cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Metabolism of levonorgestrel, norethindrone, and structurally related contraceptive steroids

There is limited information on the metabolism of levonorgestrel, norethindrone and structurally related contraceptive steroids. Both levonorgestrel and norethindrone undergo extensive reduction of the alpha, beta-unsaturated ketone in ring A. Levonorgestrel also undergoes hydroxylation at carbons 2 and 16. The metabolites of both compounds circulate predominantly as sulfates. In urine, levonorgestrel metabolites are found primarily in the glucuronide form, whereas norethindrone metabolites are present in approximately equal amounts as sulfates and glucuronides. Of the progestogens structurally related to norethindrone, norethindrone acetate, ethynodiol diacetate, norethindrone enanthate, and perhaps lynestrenol, undergo rapid hydrolysis and are converted to the parent compound and its metabolites. There is no convincing evidence that norethynodrel is converted to norethindrone. Of the progestogens structurally related to levonorgestrel, it appears that neither desogestrel nor gestodene are transformed to the parent compound. However, there is evidence that norgestimate can be, at least partly, converted to levonorgestrel. Further studies on the metabolism of these progestogens are required before we can understand their mechanism of action.
Space-time coding for distributed detection in wireless sensor networks

We consider the problem of distributed detection in wireless sensor networks, where sensors send their local binary decisions over error-prone wireless channels, subject to noise and fading, to a fusion center (FC) that is tasked with making the final decision. This is different from classical literature on distributed detection which provides decision and data fusion strategies assuming that sensors' local decisions are sent over orthogonal error-free channels, without taking into account fading and noise. To mitigate the deteriorating effect of fading, we propose to employ space-time coding (STC) at sensors for transmission of local decisions to the FC. We consider a communication architecture, in which the sensors are grouped into pairs, and the sensors in each pair communicate with the FC, after exchanging their binary decisions. This architecture allows us to utilize Alamouti's space-time coding (STC) [11] at the sensors. The advantage of this scheme is to combat the fading effect via harvesting diversity and thus to improve significantly the detection reliability in the presence of fading. We derive the optimal Likelihood ratio test (LRT) fusion rule and study the effect of communication errors when sensors are exchanging decisions over inter-sensor channels on the overall detection performance. Numerical results confirm the effectiveness of the proposed scheme, and make STC a suitable candidate for signaling in distributed detection systems operating in a fading environment.
Early processing of visual information

An introduction is given to a theory of early visual information processing. The theory has been implemented, and examples are given of images at various stages of analysis. It is argued that the first step of consequence is to compute a primitive but rich description of the grey-level changes present in an image. The description is expressed in a vocabulary of kinds of intensity change (EDGE, SHADING-EDGE, EXTENDED-EDGE, LINE, BLOB etc.). Modifying parameters are bound to the elements in the description, specifying their POSITION, ORIENTATION, TERMINATION points, CONTRAST, SIZE and FUZZINESS. This description is obtained from the intensity array by fixed techniques, and it is called the primal sketch. For most images, the primal sketch is large and unwieldy. The second important step in visual information processing is to group its contents in a way that is appropriate for later recognition. From our ability to interpret drawings with little semantic content, one may infer the presence in our perceptual equipment of symbolic processes that can define "place-tokens" in an image in various ways, and can group them according to certain rules. Homomorphic techniques fail to account for many of these grouping phenomena, whose explanations require mechanisms of construction rather than mechanisms of detection. The necessary grouping of elements in the primal sketch may be achieved by a mechanism that has available the processes inferred from above, together with the ability to select items by first order discriminations acting on the elements' parameters. Only occasionally do these mechanisms use downward-flowing information about the contents of the particular image being processed. It is argued that "non-attentive" vision is in practice implemented by these grouping operations and first order discriminations acting on the primal sketch. The class of computations so obtained differs slightly from the class of second order operations on the intensity array. The extraction of a form from the primal sketch using these techniques amounts to the separation of figure from ground. It is concluded that most of the separation can be carried out by using techniques that do not depend upon the particular image in question. Therefore, figure-ground separation can normally precede the description of the shape of the extracted form. Up to this point, higher-level knowledge and purpose are brought to bear on only a few of the decisions taken during the processing. This relegates the widespread use of downward-flowing information to a later stage than is found in current machine-vision programs, and implies that such knowledge should influence the control of, rather than interfering with, the actual data-processing that is taking place lower down.
A simple mechanism for irreversible tidewater glacier retreat

