cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Effects of control structure on performance for an automotive powertrain with a continuously variable transmission

The wheel speed control problem of an automotive powertrain equipped with a conventional spark-ignition engine directly connected to a continuously variable transmission (CVT) and an electronic throttle is considered. We revisit the work by Guzzella and Schmid (1995) and show that the control structure that dedicates the throttle actuator to maintaining engine operation at the maximum fuel efficient operating points results in a single-input-two-output system that presents a fundamental limitation in the achievable wheel speed response. The limitation arises from the nonminimum phase (NMP) zero in the transfer function from the CVT ratio rate to the vehicle wheel speed. We relax the requirements on the fuel efficient operation and employ the electronic throttle as a second actuator for the wheel speed regulation problem. The resulting two-input-two-output control structure is then analyzed to determine how to mitigate the limitations associated with the NMP zero. Simulations show that the multivariable strategy improves the system performance because it produces minimum phase behavior without large transient deviations from the optimal fuel economy operation.
Neuropsychiatry Evaluation and Treatment of Children with Head Injury

As the survival rate of children and adolescents who have experienced head injuries has improved, attention has turned to outcome, including cognitive, social, and psychiatric problems. This article focuses on the evaluation and management of neuropsychiatric sequelae of severe head injuries occurring in childhood and adolescence. Medical management and psychotherapeutic interventions are discussed in the contexts of hospitalization and long-term follow-up at home and in the community.
New and continuing issues with using visible fat classes to estimate fat stores of birds

OF VIEW Point-of-view contains short papers (?_ 5 printed pages, about 4000 words) on selected topics that are intended for discussion and comment on recent issues. Authors are encouraged to be provoca ive nd argue their own views on controversial issues. Point-of-View is also open for communication of new ideas and re-evaluations of previously published data and hypotheses. Readers are welcome to suggest suitable topics and/or potential authors at JAB@ekol.lu.se
Service oriented architecture

Service oriented architecture (SOA) is a paradigm for organizing a set of capabilities, often distributed across the network and possibly under the control of different ownership domains. The organized capabilities can be used to provide solutions to business problems. A business problem is broadly defined as any problem, in any domain of interest, encountered by an individual or organization as it goes about its business. SOA is applied to business problems that are amenable to information technology solutions. Services are made visible to potential users, interact with users through a series of information exchanges, and produce real-world effects. Invocation and information exchange rely on standard languages and protocols that facilitate interoperability. From a user's perspective, invoking a service to produce an intended effect is experienced as a single, atomic operation. The detailed sequence of actions carried out by the service may involve any number of operations such as database queries, data transformations, execution of models, and formatting of displays. These operations may themselves be composed of lower level operations. The data and/or software modules required to perform the operations may reside at different physical locations and be controlled by different organizations. The details of composing the sequence of actions that produces the real world effect are transparent to the user interacting with the service. SOA frees users to concentrate on their business problem, leaving the details of the solution to the service. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. For further resources related to this article, please visit the WIREs website.
Effects of Fortuitously Activated Constructs Versus Activated Communication Goals on Person Impressions

The relative impact of construct accessibility effects (i.e., the influence of accessible and applicable constructs) and communication goal effects (i.e., the influence of constructs activated through communication goals) on both the interpretation and transmission of ambiguous target information and Ss' private target impressions is examined. Whether communication goal effects can lead to recoding of target information is also examined. Ss were primed with either positive or negative trait constructs, were presented with ambiguous target information, and were instructed to communicate their description and impressions of the target to a recipient holding either positive, negative, or neutral attitudes toward the target. Construct accessibility effects were present in the case of the neutral recipient but were overridden by communication goal effects in the case of either the positive or negative recipient. Furthermore, communication goals introduced at retrieval led to recoding of target information. Research on the psychological processes underlying the formation of person impressions has tacitly accepted the assumption that impression formation is governed by intraindividual factors. The process of impression formation is thought to involve perceivers' attending to target behaviors and encoding the behaviors in line with relevant accessible constructs, at least when the behaviors are ambiguous. Thus, the impression of the target is decisively shaped by the constructs that happen to be accessible at encoding. (For alternative views, see Anderson, 1974; Brewer, 1988; and Jones & Davis, 1965.) However, the impression formation process can also be influenced by interindividual factors. For instance, when impressions are formed with a communicative intent, they may be molded by the demands of the communication process per se {e.g., characteristics of the recipient to whom target impressions are to be communicated), instead of or in addition to being shaped by relevant, accessible constructs. This article is concerned with the joint influence of intraindividual and inter individual factors on the formation of person impressions.
A Micro-Mechanically Based Continuum Model for Strain-Induced Crystallization in Natural Rubber

