cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Phase II Clinical Trial of Ixabepilone in Metastatic Cervical Carcinoma

LESSONS LEARNED Accrual to cervical cancer studies remains a puzzling challenge given the lack of options and the dismal prognosis of this disease. The majority of patients referred for a trial such as this have very advanced disease that is difficult to manage.The observation of 4 partial responses among the 41 patients indicates that ixabepilone has some activity but not sufficient for further development without greater understanding of mechanisms of sensitivity and resistance. BACKGROUND Ixabepilone is a microtubule-stabilizing agent approved for metastatic breast cancer. Preclinical data have shown that ixabepilone is active in taxane-sensitive and -resistant cells. Metastatic cervical carcinoma (mCC) has a poor prognosis and no established second-line therapies. This study assessed the efficacy and safety of ixabepilone in previously treated mCC. METHODS Patients with histologically confirmed mCC and at least one prior cisplatin-containing regimen were treated with ixabepilone [6 mg/m(2) per day for 5 days] every 21 days. The primary endpoint was progression-free survival (PFS) according to the Response Evaluation Criteria in Solid Tumors (RECIST). Secondary endpoints were response rate, rate of tumor growth, overall survival (OS), and safety. Levels of glu-terminated and acetylated tubulin, markers of microtubule stabilization, and surrogates for target engagement were assessed by Western blot. RESULTS In total, 41 patients were enrolled; 34 had tumors with primarily squamous histology. The median number of prior therapies was 2 (range 1-6). Four patients (9.7%) had a partial response. Median PFS in months was 2.3 for all, 3.84 for taxane-naive, and 2.03 for taxane-pretreated patients (p = .13). Consistent with this, we found statistically similar (p = 1) rates of growth in taxane-naive patients (0.0035 per day) and taxane pretreated patients (0.0053 per day). Median OS was 5.84 months. G1/2 toxicities included vomiting (43%), sensory neuropathy (21%), and fatigue (60%). Bowel fistulas were observed in 7% of patients. Glu and acetylated tubulin were assessed in tumor samples from 11 patients during the first cycle of treatment. Although there was clear evidence of "target engagement" and microtubule stabilization in all tumors, a correlation between the extent of tubulin stabilization and response to therapy could not be demonstrated. CONCLUSION Ixabepilone was well tolerated but showed very modest activity in second- or later-line mCC and cannot be recommended as a therapy. Target engagement was demonstrated but was not correlated with responses, suggesting that other factors mediate drug sensitivity. New strategies are needed for refractory mCC.
Foraminiferal evidence of sediment toxicity in anthropogenically influenced embayments of Puget Sound, Washington, U.S.A.

Abstract Environmental monitoring in estuarine settings depends on sediment quality guidelines and standards (SQG and SQSs) developed using scientific investigation and analysis. The purpose of this study was to utilize benthic foraminifera as a proxy for assessing the health of two severely impacted embayments within the complex fjordal system of Puget Sound (Washington, United States of America) and testing the efficacy of the standards used in monitoring the Sound. The embayments, Sinclair and Dyes inlets, have been subjected to contamination by military, industrial, residential and agricultural effluents for over 100 years, resulting in some of the most toxic marine sediments in Puget Sound. Although the results of chemical tests were within acceptable limits of the State monitored SQSs, toxicity and biotic assessments were not. The present study found that benthic foraminiferal assemblages were notably of low species diversity and strongly dominated by species tolerant of various contaminants and dysoxia. Foraminiferal density and diversity deteriorated between 1974 and 2008, with Sinclair Inlet showing a near collapse of foraminiferal assemblages by 2008. A similar trend was seen in the benthic macroinvertebrates studied by the Washington State Department of Ecology. In addition, large numbers of calcareous foraminiferal tests showed signs of dissolution, particularly in Sinclair Inlet; these numbers increased in later sampling years, as did the number of samples that were barren of foraminifera. This suggests a need for re-examination of the metrics used to set environmental standards and the need for better understanding of the compounding effects of contaminants on the biota.
Neural Vulnerability Factors that Increase Risk for Weight Gain: Prevention and Treatment Implications