[1] Tidewater glacier retreat is abrupt and typically irreversible. The mechanics of abrupt onset are evaluated by considering the behavior of a sliding law that depends inversely upon effective pressure (pice − pwater); for such a law, flux can increase with decreasing thickness if the loss of bed traction exceeds the loss of driving stress. Characteristic values of increased flux and glacier thinning are shown to propagate upstream if ice flux increases with decreasing thickness below an ice thickness threshold determined by the chosen sliding law. Upstream propagation leads to instability, described in earlier literature, in which increased flow leads to thinning, loss of bed traction, and continued acceleration. In simplest terms, the instability arises when alterations in glacier geometry act to reduce resistive stresses more than driving stresses. The effects of diffusion are also analyzed, and it is shown that for the form of sliding law considered here, diffusion will not necessarily eliminate upstream-propagating instabilities. Application of this theory shows that a transition from stable to unstable conditions occurred at Columbia Glacier, Alaska, near the time of onset of its retreat in the early 1980s. The theory also successfully predicts stable or rapidly retreating states for 12 other Alaska tidewater glaciers, and its applicability to Greenland outlet glaciers is discussed.
Periodic points and invariant pseudomeasures for toral endomorphisms

Extending a result of Livsic [10] it is proved that the coboundary equation f(Tx)−f(x) = g(x) admits a C∞ solution f for C∞g when T is an ergodic toral endomorphism and g sums to zero over every periodic orbit. The same statement is false with C1 in place of C∞, in contrast to the Livsic (hyperbolic) theorem. In one dimension the ‘Lip α’ case leads to questions relating to the generalized Riemann hypothesis.
Streptomycin action: greater inhibition of Escherichia coli ribosome function with exogenous than with endogenous messenger ribonucleic acid

Inhibition of protein synthesis by streptomycin was tested in extracts from a strain of Escherichia coli sensitive to streptomycin. Three kinds of messenger ribonucleic acid (RNA) were employed: endogenous cellular RNA, extracted cellular RNA, and phage R17 RNA. Protein synthesis directed by extracted cellular RNA was inhibited three- to fourfold more than protein synthesis directed by endogenous RNA. With R17 RNA as messenger, nearly total inhibition of protein synthesis at initiation was again observed. The greater inhibition of function of extracted RNA, which must initiate new polypeptide chains in vitro, is in accord with the observation that in whole cells streptomycin blocks ribosomes at an early stage in protein synthesis. When streptomycin was added at successively later times during protein synthesis, the subsequent inhibition was progressively less. This was observed with either extracted cellular RNA or phage R17 RNA. A model is presented that can explain the less drastic inhibition by streptomycin of messenger RNA that is already functioning on ribosomes.
Boosting Oxygenation During Acute Respiratory Failure

A new microparticle-based oxygen-delivery technology has been developed for short-term resuscitation of pulmonary function (Kheir et al., this issue).
CEPXS/ONELD version 2.0: a discrete ordinates code package for general one-dimensional coupled electron-photon transport

CEPXS/ONELD is a discrete ordinates code capable of modeling the fully coupled electron-photon cascade at high energies. Version 2.0 of the CEPXS/ONELD code package has been designed to allow users who are not expert in discrete ordinates methods to fully exploit the code's capabilities. The most significant enhancement is that the finite differencing schemes that are associated with the discrete ordinates method are automatically selected by the code. Adjoint or inverse transport calculations kerma predictions and transport in one-dimensional spherical and cylindrical geometries are also allowed in this latest version. >
Studies of the Rate of Transfer of Rb86, K39, Na24, Na23. Cl36, and Cl35 Across the Pericardium of Dogs

Studies of the simultaneous rates of transfer of various tracers and stable isotopes from the pericardium of normal dogs under pentobarbital anesthesia indicated that the rate of transfer of Rb86 was greater than that of Na24 and Cl36, which were approximately equal. These observations show the pericardium to be a very active serous membrane concerned with electrolyte transfer phenomena as well as an excellent experimental model for the study of the kinetics of exchange of electrolytes across a normal living membrane.
Cost-Effective Configuration of Content Resiliency Services Under Correlated Failures

Value-added content resiliency services help to migrate the burden of resiliency provisioning and maintenance from service users, especially home users and small/medium organizations, who have difficulty in handling correlated failures that impact large areas. For service providers to achieve business success, however, the cost-effectiveness of their resiliency strategies is critical: while the content resiliency requirements specified by the end users have to be satisfied, excessive preventive operation costs caused by the over-reaction to potential risks should be avoided. In this paper, we study the problem of cost-effective configuration in content resiliency service networks under both independent and geographically correlated failures. We propose a new approach to modeling correlated failures in a representable, quantifiable and consistent way, which allows for both quantified availability guarantees and aggressive prevention cost optimization. We then formulate the cost-effective configuration problem in content resiliency services and develop both real optimal and heuristic-based algorithms for solving the problem. Our experiments show that with the help of good models for correlated failures, the operation cost of the services can be significantly reduced without impairing the user-specified content resiliency
Service organization and discovery for facilitating RFID network manageability and usability via WinRFID middleware

