cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Varicella-zoster virus infection of human foreskin fibroblast cells results in atypical cyclin expression and cyclin-dependent kinase activity.

In its course of human infection, varicella-zoster virus (VZV) infects rarely dividing cells such as dermal fibroblasts, differentiated keratinocytes, mature T cells, and neurons, none of which are actively synthesizing DNA; however, VZV is able to productively infect them and use their machinery to replicate the viral genome. We hypothesized that VZV alters the intracellular environment to favor viral replication by dysregulating cell cycle proteins and kinases. Cyclin-dependent kinases (CDKs) and cyclins displayed a highly unusual profile in VZV-infected confluent fibroblasts: total amounts of CDK1, CDK2, cyclin B1, cyclin D3, and cyclin A protein increased, and kinase activities of CDK2, CDK4, and cyclin B1 were strongly and simultaneously induced. Cyclins B1 and D3 increased as early as 24 h after infection, concurrent with VZV protein synthesis. Confocal microscopy indicated that cyclin D3 overexpression was limited to areas of IE62 production, whereas cyclin B1 expression was irregular across the VZV plaque. Downstream substrates of CDKs, including pRb, p107, and GM130, did not show phosphorylation by immunoblotting, and p21 and p27 protein levels were increased following infection. Finally, although the complement of cyclin expression and high CDK activity indicated a progression through the S and G 2 phases of the cell cycle, DNA staining and flow cytometry indicated a possible G 1 /S blockade in infected cells. These data support earlier studies showing that pharmacological CDK inhibitors can inhibit VZV replication in cultured cells.
Variability in hand surface representations in areas 3b and 1 in adult owl and squirrel monkeys.

Detailed microelectrode maps of the hand representation were derived in cortical areas 3b and 1 from a series of normal adult owl and squirrel monkeys. While overlap relationships were maintained, and all maps were internally topographic, many map features varied significantly when exam­ ined in detail. Variable features of the hand representations among different monkeys included a) the overall shapes and sizes of hand surface represen­ tations; b) the actual and proportional areas of representations of different skin surfaces and the cortical magnifications of representations of specific skin surfaces, which commonly varied severalfold in area 3b and manyfold in area 1; c) the topographic relationships among skin surface representa­ tions, with skin surfaces that were represented adjacently in some monkeys represented in locations many hundreds of microns apart in others; d) the internal orderliness of representations; e) the completeness of representa­ tions of the dorsal hand surfaces; and f) the skin surfaces represented along the borders of the hand representation. Owl monkey maps were, in general, internally more strictly topographic than squirrel monkey maps. In both species, area 3b was more strictly topographic and less variable than was area 1. The degree of individual variability revealed in these experiments is difficult to reconcile with the hypothesis that details of cortical maps are ontogenetically specified during a period in early life. Instead, we propose that differences in the details of cortical map structure are the consequence of individual differences in lifelong use of the hands. This conclusion is consistent with earlier studies of the consequences of peripheral nerve tran­ section and digital amputation, which revealed that cortical maps are dy­ namically maintained and are alterable as a function of use or nerve injury in these monkeys CMerzenich et al., '83a,b, '84a; Merzenich, '86; Jenkins et al., '84; Jenkins and Merzenich, '87).
Barbed Hook Restrictions in Catch-and-Release Trout Fisheries: A Social Issue

Abstract We summarized results of past studies that directly compared hooking mortality of resident (nonanadromous) salmonids caught and released with barbed or barbless hooks. Barbed hooks produced lower hooking mortality in two of four comparisons with flies and in three of five comparisons with lures. Only 1 of 11 comparisons resulted in statistically significant differences in hooking mortality. In that instance, barbless baited hooks caused significantly less mortality than barbed hooks, but experimented design concerns limited the utility of this finding. Mean hooking mortality rates from past lure studies were slightly higher for barbed hooks than barbless ones, but the opposite was true for flies. For flies and lures combined, mean hooking mortality was 4.5% for barbed hooks and 4.2% for barbless hooks. Combination of test statistics from individual studies by gear type via meta-analysis yielded nonsignificant results for barbed versus barbless flies, lures, or flies and lures combined. We conclud...
Genetic contributions to generalized arousal of brain and behavior

We have identified a generalized arousal component in the behavior of mice. Analyzed by mathematical/statistical approaches across experiments, investigators, and mouse populations, it accounts for about 1/3 of the variance in arousal-related measures. Knockout of the gene coding for the classical estrogen receptor (ER-α), a ligand-activated transcription factor, greatly reduced arousal responses. In contrast, disrupting the gene for a likely gene duplication product, ER-β, did not have these effects. A combination of mathematical and genetic approaches to arousal in an experimentally tractable mammal opens up analysis of a CNS function of considerable theoretical and practical significance.
An autonomous real-time neural signal processor

In this paper we present an autonomous and adaptive digital neural signal processor to enable real-time processing of neural signals for brain machine interfaces (BMIs). The algorithms and architectures provide autonomous operation with low computational and hardware complexity. This enables localized processing of neural signals to minimize wireless bandwidth and overall power dissipation.
Effects of end group polarity and molecular weight on the lower critical solution temperature of poly(N‐isopropylacrylamide)

