cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
A Review of Clinical Practice Guidelines for the Management of Hypertriglyceridemia: A Focus on High Dose Omega-3 Fatty Acids

Cardiovascular (CV) disease remains the leading cause of preventable death in the US. Hyperlipidemia is a major modifiable risk factor for CV disease, and after numerous clinical trials have demonstrated that reductions in low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol with statin therapy can prevent major adverse CV events, statins have emerged as the drug of choice to lower LDL cholesterol and reduce CV risk. However, some statin-treated patients remain at high residual risk of CV events despite achieving low LDL cholesterol levels, especially if their triglyceride (TG) levels are elevated or their high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol levels low. Evidence from genetic and observational studies has linked elevated TG levels to an increased risk of CV events. Furthermore, very high TG levels are associated with acute pancreatitis. Consequently, several clinical practice guidelines provide recommendations for the management and treatment of high and very high TG levels. This review focuses on the clinical practice guidelines for the management of hypertriglyceridemia and the role of prescription omega-3 fatty acids in preventing pancreatitis and CV disease in individuals with high and very high TG levels.
Molecular biology: Messenger RNAs marked for longer life.

A molecular modification called m6Am has been found to regulate the stability of messenger RNAs in mammalian cells. The mechanism casts fresh light on how reversibly modified RNA bases control the fate of mRNA. See Article p.371 Recent studies have highlighted the role of reversible modifications, such as the addition of a methyl group to adenosines (m6A), on RNA function. Samie Jaffrey and colleagues show that a dimethyl-modified base (m6Am) at the 5′ end of certain mRNAs, next to the 7-methylguanosine cap structure, can positively influence mRNA stability by preventing their DCP2-mediated decapping. This modification is itself regulated by the fat mass and obesity-associated protein FTO, a demethylase that exhibits a preference for m6Am over m6A. This work provides insight into the biological importance of FTO, which has been implicated in body weight regulation.
Surveillance for an emerging disease: dengue hemorrhagic fever in Puerto Rico, 1988-1997. Puerto Rico Association of Epidemiologists.

Surveillance for emerging diseases is critically dependent on four factors: reporting methods, case definition, laboratory diagnosis, and knowledge of the disease among health-care professionals. The dengue hemorrhagic fever (DHF) surveillance system in Puerto Rico collects patient data from three sources: dengue case investigation (DCI) forms sent with diagnostic samples, clinical reports from hospital infection control nurses (ICNs), and hospital records. Recruitment of ICN reporting produced a marked increase in notifications (67 to 294). Hospital records of possible DHF cases showed that tests for ascertaining diagnosis (e.g., blood in stool, serum albumin) were frequently not performed. DCI and ICN reports underestimated severity. After hospital record review, the ratio of total DHF cases to cases detected by surveillance was approximately 3:1, whether using clinical criteria or using clinical and dengue laboratory diagnosis. An important determinant for the low sensitivity (28.4%) and high specificity (96.5%) of the surveillance system was the World Health Organization (WHO) clinical definition for DHF. In spite of such limitations, DHF surveillance data in Puerto Rico provide abundant, reliable information for monitoring disease trends. These methods may be applied to other situations to define the characteristics and incidence trends of emerging infections.
Potassium channel gene associations with joint processing speed and white matter impairments in schizophrenia.

Patients with schizophrenia show decreased processing speed on neuropsychological testing and decreased white matter integrity as measured by diffusion tensor imaging, two traits shown to be both heritable and genetically associated indicating that there may be genes that influence both traits as well as schizophrenia disease risk. The potassium channel gene family is a reasonable candidate to harbor such a gene given the prominent role potassium channels play in the central nervous system in signal transduction, particularly in myelinated axons. We genotyped members of the large potassium channel gene family focusing on putatively functional single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in a population of 363 controls, 194 patients with schizophrenia spectrum disorder (SSD) and 28 patients with affective disorders with psychotic features who completed imaging and neuropsychological testing. We then performed three association analyses using three phenotypes - processing speed, whole-brain white matter fractional anisotropy (FA) and schizophrenia spectrum diagnosis. We extracted SNPs showing an association at a nominal P value of <0.05 with all three phenotypes in the expected direction: decreased processing speed, decreased FA and increased risk of SSD. A single SNP, rs8234, in the 3' untranslated region of voltage-gated potassium channel subfamily Q member 1 (KCNQ1) was identified. Rs8234 has been shown to affect KCNQ1 expression levels, and KCNQ1 levels have been shown to affect neuronal action potentials. This exploratory analysis provides preliminary data suggesting that KCNQ1 may contribute to the shared risk for diminished processing speed, diminished white mater integrity and increased risk of schizophrenia.
Two-pulse photoluminescence correlation technique for studying ultrafast carrier dynamics in deep-UV few monolayer thick nitride quantum wells

