cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Management of an Associated Ventricular Septal Defect at the Time of Coarctation Repair

Background Management of a ventricular septal defect (VSD) at time of coarctation of the aorta (CoA) repair remains controversial, with recent studies advocating concomitant repair of both defects. We evaluated the surgical management and mortality for patients undergoing CoA repair associated with a VSD. Methods We retrospectively reviewed data submitted to the Pediatric Cardiac Care Consortium of patients undergoing repair of CoA from 1982 to 2007. The cohort was divided into three groups: CoA repair plus VSD closure (group 1); CoA repair plus pulmonary artery band (group 2); and CoA repair without repair of VSD (group 3). Variables reviewed included era, age, and weight at repair, and in-hospital mortality. Results There were 7,860 patients who underwent repair of CoA, of whom 2,022 had an associated VSD (25.7%). Mortality after CoA repair with and without an associated diagnosis of VSD was 8.3% versus 2.1% ( p p = 0.004), and median weight was 3.31 kg and 3.30 kg, respectively ( p = 0.130). Discharge mortality for group 1 and group 2 was similar, at 8.7% and 9.1%, respectively ( p = 0.852). Patients with CoA/VSD who had neither VSD closure nor pulmonary artery banding (group 3) had a hospital mortality of 7.9%. Conclusions The association of CoA and VSD is common. A strategy of concomitant VSD closure at CoA repair does not result in worse discharge mortality when compared with pulmonary banding with anticipated staged repair of the VSD. These outcomes support continued evaluation of a one-stage approach.
Development of a Wearable Sensor System for Measuring Body Joint Flexion

This paper presents a novel approach for measuring and monitoring human body joint angles using wearable sensors. This type of monitoring is beneficial for therapists and physicians as it allows them to assess patients' activities remotely. In our approach multiple flex-sensors are mounted on supportive cloth to measure the flexion of a joint. The changes in the resistivity of the flex-sensors are measured using an electronic board. We utilize an Extended Kalman Filter (EKF) to predict the joint angle based on the dynamic model of the joint movement and the measurements obtained from the flex-sensors. Due to variations in the measured angle by each sensor, the outputs are fussed to reduce the error and estimate the best value for the actual body joint angle. We evaluated the effectiveness and performance of our approach for measuring knee joint angle by comparing with the measured angles using goniometer. The result shows that the average of error is 6.92E with correlation of 0.98.
Growth rate expressions for two substrates one of which is inhibitory

Abstract The Double-Monod and weighted models for specific growth rate coefficient as a function of two nutrients differ significantly when the nutrient concentrations are low. The weighted model agrees with actual data quite well for non-toxic nutrients but fails badly when applied to inhibitory nutrients. However, the Andrews equation can be modified slightly for use in conjunction with the weighted model to handle growth rate limitation when one nutrient inhibits growth rate.
Ingenium: Engaging Novice Students with Latin Grammar

Reading Latin poses many difficulties for English speakers, because they are accustomed to relying on word order to determine the roles of words in a sentence. In Latin, the grammatical form of a word, and not its position, is responsible for determining the word's function in a sentence. It has proven challenging to develop pedagogical techniques that successfully draw students' attention to the grammar of Latin and that students find engaging enough to use. Building on some of the most promising prior work in Latin instruction-the Michigan Latin approach--and on the insights underlying block-based programming languages used to teach children the basics of computer science, we developed Ingenium. Ingenium uses abstract puzzle blocks to communicate grammatical concepts. Engaging students in grammatical reflection, Ingenium succeeds when students are able to effectively decipher the meaning of Latin sentences. We adapted Ingenium to be used for two standard classroom activities: sentence translations and fill-in-the-blank exercises. We evaluated Ingenium with 67 novice Latin students in universities across the USA. When using Ingenium, participants opted to perform more optional exercises, completed translation exercises with significantly fewer errors related to word order and errors overall, as well as reported higher levels of engagement and attention to grammar than when using a traditional text-based interface.
Regulatory Inspection Regimes and Oligopoly Competition

To enforce compliance with product safety standards, regulatory agencies employ supervisors to conduct inspections and impose fines on firms that violate these standards. In most industries, the designated regulators choose between various inspection regimes, such as announced or unannounced surprise inspections. We conduct a positive analysis of the impact of these regimes on firms' safety choices in a multiple stage oligopoly game with endogenous quality and quantity competition. In equilibrium, whether surprise inspections achieve a higher level of safety depends on the number of firms, the cost of safety provision and demand. Furthermore, the impact on safety of increasing the fine, the supervisor's wage or the probability of inspections may be non-monotonic and also depends on market size and structure. Finally, we show that in some cases, neither unannounced, nor announced inspections can attain the socially optimal safety level. However in such cases, unannounced inspections minimize the distortion from socially optimal safety.
Patients 65 years and older with incidental pancreatic cysts: Is there a relationship between all-cause mortality and imaging follow-up?