Abstract Recent experimental results show that strain-induced crystallization can substantially improve the crack growth resistance of natural rubber. While this might suggest superior designs of tires or other industrial applications where elastomers are used, a more thorough understanding of the underlying physics of strain-induced crystallization in natural rubber has to be developed before any design process can be started. The objective of this work is to develop a computationally-accessible micro-mechanically based continuum model, which is able to predict the macroscopic behavior of strain crystallizing natural rubber. While several researchers have developed micro-mechanical models of partially crystallized polymer chains, their results mainly give qualitative agreement with experimental data due to a lack of good micro–macro transition theories or the lack of computational power. However, recent developments in multiscale modeling in polymers give us new tools to continue this early work. To begin with, a micro-mechanical model of a constrained partially crystallized polymer chain with an extend-chain crystal is derived and connected to the macroscopic level using the non-affine micro-sphere model. Subsequently, a description of the crystallization kinetics is introduced using an evolution law based on the gradient of the macroscopic free energy function (chemical potential) and a simple threshold function. Finally a numerical implementation of the model is proposed and its predictive performance assessed using published data.
Sewnet -: a framework for creating services utilizing telecom functionality

With Telecom market reaching saturation in many geographies and revenues from voice calls decreasing, Telecom operators are trying to identify new sources of revenue. For this purpose, these operators can take advantage of their core functionalities like Location, Call Control, etc. by exposing them as services to be composed by developers with third party offerings available over the Web. To hide the complexity of underlying Telecom protocols from application developers, the operators are steadily adopting Service Oriented Architecture (SOA) and reference standards like Parlay-X and IMS. However, a number of challenges still remain in rapid utilization of Telecom functionalities for creating new applications - existence of multiple protocols, different classes of developers, and the need to coordinate and manage usage of these functionalities. In this paper, we present SewNet, a framework for creating applications exploiting Telecom functionality exposed over a (converged) IP network. More specifically, SewNet a) provides an abstraction model for encapsulating invocation, coordination and enrichment of the Telecom functionalities, b) renders a service creation environment on top of this model, and c) caters to various different categories of developers. With the help of two use-case scenarios, we demonstrate how SewNet can create services utilizing rich Telecom functionality.
COMPARISON OF FIVE AGENTS IN PROTECTING THE COCHLEA AGAINST THE OTOTOXIC EFFECTS OF CISPLATIN IN THE HAMSTER

The purpose of this investigation was to study the ameliorating effects of four agents on cisplatin-induced ototoxicity. Hamsters were given a series of five cisplatin injections either alone or in combination with sodium thiosulfate (STS), diethyldihydrothiocarbamate (DDTC), and S-2(3-aminopropylamino) ethylphosphorothioic acid (WR-2721), or fosfomycin. Ototoxicity was assessed anatomically by quantifying the extent of cochlear damage with the scanning electron microscope and physiologically with measures of the auditory brain stem response. When administered alone, cisplatin induced widespread loss of outer hair cells (OHCs) along much of the cochlea in the hamster, especially in the basal and middle turns, with an average survival of only 56% of the OHC population. In contrast, inner hair cells resisted cisplatin ototoxicity in the hamster. Thus the ameliorative effects of the different test agents were assessed by counting the number of surviving OHCs in each treatment group and comparing with cisplatin-treated controls. STS provided the most effective protection against the ototoxic effects of cisplatin, yielding 91% survival of OHCs. DDTC also reduced the ototoxic effects of cisplatin, yielding 68% survival of OHCs. Cotreatment with WR-2721 and fosfomycin yielded 45% and 52% OHC survival, respectively, and thus did not provide any chemoprotection. The results closely paralleled those based on auditory brain stem response recordings in that the magnitude of threshold shift was proportional to the amount of OHC loss; also, the amount of threshold shift at each frequency was in good agreement with the pattern of hair cell loss along the cochlear spiral. Thus both histologic and physiologic results suggest that STS and DDTC hold promise for ameliorating the ototoxic effects of cisplatin chemotherapy.
Prevalence and Prediction of Overweight and Obesity Among Elementary School Students

BACKGROUND The high rates of childhood overweight and obesity in the United States have generated interest in schools as sites for monitoring body mass index (BMI) information. This study established baseline values for a 5-year longitudinal assessment of BMI of elementary school children and examined variation across the schools, because little is known about factors that affect the distribution of overweight and obesity within school districts. METHODS Height and weight measurements were collected on 2317 elementary school children in 1 school district. BMI was calculated using the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's NutStat program. Child characteristics included gender, age, eligibility for free and reduced lunch (proxy for socioeconomic status [SES]), school, grade, and ethnicity/race. Children were grouped into 2 BMI categories, <85th percentile or ≥85th percentile (overweight/obesity). Logistic regression was used to examine potential predictors of overweight/obesity. RESULTS Prevalence of ≥85th percentile was 30.9%, 34.4%, 35.3%, 36.4%, 37.1%, and 44.5% for K-5, respectively. Prevalence of ≥85th percentile was highest among Hispanic children. Ethnicity was the strongest predictor of inclusion in the ≥85th percentile category followed by grade and free and reduced lunch eligibility. CONCLUSION The data are consistent with the prevalence of overweight/obesity among American children and Hispanic children in particular. District prevalence of overweight/obesity is higher than available state statistics. Most of the BMI variation is accounted for by ethnicity, SES, and grade. The grade effect and high prevalence of overweight/obesity provide a rationale for BMI screening retention at the schools.
Happiness Studies and Legal Policy

