cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Evaluation of Color and Scent Attractants Used to Trap and Detect Asian Ctirus Psyllid (Hemiptera: Liviidae) in Urban Environments

The Asian citrus psyllid, Diaphorina citri Kuwayama (Hemiptera: Liviidae) is a serious pest of citrus due to its ability to vector the putative causal agent of huanglongbing, ‘Candidatus Liberibacter asiaticus'. Populations of Asian citrus psyllid (ACP) can increase in density in urban areas and then move out into adjacent commercial citrus production. Current presence/ absence detection methods for ACP in urban areas rely on the use of yellow sticky traps without a scent lure. This method was selected because of its accepted use in commercial production, however, in urban areas it may not be the most efficient method for trapping ACP. Therefore, we investigated the relative trapping efficiency of 4 different colored traps (2 hues of yellow and 2 hues of green) and the addition of 2 scent lures to yellow sticky traps. The lures were based on the volatiles emitted either from flush growth of Eureka lemon or Mexican lime. The tests were conducted in residential areas in Los Angeles, California in 2011. All of the sites were dooryard sites and trapping was done with homeowner permission. There were no statistically significant differences in trap catch between the yellow and green traps, suggesting that any of the traps tested could be used for ACP detection in an urban environment. There was no correlation between flush density and trap catches. The host plant on which the colored traps were placed did not significantly influence trap catch, although numerically more ACP adults were captured on lemon and lime trees, regardless of trap color. When scent lures were added to yellow sticky traps, no statistically significant differences were found between traps with lures and those without lures, regardless of host plant. Trapping studies for ACP in the urban environment need to be continued using more sample sites to determine if the addition of scent lures based on plant volatiles will increase trap catches.
Current Computed Tomography Techniques Can Detect Duct of Bellini Plugging but Not Randall's Plaques

Objective To assess the ability of noninvasive computed tomography (CT) scans to detect interstitial calcium phosphate deposits (Randall's plaques) and duct of Bellini plugs, which are possible stone precursor lesions. Methods At time of percutaneous nephrolithotomy (PCNL) for stone removal, all accessible individual papillae of 105 patients were endoscopically visualized and video recorded. Image-processing software was used to estimate the percentage of papillary surface occupied by plaque or plug in each pole (upper, middle, lower). The location of stones was also recorded. A radiologist blinded to the mapping results scored presurgical (n = 98) and postsurgical (n = 105) abdominal CT scans for the presence or absence of calcification by pole. Results The cohort was a mean age of 56 years (range, 23-84 years). Maximum papillary surface area of each area of the kidney occupied by plug correlated with CT calcifications on pre- and postprocedure images by rank sum test. However, maximum plaque surface area did not correlate with radiographic findings (P = .10-.90 for each pole by rank sum test). Sensitivity was 81% and specificity was 69% of CT to detect plugs of at least 1% of the papillary surface area. Conclusion Calcifications seen on current generation clinical CT scans correspond to ductal plugging involving at least 1% of the papillary surface area. Current clinical CT scan technology appears inadequate for detecting Randall's plaques.
The Power of Television Images: The First Kennedy-Nixon Debate Revisited

How does television affect political behavior? I address this question by describing an experiment where participants either watched a televised version of the first Kennedy-Nixon debate or listened to an audio version. I used this debate in part because despite popular conceptions, there is no extant evidence that television images had any impact on audience reactions. I find that television images have significant effects—they affect overall debate evaluations, prime people to rely more on personality perceptions in their evaluations, and enhance what people learn. Television images matter in politics, and may have indeed played an important role in the first Kennedy-Nixon debate.
Professor Paleveda's Paradox: When Higher Marginal Tax Rates Helped the Economy

This paper reviews the time where higher marginal tax rates actually helped the economy. In some cases lowering the marginal tax rate, the economy did not improve. An optimal tax rate is also suggested.
INFLUENCE OF RESIDENCE-TIME DISTRIBUTION ON A SURFACE-RENEWAL MODEL OF CONSTANT-PRESSURE CROSS-FLOW MICROFILTRATION

This work examines the influence of the residence-time distribution (RTD) of surface elements on a model of cross-flow microfiltration that has been proposed recently (Hasan et al., 2013). Along with the RTD from the previous work (Case 1), two other RTD functions (Cases 2 and 3) are used to develop theoretical expressions for the permeate-flux decline and cake buildup in the filter as a function of process time. The three different RTDs correspond to three different startup conditions of the filtration process. The analytical expressions for the permeate flux, each of which contains three basic parameters (membrane resistance, specific cake resistance and rate of surface renewal), are fitted to experimental permeate flow rate data in the microfiltration of fermentation broths in laboratory- and pilot-scale units. All three expressions for the permeate flux fit the experimental data fairly well with average root-mean-square errors of 4.6% for Cases 1 and 2, and 4.2% for Case 3, respectively, which points towards the constructive nature of the model - a common feature of theoretical models used in science and engineering.
Granulocyte-colony stimulating factor promotes brain repair following traumatic brain injury by recruitment of microglia and increasing neurotrophic factor expression.