We a present a new two-pulse photoluminescence correlation technique and use it to study ultrafast dynamics of photoexcited carriers in few monolayer thick deep-UV GaN/AlN quantum wells with picosecond time resolution. Our results show that our technique can be used to study carrier dynamics in nanostructures using photoluminescence in a very simple way.
06.15 Naturally processed topoisomerase i peptides presented by dendritic cells identify immunodominant t cell epitopes in systemic sclerosis

Background Identification of immunodominant T cell epitopes of autoantigens is crucial to understanding the pathogenesis of autoimmune diseases and developing disease-specific diagnostic and therapeutic tools. A subset of patients with systemic sclerosis (SSc) exhibit autoantibodies and CD4+ T cells specific for topoisomerase-I (topo-I), which are quantitatively associated with the presence and severity of lung fibrosis.1 Mapping of immunodominant topo-1 T cell epitopes has been difficult due to poor sensitivity, high cost of experimental protocols, and has mainly been based on in silico prediction. Objectives To develop a new method for mapping immunodominant topo-I T cell epitopes using the natural processing and presentation of HLA-DR-restricted topo-I peptides by monocyte derived dendritic cells (MoDCs) from SSc patients. Methods MoDCs from 6 anti-topo-I positive SSc patients were pulsed with whole topo-I protein. Following overnight exposure, immunoprecipitation was performed to isolate HLA-DR/peptide complexes. Peptides were eluted, identified by mass spectrometry, and matched to the known Topo-I sequence. These were then synthesised and used to stimulate peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) from these patients in the presence of anti-CD40 antibody. Topo-I-reactive CD4+ T cells were identified by flow cytometry based on activation status (CD40L upregulation). PBMCs from 8 HLA-matched healthy donors and 8 additional randomly selected anti-topo-1-positive patients were stimulated using the same protocol. Results Ten different naturally processed topo-I specific peptides were identified by mass spectrometric analysis. The median number of distinct peptides presented by each individual patient was 4 (range 1–8), with 60% being presented by two or more individuals. Interestingly, four out of six patients presented two peptides with contiguous sequences. All topo-I peptides were able to stimulate CD4+ T cells from at least one of the patients tested, and 45% of patients responded to one or both of the contiguous peptides. Conclusions Through characterisation of naturally processed topo-1 peptides, we have identified immunodominant topo-1 epitopes capable of stimulating CD4+ T cells from patients with SSc. This method represents a cost-effective and dependable way to identify immunodominant epitopes and can provide novel targets for disease monitoring and eventually, designing peptide-targeted immunotherapy.
De cuando la voz se destapa y los mudos hablan

En este trabajo se realiza un analisis de la novela A gloriosa familia del escritor angoleno Pepetela (1997). Para investigar la representacion literaria de la historia de Angola, se utilizan los planteamientos de Ana Mafalda Leite (2003) sobre teorias postcoloniales; la nocion de intertextualidad, de Kristeva (1981), y los planteamientos de Ainsa (1996) sobre la narrativa de tema historiografico. Ademas, considerando otros rasgos especificos de la novela, se incluyen referencias a los estudios sobre memoria y tradicion oral para facilitar la comprension de la forma en que esta narrativa reconfigura la problematica en cuestion.
Developmental and Cross-Cultural Considerations in the Study of Well-Being Among Young People

This chapter explores adolescence and emerging adulthood as socially constructed and culturally bound transitional phases between childhood and adulthood. It illustrates how these developmental periods are experienced differently by youth located in “tight” versus “loose” cultures. The authors also offer a review of the central aspects of well-being during these two developmental stages, while recognizing complexity of these stages as being simultaneously universal and contextually bound. The authors argue for a clear distinction between well-being and the absence of pathology and welfare, and they advance recommendations for youth wellness promotion by bringing together the developmental, cultural, and applied approaches to adolescent and emerging adult development. Finally, the authors advocate for the meaningful, active and culturally-sensitive integration of young people within “adult” society to maximize the future of youth throughout the world.
Appropriate Objective Functions for Quantifying Iris Mechanical Properties Using Inverse Finite Element Modeling

Quantifying the mechanical properties of the iris is important, as it provides insight into the pathophysiology of glaucoma. Recent ex vivo studies have shown that the mechanical properties of the iris are different in glaucomatous eyes as compared to normal ones. Notwithstanding the importance of the ex vivo studies, such measurements are severely limited for diagnosis and preclude development of treatment strategies. With the advent of detailed imaging modalities, it is possible to determine the in vivo mechanical properties using inverse finite element (FE) modeling. An inverse modeling approach requires an appropriate objective function for reliable estimation of parameters. In the case of the iris, numerous measurements such as iris chord length (CL) and iris concavity (CV) are made routinely in clinical practice. In this study, we have evaluated five different objective functions chosen based on the iris biometrics (in the presence and absence of clinical measurement errors) to determine the appropriate criterion for inverse modeling. Our results showed that in the absence of experimental measurement error, a combination of iris CL and CV can be used as the objective function. However, with the addition of measurement errors, the objective functions that employ a large number of local displacement values provide more reliable outcomes.
Complex Regional Pain Syndrome (CRPS) and Progressive Medical and Psychiatric Deterioration

