cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Measuring Anxiety in Athletics: The Revised Competitive State Anxiety Inventory–2

The purpose of this study was to use confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) to revise the factor structure of the CSAI-2 using one data set, and then to use CFA to validate the revised structure using a second data set. The first data set (calibration sample) consisted of 503 college-age intramural athletes, and the second (validation sample) consisted of 331 intercollegiate (Division I) and interscholastic athletes. The results of the initial CFA on the calibration sample resulted in a poor fit to the data. Using the Lagrange Multiplier Test (Gamma) as a guide, CSAI-2 items that loaded on more than one factor were sequentially deleted. The resulting 17-item revised CSAI-2 was then subjected to a CFA using the validation data sample. The results of this CFA revealed a good fit of the data to the model (CFI = .95, NNFI = .94, RMSEA = .054). It is suggested that the CSAI-2R instead of the CSAI-2 be used by researchers and practitioners for measuring competitive state anxiety in athletes.
Use of point-of-care test in identification of patients who can benefit from desmopressin during cardiac surgery: a randomised controlled trial

Summary Background Platelet dysfunction is a major cause of excessive microvascular bleeding after cardiac surgery. A new point-of-care test (hemoSTATUS) can identify patients at risk of excessive bleeding. We aimed to find out whether patients who can benefit from desmopressin during cardiac surgery can be identified by this test. Methods We enrolled 203 patients scheduled for elective cardiac surgery in a prospective, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial. Patients with abnormal hemoSTATUS clot-ratio results ( Findings Intraoperative platelet counts and clot ratios were significantly higher in the untreated control group than in the study-drug groups. In intensive care, clot ratios in patients who received desmopressin were similar to those in the untreated control group, despite significantly lower platelet counts, but were lower in the placebo group than in the other two groups (p=0·0001). Compared with the placebo group, patients who received desmopressin had less blood loss in 24 h (mean 624 [SD 209] vs 1028 mL [682] p=0·0004) and required less transfusion of red blood cells (1·1 [022] vs 2·2 U [0·32] p=0·009), platelets (0·1 [0·04] vs 1·9 U [4·5] p=0·0001), and fresh-frozen plasma (0·1 [0·07] vs 0·75 U [0·21] p=0·0008), and had less total blood-donor exposures (1·56 [0·31] vs 5·2 [0·8] p=0·0001). Placebo patients also had substantially higher blood loss and transfusion requirements than untreated control patients. Interpretation Patients identified with hemoSTATUS as being at increased risk of excessive bleeding after cardiac surgery can benefit from administration of desmopressin. Further studies are, however, needed to confirm these findings as well as to identify the mechanism of action and safety of desmopressin in the clinical setting.
Multivariate analyses of amyloid-beta oligomer populations indicate a connection between pore formation and cytotoxicity.

Aggregates of amyloid-beta (Aβ) peptides are thought to be involved in the development of Alzheimer’s disease because they can change synaptic plasticity and induce neuronal cell death by inflammation, oxidative damage, and transmembrane pore formation. Exactly which oligomeric species underlie these cytotoxic effects remains unclear. The work presented here established well-controlled aggregation conditions of Aβ 1–40 or Aβ1–42 peptides over a 20-day period and characterized these preparations with regard to their β-sheet content, degree of fibril formation, relative abundance of various oligomer sizes, and propensity to induce membrane pore formation and cytotoxicity. Using this multivariate data set, a systematic and inherently unbiased partial least squares (PLS) approach showed that for both peptides the abundance of oligomers in the tetramer to 13-mer range contributed positively to both pore formation and cytotoxicity, while monomers, dimers, trimers, and the largest oligomers (>210 kDa) were negatively correlated to both phenomena. Multivariate PLS analysis is ideally suited to handle complex data sets and interdependent variables such as relative oligomer concentrations, making it possible to elucidate structure function relationships in complex mixtures. This approach, therefore, introduces an enabling tool to the field of amyloid research, in which it is often difficult to interpret the activity of individual species within a complex mixture of bioactive species.
Probability density functions of liquid water path and cloud amount of marine boundary layer clouds: geographical and seasonal variations and controlling meteorological factors.

Abstract The subgrid-scale variability of the liquid water path (LWP) of marine boundary layer clouds in areas that correspond to the typical grid size of large-scale (global climate and weather prediction) atmospheric models (200 km × 200 km) is investigated using geostationary satellite visible data. Geographical and seasonal variations of homogeneity, skewness, and kurtosis of probability density functions (PDFs) of LWP are discussed, in addition to cloud amount. It is clear that not only cloud amount but also these subgrid-scale statistics have well-defined geographical patterns and seasonal variations. Furthermore, the meteorological factors that control subgrid-scale statistics of LWP that are related to boundary layer clouds are investigated using reanalysis data and PDFs of LWP data from satellites. Meteorological factors related to stability between 850 and 1000 hPa show high correlations with cloud amount and with the homogeneity, skewness, and kurtosis of PDFs of LWP of marine boundary layer cl...
Characterization of high-affinity beta2-adrenergic receptor binding of (-)-[3H]-dihydroalprenolol to human polymorphonuclear cell particulates.