Purpose The overall objective was to elucidate cellular mechanisms by which G-CSF enhances recovery from traumatic brain injury in a hippocampal-dependent learning task. Methods Chimeric mice were prepared by transplanting bone marrow cells that express green fluorescent protein (GFP+) from a transgenic "green" mice into C57BL/6 mice. Two months later, the animals sustained mild controlled cortical impact (CCI) to the right frontal-parietal cortex, followed by G-CSF (100 μg/kg) treatment for 3 consecutive days. The primary behavioral end-point was performance on the radial arm water maze (RAWM) assessed before and after CCI (days 7 and 14). Secondary endpoints included a), motor performance on a rotating cylinder (rotarod), b) measurement of microglial and astroglial response, c) hippocampal neurogenesis, and d) measures of neurotrophic factors (BDNF, GDNF) in brain homogenates. Results G-CSF treatment resulted in significantly better performance on the rotorod at one week, and in the RAWM after one and two weeks. The cellular changes found 2 wks after CCI in the G-CSF group included increased numbers of hippocampal newborn neurons as well as astrocytosis and microgliosis in striatum and frontal cortex on both sides of brain. GFP+ cells that co-labeled with Iba1 (microglial marker) comprised a significant proportion of striatal microglia in G-CSF treated animals, indicating the capacity of G-CSF to increase microglial recruitment to the site of injury. Neurotrophic factors GDNF and BDNF, elaborated by activated microglia and astrocytes, were increased in G-CSF treated mice. Conclusions G-CSF serves as a neurotrophic factor that increases hippocampal neurogenesis (or enhances survival of new-born neurons), and activates astrocytes and microglia. In turn, these activated glia release a plethora of cytokines and neurotrophic factors that contribute, in a poorly understood cascade, to the brain's repair response. G-CSF also acts directly on bone marrow-derived cells to enhance recruitment of microglia to the site of CCI from circulating monocytes to the site of CCI.
Effects of Subject-Generated and Experimenter-Supplied Associations at Time of Storage on Free Recall of High and Low Verbal Associators

Summary.-Undergraduates were classified on the basis of the average number of associations they could produce in response to a standard set of verbal units (associative ability). 28 high and 28 low associatoa instructed to make an association (subject-generated) to each verbal unit (CVCVC) of a list of to-berecalled units did not differ in recall. High associators supplied with an association (experimenter-supplied) to each verbal unit of the same list of to-berecalled units recalled more units than high associators under the subject-generated condition; whereas, low associators supplied with an association to each verbal unit of the list recalled fewer units than low associators under the subjecrgenerated condition. Short-latency high-meaningfulness associative reaction time units were recalled more frequently than long-latency high-meaningfulness unlrs under the experimenter-supplied condition, results consistent with findings of previous studies.
Dynamics of a Host-Cleptoparasite Relationship: Holcopasites ruthae as a Parasite of Calliopsis pugionis (Hymenoptera: Anthophoridae, Andrenidae)

Holcopasites ruthae Cooper is a cleptoparasite of Calliopsis pugionis Cockerell. At five sites, parasitism rate of host cells varied from 0 to over 30%, with an overall parasitism rate of 6.6% when data from all sites were combined. Significant influences on parasitism rate included site, nest density, and date of excavation, and density had a significant interaction with date. Together these factors account for 97% of the variance in parasitism rate. The sex ratio of the host bee was significantly influenced by parasitism rate, host nest density, and date, which together explain 88% of the variance in host sex ratio. Possible explanations for the dynamics of this host–parasite relationship are discussed. Host nest density may influence parasitism via predator confusion or selfish herding. The influence of parasitism on sex ratio is probably not directly a result of differential parasitism reducing the number of surviving females. However, both equal vulnerability by sex and differential vulnerability resulting from differences in the time spent by females provisioning male and female cells remain possibilities: the latter could indirectly influence sex ratio through facultative behavioral changes in the host bee.
Recognition of Facial Expressions in ADHD

The identification of facial expressions of four emotions (joy, anger, disgust, and sadness) was investigated in 30 children aged 7-12 years with ADHD, predominantly hyperactive-impulsive subtype, at Free University of Brussels, Belgium.
Development, reproducibility and validity of a food frequency questionnaire among pregnant women adherent to the Mediterranean dietary pattern

Summary Background & aims Accurate dietary assessment tools are required to ensure that maternal diet supplies all the nutrients needed for fetal development. However, no dietary method could accurately estimate food intake during gestation. Food Frequency Questionnaires (FFQ), frequently used in epidemiological studies, estimate long term nutritional status of the target population. However, it is recommended to create and validate a FFQ compatible with the dietary habits of the studied population, to avoid cultural and social discrepancies. This study aimed to develop and test the reproducibility and the validity of a semi-quantitative FFQ compatible with the diet of Mediterranean and Middle-Eastern population, in a sample of Lebanese pregnant women. Methods 128 women participated in the validation study, while 38 took part in the reproducibility phase, which was repeated in a time frame of 21 days. The FFQ was validated against a 24 h dietary recall (DR). Results The intra class correlation coefficient (ICC) ranged from 0.935 for calcium to 0.984 for vitamin D (p value Conclusions The newly developed FFQ englobing Mediterranean food items was culture specific and assessed the nutrient intake of our population. Administering this tool in future researches will help monitor the nutritional status of pregnant women, aiming at improving maternal and newborn health.
Abstract 72: A Novel VLSM-CST Lesion Load Model is a Superior Predictor of Motor Outcomes of Acute Stroke Patients

