cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Antifungal Action of Rifampin

Rifampin and amphotericin B were found to be synergistic in vitro against Saccharomyces cerevisiae, Histoplasma capsulatum, and several species of Aspergillus, The uptake of rifampin by the fungi was increased in the presence of amphotericin B, and this increase probably formed the basis for the synergistic activity observed. In vivo, the combination proved more effective than either drug alone against experimental infections with H. capsulatum, Blastomyces dermatitidis, and Aspergillus species.
Song Repertoire Size and Male Quality in Song Sparrows

Il n'a pas ete trouve de relation entre l'importance du repertoire et les divers parametres de qualite du mâle chez Melospiza melodia
The authenticity of social-media performance: lonelygirl15 and the amateur brand of Young-Girlhood

This article analyzes the gendered expectations of authenticity in online amateur media performances through a reading of the 2006 vlog series lonelygirl15. Actress Jessica Rose was part of an artistic collective that created the character of Bree, a teenage girl who posted a series of confessional vlogs on YouTube under the screen name lonelygirl15. The vlog quickly went viral due, in part, to the almost immediate suspicion that the series was “fake.” Through a close reading of both the coverage of the sting that revealed Bree's true identity, and the narrative of the series itself, the author illustrates how the series aestheticizes precarity in order to facilitate escalating modes of intimacy with Bree's character. By placing such demands within the longer history of girls’ media production, such as the video work of Sadie Benning and Camgirl websites, this article argues that the reaction to the series makes visible the increasing political significance of the entanglement of economic concerns and ide...
A Conflict Between Divine texts and Human Legal Needs

This paper presents excerpted translations from a longer text by the Moroccan jurist, Ahmad al-Raysuni, which highlight a key facet of contemporaneous Muslim legal debates about law and religion. They especially focus on the thorny question of whether textual sources are liable to conflict with pure rational legal considerations and hence must be sidestepped to protect personal or public interests. In these excerpts Raysuni defends his position, and that of many of the so-called ‘moderate’ Islamists, who–while decry the rigid literalism of other traditionalists—maintain that explicit textual injunctions could never conflict with rationality. They believe, as Raysuni asserts here, that any conceived contradiction between texts and rationality is either a misconception of rationality or a misunderstanding of texts.
Dynamic recrystallization behavior of GH4742 superalloy

Hot compression tests of GH4742 superalloy were conducted on a Gleeble-1500D thermal simulating tester. Metallographs and TEM images were observed and compared, and dynamical recrystallization behavior was investigated. The results show that the dynamical recrystallization(DRX) of the alloy is promoted when the strain rate is small, the true strain is big and the temperature is high. The DRX behavior is affected by the second phase through which the movement of dislocation is influenced. The main nucleation mechanism of DRX in the present alloy is grain boundary bowing nucleation and the other nucleation mechanism is twin superposition nucleation. The DRX modeling of this alloy is established by means of mathematic fitting data based on true stress—true strain curves.
Thermographic detection of adhesive-bond and interlaminar flaws in composites: The development of a liquid-crystal thermographic technique for the detection of adhesive-bond-line and interlaminar flaws in composite materials is reported in this paper

This paper reports the development of a liquid-crystal passive thermographic technique for the detection of adhesive-bond-line and interlaminar flaws in composite materials. The technique was successfully used for the detection of flaws in three composite systems: E-glass/epoxy, graphite/epoxy and HMC. Thermographic results are compared to ultrasonic C-scan results to assess the relative effectiveness of the new technique. A photomicrographic study was also used to verify the detected flaws and to characterize the type and extent of the actual damage.
ACTIVATION OF THE EGF RECEPTOR BY INSERTIONAL MUTATIONS IN ITS JUXTAMEMBRANE REGIONS

Ligand dependent activation of receptor tyrosine kinases is mediated by an allosteric dimerization process that is responsible for the stimulation of protein tyrosine kinase activity and receptor autophosphorylation. In order to gain further insight into the processes which control this process, we have generated EGF receptor mutants that contain inserts of 20-40 amino acids in their juxtamembrane regions, on each side of the receptor's single transmembrane domain. An EGF receptor mutant with an insertion on the cytoplasmic side of the transmembrane domain exhibited typical EGF binding characteristics, ligand-dependent tyrosine autophosphorylation, as well as ligand-induced DNA synthesis. However, an EGF receptor mutant with an insertion on both sides of the transmembrane domain was found to be constitutively activated. This mutant also exhibited dramatically reduced EGF binding, but dimerized and had enhanced tyrosine kinase activity even in the absence of ligand. Moreover, NIH3T3 cells expressing this mutant receptor formed colonies in soft agar in the absence of EGF. This represents a novel example of a constitutively activated receptor, and provides further support for receptor dimerization as a mechanism for activation of EGFR and other receptor tyrosine kinases.
Routine Pre-cesarean Staphylococcus aureus Screening and Decolonization: A Cost-Effectiveness Analysis