Human PMNs have well-described responses to beta-adrenergic catecholamines; these include elevation of cellular levels of cyclic AMP and inhibition of the release of lysosomal contents. Using the radioactive beta-adrenergic antagonist (-)-[3H]DHA in direct ligand-binding studies, we have identified and characterized beta-adrenergic receptors on particulate preparations of PMNs. These particulates bind DHA rapidly (t1/2 less than 1 min) and reversibly (t1/2 = 8 to 9 min). DHA binding is saturable and of high affinity (dissociation constant = 1 to 5 nM) and low capacity (870 +/- 128 receptors/cell, mean +/- S.D.) to a single class of binding sites. Competition for DHA binding sites by both beta-adrenergic agonists and antagonists is stereoselective [(-)-isomers more potent that (+)-isomers]. The rank order of potency of adrenergic agents in such competition studies indicates that these receptors are of the beta2 type. Since PMNs can be obtained in high purity with relative ease, the combined use of pharmacologic and ligand-binding studies in PMNs provide a useful system for studying beta-adrenergic receptors and their function in human subjects.
Little Contracts in Big China: A Cultural Perspective

Small and mediums sized enterprises looking to grow internationally will certainly have their eyes on China as an opportunity to either export jobs or export goods and services. However, Chinese business people come from a much different social philosophy and trading history than most Westerners. This cultural chasm between east and west can lead to very different negotiation strategies and can cause a great deal of dissonance. This can be especially true in the area of contracts where Americans are staunch believer in contracts, whereas Chinese favor personal relations. In this paper I review Confucianism, trade patterns and Chinese negotiation styles to get an historical perspective of Chinese negotiation spirit, believing that an understanding of Chinese culture can reduce the chance of reaching an impasse or signing an ineffective agreement.
Failure to demonstrate capsular swelling in Cryptococcus neoformans.

Summary1. In studying the mechanism of the “capsular reaction” one of the first questions to be answered is whether or not the capsule swells when antibody is added. Data presented here indicate that it does not, using C. neoformans as a test organism. Exposure of washed, encapsulated C. neoformans to antibody results in a prominent clarification of capsular outline, but no increase in capsular size as determined by packed cell volume after centrifugation and by direct microscopic measurement. When cells with large capsules are employed, there is an apparent decrease in capsular size during the reaction with antibody. 2. If capsulated cells are not washed free of soluble capsular polysaccharide present in the cultural supernate, the soluble antigen coprecipitates when antibody is added. This may lead to the erroneous conclusion that there is an increase in capsular volume.
A Note on the Nomenclatural Problem Associated with the Name Alpova Luteus (Basidiomycetes, Melanogastraceae)

along these lines are in progress. Information obtained to date unites chemically all the Spartina ergot examined and adequately separates it from ergot found on other hosts. Furthermore, results suggest that the ergot parasitizing Spartina in salt marshes over most of the western hemisphere in all likelihood is a distinct species. Investigations planned should resolve this taxonomic question. These and earlier data further indicate the uniqueness of the Spartina salt marshes in terms of their mycological composition. We are indebted to Dr. H. Kobel, Microbiology Laboratory, Pharmaceutical Division, Sandoz Ltd., Basel, Switzerland for the alkaloid analyses and his comments on ergot chemistry upon which this paper is based. The interpretation and implication of the results, however, are solely those of the authors.
Abstract 618: Anti-tumor effects of Notch pathway activation in Gastrointestinal Stromal Tumors cells

Gastrointestinal Stromal Tumors (GISTs) are the most common sarcomas of the GI tract and harbor a gain-of-function mutation of the KIT receptor tyrosine kinase. The introduction of imatinib, a specific inhibitor of KIT, has significantly extended survival of many GIST patients. Unfortunately, patients inevitably develop resistance, prompting interest in understanding GIST biology and developing new therapeutic options. Notch signaling may act as an oncogene or a tumor suppressor depending cellular context. In neuroendocrine tumors Notch signaling acts constantly as a tumor suppressor. Additionally, histone deacetylase inhibitors (HDACi) were recently shown to induce Notch signaling in neuroendocrine neoplasms. Given that GIST is of neuroectodermal origin, we hypothesized that inhibition of growth in GIST cells by HDAC inhibitors is mediated by activation of Notch signaling. To characterize Notch signaling in GIST, we assessed the expression of Notch-1, and its effector human hairy enhancer of split-1 (HES1) in human GIST cell lines (GIST-T1 and GIST 882) by quantitative RT-PCR. To determine the activity of Notch signaling in GIST, we assayed the effect of Notch activation in GIST cells by transduction with retroviral vectors to overexpress active forms of Notch1 and HES1 in GIST cells. The proportion of GFP-positive cells in unselected culture was assessed to determine the transgene9s effect on cell growth. To study the effect of HDAC inhibition, we quantified viability, caspase activity, cell cycle analysis and expression of Notch pathway genes after HDAC inhibition with suberoylanilide hydroxamic acid (SAHA). Notch signaling genes (Notch1, HES1) were weakly expressed at the basal level in cells compared to other sarcomas. Notch signaling with a constitutively active, truncated form of the receptor (ICN-1) and HES1 potently induced growth arrest in GIST cell lines. The proportion of ICN-1 GFP+ cells dramatically declined after transduction compared to GFP- cells, (decrease of 69% at day 7 and 78% at day 9 after transduction). Vector empty-transduced GFP+ cells gave no change in the proportion of positive cells. SAHA caused dose dependent decrease in viability, activation of caspase 3 and 7, increase of sub-G1 population (6 fold increase at 1µM, p These results suggest that Notch signaling is a tumor suppressor in GIST cells and the activation of Notch signaling by HDAC inhibitors may represent a new strategy for treating GIST patients. Citation Format: {Authors}. {Abstract title} [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 102nd Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2011 Apr 2-6; Orlando, FL. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2011;71(8 Suppl):Abstract nr 618. doi:10.1158/1538-7445.AM2011-618
Comparison of SBT and Luminex HLA typing on BMR chimerism patient