Obese versus lean humans show greater activation of reward valuation regions (caudate, amygdala, orbitofrontal cortex [OFC], insula) in response to palatable food images and to cues that signal impending palatable food receipt. Although this elevated responsivity theoretically results from conditioned associations between reward from palatable food and cues that signal impending palatable food receipt (the incentive sensitization theory), elevated amygdala response to palatable food images, nucleus accumbens response to palatable food images, OFC response to cues that predict palatable food image presentation, and striatal response to palatable food commercials predict future weight gain. These data suggest that elevated reward region responsivity to food cues trigger cravings that drive overeating. One prevention implication is that reducing intake of energy dense food should attenuate the conditioning process that gives rise to the hyper-responsivity of reward regions to food cues. Emerging evidence also suggests that thinking of the long-term health costs of eating unhealthy foods reduces reward region response to food cues, increases activation of inhibitory regions to food cues, and attenuates cravings, implying that prevention and treatment interventions should include cognitive reappraisal training. A pilot trial revealed that an intervention that trained young adults to apply cognitive reappraisals when confronted with unhealthy foods resulted in increased responsivity of a region implicated in inhibitory control and decreased responsivity of a region implicated in attention and expectation in response to palatable food images, but produced only pre-post reductions in body fat relative to participants in an obesity education control condition that did not persist over follow-up. It may be possible to use real time fMRI biofeedback to increase the effects of the cognitive reappraisal obesity prevention program. Yet obese versus lean adults also show less striatal D2 receptor availability, lower capacity of nigrostriatal neurons to synthesize dopamine, and weaker striatal activation (caudate, putamen) in response to high-fat/high-sugar food intake. Although animal experiments indicate that overfeeding results in reduced sensitivity of reward regions to food intake and pharmacologic stimulation, echoing effects from prospective weight gain studies with humans, individuals may overeat to compensate for an inborn or acquired reward deficit. Our pilot obesity prevention trial also encouraged participant-driven reductions dietary fat and sugar intake, but we did not find evidence of pre-post increases in reward region response to palatable beverages. Continued effort to translate neuroscience findings into obesity prevention and treatment interventions may yield more effective interventions for this pernicious public health problem.
Sexism discussion misses the point

Tim Hunt's recent comments on women in science were incredibly inappropriate ([ 1 ][1]). However, as the response has ballooned into a public discussion excoriating pervasive sexism and discrimination among male scientists ([ 2 ][2]), I find myself bewildered by this message. Personally, the senior
Note on Valuation of Cash Flows in Different Currencies

This technical note explains how to use discounted cash flow to value cash flows in a foreign currency. The logic and details of using both the forward-rate method (using future exchange rates) and the spot-rate method (using the spot exchange rate but also using foreign discount rates) are explained. The note is especially useful as a companion reading to cases involving international investment (e.g., capital budgeting) decisions.
Reflective Writing for Medical Students on the Surgical Clerkship: Oxymoron or Antidote?

Objectives Reflective writing has emerged as a solution to declining empathy during clinical training. However, the role for reflective writing has not been studied in a surgical setting. The aim of this proof-of-concept study was to assess receptivity to a reflective-writing intervention among third-year medical students on their surgical clerkship. Study Design The reflective-writing intervention was a 1-hour, peer-facilitated writing workshop. This study employed a pre–post-intervention design. Subjects were surveyed on their experience 4 weeks before participation in the intervention and immediately afterwards. Surveys assessed student receptivity to reflective writing as well as self-perceived empathy, writing habits, and communication behaviors using a Likert-response scale. Quantitative responses were analyzed using paired t tests and linear regression. Qualitative responses were analyzed using an iterative consensus model. Setting Yale-New Haven hospital, a tertiary care academic center. Participants All medical students of Yale School of Medicine, rotating on their surgical clerkship during a 9-month period (74 in total) were eligible. In all, 25 students completed this study. Results The proportion of students desiring more opportunities for reflective writing increased from 32%-64%. The proportion of students receptive to a mandatory writing workshop increased from 16%-40%. These differences were both significant (p = 0.003 and p = 0.001). In all, 88% of students also reported new insight as a result of the workshop. In total, 39% of students reported a more positive impression of the surgical profession after participation. Conclusion Overall, the workshop was well-received by students and improved student attitudes toward reflective writing and the surgical profession. Larger studies are required to validate the effect of this workshop on objective empathy measures. This study demonstrates how reflective writing can be incorporated into a presurgical curriculum.
Interactions Between Idiothetic Cues and External Landmarks in the Control of Place Cells and Head Direction Cells

Knierim, James J., Hemant S. Kudrimoti, and Bruce L. McNaughton. Interactions between idiothetic cues and external landmarks in the control of place cells and head direction cells. J. Neurophysiol....
Notes on Some Cercosporae of India

Species of Cercospora included in the present study were collected in My'sore State, South India, during 1944-46. Most of the collections were made in the vicinity of Bangalore and Nandi Hills which are situated at an altitude of 3,000 ft. and 4,850 ft. above sea level respectively. The annual rain fall is about thirty inches. The present collection comprises thirty-nine different species of which twelve are described as new. Many of the commonly known species of Cercospora are not included. Types of the new species are deposited in the Herb. Crypt. Ind. Orient., New Delhi, India, Cornell University Herbarium, and in Herb. I. M. I., Kew, England.
Important value of double staining endoscopy in diagnosis of early digestive tract cancer

