cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Children's Behavior During Automobile Rides: Do Car Seats Make a Difference?

The behavior of children riding in automobiles with their mothers was assessed by having an observer accompany them on repeated 15-minute automobile rides. Children riding in car seats exhibited very high levels of appropiate or safe behavior, whereas children not riding in car seats exhibited very low levels of appropriate behavior. When car seats were introduced to those children who previously had not used them, the level of appropriate behavior improved dramatically. These results were maintained at three-month follow-up observations. Prevention or reduction of disruptive child behavior on car rides is an obviously important, but previously unreported, benefit of the use of child restraint seats. This fact might very well be used by the pediatrician to further encourage or persuade parents to purchase and use child restraint seats. The use of a child restraint seat to reduce disruptive behavior during automobile rides is an advantage, beyond the safety aspects, of introducing car seats to young children.
Overview of Networked Control Systems

Networked control systems (NCS) have been one of the main research focuses in academia as well as in industrial applications for many decades. NCS has taken the form of a multidisciplinary area. In this chapter, we introduce NCS and the different forms of NCS. The history of NCS, different advantages of having such systems are the starting points of the chapter. Furthermore, the chapter gives an insight to different challenges which come with building efficient, stable and secure NCS. The chapter talks about different fields and research arenas, which are part of NCS and which work together to deal with different NCS issues. A brief literature survey concerning each topic is also included in the chapter. iSpace is the test-bed for NCS and it attends the practical issues and implementation of NCS. At the end, iSpace at ADAC is presnted as a case study for NCS with different experimental results.
Density geodesics for similarity clustering

We address the problem of similarity metric selection in pairwise affinity clustering. Traditional techniques employ standard algebraic context-independent sample-distance measures, such as the Euclidean distance. More recent context-dependent metric modifications employ the bottleneck principle to develop path-bottleneck or path- average distances and define similarities based on geodesies determined according to these metrics. This paper develops a principled context-adaptive similarity metric for pairs of feature vectors utilizing the probability density of all data. Specifically, based on the postulate that Euclidean distance is the canonical metric for data drawn from a unit-hypercube uniform density, a density-geodesic distance measure stemming from Riemannian geometry of curved surfaces is derived. Comparisons with alternative metrics demonstrate the superior properties such as robustness.
Autonomous minehunting and mapping technologies program autonomous maneuvering capabilities

The Defense Advanced Research Project Agency (DARPA) has sponsored the Autonomous Minehunting and Mapping Technologies (AMMT) Program to demonstrate undersea vehicle technologies critical to future Unmanned Undersea Vehicles (UUVs). The program goals include mine and obstacle detection and localization, imaging of underwater targets, near real-time long-range acoustic communications and an over-the-horizon approach to the region of interest. To support such goals, the vehicle control system has been significantly upgraded to provide autonomous adaptive mission planning. Prior DARPA UUV's guidance and control system allowed an operator to specify a preplanned sequence of guidance commands to control the vehicle trajectory. While this capability was proven to be quite reliable and the control system has proven to be robust to vehicle changes, contingent vehicle maneuvers were limited to (1) automatic guidance command generation for survey search regions (lane azimuth contingent on ocean current direction) and (2) preplanned maneuvers based on host ship command. AMMT requires obstacle avoidance, terrain following, conditional target imaging, and optimal path planning in real-time as well as a simple high level specification of mission objectives and constraints. The AMMT/V on-line mission planning system attempts to achieve mission goals via real-time assessment and trajectory planning and interfaces to the existing UUV guidance and control system.
Inspection technology to facilitate automated quality control of highly specular, smooth coated surfaces

Many smooth, highly specular coatings, such as automotive paints, are subjected to considerable performance demands and manufacturers spend significant sums each year to monitor and repair coating surface quality. Additionally, changing product specifications and environmental regulations will continue to affect the processing parameters that influence surface appearance and quality. Therefore, it is vital to develop robust methods to monitor surface quality on-line and continuously examine the processes that significantly affect surface appearance in real time. As a critical first step, the paper presents a machine vision system design that utilizes surface reflectance models as a rational basis. Experimental and numerical investigations of specular and diffuse images of a range of specular coated surfaces confirm that these images efficiently yield information that corresponds strongly to human assessment and ranking.
Topological representation of the λ-calculus

The λ-calculus can be represented topologically by assigning certain spaces to the types and certain continuous maps to the terms. Using a recent result from category theory, the usual calculus of λ-conversion is shown to be deductively complete with respect to such topological semantics. It is also shown to be functionally complete, in the sense that there is always a ‘minimal’ topological model in which every continuous function is λ-definable. These results subsume earlier ones using cartesian closed categories, as well as those employing so-called Henkin and Kripke λ-models.
Weight-Based Victimization: Bullying Experiences of Weight Loss Treatment–Seeking Youth