Social scientists have conducted numerous empirical and experimental studies of self-reported happiness. This review focuses on two fundamental areas of research in happiness and law, namely alternative measures of happiness and various policies to foster happiness. There are many aspects, concepts, dimensions, and visions of happiness. Empirical findings often depend critically on which particular measure of happiness is analyzed. Happiness studies have applications to national well-being indices; policy evaluation; civil judicial and jury decision making about liability and damages in cases of sexual harassment, employment discrimination, and torts; optimal tax law design; family law; criminal sentencing; legal education; and legal practice. There are decision-making, health, productivity, and psychological benefits to various types of happiness. There are more or less paternalistic happiness interventions, including policies to encourage regular physical exercise, good sleep, and meditation. Hopefully,...
The impact of a peer learning strategy on student academic performance in a fundamental engineering course

One of the main reasons that engineering students withdraw from their major programs is the discouraging academic performance in fundamental engineering courses. It not only limits students' access to advanced engineering courses, but also diminishes students' attitudes toward engineering. The purpose of this pilot study is to investigate the effect of the proposed peer learning strategy on students' learning of Dynamics, a fundamental engineering course. Research questions of this study include: Q1: To what extent does the proposed peer learning strategy improve students' understanding of engineering dynamics? Q2: To what extent does the proposed peer learning strategy change students' attitudes toward engineering? Seventy students who enrolled in the Engineering Dynamics course in the fall 2014 and spring 2015 participated in this study. Students' performance by question type (PQT) were defined and analyzed to identify students' academic needs and to assign peer learning teams. Results suggested that peer learning strategy proposed in this pilot study had positive impact on students learning of dynamics and attitudes toward engineering. Limitations and future studies were discussed at the end of this WIP.
Visual Phototransduction: Biochemical Aspects

This paper is a brief overview of the current status of research on the molecular mechanism of visual phototransduction and does not discuss the diversified aspects of the visual process in detail, for which the reader is referred to other reviews1–4 and monographs.5–6
Health Risk Perceptions Predict Smoking-related Outcomes in Greek College Students

Health risk perception in smoking behavior was prospectively evaluated in a cluster-randomized trial for smoking cessation in Greek college students. Perceived Vulnerability (PV), Precaution Effectiveness, Optimistic Bias, and smoking behavior measures (quit attempts and cessation) were assessed in college-aged Greek student smokers at baseline, end of treatment (3 months), and follow-up (6 months). Using generalized estimating equations, baseline risk perception variables and change in risk perception variables between baseline and end of treatment were examined as predictors of the dichotomous smoking outcome variables. Results revealed that higher baseline PV [OR = 1.42 (1.21, 1.68)] predicted a greater likelihood of a quit attempt (n = 267). An increased likelihood of cessation [OR = 1.41 (1.15, 1.72)] was also predicted by an increase in PV from baseline to end of treatment (n = 243). Overall results suggested that PV was the strongest predictor of smoking behavior change, supporting further examination of health risk perceptions in promoting smoking cessation among Greek college smokers.
Computation of Turbulent Flow in a Lid-Driven 2D Cavity and a 3D Box Using a Number of Turbulence Models

In this paper, various turbulence models are used for simulating internal turbulent flow with large recirculation by considering the flow in a 2-D lid-driven square cavity and a 3-D lid driven cubic box. The accuracy of the newly developed Wray-Agarwal (WA) one equation turbulence model is compared against the two well-known industry standard turbulence models the Spalart-Allmaras (SA) model and the ShearStress-Transport (SST) k-ω model. The simulations are performed by numerically solving the ReynoldsAveraged Navier-Stokes (RANS) equations in conjunction with WA, SA and SST k-ω models and comparing the results with the available experimental data and Large Eddy Simulation (LES) results. 2-D numerical solutions are obtained at Reynolds numbers of 10,000, 20,000, 50,000, and 100,000. 3-D numerical solutions are obtained at Reynolds numbers of 3200 and 10,000. All numerical calculation are compared with other numerical results available in the literature. The open-source CFD code OpenFOAM is used to compute the flow field. Computational results clearly demonstrate that the Wray-Agarwal model outperforms in accuracy both the Spalart-Allmaras and Shear-Stress-Transport k-ω models at all Reynolds numbers considered.
Concentrated Disadvantage and Beliefs about the Causes of Poverty: A Multi-Level Analysis

Studies of beliefs about social stratification have generally focused on how individual-level factors shape people's explanations of poverty and inequality. In this article, the authors contribute to this literature by adding a community-level measure of “concentrated disadvantage” (poverty and associated conditions) to models predicting support for individualistic (person-centered) and structuralist (system-challenging) beliefs about the causes of poverty. Using data from two Los Angeles County surveys and the 1990 Census, multi-level linear and logistic regression models reveal that higher levels of concentrated disadvantage are associated with increased support for both individualist and structuralist explanations of poverty—a “dual consciousness” pattern the authors attribute to increased exposure to social conditions that simultaneously foster sympathetic and antagonistic attitudes toward the poor. These findings add useful information to our knowledge of stratification beliefs and contribute to a gr...
TEST OF HEAT ENGINEERING AND DESIGN OF RESIDENTIAL BUILDING IN THE SEVERE COLD AREA