Abstract Purpose To assess the relationship between imaging follow-up and all-cause mortality in subjects ≥65 years with and without incidental pancreatic cysts (IPC). Methods and materials Patients ≥65 years with abdominal CT/MR 11/1/01-11/1/11 were included. IPC group included subjects with IPC on CT/MR report; No-IPC group was 3:1 frequency-matched on age decade, imaging modality and year of initial study from the pool without reported IPC. Demographics, date of last encounter, date of death, Charlson scores within 3 months before initial CT/MR and number of abdominal CTs and MRs performed after initial study were recorded. Logistic regression models with binary outcomes of death and having post-index imaging were constructed. Models were adjusted for age, race, sex, Charlson score and follow-up time. Subgroups were created based on interactions between variables. Results There were 1320 subjects in IPC group and 3805 in No-IPC group, with mean ages 79.1 (±8.0) and 78.8 (±8.0) years, respectively (p = 0.293), and median follow-up times of 3.1 (IQR 0.74–5.26) and 3.0 (0.36–5.23) years, respectively (p = 0.009). Adjusted odds ratios of post-index imaging for IPC were 2.18 (p Conclusion Older subjects with IPC are more likely to undergo imaging follow-up compared to subjects without IPC, yet increasing number of follow-up studies does not decrease the odds of death.
Advanced Photorefractive and Light-Emitting Organic Materials

The tailoring of organic molecules and polymers has enabled the recent development of multifunctional materials such as photorefractive polymers and organic electroluminescent materials. This paper presents recent advances in both areas.
Wing Measure as a Size Index in Lepidoptera: the Family Olethreutidae

Wingspan and forewing length have been published implicitly as size indexes for nearly all lepidopteran species but their usefulness for this purpose is poorly validated. Biomass (dry weight, 70°C) of newly emerged adults of nine species, representing 5 genera and 2 subfamilies of Olethreutidae, was examined in relation to forewing length. Allometric equations describing biomass/forewing length relations for each sex were derived as well as proportionality constants for interconverting wingspan and forewing length. Forewing length accounted for 82-87% of variation in biomass; by this criterion wing measure is a good index of adult size. Females, all of which were egg laden, averaged 15-28% heavier than males of equal wing length. Biomass changed roughly as the cube of forewing length which indicates geometric similarity.
Testing the systemic induced resistance hypothesis with Austrian pine and Diplodia sapinea

Systemic induction of defenses (e.g. phenolic metabolites) is considered vital in conifer resistance to pathogens and insects, and forms the mechanistic basis of the systemic induced resistance hypothesis (SIRH). In this study, the SIRH was tested on juvenile Austrian pine. Main stems expressed SIR in a manner that was consistent with the SIRH, while shoots became uniformly more susceptible to subsequent inoculations, demonstrating clear organ specificity in the tree's response. The majority of phenolic metabolites were poorly correlated with phenotype. Thus, the defensive system of Austrian pine is highly plastic and organ specific, and cannot be predicted by phenolic profiles alone.
Bioethics, medicine, and the moral ground.

"Bioethics" and "biomedical ethics" are new expressions, conveying new ideas and new concerns. They entered the language in the 1960s. "Ethics," of course, is an ancient word meaning the study of applied moral philosophy. Bioethics is an interdisciplinary field of study that considers ethical issues in wellness and illness. Some would strongly argue that it even embraces our entire natural ecology. It certainly concerns the profession of medicine. Bioethics, like ethics itself, seeks to know and understand "goodness."
Don’t Forget About the Teachers! Parent and Teacher BASC-2 Reports of Children on the DSM-5 Autism Spectrum

ABSTRACTThe new DSM-5 dimensional framework of Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD) features severity ratings of social communication (SC) and restrictive/repetitive behaviors (RRB) and little research has been conducted since its inception. There has been a recent increase in the administration and adoption of broadband behavior-rating scales by clinicians, to ascertain a summary of the client’s behavior, including use with children on the autism spectrum. One such widely utilized accepted instrument is the Behavior Assessment System for Children, 2nd ed. (BASC-2), a multidimensional measure to assess internalizing and externalizing behaviors as well as adaptive functioning for individuals 2–25 years of age. The current study examined and compared the Parent Rating Scale (PRS) and Teacher Rating Scale (TRS) of the BASC-2 for children on the DSM-5 autism spectrum in order contribute novel information to the BASC-2 literature. Utilizing a sample of 67 children and adolescents with ASD, the PRS and TRS of the BA...
Temporal–spatial mean-shift clustering analysis to improve functional MRI activation detection

Cluster analysis (CA) is often used in functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) analysis to improve detection of functional activations. Commonly used clustering techniques typically only consider spatial information of a statistical parametric image (SPI) in their calculations. This study examines incorporating the temporal characteristics of acquired fMRI data with mean-shift clustering (MSC) for fMRI analysis to enhance activation detections. Simulated data and real fMRI data was used to compare the commonly used cluster analysis with MSC using a feature space containing temporal characteristics. Receiver Operating Characteristic curves show that improvements in low contrast to noise scenarios using MSC over CA and our previous MSC technique at all tested simulated activation sizes. The proposed MSC technique with a feature space using both temporal and spatial data characteristics shows improved activation detection for both simulated and real Blood oxygen level dependent (BOLD) fMRI data (approximately 60% increase). The proposed techniques are useful in techniques that inherently have low contrast to noise ratios, such as non-proton imaging or high resolution BOLD fMRI.
Comparison of Lumbar Epidurals and Lumbar Plexus Nerve Blocks for Analgesia Following Primary Total Hip Arthroplasty: A Retrospective Analysis.

