cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Memory binding for performance optimization of control-flow intensive behaviors

This paper presents a memory binding algorithm for behaviors that are characterized by the presence of conditionals and deeply-nested loops that access memory extensively through arrays. Unlike previous works, this algorithm examines the effects of branch probabilities and allocation constraints. First, we demonstrate, through examples, the importance of incorporating branch probabilities and allocation constraint information when searching for a performance-efficient memory binding. We also show the interdependence of these two factors and how varying one without considering the other may greatly affect the performance of the behavior. Second, we introduce a memory binding algorithm that has the ability to examine numerous bindings by employing an efficient performance estimation procedure. The estimation procedure exploits locality of execution, which is an inherent characteristic of target behaviors. This enables the performance estimation technique to look at the global impact of the different bindings, given the allocation constraints.We tested our algorithm using a number of benchmarks from the parallel computing domain. A series of experiments demonstrates the algorithm's ability to produce bindings that optimize performance, meet memory allocation constraints, and adapt to different resource constraints and branch probabilities. Results show that the algorithm requires 37% fewer memories with a performance loss of only 0.3% when compared to a parallel memory architecture. When compared to the best of a series of random memory bindings, the algorithm improves schedule performance by 21%.
Exploring a digital library through key ideas

Key Ideas is a technique for exploring digital libraries by navigating passages that repeat across multiple books. From these popular passages emerge quotations that authors have copied from book to book because they capture an idea particularly well: Jefferson on liberty; Stanton on women's rights; and Gibson on cyberpunk. We augment Popular Passages by extracting key terms from the surrounding context and computing sets of related key terms. We then create an interaction model where readers fluidly explore the library by viewing popular quotations on a particular key term, and follow links to quotations on related key terms. In this paper we describe our vision and motivation for Key Ideas, present an implementation running over a massive, real-world digital library consisting of over a million scanned books, and describe some of the technical and design challenges. The principal contribution of this paper is the interaction model and prototype system for browsing digital libraries of books using key terms extracted from the aggregate context of popularly quoted passages.
A reappraisal of Mls genetics.

SUMMARY Although the minor lymphocyte stimulatory locus (Mls) system was originally described as a single-locus, multiple-allelic system, allelism among the genes which encode Mlsa, Mlsc and Mlsd has not been demonstrated formally. In this report, genetic linkage between genes encoding Mlsa and Mlsc was studied by testing responses of unprimed T cells, as well as Mlsa- and Mlsc-specific T cell clones, to the progeny of (AKR/J × C3H/HeJ) F1× B10.BR [(Mlsa×Mlsc)F1×Mlsb] crosses. In addition, the configuration of Mls genes expressed by CBA/J (Mlsd) was evaluated by examining the response pattern of a panel of Mlsd-specific clones to (CBA/J × B10.BR)F1× B10.BR stimulators. Results of these segregation analyses indicated that the Mls system is composed of at least two independent and unlinked genes which encode, respectively, the determinants identified as Mlsa and Mlsc.
Endohelminths from the Little Blue Heron Egretta caerulea from the Texas Gulf Coast

Abstract Fourteen species of endohelminths, including 1 acanthocephalan, 3 cestodes, 1 nematode, and 9 trematodes, were collected from 13 little blue herons Egretta caerulea from the area of Galveston, Texas, U.S.A. A mean of 4.3 (3–6) species of endohelminths per host was found. Five species (3 cestodes and 2 trematodes) represent new host records. Comparison of results from this study with a similar survey by Sepulveda et al. (1996) from Florida, U.S.A., suggests some hypotheses concerning possible roles of composition and complexity of trophic structures of these 2 regions in establishment of their respective endohelminth communities in little blue herons.
Glucose modulates recently reactivated memories

A passive avoidance to active avoidance negative transfer paradigm was used to investigate the effects of glucose on recently acquired and recently reactivated memories. Immediate post-passive avoidance training injections of glucose (100 mg/kg s.c.) improved memory and thus interfered with the rats’ ability to learn the one-way active avoidance task 24 h later. Rats receiving a memory reactivation treatment 24 h after passive avoidance training showed greater negative transfer to the active avoidance task presented 24 h later than did nonreactivated control animals. Furthermore, the administration of glucose (32, 100, or 320 mg/kg) following memory reactivation proactively interfered with the acquisition of the active avoidance; this effect followed an inverted U-shaped dose-response function. The ability of glucose (100 mg/kg) to alter the reactivated passive avoidance memory decreased as the interval between reactivation and glucose treatment was increased up to 30 min. These results demonstrate that glucose modulates the processing of old memories that have been recently reactivated, just as it modulates the processing of new memories that have been recently acquired.
Design principles of a stream-based framework for mobility analysis