Objective: To investigate the value of double staining endoscopy in the diagnosis of early digestive tract cancer.Methods: 1 880 patients who had received gastrointestinal endoscopy examination in the digestive endoscopy center of Fengtai hospital from January 2009 to December 2010 were selected and divided into the observation group(406 patients) and the control group(1 474 patients).The observation group received the endoscopic double staining of acetic acid-Lugol's iodine solution and acetic acid-methylene blue and parallel pathological examination,while the control group received empirical biopsy pathological examination.The differences between the two groups were observed.Results: In the observation group,there were 213 patients with esophageal mucosal staining and the total detection rate was 15.5%.There were 4 patients with early cancer and the detection rate of moderate and severe atypical hyperplasia and esophageal early cancer was 8.0%.In the control group,there were 588 patients with esophageal mucosal staining and the total detection rate was 3.1%.The detection rate of moderate and severe atypical hyperplasia and esophageal early cancer was 1.2%.There were significant differences between the observation group and the control group(P0.01).In the observation group,there were 109 patients with gastric mucosal staining and the total detection rate was 66.1%.There were 7 patients with early cancer and the detection rate of moderate and severe atypical hyperplasia and early gastric cancer was 24.8%.In the control group,there were 548 patients with gastric mucosal staining and the total detection rate was 8.6%.The detection rate of moderate and severe atypical hyperplasia and early gastric cancer was 1.6%.There were significant differences between the observation group and the control group(P0.01).In the observation group,there were 84 patients with intestinal mucosal staining and the total detection rate was 79.8%.There was 1 patient with early cancer and the detection rate of moderate and severe atypical hyperplasia and colon and rectal early cancer was 10.7%.In the control group,there were 338 patients with intestinal mucosal staining and the total detection rate was 19.8%.The detection rate of moderate and severe atypical hyperplasia and colon and rectal early cancer was 0.6%.There were significant differences between the observation group and the control group(P0.01).Conclusion: The endoscopic double staining of acetic acid-Lugol's iodine solution and acetic acid-methylene blue can improve the detection rate of digestive tract early cancer and precancerosis,thereby of high application value.
Effect of dietary protein and enalapril on proximal tubular delivery and absorption of albumin in nephrotic rats.

In passive Heymann nephritis (PHN), angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibition (ACEI) or a low dietary protein intake decreases albuminuria (UAlbV). Although this reduction in albuminuria appears to result from an improvement in glomerular permselectivity, the effect of these treatments on albumin permeation and absorption by the nephron has not been clarified. This study used micropuncture techniques to examine the effect of these two treatments on albumin permeation (by measuring the delivery of albumin to the proximal tubule) and the tubular absorption of albumin. PHN rats (12-18 days after injection of FX1A) were switched from 23% to either 40% protein diet (HP), 40% protein diet and concomitantly treated with enalapril (40 mg.kg-1.day-1) (HPE), or to 8% (LP) protein diet for 4-6 days. Although left kidney glomerular filtration rate (GFR) did not differ among the groups, UAlbV from the left kidney in LP and HPE was only 20-40% of that observed for the HP group. In protocol 1, the fractional recovery of albumin (FRAlb) in urine was calculated following injection of artificial tubular fluid containing [14C]inulin and 125I-labeled albumin into the earliest identifiable proximal loops. There were no differences in FRAlb among the three groups. In protocol 2, timed quantitative collections of tubular fluid were obtained from proximal tubular loops. The rate of albumin delivery to the earliest accessible loops of the proximal tubule was significantly lower for the LP and HPE groups compared with the HP group. For each group, albumin concentration corrected for water absorption was not altered along the proximal tubule. The data indicate that alterations of dietary protein intake or ACEI treatment results in large changes in the delivery of albumin at the proximal tubule that could singularly account for the changes in urinary albumin excretion.
Using Celebrities in Abnormal Psychology as Teaching Tools to Decrease Stigma and Increase Help Seeking.

Research shows that a very small percentage of those who suffer from mental illness seek professional help and fear of stigma is a principal factor why individuals are reluctant to obtain assistance. This study evaluated whether using examples of celebrities’ experiences with mental illness as a form of “contact” with a mentally ill person would reduce public stigma toward mental illness as well as stigma toward obtaining psychological assistance. Data were collected using a pre–post design from 38 (experimental group) and 17 (control group) college undergraduate students enrolled in an abnormal psychology course. Compared to the control group, the use of celebrities as narratives to teach about mental illness resulted in reduced public stigma toward mental illness and reduced stigma toward seeking help.
Overlap-based genome assembly from variable-length reads

Recently developed high-throughput sequencing platforms can generate very long reads, making the perfect assembly of whole genomes information-theoretically possible [1]. One of the challenges in achieving this goal in practice, however, is that traditional assembly algorithms based on the de Bruijn graph framework cannot handle the high error rates of long-read technologies. On the other hand, overlap-based approaches such as string graphs [2] are very robust to errors, but cannot achieve the theoretical lower bounds. In particular, these methods handle the variable-length reads provided by long-read technologies in a suboptimal manner. In this work, we introduce a new assembly algorithm with two desirable features in the context of long-read sequencing: (1) it is an overlap-based method, thus being more resilient to read errors than de Bruijn graph approaches; and (2) it achieves the information-theoretic bounds even in the variable-length read setting.
Total Knee Arthroplasty in the Younger Patient.

