cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Analysis of the density-gradient-expansion approximation for the exchange-correlation energy of density-functional theory

To understand the density-gradient expansion approximation for the exchange-correlation energy of density-functional theory from a fundamental viewpoint, we have performed an analysis of the corresponding expansion of the Fermi–coulomb hole charge distribution. The Fermi–Coulomb hole represents the correlations between electrons resulting from the Pauli exclusion principle and Coulomb's law. The analysis is performed in the exchange-only approximation by considering the expansion for the Fermi hole to terms of O(▽3) as applied to atoms. Our study shows that the expansions to O(▽), O(▽2), and O(▽3) all severely violate the constraint of positivity, becoming progressively worse with increasing orders of ▽. Further, the expansion to O(▽2) also severely violates the constraint of charge neutrality. (Terms of O(▽) and O(▽3) do not contribute to this constraint or to the exchange energy.) Thus the description of the physics of Pauli correlations in atoms as given by this approximation is highly unphysical. In spite of this, the exchange energy to O(▽2) is superior to the local density approximation because the expansion hole better approximates the exact Fermi hole in the interior of atoms from which arise the principal contributions to the energy. However, the improvement is not substantial, as the oscillations in the expansion Fermi hole occur within the atom itself. For asymptotic positions of the electron, the expansion holes to each order neither approximate the local density approximation nor the exact Fermi hole. Thus we understand why the expansion cannot lead to accurate highest occupied eigenvalues. The oscillations of the expansion Fermi hole also demonstrate why the Slater potential and electric field that result from these hole charge distributions are singular. On the other hand, we show that the expansion approximation is mathematically consistent in that the coefficient of the gradient correction term for screened Coulomb interaction to O(▽2) as obtained from the approximate Fermi hole is the same as that derived from linear response theory. We conclude with remarks on the Coulomb hole as obtained within this gradient expansion approximation scheme.
Mixed Integer Programming-Based Power Scheduler for the Space Station

This paper proposes a new mixed integer programming-based optimization model for power scheduling in a space power system. The model has the capability of handling multiple objectives by maximizing the available sources of energy and minimizing the variation of loads over a day. It can also incorporate several complex interactions between the loads in a space system. The modeling framework is illustrated using a simplistic case study for the Space Station Freedom. Detailed results and inputs to the model are presented and several potential enhancements of the model have been summarized.
Certificate of need, volume, and percutaneous transluminal coronary angioplasty outcomes ☆

Abstract Background Florida seeks high hospital volumes for percutaneous transluminal coronary angioplasty (PTCA) by enforcing certificate of need (CON) laws, whereas California has no such laws. This study compares the volume-outcome relation for PTCA in Florida and California. Methods The relation between the number of PTCA procedures performed at hospitals and the rate of inhospital bypass graft surgery and death for 292,457 patients in Florida and 390,880 patients in California between 1988 and 1998 was examined with descriptive statistics and logistic regressions. Results In 1988, the mean hospital PTCA volumes in Florida (237) and California (218) were not significantly different (P = .44). By 1998, Florida hospital volumes were significantly larger (724 vs 389, P Conclusions Florida CON laws were associated with higher average PTCA volumes relative to California hospitals, where no such laws exist. Because a higher PTCA volume was associated with moderately better outcomes, CON may be marginally effective in improving outcomes for PTCA. Future studies should revisit this hypothesis with data from several states.
Relationships among phenotypic traits of sweet corn and tolerance to crowding stress.

Abstract Crowding stress tolerance is defined as the extent to which the crop maintains yield per unit area as plant population density increases beyond standard levels. Sweet corn ( Zea mays L.) hybrids grown for processing vary widely in tolerance to crowding stress; however, the mechanisms involved in crowding stress tolerance are unknown. The objective of the study was to determine the extent to which crop traits, individually and in combination, relate to crowding stress tolerance in processing sweet corn. Twenty-six modern shrunken-2 processing hybrids from eight sources were grown under conditions of crowding stress (i.e. 72,000 plants ha −1 ) over a three-year period. Seventeen crop traits measured from emergence to harvest were related to four measures of crowding stress tolerance, including ear mass, recovery, case production, and gross profit margin. Of individual crop traits, kernel mass plant −1 was among the best predictors of crowding stress tolerance in processing sweet corn, as long as sweet corn lines were grown at a uniformly high plant population. Two categories of traits related to crowding stress tolerance in sweet corn, including a ‘source-sink relationship’ factor and a ‘photosynthetic capacity’ factor. Factor regression showed the combination of traits loading into the source-sink relationship factor was positively related to ear mass, case production, and gross profit margin. This research points to the underlying mechanisms involved in crowding stress tolerance in processing sweet corn.
High-testosterone men reject low ultimatum game offers

