cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Long Climatic Time Series from Sediment Physical Property Measurements

ABSTRACT With an accurate understanding of the lithologic dependence of pre-compaction porosity in pelagic sediments it should be possible to calculate mass accumulation rate histories of sedimentary phases, to generate proxy carbonate logs from core density scans and from seismic profiles, and to reconstruct the mechanical and chemical processes that occur during burial and lithification. We demonstrate that routinely made continuous Gamma Ray Attenuation Porosity Evaluator (GRAPE) wet bulk-density measurements of sediments show a positive relationship to carbonate content in a variety of pelagic environments. Mineralogically related differences in packing, rather than differences in grain density, appear to control wet bulk-density variations. A hyperbolic model calibrated at DSDP/ODP drill ites quantifies the relationship of density to carbonate content in different pelagic environments. The curvilinear relationships appear to converge to a similar wet bulk density (1.71 ± 0.07 g/cm3, porosity = 58%) at 100% carbonate content, but they exhibit differing porosity at zero carbonate content. Wet bulk-densities for a given carbonate content depend on the non-carbonate mineralogy and grain size, and increase systematically from opal- to clay- to quartz/lithic fragment-dominated settings. Because contrasts in sediment wet bulk-density control the seismic response of unlithified sediments, it should be possible to generate carbonate profiles remotely in carbonate-rich settings after core calibration of the seismic system. Our model can generate long-proxy carbonate curves with a typical sample spacing of 0.6-1 cm from existing GRAPE data bases in equatorial Pacific, equatorial Atlantic, and northern Atlantic locations over the past 6 m.y. These time series are used to investigate the long term evolution of climate in the Milankovitch frequency band, as well as to reconstruct patterns of carbonate sedimentation over time. Sedimentation bears the imprint of Milankovitch cyclicity superimposed on long term trends. The switch in carbonate sedimentation from 41 kyr periodicity during the Matuyama chron to dominant 100 kyr periodicity in Brunhes chron previously described in the North Atlantic occurs in equatorial Atlantic and Pacific locations as well. The lithological dependency of porosity in uncompacted pelagic sediments also has important implications for understanding later compaction and diagenetic modification of pelagic sediments. In particular, the GRAPE observations suggest that differential burrow flattening observed in lithified limestone-marl alternations results from mechanical and pressure solution compaction of strata that had strong primary porosity differences, rather than from "diagenetic unmixing" of carbonate.
The multi-factor structure of the Brief Self-Control Scale: Discriminant validity of restraint and impulsivity

The Brief Self-Control Scale (BSCS; Tangney, Baumeister, & Boone, 2004) was developed to assess dispositional self-control as it is conceptualized by contemporary theoretical perspectives; however, concerns regarding its unidimensionality and validity remain. This article addresses these concerns using three samples to define, confirm and test a multi-factor version of the BSCS. Results of Study 1 (n = 909) identified two factors of the BSCS: restraint and impulsivity. Results of Study 2 (n = 364) confirmed that the 2factor structure fit the data well and performed better than 1-factor structures. Finally, results from Study 3( n = 175) demonstrated the utility of the multi-factor BSCS in predicting self-reported affective and behavioral outcomes. Implications for research and theoretical development are discussed.
ERELT: a faster alternative to the list-based interfaces for tree exploration and searching in mobile devices

This paper presents ERELT (Enhanced Radial Edgeless Tree), a tree visualization approach on modern mobile devices. ERELT is designed to offer a clear visualization of any tree structure with intuitive interaction. We are interested in both the observation and navigation of such structures. Such visualization can assist users in interacting with a hierarchical structure such as a media collection, file system, etc.In the ERELT visualization, a subset of the tree is displayed at a time. The displayed tree size depends on the maximum number of tree elements that can be put on the screen while maintaining clarity. Users can quickly navigate to the hidden parts of the tree through touch-based gestures. We conducted a user study to evaluate this visualization for a music collection. Test results show that this approach reduces the time and effort in navigating tree structures for exploration and search tasks.
Flow-Based Mode Changes: Towards Virtual Uniprocessor Models for Efficient Reduction-Based Schedulability Analysis of Distributed Systems

This paper is the first to consider new uniprocessor task models motivated by the needs of reduction-based schedulability analysis techniques for distributed systems. Reduction-based analysis is a recent category of distributed system schedulability analysis techniques that reduces distributed real-time workloads to equivalent virtual uniprocessor ones for purposes of analysis using classical uniprocessor techniques. The approach motivates research on uniprocessor task models that better match the peculiarities of task loads reduced from distributed systems. We show that previous reduction-based schedulability analysis techniques suffer from pessimism that results from mismatches between uniprocessor analysis assumptions and characteristics of workloads reduced from distributed systems. To address the problem, we introduce flow-based mode changes, a uniprocessor load model tuned to the novel constraints of workloads reduced from distributed system tasks. Reducing distributed workload to this model, our simulation studies suggest that the resulting schedulability analysis is able to admit over 25% more utilization than other existing techniques, while still guaranteeing that all end-to-end deadlines of tasks are met.
Study on high flux accelerator based positrons source

