cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Psychological and Behavioral Traits Associated with Eating Disorders and Pregnancy: A Pilot Study

Introduction: The aims of this pilot study were to determine the feasibility of conducting a large-scale study exploring the extent to which self-report psychological and behavioral traits associated with eating disorders occur during pregnancy, to test the design, and to gather preliminary data on the magnitude of the problem. Although eating disorders are estimated to affect 5.9% of women of childbearing age, little is known about pregnancy in women who have an undocumented history of disordered eating behavior in the United States. Understanding and identifying eating disorders is important because optimal maternal nutrition contributes to favorable pregnancy and neonatal outcomes. Methods: In our study using a retrospective descriptive design, a convenience sample of 54 postpartum women aged 19 to 43 years voluntarily completed a demographic questionnaire and the Eating Disorder Inventory-3 (EDI-3) before discharge from the hospital. Medical records were reviewed for documented eating disorders. Results: Fifteen women (27.8%) had scores on the EDI-3 indicating that they had psychological and behavioral traits associated with eating disorders. One (1.85%) of the 54 participants’ medical records listed a history of an eating disorder. Discussion: Exploration of self-report symptoms associated with eating disorders during pregnancy warrants further investigation. Health professionals providing care to pregnant women should assess all clients for eating disorders throughout pregnancy and the postpartum period, regardless of history.
Signal processing and feature extraction toolbox for prognosis/diagnosis

In this paper we describe a novel general toolbox that we have developed as part of the integrated prognosis and diagnosis framework. This tool can be used to select the appropriate signal processing techniques for enhancing a signal, to select a portion of a signal, to represent a signal in 2 dimensional domains such as the time-frequency, to extract appropriate prognostic/diagnostic features either directly from the signal or from its representations and to generate a required sensor's signal that would be useful in prognosis/diagnosis. This toolbox is distinct from the Matlab's signal processing toolbox or any other commercially available signal processing toolbox in that (a) it provides techniques suitable for prognosis/diagnosis at the same time keeping the generality like the Matlab's signal processing toolbox. In addition, (b) it provides the facility to save the optimized algorithms to use it during the run time of the prognosis of a system. Our toolbox mainly consists of three GUIs: (1) the signal processing/feature extraction, (2) the window and (3) the coefficients. These GUIs are designed such that they can be operated either individually or made to interact with each other. In particular, the signal processing/feature extraction GUI can be independently used to synthesize any sensor signal that is of prognosis or diagnosis value but is not available since that sensor was not built in the system that is to be diagnosed. The details on the functionalities of each of these GUIs are provided in this paper
Vegetation Responses to Prescribed Burning of Grazed Shortgrass Steppe

Over the past century, fire has been widely suppressed in the western Great Plains, in part because of the potential negative effects on forage production for livestock. More recently, interest in the use of prescribed fire in shortgrass steppe has increased because of the potential applications for wildlife management, control of unpalatable plant species, and restoration of historic disturbance regimes. We studied the effects of prescribed burns conducted during late winter on herbaceous production, forage nitrogen content, and plant species composition of shortgrass steppe on the Pawnee National Grassland in northeastern Colorado. Late-winter burns conducted in moderately grazed sites under a wide range of precipitation conditions during 1997–2001 did not negatively affect herbaceous production in either the first or the second postburn growing season. Burning followed by a severe drought in 2002 reduced production by 19% in the second postburn growing season of 2003. Burns temporarily suppressed the abundance of broom snakeweed (Gutierrezia sarothrae) and prickly pear cactus (Opuntia polyacantha) and enhanced forage nitrogen content during May and June of the first postburn growing season. These findings suggest that, except following severe drought, prescribed burns conducted during late winter in grazed shortgrass steppe for objectives unrelated to livestock production can also have neutral or positive consequences for livestock.
An analysis of a permissive overreaching transfer trip scheme at a 120kV substation

This paper describes a post fault investigation into an undesired operation of a protective device in a permissive overreaching transfer tripping scheme at a 120 kV substation. The paper includes a system description, an event analysis, and a proposed solution.
Bridging versus Hydride Shift in Gaseous Cations: Hydroxy as a Vicinal Substituent

Primary cations of the form XCH2CH2 + (1) are unstable with respect to the bridged isomer cyclo-(CH2)2X + (2) or the hydride-shift isomer CH3CHX + (3).Two independent hydrogen isotope experiments for X ) OH demonstrate that gaseous HOCH2CH2 + (1a) gives less of its bridged isomer, protonated oxirane ( 2a), than of its hydride-shift isomer, protonated acetaldehyde (3a).Metastable ion decompositions of ionized HOCH2CH2OPh show that the radical cation decomposes via an ion-neutral complex containing 3a and phenoxy radical. Deuterium labeling studies exhibit no detectable interconversion of the two sp 3 -carbons, implying that complexes containing 2a are not formed to a measurable extent. An independent neutral product study looks at the radioactive oxirane and acetaldehyde produced when tritium on the methyl group of gaseous CH2TCHTOH undergoes radioactive decay. Loss of a beta- particle and a helium atom forms transient, tritiated 1a. Ions from isomerization of this radiolabeled primary cation were deprotonated by Me3N and gave a >97% yield of acetaldehyde. Quantitative assessment of possible routes to acetaldehyde (including rearrangement of excited 2a) implies that 1 undergoes hydride shift at least 5 times faster than bridging by neighboring oxygen.
When should ACE Inhibitors be given to normotensive patients with IDDM