Aim Molecular HLA typing by current methodology can be difficult due to partial engraftment (chimerism) when a recipient has had a previous stem cell transplant. This abstract will describe such a patient. The patient was first typed using an EDTA sample with SSOP (Luminex) and SBT (Sanger) and found to have strong chimerism interference. A second sample from a buccal swab was requested and tested by both SSOP (Luminex) and SBT (Sanger). Methods This patient’s first sample tested was from EDTA. HLA typing was unable to be obtained by Luminex or SBT due to the strong chimerism interference. A buccal swab was requested. The EDTA sample had DNA extracted using a column preparation. DNA from the buccal swab was extracted by magnetic bead preparation. Both DNA samples were tested using our routine Luminex based SSOP typing and Sequence Based Typing (Sanger) protocols. Results The SSOP (Luminex) results showed numerous weak reactions, indicating contamination or chimerism in the A, DQB and DRB1 genes. See the SSOP (Luminex) results below. After reviewing the weak reaction beads, they were found to be similar to the typing of a previous transplanted double cord blood donor (Cord #2). However, the SBT results did not display the interfering reactions due to chimerism. Download : Download full-size image (Note: Additional slides for A and DRB1 loci will be available on the poster) Conclusions Previously transplanted stem cell recipients require additional information in order to be HLA typed correctly by current methods. We have shown that various sample types, multiple methodologies and HLA typing from previous stem cell donor maybe required to successfully type such recipients. SBT is the most reliable and efficient method.
Energetic molding of chiral magnetic bubbles

Unique spin configurations in thin films, including skyrmions and chiral domain walls, present fascinating physical questions while also promising future, low-energy computing systems. The emergent interfacial Dzyaloshinskii-Moriya interaction (DMI), which stabilizes these features, greatly changes the energetic and symmetry-based arguments by which magnetic domains have previously been described. The authors here analyze the behavior of magnetic bubbles in thin films influenced by DMI using classical interface thermodynamics via the Wulff construction, originally conceived to describe crystal facets more than 100 years ago. The striking resemblance of experimentally observed domain shapes to those predicted theoretically suggests that a significant energetic driving force for domain growth exists due to an anisotropic wall energy term from the interfacial DMI. This description explains the observed reversal in growth symmetry found here in Co/Ni multilayer films while presenting a new paradigm for describing the broader behavior of chiral domain walls.
Life-threatening postoperative pulmonary complications in patients with previous amiodarone pulmonary toxicity undergoing cardiothoracic operations.

Amiodarone therapy for cardiac arrhythmias is increasingly being recognized to be associated with pulmonary toxicity. In this report, we describe the case histories of four patients with previously diagnosed amiodarone pulmonary toxicity in whom the adult respiratory distress syndrome developed after cardiothoracic operations for malignant ventricular arrhythmias. Three patients underwent endocardial resection (two died), and a fourth patient had implantation of an automatic defibrillator unit. Radiographic changes and results of pulmonary function testing are evaluated during initial toxicity and preoperatively. These four patients (mean amiodarone dosage of 420 mg/day for 20 months) are compared to 13 other patients undergoing cardiothoracic operations with prior amiodarone treatment (one patient with preoperative pulmonary toxicity) in whom life-threatening postoperative pulmonary complications did not develop (mean dosage of 550 mg/day for 10 months). Mean preoperative serum amiodarone levels for the four patients were 1.5 μg/ml. In the two patients who died, desethylamiodarone levels were 510 and 4,400 μg/gm in pulmonary tissue. Histologic examination showed “honeycomb” appearance of the lung with prominent septae, alveolar foamy macrophages, and hyperplasia of alveolar lining cells, consistent with amiodarone pulmonary toxicity. Causes including pump-oxygenator time, oxygen toxicity, anesthetic agents, congestive heart failure, and pulmonary infection superimposed on amiodarone pulmonary toxicity are discussed with a review of the literature.
Technology and design architectures and process innovations for 7 and 5nm BEOL interconnects