Present accelerator-based slow-positron technology impinge the positrons coming out of a conversion target on a thin foil of metal (moderator) where the positrons are thermalized and then ejected from the moderator with the surface work energy of the material. This study represents a new direction in developing accelerator-based high- intensity slow-positron sources. We investigate the use of RF fields to decelerate the positrons out of the target. Techniques, such as a Penning trap or moderation can then be used to get the needed thermal positrons with higher yield. Using a relatively simple beam-line scheme, our preliminary simulations showed that it could increase the final thermal positrons yield by more than 20 times. This suggests a promising future for this new method.
Rule-Governed Approaches to Language and Composition

Composition theory generally has ignored grammar over the past 15 years, focusing instead on what has been described as “classifications of texts and relations among writers, readers, and subject matter.” Nevertheless, composition has been and continues to be strongly influenced by the model of language that is implicit in modern grammar. This model proposes that language is rule governed and, as a result, is deterministic. Transformational-generative grammar is the most well-known articulation of the model among composition specialists. This article describes the general features of the model and discusses some of the ways it has influenced composition. After assessing the various weaknesses of the rule-governed model, the article outlines a new model of language that is being developed in cognitive science by David Rumelhart, James McClelland, and others working in parallel distributed processing. This alternative model is associational and probabilistic and is grounded in connectionist theory and resea...
The sporophyte and calyptra of Leucobryum boivinianum (Leucobryaceae)

Abstract. The previously undescribed sporophyte of Leucobryum boivinianum [≡ Cardotia boiviniana] has inclined, weakly curved (but nearly symmetric), ovoid capsules that are lightly ribbed when dry and strumose. The 16, bifid peristome teeth are vertically striolate on the outer (dorsal) lamellae surface, and papillose on the inner (ventral) lamellae surface, with thick trabeculae. These sporophyte features add support to the synonymy of Cardotia with Leucobryum; the two names had been previously considered synonyms based on gametophyte characters alone. The peristome of L. boivinianum differs from other Leucobryum species in its paler color, less prominent striae, and thicker, crowded, brownish yellow trabeculae.
The Pendulum of Prostate Cancer Screening.

1. Gawande A. Overkill: an avalanche of unnecessary medical care is harming patients physically and financially—what can we do about it? The New Yorker. http://www.newyorker.com /magazine/2015/05/11/overkill-atul-gawande. Accessed October 22, 2015. 2. Hendel RC, Patel MR, Allen JM, et al. Appropriate use of cardiovascular technology: 2013 ACCF appropriate use criteria methodology update: a report of the American College of Cardiology Foundation Appropriate Use Criteria Task Force. J Am Coll Cardiol. 2013;61(12):1305-1317.
The relationship between gender and PTSD symptoms: Anxiety sensitivity as a mechanism

Abstract Despite well-established gender differences in the rates of Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), there is a lack of research examining malleable, gender-linked risk factors that could be targeted in interventions to reduce risk among women. One such risk factor is anxiety sensitivity (AS), or a fear of anxiety related sensations. AS is elevated in women compared to men and is related to PTSD symptom severity. The current study provided a preliminary examination of whether AS could partially explain the association between gender and PTSD symptoms. Baseline data from a randomized controlled trial for elevated AS was used to explore this question in a sample of trauma-exposed individuals (N = 37; 22 with a current PTSD diagnosis). Bias-corrected bootstrap mediation revealed that AS helped statistically explain the relationship between gender and PTSD symptoms. These results promote the potential importance of AS as a mechanism in the PTSD gender discrepancy. Future work should investigate these relationships longitudinally and establish whether targeting AS in a prevention paradigm could reduce the risk of PTSD development in women.
Paranoid individuals with schizophrenia show greater social cognitive bias and worse social functioning than non-paranoid individuals with schizophrenia

Paranoia is a common symptom of schizophrenia that may be related to how individuals process and respond to social stimuli. Previous investigations support a link between increased paranoia and greater social cognitive impairments, but these studies have been limited to single domains of social cognition, and no studies have examined how paranoia may influence functional outcome. Data from 147 individuals with schizophrenia were used to examine whether actively paranoid and non-paranoid individuals with schizophrenia differ in social cognition and functional outcomes. On measures assessing social cognitive bias, paranoid individuals endorsed more hostile and blaming attributions and identified more faces as untrustworthy; however, paranoid and non-paranoid individuals did not differ on emotion recognition and theory of mind tasks assessing social cognitive ability. Likewise, paranoid individuals showed greater impairments in real-world interpersonal relationships and social acceptability as compared to non-paranoid patients, but these differences did not extend to performance based tasks assessing functional capacity and social competence. These findings isolate specific social cognitive disparities between paranoid and non-paranoid subgroups and suggest that paranoia may exacerbate the social dysfunction that is commonly experienced by individuals with schizophrenia.
Managing SI/HCCI Dual-Mode Engine Operation