See page 1787 Recent clinical trials have shown that angiotensinconverting-enzyme (ACE) inhibitors have beneficial effects on progression of nephtropathy in patients with insulindependent diabetes mellitus (IDDM). In today’s Lancet the EUCLID trial, the largest of its kind to date, reports that an ACE inhibitor significantly reduced urinary albumin excretion (UAE) rate in normotensive IDDM patients. These studies have led to questions that include which IDDM patient should receive an ACE inhibitor and when an ACE inhibitor should be given. The indication for starting ACE inhibitors is clear if the patient also has raised blood pressure. But in normotensive patients what would be a rational approach? Several epidemiology studies published more than a decade ago showed that 30-40% of IDDM patients developed clinical evidence of diabetic nephropathy. Although the prevalence of diabetic nephropathy has been decreasing during the past 3 decades because of improving diabetic care, diabetic nephropathy still represents the leading cause of dialysis in the western world. Fortunately recent studies have yielded encouraging results, and an integrated strategy now can be developed to prevent progression of diabetic nephropathy. Since not every IDDM patient will develop severe diabetic nephropathy, ideally preventive measures such as ACE inhibitors should be given only to those IDDM patients who are at risk of developing overt nephropathy. But reliable and practical ways of identifying those normotensive patients with such high risk before the onset of nephropathy are not yet available. The alternative is to identify those normotensive IDDM patients who are at a very early stage of diabetic nephropathy and are likely to develop advanced nephropathy. UAE has emerged as the best marker and the most practical method for detection of early diabetic nephropathy, and the occurrence of persistent microalbuminuria predicts later development of renal failure in IDDM patients. 1
Does vestibular stimulation activate thalamocortical mechanisms that reintegrate impaired cortical regions

Caloric stimulation induced a transient reversal of multimodal hemispatial cognitive deficits in an 81-year-old woman with an acute left cerebral hemisphere stroke. The patient had unawareness of her right hand (asomatognosia), right-sided visual unawareness (hemineglect), aphasia and right-sided weakness (hemiplegia) prior to the stimulation. Transient improvements in impaired sensory, motor, linguistic and cognitive function developed within 30 s following application of the caloric stimulus and onset of horizontal nystagmus. The effect persisted for 3 min and ceased completely after 5 min. While several recent reports have described the capacity of caloric stimulation to transiently improve or reverse a wide range of attentional, cognitive and motor impairments, most examples are in right-hemisphere-damaged patients with long-standing brain injury. Typically, patients have been tested several months or years after the onset of the deficit. A possible mechanism for the temporary reintegration of multiple cognitive functions in this patient is discussed.
The Gauss-Newton learning method for a generalized dynamic synapse neural network

A new architecture for dynamic synapse neural networks (DSNNs) has been introduced based on incorporating a continuous nonlinear mechanism to simulate synaptic neuro-transmitter release, adding a nonlinear output layer, and utilizing a Gauss-Newton learning method to train the network. We applied this network to simulate two nonlinear dynamical systems and then identify the dynamical systems by generating random noise observation data. The network estimation error per sample on the training phase was less than approximately 2% and on the test set was less than approximately 3%.
Text-based similarity searching for hit- and lead-candidate identification

The Pharmacophore Alignment Search Tool (PhAST) is a string-based approach to virtual screening. Molecules are represented by linear sequences which describe their respective pattern of interaction possibilities. The problem of molecule linearization is tackled by applying Minimum Volume Embedding in combination with a Diffusion Kernel to the molecular graph [1,2]. Linear representations are compared using global pairwise sequence alignment [3]. PhAST exhibited enrichment capabilities comparable or superior to most common virtual screening approaches. Compound rankings were proven to be dissimilar to those of other virtual screening techniques. It was shown that emphasis on key interactions through the application of position specific weights in the alignment process significantly increases enrichment. Significance of chemical similarity was determined in form of p-values of global alignment scores, calculated in an approach that was adapted from its original application to local sequence alignments of protein sequences utilizing Marcov chain Monte Carlo simulation [4]. Bonferroni correction was used to correct p-values with respect to the size of the screening library [5]. PhAST was employed in two prospective applications: A screening for non-nucleoside analogue inhibitors of bacterial thymidine kinase yielded a hit with a distinct structural framework but only weak activity. Screenings for drugs that are not members of the NSAID (non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug) class as modulators of gamma secretase resulted in a potent modulator with clear structural distinction from the reference compound.
Imaging of Ferroelectric Domains in KTiOPO4 Single Crystals by Synchrotron X-RAY Topography