Abstract Background Total hip arthroplasty (THA) is associated with significant postoperative pain. Both lumbar epidurals and lumbar plexus nerve blocks have been described for postoperative pain control, but it is unclear if one technique is more beneficial. Methods Using electronic medical records, a randomly selected, cohort of 58 patients with lumbar epidurals were compared with 58 patients with lumbar plexus nerve blocks following primary THA. The primary end point was 48-hour postoperative opiate consumption. Secondary end points included time of first ambulation, distance ambulated, level of assistance with ambulation, presence of side effects, and time to discharge. Descriptive statistics were calculated to characterize subjects in the different block-type groups. Comparisons in morphine consumption were conducted using linear mixed models. Primary and secondary end points were examined in multivariable models. Results Patients with lumbar plexus blocks consumed less opiates at 24, 36, and 48 hours relative to patients that received lumbar epidural catheters ( P = .047, .002, and .002, respectively). Patients with lumbar plexus blocks ambulated earlier (24.6 ± 2.01 hours vs 31.7 ± 3.01 hours) and farther relative to patients with epidurals ( P Conclusion In comparison to lumbar epidural catheters, lumbar plexus nerve blocks are an effective pathway for postoperative pain control following primary THA. Furthermore, this clinical pathway expedites physical rehabilitation and is more compatible with postoperative prophylactic anticoagulants.
Nontraumatic Testicular Pain due to Sacroiliac-Joint Dysfunction: A Case Report

Objective: To discuss the case of a 49-year-old man who presented to the sports medicine staff with pelvic pain of 10 years' duration consistent with pudendal neuralgia. Background: Testicular pain...
Health-Related Quality of Life and Care Giver Burden Following Spinal Fusion in Children With Cerebral Palsy.

STUDY DESIGN A prospective longitudinal cohort. OBJECTIVE The objective of this study was to evaluate changes in caregivers' perceptions of health-related quality of life (HRQOL) and caregiver burden in children with severe cerebral palsy (CP) following spinal fusion. SUMMARY OF BACKGROUND DATA Progressive scoliosis is common in nonambulatory children with CP; the utility of spine fusion has been long debated and prospective evaluations of patient reported outcomes are limited. METHODS Children 3 to 21 years old, gross motor classification system (GMFCS) IV-V CP, scheduled for spine fusion were enrolled consecutively from September 2011 to March 2014. Caregivers completed the CPCHILD and ACEND pre-operatively and at 6 weeks, 3, 6, 12, and 24 months postoperatively. Changes in CPCHILD and ACEND scores from preoperative to 1 and 2 years after surgery were assessed using paired t tests. Correlations between preoperative Cobb angle and CPCHILD and ACEND scores were evaluated using Pearson's correlation analysis. RESULTS Twenty-six GMFCS IV-V CP patients with severe scoliosis treated with spine fusion were included. Mean age was 14 years, 50% male, and 46% had instrumentation to the pelvis. Average preoperative Cobb angle was 68.9° (SD 25.68) with an average improvement of 76%. The CPCHILD score increased by 9.8 points above baseline [95% confidence interval (95% CI): 3.4-16.2] at 1 year postoperatively (P = 0.005). However, at 2 years, the CPCHILD score regressed to baseline (P = 0.40). ACEND scores did not change from baseline scores at 1-year (P = 0.09) and 2-year (P = 0.72) follow-up, reflecting that caregiver burden is little changed by spine fusion. There was no correlation between preoperative Cobb angle and CPCHILD score (P = 0.52) or ACEND score (P = 0.56) at 1-year or 2-year follow-up (P = 0.69, P = 0.90). Children with Cobb angle ≤75° experienced more improvement 1 year after surgery than children with Cobb angle >75°. CONCLUSION HRQOL improves 1 year following spine fusion but regresses to baseline after 2 years. Caregiver burden was unchanged following spine fusion. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE 2.
Structural and rheological evolution of the Laramide subduction channel in southern California