The ultimatum game is a simple negotiation with the interesting property that people frequently reject offers of ‘free’ money. These rejections contradict the standard view of economic rationality. This divergence between economic theory and human behaviour is important and has no broadly accepted cause. This study examines the relationship between ultimatum game rejections and testosterone. In a variety of species, testosterone is associated with male seeking dominance. If low ultimatum game offers are interpreted as challenges, then high-testosterone men may be more likely to reject such offers. In this experiment, men who reject low offers ($5 out of $40) have significantly higher testosterone levels than those who accept. In addition, high testosterone levels are associated with higher ultimatum game offers, but this second finding is not statistically significant.
Rhyodacite magma storage conditions prior to the 3430 yBP caldera-forming eruption of Aniakchak volcano, Alaska

This study presents a pre-eruptive magma storage model for the rhyodacite and andesite magmas erupted during the 3430 yBP caldera-forming eruption of Aniakchak volcano, Alaska, derived from phase equilibria experiments and petrological data. The compositions of Fe–Ti oxide pairs from the early erupted Plinian rhyodacite pumice yield core temperatures of 871–900°C, with rims up to ∼942°C, and fO2 from −10.6 to −11.8 log units. Melt inclusions entrapped in plagioclase phenocrysts have H2O contents between 3 and 5 wt%, estimated by FTIR and electron microprobe volatiles by difference methods, with no detectable CO2. Assuming water saturation, this corresponds to entrapment pressures between ∼65 and 150 MPa. Phase equilibria results reproduce the natural phase assemblages at $$P_{\text H_{2}\text O}$$ of 95–150 MPa at 870–880°C, assuming water saturation. A mismatch in experimental versus natural glass SiO2 and Al2O3, and MELTS models for H2O-undersaturated conditions indicate that the rhyodacite may not have been H2O saturated. MELTS models with $$ X_{\text{H}_2\text{O}} =0.8$$ and P total of 125–150 MPa at 870–880°C reproduce the natural groundmass glass Al2O3 composition best, indicating the magma may have been slightly H2O undersaturated. Those pressures correspond to storage at 4.5–5.4 km depth in the crust. MELTS models and VBD estimates from melt inclusions in titanomagnetite grains from the andesite indicate pre-eruptive conditions of ∼1,000°C and > 110 MPa, corresponding to a minimum residence depth of ∼4.1 km assuming water saturation or greater if the magma was H2O undersaturated. Previous geochemical studies indicate separate histories of the two magmas, though they retain some evidence that they are ultimately related through fractional crystallization processes. Analogous to the 1912 Novarupta magmas, the rhyodacite and andesite presumably originated within the same crystal mush zone beneath the edifice, yet were separated laterally and underwent different degrees of crustal assimilation. The andesite must have resided in close proximity, with ascent occurring in response to movement of the rhyodacite, and resulting in extensive syn-eruptive mingling.
Short Protograph-Based LDPC Codes

In this paper we design protograph-based LDPC codes with short block sizes. Mainly we consider rate 1/2 codes with input block sizes 64, 128, and 256 bits. To simplify the encoder and decoder implementations for high data rate transmission, the structure of the codes is based on protographs and circulants. These codes are designed for short block sizes based on maximizing the minimum distance and stopping set size subject to a constraint on the maximum variable node degree. In particular, we consider codes with variable node degrees between 3 and 5. Increasing the node degree leads to larger minimum distances, at the expense of smaller girth. Therefore, there is a trade-off between undetected error rate performance (improved by increasing minimum distance) and the degree of sub-optimality of the iterative decoders typically used (which are adversely affected by graph loops). Various LDPC codes are compared and simulation results are provided.
Value of post-licensure data on benefits and risks of vaccination to inform vaccine policy: The example of rotavirus vaccines

In 1999, the first rhesus-human reassortant rotavirus vaccine licensed in the United States was withdrawn within a year of its introduction after it was linked with intussusception at a rate of ∼1 excess case per 10,000 vaccinated infants. While clinical trials of 60,000-70,000 infants of each of the two current live oral rotavirus vaccines, RotaTeq (RV5) and Rotarix (RV1), did not find an association with intussusception, post-licensure studies have documented a risk in several high and middle income countries, at a rate of ∼1-6 excess cases per 100,000 vaccinated infants. However, considering this low risk against the large health benefits of vaccination that have been observed in many countries, including in countries with a documented vaccine-associated intussusception risk, policy makers and health organizations around the world continue to support the routine use of RV1 and RV5 in national infant immunization programs. Because the risk and benefit data from affluent settings may not be directly applicable to developing countries, further characterization of any associated intussusception risk following rotavirus vaccination as well as the health benefits of vaccination is desirable for low income settings.
A Concatenation Operation to Derive Autosegmental Graphs

Autosegmental phonology represents words with graph structures. This paper introduces a way of reasoning about autosegmental graphs as strings of concatenated graph primitives. The main result shows that the sets of autosegmental graphs so generated obey two important, putatively universal, constraints in phonological theory provided that the graph primitives also obey these constraints. These constraints are the Obligatory Contour Principle and the No Crossing Constraint. Thus, these constraints can be understood as being derived from a finite basis under concatenation. This contrasts with (and complements) earlier analyses of autosegmental representations, where these constraints were presented as axioms of the grammatical system. Empirically motivated examples are provided.
Localization in heterogeneous wireless sensor networks using elliptical range estimation