The author presents a highly detailed case of a young man with a regional pain syndrome (CRPS), following a discrete episode of trauma to his hand. The pain itself became increasingly complicated to manage. It was compounded by difficulties in the acquisition and coordination of specialized consultative services that proved to be unavailable for patients managed in that county’s health system. This patient’s social isolation and low level of social function (much attributed to his symptomatic chronicity) added to the challenges of delivering care focused on his pain and its functional consequences.
SLC6A4 binding site and acute prosocial effects of (+/-)-3,4-methylendioxymethamphetamine (MDMA) are evolutionarily conserved in Octopus bimaculoides

Human and octopus lineages are separated by over 500 million years of evolution, and show divergent anatomical patterns of brain organization. Moreover, while humans exhibit highly complex social behaviors, octopuses are thought to be largely asocial and solitary. Despite these differences, growing evidence suggests that ancient neurotransmitter systems are shared across vertebrate and invertebrate species, and in many cases enable overlapping functions. Here we provide evidence that, as in humans, the atypical amphetamine derivative (+/-)-3,4-methylendioxymethamphetamine (MDMA) enhances acute prosocial behaviors in Octopus bimaculoides. This finding is paralleled by the evolutionary conservation of the serotonin transporter (SERT, encoded by the Slc6A4 gene) binding site of MDMA in the O. bimaculoides genome. Taken together, these data provide evidence that the neural mechanisms subserving social behaviors exist in O. bimaculoides, and indicate that the role of serotonergic neurotransmission in regulating social behaviors is evolutionarily conserved.
Redundancy in the Frequency Domain

A description of the fine structure of a refinable, shift-invariant sub-space of L 2(ℝ) is presented. This fine structure is exhibited through the existence of a canonical frame of functions in such a space, and a related notion of frequency content in these frame elements uniquely determines a multiplicity function that quantifies a redundancy of the frequencies. The refinability of the subspace can then be described by a pair of matrices of periodic functions that satisfy a set of equations, related to the multiplicity function, which play the role of high-dimensional filter equations.
Self-Disclosure in Psychotherapy

This paper examines the ramifications of a psychotherapist’s self-disclosure stimulated by the film Gloomy Sunday (Barkow, N., 1988, Universal Pictures, 1999). It describes the five-year psychoanal...
Daytime midpoint as a digital biomarker for chronotype in bipolar disorder.

Abstract Background Bipolar disorder (BD) is associated with later sleep and daily activity (evening rather than morning chronotype). Objective chronotype identification (e.g., based on actigraphs/smartphones) has potential utility, but to date, chronotype has mostly been assessed by questionnaires. Given the ubiquity of accelerometer-based devices (e.g. actigraphs/smartphones) worn/used during daytime and tendency to recharge rather than wear at night, we assessed chronotype using daytime (rather than sleep) interval midpoints. Methods Sixty-one participants with BD type I (BD-I) or II (BD-II) and 61 healthy controls completed 25–50 days of continuous actigraphy. The Composite Scale of Morningness (CSM) was completed by a subset of this group. Daytime activity midpoint was calculated for each daytime interval, excluding naps. Evening chronotype was defined as having a daytime interval midpoint at or after 16:15:00 (4:15:00 PM). Results BD versus controls had delayed daytime midpoint (mean ± standard deviation) (16:49:07 ± 01:26:19 versus 16:12:51 ± 01:02:14, p Limitations Small sample size; analyses not fully accounting for daytime napping. Conclusions Wrist actigraphy for determination of daytime midpoints is a potential tool to identify objective chronotype. Exploration of the use of consumer devices (wearables/smartphones) is needed.
Statistical learning as a window into developmental disabilities

Until recently, most behavioral studies of children with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD) have used standardized assessments as a means to probe etiology and to characterize phenotypes. Over the past decade, however, tasks originally developed to investigate learning processes in typical development have been brought to bear on developmental processes in children with IDD. This brief review will focus on one learning process in particular—statistical learning—and will provide an overview of what has been learned thus far from studies using statistical learning tasks with different groups of children with IDD conditions. While a full picture is not yet available, results to date suggest that studies of learning are both feasible and informative about learning processes that may differ across diagnostic groups, particularly as they relate to language acquisition. More generally, studies focused on learning processes may be highly informative about different developmental trajectories both across groups and within groups of children.
Brain Derived Neurotrophic Factor (BDNF) Delays Onset of Pathogenesis in Transgenic Mouse Model of Spinocerebellar Ataxia Type 1 (SCA1).