Abstract. The Pelona Schist in the San Gabriel Mountains, southern California, formed in the Laramide subduction channel, exhibits multiple phases of deformation/metamorphism and provides valuable insights into the rheological properties of the subduction channel. Petrological and microstructural analysis indicates that the Pelona Schist has undergone three major deformational/metamorphic events. Subduction of volcanic and sedimentary protoliths during D1 was recorded by aligned mineral inclusions in albite and epidote porphyroblasts. Metamorphic temperature and pressure at the end of subduction yielded by Raman spectroscopy of carbonaceous material and phengite barometry were 519 ± 20 °C and 10.5 ± 0.4 kbar, respectively. During D1 the dominant deformation mechanism was quartz pressure solution, and the estimated shear stress at the end of D1 was less than 10 MPa. D2, the first stage exhumation of the Pelona Schist along the upper section of the subduction channel during return flow, was recorded by retrogressive metamorphism, isoclinal folding, and a pervasive schistosity that wraps around earlier porphyroblasts. Metagreywacke was deformed mainly by quartz pressure solution and metachert was deformed dominantly by dislocation creep during D2. The shear stress in metagreywacke was less than 10 MPa and that in metachert was between 8.3 + 2.7/− 1.5 and 12.9 + .9/− 2.3 MPa, resulting in a strain rate of 1.4 × 10−13 to 5.5 × 10−13 s−1. A topography driven model is proposed as the main driving force of D2 exhumation. D3 records normal-sense movement on the Vincent Fault, which separates the schist from overlying arc and continental basement. This resulted in the second stage of exhumation, creating a major synform and associated mylonitic fabric in the upper section of the Pelona Schist. Conditions at the beginning of D3 were 390 ± 13 °C and 5.8 ± 0.8 kbar given by the TitaniQ thermometer and phengite geobarometer. The deformation was dominated by quartz dislocation creep with a strain rate of 4.5 ± 1.2 × 10−13 s−1 at a shear stress of 20.1 + 7.3/− 4.0 MPa.
Lifetime warranty test method considering potential induced degradation recovery behavior

In recent years several failure modes of PV modules operated under high potentials were observed. Most dominant degradation mechanism is called “potential induced degradation (PID)” of crystalline PV modules [1]. PID test as proposed by the IEC working group does not reflect on particular modules. As a consequence, they do not fulfill the requirements of a lifetime warranty test [2]. Especially, it is not reflect the recovery characteristics of the solar cell. In this study we have focused on the lifetime test method considering the recovery characteristics of the n-type mono crystalline solar cell. The sensitivity of the modules regarding potential induced power degradation was investigated with respect to the recovery behavior under illumination. Positive as well as negative potential to ground was considered. The test was divided in two parts. First, a PID test was performed according to IEC TS 62804 ed. 1, method a. Then, a special PID-/ light-recovery sequence was performed.
Voice search language model adaptation using contextual information

It has been shown that automatic speech recognition (ASR) system quality can be improved by augmenting n-gram language models with contextual information [1][2]. In the voice search domain, there are a large number of useful contextual signals for a given query. Some of these signals are speaker location, speaker identity, time of the query, etc. Each of these signals comes with relevant contextual information (e.g. location specific entities, favorite queries, recent popular queries) that is not included in the language model's training data. We show that these contextual signals can be used to improve ASR system quality. This is achieved by adjusting n-gram language model probabilities on-the-fly based on the contextual information relevant for the current voice search request. We analyze three example sources of context: location context, previously entered typed and spoken queries. We present a set of approaches we have used to improve ASR quality using these sources of context. Our main objective is to automatically, in real time, take advantage of all available sources of contextual information. In addition, we investigate challenges that come with applying our approach to a number of languages (unsegmented languages, languages with diacritics) and present solutions used.
Implications of improved measurements of the highest energy SEPs by AMS and PAMELA

Abstract Solar energetic particles (SEP) are a key target of heliophysics research, not only as exemplars of particle acceleration and transport processes that are ubiquitous in astrophysical plasmas, but also as the most intense transient radiation hazard for human and robotic space explorers. SEPs are very well-observed by spacecraft covering particle energies below several hundred MeV/nucleon. Multiple missions, stretching back over decades, have yielded a fairly complete description of SEP intensity, energy spectra, and composition up to a few hundred MeV/nucleon. SEP characteristics at higher energies are, by comparison, only poorly understood due to the relative dearth of high-energy measurements. This lack of high energy measurements has contributed to a disagreement within the heliophysics community regarding the source regions and mechanisms that accelerate particles up to GeV energies. In solar cycle 24, the Payload for Antimatter Matter Exploration and Light-nuclei Astrophysics (PAMELA) and the Alpha Magnetic Spectrometer (AMS) have been taking measurements of the highest energy SEPs from ∼ 100 MeV to the GeV. Since the literature has discussed SEP acceleration to GeV energies in terms of Ground Level Enhancements (GLE), we will review the findings for GLEs in solar cycle 23. We will discuss the models and theories that address acceleration up to the GeV and how AMS and PAMELA measurements have the potential to advance the current understanding of SEP acceleration physics. Lastly, only 1–2 GLEs have occurred during solar cycle 24, so we will explore a set of SEP events that were observed in the ⩾100 MeV GOES channels, most of which were also observed by PAMELA and AMS.
Geomagnetically induced current sensitivity to multiple substation grounding resistances

The impact of geomagnetic disturbances (GMDs) on the high voltage electric grid can result in severe damage by producing geomagnetically induced currents (GICs). Protection against GMD therefore necessitates the accurate estimation of the GICs. GIC estimation can be challenging since they depend in part upon the substation grounding resistances, which are not always well known. To address this issue the paper proposes an algorithm to calculate the sensitivity of the GICs at any substation to these resistances. The method is demonstrated on several power grid models.
The N-Terminal Flanking Region Modulates the Actin Binding Affinity of the Utrophin Tandem Calponin-Homology Domain.