In contrast to range-based localization techniques, range-free localization schemes for wireless sensor networks (WSNs) can provide reasonably accurate positioning without the cost of additional hardware. However, existing solutions to range-free localization assume homogeneous and dense network scenarios, i.e., networks where all nodes have identical transmission ranges and network partitions do not occur. In this paper, we apply the concept of range-based localization to heterogeneous networks, i.e., networks where nodes have varying radio signal strengths and, therefore, different communication ranges. We study the some of the most important challenges in heterogeneous sensor networks (i.e. coverage and localization accuracy) and show how transmission range adaptations can balance these objectives. We further introduce (i) a range estimation method based on the elliptic properties of paths between sensor nodes in a heterogeneous network and (ii) a range-free localization scheme based on this estimation method. The performance of the proposed scheme has been investigated for different network topologies.
INAPPROPRIATE USE OF MYOCARDIAL PERFUSION IMAGING IN WOMEN: CONTRIBUTING FACTORS AND RESULTS OF TESTING

Recent studies have reported that women are more likely to receive “inappropriate” myocardial perfusion imaging (MPI) when compared to men. Concerns about atypical symptoms and distinct pathophysiology of ischemic heart disease in women may overestimate the true risk, and swing the pendulum too
Analysis of monitoring results of measles in Xinyang City from 2009-2011

[Objective]To understand the situation of serological monitoring and epidemiological characteristics of measles in Xinyang City from 2009-2011,and provide scientific evidence for measles control and elimination.[Methods]The epidemiological characteristics and laboratory test results of suspected measles cases from 2009-2011 were analyzed.[Results] From 2011 to 2009,a total of 818 suspected measles cases were reported,540 was measles IgM antibody positive.The laboratory-confirmed rate was 66.0%.The peak incidence appeared in 2009,with 448 cases.Most cases concentrated in March to June,with 423 cases,accounting for 78.3% of all cases.Four hundred and forty-one cases were children aged 0-7 years,which accounted for 81.7% of total cases.The groups with most cases were scattered children(64.8%),students(24.4%) and farmers(5.0%).The first 5 districts with most laboratory-confirmed cases were Pingqiao District(100.0%),Shihe District(95.2%),Xin County(87.4%),Xi county(84.9%) and Huangchuan County(82.1%).[Conclusion]It is necessary to strengthen the measles vaccination of children and implement the supplementary immunization.The management of vaccination should be further strengthened,especially the management of floating population,and the immunization coverage and timely vaccination rate should be strengthened.
What's for Lunch?: A Socio-ecological Approach to Childcare Nutrition

This paper presents a qualitative study of food-related practices among 16 childcare providers in the Puget Sound, and suggests opportunities for design intervention to promote healthy eating by young children. This paper makes two contributions to interactive systems design. We present childcare as an underexplored site for future research and design. We also describe social ecology systems theory, an approach to qualitative research from the public health field that is relatively uncommon in design research. We believe that the socio-ecological perspective is particularly applicable to design research that addresses human service provisioning, and may also prove useful in describing human cognition and designing interactive systems more generally.
Power demand prediction in smart microgrids using interacting multiple model Kalman filtering

Optimized management of energy resources within smart microgrids may require an approximation of near future power demands to institute efficient scheduling of tasks. Since demands are volatile in shorter time spans, localized short-term prediction of demand is non-trivial. Local prediction requires efficiency of calculations to minimize computational resources.To address this concern we present a predictor based on the Interacting Multiple Model Kalman filters. This approach supports effective year round prediction while only storing two model demand profiles. We demonstrate that the approach provides consistency in intra-day demand prediction across an entire year.
SU-G-IeP1-12: Size Selective Arterial Cerebral Blood Volume Mapping Using Multiple Inversion Time Arterial Spin Labeling

Purpose: To demonstrate the feasibility of a novel method for size specific arterial cerebral blood volume (aCBV) mapping using pseudo-continuous arterial spin labeling (PCASL), with multiple TI. Methods: Multiple PCASL images were obtained from a subject with TI of [300, 400, 500, 600, 700, 800, 900, 1000, 1500, 2000, 2500, 3000, 3500, 4000] ms. Each TI pair was averaged six times. Two scans were performed: one without a flow crusher gradient and the other with a crusher gradient (10cm/s in three directions) to remove signals from large arteries. Scan times were 5min. without a crusher gradient and 5.5 min with a crusher gradient. Non-linear fitting algorithm finds the minimum mean squared solution of per-voxel based aCBV, cerebral blood flow, and arterial transit time, and fits the data into a hemodynamic model that represents superposition of blood volume and flow components within a single voxel. Results: aCBV maps with a crusher gradient represent signals from medium and small sized arteries, while those without a crusher gradient represent signals from all sized arteries, indicating that flow crusher gradients can be effectively employed to achieve size-specific aCBV mapping. Regardless of flow crusher, the CBF and ATT maps are very similar in appearance. Conclusion: Quantitative size selective blood volume mapping controlled by a flow crusher is feasible without additional information because the ASL quantification process doesn't require an arterial input function measured from a large artery. The size specific blood volume mapping is not interfered by sSignals from large arteries do not interfere with size specific aCBV mapping in the applications of interest in for applications in which only medium or small arteries are of interest.
Synthesis and Structures of [LCu(I)(SSiiPr3)] (L = triphos, carbene) and Related Compounds