Staphylococcus aureus surgical site infections (SSIs) are associated with substantial morbidity among women who undergo cesarean delivery, resulting in increased postoperative length of stay, increased risk of readmission, and high medical costs.1 The increasing incidence of postsurgical wound infections has paralleled a rise in the cesarean delivery rate. As many as 20% of women who deliver by cesarean are affected by an SSI, and S aureus is the causative agent implicated in 25% to 50% of puerperal infections.1–8 Up to 35% of Americans are chronic or intermittent carriers of S aureus, with higher rates observed among individuals with risk factors for colonization such as healthcare exposure, recent antibiotic use, immune system compromise, and chronic health conditions such as diabetes and hepatitis.5,9–12 Previous studies have shown that preoperative S aureus screening and subsequent decolonization of carriers may lessen rates of SSIs among other surgical populations.13–17 These measures may be of benefit in the setting of planned cesarean delivery, but formal studies to determine the safety and efficacy of this practice have not yet concluded.18 The economic value of implementing this strategy among pregnant women, who tend to be younger and healthier than many patients with healthcare-associated S aureus infections, has also not been studied. To address this issue, we developed a computer simulation model to estimate the cost-effectiveness and health impact of routine preoperative S aureus screening and decolonization for women undergoing planned cesarean delivery.
On common diagonal Lyapunov solutions

Abstract Several recent results regarding common diagonal Lyapunov solutions are further explored here. The first one, attributed to Redheffer and revisited by Shorten and Narendra, reduces the diagonal stability of a matrix to common diagonal Lyapunov solutions on two matrices of order one less. We present a shorter, purely matrix-theoretic proof of this result along with its extensions. The second one concerns two different necessary and sufficient conditions, due to Oleng, Narendra, and Shorten, for a pair of 2 × 2 matrices to share a common diagonal Lyapunov solution. We show that these two conditions are connected directly to each other.
Narrative strategies for a pluralistic understanding of the Chinese revolution

Univocality has remained a central characteristic of modern Chinese literature. As a narrative strategy, it has been employed not only as a weapon against tradition, but also as a propagandist tool after the Communist takeover in 1949. What would happen to this natural ally of the Communist regime when the regime itself began to lose faith in its ideology and become less authoritarian in the reform era? This article discusses the Chinese writer Zhou Meisen's subversion of univocality in his novel Heavy Yoke (Zhong e, 1988). Utilising Bakhtin's theories of polyphony, field of vision and his philosophy of the act, it analyses Zhou's representation of the Chinese revolution from perspectives long suppressed or ignored by the Communist regime. While focusing on Zhou's local approaches to the complexities of the Chinese revolution, it examines, in particular, Zhou's rejection of the omniscient viewpoint as inadequate to capture the specificities and potentialities of history. Ultimately, it makes the point tha...
Co-regularized PLSA for multi-modal learning

Many learning problems in real world applications involve rich datasets comprising multiple information modalities. In this work, we study co-regularized PLSA (coPLSA) as an efficient solution to probabilistic topic analysis of multi-modal data. In coPLSA, similarities between topic compositions of a data entity across different data modalities are measured with divergences between discrete probabilities, which are incorporated as a co-regularizer to augment individual PLSA models over each data modality. We derive efficient iterative learning algorithms for coPLSA with symmetric KL, l2 and l1 divergences as co-regularizers, in each case the essential optimization problem affords simple numerical solutions that entail only matrix arithmetic operations and numerical solution of 1D nonlinear equations. We evaluate the performance of the coPLSA algorithms on text/image cross-modal retrieval tasks, on which they show competitive performance with state-of-the-art methods.
Keeping Human Resources Happy: Improve hiring processes through use of rubrics

A rubric is a tool that delineates specific expectations for varying levels of competency. They are commonly used in teaching situations, for appraising research papers or projects, and allocating grades. They also serve the purpose of comparing potential job candidates against expectations, and can be used effectively in two situations related to human resources in hiring: evaluation of candidates who have applied for jobs during application reviews and interviewing.
Chapter 7. Paths to Carbon Neutrality: Lessons from California

California is one of the least greenhouse-gas intensive states in the United States, and one of the most energy efficient economies in the world. Its success is partly an accident of geography, due to a temperate climate, and its service-based economy with little emissions-intensive industry. But California’s governors, state legislators, and local agencies have also shown a willingness to enact climate legislation and implement mitigation policies, far ahead of the federal government and most other states. In part, climate action in California is rooted in the legacy of the air quality and energy efficiency programs from the 1970s and 1980s, which bequeathed state agencies with a depth of technical, regulatory and legal expertise. However, California has also legitimized climate mitigation as a matter of state action, and demonstrates high public accountability and enlists powerful coalitions by providing substantial and enduring incentives. This article discusses the range of mitigation policies, from cap-and-trade to vehicle efficiency and green building standards, that California has implemented, and the political coalition that has enabled their introduction. It also highlights challenges, particularly the difficulty in passing down mandates and incentives for emissions reduction to local government agencies, which retain a monopoly in land-use planning.
Barbarians at the Bar: Regulations of the Legal Profession Through the Admissions Process