For a semiconductor technology node, the BEOL definition must support minimal parasitic impact to technology, sufficient reliability, required dimensional scaling from previous nodes for standard cell and custom logic requirements, and high yielding/low cost integration schemes. This talk will discuss the key BEOL elements and innovations in these areas for the 7nm nodes and beyond. The individual elements are often in conflict with each other, but must be considered in unison to determine the overall best definition. For the 7nm node and future nodes, the BEOL resistance and capacitance is a significant portion of the parasitic degradation of overall technology performance. The BEOL resistance does not scale, due to exponential increases in Cu resistivity with technology scaling and Cu diffusion barrier thicknesses which approach their fundamental limits. Challenges for scaling for BEOL capacitance include integration issues which tend to drive the effective dielectric constant higher than the modeled values. BEOL Reliability is challenged by both operation voltage requirements - which are not scaling as fast as pitch scaling - and by non-scaling current requirements which strain electromigration performance. Dimensional scaling historically has been to a certain pitch scale factor from a previous node typically, 0.7 to 0.8. This smaller scaling factor provides a technology density benefit, but causes acute resistance parasitic issues. In addition, scaling to smaller dimensions highlights integration yield/cost issues. In the 7 and 5 nm nodes, the possible patterning approaches are a combination of double or quadruple exposed optical lithography or single or double exposed EUV. Aggressive scaling of pitch pushes patterning further away from known, demonstrated manufacturing solutions and adds risk to overall integration yield and cost targets.
Coupled reactors analysis: New needs and advances using Monte Carlo methodology

Abstract Coupled reactors and the coupling features of large or heterogeneous core reactors can be investigated with the Avery’s theory; however, the complex geometries that are often encountered in association with coupled reactors, require a detailed geometry description that can be easily provided by modern Monte Carlo (MC) codes. The results presented in this paper show that the MC code SERPENT has been successfully modified in order to compute the needed quantities like coupling coefficients. Moreover, the capability for calculating sensitivities to the quantities of interest for coupling reactors has been developed and implemented in SERPENT.
Report on results of discriminant analysis experiment

This is report #1 in a series of reports on the NASA IV&V Facility Project "investigation of the risk to software reliability and maintainability of requirements changes". This report covers the discriminate analysis experiment. In order to continue to make progress in software measurement, as it pertains to reliability and maintainability, we must shift the emphasis from design and code metrics to metrics that characterize the risk of making requirements changes. Although these software attributes can be difficult to deal with due to the fuzzy requirements from which they are derived, the advantage of having early indicators of future software problems outweighs this inconvenience. Our case example consists of twenty-four Space Shuttle change requests, nineteen risk factors, and the associated failures and software metrics. The approach can be generalized to other NASA domains with numerical results that would vary according to the application.
Royal Mail Plc: Cost of Capital

This case examines the cost of capital estimation for British postal service company Royal Mail plc in 2015—a time when company managers and government regulators were adjusting to private ownership after 500 years of government ownership. The case features a flawed cost of capital estimation analysis that includes common blunders. Students are invited to evaluate this analysis and provide their own alternative estimate for the cost of capital for Royal Mail. Excerpt UVA-F-1774 Rev. Sept. 13, 2017 Royal Mail plc: Cost of Capital As Hillary Hart, senior financial analyst at the British postal service company Royal Mail plc (Royal Mail), approached company headquarters near Blackfriars Bridge in London, she reflected on the momentous nature of the seven years she had spent in that building. During that time, the company had faced important changes in broad demand for letters and parcels, significant restructuring of government regulation, competitive entry into its long-standing monopoly position, deep workforce cuts, wide-scale labor negotiations and strikes, and, lastly, the transition from 500 years as a government-owned enterprise to a massive for-profit company traded on the London Stock Exchange. Now on July 21, 2015, Hart had an upcoming meeting with several senior managers of the company. Central to the meeting was an evaluation of the cost of capital for Royal Mail. The cost of capital had become a point of discussion for two reasons. First, since privatization, Royal Mail was increasingly looking to shed its government-based decision-making policies of the past for a more market-based orientation. The adoption of an investor-oriented cost-of-capital benchmark provided an important step in moving forward the governance of company investment policy. That said, it was by no means easy to shift company objectives toward rewarding investors and away from a focus on facilitating national employment and communication needs. Second, the company was under an important review by the British regulatory authority, the Office of Communications (Ofcom). Deregulation of private postal services was still very much an experiment in Britain. Due to recent competitive events in the country, Ofcom was reevaluating existing regulatory policies. The cost of capital provided an appropriate benchmark by which to properly assess the profitability of Royal Mail's operations and the viability of Royal Mail's operations under the existing regulatory policies. Royal Mail plc . . .
Nanofabrication using unmodified DNA nanostructures

This paper reviews our recent work on DNA-based nanofabrication. DNA nanostructures were used as a template to initiate direct pattern transfers to a diverse range of substrates, including oxides, polymers, and self-assembled monolayers. Complex patterns were obtained in many cases with a lateral resolution down to sub-10 nm demonstrated in some cases. These results highlight the potential of DNA nanotechnology in low cost, high resolution patterning.
The effect of photon counting detector blocking on centroiding for deep space optical communications