Aiming at the energy saving housing problem in severe cold area rural areas,a new energy saving precast wallboard was designed for 1～2 floor buildings in these areas,this wallboard has the performances of both energy saving and weight bearing,and it is able to replace the residential building in rural areas which were built by clay bricks;through preproduction engineering tests and applications,it has been proved that the new wallboard has favorable energy saving effect,which can shorten the construction period,and effectuate the rational utilization of industrial wastes.
Analysis on Chickenpox Outbreak in Schools of Lianyungang City in 2008

[Objective]To understand the epidemic of chickenpox outbreak in schools of Lianyungang City,and provide scientific evidence for developing preventive measures.[Methods]Descriptive epidemiology was performed on the epidemic of chickenpox outbreak in schools of Lianyungang City in 2008.[Results]A total of 8 incidents were reported in Lianyungang City in 2008 with 159 reported cases,the average attack rate was 2.63%.90.57% outbreaks occurred in rural primary schools (including nurseries),most reported cases aged 6 to 7 years,the epidemic often involved multiple grades and classes,the outbreaks did not show obvious seasonal character.[Conclusion]The epidemic of chickenpox shows upward trend.Timely reporting of outbreaks,isolation of patients,ventilation and disinfection,carrying out publicity and education,and immunization are the key measures to control the occurrence and development of the disease.
Decline of episodic-like memory in the middle-aged CD-1 mice

In the present study,the abilities of episodic-like memory in 13-and 5-month-old CD-1 mice were explored using a three-trial object exploration task.The results showed that the 13-month-old mice had signifi-cantly lower preference index for exploring the spatially displaced "old familiar" object relative to the 5-month-old mice(P 0.05).However,there were no significant inter-group differences in the preference index exploring both "old familiar" objects and the total time exploring all of the four objects(Ps 0.05).Furthermore,neither of the sex and the interaction of age × sex significantly affected these preference indexes and the total time(Ps 0.05).Our results indicated that the middle-aged CD-1 mice had declined episodic-like memory,which might be attributable to the component of "where" in the episodic-like memory task.
[Influencing factors on AIDS-related deaths in Guangzhou 1991-2013].

Objective To analyze the influencing factors on AIDS-related deaths among HIV/AIDS patients in Guangzhou, Guangdong province. Methods A retrospective cohort was formed, based on available data of HIV/AIDS patients between 1991 and 2013 in Guangzhou, that were gathered from the Chinese AIDS Prevention and Control Information System. Cox proportional hazard model was used to identify the influencing factors for AIDS-related deaths. Results Data showed that factors as: existence of full-bloom AIDS when HIV infection was diagnosed (HR =2.717, 95%CI: 2.039-3.621) , diagnose of AIDS was made in the hospitals (HR=1.516, 95%CI: 1.159-1.981) , never received no CD4 count testing (HR=4.866, 95%CI: 3.674-6.444) , no drugs were provided to those who met the criteria for treatment (HR=12.213, 95%CI: 8.467-17.616) , and patients at aged ≥40 years when HIV infection was diagnosed etc., were related to the risk for AIDS deaths. The risk of AIDS-related death was also high in those who did not meet the treatment criteria or receiving no treatment, when compared to those who had received the antiviral treatment (HR=1.936, 95%CI: 1.145-3.272). Conclusion Factors as: earlier diagnosis of HIV/AIDS cases, provision of CD4 count testing and antiviral treatment to more cases etc, could decrease the risk for AIDS-related deaths and improve the survival rate on HIV/AIDS cases. Key words: AIDS; Death; Influencing factor
The Elusive Goal of Impartiality

Over the past ten years, the topic of judicial recusal has received increased attention in virtually every quarter – in the media, in the legal commentary, and even in Congress. The reason for this surge in interest is not due to recent changes in the applicable recusal standards or enhanced investigative reporting, but rather largely appears to be the result of inadequate attention to – or perhaps in some cases, arrogance or callous disregard for – the recusal standards, exacerbated by procedural deficiencies that prevent the recusal rules from being fully effective. This Article seeks to identify the flaws with the current approach to judicial recusal, and then offers a four-step proposal for restoring faith in the judiciary.
Pulmonary circulatory support: A quantitative comparison of four methods