The rate of total knee arthroplasty (TKA) utilization in younger patients (< 65 years old) is increasing. Little is known regarding demographics and in-hospital outcomes in this population. The National Hospital Discharge Survey (NHDS) database was searched using International Classification of Diseases, Ninth Revision (ICD-9) procedure codes for patients admitted to U.S. hospitals for unilateral primary TKA between 2001 and 2010. Patients were separated into young (< 65 years of age) and senior cohorts (≥ 65 years of age). ICD-9 diagnosis and procedure codes were used to identify demographics, hospital length of stay, in-hospital adverse events, mortality, and discharge disposition. Trends were evaluated by linear regression with Pearson correlation coefficient (r) and statistical comparisons were made using Student t-test and chi-square analysis. The young cohort accounted for 38.4% of TKAs performed from 2001 to 2005, increasing to 42.7% of TKAs from 2006 to 2010. They had a higher percentage of males (36.4 vs. 34.2%, p < 0.001). Rates of obesity (11.1 vs. 6.0%, p < 0.001) and morbid obesity (5.8 vs. 1.9%, p < 0.001) were significantly higher, yet they had less comorbidities (4.7 vs. 5.2, p < 0.001), and lower rates of transfusion (12.2 vs. 19.8%, p < 0.001), pulmonary embolism (PE) (0.31 vs. 0.49%, p < 0.020), and mortality (0.03 vs. 0.18%, p < 0.001). Patients < 65 years old undergoing TKA have almost double the rate of obesity of patients ≥ 65 years old. This could explain the higher rates of periprosthetic infection and aseptic mechanical failure seen in younger patients. However, the young cohort had a more favorable discharge disposition and lower mortality and risk of PE than elderly patients.
A Selective Decision-Feedback Detector for Space-Time Block Code with Combined Diversity and Spatial Multiplexing

Selective decision feedback detection (SDFD) is investigated for decoding the space-time block code which provides both diversity gain and spatial multiplexing gain. In SDFD, the system matrices are formulized with the real and imaginary parts decoupled before the channel matrix is Q-R decomposed (QRD). With a column permutation of the channel matrix, two candidates for the solution are obtained. The candidate with the lesser mean square error is selected as the detector output. SDFD is simpler than the sphere detector, while the error performance in certain conditions is very close to that provided by the optimum detector.
ALL OPTICAL OVSF CODE GENERATOR REALIZATION USING OPTICAL FLIP FLOP AND OPTICAL HARDLIMITTERS

The orthogonal variables spreading factor (OVSF) provides variables data rates to flexible support many applications with different bandwidth. This paper presents an optical OVSF code generator using all optical gates and a set of all optical flip-flops based on two coupled polarization switches (PSWs). The optical OVSF code generator helps to use the OVSF code technique in optical communications. The general objective is to make the OVSF code tree suitable to support a lot of users in the optical communication links. The overall design and the results are discussed through the realization and the computing numerical simulation to confirm its operation and feasibility. The proposed scheme has been theoretically demonstrated for a spreading factor of 4 and 8.
Are the ACOSOG Z0011 Trial Findings Being Applied to Breast Cancer Patients Undergoing Neoadjuvant Chemotherapy

In 2010, the ACOSOG Z0011 trial showed equivalent survival and recurrence between sentinel lymph node biopsy (SLNB) alone versus axillary lymph node dissection (ALND) for those with a tumor positive sentinel node (SN). We examined national trends in axillary surgery following neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NAC) for clinically node positive disease in the years prior to and after the Z0011 trial publication. 12,063 women with cT1-4N1M0 invasive breast cancer who underwent NAC from 2006 to 2013 and had 1-3 positive nodes on pathology were selected from the National Cancer Data Base. We defined SLNB as 1-4 nodes and ALND as ≥10 nodes examined. 2,704 women (22.4%) underwent SLNB alone and 9,359 (77.6%) underwent ALND. The rate of SLNB increased from 25.6% in 2006 to 33.3% in 2012 in patients that underwent lumpectomy (p < 0.01) and increased from 20.6% to 22.8% in patients that underwent mastectomy (p = 0.25). Patients treated at Community centers (30.4% versus 19.2% at Academic centers) and those with less positive nodes (32.2% for 1 positive node versus 10.1% for 3 positive nodes, p < 0.01) were more likely to have SLNB alone compared to ALND. On multivariate analysis, treatment with lumpectomy (OR 1.46, CI 1.28-1.67), lower number of positive nodes (OR 3.98, CI 3.29-4.82) and lobular subtype (OR 1.82, CI 1.42-2.34) were independent predictors of receiving SLNB alone after NAC. Approximately 22% of patients with cN1 breast cancer underwent SLNB alone for pN1 disease after NAC. Ongoing clinical trials will determine if recurrence and survival rates are equivalent between SLNB and ALND groups.
Aggregated surrogate simulator for groundwater-surface water management via simulation-optimization modeling: Theory, development and tests

Abstract Computational requirements sometimes discourage using mathematical optimization for groundwater management. To dramatically reduce computation time, the presented hybrid response matrix method (RMM), Coefficient Generation and Use method 4 (CGU4), prepares surrogate simulators used during optimization. CGU4 reduces numerical model simulations needed to populate the surrogates (linearized convolution equations, LCEs). LCEs often represent flow and head constraints within groundwater flow optimization problems. CGU4 reduces computations for problems having: varying time period sizes; eras of sequential time periods of equal duration; and system (non)linearity. For a situation having: linear, piece-wise, and nonlinear groundwater flows; 20 periods of varying and sequentially constant durations; and optimization problems employing (non)linear objective functions and linear head and aquifer-surface seepage constraints, CGU4 requires 22–61% fewer simulations to compute optimal objective function values within 0.001–0.003% of the best alternative RMM. For hypothetical (non)linear dynamic stream-aquifer problems, CGU4 required the same or 63–89% less time than previous RMMs.
Recent advances in high power microwave sources and the science of electronics in extreme electromagnetic environments at the university of new mexico