The application of synchrotron white beam X-ray topography to the study of ferroelectric domain structures in hydrothermally grown potassium titanyl phosphate (KTiOPO4: KTP) single crystals is reported. The domain walls can be exclusively imaged on topographs with selected diffraction vectors and X-ray wavelengths, while images of other defects, such as dislocations, inclusions and surface scratches, can be simultaneously made very diffuse. The topographic images correspond well with electrostatic toning images. X-ray topography readily reveals the three dimensional shapes of the domain walls. There are two contributions to domain wall contrast: one is fringe-like which can be interpreted in terms of the dynamical theory of X-ray diffraction, and the other is diffuse strain contrast arising from long range strain associated with the wall. These two contributions can be observed simultaneously or separately depending on the diffraction conditions. The long range strain is thought to be associated with the curvature of the domain walls. It appears that the main components of the displacement field associated with this strain are directed approximately perpendicular to the domain wall.
Setting Effects on Friendship Formation among Young Children with and without Disabilities

This study examined the effects of social setting on the friendship formation of 333 preschool children (120 children with disabilities and 213 typically developing children) enrolled in inclusive early childhood programs. The study found that typically developing children in specialized classrooms had significantly more friends than did children with disabilities in those same settings. In child care settings, however, the difference between the reported number of friendships for typically developing children and their peers with disabilities did not reach statistical significance. Implications are presented for considering how the social ecology of the early childhood classroom setting may influence social outcomes for young children enrolled in inclusive programs.
Glycemic Control in the Burn Intensive Care Unit: Focus on the Role of Anemia in Glucose Measurement

Glycemic control with intensive insulin therapy (IIT) has received widespread adoption secondary to findings of improved clinical outcomes and survival in the burn population. Severe burn as a model for trauma is characterized by a hypermetabolic state, hyperglycemia, and insulin resistance. In this article, we review the findings of a burn center research facility in terms of understanding glucose management. The conferred benefits from IIT, our findings of poor outcomes associated with glycemic variability, advantages from preserved diurnal variation of glucose and insulin, and impacts of glucometer error and hematocrit correction factor are discussed. We conclude with direction for further study and the need for a reliable continuous glucose monitoring system. Such efforts will further the endeavor for achieving adequate glycemic control in order to assess the efficacy of target ranges and use of IIT.
Analysis and design of a novel power supply for mobile robots

We have developed a novel device to supply hydraulic power for anaerobic mobile robotic systems. This power source is capable of operation in environments with no oxygen, such as underwater and space. The design, unlike the internal combustion engine, produces power on demand, eliminating idling when there is no load on the system. Steam and oxygen are the only byproducts of this power supply. This monopropellant-powered free piston hydraulic pump (FPHP) was designed as a human scale (1.0 to 3.0 kW) power supply. The FPHP utilizes high concentration hydrogen peroxide, which decomposes into hot gas when exposed to a catalyst, as the monopropellant energy source. Energy is extracted from the hydrogen peroxide and transferred directly to hydraulic fluid by expanding the hot decomposition gas in an integrated piston/cylinder arrangement. Based upon a specific power and specific energy analysis using a Ragone plot, the performance of the FPHP potentially exceeds that of a battery based hydraulic power supply for short operation times.
ABSORPTION‐LINE SPECTRA OF QUASI‐STELLAR OBJECTS: PHYSICAL PROPERTIES OF ABSORBING GAS*

The optical absorption lines of quasars are examined, and implications of the lines for the physical properties of the absorbing gas are discussed. Consideration is given to the characteristics of broad absorption lines observed in such quasars as PHL 5200 and Q 1246-057 and of the more prevalent extremely narrow lines, with discussion of the presumed physical conditions in the absorbing gas and the distribution of absorption-line redshifts with respect to emission-line redshifts. It is pointed out that absorption features become more prevalent in quasar spectra with emission redshifts greater than 2.3, and results of studies of column densities and abundances and of the presence of absorption in radio compact quasars are indicated. Research programs currently under way are then described, including a search for the distribution of absorption lines in a fixed wavelength range less than the Lyman alpha emission wavelength, study of low absorption-redshift systems, a study of individual objects such as the quasar pair 1548+114a and b, and various theoretical investigations.
Identification of Web Genres by User Warrant

The use of genre metadata has been proposed as a potentially beneficial supplement to general web search engines. A key issue in this solution is the selection of genre labels and definitions for web pages. What genres should be used in a general search engine? How are these genres to be identified? What are effective methodologies for collecting user terminology for the purpose of deriving web page genre labels? Three criteria for effective labels are proposed. In light of these criteria, traditional genre theory is applied to the web. The existing research literature is examined, focusing on the results of a series of studies in which the feedback of almost 300 users was solicited for the purpose of building a classification of genre labels for web pages from the .edu Internet domain. The chapter includes discussion of the implications of our findings for future studies of web genre, including recommendations for best practice.
Intracellular FRET-based Screen for Redesigning the Specificity of Secreted Proteases