Introduction: Lesion load of the Corticospinal Tract (CST-LL) can predict 64% of the variance in 3-months outcome of acute stroke patients. Voxel-based lesion symptom mapping (VLSM) studies have revealed brain voxels associated with motor impairment. A combined VLSM- CST-LL approach may give particular weight to voxels that are both part of an impairment map and the descending motor tracts. Hypothesis: A combined VLSM-wCST-LL model can predict acute motor outcome better than weighted CST-LL alone. Methods: We derived the VLSM map from a group of 50 chronic patients with variable motor deficits relating voxels of patients’ lesions to Upper Extremity Fugl-Meyer (UE-FM) scores. A correction for multiple comparisons was applied at FDR Results: The VLSM analysis determined that voxels of lesions in the precentral gyrus, premotor regions, the corona radiata region, and within the descending motor tracts were significantly related to chronic motor impairment. VLSM-CST-LL applied to a group of acute stroke patients with motor impairment predicted 85% of the variance at 3 months motor outcome. AIC results confirmed with 99% certainty that VLSM is the best fit model. Conclusions: VLSM-weighted CST-LL is the superior fit model compared to the weighted CST-LL model for predicting 3 months outcome.
A facile and fast method for quantitating lignin in lignocellulosic biomass using acidic lithium bromide trihydrate (ALBTH)

Lignin quantitation of lignocellulosic biomass is an essential and routine assay in the areas of plant chemistry, forage, biomass conversion, and pulp & paper. The two-step sulfuric acid method (or the Klason method) is the most widely used protocol for lignin quantitation, but the method is a time-consuming and labor-intensive procedure. In this study, a facile and quick method was developed to quantitate lignin in lignocellulosic biomass. The new method used acidic lithium bromide trihydrate (ALBTH, LiBr·3H2O) as a reaction medium, which was able to quickly and completely dissolve and hydrolyze cellulose and hemicelluloses in the biomass under mild conditions and leave lignin as an insoluble residue for gravimetric quantitation. The soluble lignin generated in the ALBTH assay was determined by UV spectrophotometry. The recommended conditions for the ALBTH method were 60 wt% LiBr solution containing 40 mM HCl, 110 °C, and 30 min. The ALBTH method was applied to different species of biomass including softwood (Douglas fir), hardwood (aspen, poplar, and eucalyptus), and herbage (corn stover and switchgrass). The results indicated that the ALBTH method gave a comparable lignin (both insoluble and soluble lignin) quantity with the Klason method for the biomass investigated. The ALBTH method is a one-step procedure and much faster for lignin quantitation (∼30 min) than the Klason method (>3 h). In addition, the ALBTH assay was conducted in glass vials under atmospheric pressure, and no autoclave was required. The ALBTH method also avoided the potential hazard of concentrated sulfuric acid.
Distance to the anal verge is associated with pathologic complete response to neoadjuvant therapy in locally advanced rectal cancer

Background and Objectives Achieving a pathologic complete response (pCR) after neoadjuvant therapy has been associated with better prognosis in rectal cancer patients. The objective of this study was to investigate the relationship between distance to the anal verge (DTAV) and pCR. Methods Review of a prospectively maintained database of patients with locally advanced rectal cancer who received neoadjuvant treatment was completed. Uni- and multivariate analysis assessed the association between DTAV and pCR after neoadjuvant therapy. Results Of 827 included patients, 20% had a pCR. We found that pCR rates were 11% for tumors 10 cm from the anal verge (P = 0.002). Multivariate analysis also showed a strong association between DTAV and pCR (P = 0.008). The bimodal distribution of pCR resulted in a lower odds ratio of pCR for tumors 8 cm from the anal verge. Conclusions Patients with low tumors ( 8 cm), were less likely to have a pCR. Further investigation is warranted to determine if these observations are related to tumor biology or possibly differences in radiation technique. J. Surg. Oncol. 2016;114:637–641. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
An active resonant snubber for high frequency PWM converters

An active resonant snubber circuit that provides a zero current turn-on transition and a zero voltage turn-off transition for continuous current constant frequency PWM (pulse width modulation) converters is described. The circuit avoids the series found in the primary current path of some passive LC dissipationless snubbers. The energy which otherwise would have appeared as primary switching power losses is transferred to the load via the snubber circuitry. Analysis and modeling results of the circuit are presented. A description of an experimental circuit demonstrating switching power loss reductions is also presented. >
Dielectric constant and loss of some stannates and cerates