Trajectory analysis is of crucial importance in several fields as social analysis, zoology, climatology or traffic monitoring. Over the last decade, the number of mobile systems and devices recording their positions has grown significantly generating a deluge of spatial and temporal data to analyze. This increasing volume of data raises numerous issues in terms of storage, processing and extraction of information. Previous works considering movement analysis have been mainly oriented towards either archived data processing and mining or continuous handling of incoming streams. The research developed in this pa- per introduces the design principles of a holistic approach combining real-time processing and archived data analysis to process mobility data "on the fly". This solution aims to provide better results comparing to both purely offline and online approaches. This research considers distributed data and processing to be more efficient. The design principles are applied to maritime traffic analysis and a few representative examples are introduced to demonstrate the relevance of our approach.
Simultaneous determination of five constituents contents in Lanweiling granules by RP-HPLC wavelength switching method

Objective To develop an RP-HPLC wavelength switching method for determination of chlorogenic acid,caffeic acid,luteolin,paeonolum and aloeemodin in Lanweiling granules.Methods The HPLC separation was achieved on a Diamonsil C18(200 mm×4.6 mm,5 μm)column at 30 ℃.The mobile phase consisted of acetonitrile-0.05% phosphoric acid solution with gradient elution at a flow rate of 1.0 mL · min-1.The UV detection wavelength was set at 350 nm,in 0-40 min;at 274 nm,in 40-60 min.Results The linear ranges were 58.88-588.8 mg · L-1(r=0.999 3,n=6),6.53-65.3mg · L-1(r=0.999 3,n=6),1.15-11.5 mg · L-1(r=0.999 4,n=6),0.74-7.4 mg · L-1(r=0.999 1,n=6),2.92-29.2 mg · L-1(r=0.999 7,n=6),respectively.The recoveries were 100.6%(RSD=1.15),99.7%(RSD=1.1%),99.6%(RSD=1.3%),99.7%(RSD=0.9%)and 100.3%(RSD=1.5%),respectively.Conclusions The method is simple,accurate and repeatable,and can be used for quality control of Lanweiling granules.
Analysis of Resident death causes in Suixi County in 2006

Objective To analyze death cause ranking,death cause and distribution characteristics of residents in Suixi county and provide basis for making countermeasures.Methods Data of death from the conventional monitor report system were analyzed with Death Reg2002 software.Results Mortality rate of residents in Suixi county was 5.04.The first 5 deaths cis-position was: malignant tumor,respiratory system disease,heart disease,injury and poisoning,cerebrovascular disease.The malignant tumor,the respiratory system disease,heart disease were the main diseases to threat health of residents,especially the people with middle-age and old-age.Risk population of injury and poisoning was young male adults(25-49 year-old).They simultaneously endanger other age group population and they were 1st reason causing life loses of the residents.Conclusions Chronic non-communicable disease,such as malignant tumor,respiratory system disease,heart disease,cerebrovascular disease,and injury and poisoning had become main threats to residents in the Suixi County.Prevention and Control of chronic non-communicable disease and the injury should be conducted urgently aimed at different population.
348 NARROWING THE CHASM: QUALITY IMPROVEMENT CURRICULUM.

Background The Institute of Medicine9s 2001 report Crossing the Quality Chasm describes a health care system delivering care to patients below expectations set forth from evidence-based medicine. ACGME responded by requiring residency programs to teach residents the skills needed to analyze their own practice patterns to improve the quality of care that is delivered to patients the core competency, practice-based learning improvement (PBLI). Methods Eleven internal medicine categorical housestaff rotated on the ambulatory care outpatient month between July and October 2005. The housestaff were introduced to the concepts of performance measures, quality improvement, and tools such as clinical reminders. Each resident was then given a list of diabetic patients from their patient panel to perform a chart review of 5 random patients. The following items are examples of data collected for each patient: age, duration of diabetes, tobacco use, pneumovax, aspirin use, results of last foot exam. Results The housestaff identified in their five diabetic patients consistent areas in need of improvement in order to propose a commitment to change. These proposals were grouped into two categories: specific provider behavior and systems issues. Twelve instances of specific provider behavior and 7 system issues were noted. For specific provider behavior, three housestaff acknowledged the need to provide their patients with aspirin. Seven housestaff stated improvement in history and physical examination skills were needed. Inquiring into the time insulin is taken by the patients, their reasons for noncompliance, and completion of the monofilament foot exam are examples of these skills. Issues with the health care system could be further categorized into decreased awareness of institutional resources or delays with consultants. For instance, several residents did not realize that patient visits did not require a physician face to face visit but could be done with a telephone call or a visit to an RN. They were also not aware of diabetic specialty clinics or diabetic education classes. Conclusion With the realization in the 21st century that the health care delivered is of poorer quality than should be, organizations such as the ACGME have required implementation of quality improvement initiatives. In this project, housestaff acknowledged areas of their own behavior, knowledge, and skills that need to be improved but also barriers of the health care system that result in patients not receiving optimal care. Evolution of this curriculum will continue to occur as the residents will reanalyze their patient panel to determine if their commitment to change directed them toward closing their own quality chasm.
Support of ristocetin-induced platelet aggregation by procoagulant- inactive and plasmin-cleaved forms of human factor VIII/von Willebrand factor