Proteases are attractive as therapeutics given their ability to catalytically activate or inactivate their targets. However, therapeutic use of proteases is limited by insufficient substrate specificity, since off-target activity can induce undesired side-effects. In addition, few methods exist to enhance the activity and specificity of human proteases, analogous to methods for antibody engineering. Given this need, a general methodology termed protease evolution via cleavage of an intracellular substrate (PrECISE) was developed to enable engineering of human protease activity and specificity toward an arbitrary peptide target. PrECISE relies on coexpression of a protease and a peptide substrate exhibiting Forster resonance energy transfer (FRET) within the endoplasmic reticulum of yeast. Use of the FRET reporter substrate enabled screening large protease libraries using fluorescence activated cell sorting for the activity of interest. To evolve a human protease that selectively cleaves within the central hydrophobic core (KLVF↓F↓AED) of the amyloid beta (Aβ) peptide, PrECISE was applied to human kallikrein 7, a protease with Aβ cleavage activity but broad selectivity, with a strong preference for tyrosine (Y) at P1. This method yielded a protease variant which displayed up to 30-fold improvements in Aβ selectivity mediated by a reduction in activity toward substrates containing tyrosine. Additionally, the increased selectivity of the variant led to reduced toxicity toward PC12 neuronal-like cells and 16-1000-fold improved resistance to wild-type inhibitors. PrECISE thus provides a powerful high-throughput capability to redesign human proteases for therapeutic use.
Theories of Highway Safety

I examine theories of highway safety and discuss how free market principles can lead to a reduction of traffic and vehicular fatalities.
Cloning of contractile protein genes.

The way in which genes specify the ordered appearance of contractile and regulatory proteins in differentiating muscle cells is an important problem in developmental biology. The existence of easily detectable markers of cell differentiation at every stage of myogenesis, the ease with which myoblasts can be grown in vitro, and the fact that muscle is an electrically excitable tissue combine to make skeletal muscle a rich model system for studying many aspects of cell differentiation in higher organisms. The potential for muscle cell development exists in DNA molecules that contain the appropriate sequences. The actual genesis of a myotube, however, requires regulated transcription of the DNA sequences into mRNA, and controlled translation of the mRNA into proteins. Investigators who have begun to attack these interrelated processes experimentally have seen similarities in the behavior of many muscle genes. For example, the genes coding for actin, myosin heavy chains, myosin light chains, troponins, tropomyosin, creatine kinase, and aldolase, all have more than one nonidentical copy per haploid genome. That is, they exist as small gene families with each member of a family encoding a slight variant (isoform) of the family gene. In most cases, the isoforms are expressed differently during development, both in time and tissue distribution. For example, during skeletal myogenesis, α-actin, creatine kinase M, aldolase A4, and adult type myosin heavy and light chains are “switched on” and actively expressed, while embryonic myosins, β- and γ-actin, creatine kinase B, and aldolase C are all “switched off” and no longer synthesized.
The Nature and Classification of Lichens—II. The Lichen and its Algal Host

(1913). The Nature and Classification of Lichens—II. The Lichen and its Algal Host. Mycologia: Vol. 5, No. 3, pp. 97-166.
Second-Harmonic Generation: A Probe of Symmetry and Order in Crystalline Surfaces

Since optical second-harmonic generation (SHG) is (electric-dipole) forbidden within a centrosymmetric medium, the process exhibits a high degree of sensitivity to the character of the medium’s surface, the region where the inversion symmetry of the bulk is broken. This intrinsic surface sensitivity, combined with the high spectral and temporal resolution and wide range of applicability afforded by optical techniques, makes SHG an attractive tool for the study of surfaces and interfaces. To date, the SHG technique has been exploited primarily in investigations of adsorbate-covered surfaces and interfaces [1]. In this paper, we describe the extension of the SHG technique to studies of clean, ordered surfaces, showing that the polarization dependences of the SH signal reflect the symmetry and ordering of the surface atomic structure [2,3]. Results are presented here for Si(111)-2x1 and 7x7 reconstructed surfaces and for Si(111)-7x7 surfaces modified by the room-temperature deposition of Si atoms [4]. Note that all of the materials under study consist of pure Si, both at the surface and in the bulk. We can, nonetheless, readily examine their surface properties because of the intrinsic surface sensitivity provided by the SHG process.
Final Technical Report: Advanced Measurement and Analysis of PV Derate Factors.

The Advanced Measurement and Analysis of PV Derate Factors project focuses on improving the accuracy and reducing the uncertainty of PV performance model predictions by addressing a common element of all PV performance models referred to as “derates”. Widespread use of “rules of thumb”, combined with significant uncertainty regarding appropriate values for these factors contribute to uncertainty in projected energy production.
Infant feeding practices of migrant farm laborers in northern Colorado.