Gasoline HCCI engine has the potential of providing better fuel economy and emissions characteristics than the current Sl engines. However, management of HCCI operation for a vehicle is a challenging task. In this paper, the issues of mode transitions between the Spark Ignition and HCCI regimes, and the dynamic nature of the load trajectory within the HCCI regime are considered. Then the phenomena encountered in these operations are illustrated by the data from a single-cylinder engine with electromagnetic-variable-valve timing control. Mode transitions from the Sl to HCCI regime may be categorized as robust and non-robust. In a robust transition, every intended HCCI cycle is successful. In a non-robust transition, one or more intended HCCI cycles misfire, although the cycles progress to a satisfactory HCCI operating point in steady state. (The spark ignition was kept on so that the engine could recover from a misfired cycle.) Thus a stable HCCI point does not imply a robust transition from the corresponding Sl operating point on the load/speed map. By carefully mapping the engine transition behavior, a smooth SI-HCCI-SI transition could be achieved.
Multi-Object Model-based Multi-Atlas Segmentation for Rodent Brains using Dense Discrete Correspondences

The delineation of rodent brain structures is challenging due to low-contrast multiple cortical and subcortical organs that are closely interfacing to each other. Atlas-based segmentation has been widely employed due to its ability to delineate multiple organs at the same time via image registration. The use of multiple atlases and subsequent label fusion techniques has further improved the robustness and accuracy of atlas-based segmentation. However, the accuracy of atlas-based segmentation is still prone to registration errors; for example, the segmentation of in vivo MR images can be less accurate and robust against image artifacts than the segmentation of post mortem images. In order to improve the accuracy and robustness of atlas-based segmentation, we propose a multi-object, model-based, multi-atlas segmentation method. We first establish spatial correspondences across atlases using a set of dense pseudo-landmark particles. We build a multi-object point distribution model using those particles in order to capture inter- and intra- subject variation among brain structures. The segmentation is obtained by fitting the model into a subject image, followed by label fusion process. Our result shows that the proposed method resulted in greater accuracy than comparable segmentation methods, including a widely used ANTs registration tool.
Etch Trends in Electrochemical Machining with Ultrashort Voltage Pulses

We present analytical and computational models used to investigate the dependence of etch resolution on pulse duration, tool radius, and etched feature aspect ratio in electrochemical machining with ultrashort voltage pulses. Our results predict that, for the high aspect ratio system in which the effect of trench top and bottom edges can be ignored, the increase of etch resolution with pulse length is a strong function of tool radius, while there is a significant dependence on etch depth for the low aspect ratio system in which the edge effects become important. A detailed analysis of the etch trends is presented.
Sex Differences in the Relationship between Depressive Symptoms and Risk of Amnestic Mild Cognitive Impairment

Objective The relationship between depressive symptoms and subsequent cognitive impairment in older adults is controversial. Sex differences and the differences in the method of categorizing depressive symptoms may contribute to the inconsistencies. The authors examined the effect of severity of baseline depressive symptoms on risk of incident amnestic mild cognitive impairment (aMCI) separately in men and women. Methods Community-dwelling and cognitively healthy older adults (aged ≥ 70 years) from the Einstein Aging Study completed the 15-item Geriatric Depression Scale (GDS-15) at their baseline visit. Participants were categorized into "no/low symptoms" (GDS-15 score = 0–2), "mild symptoms" (GDS-15 score = 3–5), and "moderate/severe symptoms" (GDS-15 score > 6) groups. Sex-stratified Cox proportional hazards models, adjusted for age, education, and antidepressant medication, estimated hazard ratios (HRs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) for incident aMCI as a function of depressive symptoms group. Results We followed 572 women (mean age: 78) and 345 men (mean age: 77) for 4.2 years on average (range: 1.0–14.6 years). Ninety women and 64 men developed aMCI during follow-up. Cox models revealed that compared with no/low depressive symptoms, mild symptoms were associated with a two times greater risk of developing aMCI in men (HR: 2.22; 95% CI: 1.26–3.89) but not in women (HR: 1.26; 95% CI: 0.77–2.06). Conversely, moderate/severe depressive symptoms were associated with a two times greater risk of developing aMCI in women (HR: 1.99; 95% CI: 1.05–3.77) but not in men (HR: 0.28; 95% CI: 0.04–2.11), possibly because of low statistical power in this subgroup. Conclusion Results indicate that mild depressive symptoms in men and moderate/severe symptoms in women may represent a marker for future cognitive impairment.
Fundus Lesions in Malignant Hypertension: V. Hypertensive Optic Neuropathy