Spinocerebellar ataxia type 1 (SCA1) is a fatal neurodegenerative disease caused by an abnormal expansion of CAG repeats in the Ataxin-1 (ATXN1) gene and characterized by motor deficits and cerebellar neurodegeneration. Even though mutant ATXN1 is expressed from an early age, disease onset usually occurs in patient’s mid-thirties, indicating the presence of compensatory factors that limit the toxic effects of mutant ATXN1 early in disease. Brain derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) is a growth factor known to be important for the survival and function of cerebellar neurons. Using gene expression analysis, we observed altered BDNF expression in the cerebella of Purkinje neuron specific transgenic mouse model of SCA1, ATXN1[82Q] mice, with increased expression during the early stage and decreased expression in the late stage of disease. We therefore investigated the potentially protective role of BDNF in early stage SCA1 through intraventricular delivery of BDNF via ALZET osmotic pumps. Extrinsic BDNF delivery delayed onset of motor deficits and Purkinje neuron pathology in ATXN1[82Q] mice supporting its use as a novel therapeutic for SCA1.
Funding and Organizing an Alternative

This chapter looks at the mechanics of how Catalonia was able to not only organize but also pay for such a huge event in such a short period of time. Through tracing reported donations and fundraising as well as the formation of various organizing bodies, this chapter illustrates the importance of a national popular sporting infrastructure and an inter-national Popular Front in creating a games which placed Catalonia on an equal footing with nation states, thanks to the inter-national coalition behind it.
Spinel oxides as coke-resistant supports for NiO-based oxygen carriers in chemical looping combustion of methane

Abstract Due to their high activity for methane conversion under a cyclic redox scheme, supported nickel oxides are among the most extensively investigated oxygen carrier materials for chemical looping combustion (CLC) and reforming (CLR) of methane. However, coke formation remains as a key challenge for Ni-containing oxygen carriers. The current study investigates the effect of reducible, spinel-structured supports to enhance coke resistance of NiO-based oxygen carriers. It was hypothesized that reducible supports capable of continued yet slow lattice oxygen donation in the presence of methane can actively retard coke formation on the surface of the oxygen carriers. To evaluate such effects, NiFe2O4, MgFe2O4, and BaFe2O4 are investigated as coke-resistant, reducible supports for NiO using mass spectrometry (MS) and thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) during chemical looping cycles. All three reducible supports were capable of continuous oxygen donation over an extended period of time (>40 min) without signs of coke formation. When used as supports for NiO, the resulting oxygen carriers showed no sign of carbon deposition under typical methane CLC environments. In comparison, NiO supported on inert MgAl2O4 exhibited significant coke formation after only 2.5 min. Moreover, NiO supported on NiFe2O4 and BaFe2O4 exhibited faster redox activity and higher oxygen carrying capacity when compared to the inert MgAl2O4-supported NiO. Detailed investigation of the reduction behavior of NiFe2O4-supported NiO revealed extensive solid-state reactions and Ni/Fe exchanges among the support, NiO, and newly formed phases. Specifically, initial weight loss in NiFe2O4-supported NiO was associated with reduction of the oxygen carrier to metallic Ni and Fe3O4 phases. Subsequent coke inhibition was attributed to the slow reduction of Fe3O4 and FeO phases. Multi-cyclic redox studies indicated that NiFe2O4-supported NiO gradually lost its redox activity. In comparison, both MgFe2O4- and BaFe2O4-supported NiO exhibited satisfactory redox stability, activity, and coke resistance.
Tobacco Smoke Exposure Reduction Strategies-Do They Work?

Abstract Objective Many children experience tobacco smoke exposure (TSE) and parents may take preventive measures to reduce TSE. The study goal is to assess if these strategies are associated with lower cotinine values, an objective biological measure of TSE. Methods Families admitted to Children's Hospital Colorado from 2014 to 2018 who screened positive for TSE were invited to participate in a tobacco smoking cessation/reduction program. Caregivers were consented and asked about demographics, beliefs around smoking, and strategies to reduce TSE. Child urine samples were collected, tested for cotinine levels, and analyzed using geometric means. Bivariable comparisons and multivariable linear regression were completed using SAS v9.4 (SAS Institute, Cary, NC). Results Two hundred thirteen children (81.4%) are included in this analysis. The median ages of children and parents were 4 and 32 years respectively. Fifty-seven percent of children were male, 36% were Hispanic, and 55% were white. Fifty-six percent of parents had at least some college education and 69% had an annual income less than $50K. The median daily cigarettes smoked per day were 10. Eighty-eight percent reported using at least 1 type of protective measure to prevent TSE and 90% believed they protect other household members from TSE. None of the strategies had a significant relationship with lower cotinine levels on bivariable or multivariable analyses. Conclusions Parental strategies to decrease TSE did not result in lower cotinine levels. Many measures are not evidence-based and do not protect children. Parent's clothing and homes may create a reservoir for nicotine. Education should focus on exposure elimination and cessation rather than protective measures.
Betrayed Ally: China in the Great War; Asia and the Great War: a shared history, the Great War series

Betrayed Ally is collaboration of Frances Wood, author of several books on China, including one on Chinese diplomacy in the Great War, and Christopher Arnander, editor of the Great War diaries of D...
Adverse events after coronary artery bypass grafting in patients with preoperative metabolic syndrome: A 10-year follow-up of the Veterans Affairs Database.