A radio frequency identification (RFID) network is a heterogeneous environment in which various hardware devices (RFID readers, sensors, and computers etc) and software components co-exist. Achieving resource manageability and usability in an RFID network is a challenge because of the diversity and complexity of the resources within the network. Service organization and discovery is an effective way to manage resources in a network. However, current research efforts have not addressed the characteristics of RFID network and are mostly focusing on either hardware device or software components discovery. In this paper, we present a service discovery architecture extended from existing service discovery protocols. Service organization, service discovery, service description and exchange format are discussed.
OpenACC acceleration of an unstructured CFD solver based on a reconstructed discontinuous Galerkin method for compressible flows

Here, an OpenACC directive-based graphics processing unit (GPU) parallel scheme is presented for solving the compressible Navier–Stokes equations on 3D hybrid unstructured grids with a third-order reconstructed discontinuous Galerkin method. The developed scheme requires the minimum code intrusion and algorithm alteration for upgrading a legacy solver with the GPU computing capability at very little extra effort in programming, which leads to a unified and portable code development strategy. A face coloring algorithm is adopted to eliminate the memory contention because of the threading of internal and boundary face integrals. A number of flow problems are presented to verify the implementation of the developed scheme. Timing measurements were obtained by running the resulting GPU code on one Nvidia Tesla K20c GPU card (Nvidia Corporation, Santa Clara, CA, USA) and compared with those obtained by running the equivalent Message Passing Interface (MPI) parallel CPU code on a compute node (consisting of two AMD Opteron 6128 eight-core CPUs (Advanced Micro Devices, Inc., Sunnyvale, CA, USA)). Speedup factors of up to 24× and 1.6× for the GPU code were achieved with respect to one and 16 CPU cores, respectively. The numerical results indicate that this OpenACC-based parallel scheme is an effective and extensible approachmore » to port unstructured high-order CFD solvers to GPU computing.« less
Exploring compromises among timing, power and temperature in three-dimensional integrated circuits

Three-dimensional integrated circuits (3DICs) have the potential to reduce interconnect lengths and improve digital system performance. However, heat removal is more difficult in 3DICs, and the higher temperatures increase delay and leakage power, potentially negating the performance improvement. Thermal vias can help to remove heat, but they create routing congestion, which also leads to longer interconnects. It is therefore very difficult to tell whether or not a particular system may benefit from 3D integration. In order to help understand this trade-off, physical design experiments were performed on a low-power and a high-performance design in an existing 3DIC technology. Each design was partitioned and routed with varying numbers of tiers and thermal-via densities. A thermal-analysis methodology is developed to predict the final performance. Results show that the lowest energy per operation and delay are achieved with 4 or 5 tiers. These results show a reduction in energy and delay of up to 27% and 20% compared to a traditional 2DIC approach. In addition, it is shown that thermal-vias offer no performance benefit for the low-power system and only marginal benefit for the high-performance system.
The magneto-ionic theory for drifting plasma

The magneto-ionic theory for the case of drifting plasma with constant drift velocity \bar{\upsilon}_{0} is developed. The refractive index n is shown to be the solution of an algebraic equation of the sixth order. In several particular cases the algebraic equation is solved explicitly.
Controlled Egg Weight Loss During Incubation of Turkey Eggs

Weight loss (12%) of turkey eggs in a commercial incubator by a weekly adjustment of relative humidity (RH) was compared in four independent trials with the industry standard of maintaining 58% RH. Trials 1 and 2 were conducted with eggs from one flock of recycled hens during their 14th and 20th week of lay, respectively. Trials 3 and 4 were conducted with first cycle hens during their 3rd and 10th week of lay, respectively. Hatch of eggs was significantly better when eggs were incubated to lose an optimum amount of weight. Hatch of fertile eggs was significantly improved (P less than .05) in all except Trial 2. Hatchability was best when loss of egg weight was not greater than 11.5% at 25 days of incubation.
Human microsomal epoxide hydrolase: 5'-flanking region genetic polymorphisms.