Profound right ventricular failure was produced in 16 goats by inducing ventricular fibrillation after the systemic circulation had been supported with a left atrial-aortic bypass pump. In each animal, four methods of providing pulmonary blood flow were compared quantitatively: passive flow through the pulmonary artery due to a right atrial to left atrial pressure gradient; pulmonary artery pulsation via a 40 ml intra-aortic type balloon within a 20 mm Dacron graft anastomosed to the main pulmonary artery; pulmonary artery pulsation via a 65 ml single-port, valveless, sac type pulsatile assist device; and right atrial-pulmonary arterial bypass via a valved pneumatic pulsatile pump. Average cardiac index of the 16 animals for each method was 31.1 ± 12.9, 44.4 ± 13.6, 64.3 ± 16.9, and 102.0 ± 20.7 ml/min/kg, respectively. Passive pulmonary artery flow alone provided inadequate pulmonary circulatory support. Addition of pulmonary artery pulsation via the intra-aortic balloon within a conduit increased cardiac index 13.3 ml/min/kg (43%) above passive pulmonary artery flow (p
Economic Analysis in Judicial Decision Making - An Assessment Based on Judge Posner's Tax Decisions

In recent years, many of the most vocal proponents of law and economics have been appointed to the bench, including Richard Posner, Guido Calabresi, and Frank Easterbrook. They have been strong advocates of the judicial use of economic analysis as a tool to help decide cases. This paper explores the ways in which Judge Posner has used economic analysis in his tax decisions, with the goal of identifying the ways in which he has used such analysis and then assessing its effectiveness. I focus on Judge Posner's tax jurisprudence for three reasons. First, he is a leading proponent of the law and economics approach. Second, he has authored over 60 opinions in tax cases. Finally, few question the appropriateness of applying economic reasoning to tax questions. Accordingly, these cases provide a rich and substantial body of material with which to work. In highlighting and evaluating the ways in which Judge Posner has used economic analysis to decide tax cases, I hope to provide insights and guidance on the strengths and limitations of this approach to others who may be urged or tempted to follow suit.
Die Vereinigung der Atome; die moderne dualistische Theorie

Wir haben jetzt ein Bild vom Bau des Atoms bekommen, das zwar in Einzelheiten unvollstandig oder zum Teil sogar fehlerhaft sein mag, das aber sicherlich in den wesentlichen Zugen die Anordnung der Elektronen um den Atomkern herum richtig wiedergibt. Unsere nachste Aufgabe besteht nun darin, moglichst genau die Art und Weise zu erforschen, wie sich zwei oder mehr Atome miteinander vereinigen, um so auch vom Bau des Molekuls ein ahnlich eingehendes Bild zu bekommen. Kurz, wir mussen uns bemuhen, den grosen Komplex von Tatsachen und Hypothesen zu verstehen, den die sogenannte Valenztheorie umfast.
Cortical asymmetry in Parkinson's disease: early susceptibility of the left hemisphere.

Background and Purpose Clinically, Parkinson's disease (PD) presents with asymmetric motor symptoms. The left nigrostriatal system appears more susceptible to early degeneration than the right, and a left-lateralized pattern of early neuropathological changes is also described in several neurodegenerative conditions, including Alzheimer's disease, frontotemporal dementia, and Huntington's disease. In this study, we evaluated hemispheric differences in estimated rates of atrophy in a large, well-characterized cohort of PD patients. Methods Our cohort included 205 PD patients who underwent clinical assessments and T1-weighted brain MRI's. Patients were classified into Early (n = 109) and Late stage (n = 96) based on disease duration, defined as greater than or less than 10 years of motor symptoms. Cortical thickness was determined using FreeSurfer, and a bootstrapped linear regression model was used to estimate differences in rates of atrophy between Early and Late patients. Results Our results show that patients classified as Early stage exhibit a greater estimated rate of cortical atrophy in left frontal regions, especially the left insula and olfactory sulcus. This pattern was replicated in left-handed patients, and was not influenced by the degree of motor symptom asymmetry (i.e., left-sided predominant motor symptoms). Patients classified as Late stage exhibited greater atrophy in the bilateral occipital, and right hemisphere-predominant cortical areas. Conclusions We show that cortical degeneration in PD differs between cerebral hemispheres, and findings suggest a pattern of early left, and late right hemisphere with posterior cortical atrophy. Further investigation is warranted to elucidate the underlying mechanisms of this asymmetry and pathologic implications.
Transapical transcatheter aortic valve replacement in patients with or without prior coronary artery bypass graft operation