Deep-space optical communications systems often utilize an uplink optical beacon in order to provide a reference for optical flight terminal stabilization and downlink pointing. The single-photon-counting detector arrays that are used to sense this beacon under photon-starved conditions may be count-rate limited due to blocking from detector quench times and other readout circuit constraints. This blocking effect reduces the effective detection efficiency in a non-uniform manner over the array, changing the photon counting channel model and degrading the performance of uplink centroiding algorithms. In this paper, we discuss an uplink beacon centroiding algorithm and the impact of detector blocking on this algorithm. Statistical models of detector output data and centroiding observables are presented based upon analysis, Monte Carlo simulations, and measured laboratory data, incorporating realistic effects such as beacon signal parameters and Earth background. A simple blocking compensation algorithm is presented and shown to mitigate the effect of blocking, allowing one to maintain sub-microradian centroiding errors under channel conditions representative of deep space optical links.
Maverick: Discovering Exceptional Facts from Knowledge Graphs

We present Maverick, a general, extensible framework that discovers exceptional facts about entities in knowledge graphs. To the best of our knowledge, there was no previous study of the problem. We model an exceptional fact about an entity of interest as a context-subspace pair, in which a subspace is a set of attributes and a context is defined by a graph query pattern of which the entity is a match. The entity is exceptional among the entities in the context, with regard to the subspace. The search spaces of both patterns and subspaces are exponentially large. Maverick conducts beam search on the patterns which uses a match-based pattern construction method to evade the evaluation of invalid patterns. It applies two heuristics to select promising patterns to form the beam in each iteration. Maverick traverses and prunes the subspaces organized as a set enumeration tree by exploiting the upper bound properties of exceptionality scoring functions. Results of experiments and user studies using real-world datasets demonstrated substantial performance improvement of the proposed framework over the baselines as well as its effectiveness in discovering exceptional facts.
Do Low Income Youth of Color See “The Bigger Picture” When Discussing Type 2 Diabetes: A Qualitative Evaluation of a Public Health Literacy Campaign

As Type 2 diabetes spikes among minority and low-income youth, there is an urgent need to tackle the drivers of this preventable disease. The Bigger Picture (TBP) is a counter-marketing campaign using youth-created, spoken-word public service announcements (PSAs) to reframe the epidemic as a socio-environmental phenomenon requiring communal action, civic engagement and norm change. Methods: We examined whether and how TBP PSAs advance health literacy among low-income, minority youth. We showed nine PSAs, asking individuals open-ended questions via questionnaire, then facilitating a focus group to reflect upon the PSAs. Results: Questionnaire responses revealed a balance between individual vs. public health literacy. Some focused on individual responsibility and behaviors, while others described socio-environmental forces underlying risk. The focus group generated a preponderance of public health literacy responses, emphasizing future action. Striking sociopolitical themes emerged, reflecting tensions minority and low-income youth experience, such as entrapment vs. liberation. Conclusion: Our findings speak to the structural barriers and complexities underlying diabetes risk, and the ability of spoken word medium to make these challenges visible and motivate action. Practice Implications: Delivering TBP content to promote interactive reflection has potential to change behavioral norms and build capacity to confront the social, economic and structural factors that influence behaviors.
A systematic review of the efficacy of aspirin monotherapy versus other antiplatelet therapy regimens in peripheral arterial disease.

Abstract Background Dual antiplatelet therapy (DAPT) usually refers to the administration of aspirin plus a platelet P2Y12 receptor blocker. This combination is commonly prescribed after revascularization procedures in patients with peripheral arterial disease (PAD) to prevent failure of the intervention. However, there is not a consensus among peripheral vascular specialists regarding whether the optimal treatment regimen for their patients is mono antiplatelet therapy (MAPT) or DAPT. Furthermore, there is no consensus regarding the optimal duration of DAPT. This study was undertaken to systematically and critically review the evidence for the use of DAPT after revascularization in PAD, hypothesizing that longer durations of DAPT will result in decreased rates of major adverse cardiac events, major adverse limb events, and mortality, without a significant increase in severe bleeding episodes compared with MAPT or shorter durations of DAPT. Methods A systematic search strategy encompassing DAPT and PAD was deployed in two databases. Studies including arterial bypasses using venous or prosthetic conduits, endovascular procedures, diagnostic angiography of lower extremity arteries, and patients with high risk factors were included. Results We included 14 studies, 10 of which were randomized controlled trials (RCTs). The overall risk of bias for the RCTs ranged from low to moderate, whereas nonrandomized studies had moderate to high risk of bias. The results of this review suggest that use of DAPT in patients with PAD reduces rates of major adverse cardiac events (risk ratio [RR], 0.79; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.68-0.91; P = .002), major adverse cardiac and cerebrovascular events, and mortality (RR, 0.57; 95% CI, 0.45-0.72; P Conclusions DAPT appears to be beneficial for preventing complications after revascularization in PAD, including thrombotic failure of the intervention. However, the durations of DAPT use in these studies are heterogeneous, suggesting that additional data are needed to determine the optimal use of DAPT in PAD patients.
A comparison of impoundments and natural drainage lakes in the Northeast USA