Human factor VIII/von Willebrand factor (fVIII/vWf) was purified to homogeneity as defined by electrophoretic and immunologic criteria and tested for fVIII procoagulant and ristocetin cofactor activities. As little as 0.4 μg/ml of purified fVIII/vWf fully aggregated washed human platelets in the presence of ristocetin. Purified fVIII/vWf, whether thrombin-activated or -inactivated, and fVIII/vWf with its procoagulant activity abolished by a human inhibitor, supported ristocetin-induced platelet aggregation as effectively as native fVIII/vWf. Similarly, purified hemophilic fVIII/vWf protein and fVIII/vWf-like protein isolated from normal serum supported the aggregation of platelets in the presence of ristocetin. FVIII/vWf extensively degraded by human plasmin and exposed to denaturing solvents also supported platelet aggregation in the presence of ristocetin. Plasmin hydrolyzed fVIII/vWf to yield noncovalently bonded fragments that could be separated into two pools by gel filtration in guanidine hydrochloride. After dialysis into dilute neutral buffers, the pool of high molecular weight fragments supported significant ristocetin-induced platelet aggregation and cross-reacted with an antibody to native fVIII/vWf. Hence, unlike fVIII procoagulant activity, the ristocetin cofactor activity and antigenicity of fVIII/vWf are retained, despite changes in the structure and conformation of the molecule. These results suggest caution about the interpretation of procoagulant activity:fVIII/vWf antigen ratios or procoagulant activity:ristocetin cofactor activity ratios in whole plasma, fVIII/vWf concentrates or purified preparations of fVIII/vWf, since small amounts of minimally degraded, procoagulant-inactive fVIII/vWf cound markedly alter such values.
Ultrasound characteristics of bruises and their correlation to cutaneous appearance

Abstract Objective The primary objective of this study was to compare the cutaneous size of a bruise on gross exam to the subcutaneous depth and height of the hematoma ascertained by ultrasound. The hypothesis was that there would be little correlation between the area of the bruise on cutaneous exam and the height when measured with ultrasound. Methods Adult and pediatric patients with bruising were prospectively identified in the emergency department. Photographs and ultrasound images were collected of the bruises and epidemiologic information collected from the patients. The cutaneous area of the bruise was compared with the sonographic characteristics. Results The subcutaneous depth and height of the hematomas defined by ultrasound did not correlate with the cutaneous area. Conclusions The cutaneous appearance of a bruise gives little indication of the depth and size of the subcutaneous bruise. Ultrasound can add information regarding these parameters.
In Search of Danyang I: Historical Geography and Archaeological Sites

The location of the early Chu capital, Danyang, has never been definitively determined. Since Han times, several hypotheses have been offered. That advocating a southwest Hubei location (Zigui or Zhijiang xian), the standard opinion, has generally governed analyses of early Chu historical and cultural development, particularly of the archaeological data uncovered in the past few decades. Another hypothesis, that advocating a southwest Henan (Xichuan) site for Danyang, however, has recently gained popularity.The Danyang problem can be approached from a number of angles. This paper attempts first to assess the relative probabilities of all of the hypotheses on the basis of a rather strict evaluation of the evidence provided by historical geography and then to judge the quality of the presently available archaeological evidence given in support of each. From the above perspectives, the author concludes that the relative probabilities favor the southwest Henan hypothesis.
Sentence Reanalysis, and Visibility

Serial theories of sentence processsing specify that the processor pursues just a single syntactic analysis of a sentence until that analysis becomes implausible or untenable, at which point revision of the first analysis occurs. Many theories of revision have been proposed in recent years. Here it is argued that revision cost cannot be calculated in purely structural terms: reanalysis complexity is a function of sentence token, not sentence type. It is also argued that a theory of revisions must include a Minimal Revisions principle. Finally, in revision and in first analysis, more recently postulated nodes provide preferred or more “visible” attachment sites than more distant nodes. Several types of evidence are used to support a Visibility principle which, it is suggested, may replace principles such as Late Closure (Frazier, 1978) or Recency (Gibson, 1991).
A comparison of landfill leachates based on waste composition