The University of New Mexico (UNM) has two research thrusts in high power electromagnetics: (i) the development of novel sources of high power microwave (HPM) radiation with ever-increasing beam-to-microwave conversion efficiency in the frequency range from 1 GHz to over 100 GHz, and (ii) the development of physics-based predictive models on how electronics (and software execution) are affected when they are exposed to fluctuating voltages (in the microwave frequencies) that stress their operation slightly beyond specification. This paper summarizes recent advances in these two areas.
Responding to Modern Sensibilities: Emma and Edvard Entangled

This article is an edited version of the response paper offered at the conclusion of the symposium, Modern Sensibilities. It ties together themes from the symposium papers, as well as ideas prompted by Mieke Bal’s exhibition, Emma & Edvard: Love in the Time of Loneliness, and her accompanying book, Emma and Edvard Looking Sideways: Loneliness and the Cinematic. It focuses on the anachronistic entanglements among Flaubert’s “Emma,” Munch’s motifs, Mieke Bal and Michelle Williams Gamaker’s Madame B, the Munch Museum’s architecture and exhibition scenography, and the exhibition viewer.
Misdirected: Targeting and Attack Under the U.S. Department of Defense Law of War Manual

The stated purpose of the U.S. Department of Defense’s Law of War Manual “is to provide information on the law of war to DoD personnel responsible for implementing the law of war and executing military operations.” Unfortunately, with respect to the rules governing the conduct of hostilities, the Manual fails to achieve its stated purpose. With respect to some rules, the Manual provides insufficient information to help U.S. forces understand and fulfill their legal obligations. With respect to other rules, the Manual provides misinformation that, if followed, will lead U.S. forces to violate their legal obligations. In a previous article, I critically examined the Manual’s original provisions regarding target selection, precautions in attack, and proportionality with respect to human shields. Fortunately, the December 2016 updates to the Manual partially correct some of the most alarming errors of the original. Unfortunately, significant problems remain. I will briefly revisit these topics at the end of this chapter. However, my primary concerns lay elsewhere. As I wrote in my previous article, “[l]awful targeting begins with lawful targets. Problems with the Manual begin there as well.” These are the problems that I wish to discuss here. When do civilians lose their protection from attack? What steps must combatants take to confirm that particular individuals are liable to attack? When must combatants refrain from attack in case of doubt? In my view, the Manual’s general criteria for the loss of civilian protection are broad and vague; its standard for determining that specific individuals have lost their protection is weak and subjective; and its license to attack in cases of doubt is unreasonable and dangerous. On each point, the Manual reflects neither the lex lata nor the lex ferenda, neither the law as it is nor the law as it should be. The Manual provides misinformation to U.S. forces and spreads dangerous ideas to the world beyond our shores. The Manual has been updated twice before. For the sake of our troops and the civilians affected by our military operations, the Manual must be updated again.
Parametric study of the dual vertical axis wind turbine using CFD

Abstract The Dual Vertical Axis Wind Turbine (D-VAWT) is an innovative turbine proposed to improve the aerodynamic efficiency of small Vertical Axis Wind Turbines (VAWTs). The D-VAWT has two axes, allowing the blades to move in an oval shaped path to extend the region of maximum power generation of a typical VAWT. The aim of this paper is to perform a parametric study on the D-VAWT variables as a previous investigation aimed only to prove its concept. The current study is performed through 2D unsteady simulations using computational fluid dynamics. Advanced moving mesh techniques are used to prescribe the motion of the blades, combining the sliding and dynamic mesh techniques as well as re-meshing for multi-blade simulations. A turbine with a single blade is first investigated to determine the relation between the tip speed ratio (TSR) and power coefficient. The investigation continues with the study of the turbine sensitivity to different incoming wind angles, turbine axes spacing, number of blades, airfoil profile and blade mounting point. It was found that the D-VAWT has a low sensitivity to TSR, allowing the turbine to operate efficiently for a wide range of TSRs.
Email Phishing Susceptibility in a Public School Setting: Identifying at Risk Educators

Malicious activity in cyberspace has become commonplace, and cyber-criminals with malicious intent may take advantage of the ill-informed or unprotected masses. One widespread form of cyber-attack is phishing, whereby the attacker uses social engineering techniques to extract information from its victims. This study aims to determine if there is a difference in the variance between the amount of time a user spends on the Internet and his/her susceptibility to phishing attacks. Results conclude that the variance in the amount of time spent on the Internet is a factor in the susceptibility of victims to a phishing style attack. Keywords: Phishing, Security, Social Engineering, Cyberattacks, Levene, GoPhish To cite this document: Michael Horton and Hayden Wimmer, " Email Phishing Susceptibility in a Public School Setting: Identifying at-Risk Educators ", International Journal of Cyber Society and Education, Vol. 10, No. 1, pp. 31-46, 2017. Permanent link to this document: http://dx.doi.org/10.7903/ijcse.1551
Climate-related variation in plant peak biomass and growth phenology across Pacific Northwest tidal marshes