We produced experimental renovascular arterial hypertension in 57 rhesus monkeys by modified Goldblatt's procedures. Hypertensive fundus changes were studied in detail by serial ophthalmoscopy and fluorescein fundus angiography in all animals on a long-term follow-up, and pathologically in 23 eyes. Initial evidence of hypertensive optic neuropathy was optic disc edema which developed at the median blood pressure (BP) of 190 mmHg (normal BP, 120 mmHg). On follow-up, mild to marked pallor of the optic disc developed. The optic disc changes were correlated with BP and other fundus changes. Pathogenesis of hypertensive optic neuropathy, which has been highly controversial so far, is discussed at length in the light of the findings of the present study and other recent evidence. All the available clinical and pathologic findings in the present study indicate that hypertensive optic neuropathy represents a form of anterior ischemic optic neuropathy, and that hypertensive optic neuropathy is a distinct entity. A caution is given against a precipitous reduction of BP in patients with hypertensive optic neuropathy because that may cause complete, permanent blindness.
Evaluation of the pattern of SOX2 expression in non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) and correlation with clinicopathologic (CP) features and prognosis.

e21106 Background: SOX2 is an embryonic stem cell transcription factor that plays a crucial role in differentiation and maintaining pluripotency. We examine the pattern of SOX2 expression and assess correlation with CP features in NSCLC. Methods: Using the AQUA method of automated quantitative immunofluorescence we measured SOX2 expression in two cohorts (in a tissue microarray format), from Yale New Haven Hospital (YTMA 79) and an independent cohort from Patras University Hospital in Greece (YTMA 140) (196 and 342 cases, respectively). YTMA 140 had high percentage of Squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) (48.8%) as opposed to 17.9% in YTMA 79. There were more stage III & IV pts in YTMA 140 (41.3%) compared to YTMA79 (30.6%). 88% of pts in the YTMA 140 were male compared to 52.5% in YTMA79. Survival analysis was done using Kaplan-Meier analysis with log-rank test. The associations between SOX2 expression level and CP features were evaluated by using non-parametric Kruskal-Wallis test. Results: In both cohorts, we...
Desirable Features of Processing Dic Data with a Stress Function

Structural and mechanical components often contain holes or notches, thus introducing stress concentrations which can control member integrity. While DIC is an extremely popular experimental technique, there are difficulties in recording quality DIC data at and near edges, rendering it problematic to obtain reliable stress or strain concentration factors. Moreover, traditional displacement-based strain/stress analyses require knowing both in-plane displacements. For linear-elastic isotropic or orthotropic materials, using a stress function enables one to obtain both in-plane displacements, hence complete strains and stresses, from measured information of only one of the two displacement fields. This can be advantageous since it is not uncommon for one or the other of the in-plane displacements to be of inadequate quality and/or extremely small. Analyzing isotropic materials involves real variables while one represents the stress function in complex variables for orthotropic materials.
Grandparent Caregiving and Psychological Well-Being Among Chinese American Older Adults-The Roles of Caregiving Burden and Pressure.

Background Though ample research on grandparent caregiving and psychological well-being outcomes exist in Western literature, little attention has been focused on Chinese American grandparents. Based on role enhancement and role strain theories, this study examined grandparent caregiving and psychological well-being among Chinese American older adults and tested whether caregiving burden or pressure from adult children moderated such association. Methods We used the data from the Population Study of ChINese Elderly in Chicago (PINE), a population-based survey of community-dwelling Chinese older adults in the Greater Chicago area. Grandparents with grandchildren younger than 16 years old were selected for present study (N = 2,775). Negative binominal regression and logistic regression models were used to test the relationships of grandparent caregiving time and psychological well-being measured by depressive symptoms and quality of life. Results Grandparents reported an average of 11.96 hours a week for caring for grandchildren. Caregiving time had a significantly negative association with depressive symptoms, but not with quality of life. The association between grandparent caregiving and depressive symptoms was moderated by the perception of caregiving burden. No moderating effect of caregiving pressure from adult children was found. Conclusions More time spending on grandparent caregiving is generally beneficial to Chinese American grandparents' psychological well-being, thus supporting role enhancement theory. However, this association depends on whether this experience is a burden to the grandparents, therefore role strain theory is also supported. Policies and programs are discussed to address the grandparenting experience in the Chinese American older adults.
COGNITIVE STRATEGY OF JUNIOR HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS IN LEARNING DIRECT LINE EQUATION

This study aims to find out: (1) the profile of cognitive strategies of junior high school students in learning equation of straight line, both in understanding the material and in problem solving, (2) description of learning result of equation of straight line of junior high school student from the type of cognitive strategy used. This research procedure through two stages, namely through the preparation stage and implementation phase. The preparation stage includes the preparation of learning tools in the form of Learning Implementation Plan (RPP), Student Book, Teacher Book, Student Activity Sheet (LKS), Cognitive Strategy Brochure, and research instrument. The things prepared in this preparation phase are validated, except the cognitive strategy brochure. While the implementation stage includes the application of learning tools to students of class VIII1 SMP Negeri 2 Bantimurung as a selected class. In the implementation phase, it is obtained: (1) cognitive strategy in understanding the material displayed in the student's book and cognitive strategy in problem solving which is shown in the LKS (qualitative data), and (2) the score of learning result test (quantitative data). The results of the analysis on the qualitative part found in general cognitive strategy profile to understand the material of straight-line equation is to underline the important things of formulas and the profile of cognitive strategy to solve the problem of straight-line equation is deductive thinking strategy. Description of learning result of equation of straight line after learning by using cognitive strategy is average score 71,68 with standard deviation 12,33 from ideal score 100. Minimum score obtained by student is 50,00 and maximum score obtained by student is 94,83 With a score range of 44.83. Students who have a cognitive strategy profile are able to highlight important things, able to make summaries and able to complete concept maps, and have experience in solving problems by applying heuristic strategies, deductive thinking, and forward thinking have learning outcomes in very high categories, whereas Students who are incapable of completing concept maps and having no advanced thinking strategy generally have high learning outcomes, and students who do not have a strategy in understanding the material and have only experience in solving problems by implementing deductive strategies have learning outcomes in the medium category And low.
Temporal graph algebra