The purpose of this study was to provide descriptive information on migrant farm laborers’ infani feeding practices in northern Colorado. We used a survey questionnaire to interview 49 families with a 6- to 23-month-old child who was enrolled in the Migrant Heac Start Center. Sixteen (33%) of the mothers breast-fed theii infants, but only five (14%) of the 35 Mexican Americans breast-fed. Thirty-four (69%) of the mothers used formula and seven (14%) gave their child cow’s milk at birth. Introduction of solids occurred at a mean of 6.6 months. Of the respondents, 13 (27%) introduced solids before 4 months of age, whereas 29 (59%) introduced solids before the age of 6 months. Thirty-six (73%) of the migrants put their child to bed with a sweetened beverage, milk, or formula in a bottle. Diarrhea in the children was reported by 39 (80%) of the migrants, with 15 (31 %) stating that it occurred at least once per month. One third (n = 16) of the respondents reported that their children had constipation lasting 1 to 14 days, but for most (n = 10) it occurred less than once per month. Results suggest that migrant families need more dietary recommendations about breast-feeding, introduction of liquids/solid foods, proper formula preparation, avoidance of baby bottle tooth decay and treatment of diarrhea and constipation.
Contextualizing "Choice" for Undocumented Immigrants in U.S. Clinical Trials Research.

This consultation about the ethics of offering a clinical trial to an undocumented and uninsured immigrant with a diagnosis of myelofibrosis raises two primary questions. One is posed by the case p...
Velocity Structure of the Northern Mississippi Embayment Sediments, Part I: Teleseismic P‐Wave Spectral Ratios Analysis

Abstract The Mississippi Embayment overlies the New Madrid seismic zone in the central United States and consists of a thick succession of unconsolidated sediments that covers the Paleozoic basement rock. The high‐velocity contrast at the basement–sediment interface and the near‐vertical ray paths of teleseismic P ‐waves generate very large P to S conversions on the radial component and large P reverberations on the vertical component. This characteristic of P ‐wave propagation is used to study P ‐ and S ‐wave resonance in the sedimentary layer. Horizontal‐to‐vertical (H/V) and vertical‐to‐horizontal (V/H) power spectral ratios are calculated for a time window around the teleseismic P ‐wave arrivals at broadband stations of the USArray Transportable Array, Northern Embayment Lithosphere Experiment, and the New Madrid Cooperative Seismic Network in the embayment. Using a map of sediment thickness, we developed models for average P ‐ and S ‐wave velocity‐versus‐sediment thickness. The resulting shear‐wave velocity model matches very well with the model obtained from an H/V ambient noise study in the region. The shear‐wave velocity model shows low velocity near the edges of the embayment with average velocities increasing with increasing sediment thickness, consistent with increased sediment compaction. Fundamental resonance frequency for S waves ranges from 0.2 to 0.4 Hz for the embayment sediments. Electronic Supplement: Two figures showing the synthetic test results and a table that includes peak resonance frequency and average V P and V S .
Evaluation of a Powered Intraosseous Device for Bone Marrow Sampling.

The importance of bone marrow examination in the evaluation of leukemia, multiple myeloma, anemia, pancytopenia, and other disorders is well established. The objective for this study was to evaluate the ability of a powered bone marrow aspiration device to penetrate the intraosseous medullary space of the iliac crest, and to aspirate bone marrow samples for the ultimate purpose of diagnosing disease and monitoring the course of disease and medical therapy. The device was used to obtain bone marrow samples in accordance with accepted practice guidelines and device’s directions for use. Among other data, insertion success, time to insertion, and complications were recorded. Patient pain levels were rated from 0 to 10 (10=extreme pain). Device operators rated the use of the device from 0 to 10 (10=outstanding). There were 55 patients in the study from three centers. Successful insertion and aspiration of bone marrow samples were achieved in 54 of the 55 patients (98.1%). Mean insertion time was 4.9±3.0 seconds; significantly faster than the 7.3 minutes reported by Kuball et al * (one-sample t -test, p
Using multicellular tumor spheroids as a model to study the effect of extracellular matrix on viral oncolysis

3045 One of the major therapeutic limitations of oncolytic viral gene therapy for treatment of solid tumors is poor viral distribution within the tumor microenvironment. Recent evidence has shown that connective tissue and extracellular matrix may play a prominent role in inhibiting viral propagation. The ability of progeny virion to penetrate extracellular matrix and subsequently infect neighboring tumor cells has not been sufficiently elucidated. We have developed an in vitro multicellular spheroid model in order to further study the role of extracellular matrix proteins, such as collagen and fibronectin, in primary and secondary viral infection. Briefly, murine non-small cell lung cancer (L1C2) cells were cultured in a spinner flask alone or with an equal number of murine fibroblasts (NIH-3T3). Single or co-culture spheroids (>500 um) were harvested after 10 days, sectioned, and stained for extracellular matrix proteins, collagen IV and fibronectin. Co-culture L1C2/NIH-3T3 spheroids displayed elevated levels of collagen IV and fibronectin compared to single culture L1C2 spheroids. We then investigated the sensitivity of these tumor spheroids to a replication competent ICP6-deleted Herpes simplex viral mutant expressing green fluorescent protein (GFP). L1C2 and NIH-3T3 were equally sensitive to viral cytotoxicity in vitro when grown alone as a monolayer. Each cell line was also shown to equally support viral replication through a single-step burst assay. However, co-culture L1C2/NIH-3T3 spheroids infected with virus for 48 hours remained morphologically intact while the single culture spheroids had deteriorated. We hypothesize that the increased network of extracellular matrix proteins in the L1C2/NIH-3T3 co-culture spheroids impedes viral biodistribution and oncolysis in our in vitro spheroid model. Future studies will involve manipulating the extracellular matrix to increase the therapeutic efficacy of recombinant herpes viral vectors in solid tumors.
β-Skeleton depth functions and medians