Microsomal epoxide hydrolase (mEH) catalyses the hydrolysis of xenobiotic epoxides, including various epoxide derivatives of the procarcinogenic polyaromatic hydrocarbons. Levels of mEH enzymatic activity among different cell types and between individuals within the population vary considerably. Genetic polymorphisms within the structural region of the human mEH gene exist and appear to contribute to the population variance in functional expression. In this study, we used single strand conformational polymorphism analysis and direct DNA sequencing approaches to identify seven additional polymorphic sites within the upstream region of the mEH gene, spanning ‐ 743 to F185 bp, relative to the transcription initiation site. Allelic frequencies and linkages of the polymorphic nucleotides were determined in 51 individuals using restriction fragment length polymorphism or competitive oligonucleotide priming assays. To determine the functional significance of the individual nucleotide substitutions, DNA fragments representing the variant alleles were cloned into the heterologous pBRAMScat2 reporter vector, transfected into HepG2 cells and assessed for reporter gene expression. Results indicated that certain of these polymorphic loci might differentially regulate transcription, with the maximum contribution of any of the variants modifying levels of reporter gene activity by ~ 30%. These observations establish that genetic variation in the 59 flanking sequence of mEH gene is likely an additional contributing factor to the range of functional mEH expression existing in human populations.
Secure Split Assignment Trajectory Sampling: A Malicious Router Detection System

Routing infrastructure plays a vital role in the Internet, and attacks on routers can be damaging. Compromised routers can drop, modify, mis-forward or reorder valid packets. Existing proposals for secure forwarding require substantial computational overhead and additional capabilities at routers. We propose secure split assignment trajectory sampling (SATS), a system that detects malicious routers on the data plane. SATS locates a set of suspicious routers when packets do not follow their predicted paths. It works with a traffic measurement platform using packet sampling, has low overhead on routers and is applicable to high-speed networks. Different subsets of packets are sampled over different groups of routers to ensure that an attacker cannot completely evade detection. Our evaluation shows that SATS can significantly limit a malicious router's harm to a small portion of traffic in a network
Implicit Function Method in Nonlinear Spectral Problems, Arising in the Antennas Synthesis Theory

The two-dimensional nonlinear spectral problem on eigenvalues is reduced to investigation and numerical solution of the Cauchy problem for the first order linear differential equation by implicit function method.
Random Networks, Graphs, and Matrices

Summary: The theory of elasticity based on the distribution function of the gyration tensor is reviewed. It is shown that the James-Guth potential for a network is a model potential of mean force, derivable in principle from the true many-body potential for the elastic body. The determination of the modulus of elasticity is resolved in the calculation of the statistical mechanical average of the smallest, non-zero, eigenvalue of the connectivity matrix that describes the network. The mathematical problem to determine the spectrum of eigenvalues of the random network can be couched in both the language of random graphs and of random matrices.
Nano materials for efficiently lowering the freezing point of heat transfer nanofluids

In this paper, we report, for the first time, the effect of the lowered freezing point in a 50% water / 50% antifreeze coolant (PAC) or 50% water / 50% ethylene glycol (EG) solution by the addition of carbon nanotubes and other particles. The experimental results indicated that the nano materials are much more efficient (hundreds fold) in lowering the freezing point than the regular ionic materials (e.g. NaCl). The possible explanation for this interesting phenomenon is the colligative property of fluid and relative small size of nano material. It is quite certain that the carbon nanotubes and metal oxide nano particles could be a wonderful candidate for the nano coolant application because they could not only increase the thermal conductivity, but also efficiently lower the freezing point of traditional coolants.
FIRST COLLECTION OF ANOPHELES(ANOPHELES) PUNCTIPENNIS (SAY) ON OAHU, HAWAII: IMPLICATIONS FOR THE POTENTIAL INTRODUCTION OF WEST NILE VIRUS

A single adult female of Anopheles (Anopheles) punctipennis (Say) was collected in a New Jersey light trap in the port area of Honolulu, Oahu, HI, on December 8, 2003. This is the 1st record of a wild-collected, intact Anopheles mosquito, and the 1st detection of An. punctipennis in the Hawaiian Islands. Extensive larval surveillance and additional light trapping in the area of the collection site indicate that populations of this species have not become established on Oahu. The distribution of An. punctipennis largely coincides with the distribution of West Nile virus (WNV) in North America. Although An. punctipennis is not an important vector of WNV, Culex quinquefasciatus and Cx. tarsalis are important vectors of WNV and occur in areas of North America with active WNV transmission. Culex quinquefasciatus is established in Hawaii, and Cx. tarsalis has been detected on multiple occasions by quarantine. Increased quarantine inspections, disinsection of airline cargo holds, enhanced vector surveillance, and the development of sanitary corridors around airports and port facilities are necessary to reduce the introduction of vectors and pathogens.
A further excavation of seduction, seduction trauma, and the seduction theory.