The lower critical solution temperatures (LCSTs) for mass fractionated samples of poly(N-isopropylacrylamide) (PNIPAM) were studied to determine the effect of polymer molecular weight on the LCST using a high throughput temperature gradient apparatus. PNIPAM fractions prepared by a conventional radical polymerization using azoisobutyronitrile (AIBN) as the initiator had LCSTs that were largely invariant with molecular weight or dispersity. Only slight deviations were noted with lower molecular weight samples. An 18-kDa sample had a 0.6 °C higher LCST. A 56-kDa sample had a 0.2 °C higher LCST. PNIPAM derivatives prepared with a triphenylmethyl (trityl) functionalized azo initiator were also prepared and mass fractionated. These samples' LCSTs were identical to those of PNIPAM samples prepared using AIBN initiation when higher molecular weight samples were compared. The trityl-containing PNIPAM fractions' LCSTs varied when the molecular weight decreased below 100 kDa. Acidolysis of the trityl end groups provided a third set of PNIPAM derivatives whose LCST differed only with samples with Mw values < 60 kDa. These results show there is no effect of molecular weight on LCST until the degree of polymerization is such that end group structure becomes significant. © 2006 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem 44: 1492–1501, 2006
CFD methods for three-dimensional computation of complex flow problems

Abstract This paper provides an overview of some of the CFD methods developed by the Team for Advanced Flow Simulation and Modeling (T*AFSM) [http://www.mems.rice.edu/TAFSM/]. The paper also provides many examples of three-dimensional flow simulations carried out with these CFD methods and advanced parallel supercomputers. The methods and tools described in this paper include: stabilized finite element formulations; formulations for flows with moving boundaries and interfaces; mesh update methods; iterative solution techniques for large nonlinear equation systems; and parallel implementation of these methods. Our target is to be able to address effectively certain classes of flow simulation problems. These include: unsteady flows with interfaces; fluid–object interactions; fluid–structure interactions; airdrop systems; aerodynamics of complex shapes; and contaminant dispersion.
Bridging the language gap in scientific computing: the Chasm approach

Chasm is a toolkit providing seamless language interoperability between Fortran 95 and C++. Language interoperability is important to scientific programmers because scientific applications are predominantly written in Fortran, while software tools are mostly written in C++. Two design features differentiate Chasm from other related tools. First, we avoid the common-denominator type systems and programming models found in most Interface Definition Language (IDL)-based interoperability systems. Chasm uses the intermediate representation generated by a compiler front-end for each supported language as its source of interface information instead of an IDL. Second, bridging code is generated for each pairwise language binding, removing the need for a common intermediate data representation and multiple levels of indirection between the caller and callee. These features make Chasm a simple system that performs well, requires minimal user intervention and, in most instances, bridging code generation can be performed automatically. Chasm is also easily extensible and highly portable. Copyright © 2005 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Error Rate-Based Wear-Leveling for nand Flash Memory at Highly Scaled Technology Nodes

This brief presents a NAND Flash memory wear-leveling algorithm that explicitly uses memory raw bit error rate (BER) as the optimization target. Although NAND Flash memory wear-leveling has been well studied, all the existing algorithms aim to equalize the number of programming/erase cycles among all the memory blocks. Unfortunately, such a conventional design practice becomes increasingly suboptimal as inter-block variation becomes increasingly significant with the technology scaling. This brief presents a dynamic BER-based greedy wear-leveling algorithm that uses BER statistics as the measurement of memory block wear-out pace, and guides dynamic memory block data swapping to fully maximize the wear-leveling efficiency. Simulations have been carried out to quantitatively demonstrate its advantages over existing wear-leveling algorithms.
Development of a real-time testing environment for battery energy storage systems in renewable energy applications

The increased penetration of intermittent renewable energy sources is driving the development of grid-scale energy storage around the world. This paper presents the development of a real-time testing platform for Battery Energy Storage Systems (BESS) in renewable energy applications. To simulate operating conditions in the field, the platform contains a stimulus generation module that can generate three phase waveforms from output power data of a wind or solar generation facility. The stimulus generator can be used to drive either a full BESS with control system, inverter, and batteries to assess system performance, or it can test the control system alone in a closed loop software mode with an integrated model of the inverter and battery. An overview of the state of the industry for energy storage in renewable energy applications is also presented.
The Role of Theoretical Restrictions in Forecasting with Inverse Demand Models

In recent years the theoretical restrictions of consumer demand have been examined in post sample forecasting exercises. However, this work has uniformly ignored the concavity restrictions of consumer demand. In this paper we evaluate a series of Normalized Quadratic Inverse Demand System (NQIDS) specifications using rolling windows and generating one‐ to four‐step ahead forecasts. To estimate the models, eleven categories of South Atlantic fish are used from 1980 through 2001. In addition to the NQIDS, we also examine the forecasting performance of a purely time series model. We find that the best predictions are achieved using a composite forecast.
Dust-Control Additives for'Cotton and Cotton/Polyester Blends