ABSTRACTWe define the β-skeleton depth based on the probability that a point is contained within the β-skeleton influence region of two i.i.d. random vectors. The proposed family of depth functions...
Optimal data layout for block-level random accesses to scratchpad

3D memory is becoming an increasingly popular technology to overcome the performance gap between memory and processors. It has led to the development of new architectures with scratchpad memory, which offer high bandwidth and user-controlled access features. The ideal performance of this scratchpad memory is peak bandwidth for any random block access. However, 3D memories come with their constraints on the "ideal" access patterns for which high bandwidth is guaranteed and the actual bandwidth is significantly lower for other access patterns. In this paper, we address the challenge of achieving high bandwidth for random block accesses to 3D memory. We present optimal data layout which achieves maximum bandwidth for each vault irrespective of the block accessed in a vault. Our data layout expressed as a mapping function determined by the architecture parameters exploits inter-layer pipelining to map the elements of each block among various layers of a vault in a specific pattern. By doing so, our data layout can absorb the latency of accesses to banks in the same layer and more importantly, hide the latency of accesses to different rows in the same bank irrespective of the block being accessed. We compare the performance of our proposed data layout with existing data layout using PARSEC 2.0 benchmarks. Our experimental results demonstrate as high as 56% improvement in access time in comparison with the existing data layout across various workloads.
Nonacetaminophen Drug-Induced Acute Liver Failure

Acute liver failure of all causes is diagnosed in between 2000 and 2500 patients annually in the United States. Drug-induced acute liver failure is the leading cause of acute liver failure, accounting for more than 50% of cases. Nonacetaminophen drug injury represents 11% of all cases in the latest registry from the US Acute Liver Failure Study Group. Although rare, acute liver failure is clinically dramatic when it occurs, and requires a multidisciplinary approach to management. In contrast with acetaminophen-induced acute liver failure, non-acetaminophen-induced acute liver failure has a more ominous prognosis with a lower liver transplant-free survival.
Racial Identity and the Political Ideologies of Afro-Caribbean Immigrants:

Although the number of Black immigrants in the United States is increasing, few studies have examined whether they assimilate into the liberal ideologies with which U.S.-born Blacks are typically a...
Subcutaneous oedema of upper limbs heralding an aggressive form of dermatomyositis

Subcutaneous oedema is a rare presenting clinical manifestation of dermatomyositis. In this case, we report a 44-year-old man presenting with bilateral upper extremity predominant swelling and weakness. The proximal muscle weakness, dysphagia and presence of Gottron's papules as well poikiloderma like skin changes led to the clinical diagnosis of dermatomyositis. He received aggressive treatment with high-dose glucocorticoids and required intravenous immunoglobulin with improvement in his symptoms.
Japanese Encyclopaedias: A Hidden Impact on Late Qing Chinese Encyclopaedias?

In 1887–1889, Fu Yunlong 傅雲龍 (1840–1901), a Chinese travel envoy to Japan, compiled and published a masterful study called Japan, with Maps and Tables, Youli Riben tujing 遊歷日本圖經, in 30 juan 卷. In that work, Fu cites the 175-year-old Japanese compendium, Illustrated Japanese-Chinese Bilingual Encyclopaedia, Wa-Kan sansai zue 倭漢三才図会 (sometimes written 和漢三才図会) of Terajima Ryōan 寺島良安 (ca. 1662–1732), published in 1713. The inspiration for this Japanese work was the Ming dynasty Illustrated Book of the Three Realms [of Heaven, Earth, and Man], Sancai tuhui 三才圖會 by Wang Qi 王圻 (1530–1615), published first in 1609.
Alpha 2-macroglobulin is present in and synthesized by the cornea.