Gaining admission to the Bar is not easy. An undergraduate education, the LSAT, three intensive years at a law school, and the infamously difficult Bar exam (especially in my state, California) presumably screen out a fair share of potential attorneys from even pursuing a career in the legal field. Although difficult, these hurdles are comprehensible, with clear objectives. The applicant is fully aware of the expectations and requirements. Ultimately, the applicant’s success is contingent on hard work and preparation. In addition to the Bar exam and the prerequisites necessary to take the Bar exam, there is a less well-known requirement Bar applicants must satisfy for entry to the Bar: the moral character requirement. The moral character requirement demands that each applicant seeking admission to the Bar bear the “burden of demonstrating to the appropriate body in charge that he or she possesses the character needed to successfully and ethically practice law.” For those applicants potentially facing delayed admission or outright denial based on a failure to meet the character requirement, this task is easier said than done. No uniform definition of “moral character” exists despite the inclusion of the character requirement in every state’s Bar admission process. Because entering the mind of applicants is impossible, the
Analysis and Evaluation of Readiness, Retention and Completion by Intensive Engineering Readiness Summer Program

The U.S. Hispanic population is predicted to triple and steadily grow up to 30% of the total population in 2050 [1]. Statistics indicates that only 7.2% of engineering bachelor’s degrees were earned by Hispanic graduates in 2008, and only 1.7% was earned by Hispanic women engineering graduates (NSF, 2008). Indeed, the lack of underrepresented Hispanic women engineers has been a concern of policy makers, academics, and industry leaders in recent decades [2]. On the other hand, the market for qualified engineering graduates remains atop in last twenty years. Increase the number of engineering enrollment and the number of engineering graduates, however, is still a challenge because of too many persisting and correlated factors. These identified factors all affect the retention and graduation of undergraduate engineering students, and relation among them are complicated and still not well understood [3].Copyright © 2016 by ASME
A clinical risk score to predict the incidence of postpartum venous thromboembolism.

Commentary on: Sultan AA, West J, Grainge MJ, et al. Development and validation of risk prediction model for venous thromboembolism in postpartum women: multinational cohort study. BMJ 2016;355:i6253.[OpenUrl][1][Abstract/FREE Full Text][2] Around 1 in 1000 postpartum women suffers from venous thromboembolism (VTE).1 The occurrence of deep vein thromboses (DVT), often found in proximal veins, may affect long-term quality of life,2 and pulmonary embolisms (PE) are a leading cause of direct maternal death in this very healthy population. Given the overall low absolute risk of VTE, as well as the cost of thromboprophylaxis and its possible side-effects, the use of prophylactic heparin is unreasonable if given universally, but should be tailored to individual risks. The aim of this study was to generate a validated risk-assessment model or prediction tool to estimate the absolute risk of postpartum VTE in individual women. Using two population-based … [1]: {openurl}?query=rft.jtitle%253DBMJ%26rft_id%253Dinfo%253Adoi%252F10.1136%252Fbmj.i6253%26rft_id%253Dinfo%253Apmid%252F27919934%26rft.genre%253Darticle%26rft_val_fmt%253Dinfo%253Aofi%252Ffmt%253Akev%253Amtx%253Ajournal%26ctx_ver%253DZ39.88-2004%26url_ver%253DZ39.88-2004%26url_ctx_fmt%253Dinfo%253Aofi%252Ffmt%253Akev%253Amtx%253Actx [2]: /lookup/ijlink?linkType=ABST&journalCode=bmj&resid=355/dec05_12/i6253&atom=%2Febmed%2F22%2F3%2F98.atom
Molecular geometry and mechanisms of action of chemical carcinogens.

Since the discovery, between 1930 and 1940, of the carcinogenic activity of certain polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons and azo dyes, innumerable chemical agents have been tested. It is probably not exaggerated to say that at the pre-sent time the number of known ways of tumor induction approaches a thousand and includes such heterogenous etiologic factors as structurally defined chemical carcinogens, chemical agents of unknown composition, carcinogenic viruses, physical agents, and various types of experimentally produced systemic hor-monal imbalances. Until about 1950, however, the classification of chemical carcinogens was relatively simple since a great majority of the compounds could be grouped either as condensed aromatic polycyclic hydrocarbons or as aromatic amines, this last group including the benzacridines and the amino azo dyes. Various theories were proposed to account for the tumor producing ability of chemicals falling into these two categories. A limited correlation was established between reactivity in terms of π-electron distribution of certain molecular regions and the carcinogenic activity of angular polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons and benzacridines. Attempts were subsequently made to include amino azo dyes and other aromatic amines in these theories.
An exploration of collaborative scientific production at MIT through spatial organization and institutional affiliation

Academic research is increasingly cross-disciplinary and collaborative, between and within institutions. In this context, what is the role and relevance of an individual’s spatial position on a campus? We examine the collaboration patterns of faculty at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, through their academic output (papers and patents), and their organizational structures (institutional affiliation and spatial configuration) over a 10-year time span. An initial comparison of output types reveals: 1. diverging trends in the composition of collaborative teams over time (size, faculty versus non-faculty, etc.); and 2. substantively different patterns of cross-building and cross-disciplinary collaboration. We then construct a multi-layered network of authors, and find two significant features of collaboration on campus: 1. a network topology and community structure that reveals spatial versus institutional collaboration bias; and 2. a persistent relationship between proximity and collaboration, well fit with an exponential decay model. This relationship is consistent for both papers and patents, and present also in exclusively cross-disciplinary work. These insights contribute an architectural dimension to the field of scientometrics, and take a first step toward empirical space-planning policy that supports collaboration within institutions.
A Model for Temperament and Emotions on Robots