We classified 235 randomly selected lentic waterbodies (>1 ha) in the Northeast USA as human created, or natural. We compared geographic extent and distribution, morphology and hydrology, trophic state, and fish assemblage metrics of impoundments and natural drainage lakes. We estimated that 46% of the 10 608 (±1695; 95% CI) lentic waterbodies in the region were impoundments or quarries; 68% of Uplands lakes and 26% of Lowlands lakes were natural. Impoundments were smaller, shallower, had shorter water residence times, and were in watersheds with greater human activity than were natural drainage lakes. More than half (55%) of Lowlands impoundments were eutrophic, accounting for 67% of eutrophic or hypereutrophic lentic waterbodies in the Northeast. An estimated 90% of eutrophic lakes and impoundments were <23 ha. Impoundments had greater proportions of fish species and individuals tolerant of human disturbance, and greater proportions of non-native species and individuals than did natural drainage lakes. We discuss some management implications of the differences between impoundments and natural drainage lakes.
Probing rat brain oxygenation with near-infrared spectroscopy (NIRS) and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI).

Near-infrared spectroscopy (NIRS) has been a promising technique for non-invasively quantifying tissue chromophores concentrations. One of the potential applications is the monitoring of cerebral blood volume and blood oxygenation saturation. Theories and instruments have been developed to improve the measurement sensitivity and accuracy“. In vivo studies have been performed with calibration of NIRS saturation using the weighted average of global arterial and venous saturations. Comparison of NIRS results with other non-invasive imaging modalities such as MRI can provide more information on the co-localized region, and has attracted a lot of interest recently. Several studies have reported the temporal correlation between the fMRI BOLD (blood oxygenation level dependent) signal and deoxy-hemoglobin concentration measured by NIRS. To our knowledge, the quantitative relation has not been reported. In this study, we show the correlation of deoxy-hemoglobin concentration as well as oxygen saturation measured with NIRS and the conventional T2*-weighted BOLD MM signal for an in vivo rat model during inhalation of gas with different concentrations of oxygen (FiO2).
Lehnen, Leila. Citizenship and Crisis in Contemporary Brazilian Literature. New York: Palgrave MacMillan, 2013.

Within the scope of their Latino and Latin American Studies publishing line, Palgrave MacMillan has created a worthy pathway for the study of contemporary Brazilian (and Lusophone) culture for English-speaking audiences. Theirs is a most welcome enterprise that promotes and strengthens the multidisciplinary field of Brazilian Studies, particularly in the U.S. and other Anglophone countries. Within this publishing pathway, Palgrave has brought forth Leila Lehnen’s illuminating Citizenship and Crisis in Contemporary Brazilian Literature .
A Comparison Study of Cu Dissolution Mechanism and Kinetics in Solder Joints under Electromigration and Extended Reflow

Comparisons of Cu dissolution mechanism and kinetics between solder joints under electromigration (EM) and extended reflow have been studied. Cu consumption rate varies significantly from joint to joint under identical EM stressing, while not much such variations under extended reflow. This is related to the Cu diffusivity difference through anisotropic Sn grains under EM. Both Cu dissolution kinetic parameter n and activation energy Q are different between EM and extended reflow. Under EM, the controlling process for Cu dissolution could be cathode side Cu6Sn5 reaction with n=1 and Q=0.79 ev/atom. Under extended reflow, the controlling process can be Cu diffusion through IMC grain boundaries or molten Sn channels between IMC grains, with n=0.5 and Q=0.36 ev/atom.
Embryology of coronary arteries and anatomy/pathophysiology of coronary anomalies. A comprehensive update

Abstract Objectives This paper reviews new findings in both embryology of coronary arteries and in clinical observations of coronary artery anomalies. Focus Our presentation emphasizes studies based on: 1) newer methods of coronary development in animals and humans, and 2) intravascular ultrasonography to interpret pathophysiology and guide treatment of coronary anomalies. Conclusions New data reveal the roles of many cellular interactions and signaling pathways involved in the normal and abnormal formation of the coronary arterial system and the consequences of their defective formation. Pathogenetic developmental mechanisms include dysfunction of the Notch and Hypo signaling pathways, angiogenic and arteriogenic molecules, and neural crest cells. We addressed numerous clinically significant coronary anomalies and their prevalence in a general population (especially those characterized by an ectopic origin with aortic intramural course), and point out the critical relevance of understanding the variable mechanisms of coronary dysfunction, especially, fixed versus phasic stenoses or intermittent spasm, and individual severity of clinical presentations.
Semantic Memory and PrimingI am grateful to David Balota, Derek Besner, Dorothee Chwilla, Alice Healy, Jon Holbrook, Steve Joordens, Margery Lucas, Ken McRae, James Neely, David Plaut, Robert Proctor, and Irving Weiner for their comments on sections or drafts of this chapter or its earlier edition.