Purpose. The purposes of this study were to determine whether the proteinase inhibitor a2-macroglobulin is present in the cornea, and, if so, where it is located, and whether it is synthesized by the cornea, and, if so, where it is being synthesized. Methods. a2-Macroglobulin was immunolocalized using a double antibody technique and quantified by immunodot blot assays, and its identity was confirmed by Western blot analysis. Corneal synthesis of this inhibitor was determined by immunoprecipitation of extracts from corneas incubated in organ culture with 35 S-methionine. mRNA was localized by in situ hybridization of 3 H-labeled cDNA to the inhibitor. Results. a2-Macroglobulin was localized in the epithelial, endothelial, and stromal cells. It was also found in the stromal extracellular matrix. When extracts of the epithelium, stroma, and Descemet's membrane-endothelium were analyzed by Western blot, an immunoreactive band for this inhibitor was detected in all extracts. This band comigrated with the a2-macroglobulin form isolated from plasma. Metabolically labeled inhibitor was immunoprecipitated from the stromal layer but not from the epithelial or endothelial layer. However, when examined by in situ hybridization, mRNA was localized to epithelial and endothelial cells in addition to stromal keratocytes. Conclusions. Because a2-macroglobulin has the ability to inhibit a wide range of proteinases, it is probable that this inhibitor plays an important role in protecting the cornea from damage caused by proteinases. This includes proteinases synthesized by the cornea and those released from inflammatory cells and invading organisms. Invest Ophthalmol Vis Sci. 1994;35:32263233.
Ectopic Ureteroceles in Children

An ectopic ureterocele may be defined as a cystic dilatation of the distal submucosal or intravesical portion of a ureter that is associated with the ectopic moiety of a completely duplicated system or, in the absence of duplication, associated with a ureter draining into an ectopic position. Using this definition, we reviewed our experience with 22 children treated during a 7-year period. More than 50 per cent were less than 3 years old at the time of presentation. The female preponderance was 3 to 1. Urinary infection was the most frequent mode of presentation. The diagnosis is made most easily when there is a high index of suspicion. Although treatment must be tailored to the situation, in general total heminephroureterectomy and excision of the ureterocele are the preferred choice. Eighty-seven per cent of the patients so treated has a satisfactory result.
Pharmaceutical patient assistance programs in the outpatient pharmacy of a large tertiary cancer center

Purpose To report on the use of pharmaceutical patient assistance programs (PAPs) in the outpatient pharmacy at the largest tertiary cancer center in the United States.
Accelerated pavement performance modeling using layered viscoelastic analysis

An efficient pavement performance analysis framework is developed by combining the ideas of time-scale separation and Fourier transform-based layered analysis. First, utilizing the vast difference in time scales associated with temperature and traffic load variations, the number of stress analysis runs are reduced from several million to a few dozen. Second, the computational cost of the pavement stress analysis is reduced significantly by using Fourier transform-based analysis. The resulting pavement performance prediction tool, named the layered viscoelastic continuum damage (LVECD) program, can capture the effects of viscoelasticity, temperature (thermal stresses and changes in viscoelastic properties) and the moving nature of the traffic load. The efficiency of the LVECD program is shown through 20-year pavement simulations.
Bank Failures as Poisson Variates: A Reappraisal

This paper uses a model developed in Davutyan (1989) to appraise alternative possible causes of bank failures from 1947 to 1991, with emphasis on the possibility of structural shifts in these causal relationships as a consequence of deregulation, particularly the Depository Institutions Deregulation and Monetary Control Act (DIDMCA) of 1980. Various factors that may bear upon bank failure are discussed in Section 2, and their effects are estimated in Section 3. Because of the discrete nature of the data, which makes Normal or Gaussian estimation inappropriate, estimates by two additional methods are reported: Poisson and a compound Poisson approach called NegBin. Tests for structural change are reported in Sections 4 and 5 and the principal findings are summarized in Section 6.
The near repeats of gun violence using acoustic triangulation data

Near repeat signatures of gun violence have been generated exclusively from incidents reported to or discovered by police. However, many gun crimes go unreported. In Trenton NJ, it is believed as many as 60% of all such cases do not come to the police’s attention. This research explores near repeat qualities of gun-related violent crime in Trenton using an underutilized dataset, sounds of gunshots from ShotSpotter, allowing us to capture both reported and unreported gun-related violent crime. When examining reported and unreported gun violence, compared to solely relying on reported cases, near repeat signatures are smaller geographically and exhibit larger and more consistent statistically significant effects across temporal bands. Near repeat chains also occur more frequently and include more events. We caution against only using reported events in near repeat analyses. Improved measures of crime may change the character of near repeat events, research findings, and the operational response.
College Students’ Understanding of Fraction Operations

This study investigates college students’ understanding of arithmetic fraction operations as defined by the Common Core State Standards in grades three through six Mathematics. This study is meant to extend upon an extensive body of research regarding elementary and middle grades students’ understanding of fraction operations and see if recognized erroneous thinking among younger students persist among college students. Among these misconceptions include: fraction equivalence, common denominators, the algorithm and the concept of division, whole number bias, and incorrectly applying fraction operations. The results of this study suggest that college students have the same misunderstandings and misconceptions as elementary students in regards to fraction operations.
Cytogenetics and survival trends in Hispanic Latino patients with acute lymphoblastic leukemia at Los Angeles County Hospital and Norris Cancer Center.

e18519Background: Recent advances in acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) therapy by adapting the pediatric protocol has increased the survival rates for adult patients with ALL. However, it is not c...
Borrowing of strength from indirect evidence in 40 network meta-analyses.