This paper describes a mathematical/computational model of emotions and temperaments (or personalities). This model has been implemented on cognitive mobile robots. Emotions such as fear, anger, sadness, happiness, disgust, surprise, and others can be modeled, and can vary due to reinforcers (e.g. rewards and punishments). The model incorporates exponential decay of the reinforcement effects, so without continual reinforcers the emotion will return to their steady-state values. It is shown that emotions and temperament are coupled through the theory. Most models of emotions do not relate emotions to temperament. The constants used in the model of emotions are related to the temperament of the robot. The main five temperaments discussed include Extrovert/Introvert, Neurotic/Rational, Conscientious/Careless, Agreeable/Disagreeable, and Open/Reticent. The emotion and temperament model developed here has been incorporated into SS-RICS, which is a cognitive architecture developed at the Army Research Laboratory and tested in both mobile robots and in simulators.
The Oddball Effect and Inattentional Blindness: How Unexpected Events Influence Our Perceptions Of Time:

Inattentional blindness is a phenomenon in which an unexpected event goes unnoticed (at a conscious level) during a demanding task. The oddball effect is a perceptual phenomenon whereby novel or un...
A ±0.3 ppm Oven-Controlled MEMS Oscillator Using Structural Resistance-Based Temperature Sensing

This paper presents a 77.7-MHz silicon microelectromechanical-systems oven-controlled oscillator (MEMS OCXO) that uses the structural resistance ( $R_{{{\text {Struc}}}}$ ) of the resonator as an embedded temperature sensor. The $R_{{\text {Struc}}}$ exhibits a large temperature coefficient of resistance and is used as a self-temperature sensor to accurately and locally monitor the temperature of the resonator. A high-Q capacitive cross-sectional Lame-mode resonator fabricated using the nanogap high aspect-ratio combined poly- and single-crystal silicon process (HARPSS) is used as the frequency selective element. A silicon resistor micro-oven is implemented on the MEMS die adjacent to the resonator and the ensemble is wafer-level packaged in vacuum to yield a 2 mm $\times2$ mm MEMS die. The micro-oven resistor is automatically controlled by the analog loop to provide active temperature stabilization for the resonator. A resistance temperature detector (RTD) circuit, high-gain loop filter, and heater amplifier are implemented as the analog micro-oven control loop. To further boost the frequency stability, a digital feedforward calibration path which uses the digitized RTD output to fine tune the phase shift of the sustaining amplifier is added to the system. The silicon MEMS OCXO achieves ±0.3-ppm frequency stability from −25 °C to 85 °C. The microresonator is interfaced with a sustaining amplifier implemented in Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company 0.35-s $\mu \text{m}$ CMOS process, consuming 16 mA from a 3.2-V supply.
The Microsurgical Groin Skin Flap in the Rat Model

The microsurgical groin skin flap in the rat has achieved wide spread acceptance as this experimental model offers an inexpensive, practical and effective instrument to practice microvascular anastomosis as well as to investigate numerous research questions. The current chapter reviews the standard groin flap model and its various modifications in different shapes and sizes based on precise description of flap design and vascular anatomy. Surgeon’s consistency in the design and technique is critically important to obtain reproducible and reliable models.
Polarographic determination of uranium and lead in the presence of each other

The microanalysis of solutions of dioxouranium- (VI) has been investigated employing differential pulse polarography. These studies show that uranium and lead can be determined accurately and economically in the presence of each other. The lead current peak occurs at −0.325 V, the uranium peak at − 0.200 V. Quantitative determinations are possible in the presence of Bi, Zn, Co and Fe.
Intrapartum monitoring and management of the low birth weight fetus

All physicians responsible for the care of gravidae at high risk for preterm labor and delivery must be expert in the management of these pregnancies. Only a fraction of women who present in labor remote from term are candidates for long-term tocolysis. Whatever treatment regimen is utilized, the clinician must be familiar with their risks as well as their benefits. The majority of women who present with preterm labor will require delivery or will deliver despite efforts to the contrary. If delivery is imminent or indicated, intensive intrapartum monitoring of these fetuses, especially those weighing less than 1500 gm, is mandatory. The mother should be transferred to a facility that contains both expert obstetric care and a neonatal intensive care unit staffed with individuals experienced in the management of these very low birth weight infants. Attempts at pharmacologic induction of lung maturation should be reserved for those situations in which: (1) the fetal membranes are intact, (2) the fetal lungs are likely to be immature, (3) delivery of the infant may be delayed without undue risk for 48 hours following initiation of therapy, and finally, (4) the informed consent of the parents has been obtained. (By the same token, the probable efficacy of glucocorticoids should not serve as license to deliver the preterm infant.) Preterm infants are viable, even at 25 to 26 weeks of gestation, provided that labor and delivery are managed expertly. When vaginal delivery is contemplated, labor, if induced, should not be forceful. Fetal heart rate and uterine contractions should be monitored continuously. Evidence of fetal jeopardy must be dealt with expeditiously. Nontraumatic delivery, including the liberal use of cesarean section, into the hands of an experienced neonatologist will reduce the number of asphyxiated premature infants and, therefore, the risk of hyaline membrane disease. For the very low birth weight infant presenting as a breech, abdominal delivery is recommended. It is important that the uterine incision, regardless of type, be large enough to allow for nontraumatic delivery of the infant. If greater improvements in the survival and outcome of low birth weight infants are to continue, it is mandatory that there be close collaboration not only between obstetrician and pediatrician, but also between all physicians and nursing staff who care for this group of high-risk patients.
Similarities of psychiatric disorders of AIDS and syphilis: history repeats itself