Freud's pre-analytic concept of seduction trauma was interwoven with the emerging concepts of an unconscious pathogenic past, repression, and reconstruction. The formulation of this theory of neurosogenesis involved important current, as well as past, determinants. Freud was psychologically seduced by Fliess and unwittingly colluded in the nearly fatal surgery Fliess performed on Emma Eckstein. The formulation and subsequent repudiation of the seduction theory approximated the period from the traumatic experience of Freud with his patient Emma Eckstein to her apparent recovery. Freud's seduction theory, with its focus on childhood sexual abuse, simultaneously defended against both aggression and the current traumatic situation. Defenses against aggression were intensified in an atmosphere of virulent anti-Semitism. The seduction theory is relevant to contemporary issues concerning psychic trauma, psychic reality and objective reality, memory, and reconstruction. Language: en
Using copula method for pipe data analysis

Abstract Aging water mains systems are becoming a growing concern for maintenance. The structural deterioration of water mains is affected by different factors such as pipe age, pipe material, soil condition, pipe size, climate condition among others. Since pipes are underground and obtaining data for pipes are difficult and expensive to obtain, various statistical modeling methods have been used to analyze the factors contributing to the pipe condition deterioration and predict the failure of pipes. This paper applies copula method for pipe data analysis. Copula is an emerging method of modeling that has been widely used in financial sectors. There has been recent use in hydrology and bridge management sectors but the method has not been applied to other civil engineering disciplines. Copula method is very useful where marginals belong to different families of distributions. This paper uses copula modeling to determine dependency between several variables of pipe condition and compare how it may be a better choice for determining correlation dependency for data which are non normal and skewed. Copula modeling is used in this paper to predict pipe leakage due to climate condition, in which water temperature is used as a factor. Vine copula is used to develop multi variable simulation models for pipe data. Copula method is very useful and provides better results where marginals belong to different families of distributions, which is observed in the data set used for pipe data analysis.
Anticipating concerns of the adult learner: accelerated path to a degree and intrusive advising

AbstractThe demographics of 21st century, community college students are changing. Success strategies are being developed with adult learners in mind, particularly for programs targeting students already in the workforce. While recognizing that such students may have been out of college for an extended time or have obligations differing from traditional college students, such as family and work commitments, programs designed for adult learners should provide clearly articulated pathways to success. Elements of this success strategy should provide instruction in a way that accommodates work schedules and prepares students for classroom challenges.Degree programs should be designed to help students complete coursework quickly and provide greater access to educational opportunities. Gillette College’s accelerated Mining Technology Program combines a no-options pathway to completion. It is a course delivery system allowing students who otherwise might not have the opportunity to attend college the ability to ...
Effects of Inactivating Individual Cerebellar Nuclei on the Performance and Retention of an Operantly Conditioned Forelimb Movement

Milak, M. S., Y. Shimansky, V. Bracha, and J. R. Bloedel. Effects of inactivating individual cerebellar nuclei on the performance and retention of an operantly conditioned forelimb movement. J. Neu...
Role of the liver in the regulation of plasma angiotensinogen and renin levels.

SummaryHepatectomy in the rat caused the disappearance of plasma renin substrate and a 100-fold increase in plasma renin. The effects were partially inhibited by nephrectomy. Partial hepatectomy caused an increase in renin and no change in substrate, while carbon tetrachloride caused a decrease in substrate and no change in renin. The last two procedures did not prevent the rise in substrate seen after nephrectomy or stilbestrol treatment.
Dependence of saccade-related activity in the primate superior colliculus on visual target presence.

Neurons in the intermediate layers of the superior colliculus respond to visual targets and/or discharge immediately before and during saccades. These visual and motor responses have generally been...
Comparative Study of Tumor Targeting and Biodistribution of pH (Low) Insertion Peptides (pHLIP(®) Peptides) Conjugated with Different Fluorescent Dyes.

Acidification of extracellular space promotes tumor development, progression, and invasiveness. pH (low) insertion peptides (pHLIP® peptides) belong to the class of pH-sensitive membrane peptides, which target acidic tumors and deliver imaging and/or therapeutic agents to cancer cells within tumors. Ex vivo fluorescent imaging of tissue and organs collected at various time points after administration of different pHLIP® variants conjugated with fluorescent dyes of various polarity was performed. Methods of multivariate statistical analyses were employed to establish classification between fluorescently labeled pHLIP® variants in multidimensional space of spectral parameters. The fluorescently labeled pHLIP® variants were classified based on their biodistribution profile and ability of targeting of primary tumors. Also, submillimeter-sized metastatic lesions in lungs were identified by ex vivo imaging after intravenous administration of fluorescent pHLIP® peptide. Different cargo molecules conjugated with pHLIP® peptides can alter biodistribution and tumor targeting. The obtained knowledge is essential for the design of novel pHLIP®-based diagnostic and therapeutic agents targeting primary tumors and metastatic lesions.
Poor Hypertension Control and Longer Transport Times Are Associated with Worse Outcome in Drip-and-Ship Stroke Patients