Abstract Objectives Network meta-analysis (NMA) is increasingly being used to synthesize direct and indirect evidence and help decision makers simultaneously compare multiple treatments. We empirically evaluate the incremental gain in precision achieved by incorporating indirect evidence in NMAs. Study Design and Setting We performed both network and pairwise meta-analyses on 40 published data sets of multiple-treatment comparisons. Their results were compared using the recently proposed borrowing of strength (BoS) statistic, which quantifies the percentage reduction in the uncertainty of the effect estimate when adding indirect evidence to an NMA. Results We analyzed 915 possible treatment comparisons, from which 484 (53%) had no direct evidence (BoS = 100%). In 181 comparisons with only one study contributing direct evidence, NMAs resulted in reduced precision (BoS Conclusion Although NMAs have the potential to provide more precise results than those only based on direct evidence, the incremental gain may reliably occur only when at least two head-to-head studies are available and treatments are well connected. Researchers should routinely report and compare the results from both network and pairwise meta-analyses.
Active aeroelastic output feedback control with partial measurements by the method of receptances

Abstract The method of receptances allows the design of active aeroelastic control for suppressing the flutter instabilities and for augmenting the flutter boundaries by pole placement. This method is purely based on available receptance transfer functions, which can be available for controller design from the embedded sensors and actuators on the aircraft. In recent years, receptance based single-input and multiple-input full state feedback control has been developed, which requires the displacement and velocity measurements associated with each degree of freedom, which may not be available in practice. The design of a controller using partially available measurements in these scenarios is related to the static output feedback design, which leads to the solution of associated nonlinear problems and/or the design of complimentary state estimators or observers. In order to overcome such restrictions, in this paper a method for feedback control design using the receptance method is presented which can utilize the available partial measurements for control gain computation. This is achieved by introducing redundancy of acceleration measurement and adding associated acceleration feedback in the controller loop. This leads to a linear constrained least-square problem for the design of the controller. The working of this approach is shown with numerical examples associated with various wing models. It is demonstrated that prescribed aeroelastic modes can be controlled to achieve flutter suppression and flutter boundary extension, by designing a feedback controller using partial measurements from the available sensors. Parametric studies are presented to demonstrate that such output feedback control allows the optimal selection of measurements and the corresponding sensor location to minimize the controller norm.
Verkuil, Paul R. Valuing Bureaucracy: The Case for Professional Government: New York, NY: Cambridge University Press, 2017. 168 pages. $110 (hardcover); $29.99 (softcover)

Paul Verkuil, a former Chairman of the Administrative Conference of the United States, has written a sagacious book about what ails the performance of the management of the federal government. Most...
Timing of Right Heart Failure after Left Ventricular Assist Device is Associated with Survival after Heart Transplantation

Purpose Right heart failure (RHF) after left ventricular assist device (LVAD) occurs in a spectrum of severity and can occur both early and late after implant. Our recent work demonstrated that patients requiring IS after LVAD have reduced survival following heart transplant (OHT), but whether this extends to patients with early and late RHF is unknown. Methods We queried the UNOS registry from 1/00 - 9/17 for adults bridged to OHT with LVAD, excluding those with total artificial heart, dual-organ transplant, prior transplant, or congenital heart disease. We divided patients into 4 groups based on the need for IS at listing and at OHT: 1) No RHF = LVAD; LVAD, 2) early RHF = LVAD + IS; LVAD, 3) persistent RHF = LVAD + IS; LVAD + IS, and 4) late RHF = LVAD; LVAD + IS. We compared 1-year post-OHT survival using the Kaplan-Meier method and Cox proportional hazards models. Results Among 5080 patients bridged to OHT with LVAD, 4348 (86%) had no RHF, 343 (7%) early RHF, 194 (4%) persistent RHF, and 195 (4%) late RHF. Compared to patients without RHF at the time of OHT, those with persistent and late RHF had similar creatinine and total bilirubin but a higher proportion of ventilator support and lower Karnofsky performance scores (Table). Compared to patients with no RHF, 1-year post-OHT survival was similar for patients with isolated early RHF but was significantly lower among those with persistent and late RHF, and this relationship persisted in multivariate modeling (Figure). Conclusion Patients with persistent or late RHF requiring IS after LVAD have reduced post-OHT survival, similar to patients bridged with BiVAD.
Morphological Impact of Segment Dispersity in Lithium Salt-Doped Poly(styrene)/Poly(ethylene oxide) Triblock Polymers

We investigate the impact of center segment dispersity on the phase behavior of 17 lithium salt-doped poly(styrene-block-oligo(ethylene oxide) carbonate-block-styrene) (bSOS) triblock polymers, in ...
A Randomized Controlled Trial of a Modularized, Computer-Assisted, Self-Paced Approach to Developmental Math.

AbstractCommunity colleges are a large sector of postsecondary education. In 2016–2017, the United States had nearly 1,000 public 2-year postsecondary institutions (community colleges), serving alm...