Graph representations underlie many modern computer applications, capturing the structure of such diverse networks as the Internet, personal associations, roads, sensors, and metabolic pathways. While analysis of static graphs is a well-explored field, new emphasis is being placed on understanding and representing the ways in which networks change over time. Current research is delving into graph evolution rate and mechanisms, the impact of specific events on network evolution, and spatial and spatio-temporal patterns. However, systematic support for evolving graph querying and analytics still lacks. Our goal is to fill this gap, giving users an ability to concisely express a wide range of common analysis tasks.In this paper we combine advances in graph databases and in temporal relational databases and propose an evolving graph model, including a representation called TGraph and an algebra called TGA, that adheres to point-based semantics. TGA includes principled temporal generalizations of conventional graph operators, as well as novel operators that support exploratory analysis of evolving graphs at different levels of temporal and structural granularity.
Stress Management for Rape Victims

Our major objective in this chapter is to describe stress management procedures we have developed to be used with rape victims. We will discuss issues involved in the definition of rape, in the estimation of its incidence, and in the investigation of rape-related problems. We will briefly describe the Sexual Assault Research Project and review our findings and those of others regarding the aftermath of rape. Having substantiated our contention that rape is a stressful event that produces substantial, long-lasting problems for many of its victims, we will review other treatment procedures for rape-induced problems, describe our stress inoculation procedure, present assessment data on victims requesting treatment, discuss preliminary results regarding treatment efficacy, and provide information about the use of stress inoculation training with a victim. The chapter will conclude with some observations and speculations about general treatment issues.
Rapid histopathological imaging of skin and breast cancer surgical specimens using immersion microscopy with ultraviolet surface excitation

Rapid histopathological evaluation of fresh, unfixed human tissue using optical sectioning microscopy would have applications to intraoperative surgical margin assessment. Microscopy with ultraviolet surface excitation (MUSE) is a low-cost optical sectioning technique using ultraviolet illumination which limits fluorescence excitation to the specimen surface. In this paper, we characterize MUSE using high incident angle, water immersion illumination to improve sectioning. Propidium iodide is used as a nuclear stain and eosin yellow as a counterstain. Histologic features of specimens using MUSE, nonlinear microscopy (NLM) and conventional hematoxylin and eosin (H&E) histology were evaluated by pathologists to assess potential application in Mohs surgery for skin cancer and lumpectomy for breast cancer. MUSE images of basal cell carcinoma showed high correspondence with frozen section H&E histology, suggesting that MUSE may be applicable to Mohs surgery. However, correspondence in breast tissue between MUSE and paraffin embedded H&E histology was limited due to the thicker optical sectioning in MUSE, suggesting that further development is needed for breast surgical applications. We further demonstrate that the transverse image resolution of MUSE is limited by the optical sectioning thickness and use co-registered NLM to quantify the improvement in MUSE optical sectioning from high incident angle water immersion illumination.
Pulmonary Complications of Cardiovascular Disorders

Although the cardiovascular system and the lungs have different embryologic origins, they are anatomically and functionally completely interconnected in order to achieve the gas exchange that takes place in the alveolar-capillary membrane. As a result any disorder that affects the cardiovascular system is bound to have effects on the lungs and the airways, whereas any acute or chronic lung disease puts a strain on the cardiovascular system. For example, cardiomegaly or abnormal vessels can cause compression of the lungs and of the large airways, and cardiac dysfunction may result in the development of significant pulmonary edema. All these conditions will impede onto lung mechanics, and they will eventually affect the normal gas exchange. Conversely, significant lung disease will affect the cardiovascular function (e.g., development of secondary pulmonary hypertension due to chronic hypoxemia). Dysfunction of both the respiratory and cardiovascular systems often presents with similar clinical signs and symptoms (e.g., dyspnea especially on exertion, wheezing, cough, hypoxemia), and identifying the actual culprit is not always easy. Thus, it is imperative for the pulmonologist who evaluates a patient (especially one with known heart disease) to consider to what extend the respiratory symptoms may be due to abnormalities of the heart and the big vessels.
Mathland: Playful Mathematical Learning in Mixed Reality