Abstract There are marked similarities in the psychiatric disorders associated with autoimmune deficiency syndrome (AIDS) and syphilis (paresis). Although depression is most common, the psychiatric disorders in both conditions include the entire range of clinical syndromes that can simulate any type of mental disorder, functional or organic. The underlying neuropathology and methods of transmission are also similar. The author also notes that the social and moral attitudes toward patients with AIDS and syphilis are alike, including moral and religious prohibitions against the use of condoms.
Effects of Progesterone on Female Reproductive Behavior in Rats: Possible Modes of Action and Role in Behavioral Sex Differences

Much recent work has focused on neurophysiological mechanisms that underlie lordosis in female rodents (Pfaff et al., 1972, 1973) and often has been directed at explaining the effects of estrogen on female reproductive behavior. For instance, the neuroanatomy of estradiol-binding cells in the central nervous system of the female rat has been clarified (Pfaff and Keiner, 1973):and the effects of estrogen on peripheral sensory nerve input have been recorded (Kow and Pfaff, 1973/74).
Mass Loss of Totten and Moscow University Glaciers, East Antarctica, Using Regionally Optimized GRACE Mascons

Author(s): Mohajerani, Y; Velicogna, I; Rignot, E | Abstract: Totten and Moscow University glaciers, in the marine-based sector of East Antarctica, contain enough ice to raise sea level by 5nm. Obtaining precise measurements of their mass balance is challenging owing to large area of the basins and the small mass balance signal compared to West Antarctic glaciers. Here we employ a locally optimized processing of Gravity Recovery and Climate Experiment (GRACE) harmonics to evaluate their mass balance at the sub-basin scale and compare the results with mass budget method (MBM) estimates using regional atmospheric climate model version 2.3 (RACMO2.3) or Modele Atmospherique Regional version 3.6.4 (MAR3.6.4). The sub-basin mass loss estimate for April 2002 to November 2015 is 14.8 ± 4.3nGt/yr, which is weakly affected by glacial isostatic adjustment uncertainties (±1.4nGt/yr). This result agrees with MBM/RACMO2.3 (15.8 ± 2.0nGt/yr), whereas MBM/MAR3.6.4 underestimates the loss (6.6 ± 1.6nGt/yr). For the entire drainage, the mass loss for April 2002 to August 2016 is 18.5 ± 6.6nGt/yr, or 15 ± 4% of its ice flux. These results provide unequivocal evidence for mass loss in this East Antarctic sector.
Congenital Babesiosis From Maternal Exposure: A Case Report.

Abstract Background Babesiosis is a disease caused by parasites that infect red blood cells; in infants it can be acquired from tick bites, blood transfusions, or congenitally via vertical transmission. It can present with thrombocytopenia, fevers, and parasitemia. Case Report A case of vertically transmitted babesiosis in an infant is described. Thrombocytopenia and parasitemia > 4% developed in this well-appearing infant. The diagnosis was made by history and blood smear in both infant and mother, and the patient recovered fully with oral antibiotics. Why Should an Emergency Physician Be Aware of This? Congenital babesiosis has been reported infrequently in the literature and is reviewed here. It is important to consider congenital tick-borne illness in endemic areas as a cause for febrile thrombocytopenia in neonates.
Our actions define who we are: pragmatic praxis and tactical tastes

In this paper, we highlight the utility and implications of the sociological pragmatic theory of action, in particular for the study of social movements. Drawing on the classical theories of George...
Impact of an Intensive Dementia Caregiver Training Model on Knowledge and Self-Competence: The Improving Caregiving for Dementia Program.

Author(s): Tan, Zaldy S; Soh, Michael; Knott, Alexis; Ramirez, Karina; Ercoli, Linda; Caceres, Nenette; Yuan, Stanley; Long, Matthew; Jennings, Lee A
LIPID-LOWERING THERAPY IN DIFFERENT REGIONS OF THE UNITED STATES: INSIGHTS FROM GETTING TO AN IMPROVED UNDERSTANDING OF LOW-DENSITY LIPOPROTEIN CHOLESTEROL AND DYSLIPIDEMIA MANAGEMENT (GOULD): A REGISTRY OF HIGH CARDIOVASCULAR RISK PATIENTS IN THE UNITED STATES

Despite national cholesterol treatment guidelines, many patients with atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease (ASCVD) do not receive guideline-recommended therapy. In the multicenter, observational Getting to an Improved Understanding of Low-Density Lipoprotein Cholesterol and Dyslipidemia
Polyphenols in Almond Skins after Blanching Modulate Plasma Biomarkers of Oxidative Stress in Healthy Humans.