The mononuclear Cu(I) complexes [LCuI(SSiiPr3)] (L = 1,1,1-tris(diphenylphosphinomethyl)ethane (triphos), 1,3-bis(2,4,6-trimethylphenyl)imidazol-2-ylidene (IMes)) have been prepared by ligand displacement from [LCuICl] with iPr3SiS–. Both compounds are colorless, diamagnetic species and have been characterized structurally by X-ray crystallography. The compounds [(IMes)Cu(η1κS-SC(O)CH3)] and [(triphos)Cu(η1κS-SC(S)OCH3)] have been prepared in the context of synthesis aimed at [LCu(η1κS-SCOS)] and [LCu(η1κS-SCS2)] complexes, which are intended as synthons toward an analogue of the Mo(μ-OSCO)Cu intermediate proposed as occurring in the catalytic cycle of carbon monoxide dehydrogenase (CODH).
Appendix 1—Review of History and Physical Examination

This section provides helpful, easily accessible supplemental reading materials, tables, and forms on a variety of subjects, such as history, physical exam, preprocedural coagulation parameters, antithrombotic medications, procedural risk for bleeding, antibiotic prophylaxis, and preprocedural and immediate documentation and notes.
Content-aware streaming of lecture videos over wireless networks

Video streaming over wireless networks becomes increasingly important in a variety of applications. To accommodate the dynamic change of wireless networks, quality of service (QoS) scalable video streams need to be provided. This paper presents a system of content-aware wireless streaming of lecture (instructional) videos for e-learning applications. A method for real-time analysis of instructional videos is first provided to detect video content regions and classify video frames, then a 'leaking video buffer" model is applied to dynamically compress video streams. In our content-aware video streaming, instructional video content is detected and different QoS are selected for different types of video content. Our adaptive feedback control scheme is able to transmit properly compressed video streams to video clients not only based on wireless network bandwidth, but also based on video content and the feedback of video clients. Finally, we demonstrate the scalability and content awareness of our system and show experimental results of two lecture videos.
IDO1 is an Integral Mediator of Inflammatory Neovascularization.

Abstract The immune tolerogenic effects of IDO1 (indoleamine 2,3-dioxygenase 1) have been well documented and genetic studies in mice have clearly established the significance of IDO1 in tumor promotion. Dichotomously, the primary inducer of IDO1, the inflammatory cytokine IFNγ (interferon-γ), is a key mediator of immune-based tumor suppression. One means by which IFNγ can exert an anti-cancer effect is by decreasing tumor neovascularization. We speculated that IDO1 might contribute to cancer promotion by countering this anti-neovascular effect of IFNγ, possibly through IDO1-potentiated elevation of the pro-tumorigenic inflammatory cytokine IL6 (interleukin-6). In this study, we investigated how genetic loss of IDO1 affects neovascularization in mouse models of oxygen-induced retinopathy and lung metastasis. Neovascularization in both models was significantly reduced in mice lacking IDO1, was similarly reduced with loss of IL6, and was restored in both cases by concomitant loss of IFNγ. Likewise, the lack of IDO1 or IL6 resulted in reduced metastatic tumor burden and increased survival, which the concomitant loss of IFNγ abrogated. This insight into IDO1's involvement in pro-tumorigenic inflammatory neovascularization may have important ramifications for IDO1 inhibitor development, not only in cancer where clinical trials are currently ongoing, but in other disease indications associated with neovascularization as well.
Subjective well-being and training load predict in-season injury and illness risk in female youth soccer players

Background The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effects of training load (TL) and well-being on injury and illness risk in youth soccer players. Methods Throughout a 20-week season, 75 female adolescent soccer players reported mood, fatigue, stress, soreness, sleep quality, sleep hours, TL, injuries and illnesses. Well-being measures were recorded from −3 (worst) to +3 (best). TL was expressed as daily, weekly and monthly, as well as an acute:chronic workload ratio (weekly divided by monthly). Variables were compared between days with and without an injury, and with or without an illness. Poisson regression models were developed to predict daily injuries and illnesses using well-being and TL (z-scores) as predictors. Results 36 injuries and 52 illnesses were recorded. Days with an injury had lower (worse) daily mood (1.24±0.2 vs 1.16±0.1, p=0.012) and higher daily TL (517±138 vs 440±158, p=0.010). Average monthly TL was higher preceding days with an illness (12 442 ±409 vs 12 627 ±403, p=0.043), while no differences were found with respect to other measures of TL or well-being. Worse daily mood (p=0.011, OR=0.012), higher daily TL (p Conclusions Lower mood and higher acute TL are associated with increased injury risk, while higher chronic TL increases the risk of illness. Monitoring well-being and TL may facilitate intervention to reduce in-season injury and illness.
Impact of a Randomized Controlled Trial to Reduce Bedsharing on Breastfeeding Rates and Duration for African-American Infants