Despite sharing a high degree of sequence similarity, the tandem calponin-homology (CH) domain of utrophin binds to actin 30 times stronger than that of dystrophin. We have previously shown that this difference in actin binding affinity could not be ascribed to the differences in inter-CH-domain linkers [Bandi, S., et al. (2015) Biochemistry 54, 5480–5488]. Here, we examined the role of the N-terminal flanking region. The utrophin tandem CH domain contains a 27-residue flanking region before its CH1 domain. We examined its effect by comparing the structure and function of full-length utrophin tandem CH domain Utr(1–261) and its truncated Utr(28–261) construct. Both full-length and truncated constructs are monomers in solution, with no significant differences in their secondary or tertiary structures. Truncated construct Utr(28–261) binds to actin 30 times weaker than that of the full-length Utr(1–261), similar to that of the dystrophin tandem CH domain with a much shorter flanking region. Deletion of the ...
Impact of varying vacuum levels on self-heating in photonic thermometers

Here we examine the impact of vacuum levels on self-heating in photonic crystal cavity thermometers. Our results suggest that background gas pressure has a negligible impact on self-heating correction to the temperature-wavelength calibration.
PHF6 regulates phenotypic plasticity through chromatin organization within lineage-specific genes

Developmental and lineage plasticity have been observed in numerous malignancies and have been correlated with tumor progression and drug resistance. However, little is known about the molecular mechanisms that enable such plasticity to occur. Here, we describe the function of the plant homeodomain finger protein 6 (PHF6) in leukemia and define its role in regulating chromatin accessibility to lineage-specific transcription factors. We show that loss of Phf6 in B-cell leukemia results in systematic changes in gene expression via alteration of the chromatin landscape at the transcriptional start sites of B-cell- and T-cell-specific factors. Additionally, Phf6KO cells show significant down-regulation of genes involved in the development and function of normal B cells, show up-regulation of genes involved in T-cell signaling, and give rise to mixed-lineage lymphoma in vivo. Engagement of divergent transcriptional programs results in phenotypic plasticity that leads to altered disease presentation in vivo, tolerance of aberrant oncogenic signaling, and differential sensitivity to frontline and targeted therapies. These findings suggest that active maintenance of a precise chromatin landscape is essential for sustaining proper leukemia cell identity and that loss of a single factor (PHF6) can cause focal changes in chromatin accessibility and nucleosome positioning that render cells susceptible to lineage transition.
Abstract 148: Association of Socioeconomic Context With Blood Pressure Response and Cardiovascular Outcomes in ALLHAT

Introduction: Observational studies demonstrate that in low socioeconomic (SE) communities, where residents face social challenges and fewer opportunities for healthy lifestyle behaviors or quality care, blood pressure (BP) is higher and there are worse cardiovascular (CV) outcomes. Yet whether the effectiveness of antihypertensive therapy on BP control and CV outcomes varies by SE context in a randomized clinical trial (RCT) - where patients are treated under a standard protocol - is unknown. Methods: We used data from the Antihypertensive and Lipid-Lowering Treatment to Prevent Heart Attack Trial (ALLHAT), which randomized 42,418 people with hypertension (HTN) to chlorthalidone, lisinopril, amlodipine or doxazosin. After excluding non-continental US sites and the doxazosin arm (terminated early), our study included 27,862 participants. We defined SE context by mapping study site ZIP codes to counties and stratifying these into income quintiles based on the national distribution of cost-of-living adjusted county median household income (2000 US Census). We compared characteristics and outcomes between participants in the lowest and highest SE quintiles using multivariable regression models. We replicated the analysis with black participants (n = 10532). Results: Participants enrolled in low SE sites (n = 2169, 7.8%) were more likely to be female, black, Hispanic, less educated, live in the South, and have fewer CV risk factors than participants in high SE sites (n = 10458, 37.6%). Participants in low SE sites were less likely to achieve BP control ( Conclusion: Despite having access to extra resources afforded by an RCT, ALLHAT participants in low SE sites had poorer BP control, higher mortality and greater heart failure morbidity. Our findings suggest a need to address the SE context beyond the medical environment to attain equity in HTN outcomes.
Memory, Remembering, and Amnesia

Memories, and particularly long-term memories, are the basic ingredients of knowledge. Hence it is important that we ask where their traces, or engrams, are stored within the brain, and also that we understand the possible fates of the engrams while they are in storage. Moreover, inasmuch as knowledge is worthless if it cannot be expressed, it is equally important that we understand the variables that govern the remembering of memories.
HabEx space telescope optical system overview: general astrophysics instruments