Transapical approach (TA) is an established access alternative to the transfemoral technique in patients undergoing transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR) for treatment of symptomatic aortic valve stenosis. The impact of prior coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) on clinical outcomes in patients undergoing TA-TAVR is not well defined. A single center retrospective cohort analysis of 126 patients (male 41%, mean age 85.8 ± 6.1 years) who underwent TA balloon expandable TAVR (Edwards SAPIEN, SAPIEN XT or SAPIEN 3) was performed. Patients were classified as having prior CABG (n = 45) or no prior CABG (n = 81). Baseline clinical characteristics, in-hospital, 30-day, 6 months and one-year clinical outcomes were compared. Compared to patients without prior CABG, CABG patients were more likely to be male (62.2 vs. 29.6%, p < 0.001) with a higher STS score (11.66 ± 5.47 vs. 8.99 ± 4.19, p = 0.003), history of myocardial infarction (55 vs. 21.1%, p < 0.001), implantable cardioverter defibrillator (17.8 vs. 3.7%, p = 0.017), left main coronary artery disease (42.2 vs. 4.9%, p < 0.001), and proximal left anterior descending coronary artery stenosis (57.8 vs. 16%, p < 0.001). They also presented with a lower left ventricular ejection fraction (%) (42.3 ± 15.3 vs. 54.3 ± 11.6, p < 0.01) and a larger effective valve orifice area (0.75 ± 0.20 cm2 vs. 0.67 ± 0.14 cm2, p = 0.025). There were no intra-procedural deaths, no differences in stroke (0 vs. 1.2%, p = 1.0), procedure time in hours (3.50 ± 0.80 vs. 3.26 ± 0.86, p = 0.127), re-intubation rate (8.9 vs. 8.6% p = 1.0), and renal function (highest creatinine value 1.73 ± 0.71 mg/ml vs.1.88 ± 1.15 mg/ml, p = 0.43). All-cause mortality at 6 months was similar in both groups (11.4, vs. 17.3% p = 0.44), and one-year survival was 81.8 and 77.8% respectively (p = 0.51). On multivariate analysis, the only factor significantly associated with one-year mortality was prior history of stroke (HR, 2.76; 95% CI, 1.06-7.17, p = 0.037). Despite the higher baseline clinical risk profile, patients with history of prior CABG undergoing TA-TAVR had comparable in-hospital, 6 months and one-year clinical outcomes to those without prior CABG.
Decentralization can help reduce deforestation when user groups engage with local government

Policy makers around the world tout decentralization as an effective tool in the governance of natural resources. Despite the popularity of these reforms, there is limited scientific evidence on the environmental effects of decentralization, especially in tropical biomes. This study presents evidence on the institutional conditions under which decentralization is likely to be successful in sustaining forests. We draw on common-pool resource theory to argue that the environmental impact of decentralization hinges on the ability of reforms to engage local forest users in the governance of forests. Using matching techniques, we analyze longitudinal field observations on both social and biophysical characteristics in a large number of local government territories in Bolivia (a country with a decentralized forestry policy) and Peru (a country with a much more centralized forestry policy). We find that territories with a decentralized forest governance structure have more stable forest cover, but only when local forest user groups actively engage with the local government officials. We provide evidence in support of a possible causal process behind these results: When user groups engage with the decentralized units, it creates a more enabling environment for effective local governance of forests, including more local government-led forest governance activities, fora for the resolution of forest-related conflicts, intermunicipal cooperation in the forestry sector, and stronger technical capabilities of the local government staff.
Myoelectric Activation Pattern Changes in the Involved Limb of Individuals With Transtibial Amputation During Locomotor State Transitions.

Abstract Objective To investigate whether lower extremity muscle activation patterns differ in the strides leading to locomotive state transitions in the involved limb of individuals with transtibial amputation. It is hypothesized that all transitions elicit activation differences between strides as the subjects move toward the transition event. Design Single-sample, observational study. Setting University research center. Participants Volunteer sample of persons with unilateral transtibial amputation (N=9; mean age, 48.8±12.1y; mean height, 1.74±0.09m; mean weight, 86.1±24.7kg) were recruited by posting flyers in local prosthetics clinics. Interventions Not applicable. Main Outcome Measures Surface electromyography was used to measure muscle activation from 7 muscles of the involved limb. Subjects walked across 8 different terrain conditions transitioning from level-ground to ramp/stair locomotion and vice versa. Statistical Parametric Mapping analysis of variance (α Results No muscle activation changes were observed in ramp transitions. All stair transitions elicited a myoelectric difference in at least 2 muscles. The transition from stair descent to level ground elicited change in the greatest number of muscles. Tibialis anterior activation was unchanged in all transitions. Conclusions Muscle activation differences were observed in the involved limb of individuals with transtibial amputation during stair transitions, suggesting that those patterns may be successfully used in transition detection algorithms. It remains unknown whether ramp transitions can be successfully identified pretransition using electromyography.
Medications to Avoid in Acute Decompensated Heart Failure

The goal of this chapter is to educate physicians and practitioners of medicine on agents to avoid when managing patients with acute decompensated heart failure (ADHF). Through this review, we will offer explanations as to why it is necessary to refrain from the usage of certain medications, with the goal of providing optimal health care. The latest research reveals several classes of medications which should be used with caution or not at all in patients with ADHF. We found that vasodilators (like ACE inhibitors) present the risk of hypotension, while beta- and calcium channel blockers worsen decompensation. Additionally, anti-arrhythmics were found to increase mortality, inotropes caused several deleterious effects (hypotension, arrhythmia), and glycosides offered no mortality benefit. Practitioners should be able to understand the adverse effects associated with the use of several drug classes in ADHF. With a proper understanding of these risks, they can make an educated determination as to whether they should be utilized in certain clinical scenarios.
ATLAS searches for heavy Higgs bosons and supersymmetry using tau decays