Abstract (242 words) Introduction Data regarding 10-year survival and adverse cardiovascular events in patients with metabolic syndrome (MET) after coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) is limited. Methods We compared 10-year events rates for Veterans undergoing isolated CABG (1st January 2005 – 31st December 2014, follow-up 31st October 2019) stratified by metabolic syndrome (MET+ vs MET-). A multi-variable weighted Cox model was used to analyze all-cause mortality. Competing risk analysis was used to calculate cumulative event rates for congestive heart failure (CHF), myocardial infarction (MI) and cerebrovascular events (CVA). The Fine-Gray sub hazard model was used to determine adjusted association of MET with MI and stroke. CHF was modelled as a recurrent-event analysis. Results Nationally, 9,615 adults (median age 60 years, 98.9% male) underwent isolated CABG at 41 centers); among them, 3,121/9,615 (32.5%) had MET. The prevalence of MET increased from (27.88% in 2005 to 34.02% in 2014 (p = 0.02). MET+ group were likely younger (median age 63 vs 64 years; p Conclusion Patients with metabolic syndrome undergoing CABG have higher 10-year cardiovascular event rates.
The pudendum and the perversion of anatomical terminology

The definition of pudendum is external genitalia. The term pudendum is used to describe external genitalia regardless of sex. The labia majora, labia minora, clitoris, penis, scrotum, testes, and so on are all parts of the human pudenda. The female pudendum is also called the vulva. Also, nonhuman species have pudenda. Pudendum is a term that has been part of the formal anatomical nomenclature for a millennium. Recently, the meaning of pudendum has been perverted and misinterpreted as synonymous with only the vulva and to come from an etymological root term with the narrowly defined meaning "to be ashamed." The misunderstanding of pudendum is twofold. First, pudendum describes the external genitalia indiscriminate of sex; however, terms such as pudendum muliebre/pudendum femininum and pudendum virile/pudendum masculinum have been used throughout history to identify pudenda with respect to sex. Second, the meaning of the root term pudere has been taken out of context. The meaning of the root term is inclusive of respect, modesty, honesty, honor, virtue, awe, veneration, and so on and has a positive connotation rather than a negative connotation, akin to sacrum, for example. Indeed, pudendum shares its etymological root with the names of goddesses and saints (e.g., Pudicitia, Saint Pudens, Saint Pudentiana). This manuscript provides details regarding anatomical etymology and both the historical and modern use of anatomical terminology related to pudendum. Furthermore, this manuscript remedies the perversion of pudendum and, in doing so, improves the anatomical lexicon.
Bullying and Children who are Deaf or Hard-of-hearing: A Scoping Review.

Objective/hypothesis The goal of this scoping review is to evaluate and synthesize the published research regarding bullying and children who are deaf or hard-of-hearing (DHH). Study design The Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses extension for scoping review (PRISMA-ScR) statement was used as the guideline for conducting this review. Methods This review included studies assessing pediatric (0-21 years) DHH children. Seventy records underwent the initial title-abstract screening, 33 underwent full-text review, and 23 studies met inclusion criteria. During the data extraction process, an additional six were excluded, resulting in a total of 17 evaluated studies. Results Of the 17 studies assessed, nine compared peer victimization of DHH children and their hearing peers. Of those, seven studies reported that hearing loss (HL) is significantly associated with increased victimization. Two studies found that HL is significantly associated with decreased bullying perpetration. Notably, bullying in DHH children was not associated with a visible sign of disability, such as a hearing assistive device. Rather, variables such as educational setting, parental, and peer support are more likely to mediate bullying in this population. Conclusions DHH children have a higher risk of peer victimization and may bully others less often than their hearing peers. Studies described the health consequences of bullying in children who are DHH, including sleep issues and anxiety. These consequences may have implications for the patients' overall HL management. Additional research regarding bullying interventions and prevention in this population should be conducted. Level of evidence NA Laryngoscope, 131:1884-1892, 2021.
Firms and social responsibility: A review of ESG and CSR research in corporate finance

Abstract We review the financial economics-based research on Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) and Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) with an emphasis on corporate finance. In doing so we focus on the most debated and researched issues. Although a firm's ESG/CSR profile and activities are shown to be strongly related to the firm's market, leadership and owner characteristics as well its risk, performance and value, there still exist conflicting hypotheses and results that we show are not resolved, leading to continued questions and a need for more research.
Analysis of 48 Hours of Television News Coverage Following the Columbine High School Shooting

On April 20, 1999, two Columbine High School students started a shooting rampage, ultimately killing 12 students and one teacher, wounding 21 victims, then completing suicide. Using media frame ana...
Understanding HPC Application I/O Behavior Using System Level Statistics