Samples of leachate were collected from fourteen landfills in the state of Florida, United States that contained primarily putrescible waste (municipal solid waste, MSW, and yard waste), MSW incinerator (MSWI) ash, or a combination of both. Assessment of leachates included trace metals, anions, and nutrients in order to create a mass balance of total dissolved solids (TDS). As expected from previously literature, MSW leached a complex matrix of contaminants while MSWI ash leachate TDS was more than 98% metallic salts. The pH of the MSWI ash leachate samples was slightly acidic or neutral in character, which is contradictory to the results commonly reported in the literature. The cause of this is hypothesized to be a short-circuiting of rainfall in the landfill due to low hydraulic conductivities reported in ash landfills. The difference in pH likely contributed to the findings with respect to MSWI ash-characteristic trace metals in leachates such as aluminum. The authors have concluded that the research findings in this study are an indication of the differences between laboratory leachate quality studies and the conditions encountered in the field. In addition, a characterization of organic matter using qualitative and quantitative analyses determined that COD is not an accurate indicator of organic matter in leachates from landfills with a significant fraction of MSWI ash.
PH—Postharvest Technology: Automatic Control of Crossflow Grain Dryers, Part 1: Development of a Process Model

Abstract The grain drying process is difficult to control because of its non-linearity and long delay. In this series of three papers, a model-predictive controller specially designed for the grain drying process is presented. Part 1 describes the development of a distributed-parameter process model based on the fundamental laws of simultaneous heat and mass transfer. The model is simpler than the general-purpose grain drying model; but it is more comprehensive and better in representing the non-linearity of the process than previously developed lumped parameter process models, and therefore is the preferred choice as the process model in a dryer controller. The control algorithm and field testing of the controller are covered in Parts 2 and 3, respectively.
Spirituality and humour: making connections for early childhood education

AbstractIn looking at the relations between children’s spirituality and children’s expressions of humour, this paper explores the connections between the findings and theoretical implications and contributions of two separate empirical studies carried out with children between the ages of 5 and 6, in Cyprus and the US. Findings from the phenomenological study in the US point to joy (joyfulness and delight), concern for others (kindness, compassion and caring), relationships (importance and value of friends and family) and imagination (use and exploration in play), as observed expressions of children’s spirituality. Initial links between these findings and findings from the study completed in Cyprus, using the theoretical framework of The Theory of the Absurd and the Empowerment Theory, point at the importance of children’s story productions and the use of their imagination, as an expression of both their spiritual and humourous selves. Educational implications point to teachers allowing for kindergartener...
Ultrasound Monitoring of Extant Adnexal Masses in the Era of Type 1 and Type 2 Ovarian Cancers: Lessons Learned From Ovarian Cancer Screening Trials

Women that are positive for an ovarian abnormality in a clinical setting can have either a malignancy or a benign tumor with probability favoring the benign alternative. Accelerating the abnormality to surgery will result in a high number of unnecessary procedures that will place cost burdens on the individual and the health delivery system. Surveillance using serial ultrasonography is a reasonable alternative that can be used to discover if changes in the ovarian abnormality will occur that favor either a malignant or benign interpretation. Several ovarian cancer screening trials have had extensive experiences with changes in subclinical ovarian abnormalities in normal women that can define growth, stability or resolution and give some idea of the time frame over which changes occur. The present report examines these experiences and relates them to the current understanding of ovarian cancer ontology, presenting arguments related to the benefits of surveillance.
Nevada Senate Race: The Reid Machine’s Last Stand

The 2016 U.S. Senate race between Democrat Catherine Cortez Masto and Republican Joe Heck was a proxy war between groups and interests on the left and right that generated over $120 million in campaign spending. However, Cortez Masto’s narrow victory resulted from her overwhelming support in the Latino heavy precincts of East Las Vegas that had been canvassed relentlessly by “The Reid Machine”–the coalition of progressive interest groups, organized labor, and the Nevada Democratic Party that had been created and sustained by the retiring U.S. Senate Minority Leader Harry Reid. In an otherwise disappointing election cycle for the Democrats, Nevada was perhaps the lone bright spot as Democrats were victorious up and down the ticket in the Silver State.
Video-Based Human Respiratory Wavelet Extraction and Identity Recognition

In this paper, we study the problem of human identity recognition using off-angle human faces. Our proposed system is composed of (i) a physiology-based human clustering module and (ii) an identification module based on facial features (nose, mouth, etc.) fetched from face videos. In our proposed methodology we, first, passively extract an important vital sign (breath). Next we cluster human subjects into nostril motion versus nostril non-motion groups, and, then, localize a set of facial features, before we apply feature extraction and matching. Our proposed human identity recognition system is very efficient. It is working well when dealing with breath signals and a combination of different facial components acquired under challenging luminous conditions. This is achieved by using our proposed Motion Classification approach and Feature Clustering technique based on the breathing waveforms we produce. The contributions of this work are three-fold. First, we generated a set of different datasets where we tested our proposed approach. Specifically, we considered six different types of facial components and their combination, to generate face-based video datasets, which present two diverse data collection conditions, i.e., videos acquired in head full frontal pose (baseline) and head looking up pose. Second, we propose an alternative way of passively measuring human breath from face videos. We demonstrate a comparatively identical breath waveform estimation when compared against the breath waveforms produced by an ADInstruments device (baseline) (Adinstruments, http://www.adinstruments.com/ [1]). Third, we demonstrate good human recognition performance based on partial facial features when using the proposed pre-processing Motion Classification and Feature Clustering techniques. Our approach achieves increased identification rates across all datasets used, and it yields a significantly high identification rate, ranging from 96 to 100% when using a single or a combination of facial features. The approach yields an average of 7% rank-1 rate increase, when compared to the baseline scenario. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first time that a biometric recognition system positively exploits human breath waveforms, which when fused with partial facial features, it increases a benchmark face-based recognition performance established using academic face matching algorithms.
Improved mortality in treatment of patients with endovascular interventions for chronic mesenteric ischemia