Selected additives applied to cotton at levels below 0.4% prior to carding can reduce dust levels in carding by 40% to 70%. The general effects on processing and yarn quality are minimal. Card room dust level of a 50 50 cotton polyester opening-room blend was reduced 73% by a low level of additive. Dust levels in the range 300 to 600μg m2 were reduced to the standard level by use of additives. This may be the most cost-effective method for controlling dust in this critical range. For six mills, dust levels were reduced an average of 49% after introduction of an additive.
Discrete synchronization of hybrid systems

Control theory is faced with new paradigms and challenges that fall beyond traditional problems. Nowadays applications tend to be distributed, and require partial synchronization among their various subsystems. We give initial steps towards discrete synchronization problems for systems which are compositions of several, possibly distributed, hybrid systems. Such problems arise frequently in the coordination of multi-agent systems, where each agent is modeled as a hybrid system. This results in control problems where the model is the composition of decoupled subsystems, but the specification is coupled across subsystems. A centralized solution to this problem requires computing the product hybrid system resulting in state explosion. We alternatively consider decentralized solutions to such discrete synchronization problems. Partially decentralized synchronization is achieved if each subsystem is allowed to communicate with the subsystems it needs to partially synchronize with. The required communication between agents is provided by modeling abstractions of the remaining agents. These abstractions. which are property-dependent, are then used to derive local controllers using global, but minimal, observations.
Clinical and Hormonal Findings in Cases of Congenital Hypothyroidism discovered by Neonatal Screening

In the Danish nationwide screening for congenital hypothyroidism (measurement of TSH (RIA) in wholeblood collected on PKU-cards) 18 patients were found among 89.000 newborns. At diagnosis, the ranges of plasma concentration of hormone- and hormone-binding proteins were: TSH: 219-1128 mU/1, T4: 10-74 nmol/1, T3: 0.32-2,83 nmol/1, TBG: 197-390 nmol/1, TBPA: 2319-4569 nmol/l, Alb: 351-494 μmol/l. The number of clinical signs were negatively correlated with plasma T3 concentration. The infants were treated with a daily dose of 50-100 μg sodium L-thyroxine. During treatment plasma T3 reached level of healthy fullterm babies within a few days, plasma T4 within 1 week and plasma TSH within 3 weeks of treatment. Plasma Alb and plasma TBPA concentrations decreased following 1 week of therapy, plasma TBG concentration increased in some patients. After 1 month plasma Alb was still decreased, whereas plasma TBG and plasma TBPA were above pretreatment levels in half of the patients. The therapeutical consequences of these findings are open for discussion.
Reproductive strategies and gender construction: an evolutionary view of homosexualities.

In this chapter the author addresses the following question: Can the historical occurence of various forms of homosexuality and bisexuality be explained as part of the management of reproduction in response to environmental conditions? She believes that explanations for the occurence and forms of homosexuality appealing to genetics ae biologiclly indefensible and historically inadequate. However, Darwinian behavioral theory, and specifically that subset termed life history theory, provides an explanatory framework. An individual's life course consists of behaviors coerced by parents and chosen by the individual in response to environmental conditions, forming a coherent reproductive strategy. In the process, alternate male and female genders, such as cadet sons, spinsters, and religious celibates are explained and the normative male bisexuality of Classical Athens and modern Mediterranean/Latin societies is elucidated. The rise of modern homosexuality in industrial nations results from the demographic tra...
Some Equalities Are More Equal Than Others: Quality Equality Emerges Later Than Numerical Equality

By age 6, children typically share an equal number of resources between themselves and others. However, fairness involves not merely that each person receive an equal number of resources ("numerical equality") but also that each person receive equal quality resources ("quality equality"). In Study 1, children (N = 87, 3-10 years) typically split four resources "two each" by age 6, but typically monopolized the better two resources until age 10. In Study 2, a new group of 6- to 8-year-olds (N = 32) allocated resources to third parties according to quality equality, indicating that children in this age group understand that fairness requires both types of equality.
Imaging of benign and malignant focal liver lesions

Over the past 15 years, MR imaging of the abdomen and pelvis has progressed significantly. Although initially found to be useful as an adjunct to CT imaging for selective applications, MR imaging now is establishing a role as a primary diagnostic technique. Increasing evidence shows that MR imaging has advantages over CT regarding diagnostic sensitivity and specificity for many abnormalities of solid organs, bile and pancreatic ducts, bowel, peritoneum, and retroperitoneum. This article discusses and contrasts current MR and CT techniques for imaging the liver and discusses the relative ability to identify and diagnose focal liver disease.
The Evolving Safety Regime

The evolution of the international commercial aviation regime spans seven decades. As the industry grew from a sporadic mail service to today’s highly sophisticated means of transportation, the regime evolved from a series of separate national management schemes to one global in scope. The regime’s development has been marked by a tension between state and global level needs and goals. States have always supported and encouraged the industry because of its strategic value; however the need for global coordination intrinsic to transportation systems has been just as constant.1 The regime has vacillated between the unilateral assertion of state authority and multinational co-operation.
Imaging in Clinical Trials