This chapter reviews theoretical and empirical developments in the scientific understanding of semantic memory and semantic priming. The chapter begins with an historical review of models of semantic memory and the major empirical findings that were used to test those models. I also summarize two contemporary models of semantic memory, distributed network models and high-dimensional spatial models. In the second section of the chapter, I examine semantic priming. I review the most influential models of semantic priming, and then summarize empirical developments, focusing, in particular, on issues that have turned out to be important for testing models of semantic priming. I close with a brief summary of the major conclusions. Keywords: semantic memory; semantic priming; knowledge representation; memory retrieval
Answer to March 2019 Photo Quiz.

Answer: Brucellosis caused by Brucella melitensis. The organism was identified as Brucella species using 16S rRNA gene sequencing at the reference laboratory and subsequently confirmed as Brucella melitensis with Bruce-ladder multiplex PCR at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) ([1
Power Play: An Assistant Principal’s Dilemma and Unexpected Rise to School Leadership:

This case describes the dilemma of recently hired assistant principal, Fred Bates, who finds himself in a school with a negative and unsupportive school climate. There are significant trust issues ...
Algebras and Banach Algebras

We now turn to a detailed discussion of a number of topics from pure algebra and the theory of Banach algebras. Most of the concepts and results treated here are essential for later use but from time to time we supplement these with other results which further illuminate these topics or make the discussion more complete.
Synthesis of Novel Glycosidase-Inhibitory Hydroxymethyl-Substituted Polyhydroxylated Indolizidines: Ring-Expanded Analogs of the Pyrrolizidine Alkaloids Alexine and Australine

The pyrrolizidine azasugars alexine (3) and australine (4) and their stereoisomers are glycosidase inhibitors of potential therapeutic use. Since the glycosidase inhibitory activity of azasugars is profoundly effected by ring size modification, the ring-expanded indolizidine analogs 7 (homoalexine), 8 (8-epihomoaustraline), 9 (homoaustraline), and 10 (8-epihomoalexine) were prepared. l-Xylose was converted into the diols 16, which were transformed into the nine-membered lactones 18 by Claisen rearrangment of the cyclic ketene acetal 17. Transesterification of the lactones to the hydroxy esters 19 followed by azide displacement and epoxidation gave the epoxides 21 and 31. Reductive double cyclization of these azido-epoxides followed by functional group adjustment provided the desired homologs 7−10. An alternative route involving stereoselective epoxidation of the nine-membered lactones was also examined. The homologs 7−10 were found to be good inhibitors of amyloglucosidase (Aspergillus niger). The inhibit...
Correction to: An Absurd Consequence of Stanford’s New Induction Over the History of Science: A Reply to Sterpetti

In the Introduction section, 6th point under the paragraph “Given the parallels between Stanford’s PUA and the PUO, and those between Stanford’s NIS and the NIP, I have sketched the following reductio against Stanford’s NIS (Mizrahi 2016a, pp. 63–64):….. should read as
Physical Activity for an Aging Population

Physical activity has been identified as one of three key health behaviors impacting the major chronic diseases of aging that are increasingly responsible for a substantial proportion of global mortality. Although the scientific evidence indicates that the health and quality of life effects of a physically active lifestyle extend across the life course, midlife and older adults represent the most inactive portion of the population. Among the objectives of this review are to discuss the benefits of an active lifestyle, particularly for older adults; highlight the major issues and challenges currently facing the physical activity and aging field; and explore the types of directions for science, policy, and practice that could positively impact the significant physical inactivity challenge facing a growing number of countries worldwide.
FronteraD y Los nombres de las cosas: un nuevo marco para la actualidad en la era de los medios inflacionarios

Desde la transicion a la democracia hasta la crisis economica mas reciente, en Espana se ha consolidado la Cultura de la Transicion, entendida como el sistema hegemonico que, apoyandose en los medios de comunicacion mainstream, produce una narrativa coherente de la actualidad. A esta «realidad» univoca y estable se le contrapone una configuracion distinta de lo real que en los ultimos anos ha sido reivindicada en publicaciones independientes del periodismo narrativo, tales como la revista digital FronteraD. Este articulo argumenta que FronteraD construye un nuevo marco para tratar la actualidad mediante el uso del periodismo lento, el enfoque centrado en la vida cotidiana y un caracter transnacional. De este modo, se distancia del contenido y estilo de los medios informativos tradicionales en Espana. Como proyecto multimedia de cultura libre, FronteraD exige nuevas aproximaciones comparativas e interdisciplinarias que lleven a una reconsideracion de las categorias convencionales del Peninsularismo e Hispanismo.
The Fresh Air Wristband: A Wearable Air Pollutant Sampler

Evaluation of cumulative exposure to air pollutant mixtures has been challenging with traditional techniques due to the weight, limited battery life, and cost of the instrument. The performance of ...
Blood lead levels ≤10 micrograms/deciliter and executive functioning across childhood development: A systematic review