Abstract Objective Chronic mesenteric ischemia (CMI) continues to be a devastating diagnosis. There is a national trend toward increased use of endovascular procedures with improved survival for the treatment of these patients. Our aim was to evaluate whether this trend has changed CMI patients' length of hospitalization and health care cost. Methods We identified all patients admitted for CMI from the National Inpatient Sample (NIS) from 2000 to 2014. Our primary end points included length of hospital stay (LOS) and cost of hospitalization (COH). Our secondary end points included mortality assessment of the CMI hospitalization. Results There were 15,475 patients admitted for CMI. The mean age of patients was 71 years, and 4022 (26.0%) were male. There were 10,920 (70.6%) patients treated endovascularly (ENDO) and 4555 (29.4%) patients treated in an open fashion (OPEN). Although a higher proportion of patients in the ENDO (43.3%) group vs OPEN (33.1%) had a Charlson Comorbidity Index score of ≥2 ( P P P P P P P Conclusions The rate of ENDO continues to rise nationally in the treatment of CMI patients. After adjusting for clinical and hospital factors, patients in the ENDO group tend to have lower in-hospital mortality of 2.4% and lower LOS by 10 days, and they incur a cost saving of >$25,000 compared with patients in the OPEN group. ENDO should be considered first line of therapy for patients with CMI.
Update on the management of hepatitis B and C infections in the neonatal period

Hepatitis B virus and hepatitis C virus have received a significant amount of attention in recent years, and both viruses share a significant amount of similarities with one another beyond just that they both primarily target the liver. In recent years, cases of both infections have been fueled by a nationwide epidemic of injection drug use. Most relevant to this audience, they are both transmitted from mother to child. The increased cases in young adults combined with mother to child transmission translate into more exposed infants that will need to be managed and followed. Screening of pregnant women for hepatitis B infection coupled with appropriate treatment and prophylaxis measures are incredibly effective to preventing transmission. Prevention of hepatitis C infection is not yet possible, but advances in antiviral therapy make interruption of transmission a future possibility.
Incidence of Amblyopia in Intermittent Exotropia

We retrospectively analyzed the visual acuity of 600 patients with primary intermittent exotropia to determine the incidence of amblyopia. From this group 412 (68.7%) patients had equal vision betw...
Public health approaches to palliative care.

The second issue in April 2018 of Annals of Palliative Medicine is a focused issue entitled, “ Public Health Approaches to Palliative Care ” that is guest edited by Dr. Julian Abel of Cornwall Hospice Care in the United Kingdom and Dr. Allan Kellehear of University of Bradford also in the United Kingdom.
Recent Advances in 3D Packaging for Medical Applications

This paper discusses recent advances in 3D packaging for medical applications. Specifically, the paper focuses on how 3D packaging technology can promote the development of modern medical applications. Different types of 3D packaging technologies, including Chip-on-Chip(CoC), Package-on-Package(PoP), Wafer-on-Wafer(WoW), and the new Package-interposer-Package(PiP) technology will be reviewed systemically. The 3D packaging applications to medical equipment such as remote monitoring, and therapeutic medical devices including implantable devices will be discussed respectively. To follow the trend of miniaturization of medical devices and enable the advanced diagnostic and therapeutic methods, 3D packaging will be used widely in modern medical applications. 3D packaging can help the medical devices like sensors reach small enough size and very thin thickness to adapt to complex and harsh environment like human body. Apart from this, medical devices with 3D packaging integration technology has higher accuracy and efficiency. Values can be added by incorporating functionalities cost effectively to a medical system integration requirement. It is proven that the 3D packaging technology is going to have a more promising future in medical applications.
Writing Bioarchaeological Stories to Right Past Wrongs