Objective Few studies have comprehensively examined weight-based victimization (WBV) in youth, despite its serious consequences for their psychosocial and physical health. Given that obese and treatment-seeking youth may be highly vulnerable to WBV and its negative consequences, the current study provides a comprehensive assessment of WBV in a weight loss treatment-seeking sample. Methods Adolescents (aged 14-18 years; N = 361) enrolled in 2 national weight loss camps were surveyed. An in-depth assessment of WBV was conducted by using an online survey, in which participants indicated the duration, typical locations, frequent perpetrators, and forms of WBV they had experienced. Results Findings indicate that 64% of the study participants reported WBV at school, and the risk of WBV increased with body weight. Most participants reported WBV enduring for 1 year (78%), and 36% were teased/bullied for 5 years. Peers (92%) and friends (70%) were the most commonly reported perpetrators, followed by adult perpetrators, including physical education teachers/sport coaches (42%), parents (37%), and teachers (27%). WBV was most frequently reported in the form of verbal teasing (75%-88%), relational victimization (74%-82%), cyberbullying (59%-61%), and physical aggression (33%-61%). WBV was commonly experienced in multiple locations at school. Conclusions WBV is a prevalent experience for weight loss treatment-seeking youth, even when they are no longer overweight. Given the frequent reports of WBV from adult perpetrators in addition to peers, treatment providers and school personnel can play an important role in identifying and supporting youth who may be at risk for pervasive teasing and bullying.
Human Rights: Discourse and Praxis

A short description of what I would like to talk about: Following the 1994 genocide against the Tutsi in Rwanda, many people thought that Rwanda was doomed to be a failed state. Nineteen years later, the negative experience of genocide and abandonment by the international community in a time of dire need has inspired the nation, spearheaded by strong leadership and resolute political will, to rebuild with an unwavering sense of purpose and reach milestones rarely seen in post-conflict societies. What is more, Rwanda’s tragedy has stirred the community of nations to rethink its philosophy of peacekeeping and to redefine the delivery of international criminal justice. The country has become a reference in post-conflict recovery, gender equality, and good governance, among other areas that have advanced human rights as both discourse and praxis at both the national and international levels. My presentation also looks at how post-1994 Rwanda has reimagined the concepts of citizenship, nationhood, and international responsibility.
Lender Protection versus Risk Compensation: Evidence from the Bilateral Repo Market

We study secured lending contracts using a novel, loan-by-loan database of bilateral repurchase agreements in which borrower quality is fixed and collateral quality is known. Other things equal, lower-quality loans have longer maturities, indicating that borrowers’ concerns with refinancing risk override lenders’ incentives to engage in maturity rationing. Lower-quality loans also have higher spreads and margins, indicating that margin is lenders’ main risk management tool. As collateral quality drops, lenders take more risk and earn higher spread. Holding loan quality constant, one point of spread substitutes for approximately 9 points of margin.
Clinical and Pathological Aspects of Inclusion body Disease (Herpesvirus Infection) of Falcons (IBDF)

Inclusion body disease of falcons (IBDF) has been diagnosed in 4 species of falcons (Falco mexicanus, F. rusticolus, F. peregrinus, and F. chiquera). The etiological agent, a herpesvirus, has been grown in avian cell culture and used to experimentally reproduce the disease in kestrels (F. sparverius), a merlin (F. columbarius), and a prairie falcon (F. mexicanus). The clinical course of the disease is 1 to 4 days in duration, is character-ized by weakness, depression, terminal leukocytopenia, and, in some cases, by anorexia, weight loss, and diarrhea. Gross lesions are pale tan foci in the liver, spleen, bone marrow, and intestinal wall. Histologically the lesions are characterized by degeneration and necrosis with intranuclear inclusion body formation.
The simian concept: parallel discrete event simulation with interpreted languages and just-in-time compilation

We introduce Simian, a family of open-source Parallel Discrete Event Simulation (PDES) engines written using Lua and Python. Simian reaps the benefits of interpreted languages---ease of use, fast development time, enhanced readability and a high degree of portability on different platforms---and, through the optional use of Just-In-Time (JIT) compilation, achieves high performance comparable with the state-of-the-art PDES engines implemented using compiled languages such as C or C++. This paper describes the main design concepts of Simian, and presents a benchmark performance study, comparing four Simian implementations (written in Python and Lua, with and without using JIT) against a traditionally compiled simulator, MiniSSF, written in C++. Our experiments show that Simian in Lua with JIT outperforms MiniSSF, sometimes by a factor of three under high computational workloads.
Meta-regulation for environmental monitoring and corporate sustainability reporting

Corporations are using private sustainability reports to disclose economic, environmental, social and governance performance, but no clear regulations exist to mandate the structure and guidelines for these corporate sustainability initiatives. This chapter explores how sustainability reporting in concert with other disclosure mechanisms can be controlled by more precise metrics through the use of meta-regulation, which is a regulatory system aimed at encouraging self-regulation of firms. Corporate sustainability reports are similarly situated with corporate securities and financial statements in terms of their intended audience; shareholders, but unlike those reporting requirements sustainability reporting has typically suffered from a lack of standardization. While the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) offers guidance to companies in the develop - ment of financial reporting and imposes sanctions and fines for failure to comply with those guidelines, sustainability reporting is subject, by and large, to no particular standards. This lack of any cohesive regulatory framework minimizes the effectiveness of corporate environmental reporting.
Morphological Effect of Ammonium Perchlorate on Pulmonary Fibroblast of Mice