Imaging tests have been widely used to visualize structural and functional changes. In larger clinical trials, multicenter imaging studies to stage disease or for surrogate end points have become standard in modern clinical trials. The purpose of this chapter is to present an overview of imaging modalities and some of their basic characteristics that are applicable to clinical trials. Methods used to implement those imaging studies are discussed, as are critical features of study design that should be incorporated into the modern clinical research study.
Association between pulsatile blood pressure and cognitive performance among older adults: Insight from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey 1999–2002

Abstract Background High blood pressure (BP) may be associated with impaired cognitive function. BP is comprised of a steady (mean arterial pressure; MAP) and pulsatile (pulse pressure; PP) component. The purpose of this study was to examine the relationship between steady and pulsatile BP and cognition among adults ≥60years old. Methods 2058 adults age 60–85years from the 1999–2002 NHANES were used in this analysis. MAP and PP were calculated from brachial BP as 1/3 systolic +2/3 diastolic BP, and systolic – diastolic BP, respectively. Cognition was assessed using the digit-symbol substitution test (DSST). Results Unadjusted multiple regression revealed although PP independently predicted DSST score (β=−0.21, p 2 =0.37, p Conclusions PP, but not MAP, was significantly and inversely related to cognitive function among a representative sample of adults aged ≥60years after controlling for sociodemographic information and medical history.
Source and Size of Social Support Network on Sedentary Behavior Among Older Adults.

Purpose:To examine the association of source of social support and size of social support network on sedentary behavior among older adults.Design:Cross-sectional.Setting:National Health and Nutriti...
Embracing Biological Solutions to the Sustainable Energy Challenge

Summary Biological solutions hold unique advantages to address challenges in sustainable energy. Living organisms have evolved for billions of years to solve problems in catalysis, material synthesis, carbon fixation, and energy capture and storage, including not only photosynthesis but also older metabolisms that rely on metal oxidation and reduction. These capabilities offer solutions to problems in sustainable energy, including the safe use of nuclear power, the construction and recycling of batteries, the extraction and processing of rare earth elements, and the carbon-neutral or even carbon-negative synthesis of hydrocarbon fuels. Biological self-repair, self-assembly, and self-replication offer the ability to deploy these capabilities on a global scale, and evolution can be harnessed to accelerate engineering. In this review, we discuss the opportunities for applied biology to contribute to the sustainable energy landscape, the challenges faced, and cutting-edge bioengineering that draws inspiration from fundamental research into biophysics, metabolism, catalysis, and systems biology.
Nocturia treatment outcomes: Analysis of contributory frequency volume chart parameters

Aims Our aim is to determine which changes in frequency volume chart (FVC) parameters are associated with nocturia improvement. Methods This is a real life retrospective analysis of FVC's of men who were treated for nocturia and completed at least two 24 h FVC's. Patients were divided into two groups—an improved cohort defined by a decrease of ≥1 nocturnal void from baseline and a non-improved cohort. Results A total of 414 FVC's were analyzed (207 baseline and 207 post treatment) among a cohort of 105 men. Baseline nocturia severity (ANV, 3.5 vs. 2.3, respectively) and nocturnal urine volume (NUV, 880 mL vs. 650 mL) was greater in the improved cohort compared to the non-improved cohort. The improved cohort had a decreased 24 h volume (−310 vs. +120 mL), and NUV (−290 vs. +170 mL) compared to the non-improved cohort. At the followup visit, the improved cohort experienced a statistically significant decline in ANV (−1.8 vs. +1.0). No significant difference was seen in baseline 24 h volume or bladder capacity (MVV), though patients in the improved cohort experienced a small decrease in MVV. First uninterrupted sleep period (FUSP) increased significantly in the improved cohort (+1.8 h), and dropped (−0.6 h) in the non-improved cohort. Conclusions Improvement in nocturia was associated with a decrease in both 24 h voided volume and NUV, but not MVV, suggesting that improved patients consumed less fluid. The increase in FUSP in the improved cohort demonstrates the potential for nocturia therapies to improve impaired sleep architecture.
A Domain Decomposition Fourier Continuation Method for Enhanced $$L_1$$ L 1 Regularization Using Sparsity of Edges in Reconstructing Fourier Data

$$L_1$$ regularization is widely used in various applications for sparsifying transform. In Wasserman et al. (J Sci Comput 65(2):533–552, 2015) the reconstruction of Fourier data with $$L_1$$ minimization using sparsity of edges was proposed—the sparse PA method. With the sparse PA method, the given Fourier data are reconstructed on a uniform grid through the convex optimization based on the $$L_1$$ regularization of the jump function. In this paper, based on the method proposed by Wasserman et al. (J Sci Comput 65(2):533–552, 2015) we propose to use the domain decomposition method to further enhance the quality of the sparse PA method. The main motivation of this paper is to minimize the global effect of strong edges in $$L_1$$ regularization that the reconstructed function near weak edges does not benefit from the sparse PA method. For this, we split the given domain into several subdomains and apply $$L_1$$ regularization in each subdomain separately. The split function is not necessarily periodic, so we adopt the Fourier continuation method in each subdomain to find the Fourier coefficients defined in the subdomain that are consistent to the given global Fourier data. The numerical results show that the proposed domain decomposition method yields sharp reconstructions near both strong and weak edges. The proposed method is suitable when the reconstruction is required only locally.
Leukaemia cutis of the scalp