Bedsharing is associated with both increased breastfeeding and increased risk of sudden and unexpected infant deaths. The objective was to determine impact of sleep location and counseling about sleep location on breastfeeding exclusivity and duration in African-Americans. 1194 mothers of newborns were randomized to receive messaging emphasizing either safe sleep practices to reduce SIDS risk or safe sleep practices to prevent SIDS/suffocation. Mothers completed four interviews in the 6 months after delivery. The most common sleep arrangement was roomsharing without bedsharing (“roomsharing”). Duration of any breastfeeding was 6.1 and 5.3 weeks for infants who usually bedshared or roomshared, respectively (p = 0.01). Duration of exclusive breastfeeding was 3.0 and 1.6 weeks for infants who usually bedshared or roomshared, respectively (p < 0.001). Group assignment did not affect breastfeeding duration. The most common sleep arrangement for African-American infants <6 months was roomsharing. An intervention designed to discourage bedsharing did not impact breastfeeding duration.
Translational Research for Occupational Therapy: Using SPRE in Hippotherapy for Children with Developmental Disabilities

Translational research is redefined in this paper using a combination of methods in statistics and data science to enhance the understanding of outcomes and practice in occupational therapy. These new methods are applied, using larger data and smaller single-subject data, to a study in hippotherapy for children with developmental disabilities (DD). The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates DD affects nearly 10 million children, aged 2-19, where diagnoses may be comorbid. Hippotherapy is defined here as a treatment strategy in occupational therapy using equine movement to achieve functional outcomes. Semiparametric ratio estimator (SPRE), a single-subject statistical and small data science model, is used to derive a "change point" indicating where the participant adapts to treatment, from which predictions are made. Data analyzed here is from an institutional review board approved pilot study using the Hippotherapy Evaluation and Assessment Tool measure, where outcomes are given separately for each of four measured domains and the total scores of each participant. Analysis with SPRE, using statistical methods to predict a "change point" and data science graphical interpretations of data, shows the translational comparisons between results from larger mean values and the very different results from smaller values for each HEAT domain in terms of relationships and statistical probabilities.
Code for: A revised dilution methodology and implications for estimates of rates of plankton mortality

The dilution method is the principal tool used to infer in situ microzooplankton grazing rates. However, grazing is the only mortality process considered by the theoretical model underlying the interpretation of dilution method experiments. We show an alternative interpretation arises when there is concurrent niche competition within the plankton community. We find that grazing rates may be overestimated -- the degree of overestimation is related to the importance of niche competition relative to zooplankton grazing. Thus, we propose a modification to the dilution method to disentangle the effects of niche competition and zooplankton grazing. Our theoretical results suggest the revised "Z-dilution" method can robustly infer grazing mortality, regardless of the dominant plankton mortality driver. Further, we show it is possible to independently estimate both grazing mortality and niche competition when the classical and Z-dilution methods are used in tandem. We discuss the significance of these results for quantifying plankton mortality rates.
Loss of INK4a/Arf gene enhances ultraviolet radiation-induced cutaneous tumor development.

The CDKN2A locus encodes for tumor suppressor genes p16INK4a and p14Arf which are frequently inactivated in human skin tumors. The purpose of this study was to determine the relationship between loss of INK4a/Arf activity and inflammation in the development of ultraviolet (UV) radiation-induced skin tumors. Panels of INK4a/Arf-/- mice and wild-type (WT) mice were treated with a single dose of UVB (200 mJ/cm2 ). For long-term studies, these mice were irradiated with UVB (200 mJ/cm2 ) three times weekly for 30 weeks. At the end of the experiment, tissues were harvested from mice and assayed for inflammatory biomarkers and cytokines. A single dose of UVB resulted in a significant increase in reactive oxygen species (ROS) and 8-dihydroxyguanosine (8-oxo-dG) lesions in INK4a/Arf-/- mice compared to WT mice. When subjected to chronic UVB, we found that 100% of INK4a/Arf-/- mice had tumors, whereas there were no tumors in WT controls after 24 weeks of UVB exposure. The increase in tumor development correlated with a significant increase in nuclear factor (NF)-κB, cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2), prostaglandin E2 (PGE2 ) and its receptors both in UVB-exposed skin and in the tumors. A significant increase was seen in inflammatory cytokines in skin samples of INK4a/Arf-/- mice following treatment with chronic UVB radiation. Furthermore, significantly more CD11b+ Gr1+ myeloid cells were present in UVB-exposed INK4a/Arf-/- mice compared to WT mice. Our data indicate that by targeting UVB-induced inflammation, it may be possible to prevent UVB-induced skin tumors in individuals that carry CDKN2A mutation.
An in-Silico Model of Xenobiotic Distribution and Metabolism in a Simulated Mouse Hepatic Lobule

Liver damage due to xenobiotics and their metabolites is often highly localized. Exposure levels vary within the liver because of the liver’s complex flow pattern and because transport and metaboli...
OxPL: Elusive Risk Factor in Calcific Aortic Valve Disease or Another Piece of the Puzzle?