Mathematical experiences are intrinsic to our everyday lives, yet mathematics education is mostly confined to textbooks. Seymour Papert used the term 'Mathland' to propose a world where one would learn mathematics as naturally as one learns French while growing up in France. We demonstrate a Mixed Reality application that augments the physical world with interactive mathematical concepts to enable constructionist mathematical learning in the real world. Using Mathland, people can collaboratively explore, experience and experiment with mathematical phenomena in playful, applied and exploratory ways. We implemented Mathland using the Microsoft Hololens and two custom controllers to afford complete immersion through tangible interactions, embodiment and situated learning.
Relações Portugal-China

The bilateral relations between Portugal and China have been influenced by the regional bet of both nations: Portugal's full integration in the European Union; China's recent effort to further a economic integration of East Asia and South Asia around the concept of ASEAN Plus something. These intraregional and separated agendas made Sino-Portuguese Relations aleatory, unsystematic and diffuse. This gentle but non-substantial relationship is expected to continue in the next years, although the political rhetoric both from China and Portugal point the other direction.
Social Media and Allergy

Social media services dominate online consumption of information and play an ever expanding role in our lives. They are not only used to connect with friends and family but also to educate and recruit colleagues and patients, and to stay up-to-date with the new developments in the field of allergy and immunology. There are known risks to social media user by health care professionals mostly related to breaches of patient confidentiality, professionalism, and privacy. Malpractice and liability risks have been linked to irresponsible use of social media. This review provides a comprehensive overview of the current social media tools in allergy. We recommend a pragmatic approach to maximize social media tools for the allergy practice.
Detecting Vertical Zika Transmission: Emerging Diagnostic Approaches for an Emerged Flavivirus.

Zika virus (Zika) was recently responsible for a massive epidemic that spread throughout Latin America and beyond. Though Zika is typically asymptomatic or self-limiting, the sheer numbers of Zika ...
Clamping Together Hemidesmosomes and Latching Them in Place

Integrin adhesion receptors are critical for cell adhesion to the extracellular matrix. In this issue of Structure, Manso et al. (2019) provide new insights into formation of specialized integrin adhesion structures, termed hemidesmosomes, that anchor epithelial cells to the basement membrane.
Vanadyl triflate as an efficient and recyclable catalyst for chemoselective thioacetalization of aldehydes

Vanadyl triflate has been found to be an efficient and recyclable catalyst for chemoselective protection of aldehydes. Some of the major advantages of this method are high chemoselectivity, ease of operation, short reaction times, high yields, and compatibility with protecting groups.
Tissue Engineering of the Microvasculature

The ability to generate new microvessels in desired numbers and at desired locations has been a long-sought goal in vascular medicine, engineering, and biology. Historically, the need to revascularize ischemic tissues nonsurgically (so-called therapeutic vascularization) served as the main driving force for the development of new methods of vascular growth. More recently, vascularization of engineered tissues and the generation of vascularized microphysiological systems have provided additional targets for these methods, and have required adaptation of therapeutic vascularization to biomaterial scaffolds and to microscale devices. Three complementary strategies have been investigated to engineer microvasculature: angiogenesis (the sprouting of existing vessels), vasculogenesis (the coalescence of adult or progenitor cells into vessels), and microfluidics (the vascularization of scaffolds that possess the open geometry of microvascular networks). Over the past several decades, vascularization techniques have grown tremendously in sophistication, from the crude implantation of arteries into myocardial tunnels by Vineberg in the 1940s, to the current use of micropatterning techniques to control the exact shape and placement of vessels within a scaffold. This review provides a broad historical view of methods to engineer the microvasculature, and offers a common framework for organizing and analyzing the numerous studies in this area of tissue engineering and regenerative medicine. © 2019 American Physiological Society. Compr Physiol 9:1155-1212, 2019.
Unfolding Relations among Mindful Parenting, Recurrent Conflict, and Adolescents’ Externalizing and Internalizing Problems

The current study examined unfolding relations among mothers' mindful parenting, parent-adolescent recurrent conflict, and adolescents' externalizing and internalizing problems. In a community sample of 117 families (31% black, Asian, American Indian, or Latino), parents and adolescents (52% female; average age = 12.13 years) were followed over 15 months. Parents answered questions about mindful parenting and recurrent conflict, and adolescents reported on their own externalizing and internalizing problems. Path analyses indicated that higher levels of mindful parenting were significantly related to lower levels of recurrent conflict 2-3 months later, controlling for previous levels of recurrent conflict. Moreover, lower levels of recurrent conflict were significantly related to lower levels of externalizing problems and internalizing problems 1 year later, controlling for previous levels of those problems. Subgroup analyses indicated that relations were comparable across subgroups defined by adolescent gender, race, parent marital status, and family financial strain. The effects of mindful parenting were robust even after accounting for other indicators of positive and supportive parenting, namely inductive reasoning and warmth in the parent-adolescent relationship. These findings highlight the potential of mindful parenting to improve family interactions and adolescent adjustment.
Effectiveness of Gastric Bypass Versus Gastric Sleeve for Cardiovascular Disease: Protocol and Baseline Results for a Comparative Effectiveness Study.