The HabEx (Habitable Exoplanet) concept study is defining a future space telescope with the primary mission of detecting and characterizing planetary systems around nearby stars. The telescope baseline design includes a high-contrast coronagraph and a starshade to enable the direct optical detection of exoplanets as close as 70 mas to their star. In addition to the study of exoplanets, HabEx carries two dedicated instruments for general astrophysics. The first instrument is a camera enabling imaging on a 3 arc minute field of view in two bands stretching from the UV at 150 nm to the near infrared at 1800 nm. The same instrument can also be operated as a multi-object spectrograph, with resolution of 2000. The second instrument is a high-resolution UV spectrograph operating from 300 nm down to 115 nm with up to 60,0000 resolution. HabEx would provide the highest resolution UV/optical images ever obtained. Diffraction limited at 0.4 μm, it would outperform all current and approved facilities, including the 30 m class ground-based extremely large telescopes (ELTs), which will achieve ~0.01 arcsecond resolution at near-infrared (IR) wavelengths with adaptive optics, but will be seeing-limited at optical wavelengths. HabEx would observe wavelengths inaccessible from the ground, including the UV and in optical/near-IR atmospheric absorption bands. Operating at L2, far above the Earth’s atmosphere and free from the large thermal swings inherent to HST’s low-Earth orbit, HabEx would provide an ultra-stable platform that will enable science ranging from precision astrometry to the most sensitive weak lensing maps ever obtained. Here we discuss the design concepts of the general astrophysics optical instruments for the proposed observatory.
Assessment of historical foundation response of Fort Sumter, South Carolina, using finite element modelling

This article presents the findings of foundation condition analysis performed on the historical coastal fortification, Fort Sumter in Charleston, South Carolina, through coupled numerical modelling...
From analytics to artificial intelligence

Analytics have been employed by companies for several decades, but now many firms are interested in building their capabilities for artificial intelligence (AI). Many AI systems, however, are based...
Length for Uniform Flow Development in a Rough Laboratory Flume

AbstractUniform flow is important for physical model studies because generalizing flow data is possible only if the collected data is from locations where the flow is uniform, i.e., the test sectio...
Practices That Support and Sustain Health in Schools: An Analysis of SHPPS Data

Background The Whole School, Whole Community, Whole Child (WSCC) model provides an organizing framework for schools to develop and implement school health policies, practices, and programs. The purpose of this study was to examine the presence of practices that support school health for each component of the WSCC model in US schools. Methods Data from the School Health Policies and Practices Study 2014 were analyzed to determine the percentage of schools with practices in place that support school health for WSCC components. Results Less than 27% of schools had a school health council that addressed any specific WSCC component, but more than 50% had a coordinator for all but one component. The use of other practices that support school health varied widely across the WSCC components. For example, more than 80% of schools reported family engagement for health education and nutrition environment and services, but less than 50% reported family engagement for other components. Conclusions These results indicate that many US schools are using practices that support school health and align with WSCC components, but improvement is needed. These results also highlight discrepancies in the types of practices being used.
Municipal and Sub-Federal Debt Market

According to the 2016 year-end data, the regional consolidated budget and local government off-budget funds’ budget ran a deficit of Rb 303.5m and thereby reached an almost deficit-free level. By comparison, the regional consolidated budget and local government off-budget funds’ budget amounted to Rb 178.7bn (0.22% of GDP) in 2015.
A deformation model for elevated temperature including grain size distribution effects

It is widely believed that grain boundary sliding, accommodated by diffusion. which leads to a Newtonian viscous behavior (a e) and grain matrix deformation exhibiting a power law creep behavior (a e m ), are the two concurrent deformation phenomena occurring at elevated temperatures in metals, particularly during superplastic flow. A deformation model for this combined behavior has been developed in which the grain size and its distribution are taken into account. Strain compatibility relations have been utilized to predict material flow behavior under loading, load relaxation, and steady-state conditions. Comparison with experimental results shows that the sigmoidal σ-e relationship for superplastic metals is explained well by the model. The model also simulates other experimental aspects as well as internal stress development during elevated temperature flow.
Clinical trial participation and aggressive care at the end of life in patients with ovarian cancer.

Objectives In non-gynecologic cancers, clinical trial participation has been associated with aggressive care at the end of life. The objective of this investigation was to examine how trial participation affects end of life outcomes in patients with ovarian cancer. Methods In a retrospective review of women diagnosed with ovarian cancer at our institution between January 2010 and December 2015, we collected variables identified by the National Quality Forum as measures of aggressive end of life care including chemotherapy in the last 14 days of life, intensive care unit (ICU) admission in the last 30 days of life, or death in the acute care setting. Trials investigating medications but not surgical interventions were included. The primary outcome of this study was the association between trial participation and the National Quality Forum measures of aggressive end of life care in ovarian cancer decedents. Data were analyzed with univariable and multivariable parametric and non-parametric testing, and time to event outcomes were analyzed using the Kaplan–Meier method and Cox’s proportional hazard models. Results Among 391 women treated for ovarian cancer, 62 patients (16%) participated in a clinical trial. Patients enrolled in clinical trials were more likely to have chemotherapy administered within 14 days of death; however, no association was found with other metrics of aggressive care at the end of life including the initiation of a new chemotherapy regimen in the last 30 days of life, ICU admissions, and death in an acute care setting. Among patients with recurrent ovarian cancer, median overall survival for trial participants was 57 months compared with only 31 months in non-trial participants (p Conclusions In patients with ovarian cancer, clinical trial enrollment is associated with chemotherapy administration within 14 days of death, but not other measures of aggressive care at the end of life. Given the importance of clinical trial participation in improving care for women with ovarian cancer, this study suggests that concerns regarding aggressive care prior to death should not limit clinical trial participation.
How do you… decide which platelet bacterial risk mitigation strategy to select for your hospital‐based transfusion service?