Part of humans’ primate heritage is the tendency to distinguish members of in-groups and out-groups. This distinction can be reinforced by behaviors and language that distance and dehumanize the out-group. One of the goals of anthropology is to “make the world safe for human differences” (arguably in the words of Ruth Benedict). Anthropologists explore humans’ biological and cultural diversity across space and time while also acknowledging that this represents variations on a theme of common evolutionary origins. Ironically, the way that bioarchaeologists write about these explorations from the perspective of past human bodies actually distances us from some of the people with whom we are trying to communicate. We must do a better job explaining and sharing the outcomes and importance of our research to the public. Research by social psychologists suggests that affective modes of interpretation and accounts of single, identified individuals, successfully elicit empathy from readers. Because fictional, yet evidence-based, osteobiographical narratives about past persons combine these approaches, they should achieve similar effects. This chapter reviews the benefits and challenges of, and procedures for, writing osteobiographical narratives, ultimately arguing that they can rehumanize both the subjects of our research and the discipline itself.
Risk Stratification in Differentiated Thyroid Cancer: Importance and Clinical Implications of Preoperative Risk Stratification

Abstract Introduction: Risk stratification is the cornerstone of nearly all diagnostic and therapeutic management decisions in differentiated thyroid cancer. In this video, I review the current app...
Assessing and Improving Documentation of Pediatric Brain Death Determination within an Electronic Health Record.

Background/Objective Pediatric brain death determination (BDD) can be subject to interprovider variability of documentation, resulting in diagnosis credibility. The aim of this study was to describe our approach to assessing pediatric BDD documentation and documentation variation in the electronic health record (EHR). Methods This was a single institution cross-sectional review of pediatric patients younger than 18 years determined to meet brain death criteria. We assessed electronic documentation and evaluated for the presence of contributing factors that can interfere with the brain death documentation based on our institutional brain death evaluation policy (core body temperature, systolic blood pressure within an acceptable range, sedative/analgesic drug effects, and neuromuscular blockade). Results In total, 33 pediatric brain death patients were identified. This review revealed pediatric BDD documentation consistency (n, %) as follows: performance of the first pediatric brain death clinical examination with temperature above 36°C (27, 81.8%), systolic blood pressure above the defined range (29, 87.9%), more than 24 hours following admission (28, 84.8%); performance of the second pediatric brain death clinical examination with temperature above 36°C (32, 97%), more than 12 hours following the first examination (26, 89.7%); and ensuring sedative infusions were discontinued within the recommended cutoff period prior to pediatric BDD (28, 84.8%). Clinical neurologic examinations were fully documented. Conclusions Pediatric BDD is a rare process subject to documentation omissions and error. Our findings highlight the variability of pediatric BDD electronic documentation among different providers and specialties at our institution. An approach to improving pediatric BDD documentation may start with completing a standardized electronic brain death document.
Modeling sediment texture of river-deltaic wetlands in the Lower Barataria Bay and Lower Breton Sound, Louisiana, USA

Wetlands in the Mississippi River Delta Plain (MRDP) have been suffering from a high rate of land loss. Sediment cores have been drilled into the wetlands to understand their growth and degradation and to provide subsurface information for the coastal protection and restoration projects. However, few three-dimensional (3D) stratigraphy models have been developed for the wetlands on a regional scale, due to difficulties in correlating large amount of spatial scattered subsurface data and integrated visualization of stratigraphic features and topobathymetric features. In this study, a 3D model was constructed in the Lower Barataria Bay (LBB) and the Lower Breton Sound (LBS), covering an area of 190 km2 and extending from 0.5 to − 4 m in elevation. Sediment composition (sand%, silt%, and clay%) was spatially interpolated, using a compositional kriging method, extended from ordinary kriging by a log-ratio transformation. Instead of visualizing three composition components independently, sediment composition was translated into sediment texture to be visualized as sediment types. Modeling results intuitively show spatial distribution of stratigraphic features and their spatial relationships with topobathymetric features such as marsh surface, river channel, and dredging channels. Results show a silty depositional package, which consists of crevasse splays and periodic overbank flooding deposits, made up the largest portion of the wetlands. A clayey blanket is observed to cover most part of the LBB and landward side of the LBS. A large area of clayey blanket in the seaward part of the LBS has apparently been eroded away, which is likely caused by coastal reworking processes.
Choosing the Right Password Manager

This segment of the Sharpest Tool in the Shed column explores three password manager options to consider incorporating into your library. Many libraries and businesses still rely on an Excel spread...
The role of bone marrow transplantation in acute myelogenous leukemia.

Over the last 15 years bone marrow transplantation has emerged as an important therapeutic modality in acute myelogenous leukemia (AML). It is useful in selected patients with AML in precisely defined clinical circumstances. Generally three types of transplants have been investigated: transplantation from a HLA-identical sibling, transplantation from partially or fully HLA- matched related or unrelated donors, and autologous transplantation using the patient’s bone marrow cryopreserved during remission. Results of bone marrow transplantation will be discussed in this context.
Minimax cth percentile of makespan in surgical scheduling.