Background The "drip-and-ship" paradigm is an important treatment modality for acute ischemic stroke (AIS) patients who do not have immediate access to a comprehensive stroke center (CSC). Intravenous thrombolysis is initiated at a primary stroke center followed by expeditious transfer to a CSC. We sought to determine factors associated with poor outcomes in drip-and-ship AIS patients transferred to a CSC. Methods This study is a retrospective analysis of 130 consecutive drip-and-ship patients transferred by ambulance to a single CSC between July 2012 and June 2014. Multiple patient and transport factors were analyzed. Transport blood pressure (BP) control was considered inadequate if the systolic BP was greater than 180 mmHg and/or diastolic BP was greater than 105 mmHg upon CSC arrival. Poor patient outcome was defined as discharge to hospice or expiry, a discharge modified Rankin Scale (mRS) score higher than 2, or symptomatic intracerebral hemorrhage (ICH). Results There was a significant association between inadequate BP control upon CSC arrival and in-hospital mortality or discharge to hospice ( P P P Conclusions Post-thrombolysis BP guideline violations and longer transport times during drip-and-ship transfers were significantly associated with poor outcome. Guidelines for strict transport BP management and alternative modes of transfer for longer-distance transports may be warranted.
Perceptions of Body Size in Mothers and Their Young Children in the Galapagos Islands.

Introduction Little specific information has been published about the health of people who live in the Galapagos Islands. As part of determining the status of the nutrition transition that may be occurring in the islands mothers of young children in the Galapagos perceptions of their child's body size and therefore health status was evaluated along with actual body size. Methods This paper presents data collected as part of a pilot study that used a mixed methods approach to identify and describe health and nutrition issues for mother-child pairs on Isla Isabela in Galapagos, Ecuador. It includes participant anthropometric assessment and self-perception of body size using silhouettes for themselves and one of their children along with open-ended questions to elicit further understanding of body size perceptions. Twenty mothers of children greater than 6 months of age but less than 6 years of age were interviewed. Results The women preferred a smaller body size for themselves but a larger body size for their children. Findings of different body size combinations between mothers and children in the same household demonstrated that the island is undergoing or may be post the nutrition transition. Discussion This dual burden of body weights (especially overweight or obese mothers) in the same household with underweight, normal and overweight or obese children and the potential nutrition related chronic disease burden in the future will require more educational resources and innovative health services than are currently available for the people of the Galapagos.
The Hydroflex self-contained inflatable prosthesis: experience with 100 patients.

AbstractThe Hydroflex* penile prosthesis has been implanted in 100 patients with a 1 to 3½-year followup. Patient dissatisfaction among the earlier implants was high due to inadequate girth and support during intercourse and difficulty with inflation and deflation of the device. As experience was gained in patient selection and sizing of the cylinders, patient satisfaction improved considerably. The mechanical reliability of this device has been good to date.
Supporting the continuum of care for combat wounded patients: adaptive interfaces for personal health records

In this paper, we describe a concept for an adaptive interface for a military Personal Health Record (PHR). PHRs are electronic records used by people to manage their personal healthcare information. In the Military Healthcare System, combat wounded patients encounter a range of challenges due to the unique nature of the military environment and the severity of their wartime injuries. These factors affect how people interact with a computer interface. In many instances, combat wounded patients eventually have assistance from family members, professional caregivers, and others. This forms a disparate end-user population. Because the pool of potential users includes people with a wide range of cognitive and physical capabilities, an adaptive interface that considers attributes of health can improve user experiences.
A NASA perspective on quantum computing

NASA Perspective on Quantum Computing. In the last couple of decades, the world has seen several stunning instances of quantum algorithms that provably outperform the best classical algorithms. For most problems, however, it is currently unknown whether quantum algorithms can provide an advantage, and if so by how much, or how to design quantum algorithms that realize such advantages. Many of the most challenging computational problems arising in the practical world are tackled today by heuristic algorithms that have not been mathematically proven to outperform other approaches but have been shown to be effective empirically. While quantum heuristic algorithms have been proposed, empirical testing becomes possible only as quantum computation hardware is built. The next few years will be exciting as empirical testing of quantum heuristic algorithms becomes more and more feasible. While large-scale universal quantum computers are likely decades away, special-purpose quantum computational hardware has begun to emerge, which will become more powerful over time, as well as small-scale universal quantum computers.
Substance Use Disorder and Suicide Attempt Among People Who Report Compromised Health.