Background: When compared with conventional weight loss strategies, bariatric surgery results in substantially greater durable weight loss and rates of disease remission. Objective: The ENGAGE CVD (Effectiveness of Gastric Bypass versus Gastric Sleeve for Cardiovascular Disease) cohort study aimed to provide population-based, comprehensive, rigorous evidence for clinical and policy decision making regarding the choice between gastric bypass and gastric sleeve for overall cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk reduction, risk factor remission, and safety. Methods: The cohort had 22,095 weight loss surgery patients from a large integrated health care system in Southern California assembled from 2009 to 2016 who were followed up through 2018. Bariatric surgery patients were followed up for the length of their membership in the health care system. Of the patients who had at least five years of follow-up (surgery between 2009 and 2013), 85.86% (13,774/16,043) could contribute to the outcome analyses for the ENGAGE CVD cohort. Results: Patients in the ENGAGE CVD cohort were 44.6 (SD 11.4) years old, mostly women (17,718/22,095; 80.19%), with 18.94% (4185/22,095) non-Hispanic black and 41.80% (9235/22,095) Hispanic, and had an average BMI of 44.3 (SD 6.9) kg/m2 at the time of surgery. When compared with patients who did not contribute data to the 5-year outcome analysis for the ENGAGE CVD cohort (2269/16,043; 14.14%), patients who contributed data (13,774/16,043; 85.86%) were older (P=.002), more likely to be women (P=.02), more likely to be non-Hispanic white (P<.001), more likely to have had an emergency department visit in the year before surgery (P=.006), less likely to have a mental illness before surgery (P<.001), and more likely to have had a CVD event at any time before surgery (P<.001). Conclusions: This study had one of the largest populations of gastric sleeve patients (n=13,459). The 5-year follow-up for those patients who had surgery between 2009 and 2013 was excellent for a retrospective cohort study at 85.86% (13,774/16,043). Unlike almost any study in the literature, the majority of the ENGAGE CVD cohort was racial and ethnic minority, providing a rare opportunity to study the effects of bariatric surgery for different racial and ethnic groups, some of whom have the highest rates of severe obesity in the United States. Finally, it also used state-of-the-art statistical and econometric comparative effectiveness methods to mimic the effect of random assignment and control for sources of confounding inherent in large observational studies.
Mary Shepherd and the meaning of ‘life’

In the final chapters of her 1824 Essay upon the Relation of Cause and Effect, Lady Mary Shepherd considers what it means for an organism to be alive. The physician William Lawrence (1783–1867) had...
Efficient Parallel and Adaptive Partitioning for Load-balancing in Spatial Join

Due to the developments of topographic techniques, clear satellite imagery, and various means for collecting information, geospatial datasets are growing in volume, complexity, and heterogeneity. For efficient execution of spatial computations and analytics on large spatial data sets, parallel processing is required. To exploit fine-grained parallel processing in large scale compute clusters, partitioning in a load-balanced way is necessary for skewed datasets. In this work, we focus on spatial join operation where the inputs are two layers of geospatial data. Our partitioning method for spatial join uses Adaptive Partitioning (ADP) technique, which is based on Quadtree partitioning. Unlike existing partitioning techniques, ADP partitions the spatial join workload instead of partitioning the individual datasets separately to provide better load-balancing. Based on our experimental evaluation, ADP partitions spatial data in a more balanced way than Quadtree partitioning and Uniform grid partitioning. ADP uses an output-sensitive duplication avoidance technique which minimizes duplication of geometries that are not part of spatial join output. In a distributed memory environment, this technique can reduce data communication and storage requirements compared to traditional methods.To improve the performance of ADP, an MPI+Threads based parallelization is presented. With ParADP, a pair of real world datasets, one with 717 million polylines and another with 10 million polygons, is partitioned into 65,536 grid cells within 7 seconds. ParADP performs well with both good weak scaling up to 4,032 CPU cores and good strong scaling up to 4,032 CPU cores.
Heightened healthcare utilization & risk of mental disorders among Veterans with comorbid opioid use disorder & posttraumatic stress disorder.

Abstract Although Veterans with posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) are vulnerable to opioid misuse, there is limited research evaluating the psychosocial and medical sequalae experienced by Veterans with comorbid PTSD and opioid use disorder (OUD). Using data from a nationwide, longitudinal registry of Operation Enduring Freedom/Operation Iraqi Freedom/Operation New Dawn (OEF/OIF/OND) Veterans oversampled for PTSD with a 1:1 ratio of men to women, we identified Veterans with lifetime diagnoses of comorbid PTSD and OUD (n = 40), PTSD and non-opioid substance use disorder (SUD; n = 386), PTSD only (n = 901), and non-opioid SUD only (n = 52) using medical record data. We then compared these groups on Veterans Affairs emergency, urgent care, and inpatient healthcare utilization, suicide risk, functional impairment, and the presence of comorbid mental conditions in the following 1–2 years. Relative to all other groups, Veterans with comorbid OUD and PTSD had increased likelihood of emergency room and inpatient care, probable somatoform and major depressive disorders, and greater functional impairment. Both the PTSD/OUD group and PTSD/non-opioid SUD group demonstrated increased suicidality, urgent care utilization, and probable generalized anxiety disorder relative to Veterans with PTSD only or non-opioid SUD only. Results suggest that comorbid OUD and PTSD are associated with greater likelihood of negative psychiatric and healthcare related outcomes, even relative to PTSD comorbid with other types of SUDs. Findings support the importance of concentrated and sustained efforts to improve prevention and intervention strategies for Veterans struggling with PTSD symptoms and opioid misuse.
Wir Säen Nicht