The United States Food and Drug Administration Final Guidance for Industry titled, "Bacterial Risk Control Strategies for Blood Collection Establishments and Transfusion Services to Enhance the Safety and Availability of Platelets for Transfusion" provides nine strategies for platelet bacterial risk mitigation. Even if it is assumed all strategies are comparable in terms of safety and efficacy, the decision of which to implement remains challenging. Some additional factors that warrant evaluation before selecting a strategy include the financial impact, process for implementation, logistics upon implementation, institutional acceptance by blood bank staff, administration and clinicians, and effect on platelet availability. To assist with this difficult choice, a panel of transfusion service physicians who have expertise on the topic and have already selected strategies for their transfusion services were recruited to provide varied perspectives. In addition, the use of a decision-making tool that objectively evaluates defined criteria for assessment of the nine strategies is described.
Mathematically Modeling Anhedonia in Schizophrenia: A Stochastic Dynamical Systems Approach.

Objective Anhedonia, traditionally defined as a diminished capacity for pleasure, is a core symptom of schizophrenia (SZ). However, modern empirical evidence indicates that hedonic capacity may be intact in SZ and anhedonia may be better conceptualized as an abnormality in the temporal dynamics of emotion. Method To test this theory, the current study used ecological momentary assessment (EMA) to examine whether abnormalities in one aspect of the temporal dynamics of emotion, sustained reward responsiveness, were associated with anhedonia. Two experiments were conducted in outpatients diagnosed with SZ (n = 28; n = 102) and healthy controls (n = 28; n = 71) who completed EMA reports of emotional experience at multiple time points in the day over the course of several days. Markov chain analyses were applied to the EMA data to evaluate stochastic dynamic changes in emotional states to determine processes underlying failures in sustained reward responsiveness. Results In both studies, Markov models indicated that SZ had deficits in the ability to sustain positive emotion over time, which resulted from failures in augmentation (ie, the ability to maintain or increase the intensity of positive emotion from time t to t+1) and diminution (ie, when emotions at time t+1 are opposite in valence from emotions at time t, resulting in a decrease in the intensity of positive emotion over time). Furthermore, in both studies, augmentation deficits were associated with anhedonia. Conclusions These computational findings clarify how abnormalities in the temporal dynamics of emotion contribute to anhedonia.
Using Nonstandardized Assessments to Evaluate Cognitive-Communication Abilities following Pediatric Traumatic Brain Injury

The subtle cognitive-communication challenges experienced by students with traumatic brain injury (TBI) are often missed, leaving these students with unmet needs in the school environment and increasing the likelihood for negative social, academic, and vocational outcomes. For children and adolescents with TBI, nonstandardized assessment offers several advantages over standardized assessment procedures, and may improve speech-language pathologists' ability to identify students who might benefit from intervention services. This article discusses curriculum-based assessment and discourse analysis specifically and uses case studies to demonstrate how these procedures can be used within the school environment. Nonstandardized assessment procedures are a valuable tool to measure a student's cognitive-communication abilities and the effects of intervention in real-world contexts.
Chapter 15 – Steam Flooding

This chapter first reviews thermal properties of rock and fluids and related energy concepts. The fundamentals of heat transfer and heat loss, theories to estimate the heated area and oil recovery performance are briefly presented. The mechanisms and screening criteria of steam flooding are discussed. After the general practice in steam flooding projects is discussed, field cases are presented which include Kern River in California, Duri steam flood in Indonesia, West Coalinga Field in California, Karamay Field and the Qi-40 block in Laohe, China.
Paleomagnetic Constraint of the Brunhes Age Sedimentary Record From Lake Junín, Peru