Almond skins are a waste byproduct of blanched almond production. Polyphenols extracted from almond skins possess antioxidant activities in vitro and in vivo. Thus, we examined the pharmacokinetic profile of almond skin polyphenols (ASP) and their effect on measures of oxidative stress. In a randomized crossover trial, seven adults consumed two acute ASP doses (225 mg (low, L) or 450 mg (high, H) total phenols) in skim milk or milk alone. Plasma flavonoids, glutathione peroxidase (GPx), glutathione (GSH), oxidized GSH (GSSG), and resistance of low- density lipoprotein (LDL) to oxidation were measured over 10 h. The H dose increased catechin and naringenin in plasma, with maximum concentrations of 44.3 and 19.3 ng/mL, respectively. The GSH/GSSG ratio at 3 h after the H doses was 212% of the baseline value, as compared to 82% after milk (p = 0.003). Both ASP doses upregulated GPx activity by 26–35% from the baseline at 15, 30, 45, and 120 min after consumption. The in vitro addition of α-tocopherol extended the lag time of LDL oxidation at 3 h after L and H consumption by 144.7% and 165.2% of that at 0 h compared to no change after milk (p ≤ 0.05). In conclusion, ASP are bioavailable and modulate GSH status, GPx activity, and the resistance of LDL to oxidation.
Best-reply sets

We provide results concerning, in a given normal-form game, which sets of actions are best replies to some belief. Proposition 1 states that for any set S of actions, there is a belief under which all actions in S are simultaneously best replies if and only if no mixture of actions in S is strictly dominated. Similarly, Proposition 2 states that for any set S of actions, there is a full-support belief under which all actions in S are best replies if and only if no mixture of actions in S is weakly dominated. One important consequence is Corollary 1: a two-player game has a totally mixed Nash equilibrium if and only if neither player has a pair of mixed strategies such that one weakly dominates the other.
Effects of FES-Rowing Exercise on the Time-Dependent Changes in Bone Microarchitecture After Spinal Cord Injury: A Cross-Sectional Investigation

Disuse osteoporosis is a serious, secondary consequence of spinal cord injury (SCI). Numerous pharmacological and exercise therapies have been implemented to mitigate bone loss after SCI. However, these therapies have not been shown to improve bone density, potentially because of insufficient duration and magnitude of loading and/or inability of imaging modalities to capture changes in bone microarchitecture. In this cross-sectional study, we evaluated bone microstructure of the distal tibia and radius using HR-pQCT in men with SCI (N = 13) who regularly trained with functional electrical stimulation- (FES-) rowing. We aimed to determine whether the amount of FES-rowing (total distance rowed and peak foot force) and/or time since injury (TSI) predict bone loss after SCI. We assessed volumetric density of the total, cortical, and trabecular compartments, cortical thickness, and trabecular thickness. Using linear regression analysis, we found that TSI was not associated with any of the tibial bone metrics. In fact, none of the variables (TSI, total distance rowed, and peak foot force) independently predicted bone loss. Using stepwise regression, when all three variables were considered together, we found a strong prediction for trabecular microstructure (trabecular vBMD: R 2 = 0.53; p = 0.06; trabecular thickness: R 2 = 0.72; p < 0.01), but not cortical bone metrics. In particular, trabecular vBMD and thickness were negatively associated with TSI and positively associated with distance rowed. Foot force contributed markedly less to trabecular bone than distance rowed or TSI. Our results suggest that regular FES-rowing may have the capacity to alter the time-dependent bone negative effects of SCI on trabecular bone density and microstructure. © 2019 The Authors. JBMR Plus published by Wiley Periodicals, Inc. on behalf of the American Society for Bone and Mineral Research.
Robust Gaussian Joint Source-Channel Coding with a Staircase Distortion-Noise Profile.

Minimum energy required to achieve a distortion-noise profile, i.e., a function indicating the maximum allowed distortion value for each channel noise level. In this paper, the minimum energy required to achieve a distortion noise profile is studied for Gaussian sources which are transmitted robustly over Gaussian channels. We provide upper bound for the minimum energy behavior of the staircase profile using our proposed coding scheme. Conversely, utilizing a family of lower bounds originally derived for broadcast channels with power constraints, the minimum required energy is lower bounded for staircase profile.
Management of Urethral Injury During Penile Prosthesis Surgery

There has been relatively little research into the management of intraoperative urethral injury during insertion of penile prostheses. In this review, we describe how such injuries can occur and the common management strategies. There are no randomized trials or level 1 evidence for managing such intraoperative urethral injury, and most literature are small retrospective series, expert opinions, or systematic reviews that combine small observational studies. Anatomical considerations, corporal fibrosis, and Peyronie’s disease present risk factors for urethral injury. Injuries can be classified by location at the distal urethra (meatus to fossa navicularis), mid-urethra (fossa navicularis through pendulous urethra), or proximal urethra (proximal penile urethra to distal bulbar urethra). There is no true consensus on what actions to take when a urethral injury does occur, and management is changing over time. While the traditional course has been to abort the procedure, some surgeons now choose to repair the defect and proceed with prosthesis implantation. Urethral injury is a rare but serious complication during penile prosthesis insertion. Management is heterogenous and is heavily dependent on the location of the injury and the preference and experience of the surgeon.
Causal Inference with Spatio-temporal Data: Estimating the Effects of Airstrikes on Insurgent Violence in Iraq