Objective To explore whether ammonium perchlorate(AP)could cause pulmonary fibroblast proliferation.Methods Pulmonary fibroblasts of mice were primarily cultured in vitro.After generated steadily for 3 generations,they were treated with 50,200 and 500 mg/L AP for 48 h.The fibroblasts performed HE staining and collagenous fiber with special staining.The fibroblasts exposed to quartz(300 mg/L)were taken as the positive control and normal cultured fibroblasts as the negative control.Their morphological changes were observed.Results Comparing the AP treated groups with the negative control group,it can be seen that from special stained cell slice there was no significant difference in shape of the cell slice,dimension,proportion between karyon and cytoplasm,density of collagen and cell thickness.However,in the positive control group,there were a series of changes,such as cell enlargement,increase in cell quantity,enrichment in cytoplasm,circumscription unclearness and density in collagen.Conclusions The results showed that proliferation and collagen hyperplasia of fibroblast were not affected by AP treatment in vitro.
Seven rules for successful aging: a physician's advice to elderly patients.

(1997). Seven Rules for Successful Aging: A Physician's Advice to Elderly Patients. Hospital Practice: Vol. 32, No. 3, pp. 235-238.
Estimate of Plasmodium falciparum sporozoite content of Anopheles stephensi used to challenge human volunteers.

Abstract Plasmodium falciparum infected Anopheles stephensi, taken from a group of mosquitoes which had been used to challenge recipients of (NANP)3-TT vaccine, were tested for P. falciparum sporozoite content by an immunoradiometric assay. Seventy-six percent were infected with mean and median sporozoite equivalents per mosquito of 220,994 and 217,398, respectively (SD = 54,911). This sporozoite density is greater than that usually found in the field. These data suggest that this challenge for evaluating P. falciparum sporozoite vaccines is a demanding test of immunity.
The Dynamics of Party System Change

In the past decade the dominant theme of comparative electoral research has changed from explaining the stability of partisan alignments to explaining the dynamics of partisan change. Citizens have presented new demands and new challenges to the established parties, and the evidence of substantial partisan change is now obvious (Dalton et al., 1984; Daalder and Mair, 1983). Party systems are more fractionalized; there has been a breakup of many established parties and a growing number of new parties. Fluctuations in voting results also increased. Voting in most European democracies is now characterized by higher levels of partisan volatility at the aggregate and individual levels (Crewe and Denver, 1985). In several nations, popular attachments to political parties generally weakened and discussions of the crisis of party systems became commonplace.
Abstract 1171: LIMK1 functions as a modulator of expression and targeting of CXCR4 in prostate cancer cells through a negative feedback loop

Increased activation of the GPCR CXCR4/CXCL12 signaling axis is commonly noted in metastatic prostate cancer and shows an association with poor prognosis. CXCR4, and its ligand, CXCL12/SDF-1a, are recognized as powerful mediators for tumor microenvironment remodeling and chemoprotection. LIM kinase 1 (LIMK1), a serine/threonine kinase, is an actin and microtubule modulatory protein that is also overexpressed in a variety of cancers including prostate cancer. Earlier, we showed that LIMK1 is involved in cell invasion and inhibition of LIMK1 expression reverted the invasive phenotype of PC3 prostate cancer cells. Activation of CXCR4/CXCL12 axis promotes activation of LIMK1 through RhoGTPAse pathway and promotes docetaxel resistance. Here we show that LIMK1 expression and functions have a positive correlation with CXCR4 expression and subcellular localization. We used metastatic prostate cancer cell lines PC3 and M12 and the non-tumorigenic prostate cell lines BPH and P69 to monitor expression and membrane localization of CXCR4 using western blots, flow cytometry and immunofluorescence analysis. Our analysis showed that cells with higher expression of LIMK1 (PC3) overexpress CXCR4, and that cell lines with low levels of LIMK1 (BPH and P69) express relatively lower amounts of CXCR4. Flow cytometric analysis showed a stronger surface staining of CXCR4 in the LIMK1 overexpressing PC3 cells compared to BPH cells. Next, we studied the effect of shRNA-mediated inhibition of LIMK1 expression on CXCR4 expression in PC3 or M12 cells. Western blot and immunofluorescence analysis showed noticeable reduction in CXCR4 levels, and its surface localization, as noted by flow cytometry, in LIMK1 shRNA transfected PC3 and M12 cells. To assess if the kinase activity of LIMK1 is essential for CXCR4 expression and surface localization, we treated these cells with LIMK1 specific kinase inhibitor BMS-5 and determined expression of CXCR4. Western blots and immunofluorescence analysis showed reduced expression of CXCR4 in treated cells compared to vehicle treated cells. Our observation indicates an indirect association between LIMK1 and CXCR4 expression and shows for the first time that expression of LIMK1 is required for the maintenance of CXCR4 expression. Our study demonstrates a novel positive feed back regulatory mechanism between LIMK1 and CXCR4 and suggest a possible combination treatment option through inhibition of LIMK1 expression and/or its kinase activity for improving chemosensitivity of prostate cancer cells with overactive CXCR4/CXCL12 axis. Citation Format: Richard Ottman, Lisa Ritchey, Ryan Herchan, Alexia Bossan, Ratna Chakrabarti. LIMK1 functions as a modulator of expression and targeting of CXCR4 in prostate cancer cells through a negative feedback loop. [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 107th Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2016 Apr 16-20; New Orleans, LA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2016;76(14 Suppl):Abstract nr 1171.
Celebrity and Infamy? The Consequences of Media Narratives About Organizational Identity