Abstract The interannual variability of tidal marsh plant phenology is largely unknown and may have important ecological consequences. Marsh plants are critical to the biogeomorphic feedback processes that build estuarine soils, maintain marsh elevation relative to sea level, and sequester carbon. We calculated Tasseled Cap Greenness, a metric of plant biomass, using remotely sensed data available in the Landsat archive to assess how recent climate variation has affected biomass production and plant phenology across three maritime tidal marshes in the Pacific Northwest of the United States. First, we used clipped vegetation plots at one of our sites to confirm that tasseled cap greenness provided a useful measure of aboveground biomass (r2 = 0.72). We then used multiple measures of biomass each growing season over 20–25 years per study site and developed models to test how peak biomass and the date of peak biomass varied with 94 climate and sea-level metrics using generalized linear models and Akaike Information Criterion (AIC) model selection. Peak biomass was positively related to total annual precipitation, while the best predictor for date of peak biomass was average growing season temperature, with the peak 7.2 days earlier per degree C. Our study provides insight into how plants in maritime tidal marshes respond to interannual climate variation and demonstrates the utility of time-series remote sensing data to assess ecological responses to climate stressors.
A CASE-CONTROL STUDY OF PREECLAMPSIA AND THE FUTURE DEVELOPMENT OF CARDIOVASCULAR RISK FACTORS

Pre-eclampsia (PE), defined as new-onset hypertension and proteinuria after 20 weeks of gestation, occurs in approximately 3-5% of pregnancies and is a known risk factor for future cardiovascular disease. We sought to define the incidence of PE within our integrated health network, determine the
Mamyshev fiber oscillators: environmental stability and record performance (Conference Presentation)

Ultrafast fiber lasers could provide a compact, robust and cheaper alternative to solid-state sources, such as Ti:sapphire oscillators. If fiber sources can provide equal performance at a fraction of the cost, then many applications of ultrafast pulses and frequency combs will be poised for explosive adaption beyond research laboratories. For the past decade, a major impediment to this has been the reliance on nonlinear polarization rotation (NPR) to mode-lock the lasers. Without NPR, performance is usually insufficient. With NPR, the laser is environmentally unstable. In the past year, remarkable developments have been made based on the use of the Mamyshev regenerator, which simply combines the power-dependent spectral broadening of self-phase modulation with offset spectral filtering to achieve power-dependent transmission. A gain fiber is used to compensate for filtering losses. By arranging two Mamyshev regenerators with opposing spectral filter offsets in a loop, we created a Mamyshev oscillator. Polarization maintaining fibers are used for environmental stability. The power-dependent transmission means that continuous wave lasing is suppressed, and only pulsed operation is possible. This simple but significant change means that incredibly large nonlinear phase shifts can be tolerated. We leverage this large nonlinearity to create spectral bandwidth in a parabolic pulse. We find that the Mamyshev oscillator provides an order-of-magnitude better performance – 1 MW from standard single-mode fiber - than any previous design. Simulations suggest that still greater performance is achievable, and experiments in our laboratory show promise to 10 MW and beyond. Finally, self-starting Mamyshev oscillator results will be discussed.
O uso de flumazenil para depressão respiratória associada ao benzodiazepínico na recuperação pós‐anestésica: riscos e resultados

Resumo Justificativa e objetivos Determinar os fatores de risco da administracao de flumazenil durante a recuperacao pos‐anestesica e descrever os desfechos entre os pacientes que receberam flumazenil. Metodos Os pacientes admitidos em sala de recuperacao pos‐anestesica de um grande centro universitario em setor terciario de cuidados pos‐cirurgia sob anestesia geral entre 1° de janeiro de 2010 e 30 de abril de 2015 foram identificados e pareados com dois controles cada por idade, sexo e procedimento cirurgico. Flumazenil foi administrado na fase de recuperacao imediatamente apos a anestesia geral, de acordo com a avaliacao clinica do anestesiologista. Os dados demograficos, dos procedimentos e dos desfechos foram extraidos do registro eletronico de saude. A regressao logistica condicional para os desenhos do estudo de caso‐controle pareado em 1:2 foi usada para avaliar as caracteristicas associadas ao uso de flumazenil. Resultados A incidencia da administracao de flumazenil em sala de recuperacao pos‐anestesica foi de 9,9 por 10.000 (95% IC: 8,4‐1,6) anestesias gerais. Historia da apneia obstrutiva do sono (razao de chances [OR] = 2,27; IC 95%: 1,02‐5,09), anestesia de longa duracao (OR = 1,13; IC 95%: 1,03‐1,24 por 30 minutos), uso de anestesia intravenosa total (OR = 6,09; IC de 95%: 2,60‐14,25) e uso de benzodiazepinicos (OR = 8,17; IC 95%: 3,71‐17,99) foram associados a risco para a administracao de flumazenil. Entre os pacientes que receberam midazolam, os casos tratados com flumazenil receberam uma dose mediana mais alta (intervalo interquartil) do que os controles: 3,5 mg (2,0‐4,0 mg) vs. 2,0 mg (2,0‐2,0 mg), respectivamente (p Conclusao Os pacientes que precisaram de flumazenil no pos‐operatorio receberam uma dose maior de benzodiazepinicos e usaram mais recursos de cuidados da saude no pos‐operatorio. O uso mais conservador de benzodiazepinicos no periodo perioperatorio pode melhorar a recuperacao e o uso de recursos de cuidados da saude no pos‐operatorio.
Restraint and Hospitalization of Cats