Many causal processes have spatial and temporal dimensions. Yet the classic causal inference framework is not directly applicable when the treatment and outcome variables are generated by spatio-temporal processes with an infinite number of possible event locations. We extend the potential outcomes framework to these settings by formulating the treatment point process as a stochastic intervention. Our causal estimands include the expected number of outcome events in a specified area under a particular stochastic treatment assignment strategy. We develop methodology that allows for arbitrary patterns of spatial spillover and temporal carryover effects. Using martingale theory, we show that the proposed estimator is consistent and asymptotically normal as the number of time periods increases, even when the propensity score is estimated. We propose a sensitivity analysis for the possible existence of unmeasured confounders, and extend it to the Hajek estimator. Simulation studies are conducted to examine the estimators' finite sample performance. Finally, we use the proposed methods to estimate the effects of American airstrikes on insurgent violence in Iraq from February 2007 to July 2008. We find that increasing the average number of daily airstrikes for up to one month results in more insurgent attacks across Iraq and within Baghdad. We also find evidence that airstrikes can displace attacks from Baghdad to new locations up to 400 kilometers away.
Chapter 148 – Larva

Publisher Summary This chapter focuses on the larval stage of insect lifecycle. The term “larva” is used for all immatures that are not eggs, pupae, or adults. When larva is used in this comprehensive sense, the subcategories include exopterygote larva, for Hemimetabola, which have the wingpads developing externally, and endopterygote larva, for Holometabola that have the wings developing internally as histoblasts in the larva. Larvae occur in a great diversity of sizes, shapes, and colors. Colorful ones almost always live in exposed habitats where their colors and shapes offer cryptic concealment or where their bright colors and spines warn potential predators that they are not to be eaten. Larvae that live in concealed habitats are nearly always combinations of white, gray, black, or brown. There are some general terms used for types of holometabolous larvae that have broad usage such as campodeiform larvae, elateriform larvae, scarabaeiform larvae, eruciform larvae, and vermiform larvae. Campodeiform larvae are somewhat flattened and have an elongate body, thoracic legs that are well developed, a head that is directed forward, no abdominal prolegs, and antennae and cerci that are usually conspicuous. Elateriform larvae is similar to campodeiform larvae, but their body is more elongated, subcylindrical, and more heavily sclerotized. Scarabaeiform larvae have a C-shaped, whitish body with a dark head, and well-developed thoracic legs. Eruciform larvae are caterpillar-like and have a cylindrical body and well-developed thoracic legs, and prolegs are present. Finally, vermiform larvae are “wormlike.” It is generally applied to an elongate, legless larva with or without a conspicuous head.
Utilizing Fully Automated Abdominal CT-Based Biomarkers for Opportunistic Screening for Metabolic Syndrome in Adults Without Symptoms.

Please see the Editorial Comment by Orlando Catalano discussing this article. To listen to the podcast associated with this article, please select one of the following: iTunes, Google Play, or dire...
Hepatitis C-positive donor to negative recipient kidney transplantation: A real-world experience.

BACKGROUND Several studies have shown that transplanting a hepatitis C virus (HCV)-negative recipients with a HCV-positive donor is feasible in a research setting. In February 2018, we began transplanting HCV-negative recipients with HCV-positive donors as standard of care. METHODS All patients, except those with previously cured HCV and those with cirrhosis, were consented for HCV NAT-positive donor kidneys. After transplantation, patients were tested for HCV RNA until viremic. A direct-acting antiviral (DAA) agent was prescribed based on genotype and insurance approval. Sustained virologic response (SVR) at weeks 4 and 12 was recorded. Renal function and death censored graft survival at 1 year were evaluated and compared to recipients of HCV NAT-negative kidneys. RESULTS A total of 25 HCV NAT-positive donor kidney transplants from February to October 2018 were performed. All patients received basiliximab and maintained with tacrolimus, mycophenolate mofetil, and prednisone. Median time from viremia to start of DAA was 13 (8-22) days. The most common genotype was 1a (60%), followed by 3a (28%). The most commonly prescribed DAA was ledipasvir/sofosbuvir (56%), followed by velpatasvir/sofosbuvir (32%), and then glecaprevir/pibrentasvir (12%). All patients achieved initial SVR12, except one. One patient had a mixed-genotype infection requiring retreatment to achieve SVR12. Death censored graft survival was 96%. Recipients of HCV NAT-positive organs compared to HCV NAT-negative organs received younger donors (mean 35 ± 8.9 vs 45.1 ± 15.7 years; P < .01) and spent less time on the waitlist (median 479 (93-582) vs 1808 (567-2263) days; P = .02). CONCLUSION HCV NAT-negative recipients can be safely and successfully transplanted with HCV NAT-positive donor kidneys outside of a research protocol. Access to DAA and timely administration of therapy is important and an insurance approval process within the transplant center can be beneficial to patients. A case of mixed-genotype infection was presented, and although not as common, can be successfully treated. HCV organs can expand the organ pool and should no longer be considered experimental. The use of these organs in HCV-negative recipient's decreases waiting time, have excellent outcomes, and should be considered standard of care.
Néron models