Research on organizational celebrity is in its nascence, and our understanding of the process through which organizations gain, maintain, and lose this asset remains incomplete. We extend this rese...
Consistent distributed storage of correlated data updates via multi-version coding

Motivated by applications of distributed storage systems to key-value stores, recently, the multi-version coding problem was proposed to store data that is frequently being updated in a distributed storage system. In particular, in multi-version coding, it is desired to store the data consistently, that is, even if all servers do not receive the data updates simultaneously, the decoder can recover the latest possible version of the data. In this paper, we consider the case where there are correlations among various versions of the data. By respectively leveraging update-efficient codes and Slepian-Wolf, we provide two simple multi-version code constructions to show that the storage cost of multi-version codes can be significantly smaller than previous constructions depending on the degree of correlation between the versions. Moreover, we show that our Slepian-Wolf based construction is essentially optimal in a certain correlation regime.
Integrating cancer genomic data into electronic health records.

The rise of genomically targeted therapies and immunotherapy has revolutionized the practice of oncology in the last 10–15 years. At the same time, new technologies and the electronic health record (EHR) in particular have permeated the oncology clinic. Initially designed as billing and clinical documentation systems, EHR systems have not anticipated the complexity and variety of genomic information that needs to be reviewed, interpreted, and acted upon on a daily basis. Improved integration of cancer genomic data with EHR systems will help guide clinician decision making, support secondary uses, and ultimately improve patient care within oncology clinics. Some of the key factors relating to the challenge of integrating cancer genomic data into EHRs include: the bioinformatics pipelines that translate raw genomic data into meaningful, actionable results; the role of human curation in the interpretation of variant calls; and the need for consistent standards with regard to genomic and clinical data. Several emerging paradigms for integration are discussed in this review, including: non-standardized efforts between individual institutions and genomic testing laboratories; “middleware” products that portray genomic information, albeit outside of the clinical workflow; and application programming interfaces that have the potential to work within clinical workflow. The critical need for clinical-genomic knowledge bases, which can be independent or integrated into the aforementioned solutions, is also discussed.
PET–MR Imaging in Head and Neck

Head and neck cancers are a diverse group of cancers with high morbidity and mortality within an area of complex anatomy. High-quality anatomic and functional imaging is essential for preoperative, chemotherapeutic, and radiotherapy planning. Early studies show that hybrid PET-MR imaging offers great potential for improving the imaging of head and neck cancers. Furthermore, advanced MR imaging techniques may also be incorporated to further enhance the diagnostic value of the combined modality.
Comparison of bioelectrical impedance and DXA for measuring body composition among adults with Down syndrome.

Abstract Background Individuals with Down syndrome (DS) have been shown to display high levels of adiposity and a unique body shape. Laboratory methods used to evaluate body composition might be too cumbersome for this special population. Therefore, field methods are desired due to their non-invasive nature. Objective: to determine the agreement between dual energy x-ray absorptiometry (DXA) and bioelectrical impedance analysis (BIA) for measuring body fat percentage BF% and fat-free mass (FFM) among adults with DS. Methods Twenty-one adults (male: n = 10; female: n = 11) with DS participated in this study. BF% and FFM were determined by DXA and BIA. Results There was a significant mean difference between DXA and BIA for BF% (41.33 ± 8.98% and 34.23 ± 9.22%, respectively) and FFM (41.80 ± 8.74 kg and 46.95 ± 9.92 kg, respectively). The correlation between the two devices for BF% and FFM were significant (r = 0.89 and r = 0.94, respectively, p Conclusions The significant mean differences and large amount of individual error suggest that BIA may not be an appropriate surrogate body composition measure compared to DXA in adults with DS.
Plenary talk 2: Statistical decision-making in mixed models of uncertainty

