrt haben. Die supportive Beziehung zum Therapeuten ermoglicht dem Patienten, die Deutungsarbeit in der Therapie als spezifisches Mittel zur Erreichung der Behandlungsziele zu erleben und zu nutzen.
Husserlian Intentionality and Everyday Coping

In his book Being-in-the-World Hubert Dreyfus charges that Husserl’s conception of intentionality cannot account for the practice of everyday coping skills, while Heidegger’s thought can. Drawing from the third section of Ideas II as well as other of Husserl’s works, I pull together a Husserlian intentional analysis of everyday coping to show that Dreyfus is wrong.
Nitrogen Fixation: An Historical Perspective

All living things require a source of utilizable nitrogen to survive and grow. Utilizable nitrogen comes in a variety of forms, with ammonia (NH3 -) and nitrate (NO3 -) the most common. These and other related usable forms of nitrogen are most often the limiting factor for the growth of organisms; a situation that is clearly highlighted in production agriculture. The element nitrogen is not, however, in short supply on this planet, which is blessed with the equivalent of more than 1017 metric tons of nitrogen gas (N2), about 2% of which is free in the atmosphere. Unfortunately, the N2 molecule cannot be directly utilized by the vast majority of living organisms. To become available for use, N2 must first be “fixed” (converted to a usable form) by one of several alternative routes (Newton, 1996). The use of the term, fixation, to describe this conversion was instituted early on because it was unclear at that time if the process was oxidative or reductive, but whatever its chemical nature, the nitrogen became trapped (or fixed) in the product and was no longer gaseous.
Residual Votes and Abstentions in the 2016 Election

This paper provides a preliminary analysis of the increase in the residual vote rate from 2012 to 2016, when it increased from 0.99% to 1.87% nationwide. It is reasonable to assume that this spike in the residual vote rate is due to a rise in abstentions. However, there are currently other trends in election administration, such as an increasing reliance on vote-by-mail, that could also be driving up the residual vote rate. And, even if the recent up-tick in the residual vote rate is primarily due to an increase in abstentions in 2016, it is not a priori obvious that the source of new abstentions was equally distributed among disaffected Democrats and Republicans. The analysis in this paper relies on a combination of public opinion data and election returns to address these issues. We find, first, that the increase in abstentions in 2016 was most likely due to disaffected Republicans, rather than an across-the-board phenomenon. We also confirm that the increase in the 2016 residual vote rate was not due to changes in voting technologies between 2012 and 2016. We address three issues in the conclusion that this analysis raises: (1) the potential for the growth of protest voting in the U.S., (2) the likelihood that there is a significant under-reporting of voter abstentions in public opinion surveys, leaving a role for aggregate analysis to study this phenomenon, and (3) cautions about the use of the residual vote rate as a metric to gauge the accuracy of voting technologies.
Polio endgame: Lessons for the global rotavirus vaccination program

Poliovirus and rotavirus share notable similarities. Although rotavirus is not amenable to eradication because of animal reservoirs, live, attenuated oral vaccines have been the bedrock of both prevention and control programs, providing intestinal and humoral immunity. Both programs have also encountered safety concerns and suboptimal immune responses to oral vaccines in low-income settings that have been challenges, prompting the search for alternative solutions. In this paper, we review the progress made by polio prevention and eradication efforts over the past six decades. Specifically, we discuss the roles of the oral polio vaccine (OPV) and the inactivated polio vaccine (IPV) in achieving polio eradication, and explore potential application of these lessons to rotavirus. Recent scientific evidence has confirmed that a combined schedule of IPV and OPV adds synergistic value that may give the polio eradication effort the tools to end all poliovirus circulation worldwide. For rotavirus, oral vaccine is the only currently licensed and recommended vaccine for use in all children worldwide, providing heterologous protection against a broad range of strains. However, parenteral rotavirus vaccines are in the pre-clinical and clinical trial stage and insight from polio provides strong justification for accelerating the development of these vaccines. While challenges for parenteral rotavirus vaccines will need to be addressed, such as achieving protection against a broad range of strains, the principle of combined use of oral and parenteral rotavirus vaccines may provide the necessary humoral and intestinal immunity necessary to close the efficacy gaps between developing and developed countries, therefore controlling rotavirus worldwide. This strategy may also potentially reduce risk of intussusception.
Electrotonic transmission in the retinal vasculature: inhibitory role of the diabetes/VEGF/aPKC pathway