In this paper, we address the problem of finding an assignment of n surgeries to be performed in one of m parallel identical operating rooms (ORs), given each surgery has a stochastic duration with a known mean and standard deviation. The objective is to minimise the maximum of the cth percentile of makespan of any OR. We formulate this problem as a nonlinear integer program, and small-sized instances are solved using the GAMS BONMIN solver. We develop a greedy heuristic and a genetic algorithm procedure for solving large-sized instances. Using real data from a major U.S. teaching hospital and benchmarking datasets from the literature, we report on the performance of the heuristics as compared to the GAMS BONMIN solver.
Go Your Own Way? Alliance Coercion, Military Dependence, and West German Nuclear Ambitions

When do alliance guarantees inhibit the nuclear ambitions of threatened states? According to the security model of nuclear proliferation, alliances enable states to free ride on their patron’s nuclear capabilities. However, this idea violates the proposition that in an anarchical international system, states will prefer self-help to external reliance. To rectify this inconsistency, this paper describes a theory of alliance coercion, a strategy that uses conditional threats of military abandonment to obtain compliance with demands. Alliance coercion succeeds when the client is militarily dependent on the patron and when the patron provides assurances that threats of abandonment are conditional on the client’s nuclear choices. To demonstrate the empirical validity of these claims, this paper employs archival evidence to perform a process trace on the puzzling case of West Germany. Contrary to the prevailing view among proliferation scholars, this analysis demonstrates that German leaders doubted the credibility of U.S. guarantees and sought a national nuclear deterrent as a hedge. Rather than voluntarily renouncing its nuclear am-bitions, Germany was compelled to do so by threats of military abandonment, contradicting the free riding logic, and bolstering the logic of alliance coercion. The paper concludes by analyzing the implications of these findings for theory and policy.
La guerra civil, la memoria social y la nación

Author(s): DeLugan, Robin Maria | Abstract: Este articulo traza algunas ideas fundamentales que pueden orientar la forma de enfocar la memoria colectiva o social de la guerra civil de El Salvador y su conexion con la experiencia y la identidad nacional. Considera los temas de las memorias de grupo, las memorias como discurso, la memoria nacional, la historia versus la memoria, y el papel del silencio y el olvido. Realidad: Revista de Ciencias Sociales y Humanidades No. 153, 2019: 9-21
Coupled- Mode Patch Antenna with Improved Bandwidth and Scanning Angle Range

The Coupled-Mode Patch Antenna (CMPA) realizes reconfigurable patterns on a single patch antenna. The operating bandwidth and scanning angle range, however, limits its application. In this paper, we propose a general co-designing procedure to improve the bandwidth and the in-band scanning angle range of CMPA while maintaining the compact size and simplicity. An E-shape CMPA is demonstrated as an example. The proposed antenna achieves well-matched three-pole response with a fractional bandwidth of 6.2% centering at 2.37 GHz, and in-band scanning angle range of 35° in the measurement. The procedure provides a practical solution to improve the bandwidth and scanning range for any type of CMPA.
P492 Predicting chlamydia reinfection in african american women using immunogenetic determinants in a Bayesian model

Background African Americans have the highest rates of Chlamydia trachomatis (CT) infection in the U.S., nearly six-fold higher than Caucasians. Even after controlling for sociodemographic factors, African American women have higher CT infection rates, suggesting immunogenetic factors could influence infection risk. The primary objective of this study is to develop a Bayesian model to predict CT reinfection in African American women. Methods We are using data from a study cohort of CT-infected women who were enrolled when they returned to a STD clinic in Birmingham, AL, USA, for treatment of a positive screening urogenital CT nucleic acid amplification test. They had repeat urogenital CT NAAT performed at enrollment and 3- and 6-month follow-up visits. We modeled the probability of CT reinfection within 6 months after treatment using conditional logistic regression in a Bayesian framework and weakly informative priors. Primary predictors of interest were immunogenetic risk factors specified by the presence of at least one HLA-DQB1*06 allele and absence of a CT-specific CD4+ IFN-γ response. Additional predictors evaluated include the modifying effects of unprotected sex and concomitant bacterial vaginosis (BV). Results To date, we have evaluated 75 participants for whom complete data were available. Modeling both HLA-DQB1*06 and a CT-specific CD4+ IFN-γ response performed best for expected predictive accuracy of CT reinfection within 6 months after treatment. Under this model, the probability of reinfection for those with a CT-specific CD4+ IFN-γ response and no HLA-DQB1*06 alleles was 23.1% (95% CI: 7.6%–47.5%), whereas probability of reinfection for those without a CT-specific CD4+ IFN-γ response and at least one HLA-DQB1*06 allele was 75.0% (95% CI: 52.5%–89.1%). Conclusion Our model evaluating immunogenetic factors predicting CT reinfection demonstrated that presence of an HLA-DQB1*06 allele and absence of a CT-specific CD4+ IFN-γ response may be a significant predictor in African American women. Disclosure No significant relationships.
Moving Across Lands: Online Platform Migration in Fandom Communities

When online platforms rise and fall, sometimes communities fade away, and sometimes they pack their bags and relocate to a new home. To explore the causes and effects of online community migration, we examine transformative fandom, a longstanding, technology-agnostic community surrounding the creation, sharing, and discussion of creative works based on existing media. For over three decades, community members have left and joined many different online spaces, from Usenet to Tumblr to platforms of their own design. Through analysis of 28 in-depth interviews and 1,886 survey responses from fandom participants, we traced these migrations, the reasons behind them, and their impact on the community. Our findings highlight catalysts for migration that provide insights into factors that contribute to success and failure of platforms, including issues surrounding policy, design, and community. Further insights into the disruptive consequences of migrations (such as social fragmentation and lost content) suggest ways that platforms might both support commitment and better support migration when it occurs.
Obstacle Negotiation in Older Adults: Prefrontal Activation Interpreted Through Conceptual Models of Brain Aging.