Many statistical data are imprecise due to factors such as measurement errors, computation errors, and lack of information. In such cases, data are better represented by intervals-or fuzzy sets-rather than by single numbers. Existing methods for analyzing interval-valued data include regressions in the metric space of intervals and symbolic data analysis, the latter being proposed in a more general setting. However, there has been a lack of literature on the parametric modeling and distribution-based inferences for interval-valued, and fuzzy-valued data. We propose a normal hierarchical model for random sets-in particular for random intervals. In addition, we develop a minimum contrast estimator (MCE) for the model parameters, which is both consistent and asymptotically normal. Simulation studies support our theoretical findings and show promising results. Finally, we successfully apply our model and MCE to a real data set.
Nanomanufacturing Technology and Opportunities Through Physically-Based Simulation

The semiconductor industry has clearly moved into the era of nanoelectronics where the “the understanding and control of materials at the sub-100nm level” — the best established definition of nanotechnology [1] — is essential to maintaining Moore’s Law. However nanoelectronics, like many other applications for nanotechnology, requires more than making single devices in small areas. To be commercially relevant, structures must be manufactured in volume and/or over large areas. And perhaps most fundamentally they must be produced at ever lower costs to drive adoption of new applications, grow end markets and provide the source of investment in next generation technology. In many instances, the invention of an appropriate manufacturing method may be of equal importance to the underlying device concept — there is perhaps no better example of than that of the IC itself where both Kilby (first realization) and Noyce (manufacturable process) are recognized as its primary inventors. We will define these methods of realization as “nanomanufacturing technologies” — i.e. the materials, process and measurement tools and technologies that deliver the required scale, cost, reproducibility and reliability to manufacture successful nanotechnology-based products.
Innovative Use Of Electronic Consultations In Preoperative Anesthesiology Evaluation At VA Medical Centers In New England.

Electronic consultations (e-consults) improve access to specialty care without requiring face-to-face patient visits. We conducted a mixed-methods descriptive study to understand the variability in...
Colon Cancer: What We Eat

A higher incidence of colorectal cancer (CRC) is observed in Oceania and Europe, whereas Africa and Asia have a lower incidence. CRC is largely preventable by adapting a healthy lifestyle, such as healthy diet, adequate physical activity, and avoiding obesity. This review summarizes the latest work available, mainly epidemiologic studies, to examine the relationship between diet and CRC. Higher intake of red/processed meat could increase the CRC risk, whereas fibers, especially from whole grains and cereals, as well as fruit and vegetables may decrease the CRC risk. Heterogeneity and inconsistency among studies or individuals, however, need to be taken into consideration.
IZAPAN WRITING: CLASSIFICATION AND PRELIMINARY OBSERVATIONS

This paper reviews the limited evidence for the classification of the script attested at the site of Izapa. Sufficient data for assessing the nature of key formal traits exists, thanks to the more recent documentation of the sculptural corpus (Clark and Moreno 2007). After a review of the archaeological and historical linguistic context, the paper examines the history of research on the classification of the writing systems of Mesoamerica (Justeson 1986; Justeson and Mathews 1990; Justeson et al. 1985; Prem 1973), focusing on the Southeastern Tradition. Three diagnostic traits allow for a narrow assignation of Izapa's script, perhaps unsurprisingly, to the Greater Izapan or Maya-Izapa sub-tradition (Justeson and Mathews 1990; Justeson et al. 1985) of the Southeastern Tradition: the superfixed placement of the bar-and-dot numeral with respect to the day sign cartouche, positional notation for counting, and the use of day sign pedestals. Other traits include the conflation and embedding of signs. The paper concludes that the evidence is, at present, insufficient to distinguish between the two likely options, Mixe-Zoquean and Mayan. Finally, a preliminary signary is provided in the Appendix.
Recognizing Runaway IS Projects When They Occur

Runaway projects have been a problem in information systems (IS) for quite some time. In 1988, KPMG found that 35% of their largest clients currently had a runaway project, and in 1991 the percentage of firms increased to 60%. Plus, over 50% of the respondents considered this to be normal (Rothfeder, 1988; Cringely, 1994). The traditional definition of a runaway is any project that grossly exceeds budget and time targets but yet has failed to produce an acceptable deliverable. Given that each runaway project is a dysfunctional use of organizational resources, it is important for practitioners to be able to identify them early and react appropriately. On the other hand, this case will help practitioners realize that the issues within runaway projects are complex and difficult. The case could be used in MIS courses for non-IS majors, systems analysis and project management classes for IS majors or EDP auditing courses in accounting.
Effect of Vibrational Nonequilibrium on Isolator Shock Structure

Analyses of dual-model scramjet engines often rely on the assumption of thermally perfect gas, for which the internal modes of molecular motion are assumed to be in thermal equilibrium. With an inc...
Bilateral salpingectomy versus bilateral partial salpingectomy during cesarean delivery.