Normalized remanence, a proxy for relative geomagnetic paleointensity, along with radiocarbon and U-Th dates, facilitates the generation of a well-constrained chronology for sediments recovered during International Continental Scientific Drilling Program (ICDP) coring of Lake Junin, Peru. The paleomagnetic record of the ~88 meter stratigraphic section from Lake Junin was studied, and rock magnetic variability constrained, through analysis of 109 u-channel samples and 56 discrete samples. Downcore variations in sediment lithology reflect climate and hydrological processes over glacial-interglacial time frames and these changes are strongly reflected in the bulk magnetic properties. Glacial sediments are characterized by higher detrital silt content, higher magnetic susceptibility and magnetic remanence values, and a magnetic coercivity that is characteristic of ferrimagnetic (titano)magnetite and/or maghemite. Interglacial sediments and low lake-level facies are dominated by carbonate lithologies and/or peat horizons that result in lower magnetic concentration values. Sediments with moderately high NRM intensity (>1 x 10-3 A/m) have well-resolved component directions and inclination values that vary around geocentric axial dipole expectations. This remanence value can be used as a threshold to filter the lowest quality paleomagnetic data from the record. Normalized NRM intensity values are also sensitive to lithologic variability, but following NRM remanence filtering, only the highest quality ferrimagnetic dominated data are retained which then show no coherence with bulk magnetic properties. Constrained by the existing radiocarbon based chronology over the last 50 kyrs and 18 U-Th ages that are restricted to five interglacial sediment packages, filtered normalized remanence parameters compare well with global relative paleointensity stacks, suggesting relative variations in geomagnetic intensity are preserved. By adjusting the existing age-depth model we improve the correlation between the Junin normalized intensity record and a well-dated RPI stack and RPI model. We then incorporate these paleomagnetic tie points with the existing radiometric dates using a modeling approach to assess uncertainty and refine the age-depth model for Lake Junin. In combining relative and radiometric dating, the new age-depth model captures glacial-interglacial variations in sedimentation rate and improves the orbital-scale age model for the sediments accumulated in Lake Junin basin over most of the Brunhes.
Imaging Features of Vulnerable Carotid Atherosclerotic Plaque and the Associated Clinical Implications

Carotid atherosclerotic plaque composition influences plaque rupture risk and may be used to better stratify patients based on ischemic stroke risk than degree of luminal stenosis alone. The goal of this review is to critically evaluate the ability of both conventional and advanced noninvasive vascular imaging techniques to identify and characterize vulnerable carotid plaques. Advanced noninvasive vascular imaging techniques include contrast-enhanced vascular ultrasound, dual-energy CT, and MR vessel wall imaging (VWI). Each of these modalities has unique strengths with the ability to evaluate the degree of luminal stenosis and provide insight into carotid atherosclerotic plaque composition. MR VWI has proven superior to other imaging modalities in terms of its ability to accurately characterize and quantify components of carotid plaque including intraplaque hemorrhage, lipid-rich necrotic core, dystrophic calcification, and the integrity of the plaque fibrous cap. Advanced noninvasive vascular imaging techniques such as MR VWI offer important insights into carotid atherosclerotic plaque composition and have the potential to dramatically improve the quality of care delivered to patients with carotid atherosclerosis.
Stochastic Traffic Regulator for End-to-End Network Delay Guarantees.

Providing end-to-end network delay guarantees in packet-switched networks such as the Internet is highly desirable for mission-critical and delay-sensitive data transmission, yet it remains a challenging open problem. Due to the looseness of the deterministic bounds, various frameworks for stochastic network calculus have been proposed to provide tighter, probabilistic bounds on network delay, at least in theory. However, little attention has been devoted to the problem of regulating traffic according to stochastic burstiness bounds, which is necessary in order to guarantee the delay bounds in practice. We propose and analyze a stochastic traffic regulator that can be used in conjunction with results from stochastic network calculus to provide probabilistic guarantees on end-to-end network delay. Numerical results are provided to demonstrate the performance of the proposed traffic regulator. 11 This work was supported in part by the U.S. National Science Foundation under Grant No. 1717033.
Detection of Coherent GNSS-R Measurements Using a Support Vector Machine

This paper presents a support vector machine (SVM) -based detection method to identify coherent reflections in GNSS-R measurements. The data was collected by Spire low-Earth orbit (LEO) satellites during January to April, 2019, and it contains the In-phase (I) and Quadrature (Q) correlation outputs at 50 Hz from open-loop (OL) tracking process. The coherence detection is investigated based on 1100 labelled 1-second data segments. The detection results show that the SVM-based method achieves a detection accuracy of 98.66% and outperforms several other algorithms.
Expanding access to pancreas transplantation for type 2 diabetes mellitus.

Purpose of review The vast majority of cases of diabetes mellitus (DM) in the United States are classified as type 2 DM (T2DM). Restrictive listing criteria and uncertainty regarding outcomes have historically limited access to pancreas transplantation for individuals with T2DM, although it has been used with success in patients with type 1 DM (T1DM). This review summarizes several recent studies that have sought to clarify the indications, appropriate patient selection, and outcomes of pancreas transplantation in the setting of T2DM. Recent findings Pancreas transplants have increased over the last few years, largely due to an increase in listings for simultaneous pancreas-kidney transplant (SPK) in patients with T2DM. Retrospective data demonstrate similar patient and allograft survival in patients with T1DM and T2DM undergoing SPK, and improved outcomes in patients with T2DM after SPK compared to those receiving a kidney transplant alone, although these studies are often confounded by selection biases. Patient selection for pancreas transplant has traditionally focused on body mass index, pretransplant insulin requirements, and fasting C-peptide, and the categorization of patients to T1DM or T2DM. Emerging data suggests this practice is inadvertently and unnecessarily restrictive. Summary There is a growing body of evidence to support increasing consideration of pancreas transplantation in patients with T2DM, with support for equivalent patient and graft survival and glycemic control. Future prospective studies are indicated to better evaluate the role of preoperative patient factors in selection for pancreas transplantation and to explore long-term outcomes in patients with T2DM.