Calcific aortic valve disease (CAVD) is the most common indication for surgical or transcutaneous valve therapy in the world.1 The mechanisms responsible for the development of calcification in the aortic valve are under intense investigation using translational databases. Randomized clinical trials testing the role of statins in the slowing of progression of disease have been negative to date, despite the overwhelming evidence that traditional risk factors such as elevated LDL are associated with disease progression.2–5 The emerging role of cardiovascular risk factors, genetic predisposition to CAVD, and mechanistic studies in the development of osteogenic calcification in the heart have become the cornerstone in the triad hypothesis for calcification in the aortic valve. See accompanying article on page 1570 Published in this issue of Arteriosclerosis, Thrombosis, and Vascular Biology ,6 the investigators from the Copenhagen General Population Study sought to identify the role of oxidized phospholipids (OxPL) in the progression of CAVD. In a case–control study performed within the Copenhagen General Population Study (n=87 980), 725 cases of CAVD were compared with 1413 controls. The investigators tested in this population database the level of lipoprotein(a) levels as a carrier of OxPL, OxPL carried by apolipoprotein B100 (OxPL-apoB) and apolipoprotein(a) (OxPL-apo(a)). LPA kringle IV type 2 repeat and rs10455872 genetic variants were measured and correlated with the lipoprotein levels. The role of genetics in CAVD is a rapidly evolving risk factor in the progression of calcification in the aortic valve.7 The discovery of Notch1,8 LDLR, …
Simulation Training in Surgical Education

Our review aims to describe the use of simulation-based training throughout the continuum of surgical education. In addition to well-known procedural-based surgical simulation modalities like the Fundamentals of Laparoscopic Surgery and Fundamentals of Endoscopic Surgery, there are several novel uses of simulation including its use for preparing medical students for surgical residency, resident interviews and onboarding, residency training, mental skills training, and continuing education for practicing surgeons. Simulation is a cost effective and useful method to improve trainee exposure and confidence to execute technical and nontechnical skills throughout the surgical career. There is clearly a role for simulation-based training with medical students, residents, and practicing surgeons to optimize performance through deliberate practice of skills in a safe environment. Due to the evolution of surgical techniques and an increased emphasis for proficiency-based training and certification of skills, simulation will play an increasingly integral role in surgical education.
American Educational Policy: Constructing Crises and Crafting Solutions

Publisher Summary This chapter describes that educational policy making in the United States appears, largely, to be crisis driven. That is, policy development in education is prompted by the presence of a crisis. The term crisis signifies simply a decision point. According to this definition, most of human existence could be said to be spent in crisis, in that humans make decisions—from pedestrian to profound—thousands of times each day. However, the stronger connotation suggests that whatever action (or inaction) occurs at that point influences whether the resolution of the problem or issue is likely to be highly favorable or unfavorable. A crisis presents a decisive moment in which whatever decision is made results in decisive change. It is this stronger sense of the word that is probably most frequently encountered in common usage. The literature reviewed for this chapter reveals that crises are rarely foreseen, never reported as being prevented, and, despite an apparent multitude of opportunities, are almost never solved. Despite an abundance of literature on crisis prevention and crisis management, educational crises do not appear to be tackled as these literatures would recommend. It is typical for a crisis to be merely claimed, accompanied most often by evidence of questionable quality and recommendations of unknown efficacy.
Predicting Sexual Behaviors Among Homeless Young Adults: Ecological Momentary Assessment Study