A 6-year-old girl presented with a scalp nodule enlarging from 1 cm to 6 cm over 3 months, within which an ulcer developed over 3 days. Initial impression was an infected cyst requiring wound debridement. Examination under anaesthesia revealed features not in keeping with an infection (figure 1). The cyst had firm to hard consistency. There was a further finding of a 4 cm splenomegaly without hepatomegaly. No pus was expressed after overlying slough …
Schistosomiasis and Concomitant Immunity

Most helminthic parasites do not multiply within a single host. The intensity of infection depends on the amount of exposure to invasive forms and on the development of an acquired immunity to these invasive forms. In some worm-host combinations, acquired immunity extends also to the adult forms resulting in “self-cure” (see Chapter 23), but in others the worms are beautifully adapted to continue living and mating and laying eggs in a host that is immune to reinfection. The blood flukes, including the three main species parasitic in humans-Schistosoma mansoni, S. japonicum, and S. haematobium-provide excellent examples of this phenomenon of “concomitant immunity.” In these worms the sexes are separate but live together in pairs, the narrow rounded body of the female enclosed in a gynecophoric canal formed by the curling of the flat body of the male around it. Such pairs of S. mansoni can live for years in the mesenteric veins of a person and continue to produce eggs. Yet the indications are that people in endemic areas eventually become immune to superinfection by additional cercariae of S. mansoni. This is clearly a situation that is advantageous to the parasite as well as the host. Heavy infection with S. mansoni could result in death of the host and the accompanying death of the worms within it. As it is, both live on to seed heavily the environment with the worm’s eggs excreted with the person’s feces, thereby infecting many snails and disseminating the infection to many new hosts (see Diagram XIII). There are here two questions of great immunological interest. First, what are the immune mechanisms that prevent superinfection? Second, how can the adult worms evade this acquired immunity to their earlier stages and live on in the presence of immune reactions which they themselves have provoked? Closely related to these questions is the problem of pathogenesis of schistosomiasis, one of the most widespread and serious of parasitic diseases.
Assessment of DBT acquisition parameters for 2D and 3D search tasks

A concern with using mathematical model observers to gauge medical image quality is whether and to what degree task simplifications can affect study outcomes. Researchers are interested in assessments based on clinically realistic tasks, but routinely implement simplified tasks to manage time and computation. The goal of this work is to examine how optimization of digital breast tomosynthesis (DBT) acquisition parameters can be influenced by the consideration of 2D or 3D search tasks. Localization ROC (LROC) observer studies were based on simulated image slices and volumes obtained from low- and medium-density digital breast phantoms containing 8-mm spherical masses. An analytic cone-beam projector used an acquisition arc of 60° while the number of angular projections varied from 3 to 51. Image volumes were reconstructed with the Feldkamp FBP algorithm and then postfiltered and thresholded to eliminate negative pixel values. A visual-search (VS) model observer was applied for both the 2D and 3D LROC studies. The observer used 2D spatial derivatives as features to find suspicious candidate locations in an image. The candidates were compared by means of a binary Hotelling discriminant. Preliminary results indicated substantially reduced performance with the 3D task, particularly for the more-dense cases.
Clinical Phenotyping of Transthyretin Cardiac Amyloidosis with Bone-Seeking Radiotracers in Heart Failure with Preserved Ejection Fraction.

The two most common types of cardiac amyloidosis are caused by fibril deposits of immunoglobulin light chains (AL) and transthyretin (TTR), each with distinct prognosis and clinical management. Cardiac amyloidosis is under-recognized among heart failure patients with preserved ejection fraction (HFpEF). Bone-seeking tracers like 99mTc-PYP and 99mTc-DPD have long been used to identify cardiac amyloidosis, and more recently, to differentiate TTR from AL cardiac amyloidosis in symptomatic patients. However, results are mainly derived from single-center retrospective studies, with comparable but not standardized imaging protocols and interpretation criteria. The clinical scope of cardiac amyloidosis among HFpEF patients and current literature supporting the use of bone-seeking tracers for TTR cardiac amyloidosis are presented. The differences of imaging techniques for cardiac amyloid and bone disease evaluation, bone tracer pharmacodynamics, and imaging interpretation criteria for cardiac amyloidosis diagnosis are discussed. Finally, a diagnostic algorithm to use bone scintigraphy in cardiac amyloidosis diagnosis among HFpEF patients is proposed. Bone scintigraphy with 99mTc-PYP or 99mTc-DPD can be a useful tool with high sensitivity and specificity for detecting TTR-related cardiac amyloidosis in patients with HFpEF. It is needed to standardize the imaging protocol and interpretation criteria and to perform prospective clinical studies.
Evaluating Foundational Data Quality in the National Patient-Centered Clinical Research Network (PCORnet®).