The dielectric constant and loss of sintered disks of some stannates and cerates were measured against frequency and temperature in the ranges 100 cps −1 Mc and −196°C to about 400°C. The values of K and tan 5 measured on several specimens of each oxide at room temperature and 1 Mc are given in the following-table, with no correction for ceramic density.
Chapter III: Molecular and ionic interactions in dielectrics

It is our impression that, although there were no spectacular new developments during 1964, many significant theoretical and experimental studies were reported. Space permits only cursory reference here to some of the more interesting.
Agro-environmental Transitions in African Mountains: Shifting Socio-spatial Practices Amid State-Led Commercialization in Rwanda

Agricultural commercialization has been slow to take hold in mountain regions throughout the world. It has been particularly limited by challenges of mechanization, transportation access, and gover...
Computational Sensing Using Low-Cost and Mobile Plasmonic Readers Designed by Machine Learning

Plasmonic sensors have been used for a wide range of biological and chemical sensing applications. Emerging nanofabrication techniques have enabled these sensors to be cost-effectively mass manufactured onto various types of substrates. To accompany these advances, major improvements in sensor read-out devices must also be achieved to fully realize the broad impact of plasmonic nanosensors. Here, we propose a machine learning framework which can be used to design low-cost and mobile multispectral plasmonic readers that do not use traditionally employed bulky and expensive stabilized light sources or high-resolution spectrometers. By training a feature selection model over a large set of fabricated plasmonic nanosensors, we select the optimal set of illumination light-emitting diodes needed to create a minimum-error refractive index prediction model, which statistically takes into account the varied spectral responses and fabrication-induced variability of a given sensor design. This computational sensing ...
Annual ADEA Survey of Dental School Seniors: 2013 Graduating Class

The annual American Dental Education Association (ADEA) Survey of Dental School Seniors is conducted by ADEA to collect information on selected characteristics and opinions of seniors graduating from U.S. dental schools. The survey seeks information across a wide range of areas, including the
Patient-Centered Rounding in an Inpatient Pediatric Setting

ABSTRACTClinical Medical Librarians at Weill Cornell Medicine (WCM), Samuel J. Wood Library provide unique health literacy services for patients, families, and caregivers on the Phyllis and David Komansky Center for Children’s Health pediatric floors of New York-Presbyterian Hospital (NYPH) by conducting twice weekly patient rounds and bringing consumer health information and services to bedsides. Although in its infancy, the Pediatric Consumer Librarian Service (PCLS) generates statements of appreciation from patients and parents, enthusiasm among stakeholders, and reports of increased job satisfaction by librarians. We report on experiences, methods, feedback from users, and plans for the future.
Weak Parties and Strong Partisans

Rackaway characterizes Bernie Sanders’ challenge of Hillary Clinton for the 2016 Democratic Party’s presidential nomination and Donald Trump’s bid for the 2016 Republican Party’s presidential nomination as hostile takeover attempts. He argues that the combination of weak party organizations and strong partisanship makes such attempts increasingly likely. Rackaway provides evidence that a Republican Party rule change in delegate allocation inadvertently helped pave the way for a Trump victory, while Democratic Party contest rules made Sanders’ campaign strategy of focusing on caucuses unlikely to work to secure the Democratic nomination. Despite party organizations’ opposition to these hostile takeover attempts, their weakened state limits their ability to stop upstarts from taking over the party apparatus.
Understanding the Reduction Kinetics of Aqueous Vanadium(V) and Transformation Products Using Rotating Ring-Disk Electrodes.

Vanadium(V) is an emerging contaminant in the most recent EPA’s candidate contaminant list (CCL4). The redox chemistry of vanadium controls its occurrence in the aquatic environment, but the impact of vanadium(V) speciation on its redox properties remains largely unknown. This study developed electrochemical techniques with a rotating ring disk electrode to examine the reduction kinetics of four pH-dependent vanadium(V) species in the presence and absence of phosphate. Results showed that the reduction of VO2+, HxV4O12+x(4+x)- (V4) and HVO42- proceeded via a one-electron transfer, while the reduction of NaxHyV10O28(6-x-y)- (V10) underwent a two-electron transfer process. Koutecky-Levich and Tafel analyses showed that the intrinsic reduction rate constants followed the order of V10 > VO2+ > V4 > HVO42-. Ring electrode collection efficiency indicated that the reduction product of V10 was stable, while those of VO2+, HVO42- and V4 were short lived with half-lives between milliseconds and seconds. With molar ...
All Begins to Bloom: Stories

i Pharm Boy 1 Photo # 23: Sun Never Hid 22 The Pier 23 Photo # 635–702: Lightbox 43 Things Emails Should Not Contain 44 Photo # 1013-4: Chicken Sutures 57 Daydreamers 58 Photo # --: Inflammatory 71 All Begins to Bloom 1: Rooftop 72 2: Flushed 87 3: Rabbit Food 101
Measuring Functional Impairment in Children and Adolescents: Psychometric Properties of the Columbia Impairment Scale (CIS):

The role of measuring functional impairment holds an important place in research, clinical practice, and service provision for children and adolescents. Responding to the growing need to measure serious emotional disturbances at the local, state, and national level, the Columbia Impairment Scale (CIS) was developed in the early 1990s and has remained one of the several popular scales for assessing functional impairment. However, despite the growing popularity of the instrument in research and practice, only a few studies to date have specifically examined the psychometric properties of the CIS. In this article, we describe the results of the first item response theory analysis of the CIS utilizing nationally representative data from the Medical Expenditure Panel Survey (N = 69,966). The results of our analysis lend support to the essential unidimensionality of the CIS and demonstrate that the scale is most reliable for those who exhibit high levels of functional impairment. Given the psychometric properti...
Perceptions of Patient-Centered Care among First-Year Medical Students.