A cat presents a problem in handling for the small animal practitioner much as does the western steer to the rural practitioner, in that the ability of the doctor is often measured by the way the animal is handled rather than by the way the animal responds to the treatment.
On compatibility conditions for the left Cauchy-Green deformation field in three dimensions

A fairly general sufficient condition for compatibility of the left Cauchy–Green deformation field in three dimensions has been derived. A related necessary condition is also indicated. The kinematical problem is phrased as a suitable problem in Riemannian geometry, whence the method of solution emerges naturally. The main result of the paper is general in scope and provides conditions for the existence of solutions to certain types of overdetermined systems of first-order, quasilinear partial differential equations with algebraic constraints.
Validity of the ImPACT Post-Concussion Symptom Scale (PCSS) Affective Symptom Cluster as a Screener for Depression in Collegiate Athletes

OBJECTIVE The relationship between depression and sports-related concussion is complex and has implications both pre- and post-injury. The current study established the construct validity, convergent and discriminant, of the affective symptom cluster of The Immediate Post-Concussion Assessment and Cognitive Test (ImPACT) post-concussion symptom scale (PCSS) as a screening tool for depression. METHOD Nine hundred and thirty (M = 695, F = 235) college athletes were assessed at baseline using the ImPACT PCSS and Beck-Depression Inventory-Fast Screen (BDI-FS). Previous factor analysis identified four symptom clusters on the PCSS: affective, physical, cognitive, and sleep. Clinically significant depression was operationalized as a BDI-FS score ≥4. Receiver Operating Characteristic curves (ROC) were used to determine the ideal cutoff, Chi-square tests of independence were calculated to establish convergent validity, and Fisher's r-to-z comparisons were used to establish discriminant validity of the affective symptom cluster. RESULTS The 90th percentile cutoff yielded the highest sensitivity and specificity on the affective symptom cluster for males (4) and females (6). The correlation between BDI-FS and the 90th percentile cutoff was statistically significantly higher in females (φ = .96) than males (φ = .83), Z = 9.49, p < .001. When correlating the BDI-FS with each PCSS symptom cluster, the correlation with the affective symptom cluster was stronger than its correlation with cognitive, sleep, and physical clusters across gender. DISCUSSION By utilizing a measure of depression within an existing and commonly used assessment, clinicians can easily screen for depression and identify athletes at risk for complicated recovery even in the absence of a supplemental depression assessment.
Expanded non-invasive prenatal diagnostics.

Non-invasive prenatal diagnostics allow for the successful identification of paternally inherited and de novo mongenic diseases using circulating cell-free DNA.
Relaxed Multirate Infinitesimal Step Methods for Initial-Value Problems

This work focuses on the construction of a new class of fourth-order accurate methods for multirate time evolution of systems of ordinary differential equations. We base our work on the Recursive Flux Splitting Multirate (RFSMR) version of the Multirate Infinitesimal Step (MIS) methods and use recent theoretical developments for Generalized Additive Runge-Kutta methods to propose our higher-order Relaxed Multirate Infinitesimal Step extensions. The resulting framework supports a range of attractive properties for multirate methods, including telescopic extensions, subcycling, embeddings for temporal error estimation, and support for changes to the fast/slow time-scale separation between steps, without requiring any sacrifices in linear stability. In addition to providing rigorous theoretical developments for these new methods, we provide numerical tests demonstrating convergence and efficiency on a suite of multirate test problems.
Abstract 506: Pharmacological Inhibition of Forkhead-box Class O Transcription Factors Reduces Nitric Oxide Signaling Through Downregulation of Soluble Guanylate Cyclase

Dysregulated vascular tone contributes to hypertension. Nitric oxide (NO) activated soluble guanylate cyclase (sGC) is an integral player in the regulation of vasodilation capacity through producti...
Long-Term Rates, Capital Shares, and Income Inequality

Using Piketty and Zucman’s (Q J Econ 129(3):1255-1310, 2014) recently published capital share data, this paper uses structural VARs to understand the relationship between long-term interest rates, capital shares, and the distribution of income in the United States. The results indicate that increases in capital shares increase income inequality. Moreover, the relationship between the interest rate and capital shares is found to be negative and statistically significant. The results suggest that low long-term rates, through an equity and business investment channel, further increase the unequal distribution of income in the U.S. The results further illuminate the channels through which monetary policy can potentially affect the distribution of income.
Design and implementation of a novel differential mode active EMI filter with a twin circuit