Neron models were introduced by Andre Neron in his seminar at the IHES in 1961. This article gives a brief survey of past and recent results in this very useful theory.
A Hybrid Long Short-Term Memory Network for State-of-Charge Estimation of Li-ion Batteries

This paper proposes a hybrid LSTM network for robust state-of-charge estimation of Li-ion batteries. The proposed model improves the estimation accuracy of a typical LSTM by using the SOC estimations of other trained machine learning (ML) models in addition to the original measurable battery cell parameters to train the LSTM. The hybrid LSTM intrinsically learns to timely activate the proper ML model by learning the complex dependencies between the accuracy of ML models and cell parameters. The proposed model is shown to achieve around 25% improvement in MAE for the last twenty cycles (near end-of-life) SOC estimation.
Thermochemical aerobic oxidation catalysis in water can be analysed as two coupled electrochemical half-reactions

Heterogeneous aqueous-phase aerobic oxidations are important catalytic transformations; however, their mechanisms and the role of O2 remain unclear. Here we show that thermochemical aerobic oxidations of organic small molecules can be analysed as two coupled electrochemical half-reactions for O2 reduction and substrate oxidation. We find that the polarization curves of the two half-reactions closely predict the mixed potential of the catalyst measured during thermochemical catalysis across diverse reaction conditions, catalysts and reactant identity. Additionally, we find that driving the substrate oxidation electrochemically without O2 at the mixed potential leads to similar rates and selectivities as for the corresponding thermochemical reactions. These findings indicate that O2 acts as an electron scavenger to supply the electrochemical driving force for substrate oxidation. These studies provide a quantitative and predictive link between thermochemical and electrochemical catalysis, thereby enabling the design of new aerobic oxidation schemes by applying the principles of electrochemistry. The mechanism of heterogeneous aqueous-phase aerobic oxidations remains under debate. Now, it has been shown that the reaction can be described as two coupled electrochemical half-reactions for oxygen reduction and substrate oxidation, and the thermochemical rates can be derived from the electrochemical half-reactions via the application of mixed potential theory.
The Changing Role and Responsibilities of a Chairman—Letters

To the Editor.— I want to report the pleasure that the recent essay by Robert L. Brent on being a department chairman gave me. I overheard a discussion of this article between some of our other faculty members which was extremely complimentary. As an aside, let me mention that the participants in that discussion felt that article should be read by all department chairmen (and debated whether they should all send copies to relevant individuals at the University of Iowa!).
Streaming Mesh Optimization for CAD

Computational simulation of physical phenomena plays a central role in many important applications, including scientific visualization and the generation visual effects for entertainment. Typically, these simulations rely on high-quality meshes to model physical objects. Meshes with badly shaped elements degrade both the accuracy and efficiency of the simulation. Traditionally, mesh optimization has relied on global algorithms which are ill-suited to the massive meshes demanded by many modern applications. In this paper, we describe a streaming framework for tetrahedral mesh optimization. We provide empirical results demonstrating that streaming is faster and more memory efficient than global optimization while resulting in essentially identical mesh quality. We also describe a novel streaming method for optimizing the surface of a tetrahedral mesh that is efficient, preserves features, and significantly increases the tetrahedral mesh quality.
Current distribution control of converters connected in parallel

Two schemes of current distribution control in a system of power converters connected in parallel, master-slave and central-limit controls, are analyzed from system block diagrams to determine steady-state distribution errors. The performance characteristics of distributive power systems using these two control techniques are presented. The comparison between the system performances with and without these distribution controls is discussed. The results of a FORTRAN program written to simulate the responses of two buck converters connected in parallel are described. It is shown that the master-slave technique provides good current distribution but no control in the output current overshoots that occur in the output of the master converter. The central-limit current distribution control is shown to provide tight control to all currents in the converters towards the central-limit reference signal that is the weighted average of the total current to the shared load. Therefore the central-limit technique is regarded as superior to the master-slave technique. >
SpaceTime Mission: Clock Test of Relativityat Four Solar Radii

SpaceTime is a mission concept developed to test the Equivalence Principle. The mission is based on a clock experiment that will search for a violation of the Equivalence Principle through the observation of a variation of the fine structure constant, α. A spatio-temporal variation of α is expected in some string theories aimed at unifying gravity with other forces in nature. SpaceTime uses a special tri- clock instrument on a spacecraft which approaches the sun to within four solar radii. The instrument consists of three trapped ion clocks based on mercury, cadmium, and ytterbium ions, in the same environment. This configuration allows for a differential measurement of the frequency of the clocks and the cancellation of perturbations common to the three. The observation of any frequency drift between each of the clocks, as the tri-clock instrument approaches the sun, signals the existence of a scalar partner to the tensor gravity. Some relevant details of the mission design are discussed in the paper.