ABSTRACTBackground: Substance use disorder can increase the risk of suicide attempt. However, the relationship between substance use disorder and suicide attempt has yet to be explored among people who report compromised health, even though sick people are more likely to make an attempt. Objectives: Among people who report fair or poor health on the National Survey of Drug Use and Health (2006–2014; N = 502,467), I examined whether people with commonly occurring substance use disorders are more likely to attempt suicide than people without substance use disorders. Methods: Logistic regression was used to predict suicide attempt from presence versus absence of substance use disorder.Results: Among individuals reporting compromised health, those who had DSM-IV alcohol use disorders were 2.72 times (CI = 1.81–4.09, p <.001) as likely as people without SUD to attempt suicide, and people with prescription painkiller use disorders were 2.25 times (CI = 1.04–4.90, p <.05) as likely. Individuals with both alcohol...
A distributed intelligent framework for electricity theft detection using benford's law and stackelberg game

Electricity theft is a major contributor of nontechnical losses in the distribution systems of the smart grid. However, owing to the resource-limitations of smart meters and the privacy requirement of electricity usage data, theft detection has become a challenging task for electric utilities. To address this problem, a Distributed Intelligent Framework for Electricity Theft Detection (DIFETD) is proposed and implemented in this paper. It is equipped with Benford's Analysis for initial but powerful diagnostics on smart meter big data. A Stackelberg game-theoretic model is formulated to analyze the strategic interactions between one utility and multiple electricity thieves, which is applied to data flagged suspicious by Benford's Analysis. The Stackelberg equilibrium provides sampling rate and threshold to conduct a Likelihood Ratio Test (LRT) to detect potentially fraudulent meters. The framework is validated on real interval electricity usage data from an electric utility in Florida to filter fraudulent meters in a community.
Anterior Epidural Space Lead Placement

Lead migration represents the most common complication observed in both trial and permanent spinal cord stimulators (SCS). Depending on the level of migration or lead translocation, patients may demonstrate predominantly sensory characteristics, rarely exhibiting motor manifestations. Frequently, changes in stimulation patterns along with paresthesia development, typically described as buzzing sensations, along with pain, warmth, burning, and possibly muscle contractions, may be seen. Alterations mirror a dermatomal distribution, highlighting the area of migration as well as the involvement of spinal anatomy receiving aberrant stimulation. Although nonfatal, suspected lead positioning abnormalities require prompt identification and intervention to recapture clinical efficacy. The development of newer surgical anchoring techniques for SCS leads along with concurrent technological advancements has led to less symptomatic migration. However, lead movement is still a prevalent cause of severe discomfort and morbidity leading to the financial burden of correction or revision. Treatment options are sparse, limited to modifying parameter measures of stimulation with the hopes of paresthesia recapture and ultimately surgical intervention and revision reserved for refractory cases. Expeditious correction of migrated SCS leads will ensure optimum pain relief, restoration of quality of life, and overall patient satisfaction.
Genome-wide association of changes in swine feeding behaviour due to heat stress.

Heat stress has a negative impact on pork production, particularly during the grow-finish phase. As temperature increases, feeding behaviour changes in order for pigs to decrease heat production. The objective of this study was to identify genetic markers associated with changes in feeding behaviour due to heat stress. Feeding data were collected on 1154 grow-finish pigs using an electronic feeding system from July 2011 to March 2016. In this study, days were classified based on the maximum temperature humidity index (THI) during the day as “Normal” (< 23.33 °C), “Alert” (23.33 °C ≤ × < 26.11 °C), “Danger” (26.11 °C ≤ × < 28.88 °C), and “Emergency” (≥ 28.88 °C). Six hundred and eighty-one pigs that experienced more than one THI category were genotyped using a variety of SNP platforms, with final genotypes imputed to approximately 60,000 markers. A genome-wide association study (GWAS) for change in feeding behaviour between each pair of THI categories (six pairs) was conducted. Estimates of heritability for differences in feeding activity between each of the THI categories were low (0.02 ± 0.03) to moderate (0.21 ± 0.04). Sixty-six associations which explained more than 1% of the genomic variation for a trait were detected across the six GWAS, with the smallest number of associations detected in comparisons with Emergency THI. Gene ontology enrichment analysis showed that biological processes related to immune response and function were over-represented among the genes located in these regions. Genetic differences exist for changes in feeding behaviour induced by elevated ambient temperatures in grow-finish pigs. Selection for heat-tolerant grow-finish pigs should improve production efficiency during warm months in commercial production. Genetic variation in heat shock, stress response and immune function genes may be responsible for the observed differences in performance during heat stress events.
Field Measurements of Rip Currents