Objective To compare surgical outcomes in patients undergoing bilateral salpingectomy (salpingectomy group) with those who had partial salpingectomy (partial salpingectomy group) during cesarean delivery. Materials and methods A chart review from July 2015 to November 2016 was performed. We included women who had sterilization during cesarean delivery. We excluded sterilization by occlusive methods. Our primary outcomes were total operative time and a composite score of transfusion rate, internal organ injury, hospital readmission, and endometritis. Secondary outcomes included menstrual abnormalities, pelvic pain, quality of life assessment, and regrets rate. We compared these outcomes between women in the salpingectomy and partial salpingectomy groups. Chi-squared, Fisher's exact, t-test, and Mann-Whitney U were utilized for statistical analysis where appropriate. A P<0.05 was considered significant. Results We included a total of 160 pregnancies. Of these, 41 were in the salpingectomy and 119 in the partial salpingectomy group. The median total operative time was longer for the salpingectomy group (62 [IQR 54, 71] vs 60 minutes [IQR 46, 72]; P=0.03). The composite of surgical complications (19.5% vs 12.6%; P=0.28) was not significantly different between our study groups. Menstrual irregularities (P≥0.99), quality of life (P≥0.99), dyspareunia (P≥0.99), dysmenorrhea (P=0.36), and regrets (P≥0.99) were not different between groups. Conclusion Salpingectomy during cesarean delivery increased the median operative time by 2 minutes and may not be associated with an increased risk of surgical complications. We acknowledge the need for larger multi-center trials to corroborate our outcomes.
Prestrain and cholinergic receptor-dependent differential recruitment of mechanosensitive energy loss and energy release elements in airway smooth muscle

We report for the first time that oscillatory airway smooth muscle mechanics is governed predominantly by one class of nonlinear mechanosensitive energy loss element and one class of nonlinear mech...
Deep Granular Feature-Label Distribution Learning for Neuroimaging-based Infant Age Prediction.

Neuroimaging-based infant age prediction is important for brain development analysis but often suffers insufficient data. To address this challenge, we introduce label distribution learning (LDL), a popular machine learning paradigm focusing on the small sample problem, for infant age prediction. As directly applying LDL yields dramatically increased number of day-to-day age labels and also extremely scarce data describing each label, we propose a new strategy, called granular label distribution (GLD). Particularly, by assembling the adjacent labels to granules and designing granular distributions, GLD makes each brain MRI contribute to not only its own age but also its neighboring ages at a granule scale, which effectively keeps the information augmentation superiority of LDL and reduces the number of labels. Furthermore, to extremely augment the information supplied by the small data, we propose a novel method named granular feature distribution (GFD). GFD leverages the variability of the brain images at the same age, thus significantly increases the learning effectiveness. Moreover, deep neural network is exploited to approximate the GLD. These strategies constitute a new model: deep granular feature-label distribution learning (DGFLDL). By taking 8 types of cortical morphometric features from structural MRI as predictors, the proposed DGFLDL is validated on infant age prediction using 384 brain MRI scans from 35 to 848 days after birth. Our proposed method, approaching the mean absolute error as 36.1 days, significantly outperforms the baseline methods. Besides, the permutation importance analysis of features based on our method reveals important biomarkers of infant brain development.
The emergence and development of complex predicates in early child Hebrew

The present study examines the development of the earliest type of complex predicates to emerge in child Hebrew – extended predicate constructions. These constructions take the form of a modal/aspe...
Continental Perspectives and the Study of Politics

Anyone attending a political science conference these days is likely to be overwhelmed by the extreme heterogeneity of viewpoints and approaches, a heterogeneity sometimes resembling a hopeless Babel of tongues. For decades there had been talk of paradigm changes and of the erosion of “mainstream” assumptions in the discipline; more recently, this ferment has been heightened by the influx of novel perspectives whose vocabulary and intellectual style bear a distinctly continental cast. Professional reaction to these perspectives has been varied: greeted by some as instant remedies they are bemoaned by others as alien intruders threatening an already fragile consensus. I perceive them as idioms in an ongoing conversation whose lines of argument are not merely whimsical and deserve the attention of political science teachers.
Prevention and Management of HBV in Organ Transplantation

Hepatitis B (HBV) infection and reactivation have a significant impact on solid organ transplantation. This review summarizes past significant studies and new findings in the field, and presents the latest recommendations for HBV management in solid organ transplant population. Significant advances in antiviral therapy have resulted in improved graft outcomes and have notably reduced the need for prophylaxis with hepatitis B immunoglobin. Emerging treatment avenues such as immunotherapies and small molecules inhibitors are being developed with the intent of eradicating HBV infection. Substantial suppression of HBV is obtained with the current antiviral prophylaxis in transplant patients. This has allowed for safely expanding the donor pool to HBcAb-positive grafts with good outcomes. Novel therapies are showing a promising future for achieving functional cure for HBV.
DC-100 kHz Tunable Readout IC for Impedance Spectroscopy and Amperometric Measurement of Electrochemical Sensors

This paper presents a low-noise, front-end sensor IC that includes both AC impedance spectroscopy and DC amperometric measurement capabilities for electrochemical and biosensor applications. A common-gate current buffer topology is proposed that supports both current-mode and voltage-mode sensor signals to allow an input frequency range from DC to 100 kHz. Low-noise operation is achieved across a wide input frequency range using tunable high-pass and low-pass frequency response. In addition, an incremental delta-sigma modulator with embedded frequency response analysis serves as both on-chip impedance analyzer and current-driven analog-to-digital converter. Implemented using a 0.18 μm CMOS process, this work achieves 45 fA/√Hz input current noise density at 1 kHz. Input dynamic range exceeding 80 dB is achieved up to 10 kHz bandwidth, with a maximum of 104 dB dynamic range at 10 Hz.
On Burial Depth of Underground Antenna in Soil Horizons for Decision Agriculture.