Phenomenon: Teaching patient-centered care (PCC) is a key component of undergraduate medical curricula. Prior frameworks of PCC describe multiple domains of patient-centeredness, ranging from inter...
Theory of an Air Cushion Landing System for Aircraft

Abstract : The Air Cushion Landing System is a scheme to replace the wheeled landing gear on aircraft by a peripheral jet air cushion. The concept employs a flexible elastic membrane or 'trunk' which is attached to the bottom of the aircraft fuselage. During flight, the trunk shrinks elastically and hugs the bottom of the fuselage like a de-icing boot. When a flow of air is applied to the inside of the trunk, the elastic material stretches and forms an elongated doughnut-shaped protrusion on the underside of the aircraft. The air flow is ducted by the trunk to the fuselage periphery and exhausted through a large number of holes or slots. As a result, a pressure builds up under the aircraft when the ground is approached. The pressure is sufficient to support the aircraft and absorb its vertical landing velocity. The study develops analytical relationships between the variables associated with the Air Cushion Landing System. Included are the following: The derivation of a theory which predicts the static characteristics of the system; Analytical methods for predicting flow, jet height and power requirements; Curves which illustrate the interrelationships among the design variables; Computer programs for predicting the cross-sectional area and shape of the elastic trunk; The development and test of an analytical model which predicts the dynamic response of the system to landing impact; A discussion of the design considerations for the system.
M max : Ethics of the Maximum Credible Earthquake

The prediction of earthquakes or their forecast is associated with uncertainties in timing that are generally not easy for the public to assimilate. Estimates of the maximum credible earthquake (M max ) in a region, which excludes considerations of time, may also result in public concern. In one view, it is indefensible to withhold findings of relevance to public safety, yet in another the release of this information may cause alarm, or set in motion a chain of circumstances that may unsettle other scientists, cause public anxiety, or financially depress sectors of the economy. Two examples are discussed in India where the revelation of international scientific discussions of M max by news media both alarmed the public sector, and taxed the civic authorities tasked with responsibilities for the mitigation of earthquake risk. Since the scientist is fundamentally responsible for the disclosure of sensitive information to news media, to what extent is the scientist also morally responsible for the subsequent chain of events? In the USA the National Earthquake Prediction Evaluation Council (NEPEC) provides a possible model for the delivery of sensitive information to the public avoiding the potential pitfalls of sensationalism. A recent evaluation of M max in the New Madrid Seismic Zone, for example, provided a consensus view of diverse opinions already known to the public. It is not clear, however, that a NEPEC confirmed assessment of M max newly derived by a team of scientists would be handled by the world’s press with any greater sensitivity than in the past.
The Tanzanian Response to Dangerous Skin Bleaching Products and Practices and the Gendered Politics of it All: A Critical Analysis

Although efforts are currently being made to ban the use and importation of dangerous skin bleaching agents in countries throughout Africa, products are still somehow making their way into nations like Tanzania. This paper discusses the Tanzanian response to dangerous skin bleaching practices and products as well as the gendered politics that align with this approach. This paper also analyzes the effectiveness of these responses, and presents an empirically validated strategy to address the dangerous uses of skin bleaching creams that can be valuable for Tanzania and other nations across the globe affected with skin bleaching.
The Effect of Insured Liabilities on the Demand for External Audits: The Case of Privately-Held U.S. Banks

This study examines the effect of the government provided insurance on bank debt on the voluntary audit choice made by privately held banks in the United States. By using data available from banking regulators, we are able to overcome data limitations of prior research on voluntary demand for auditing services. Banks have the unique feature of insurance on customer deposits that is provided by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation, and these insured customer deposits comprise a significant portion of the debt of most banks. Consistent with prior research we find that the voluntary choice to be audited is positively related to agency costs as measured by the size of bank assets. Prior research has found a mixed association between the demand for auditing and debt, and our results may shed some light on this issue. Our results show a negative association between a bank’s insured deposits and the choice to be audited, but (consistent with prior literature) a positive association with uninsured liabilities. In addition, we also hypothesize and find that the bank’s voluntary audit choice is positively related to the bank’s growth rate and related to the bank’s primary federal regulator. These findings may have policy implications at a time when changes to banking regulation are being considered.
Optic disc drusen and associated venous stasis retinopathy.