The processor performance of high performance computing (HPC) systems is increasing at a much higher rate than storage performance. This imbalance leads to I/O performance bottlenecks in massively parallel HPC applications. Therefore, there is a need for improvements in storage and file system designs to meet the ever-growing I/O needs of HPC applications. Storage and file system designers require a deep understanding of how HPC application I/O behavior affects current storage system installations in order to improve them. In this work, we contribute to this understanding using application-agnostic file system statistics gathered on compute nodes as well as metadata and object storage file system servers. We analyze file system statistics of more than 4 million jobs over a period of three years on two systems at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory that include a 15 PiB Lustre file system for storage. The results of our study add to the state-of-the-art in I/O understanding by providing insight into how general HPC workloads affect the performance of large-scale storage systems. Some key observations in our study show that reads and writes are evenly distributed across the storage system; applications which perform I/O, spread that I/O across ∼78% of the minutes of their runtime on average; less than 22% of HPC users who submit write-intensive jobs perform efficient writes to the file system; and I/O contention seriously impacts I/O performance.
It’s Time to Talk to Prehospital Providers: Feedback Disparities among Ground-Based Emergency Medical Services Providers and its Impact on Job Satisfaction

Objective: Performance feedback on clinical care and patient outcomes is a cornerstone of medical education, yet it remains lacking in the prehospital environment. Research seeking to establish the quantity of feedback provided to Emergency Medical Services (EMS) has been limited and studies focused on complimentary feedback or how feedback relates to EMS job satisfaction are lacking. The objectives of this study were to measure the frequency and nature of feedback received by EMS agencies and to identify the importance of receiving feedback as it relates to EMS job satisfaction. Methods: This was an anonymous, survey-based study of twenty-nine Basic Life Support (BLS) and fifteen Advanced Life Support (ALS) agencies located in Southeastern Minnesota (USA). Descriptive statistics and Fisher exact tests were used. The study was deemed exempt by the Mayo Clinic Institutional Review Board. Results: Ninety-four responses were included from nineteen different EMS agencies, including sixty-one (64.9%) paramedics and thirty-three (35.1%) emergency medical technicians (EMTs). One-half of all respondents reported that they had not received any type of feedback in the past 30 days, while another 43.6% of respondents indicated that they had only received feedback one to three times in the same time period. Twenty (60.6%) EMTs reported receiving no feedback in the past 30 days, compared with twenty-seven (44.3%) paramedics (P = .123). Of respondents receiving feedback, 65.9% reported never or rarely receiving positive reinforcing feedback and 60.6% reported never or rarely receiving constructive criticism or feedback regarding something that did not go well with patient care or transport. The majority of respondents were dissatisfied with the quantity (86.1%) and quality (73.4%) of feedback received. An overwhelming majority (93.6%) indicated that feedback on patient care or outcomes was important in influencing their overall job satisfaction. This high importance was maintained across all demographic groups. Conclusion: Within the cohort of survey respondents, a paucity of feedback received by EMS personnel is a source of dissatisfaction for EMS providers. Feedback on patient care strongly relates to overall job satisfaction. These findings suggest system-wide opportunities for structured feedback processes, focusing upon both quality and quantity of delivered feedback, to improve both patient care and staff satisfaction.
ReporterSeq reveals genome-wide dynamic modulators of the heat shock response across diverse stressors

Understanding cellular stress response pathways is challenging because of the complexity of regulatory mechanisms and response dynamics, which can vary with both time and the type of stress. We developed a reverse genetic method called ReporterSeq to comprehensively identify genes regulating a stress-induced transcription factor under multiple conditions in a time-resolved manner. ReporterSeq links RNA-encoded barcode levels to pathway-specific output under genetic perturbations, allowing pooled pathway activity measurements via DNA sequencing alone and without cell enrichment or single-cell isolation. We used ReporterSeq to identify regulators of the heat shock response (HSR), a conserved, poorly understood transcriptional program that protects cells from proteotoxicity and is misregulated in disease. Genome-wide HSR regulation in budding yeast was assessed across 15 stress conditions, uncovering novel stress-specific, time-specific, and constitutive regulators. ReporterSeq can assess the genetic regulators of any transcriptional pathway with the scale of pooled genetic screens and the precision of pathway-specific readouts.
Impacts of Diabetes, Aging, and Hearing Loss on Speech-on-Speech Masking and Spatial Release in a Large Veteran Cohort

Purpose Type 2 diabetes mellitus (DM2) is associated with impaired hearing. However, the evidence is less clear if DM2 can lead to difficulty understanding speech in complex acoustic environments, ...
Solar lens mission concept for interstellar exploration