Introduction: Distributed research networks (DRNs) are critical components of the strategic roadmaps for the National Institutes of Health and the Food and Drug Administration as they work to move toward large-scale systems of evidence generation. The National Patient-Centered Clinical Research Network (PCORnet®) is one of the first DRNs to incorporate electronic health record data from multiple domains on a national scale. Before conducting analyses in a DRN, it is important to assess the quality and characteristics of the data. Methods: PCORnet’s Coordinating Center is responsible for evaluating foundational data quality, or assessing fitness-for-use across a broad research portfolio, through a process called data curation. Data curation involves a set of analytic and querying activities to assess data quality coupled with maintenance of detailed documentation and ongoing communication with network partners. The first cycle of PCORnet data curation focused on six domains in the PCORnet common data model: demographics, diagnoses, encounters, enrollment, procedures, and vitals. Results: The data curation process led to improvements in foundational data quality. Notable improvements included the elimination of data model conformance errors; a decrease in implausible height, weight, and blood pressure values; an increase in the volume of diagnoses and procedures; and more complete data for key analytic variables. Based on the findings of the first cycle, we made modifications to the curation process to increase efficiencies and further reduce variation among data partners. Discussion: The iterative nature of the data curation process allows PCORnet to gradually increase the foundational level of data quality and reduce variability across the network. These activities help increase the transparency and reproducibility of analyses within PCORnet and can serve as a model for other DRNs.
An Analysis of Research Quality and Productivity at Six Academic Orthopaedic Residencies.

Objective It remains largely unknown what factors impact the research productivity of residency programs. We hypothesized that dedicated resident research time would not affect the quantity and quality of a program's peer-reviewed publication within orthopedic residencies. These findings may help programs improve structure their residency programs to maximize core competencies. Design Three hundred fifty-nine residents and 240 staff from six different US orthopedic residency programs were analyzed. All publications published by residents and faculty at each program from January 2007 to December 2015 were recorded. SCImago Journal Rankings (SJR) were found for each journal. Results There were no significant differences in publications by residents at each program (p > 0.05). Faculty with 10+ years of on staff, had significantly more publications than those with less than 10 years (p Conclusions Increased dedicated resident research time did not increase resident publication rates or lead to publications with higher SJR.
Empirical evaluation of voting rules with strictly ordered preference data

The study of voting systems often takes place in the theoretical domain due to a lack of large samples of sincere, strictly ordered voting data.We derive several million elections (more than all the existing studies combined) from a publicly available data, the Netflix Prize dataset. The Netflix data is derived from millions of Netflix users, who have an incentive to report sincere preferences, unlike random survey takers. We evaluate each of these elections under the Plurality, Borda, k-Approval, and Repeated Alternative Vote (RAV) voting rules.We examine the Condorcet Efficiency of each of the rules and the probability of occurrence of Condorcet's Paradox. We compare our votes to existing theories of domain restriction (e.g., single-peakedness) and statistical models used to generate election data for testing (e.g., Impartial Culture). We find a high consensus among the different voting rules; almost no instances of Condorcet's Paradox; almost no support for restricted preference profiles, and very little support for many of the statistical models currently used to generate election data for testing.
Cultural and Social Dimension of Spoken Discourse

Oral discourse is the primary site of language acquisition and of socialization in general. Sociocultural considerations are paramount in giving coherence to a discourse fragment, in defining its function and use in interaction, and in the politics of who has a discursive voice to begin with.
Adenomatous polyp with submucosal cysts.

A pedunculated adenomatous polyp of the descending colon containing benign glandular epithelium deep within the stalk is described. The submucosal cysts resemble colitis cystica profunda except that the lesion is confined to a solitary pedunculated polyp. Lesions of either localized colitis cystica profunda or adenomatous polyp with submucosal cysts have been misdiagnosed as adenocarcinoma. Attention to the cytologic details of the submucosal component should prevent this misinterpretation.
Phase Diagram of the Kondo Lattice

The proximity of heavy fermion systems to a spin-density wave instability is studied by modeling the magnetic-field dependence of the low-temperature specific heat of CeAl 3 using a ‘temperature-dependent Kondo temperature’ approach. Evidence is extracted for the existence of two temperature scales, of which the lower one, dominating the temperature dependence below 0.5°K is associated with spin density wave fluctuations. The properties of the critical point at zero temperature that may exist for systems that can undergo a spin-density wave-Kondo lattice transition as a function of externally driven parameters such as field or pressure, are discussed in terms of a phenomenological field theory for coupling of slave boson phase fluctuations with paramagnons. We suggest that the conservation of an ‘isotopic charge’ leads to a relevant operator that makes a Gaussian fixed point unstable for any space dimension.
Review of Ingvild Flaskerud, Visualizing Belief and Piety in Iranian Shiism