Methods Optic disc drusen is not an uncommon diagnosis in clinical ophthalmic practice. Although associated complications are quite rare, they may be visually devastating. Complications include optic neuropathy and hemorrhagic retinopathy. A case report of extensive optic disc drusen with associated venous stasis retinopathy is presented. Results Long-term follow up showed increasing venous stasis retinopathy secondary to optic disc drusen. Cystoid macular edema formed that gradually decreased vision from 20/20 to 20/70. Conclusions Although infrequent, complications of optic disc drusen can be visually devastating. There is no treatment for disc drusen, but some of the complications may be amenable to treatment.
InfiniBand: The “De Facto” Future Standard for System and Local Area Networks or Just a Scalable Replacement for PCI Buses?

InfiniBand is a new industry-wide general-purpose interconnect standard designed to provide significantly higher levels of reliability, availability, performance, and scalability than alternative server I/O technologies. After more than two years since its official release, many are still trying to understand what are the profitable uses for this new and promising interconnect technology, and how this technology might evolve. In this article, we provide a summary of several industry and academic perspectives on this issue expressed during a panel discussion at the Workshop for Communication Architecture for Clusters (CAC), held in conjunction with the International Parallel and Distributed Processing Symposium (IPDPS) in April 2001, in hopes of narrowing down the design space for InfiniBand-based systems.
The Dichotomy: A Methodological Interlude

Contrary to Marget’s benign duality (Mason 1976b, pp. 185–186), the neoclassical dichotomy was construed by Don Patinkin as a doctrinal inconsistency. Patinkin persistently clung to this conclusion despite a softening of his terminology and modifications of his argument to meet the objections of his critics. The original characterization of the “inconsistency” as a substantive “contradiction” became successively an inconsistency, a possible inconsistency or suspected lack of consistency, and, finally, the “roots” (rather than actuality) of an “invalid dichotomy.” Consistent with his persistent conclusion, however, Patinkin’s terms underwent a rehardening in the later stages of his argument, where he found that the “implications” of the “invalid dichotomy” were “straightforward” (1965, p. 187).
Effects of Force-Field Adaptation on Neural Activation and Resting-State Functional Connectivity

Our group recently developed a novel fMRI-compatible wrist robot, the MR-SoftWrist, to study the neural processes that underlie force-field adaptation. Here we present our first fMRI pilot study on four healthy subjects. Our study validates the MR-SoftWrist as a tool for investigating motor adaptation of wrist pointing movements during fMRI and establishes neural activations associated with active motor control and off-line neural processing in three dynamic conditions.
E-Cigarette Use Is Associated With Intentions to Lose Weight Among High School Students.

Introduction Recent literature has demonstrated individuals may be using electronic cigarettes (e-cigarettes) as a method of weight loss and/or management. Furthermore, e-cigarette companies are developing and patenting technologies related to e-cigarettes and weight loss. This study aims to determine the association between intentions to lose weight and e-cigarette use behaviors among a nationally representative sample of high school students. Methods Data were obtained from the 2015 Youth Risk Behavior Surveillance survey. Participants were 12 847 students in grades 9-12 in the United States. Multivariate multinomial logistic regression models assessed the association between past 30-day e-cigarette use and weight loss intentions among 9-12 grade students. Subsample analyses were conducted, stratified by sex. Covariates included perceived weight, sex, race/ethnicity, grade, and past 30-day tobacco use. Results Overall, 23.7% of the sample used e-cigarettes in the past 30 days. E-cigarette use was associated with 1.38 (95% CI = 1.07% to 1.78%) greater risk of intentions to lose weight among the full sample, controlling for covariates. Among girls, e-cigarette use was associated with 1.44 (95% CI = 1.05% to 1.97%) greater risk of intentions to lose weight, controlling for covariates. Among boys, e-cigarette use was associated with 1.40 (95% CI = 1.04% to 1.88%) greater odds of intentions to gain weight, controlling for covariates. Conclusion Findings show a significant association between e-cigarette use and intentions to lose weight among high school students, among the full sample. Interestingly, e-cigarette use was statistically associated with intentions to gain weight among boys. Longitudinal study is needed to further examine this relationship. Implications and contribution This is the one of the first studies reporting on e-cigarette use and weight loss intentions among adolescents, both highly prevalent among this population. These findings are an important development in the study of e-cigarette use given the established link between conventional cigarette smoking and weight loss and/or management.
Synthesis of Tamper-Resistant Pin-Constrained Digital Microfluidic Biochips

Digital microfluidic biochips (DMFBs) are an emerging technology that implements bioassays through manipulation of discrete fluid droplets. Recent results have shown that DMFBs are vulnerable to actuation tampering attacks, where a malicious adversary modifies control signals for the purposes of manipulating results or causing denial-of-service. Such attacks leverage the highly programmable nature of DMFBs. However, practical DMFBs often employ a technique called pin mapping to reduce control pin count while simultaneously reducing the degrees of freedom available for droplet manipulation. Attempts to control specific electrodes as part of an attack cannot be made without inadvertently actuating other electrodes on-chip, which makes the tampering evident. This paper explores this tamper resistance property of pin mapping in detail. We derive relevant security metrics, evaluate the tamper resistance of several existing pin mapping algorithms, and propose a new security-aware pin mapper. Further, we develop integer linear programming-based methodologies for inserting indicator droplets into a DMFB in order to boost tamper resistance. Experimental results show that the proposed techniques can significantly increase the difficulty for an attacker to make stealthy changes to the execution of a bioassay.
Traffic Congestion Assessment of Metropolitan Areas Through Hybrid Model Ranking