The long standing approach to space travel has been to incorporate massive on-board electronics, probes and propellants to achieve space exploration. This approach has led to many great achievements in science, but will never help to explore the interstellar medium. Fortunately, a paradigm shift is upon us in how a spacecraft is constructed and propelled. This paper describes a mission concept to get to our Sun’s Gravity Lens at 550AU in less than 10 years. It will be done by using DE-STAR, a scalable solar-powered phased-array laser in Earth Orbit, as a directed energy photon drive of low-mass wafersats. [1] [2] [3] [4] [5] With recent technologies a complete mission can be placed on a wafer including, power from an embedded radio nuclear thermal generator (RTG), PV, laser communications, imaging, photon thrusters for attitude control and other sensors. As one example, a futuristic 200 MW laser array consisting of 1 - 10 kw meter scale sub elements with a 100m baseline can propel a 10 gram wafer scale spacecraft with a 3m laser sail to 60AU/Year. Directed energy propulsion of low-mass spacecraft gives us an opportunity to capture images of Alpha Centauri and its planets, detailed imaging of the cosmic microwave background, set up interstellar communications by using gravity lenses around nearby stars to boost signals from interstellar probes, and much more. This system offers a very large range of missions allowing hundreds of wafer scale payload launches per day to reach this cosmological data reservoir. Directed Energy Propulsion is the only current technology that can provide a near-term path to utilize our Sun’s Gravity Lens.
The design and evaluation of integrated envelope and lighting control strategies for commercial buildings

This study investigates control strategies for coordinating the variable solar-optical properties of a dynamic building envelope system with a daylight controlled electric lighting system to reduce electricity consumption and increase comfort in the perimeter zone of commercial buildings. Control strategy design can be based on either simple, instantaneous measured data, or on complex, predictive algorithms that estimate the energy consumption for a selected operating state of the dynamic envelope and lighting system. The potential benefits of optimizing the operation of a dynamic envelope and lighting system are (1) significant reductions in electrical energy end-uses - lighting, and cooling due to solar and lighting heat gains - over that achieved by conventional static envelope and lighting systems, (2) significant reductions in peak demand, and (3) increased occupant visual and thermal comfort. The DOE-2 building energy simulation program was used to model two dynamic envelope and lighting systems, an automated venetian blind and an electrochromic glazing system, and their control strategies under a range of building conditions. The energy performance of simple control strategies are compared to the optimum performance of a theoretical envelope and lighting system to determine the maximum potential benefit of using more complex, predictive control algorithms. Results indicate that (1) predictive control algorithms may significantly increase the energy-efficiency of systems with non-optimal solar-optical properties such as the automated venetian blind, and (2) simpler, non-predictive control strategies may suffice for more advanced envelope systems 1 incorporating spectrally selective, narrow-band electrochromic coatings.
Pinwheel Scheduling With Tow Distinct Numbers

“The Pinwheel” is a real-time scheduling problem based on a problem in scheduling satellite ground stations but which also addresses scheduling preventive maintenance. Given a multiset of positive integers A = {a1, a2, ..., a n }, a schedule S for A is an infinite sequence over {1, 2, ..., n} such that any subsequence of length a i (1 ≤ i ≤ n) contains at least one i. Schedules can always be made cyclic; that is, a segment can be found that can be repeated indefinitely to form an infinite schedule. Interesting questions include determining whether schedules exist, determining the minimum cyclic schedule length, and creating an online scheduler. The “density” of an instance is defined as \(d = \sum\nolimits_{i = 1}^n {1/a} _i\). It has been shown that any instance with d > 1.0 cannot be scheduled. In the present paper we limit ourselves to instances in which A contains elements having only two distinct values. We prove that all such instances with d ≤ 1.0 can be scheduled, using a scheduling strategy based on balancing. The schedule so created is not always of minimum length, however. We use a related but more complicated method to create a minimum-length cyclic schedule, and prove its correctness. The former is computationally easier to obtain but not necessarily minimal. The latter, although still obtainable in polynomial time, requires significantly more computation. In addition, we show how to use either method to produce a fast online scheduler. Thus, we have solved completely the three major problems for this class of instances.
ENANTIOSELECTIVE ALKYLATION OF α-AMINO CARBANIONS. THE SYNTHESIS OF (S)-1-ALKYL-1,2,3,4 TETRAHYDROISOQUINOLINES

Abstract A series of chiral amino alcohols transformed into the formamidine derivative of 1, 2, 3, 4-tetrahydroisoquinolines were evaluated as chiral dipole-stabilized anions. Alkylation with alkyl halides provided the 1-alkyl-l, 2, 3, 4-tetrahydroisoquinolines in both excellent yield and enantiomeric purity.
Activity-centred Search in Email.