Background: Homeless youth continue to be disproportionately affected by HIV compared with their housed peers, with prevalence rates as high as 13%. Yet, HIV prevention in this high-risk population has been only marginally effective. Objective: The aim of this study was to use ecological momentary assessments to examine real-time factors to determine the predictors of sexual activity among homeless youth. Methods: Youth experiencing homelessness aged between 18 and 24 years were recruited from a drop-in center in Houston, Texas, between August 2015 and May 2016. All the participants received a study-issued mobile phone that prompted brief ecological momentary assessments (EMAs) 5 times a day for 21 days. EMA items assessed near real-time sexual behaviors, cognitions, stress, affect, environmental factors, and environmental circumstances. Results: Participants (N=66) were predominantly male (41/66, 64%) and black (43/66, 66%) with a median age of 20 years. The mean number of EMAs completed by each participant was 45 out of 105 possible observations. During the study, 70% (46/66) of participants were sexually active and reported condomless sex in 102 of the 137 cases of sexual intercourse (74.5%). In total, 82% (38/46) of the youth who reported having sex during the 3 weeks of data collection also reported engaging in high-risk sexual activities, including having condomless sex (24/46, 53%), having multiple sexual partners on the same day (12/46, 26%), trading sex (7/46, 16%), and sharing needles while injecting drugs (1/46, 3%). Of those, 71% (27/38) were engaged in multiple sexual risk behaviors. The predictive model was based on observations from 66 subjects who reported 137 cases of sexual intercourse over 811 days; sexual orientation, race, mental health, drug use, and sexual urge were included as predictors in the parsimonious generalized linear mixed model selected on the basis of the Akaike information criterion. The estimated odds ratios (ORs) were notable for same-day drug use (OR 8.80, 95% CI 4.48-17.31; P<.001) and sexual urge (OR 4.23, 95% CI 1.60-11.28; P=.004). The performance of the risk estimator was satisfactory, as indicated by the value of 0.834 for the area under the receiver operating characteristic curve. Conclusions: Real-time EMA data can be used to predict sexual intercourse among a sample of high-risk, predominately unsheltered homeless youth. Sexual urge and drug use accounts for increased odds of engaging in sexual activity on any given day. Interventions targeting sexual urge and drug use may help predict sexual activity among a population at high risk of HIV.
Biomimetic Robotic Mechanisms via Shape Deposition Manufacturing

At small scales, the fabrication of robots from off-the-shelf structural materials, sensors and actuators becomes increasingly difficult. New manufacturing methods such as Shape Deposition Manufacturing offer an alternative approach in which sensors and actuators are embedded directly into three-dimensional structures without fasteners or connectors. In addition, structures can be fabricated with spatially varying material properties such as specific stiffness and damping. These capabilities allow us to consider biomimetic designs that draw their inspiration from crustaceans and insects. Recent research on insect physiology has revealed the importance of passive compliance and damping in achieving robustness and simplifying control. We describe the design and fabrication of small robot limbs with locally varying stiffness and embedded sensors and actuators. We discuss the process planning issues associated with creating such structures and present results obtained via Shape Deposition Manufacturing.
Latinos in Arizona: Demographic Context in the SB 1070 Era

An informed discussion and evaluation of Arizona’s Latino politics, immigration, transborder, and binational relations after the passage of SB1070 requires recent demographic information about the state. An accurate depiction of the demographics of Arizona and Arizona’s Latinos are important for additional reasons. Nationally, there are misperceptions about the racial/ethnic composition of the country.
Multiuser Detection and Statistical Mechanics

A framework for analyzing multiuser detectors in the context of statistical mechanics is presented. A multiuser detector is shown to be equivalent to a conditional mean estimator which finds the mean value of the stochastic output of a so-called Bayes retrochannel. The Bayes retrochannel is equivalent to a spin glass in the sense that the distribution of its stochastic output conditioned on the received signal is exactly the distribution of the spin glass at thermal equilibrium. In the large-system limit, the performance of the multiuser detector finds its counterpart as a certain macroscopic property of the spin glass, which can be solved using powerful tools developed in statistical mechanics. In particular, the large-system uncoded bit-error-rate of the matched filter, the MMSE detector, the decorrelator and the optimal detectors is solved, as well as the spectral efficiency of the Gaussian CDMA channel. A universal interpretation of multiuser detection relates the multiuser efficiency to the mean-square error of the conditional mean estimator output in the many-user limit.
A History of Histories

In the long history of recorded human suffering, no disease stands forth with such a well-documented course as does urolithiasis. This is an overview to the historical indications for a new and comprehensive history of urinary tract stone disease.
A constrained hybrid optimization algorithm for morphable appearance models

In this paper, we propose a constrained hybrid optimization algorithm that incorporates several shape constraints into a gradient descent procedure using a novel unbiased cost function. Shape constraints are heuristically derived from face images where the face shape can be directly estimated based on ”motion” analysis. To better locate face contour points regardless of the background, local projection models are used. Experiments show that our algorithm benefits significantly from these shape constraints and achieves a much higher convergent rate compared to the inverse compositional optimization algorithm. We test our algorithm on different face databases, and demonstrate its robustness in presence of various illuminations, background patterns, as well as variations in face expressions.
Annotation Scheme for Social Network Extraction from Text

We are interested in extracting social networks from text. We present a novel annotation scheme for a new type of event, called social event, in which two people participate such that at least one of them is cognizant of the other. We compare our scheme in detail to the ACE scheme. We perform a detailed analysis of interannotator agreement, which shows that our annotations are reliable.
Joseph Priestley: An Instructive Eighteenth Century Perspective on the Mind-Body Problem

In discussions of the relation between cognition and brain, or of the ontological status of qualia, it has sometimes been imagined that there are phenomena that stand in stark contrast to the ‘physical’.
The physiologic impact of anemia in the neonate.