Many methodologies have been developed to rank entities. The goal of developing ranking methodologies is to provide a means for decision-making. The current issue with ranking is that most results in terms of ranks are based on only one method. To resolve this issue, this paper proposes a hybrid model approach in the area of transportation and traffic safety. The hybrid model consists of the Normalized Score Summation Method, Principal Component Analysis, and the similarity measure based on the Proportion Discordance Ratio. The goal of this paper is to ensure the consistency of results from the three methodologies mentioned above. Its numeric analysis shows that results based on the hybrid model are more realistic and robust than the ones solely based on only one method.
Evaluation of controlled IL-12 in combination with a PD-1 inhibitor in subjects with recurrent glioblastoma.

2020Background: Ad-RTS-hIL-12 (Ad) is a novel gene therapy candidate conditionally expressing IL-12 under the control of veledimex (V) acting via the proprietary RheoSwitch Therapeutic System (RTS)...
Coarse-graining of many-body path integrals: Theory and numerical approximations.

Feynman’s imaginary time path integral approach to quantum statistical mechanics provides a theoretical formalism for including nuclear quantum effects (NQEs) in simulation of condensed matter systems. Sinitskiy and Voth [J. Chem. Phys. 143, 094104 (2015)] have presented the coarse-grained path integral (CG-PI) theory, which provides a reductionist coarse-grained representation of the imaginary time path integral based on the quantum-classical isomorphism. In this paper, the many-body generalization of the CG-PI theory is presented. It is shown that the N interacting particles obeying quantum Boltzmann statistics can be represented as a system of N pairs of classical-like pseudoparticles coupled to each other analogous to the pseudoparticle pair of the one-body theory. Moreover, we present a numerical CG-PI (n-CG-PI) method applying a simple approximation to the coupling scheme between the pseudoparticles due to numerical challenges of directly implementing the full many-body CG-PI theory. Structural correlations of two liquid systems are investigated to demonstrate the performance of the n-CG-PI method. Both the many-body CG-PI theory and the n-CG-PI method not only present reductionist views of the many-body quantum Boltzmann statistics but also provide theoretical and numerical insight into how to explicitly incorporate NQEs in the representation of condensed matter systems with minimal additional degrees of freedom.Feynman’s imaginary time path integral approach to quantum statistical mechanics provides a theoretical formalism for including nuclear quantum effects (NQEs) in simulation of condensed matter systems. Sinitskiy and Voth [J. Chem. Phys. 143, 094104 (2015)] have presented the coarse-grained path integral (CG-PI) theory, which provides a reductionist coarse-grained representation of the imaginary time path integral based on the quantum-classical isomorphism. In this paper, the many-body generalization of the CG-PI theory is presented. It is shown that the N interacting particles obeying quantum Boltzmann statistics can be represented as a system of N pairs of classical-like pseudoparticles coupled to each other analogous to the pseudoparticle pair of the one-body theory. Moreover, we present a numerical CG-PI (n-CG-PI) method applying a simple approximation to the coupling scheme between the pseudoparticles due to numerical challenges of directly implementing the full many-body CG-PI theory. Structural corr...
Plot Locator: An app for locating plots in the field

Premise One of the challenges in field biology is locating previously sampled plots. The Plot Locator app was developed to assist field biologists with plot identification and location, with or without GPS or online connectivity. Methods and Results The Plot Locator Android app helps users locate field plots by creating a searchable database that stores study area information, such as site/plot names and numbers, distances from landmarks, optional cardinal directions and GPS coordinates, and field notes. A GPS assist and Google Maps can also be used with the app when connectivity is available. All study location data and field notes are stored in a downloadable CSV file on the user's device. Conclusions The Plot Locator app provides a comprehensive searchable database of study area information, plot location information, and location aids, which are easily accessed in the field.
A Highly Digital Multiantenna Ground-Penetrating Radar (GPR) System

Ground-penetrating radar (GPR) is a widely popular sensing method with broad applications in nondestructive subsurface imaging. This article presents a multistatic GPR for vehicle-mounted roadway and utility monitoring applications that employ several methods to improve performance compared with the state of the art. The proposed system illuminates the subsurface with pseudorandom codes (m-sequences) that have near-ideal autocorrelation properties. As a result, the received signal can be matched-filtered to provide pulse compression, which improves both range resolution and depth of scan compared with impulse-based GPRs. It also uses a highly digital transmit and receive architecture based on direct FPGA-based transmit pulse generation and direct radio frequency (RF) sampling of the received echoes. Furthermore, the analog front end uses an $8 \times 8$ multistatic antenna array design with broadband antipodal Vivaldi elements to provide spatial diversity, which leads to the improved object localization and reduced drift between scans. Experimental results from indoor and outdoor test beds confirm the functionality of the proposed GPR system.
Social norm coordination and readiness to change female genital cutting: Evidence from Senegambia