We consider activity-centered tasks in email, including the novel tasks of predicting future involvement of persons from the enterprise in an ongoing activity represented by a folder, and a novel task where we identify email messages that are related to a to-do item. We also evaluate the task of email tagging to folders, where multiple choice is allowed, and an inverse task, of finding messages relevant to a folder associated with an ongoing project. Empirical evaluation using real world email data, applying a graph based link analysis method and a vector-space model, shows potential utility to facilitate activity management in email.
Maternal Behavior and Infant Physiology During Feeding in Premature and Term Infants Over the First Year of Life

Little is known about the relationship between maternal behavior and the stability of premature infants' physiologic responses during feeding. In a secondary data analysis, we examined relationships between quality of maternal behavior and cardiorespiratory physiology during feeding in 61 premature and 53 term infants at four times over the first year of life. Measures included heart rate (HR), respiratory rate (RR), and oxygen saturation; Child Feeding Skills Checklist; and Parent-Child Early Relational Assessment. Birthweight, gestational age, and neurodevelopmental risk were covariates. Quality of maternal behavior did not predict infants' physiologic response to feeding. However, birthweight was related to infant feeding physiology among all infants over the first year of life. Stress during fetal life, which may lead to impaired intrauterine growth and low birthweight, may have longitudinal effects on cardiorespiratory functioning of premature infants. Research is needed to further investigate the biological pathways by which maternal-infant interaction supports behavioral and physiologic feeding outcomes of premature infants.
Diversification and Capital Gains Taxes with Multiple Risky Assets

We examine the impact of capital gains taxes upon the structure of an investor's optimal portfolio in the presence of multiple risky assets. Our numerical solutions suggest that the diversification benefits of reducing the exposure to a highly volatile concentrated position significantly outweigh the tax costs of selling, even for elderly investors. The presence of multiple risky assets in which the investor earns a substantial risk premium strongly increases the diversification incentive. We also contrast the impact of capital gains taxes and traditional transaction costs on rebalancing decisions and show that it can be optimal for the investor to reduce his overall equity exposure by selling underweighted assets with relatively small capital gains. Finally, we discuss the general qualitative features of the optimal investment policy in a broader context. Both our numerical and qualitative analyses show how the realization decision on one asset depends upon the embedded gains on other assets.
A Behavioral Synthesis Estimation Interface for Configurable Computing

The dramatic increase of the number of available transistors on a die have enabled the use of Field-Programmable-GateArrays (FPGAs) as custom computing elements. The mapping of ever larger computations to larger FPGAs, however, has exacerbated the problems of current design flows. Mapping steps such as place-and-routing can now last in the order of hours to accomplish; as the substantial increase in configurable elements and routing possibilities has undoubtedly stressed the algorithmic limitations of current synthesis tools.
Negotiating Contradictory Cultural Pressures: A Treatment Model for Binge Eating in Adolescent Girls

Today's adolescent girls experience sociocultural pressures and life stressors which result in negative mental health outcomes, including binge eating. The purpose of this article is to present a model of psychotherapy for adolescent girls who engage in binge eating. The components in this model include: (a) Feminist Therapy to emphasize client empowerment and the importance of sociocultural context in understanding girls’ concerns; (b) Cognitive Behavior Therapy to help clients to eliminate dieting and to cope with pressures for attaining the beauty ideal; (c) Dialectical Behavior Therapy to assist clients in coping with emotions; and (d) Interpersonal Therapy to help clients improve relational transitions and disputes.
Motivations for Prescription Drug Misuse among Young Adults: Considering Social and Developmental Contexts.

AbstractAims: This study aimed to explore motivations for prescription drug (i.e. prescription pain killers, stimulants and sedatives) misuse among young adults active in urban nightlife scenes in New York City. Prior research has established “recreation” and “self-medication” as the primary motivations among this age group, but, as prescription drug misuse continues to be a major public health concern in the US and rates of misuse are highest among young adults, a more nuanced analysis is necessary for developing meaningful interventions. As part of a larger study on prescription drug misuse among young adults active in urban nightlife scenes, we examined participants’ motivations for misuse. Prescription painkillers, stimulants and sedatives were the primary substances of interest. Methods: Participants were recruited from nightlife venues in New York using time-space sampling. Subjects completed a mixed-methods assessment at project research offices. The data presented here are from a subsample of 70 q...
Development of a fast pixel array detector for use in microsecond time-resolved x-ray diffraction

A large-area pixel x-ray detector is being developed to collect eight successive frames of wide dynamic 2D images at 200kHz rates. Such a detector, to conjunction with a synchrotron radiation x-ray source, will enable time-resolved x-ray studies of proteins and other materials on time scales which have previously been inaccessible. The detector will consist of an array of fully-depleted 150 micron square diodes connected to a CMOS integrated electronics layer with solder bump-bonding. During each framing period, the current resulting from the x-rays stopped in the diodes is integrated in the electronics layer, and then strored in one of eight storage capacitors underneath the pixel. After the last frame, the capacitors are read out at standard data transmission rates. The detector has been designed for well-depth of at least 10,000 x-rays (at 12 keV), and a noise level of one x-ray. Ultimately, we intend to construct a detector with over one million pixels (1024 by 1024). We present the result of our development effort and various features of the design. The electronics design is discussed, with special attention to the performance requirements. The choice and design of the detective diodes, as they relate to x-ray stopping power and charge collection, are presented. An analysis of various methods of bump bonding is also presented. Finally, we discuss the possible need for a radiation-blocking layer, to be placed between the electronics and the detective layer, and various methods we have pursued in the construction of such a layer.