Background and objectives The influence of interindividual differences on brain activation during obstacle negotiation and the implications for walking performance are poorly understood in older adults. This study investigated the extent to which prefrontal recruitment during obstacle negotiation is explained by differences in age, executive function, and sex. These data were interpreted according to the Compensation-Related Utilization of Neural Circuits Hypothesis (CRUNCH) framework of brain aging. We also tested the association between prefrontal recruitment and walking performance. Research design and methods Prefrontal oxygenated hemoglobin concentration (O2Hb) was measured during typical walking (Typical) and obstacle negotiation (Obstacles) tasks in 50 adults aged 65 years and older using functional near-infrared spectroscopy. The primary outcome was the change in prefrontal recruitment (∆PFR), measured as Obstacles ∆O2Hb minus Typical ∆O2Hb. Multiple regression was used to test the relationship between ∆PFR and age, executive function measured by the Trail Making Test, and sex. Pearson's correlation coefficient was used to investigate the association between ∆PFR and the cost of Obstacles walking speed relative to Typical walking. Results Age, executive function, and their interaction significantly predicted greater ∆PFR (R 2 = 0.34, p = .01). Participants were subgrouped according to age and executive function to examine the interaction effects. Adults of lower age and with lower executive function exhibited greater ∆PFR during Obstacles compared to their peers with higher executive function (p = .03). Adults of advanced age exhibited a ceiling of prefrontal recruitment during obstacle negotiation, regardless of executive function level (p = .87). Greater ∆PFR was significantly associated with a smaller cost of Obstacles (r = 0.3, p = .03). Discussion and implications These findings are consistent with the CRUNCH framework: neural inefficiency where a greater amount of brain activation is needed for task performance at a similar level, compensatory overactivation to prevent a steeper decline in task performance, and capacity limitation with a recruitment ceiling effect.
How Accessible Is Genital Gender-Affirming Surgery for Transgender Patients With Commercial and Public Health Insurance in the United States? Results of a Patient-Modeled Search for Services and a Survey of Providers

Abstract Introduction In the United States, 1.4–1.65 million people identify as transgender, many of whom will seek genital gender-affirming surgery (GAS). The number of surgeons, geographic proximity thereof, and exclusionary insurance policies has limited patient access to genital GAS. Aim To assess the accessibility of both feminizing and masculinizing genital GAS (vaginoplasty, metoidioplasty, and phalloplasty) by identifying the location of GAS surgeons, health insurance, or payment forms accepted. Methods Between February and April 2018, genital GAS surgeons were identified via Google search. Surgeons’ offices were contacted by telephone or e-mail. Main Outcome Measure We queried the type of genital GAS performed, the health insurance or payment forms accepted, and the type of medical practice (academic, private, or group managed-care practice). Results We identified 96 surgeons across 64 individual medical centers offering genital GAS. The survey response rate was 83.3%. Only 61 of 80 (76.3%) surgeons across 38 of 53 (72%) locations confirmed offering genital GAS. Only 20 (40%) U.S. states had at least one genital GAS provider. 30 of 38 (79%) locations reported accepting any form of insurance. Only 24 of 38 (63%) locations (14 academic; 10 private/group) accepted Medicaid (P = .016); 18 of 38 (47%) locations (13 academic; 5 private/group) accepted Medicare (P = .001). Clinical Translation Reconciliation of the public policies regarding insurance coverage for GAS with the actual practices of the providers is necessary for improving access to GAS for transgender individuals. Strengths & Limitations We purposefully used a methodology mirroring how a patient would find GAS surgeons, which also accounts for key limitations: only surgeons whose services were featured on the internet were identified. We could not verify the services or insurance-related information surgeons reported. Conclusion This study suggests that access to genital GAS is significantly limited by the number of providers and the uneven geographic distribution across the United States, in which only 20 of 50 U.S. states have at least one genital GAS surgeon. Feldman AT, Chen A, Poudrier G, et al. How Accessible Is Genital Gender-Affirming Surgery for Transgender Patients With Commercial and Public Health Insurance in the United States? Results of a Patient-Modeled Search for Services and a Survey of Providers. Sex Med 2020;8:664–672.