The red blood cell plays a critical role in supplying oxygen throughout the body to meet the metabolic demands of the neo-nate. An inadequate number of red blood cells needed to supply oxygen in response to systemic demands constitutes the physio-logic impact of anemia, which in turn, can be reflected by a combination of attempted compensatory responses and the ulti-mate consequences of deficient oxygen delivery. These physiologic markers of anemia tend to correlate poorly with the absolute hematocrit or hemoglobin concentration and need to be considered in the evaluation and management of anemia in the neonate.
An experimental method for measuring the spectral absorption coefficient of non-scattering semitransparent media

Abstract Semitransparent media are those into which electromagnetic waves can penetrate a considerable distance. The spectral absorption coefficient is an important property of non-scattering, semitransparent materials because it describes the degree to which radiative energy is absorbed and emitted by the material. Knowledge of the spectral absorption coefficient is critical for accurate modeling and analysis of applications of semitransparent media. An experimental method for measuring the spectral absorption coefficient of semitransparent media using FTIR spectroscopy is described. Blackbody radiation at different temperatures is transmitted through a semitransparent sample into an FTIR spectrometer. A mathematical model of the radiative heat transfer in the sample is developed to establish a linear spectral instrument response function relating the irradiation on the spectrometer detector to the output signal. The spectral absorption coefficient of a semitransparent material is calculated from the ratio of the slopes of the instrument response functions for two samples of the material with different thicknesses. The estimated spectral absorption coefficient using the proposed method is largely insensitive to the refractive index for media with optically smooth surfaces but, for media with diffuse surfaces, the method is highly dependent on the accuracy with which the refractive index is known. The method is used to calculate the spectral absorption coefficient of both fused silica and aluminum nitride at room temperature in the near to mid-infrared region. There is generally good correlation between the results obtained using the described method and those of other methods.
Coping and Stress Reactivity as Moderators of Maternal Depressive Symptoms and Youth's Internalizing and Externalizing Symptoms.

Youth’s responses to stress are a central feature of risk and resilience across development. The current study examined whether youth coping and stress reactivity moderate the association of current maternal depressive symptoms with youth’s internalizing and externalizing symptoms. Mothers (Mage = 41.58, SD = 6.18) with a wide range of depressive symptoms and their children ages 9–15 (Mage = 12.25, SD = 1.89, 45.3% girls) completed measures of youth symptoms and coping and automatic responses to stress. Mothers also completed a self-report measure of depressive symptoms. Youth’s primary and secondary control coping, stress reactivity, and involuntary disengagement moderated the association between current maternal depressive symptoms and youth symptoms. Maternal depressive symptoms were associated with youth’s internalizing and externalizing symptoms when youth used low as opposed to high levels of primary and secondary control coping. Conversely, maternal depressive symptoms were associated with youth symptoms for youth with high levels of stress reactivity and involuntary disengagement. The findings suggest interventions focused on improving the use of primary and secondary control coping skills and reducing reactivity and involuntary disengagement to stress may benefit youth with mothers who are experiencing high levels of depressive symptoms.
Programmable Ad hoc Networks

This paper proposes a mobile node for ad hoc networks where users can create new services by themselves. In the proposed method, a rule-based language ESTR is adopted as a service description language so that end users, who are non-experts in network and programming, can create new services easily. An emulator for ad hoc network experiments, which can provide multiple pseudo-mobile nodes using one actual mobile node and multiple pseudo-zones using one actual radio zone, is also proposed
Usability Study for a Community College Library Website: A Methodology for Large-Scale Data Gathering

AbstractUsability studies (UX) are increasingly common in libraries. A UX methodology is a useful tool to support librarians’ decision-making processes during a Website (re)design. This article des...
A Barotropic Vorticity Budget for the Subtropical North Atlantic Based on Observations

AbstractTo ground truth the large-scale dynamical balance of the North Atlantic subtropical gyre with observations, a barotropic vorticity budget is constructed in the ECCO state estimate and compa...
Beyond the spectacle of ‘refugee crisis’: Multi-directional memories of migration in contemporary essay film:

This article examines contemporary essay films that concern refugee im/mobilities across the Mediterranean Sea. In the last few decades, the Mediterranean has been transformed into a fatal space fo...
Lipid Management for the Prevention of Atherosclerotic Cardiovascular Disease

Lipid Management to Prevent CVD Management of serum cholesterol level is a central objective in preventing cardiovascular events. Current guidelines recommend calculation of cardiovascular risk, wi...
Reinforcement Learning Framework to Identify Cause of Diseases - Predicting Asthma Attack Case

Asthma attack prediction is a highly challenging problem because of the dynamic and multi-factor nature of its etiology. Disease severity level, physiological measurements, patient behaviors and characteristics, environmental triggers, and Personal Risk Scores (RS) are among the strong predictors of an asthma attack. In this paper, we propose a Deep Reinforcement Leaning framework to predict asthma attacks using historical data linking the severity level of the disease and the personalized risk scores of triggers. Deep Q-learning based prediction framework can model future reward explicitly. Besides, the risk scores of triggers which are calculated using Additive Interaction Analysis of Exposures technique helps increase the prediction performance. The main purpose of this study is to investigate the ability of using Q-learning method to create a prediction model that would help asthmatic individuals to take evasive action when the probability of an attack was at their personal threshold levels.