The deleterious impact of diabetes on the retina is a leading cause of vision loss. Ultimately, the hypoxic retinopathy caused by diabetes results in irreversible damage to vascular, neuronal, and glial cells. Less understood is how retinal physiology is altered early in the course of diabetes. We recently found that the electrotonic architecture of the retinovasculature becomes fundamentally altered soon after the onset of this disorder. Namely, the spread of voltage through the vascular endothelium is markedly inhibited. The goal of this study was to elucidate how diabetes inhibits electrotonic transmission. We hypothesized that vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) may play a role since its upregulation in hypoxic retinopathy is associated with sight-impairing complications. In this study, we quantified voltage transmission between pairs of perforated-patch pipettes sealed onto abluminal cells located on retinal microvascular complexes freshly isolated from diabetic and nondiabetic rats. We report that exposure of diabetic retinal microvessels to an anti-VEGF antibody or to a small-molecule inhibitor of atypical PKCs (aPKC) near-fully restored the efficacy of electrotonic transmission. Furthermore, exposure of nondiabetic microvessels to VEGF mimicked, via a mechanism sensitive to the aPKC inhibitor, the diabetes-induced inhibition of transmission. Thus, activation of the diabetes/VEGF/aPKC pathway switches the retinovasculature from a highly interactive operational unit to a functionally balkanized complex. By delimiting the dissemination of voltage-changing vasomotor inputs, this organizational fragmentation is likely to compromise effective regulation of retinal perfusion. Future pharmacological targeting of the diabetes/VEGF/aPKC pathway may serve to impede progression of vascular dysfunction to irreversible diabetic retinopathy.
Nutrition in Children with Liver Disease: Evaluation and Management

The liver is the major organ for maintaining normal homeostasis of both macronutrients (proteins, carbohydrates, and fat including essential fatty acids) and micronutrients (vitamins and minerals). Therefore, children with significant liver disease, especially those with chronic cholestasis, cirrhosis, or end-stage liver disease, often demonstrate impaired nutrient metabolism as well as possible malabsorption or maldigestion of nutrients. Routine assessments of nutritional status, appropriate supplementations, and nutritional intervention or rehabilitation (if needed) are crucial in managing these children. The roles of various diets in children who suffer from end-stage liver disease and complications from hepatic dysfunction such as hepatic encephalopathy or ascites have been widely studied. During the past two decades, many children with chronic end-stage or life-threatening liver disease have undergone liver transplantation as a therapeutic option. Nutritional support also plays an essential role in managing these children both before and after the transplantation.
Patient Perspectives About Decisions to Share Medical Data and Biospecimens for Research.

Importance Patients increasingly demand transparency in and control of how their medical records and biospecimens are shared for research. How much they are willing to share and what factors influence their sharing preferences remain understudied in real settings. Objectives To examine whether and how various presentations of consent forms are associated with differences in electronic health record and biospecimen sharing rates and whether these rates vary according to user interface design, data recipients, data and biospecimen items, and patient characteristics. Design, Setting, and Participants For this survey study, a data and biospecimen sharing preference survey was conducted at 2 academic hospitals from May 1, 2017, to September 31, 2018, after simple randomization of patients to 1 of 4 options with different layout and formats of indicating sharing preferences: opt-in simple, opt-in detailed, opt-out simple, and opt-out detailed. Interventions All participants were presented with a list of data and biospecimen items that could be shared for research within the same health care organization or with other nonprofit or for-profit institutions. Participating patients were randomly asked to select the items that they would share (opt-in) or were asked to select items they would not share (opt-out). Patients in these 2 groups were further randomized to select only among 18 categories vs 59 detailed items (simple vs detailed form layout). Main Outcomes and Measures The primary end points were the percentages of patients willing to share data and biospecimen categories or items. Results Among 1800 eligible participants, 1246 (69.2%) who completed their data sharing survey were included in the analysis, and 850 of these patients (mean [SD] age, 51.1 [16.7] years; 507 [59.6%] female; 677 [79.6%] white) responded to the satisfaction survey. A total of 46 participants (3.7%) declined sharing with the home institution, 352 (28.3%) with nonprofit institutions, and 590 (47.4%) with for-profit institutions. A total of 836 (67.1%) indicated that they would share all items with researchers from the home institution. When comparing opt-out with opt-in interfaces, all 59 sharing choice variables (100%) were associated with the sharing decision. When comparing simple with detailed forms, only 14 variables (23.7%) were associated with the sharing decision. Conclusions and Relevance The findings suggest that most patients are willing to share their data and biospecimens for research. Allowing patients to decide with whom they want to share certain types of data may affect research that involves secondary use of electronic health records and/or biosamples for research.
Region Growing Using Neural Networks

Publisher Summary Segmentation, the grouping of parts of an image into regions that are homogeneous with respect to one or more characteristics, is an important function in image processing and computer vision. By mapping an image representation, typically at the pixel level, into a description involving regions with common features, segmentation serves as a bridge between low-level and high-level processes. This chapter discusses image segmentation as performed using a neural network region growing method. This approach proved to be very intuitive when considering the similarities between pixels to be assigned as weights to connections between the pixels within neighborhoods and neurons associated with each pixel in the image. This method could be extended to texture (or other multiple feature based) segmentation through the use of appropriate features and vector similarity measures. Region growing is one of the main approaches used in segmentation. The goal in region growing is to expand (usually from starting seed points) until the boundaries of the regions are reached. The regions should be filled completely with as few small, isolated sub-regions as possible. The most common criterion used in region growing is region homogeneity. Pixels, or groups of pixels, are included in a region only if their characteristics are sufficiently similar to the characteristics of the pixels already in the region. The uniformity of image intensity, color, multispectral data, and range data are all candidates as the basis for region growing.