Abstract Results from the ATLAS experiment from searches for heavy Higgs bosons and supersymmetry with tau leptons in the final states are presented. The analyses discussed use datasets corresponding to approximately 13-15 fb −1 of 13 TeV proton-proton collision data taken in the years 2015-2016. No significant excess above the Standard Model is observed, and limits are set on new physics in various supersymmetric scenarios.
The Act of Computer Programming in Science

Classically, computers have been used as knowledge discovery tools insofar as the result of executing a program provides useful insight. For instance, the solution of a differential equation may help us understand the natural world, the value of a parameter of a statistical model may help us understand the probabilistic structure of a domain, the variable assignment maximising an objective function may help to further business goals. A secondary class of knowledge discovery stems from the act of using a programming language. By modeling a domain computationally, the developer can discover new and interesting properties of that domain, and better convey those insights to others. The purpose of this work is twofold: First, we want to show that programming languages can help their users achieve knowledge discovery moments and, secondly, that this property is the least exploited feature of programming languages in the general science community. We want to outline a research program with the objective of making scientific programming more efficient in its ultimate goal of knowledge discovery.
Long-term follow-up of mind-body medicine practices among medical school graduates.

Introduction: We sought to determine the long-term use of mind-body medicine (MBM) skills after graduation from medical school.Methods: An online survey was sent to Georgetown University School of ...
Validation of a Shortened Version of the Children's Eating Behavior Questionnaire and Associations with BMI in a Clinical Sample of Latino Children.

Abstract Objective To examine the validity of the Children's Eating Behavior Questionnaire (CEBQ) through the associations of its 3 subscale scores (food responsiveness, slowness in eating, and satiety responsiveness) with body mass index (BMI). Design Cross-sectional study of baseline data from a clinic-based obesity prevention and control randomized controlled trial. Participants Latino pediatric patients (n = 295) aged 5–11 years from a federally qualified health center in San Diego County, CA, with BMI percentiles ranging from 75.5 to 99.0. Main Outcome Measure Child BMI-for-age percentile computed using the standardized program for the 2000 Centers for Disease Control and Prevention growth charts. Analysis Principal components analysis and multivariate linear regressions. Results Principal components analysis showed a factor structure relatively similar to that of the original 3 CEBQ subscales, with acceptable internal consistency and between-subscale correlations. Analyses demonstrated the validity of the 3 subscales: child BMI was positively associated with food responsiveness (β = .336; P ≤ .001) and negatively associated with slowness in eating (β = −.209; P ≤ .001) and satiety responsiveness (β = −.211; P ≤ .001). Conclusions and Implications The 14-item CEBQ scale may be useful for assessing obesogenic eating behaviors of Latino children. Further study is needed to replicate these findings.
Sex Differences in Long-Term Cause-Specific Mortality After Percutaneous Coronary Intervention: Temporal Trends and Mechanisms.

Background— Women have higher rates of all-cause mortality after percutaneous coronary intervention. Whether this is because of greater age and comorbidity burden or a sex-specific factor remains unclear. Methods and Results— We retrospectively assessed cause-specific long-term mortality after index percutaneous coronary intervention over 3 time periods (1991–1997, 1998–2005, and 2006–2012). Cause of death was determined using telephone interviews, medical records, and death certificates. We performed competing risks analyses of cause-specific mortality. A total of 6847 women and 16 280 men survived index percutaneous coronary intervention hospitalization 1991 to 2012. Women were older (mean±SD: 69.4±12 versus 64.8±11.7 years; P P P Conclusions— The higher mortality after percutaneous coronary intervention in women is because of death from noncardiac causes. This is accounted for by baseline age and comorbidities rather than an additional sex-specific factor. These findings have implications for sex-specific clinical care and trial design.
Pathogenesis and glycemic management of type 2 diabetes mellitus: a physiological approach

Type 2 diabetes (T2DM) is an incompletely understood chronic, progressive multifactorial disease with insulin resistance and decreased β-cell function playing dominant roles in its genesis. The worldwide incidence of the disease is rapidly increasing to pandemic proportions. The increase in incidence of T2DM is attributable to changes in lifestyle, diet and obesity, but other causes remain to be defined. The disease is a major cause of early mortality due to atherosclerosis and cardiovascular disease (CVD), and is the leading cause of blindness, leg amputations, and chronic renal disease. Hyperglycemia inT2DM becomes manifest once insulin secretion is no longer adequate for the metabolic demands of the individual. The approach to glycemic management of the disease is increasingly based on understanding the underlying pathophysiology. Efforts to maintain and preserve β-cell function during the earlier phases of the disease may have important implications in prevention of subsequent complications of T2DM. Finally, the approach to glycemic management of the disease should be individualized by considering the psycho-socio-economic condition of each patient, and glycemic targets should reflect presence of comorbid conditions, age of the patient, the stage of their disease in terms of duration, presence of macro- and micro-vascular complications, and propensity for severe hypoglycemia.
Morphological analysis of particles and surfaces

Morphological analysis is defined as the science of the analysis of points in space. Subtopics include the analysis of profiles; the analysis of surfaces; and the analysis of three-dimensional bodies. If the fourth dimension, time, is included in the treatment, then the effects of changing geometries can be studied. This paper presents the development of morphological analysis to profile and surfaces. The discussion leads the reader through various steps in the analysis from the initial sampling of surface points through the representation stage, to the final development of invariant forms which constitute the morphological features of the profile or surface respectively. Some examples are given to illustrate results of this method of analysis.
Improved maximum mutual information estimation training of continuous density HMMs.