Abstract Background Female genital cutting (FGC), which poses risks to the health of girls, has proved remarkably persistent in many communities in Africa, despite decades of efforts to discourage it. The social coordination norm model of FGC attributes this persistence to high social costs for uncut women, such as exclusion from marriage markets or social support networks. Objective/methods To test the social coordination model of FGC decision-making in Senegambia, we examined variation in FGC across communities, attitudes toward FGC, and how attitudes affected readiness to change (abandon) FGC. We used an ethnographically-grounded survey to assess valuation of FGC and readiness to change FGC. We used factor analysis to identify constructs in valuation of FGC and logistic regression models to evaluate hypothesized predictors of cut status and readiness to change FGC drawn from the social coordination norm model. Results 1220 women with at least one daughter completed the survey; FGC valuation and readiness to change were characterized in 820 of these women. Findings were generally consistent with the social coordination norm hypothesis: Both locality and ethnicity were associated with cut status, and the prevalence of cutting across communities clustered at high and low levels. Factor analysis identified two distinct concerns in valuation of FGC—social advantages and health costs—and these were distributed differently for cut and uncut women, reflecting distinct normative schema. Further, readiness to change FGC differed in predicted ways with valuation of FGC. Conclusions These findings support the social coordination norm model, and reveal distinct normative schema among cut and uncut women. Furthermore, our findings point to a dynamic reassessment of social benefits and health costs underlying FGC decision-making and readiness to change FGC. The reappraisal of social benefits may be an unrecognized opportunity for programs aiming to discourage FGC.
Muscle Contributions to Balance Control During Amputee and Nonamputee Stair Ascent.

Dynamic balance is controlled by lower-limb muscles and more difficult to maintain during stair ascent compared to level walking. As a result, individuals with lower-limb amputations often have difficulty ascending stairs and are more susceptible to falls. The purpose of this study was to identify the biomechanical mechanisms used by individuals with and without amputation to maintain dynamic balance during stair ascent. Three-dimensional muscle-actuated forward dynamics simulations of amputee and non-amputee stair ascent were developed and contributions of individual muscles, the passive prosthesis and gravity to the time rate of change of angular momentum were determined. The prosthesis replicated the role of non-amputee plantarflexors in the sagittal plane by contributing to forward angular momentum. The prosthesis largely replicated the role of non-amputee plantarflexors in the transverse plane but resulted in a greater change of angular momentum. In the frontal plane, the prosthesis and non-amputee plantarflexors contributed oppositely during the first half of stance while during the second half of stance, the prosthesis contributed to a much smaller extent. This resulted in altered contributions from the intact leg plantarflexors, vastii and hamstrings and the intact and residual leg hip abductors. Therefore, prosthetic devices with altered contributions to frontal-plane angular momentum could improve dynamic balance control during amputee stair ascent and minimize necessary muscle compensations. In addition, targeted training could improve the force production magnitude and timing of muscles that regulate angular momentum to improve dynamic balance.
Identification of Shared Spatial Dynamics in Temperature, Salinity, and Ichthyoplankton Community Diversity in the California Current System With Empirical Dynamic Modeling

Identifying spatially shared dynamics is a key component of community ecology studies as they provide evidence of common responses to environmental factors. We apply co-prediction, an empirical dynamic modeling method (EDM), where values in one time series are predicted from another to quantify shared dynamics in the California Cooperative Fishery Oceanographic Investigation (CalCOFI) dataset composed of spatially explicit physical and biological measurements. Co-prediction can arise in the absence of correlation between two time series. The survey dates to 1951 and consists of a semi-regular, fixed-station design off the west coast of the USA. While the California Current is a dynamic system with multiple identified regimes, we found evidence of coherence measured in terms of spatially shared dynamics in salinity, temperature, Shannon index of ichthyoplankton abundance, and single-species ichthyoplankton abundance throughout the CalCOFI survey area. Leave-one-out hindcast skill, without including any knowledge of shared dynamics was significant in 27 stations for salinity data, 36 for temperature data, and 33 for Shannon index (out of 81 total stations). We then constructed composite libraries, in which correlated or co-predicted time series are concatenated to produce denser attractors), to measure the hindcast skill when including knowledge of shared dynamics. While the number of correlated stations was generally higher than the number of co-predicted stations, hindcast skill from composite libraries of correlated stations did not improve much. On the other hand, composite libraries of co-predicted stations had significant leave-one-out hindcast skill in 60 stations for salinity data, 60 for temperature, and 72 for Shannon index. While there were high levels of correlation among stations, co-prediction proved a more robust method of identifying shared dynamics. Shared dynamics were largely concentrated south of Point Conception, considered an oceanographic and biological breakpoint, although in some cases shared dynamics spanned this boundary. Taken together, these results provide a view of the realized spatial structure occurring in the physical and biological dynamics of the California Current.