In this extensive study Ingvild Flaskerud addresses a fundamental, but not often discussed question in Islamic theology and practice: the legitimacy and role of imagery in religious activities. Most readers with a basic knowledge of Islam likely realize that images of humans and often of animals—beings that might be said to have ‘souls’—are forbidden or at least suspect in conservative Islamic circles. In particular the Prophet Mohammad is considered to be sacrosanct to the point that political and social controversy have been unleashed when depictions of his face have been drawn or painted. These restrictions on imagery seem to have their own curious social history. We have excellent examples of medieval Arabic texts that contain drawings of the Prophet and other religious figures that would be objectionable in later periods. Moreover, there are many areas of the Islamic world where imagery, especially religious imagery, not only has long currency, but is an important component of religious life. These images often exist alongside secular paintings and drawings of humans, as in the ‘miniature’ traditions of Iran, Turkey and Moghul India, often seen as book illustrations. The theological objections to imagery generally revolve around two theological questions. The first has to do with idolatry: Insofar as imagery is admired and appreciated for its own sake, it can be seen as a form of idol ‘worship.’ The second has to do with the hubris of the artist who may be seen as trying to compete with God in the creation of an alternate reality. Both of these objections become rife when they pertain to religious figures. Cont Islam (2013) 7:409–411 DOI 10.1007/s11562-012-0195-x
XBRL: A New Tool For Electronic Financial Reporting

eXtensible Business Reporting Language (XBRL) is a computer markup language for the purpose of corporate business reporting. XBRL is based on XML, which is the universal format for structuring documents and data on the web. In an XBRL compliant report, each financial and non-financial item is enclosed by a pair of XBRL tags, which describes the meaning of the item. These tags provide semantic information to the reports and make the financial reports not only human readable but also computer comprehensible. Leveraging the power of computers and the Internet, XBRL provides the financial community a standard to electronically and automatically prepare, publish, exchange, and extract financial statements. It is expected that XBRL will have widespread effects on financial reporting. First, preparing financial reports will be easier with XBRL. Financial information needs to be keyed into the computer only once. XBRL-ready accounting software can generate financial reports in different formats, such as for SEC filing, loan application, or corporate web reporting. It greatly reduces the manual input burden and entry errors. Second, the publication and exchange of financial reports can be facilitated. Because XBRL-compliant reports use standardized tags, the reports can be conveniently exchanged between different software and computers, independent of the software formats and computer platforms. The financial statement users can view an XBRL report as easily as browse a web page. Third, since XBRL-compliant reports are computer comprehensible, the financial information contained in these reports can be reliably and automatically extracted through XBRL-enabled applications for financial analyses. The cost of financial analyses can be largely reduced. Decision makers, investors, creditors and other financial statement users can be alleviated from the burden of manually analyzing the financial reports. Small- and mid-sized companies will have an equal opportunity to compete with industrial giants for the capital market. XBRL is undergoing fast development. Since its inception in 1998, over 170 companies and organizations including Big 4 accounting firms, FDIC, Microsoft, and SAP have joined the XBRL consortium. XBRL will become a key standard for electronic financial reporting in the near future.
DEBATING DISNEY: PEDAGOGICAL PERSPECTIVES ON COMMERCIAL CINEMA Ed. Douglas Brode and Shea T. Brode. Rowman & Littlefield, 2016. 234 pp. $85.00 hardcover

In recent years, critical discourse surrounding Disney—and more recently, Disney/Pixar—has reached an all-time high, with more academic attention being paid to issues of race, gender, and represent...
Review: Partner Support and Physical Activity among Mexican American Women

Objective: Global recommendations on physical activity for noncommunicable disease prevention can be promoted using partner support strategies among women of Mexican descent and other ethnicities. Design/Methods: This systematic review utilized a multifaceted ecological approach by focusing comprehensively on communi­ty, individual, and social factors influencing physical activity. PubMed, SAGE Publica­tions, EBSCO, ResearchGate, the Cochrane Library and Google Scholar search engines were used to find research on physical activity, with inclusion criteria of Mexi­can American women, aged ≥ 18 years, comprising at least 50% of study population sizes. Main Outcome Measures: An initial search of 232 articles with subsequent searches from reference lists led to selection of a mixture of qualitative (3), mixed methods (3), and intervention (1) studies report­ing partner support for physical activity as perceived by women. Results: Primarily, studies have conceptual­ized physical activity as leisure time activi­ties. Few studies have considered multiple ecological factors in examining influences of physical activity among women. Important­ly, how women perceive support for physi­cal activity received from partners has been shown to influence their levels of activity. Conclusions: Conceptualization of physi­cal activity restricted only to leisure time eliminates other domains that a broader definition of the term encompasses. Future studies are needed to investigate partner support influences on the overall physical activity of Mexican American women within a larger ecological context. Careful attention to partner support for physical activity en­gagement can help ameliorate and prevent chronic diseases both nationally and around the world. Ethn Dis. 2018;28(4):555-560;doi:10.18865/ed.28.4.555.
Universality Classes of Stabilizer Code Hamiltonians