The objectives of this task were to measure the characteristics of the nearshore circulation system at both field experimental sites and to develop a predictive model to: (1) identify conditions where rip currents occur, (2) provide information on the characteristics (spacing, strength, etc.) of these currents, and, (3) determine their effects on the transport of sand along the beach.
Creative Genius in Literature, Music, and the Visual Arts

Abstract This chapter examines creative genius in the three most prominent domains of artistic achievement: literature, music, and the visual arts. Treatment begins with the definition of artistic genius in terms of achieved eminence, with special attention to the measurement issues (i.e. magnitude of consensus and degree of temporal stability). From there discussion turns to the personal attributes of eminent artistic creators in the three domains, with an emphasis on how writers, composers, and artists differ from each other as well as from eminent scientific creators. The next issue concerns the developmental factors involved in the emergence and manifestation of artistic genius. These factors include both early developmental antecedents and adulthood career trajectories (especially the location of career peaks). The final topic pertains to the sociocultural contexts underlying outstanding artistic achievement. These contexts include both internal factors, such as artistic styles, as well as external factors, such as the political and economic milieu.
Tau Mutations as a Novel Risk Factor for Cancer-Letter.

Rossi and colleagues (2018) recently reported an increased cancer frequency in 15 families with frontotemporal lobar degeneration (FTLD) and mutations in the microtubule-associated protein tau ( MAPT ) gene (15% of 162 subjects of MAPT FTLD kindreds; 9% of 717 controls; ref. [1][1]). They concluded
Novel Topology for a Non-Reciprocal MEMS Filter

The paper reports the first prototype of a magnetic-free, non-reciprocal $50\Omega$ matched MEMS filter, based on a spatio-temporal modulation of identical resonators. The proposed approach shows similar performances and at least a 7 times smaller area if compared with a dual ladder filter. For these reasons, the novel topology eliminates all trade offs among performances, area, fabrication complexity and temperature compensation processes which restrict any MEMS filters. Experimental data has shown 12MHz BW 3dB with insertion loss of 5.6dB and an isolation peak equal to −20dB, by exploiting 6 1GHz FBARs with 6.5% $\text{k}_{\text{t}}^{2}$ and 320 as quality factor.
Transdisciplinarity and Environmental Education: Comprehensions about Silence and Being in Vedanta

This present work aims to briefly present a transdisciplinary thesis done in a Post-Graduation Program in Environmental Education in Brazil in the level of Master’s degree. The focus was the concept of “Silence” and “Being” in Vedanta (an Indian philosophy) perspective to elaborate about the foundations of Environmental Education. The study begins by reflecting on Western ways of being and the evidence of a Western paradigm that signals innumerable crises. Further, concepts of Vedanta are presented and then the reflection passes through a hermeneutic of silence, assuming practices of silence and meditation as a search for a sense of being that strengthens aspects such as Learning to Be and Learning to Live. From the interaction of knowledge between East and West, it is announced an Integral Environmental Education as necessary in the socio-environmental thinking and action, which corresponds in a non-dualistic way of integrating aspects of life
Induction chemoradiation is associated with improved survival in chest wall invasion lung cancer.

OBJECTIVE To determine if induction chemotherapy with concurrent high-dose radiation followed by resection is associated with improved survival in patients with nonsuperior sulcus lung cancer with chest wall invasion. METHODS We performed a retrospective review of clinical T3 (chest wall invasion) N0/N1 patients with non-small cell lung cancer who underwent surgical resection between January 1, 1992, and January 31, 2017. Exclusion criteria included superior sulcus tumors and resection performed for palliation/recurrence. Patients undergoing induction chemoradiation followed by surgical resection were compared to those undergoing resection first or those receiving induction radiation followed by resection. Overall survival was calculated using the Kaplan-Meier method. RESULTS Thirty-four patients were included in the analysis, with 5-year overall survival (OS) of 30%. By clinical stage, 31 (91%) were IIB (T3N0) and 3 (9%) were IIIA (T3N1). Sixteen patients (47%) received induction chemoradiation before surgery. Of the remaining 18 patients, 5 (15%) received induction radiation followed by surgery, and 13 (38%) underwent surgery as the first treatment. Three patients belonging to the group not receiving induction chemoradiation died within 30 days after surgery and were excluded from survival analysis. In the remaining 31 patients, induction chemoradiation was associated with improved 5-year OS (53% for induction chemoradiation vs 7% for others; P<0.01). Disease recurrence was evident in 9 cases, 2 (12.5%) in the induction chemoradiation group and 7 (46.6%) in the others (median disease-free time 103.0 months for induction chemoradiation group vs 8.0 months for others; P<0.01). CONCLUSION In patients with nonsuperior sulcus lung cancer with chest wall invasion, induction chemoradiation therapy followed by resection is associated with improved OS.