Decision agriculture is the practice of accurately capturing the changing parameters of the soil including water infiltration and retention, nutrients supply, acidity, and other time changing phenomena by using the modern technologies. Using decision agriculture, fields can be irrigated more efficiently hence conserving water resources and increasing productivity. The Internet of Underground Things (IOUT) is being used to monitor the soil for smart irrigation. Moreover, the communication in wireless underground sensor networks is affected by soil characteristics such as soil texture, volumetric water content (VWC) and bulk density. These soil characteristics vary with soil type and soil horizons within a field. In this paper, we have investigated the effects of these characteristics by considering Holdrege soil series and homogeneous soil. It is shown that the consideration of soil characteristics of different soil horizons leads to 6% improved communication in wireless underground communications for smart agricultural practices.
A Type I Heterointerface between Amorphous PbI2 Overlayers on Crystalline CsPbI3

PbI2, an insulating byproduct formed from lead halide perovskite decomposition, is thought to pose issues for implementation of these materials in photovoltaic applications. Here, we examine the el...
Intensity Dependent Nonreciprocal Phase Shift in a Fiberoptic Gyroscope

We have predicted and observed an intensity-induced nonreciprocity in a fiberoptic Sagnac interferometer. This interferometer, which has been described previously [1] is being developed for absolute rotation sensing. We found that a nonreciprocal phase shift of 1.4 × 10–6 radians can be generated by a one microwatt power difference between the oppositely propagating light beams. Our fiber is 200 m long with a core diameter of 4.5 microns, and wound on a 19 cm diameter spool. The intensity dependent non-reciprocal phase shift, which is attributed to a four wave mixing process in the quartz medium [2–6] is equivalent to a rotation rate of 0.2 °/hr in the present geometry, and therefore stresses the need for a strict intensity control in precision fiber rotation sensors.
Asthma Patients Who Stop Asthma Biologics Have a Similar Risk of Asthma Exacerbations as Those Who Continue Asthma Biologics

Background There is limited information about outcomes associated with stopping asthma biologics. Objective To compare outcomes in people who stopped or continued asthma biologics. Methods We identified a cohort of people with asthma who stopped or continued asthma biologics in the Optum Labs Database Warehouse, using a propensity matching method for case and control groups with the variables of age, sex, race, region, insurance, income, specialist access, Charlson comorbidity, specific medical conditions, pre-index exacerbation count, pre-index rescue inhaler pharmacy fills, and pre-index inhaled corticosteroid with or without long-acting β-agonist pharmacy fills. Primary outcome used to assess failure of stopping was an increase of 50% or more in the asthma exacerbation rate in the 6 months after discontinuing the biologic compared with the 6-month period before biologic initiation. Results Among a cohort of 4960 asthma biologic users, 1249 were observed to stop use after 6 to 12 months of use. We identified a matched cohort of 1247 stoppers and 1247 people who continued biologic use for at least 18 months. In the first 6 months after stopping or sham stopping, 10.2% of stoppers and 9.5% of continuers had an increase of 50% or more in asthma exacerbations. We found a similar adjusted odds of failing among stoppers and continuers (odds ratio = 1.085; 95% confidence interval, 0.833-1.413). Conclusions An increase in asthma exacerbations is infrequently observed in people who stopped asthma biologics and was observed at similar rates as in matched controls who continued asthma biologics.
Pilot-scale grinding and briquetting studies on variable moisture content municipal solid waste bales - Impact on physical properties, chemical composition, and calorific value.

Abstract Low bulk density, variable moisture content, and particle size of municipal solid waste (MSW) create feeding, handling, storage, and transportation challenges. In this study, MSW bales were size-reduced in stage-1 and stage-2 hammer mill grinders fitted with 50.8-mm and 6.35-, 12.7-, and 19.05-mm screens. Ground MSW was densified further in a pilot-scale briquette press by varying moisture content in the range of 10–25% wet basis (w.b.). At 40% (w.b.) MSW moisture content, the stage-1 grinder fitted with a 50.4-mm screen took about 136 kWh/ton, while the stage-2 grinder fitted with a 19.05-mm screen took about 151 kWh/ton. The bulk density of MSW after stage-1 and stage-2 grinding was about 25–50 kg/m3. Unit bulk and tapped density were in the range of 680–850 kg/m3, 478–315 kg/m3, and 346–540 kg/m3 post briquetting, and 591–830 kg/m3, 295–458 kg/m3, and 319–519 kg/m3 post five days of storage at 20 °C. The durability was about 93.40–98.54% post briquetting, and after five days of storage. Increasing the moisture content and screen size decreased density and improved durability. Briquetting energy increased to 120 kWh/ton at a higher moisture content and larger grind size. MSW flow characteristics improved after briquetting. Higher lignin content (≈30%) and calorific value (19–21 MJ/kg) suggest MSW is suitable for thermochemical conversion. Ash content in the MSW was in the 11.9–14.8% range. CT-scan images of the briquettes showed a network of interconnected pores formed due to compression of various MSW fractions.
Abstract MP52: Sex Differences In The Association Between Neighborhood Social Vulnerability And Psychological Distress Among Patients With Heart Disease