Stabilizer code quantum Hamiltonians have been introduced with the intention of physically realizing a quantum memory because of their resilience to decoherence. In order to analyze their finite temperature thermodynamics, we show how to generically solve their partition function using duality techniques. By unveiling each model's universality class and effective dimension, insights may be gained on their finite temperature dynamics and robustness. Our technique is demonstrated in particular on the 4D toric code and Haah's code; we find that the former falls into the 4D Ising universality class, whereas Haah's code exhibits dimensional reduction and falls into the 1D Ising universality class.
Poor Sleep Is Related to Metabolic Syndrome Severity in Adolescents With PCOS and Obesity

CONTEXT Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) is a common endocrine disorder and is associated with metabolic syndrome (MS). Development of MS in PCOS is likely multifactorial and may relate to poor sleep. OBJECTIVE The objective of this research is to investigate differences in objective markers of sleep in adolescents with obesity and PCOS with and without MS. We also aimed to examine the relationships between markers of sleep with MS markers. DESIGN A cross-sectional study was conducted. PARTICIPANTS Participants included adolescents with PCOS and obesity with MS (N = 30) or without MS (N = 36). OUTCOME MEASURES Hormone and metabolic measurements, abdominal magnetic resonance imaging for hepatic fat fraction, actigraphy to estimate sleep, and overnight polysomnography (PSG). RESULTS Adolescents with obesity and PCOS who also had MS had significantly worse sleep-disordered breathing including higher apnea-hypopnea index (AHI, P = .02) and arousal index (P = .01) compared to those without MS. Actigraphy showed no differences in habitual patterns of sleep behaviors including duration, timing, or efficiency between groups. However, a greater number of poor sleep health behaviors was associated with greater number of MS components (P = .04). Higher AHI correlated with higher triglycerides (TG) (r = 0.49, P = .02), and poorer sleep efficiency correlated with higher percentage of liver fat (r = -0.40, P = .01), waist circumference (r = -0.46, P < .01) and higher TG (r = -0.34, P = .04). CONCLUSIONS Among girls with PCOS and obesity, sleep-disordered breathing was more prevalent in those with MS, and poor sleep behaviors were associated with metabolic dysfunction and more MS symptoms. Sleep health should be included in the assessment of adolescents with PCOS and obesity.
On Concentration Inequalities for Random Matrix Products

Consider $n$ complex random matrices $X_1,\ldots,X_n$ of size $d\times d$ sampled i.i.d. from a distribution with mean $E[X]=\mu$. While the concentration of averages of these matrices is well-studied, the concentration of other functions of such matrices is less clear. One function which arises in the context of stochastic iterative algorithms, like Oja's algorithm for Principal Component Analysis, is the normalized matrix product defined as $\prod\limits_{i=1}^{n}\left(I + \frac{X_i}{n}\right).$ Concentration properties of this normalized matrix product were recently studied by \cite{HW19}. However, their result is suboptimal in terms of the dependence on the dimension of the matrices as well as the number of samples. In this paper, we present a stronger concentration result for such matrix products which is optimal in $n$ and $d$ up to constant factors. Our proof is based on considering a matrix Doob martingale, controlling the quadratic variation of that martingale, and applying the Matrix Freedman inequality of Tropp \cite{TroppIntro15}.
Fluctuations and correlations of transmission eigenchannels within diffusive media

We experimentally and numerically study the fluctuations a nd correlations of transmission eigenchannel profiles in diffusive media. We find that high-transmission profiles exhibit low realization-to-realization fluctuations and significant correlations exist between low-transmission profiles.
Identification of loci that confer resistance to bacterial and fungal diseases of maize

Crops are hosts to numerous plant pathogenic microorganisms. Maize has several major disease issues; thus, breeding multiple disease resistant (MDR) varieties is critical. While the genetic basis of resistance to multiple fungal pathogens has been studied in maize, less is known about the relationship between fungal and bacterial resistance. In this study, we evaluated a disease resistance introgression line (DRIL) population for the foliar disease Goss's bacterial wilt and blight (GW) and conducted quantitative trait locus (QTL) mapping. We identified a total of ten QTL across multiple environments. We then combined our GW data with data on four additional foliar diseases (northern corn leaf blight, southern corn leaf blight, gray leaf spot, and bacterial leaf streak) and conducted multivariate analysis to identify regions conferring resistance to multiple diseases. We identified 20 chromosomal bins with putative multiple disease effects. We examined the five chromosomal regions (bins 1.05, 3.04, 4.06, 8.03, and 9.02) with the strongest statistical support. By examining how each haplotype effected each disease, we identified several regions associated with increased resistance to multiple diseases and three regions associated with opposite effects for bacterial and fungal diseases. In summary, we identified several promising candidate regions for multiple disease resistance in maize and specific DRILs to expedite interrogation.