A novel active EMI filter for differential mode noise attenuation is proposed. The filter consists of a twin circuit that is made up of low voltage/current components that mimic the high power components in the main circuit. The twin circuit uses a constant impedance to represent the mains impedance. Compensation networks to improve stability could be added to the low voltage circuitry thus avoiding any additional high voltage components. The modeling of the entire circuit is carried out and the design example is presented. The experimental results show 22 dB attenuation around 150 kHz using the proposed filter.
Comparison of metabolic and antioxidant responses to a breakfast meal with and without pecans

Abstract Substitution of butterfat with tree nuts in meals may provide metabolic protection, although responses among males and females is unknown. Objective Determine postprandial responses in triglycerides, glycaemia, appetite, and antioxidant capacity from a high saturated fat (SFA) meal containing butter vs. partial substitution of butter for pecans (28 g) in adult males (n = 10) and females (n = 12). Methods This was a double-blind, randomized crossover trial with two testing visits involving consumption of control (high SFA) vs. pecan meal. Blood draws, and a visual analog scale for appetite, were taken at fasting and intermittently for 3 h postprandially. Results Triglycerides (p = 0.02) and lipid peroxidation (p = 0.02) were suppressed more, and antioxidant capacity increased more (p = 0.05), for pecan vs. control in males, but not females. Conversely, females, showed improved satiety ratings (p Conclusion Partial substitution of butter with pecans in a breakfast meal positively affected several health measures in males.
Linear Programming for Multi-Agent Demand Response

This research describes a real-time optimization model for multi-agent demand response (DR) from a Load Serving Entity (LSE) perspective. Three major categories of customers and five types of energy resources are considered simultaneously to achieve efficient DR decision making in highly stochastic future energy markets. Two infinite horizon stochastic optimization models are formulated; specifically, an LSE model and a dynamic pricing customer model. The objective of these models is to minimize long-term cost and discomfort penalty of the LSE and dynamic pricing customers. Because preferences of these two agents are different, they are inseparable and difficult to solve. A deterministic finite horizon linear program is solved as an approximation of the suggested stochastic model, and computational experiments are provided.
International Anti-Impunity Missions in Guatemala and Honduras: What Lessons for El Salvador?

In February 2019, Nayib Bukele was elected president of El Salvador. One prominent pledge he had made during the campaign was the formation of an international commission that would assist in the fight against corruption, linked to the United Nations (UN) and/or the Organization of American States (OAS). The inspiration for this commission was the International Commission against Impunity in Guatemala (CICIG), which has helped the Guatemalan Attorney General’s office identify 60 criminal networks and prosecute over 100 cases resulting in more than 300 convictions since its creation in 2007. It was celebrated as a success after its investigations led to corruption-related indictments of the then-President Otto Perez Molina and the then-vice president. Bukele did not release many details of the proposal before the election, and had designated his vice-presidential candidate, Felix Ulloa, to oversee the initiative. Campaign staff indicated they were seeking to adapt the CICIG model, and also perhaps draw on the Organization of American States Mission in Support of the Fight Against Corruption in Honduras (MACCIH). Both these institutions were innovative attempts to reduce exclusionary governance by a restricted group of elites, to enhance democratic governance, and to model holding even the well-connected and powerful to account. The purpose of this document is to highlight lessons from these two Central American experiences for those interested in establishing a comparable hybrid institution that combines an international mission with national capacities in combatting corruption and/or impunity.
FGF23 and Cause-Specific Mortality in Community-Living Individuals-The Health, Aging, and Body Composition Study.

Objectives Fibroblast growth factor (FGF)-23 is a key regulator of mineral metabolism and has been linked with left ventricular hypertrophy in animal models. Most existing epidemiologic studies evaluated a C-terminal FGF23 assay which measures both the intact (active) hormone and inactive fragments. The relationship of intact FGF23 with cause-specific mortality is unknown. Design Prospective analyses of data from Health, Aging, & Body Composition (HABC) study. Setting Community-living adults aged 70 to 79 years with longitudinal follow up.
Acute effects of alcohol on resting-state functional connectivity in healthy young men.

Abstract Alcohol abuse and dependence remain significant public health issues, and yet the brain circuits that are involved in the rewarding effects of alcohol are poorly understood. One promising way to study the effects of alcohol on neural activity is to examine its effects on functional connectivity between brain areas involved in reward and other functions. Here, we compared the effects of two doses of alcohol (0.4 and 0.8 g/kg) to placebo on resting-state functional connectivity in brain circuits related to reward in 19 healthy young men without histories of alcohol problems. The higher, but not the lower, dose of alcohol, significantly increased connectivity from reward-related regions to sensory and motor cortex, and between seeds associated with cognitive control. Contrary to expectation, alcohol did not significantly change connectivity for the ventral striatum at either dose. These findings reveal unrecognized effects of alcohol on connectivity from reward-related regions to visual and sensory cortical areas.
Do Investors Care About Sentiment

Results of recent research indicate small investor sentiment, as measured by the change in the discount on closed-end funds, is an important factor in the return-generating process for common stocks. We find no evidence of it being an important factor in the return-generating process. We next examine its impact on expected returns and whether one set of firms with high sensitivity to this factor, closed-end funds, offers, and can be expected to offer a higher expected return. Our findings do not support small investor sentiment as a priced factor, either in common stocks or closed-end funds.