Introduction: Psychological stress disorders are twice as prevalent in women with ischemic heart disease compared to their male counterparts. The disproportionate psychological health experience of...
Quantile-specific heritability of plasminogen activator inhibitor type-1 (PAI-1, aka SERPINE1) and other hemostatic factors

Background Plasminogen activator inhibitor type-1 (PAI-1, aka SERPINE1) is a moderately heritable glycoprotein that regulates fibrin clot dissolution (fibrinolysis). Objectives Test whether the heritabilities (h2 ) of PAI-1 and other hemostatic factors are constant throughout their distribution or whether they are quantile-specific (i.e., a larger or smaller h2 depending on whether their concentrations are high or low). Methods Quantile regression was applied to 5606 parent-offspring pairs and 5310 full siblings of the Framingham Heart Study. Quantile-specific heritability was estimated from the parent-offspring regression slope (βPO , h2 = 2βPO /(1+rspouse )) and the full-sib regression slope (βFS , h2 = {(1+8rspouse βFS )0.5 -1}/(2rspouse )). Results Heritability (h2 ± SE) increased significantly with increasing percentiles of the offspring's age- and sex-adjusted PAI-1 distribution when estimated from βPO (plinear trend = 0.0001): 0.09 ± 0.02 at the 10th, 0.09 ± 0.02 at the 25th, 0.16 ± 0.02 at the 50th, 0.29 ± 0.04 at the 75th, and 0.26 ± 0.08 at the 90th percentile of the PAI-1 distribution, and when estimated from βFS (plinear trend = 6.5x10-7 ). There was no significant evidence for quantile-specific heritability for factor VII (plinear trend = 0.35), D-dimer (plinear trend = 0.08), tPA (plinear trend = 0.74), or von Willebrand factor (plinear trend = 0.79). Conclusion Higher mean plasma PAI-1 antigen concentrations tend to accentuate genetic effects (quantile-dependent expressivity), which is consistent with the greater reported differences in PAI-1 concentrations between rs1799889 SERPINE1 (4G/5G) genotypes in patients with osteonecrosis, meningococcal sepsis, obesity, prior myocardial infarction, deep vein thrombosis, and polycystic ovarian syndrome than in healthy controls. It is also consistent with the greater increases in PAI-1 concentrations in 4G-allele carriers than 5G/5G homozygotes following fibrinolytic treatment, low-salt intake, and high saturated fat intake.
Salience of Dual Systems Constructs for Predicting Stimulant/Amphetamine Use Across Adolescence and Early Adulthood: a Mixed Effects Modeling Approach

Stimulant/amphetamine use presents a major public health problem. There is a dearth of research which has studied this behavior from a dual systems model perspective. This study examined the relevance of sensation-seeking and impulse control for predicting stimulant/amphetamine use and tested whether these relationships varied as a function of time. The Pathways to Desistance data were used in analyses, comprising the responses of 1,354 justice-involved youth across 84 months with 11 data points each. Mixed effects modeling was used to examine these relationships. Results indicated that greater sensation-seeking was associated with greater odds of stimulant/amphetamine use. This relationship varied as a linear function of time, with the salience of sensation-seeking for predicting stimulant/amphetamine use declining as participants got older. However, this interaction only reached marginal significance at the p < .09 level. Interventions focused on sensation-seeking may help reduce stimulant/amphetamine use, but effects may be greater for adolescents relative to young adults.
Chapter I – Hydrodynamic Properties of Protein Solutions

Publisher Summary This chapter discusses the hydrodynamic properties of protein solutions. In a hydrodynamic experiment, there is a mutual disturbance of the flow of solvent around a pair of macromolecules, which are near each other. There are a variety of measurements that can be carried out to obtain several hydrodynamic quantities. In the hydrodynamic theories for any of the quantities, each quantity depends on two parameters, namely, the size and the shape. The foregoing treatment of the hydrodynamic properties of proteins made use of theories for rigid ellipsoids of revolution. While these theories are useful for computing the size and shape of the effective hydrodynamic ellipsoid for a native, somewhat flexible globular protein, their applicability to a denatured protein, which may be a much more flexible, randomly coiled molecule, may no longer be valid. Therefore, in view of the properties of denatured proteins and native ones, the hydrodynamic properties of flexible chain molecules will be considered. As the configuration of the molecule depends on various factors, a corresponding effect should be expected on the hydrodynamic properties of such flexible chain molecules.