Schiffe sind verdammt cool. Es waren einige spektakulare wissenschaftliche Fortschritte dieser Zeit notwendig, bis man herausfand, wie man Schiffe fur einen bestimmten Zweck baut, wie man diese Schiffe segelt, wie man verhindert, dass sie zu brennen beginnen (auch wenn das keinem je besonders gut gelungen ist), oder wie man nicht an Skorbut stirbt.
Tracheostomy in the pediatric trisomy 21 population.

Abstract Introduction Tracheostomy in children is often performed to alleviate airway obstruction (AO) or to facilitate long-term ventilator support due to respiratory failure of various etiologies, such as heart failure, and postoperative respiratory failure. Although many of these pathologies are common among trisomy 21 patients, tracheostomy rates among this population have not previously been reported. The aim of our study was to determine the incidence of trisomy 21 patients undergoing tracheostomy. Secondary objectives include decannulation rates and mortality associated with tracheostomy. Materials and methods A retrospective cohort study was conducted on pediatric trisomy 21 patients undergoing tracheostomy between 2004 and 2013. Results Twenty patients underwent tracheostomy at a median age of 7.1 months (interquartile range [IQR] = 3.5,21.3). The estimated incidence of tracheostomy in trisomy 21 patients among our tracheostomy population was 1.7% (20/1173) over 10 years. The most common indications were airway obstruction (AO) (55%), cardiac/pulmonary respiratory failure (CRF) (25%), or both (20%). Overall mortality was 30%, much lower among AO patients (9%) than CRF (40%) or both (60%), (P = 0.029). Nine patients (45%) were successfully decannulated, with median duration of cannulation of 2.2 years (IQR = 1.7,3). Conclusions This study suggests a rate of tracheostomy in the pediatric trisomy 21 population approximately 3 times that of the general pediatric population. Over half in this cohort underwent tracheostomy for isolated AO, while the general pediatric tracheostomy population demonstrates a much higher prevalence of prematurity-related CRF. Overall mortality rate and decannulation rate approximated that of the general pediatric tracheostomy population, although outcomes were significantly poorer among patients trisomy 21 patients undergoing tracheostomy for CRF.
Bounding the Complexity of Formally Verifying Neural Networks: A Geometric Approach.

In this paper, we consider the computational complexity of formally verifying the behavior of Rectified Linear Unit (ReLU) Neural Networks (NNs), where verification entails determining whether the NN satisfies convex polytopic specifications. Specifically, we show that for two different NN architectures -- shallow NNs and Two-Level Lattice (TLL) NNs -- the verification problem with (convex) polytopic constraints is polynomial in the number of neurons in the NN to be verified, when all other aspects of the verification problem held fixed. We achieve these complexity results by exhibiting explicit (but similar) verification algorithms for each type of architecture. Both algorithms efficiently translate the NN parameters into a partitioning of the NN's input space by means of hyperplanes; this has the effect of partitioning the original verification problem into polynomially many sub-verification problems derived from the geometry of the neurons. We show that these sub-problems may be chosen so that the NN is purely affine within each, and hence each sub-problem is solvable in polynomial time by means of a Linear Program (LP). Thus, a polynomial-time algorithm for the original verification problem can be obtained using known algorithms for enumerating the regions in a hyperplane arrangement. Finally, we adapt our proposed algorithms to the verification of dynamical systems, specifically when these NN architectures are used as state-feedback controllers for LTI systems. We further evaluate the viability of this approach numerically.
With Other Boots on the Ground: The Role of Allies in US Counterinsurgency Strategy in the Sahel

Since 2005 the U.S. government has spent more than $1 billion for counterinsurgency (usually labeled "counterterrorism") programs in Africa. Most was for training and equipping African military units, and relatively little for direct operations by U.S. personnel. With Afghanistan and other potential theaters in the Middle East continuing to entail major military commitments, Washington has been keen to limit its direct involvement in Africa and to avoid putting too many U.S. "boots on the ground." A key element of its strategy in countering insurgent forces in the Sahel has therefore been to work through various allies as much as possible. The dramatic events in northern Mali and the French intervention of early 2013 have put that strategy to a test in unexpected ways. Although France, Algeria, and several West African states have been pressing for greater U.S. support, their interests sometimes diverge from those of Washington, and U.S. training has not always helped fashion more professional or effective African armies.