Abstract At low levels, the effects of lead on specific neurocognitive processes, such as executive functioning, is not well understood. The aim of this systematic review is to synthesize the empirical literature examining the relationship between prenatal and postnatal low blood lead levels and executive function across childhood development. This review considers the unity and diversity model of executive functioning by assessing the domains of working memory, cognitive flexibility, inhibition, attention, and unitary executive function separately. Nineteen studies met the inclusion criteria and were synthesized in the review. The results suggest an inverse association between postnatal lead exposure and executive function processes across childhood. The inverse relationship between postnatal lead exposure and working memory and cognitive flexibility in middle childhood is most strongly represented. Additionally, a marginal inverse relationship between postnatal lead exposure and unitary executive functioning and attention in middle childhood is suggested. The evidence does not support a relationship between postnatal lead and inhibition in middle childhood. Although there is support for the inverse relationship between low level lead exposure and executive function, lack of repeated exposure and outcome measures limit firm conclusions. Furthermore, the long-term impact of lead exposure on executive function outcomes is relatively unknown given lack of studies on adolescent populations.
Structuring mental health support for frontline caregivers during COVID-19: Lessons from organisational scholarship on unit-aligned support

Background Although the COVID-19 pandemic exposes frontline caregivers to severe prolonged stresses and trauma, there has been little clarity on how healthcare organisations can structure support to address these mental health needs. This article translates organisational scholarship on professionals working in organisations to elucidate why traditional approaches to supporting employee mental health, which often ask employees to seek assistance from centralised resources that separate mental health personnel from frontline units, may be insufficient under crisis conditions. We identify a critical but often overlooked aspect of employee mental health support: how frontline professionals respond to mental health services. In high-risk, high-pressure fields, frontline professionals may perceive mental health support as coming at the expense of urgent frontline work goals (ie, patient care) and as clashing with their central professional identities (ie, as expert, self-reliant ironmen/women). Findings To address these pervasive goal and identity conflicts in professional organisations, we translate the results of a multiyear research study examining the US Army’s efforts to transform its mental health support during the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. We highlight parallels between providing support to frontline military units and frontline healthcare units during COVID-19 and surface implications for structuring mental health supports during a crisis. We describe how an intentional organisational design used by the US Army that assigned specific mental health personnel to frontline units helped to mitigate professional goal and identity conflicts by creating personalised relationships and contextualising mental health offerings. Conclusion Addressing frontline caregivers’ mental health needs is a vital part of health delivery organisations’ response to COVID-19, but without thoughtful organisational design, well-intentioned efforts may fall short. An approach that assigns individual mental health personnel to support specific frontline units may be particularly promising.
Linear versus volumetric CT analysis in predicting tension-free fascial closure in abdominal wall reconstruction

Improved outcomes of abdominal wall reconstruction (AWR) have been shown when tension-free fascial closure (TFFC) is achieved. Our objective was to determine the clinical and radiologic predictors of TFFC in patients undergoing AWR. We conducted a single institution retrospective cohort study of adults who underwent AWR between 2007 and 2018. Demographics, hernia characteristics and operative data were collected. Linear and volumetric variables were obtained from preoperative abdominal CT scans, the latter following 3D reconstruction. Logistic regression was used to evaluate predictors of TFFC. Area under the curve (AUC) ≥ 0.70 was considered to have acceptable discrimination. A total of 108 patients were eligible for analysis. The mean age was 57 ± 11 years and 53 (49%) were female. 42 (39%) hernias were recurrent, 10 (9%) patients had a stoma and 9 (8%) had a history of open abdomen. The mean defect width was 11 ± 4 cm and mean defect surface area was 150 ± 95 cm2. The most common AWR technique was endoscopic component separation 75 (69%). TFFC was achieved in 90 (83%) patients. No demographics or 3D volumetric measures were predictive of TFFC (all AUC < 0.7). European hernia society (EHS) class M1 was predictive of failure of TFFC [AUC = 0.70; odds ratio 7.0 (referent M3); 95% confidence interval, 2.1–23.8]. Linear variables of rectus muscle separation were the most predictive of TFFC (AUC 0.73–0.77). In contrast to clinical characteristics, radiologic characteristics of large incisional hernias requiring AWR are predictive of TFFC. In particular, EHS class M1 and linear variables of rectus muscle separation appear to be better predictors of TFFC than volumetric measurements.
Rethinking Noisy Label Models: Labeler-Dependent Noise with Adversarial Awareness

Most studies on learning from noisy labels rely on unrealistic models of i.i.d. label noise, such as class-conditional transition matrices. More recent work on instance-dependent noise models are more realistic, but assume a single generative process for label noise across the entire dataset. We propose a more principled model of label noise that generalizes instance-dependent noise to multiple labelers, based on the observation that modern datasets are typically annotated using distributed crowdsourcing methods. Under our labeler-dependent model, label noise manifests itself under two modalities: natural error of good-faith labelers, and adversarial labels provided by malicious actors. We present two adversarial attack vectors that more accurately reflect the label noise that may be encountered in real-world settings, and demonstrate that under our multimodal noisy labels model, state-of-the-art approaches for learning from noisy labels are defeated by adversarial label attacks. Finally, we propose a multi-stage, labeler-aware, model-agnostic framework that reliably filters noisy labels by leveraging knowledge about which data partitions were labeled by which labeler, and show that our proposed framework remains robust even in the presence of extreme adversarial label noise.