In maximum mutual information estimation (MMIE) training, the currently widely used update equations derive from the Extended Baum-Welch (EBW) algorithm, which was originally designed for the discrete hidden Markov model (HMM) and was extended to continuous Gaussian density HMMs through approximations. We derive a new set of equations for MMIE based on a quasi-Newton algorithm, without relying on EBW. We find that by adopting a generalized form of the MMIE criterion, the H-criterion, convergence speed and recognition performance can be improved. The proposed approach has been applied to a spelled-word recognition task leading to a 21.6% relative letter error rate reduction with respect to the standard Maximum Likelihood Estimation (MLE) training method, and showing advantages over the conventional MMIE approach in terms of both training speed and recognition accuracy.
Prisoners' Dilemma, One-shot and Iterated

A discussion of Prisoners' Dilemma, both in its initial one-shot format and its iterated, supergame extension. Which are the rational strategies of action in a Dilemma supergame? Is cooperation ever rational? The backward induction argument (which holds that it isn't) is considered and also the equilibrium analysis of open-ended supergames. The many-person version of the Dilemma is discussed. Some questions of the stability of various Prisoners' Dilemma strategies are then raised.
Preface to Part XVII

Hurford’s article is a useful introduction to the topic of complex systems and their potential significance in mathematics education. He focuses on two categories of issues. The first concerns the possibility of treating complex systems as an important topic to be included in any mathematics curriculum that claims to be preparing students for full participation in a technology-based age of information. The second concerns the possibility of using systems theory in general, and complexity theory in particular, to develop models to explain the development of students’ mathematical thinking in future-oriented learning or problem solving situations.
Transient Focal Neurological Episodes with Subsequent Catastrophic Intracerebral Hemorrhage Due To Cortical Superficial Siderosis and Amyloid Angiopathy (P1.233)

Objective: A 74 year-old, right handed man was admitted after experiencing a 15 minute episode of expressive aphasia, and recent complaints of intermittent left hand, arm, leg and face dysaesthesias. Recent outpatient neurological workup for dysaesthesias included a non-contrast MRI that demonstrated abnormal susceptibility in the right frontal and parietal sulci compatible with areas of old subarachnoid hemorrhage. He had a history of back injuries due to several motorcycle accidents. He was normotensive with a normal neurologic exam on admission. MRI brain demonstrated a punctuate area of restricted diffusion in the left sylvian fissure representing an acute stroke. He was discharged on aspirin and clopidogrel after a negative stroke work up as per recent guidelines. After two days, he was brought unresponsive with agonal breathing to the emergency department after sudden onset of headache with vomiting. CT head revealed an acute right temporal lobe intraparenchymal hemorrhage and a right subdural hemorrhage. A 2.4 cm leftward midline shift, uncal and subfalcine herniations and hydrocephalus was noted. He underwent an emergent right craniectomy and external ventricular drain placement. He failed to improve and his family opted for palliative care; he subsequently expired. A specimen from the right temporal lobe was consistent with scattered amyloid plaques and amyloid angiopathy, consistent with a definitive diagnosis of cerebral amyloid angiopathy (CAA). Transient focal neurologic episodes (TFNE) that occur in CAA have been reported to be associated with cortical superficial siderosis (cSS) on MRI. The presence of cSS has also been associated with an increased risk of future symptomatic lobar ICH. Our patient had evidence of cSS on brain MRI, however it was presumed to be from prior traumatic subarachnoid hemorrhages. Our case represents a catastrophic outcome by treating an acute ischemic stroke with anti-platelet agents in the setting of TFNE with cSS. Background: NA Design/Methods: NA Results: NA Conclusions: NA Disclosure: Dr. Goltz has nothing to disclose. Dr. Cheng has nothing to disclose. Dr. Black has nothing to disclose. Dr. Salamon has nothing to disclose. Dr. Wright has nothing to disclose.
Pneumatosis Coli Formation via Counterperfusion Supersaturation in a Patient with Severe Diarrhea

We present the case of an elderly male patient with known multiple myeloma who was hospitalized with profuse watery diarrhea and abdominal pain after a course of induction chemotherapy. Intestinal intramural gas was found on imaging and the diagnosis of pneumatosis intestinalis was confirmed by colonoscopy. We propose counterperfusion supersaturation as the etiology for this patient’s pneumatosis coli via disruption of homeostasis between nitrogen and hydrogen normally present in the bowel. His condition was successfully treated with antidiarrheal medications and inhaled oxygen as well as intravenous hydration, and he eventually completed multiple myeloma directed chemotherapy with an excellent response. In this report, we discuss how clinicians can improve management of pneumatosis intestinalis by understanding the proposed pathophysiology.