cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Efficiently solvable perfect phylogeny problems on binary and k-state data with missing values

The perfect phylogeny problem is of central importance to both evolutionary biology and population genetics. Missing values are a common occurrence in both sequence and genotype data. In their presence, the problem of finding a perfect phylogeny is NP-hard, even for binary characters [24]. We extend the utility of the perfect phylogeny by introducing new efficient algorithms for broad classes of binary and multi-state data with missing values. Specifically, we address the rich data hypothesis introduced by Halperin and Karp [11] for the binary perfect phylogeny problem with missing data. We give an efficient algorithm for enumerating phylogenies compatible with characters satisfying the rich data hypothesis. This algorithm is useful for computing the probability of data with missing values under the coalescent model. In addition, we use the partition intersection (PI) graph and chordal graph theory to generalize the rich data hypothesis to multi-state characters with missing values. For a bounded number of states, k, we provide a fixed parameter tractable algorithm for the k-state perfect phylogeny problem with missing data. Our approach reduces missing data problems to problems on complete data. Finally, we characterize a commonly observed condition, an m-clique in the PI graph, under which a perfect phylogeny can be found efficiently for binary characters with missing values. We evaluate our results with extensive empirical analysis using two biologically motivated generative models of character data.
Ischemic Heart Disease

Atherosclerosis of the coronary arteries is the most common cause of clinical ischemic heart disease. The Framingham heart study shows a marked increase in coronary artery disease and myocardial infarction after the age of 40 years.
The Field Equation Recursion Method

Effective tensors, such as the effective conductivity tensor σ* and the effective elasticity tensor C* govern the macroscopic response of composites to applied fields. These tensors are strongly influenced by the details of the microgeometry and considerable emphasis has been placed on deriving microstructure independent equalities or inequalities (bounds) on effective tensors. This paper briefly reviews some of the various methods for bounding effective tensors of two-component composites, and reviews the significance of an associated tensor Y*, obtained from σ* or C* via a fractional linear tensor transformation. We also draw attention to the recent work of Cherkaev and Gibiansky [1] who independently introduced the tensor Y* as an aid in analyzing the bounds of the translation method. Their work adds substantial weight to the growing body of evidence which suggests that the tensor Y* is fundamentally important. The field equation recursion method, discussed in Section 5, gives the tensor Y* a physical interpretation and thus links together the various bounding methods.
Testing beyond the green light

This presentation will highlight some of the challenges and opportunities that test developers and test operations managers face in a changing data climate. Measured data will drive decisions not only about the product under test, but potentially on the entire design and manufacturing ecosystem. I will also explore some of the value tradeoffs of increased data harvesting vs. reduced test cost requirements of each component.
Randomized Complete Block Design

A computer program is given which assists in analyzing data obtained from a randomized complete block experimental design with one observation per treatment-block combination. One worked example is...
Impact of obesity on outcomes for patients with head and neck cancer.

Abstract Objectives The prognostic role of obesity in head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) is not well defined. This study aims to determine its effect on disease-specific outcomes such as recurrence-free survival (RFS), locoregional recurrence-free survival (LRRFS), and distant metastasis-free survival (DMFS) in addition to overall survival (OS). Methods For patients with newly diagnosed HNSCC undergoing radiation therapy (RT) at a single institution, body mass index (BMI) at diagnosis was categorized as normal (18.5 to 24.9 kg/m2), overweight (25 to 29.9 kg/m2) and obese (≥30 kg/m2). Outcomes were compared by BMI group using Cox regression. Results 341 patients of median age 59 (range, 20–93) who underwent curative RT from 2010 to 2017 were included. 58% had oropharynx cancer, 17% larynx and 15% oral cavity. 72% had stage IVA/B disease and 28% stage I-III. At diagnosis, 33% had normal BMI, 40% overweight, and 28% obese. 59% had definitive RT and 41% had postoperative RT. Alcoholic/smoking status, advanced tumor stage, hypopharynx/larynx tumors, and feeding tube placement were more common in patients with lower BMI (P Conclusion Being overweight/obese at the time of HNSCC diagnosis is an independent prognostic factor conferring better survival, while obesity is independently associated with longer time to recurrence, primarily by improving distant control.
Racial Differences in Vitamin B12 Levels in the United States

Studies from Africa have demonstrated that black people have higher vitamin B12 (cobalamin) levels than do white people. The authors compared healthy white people, black people, and Latin-Americans in the United States. Their study is also the largest in which the effect of race and sex on the cobalamin levels has been examined. Analysis of 233 healthy subjects showed that black people had significantly higher (P less than 0.0001) vitamin B12 levels than did white people. Latin-Americans had levels intermediate between those of white and black people, although their levels were significantly different only in comparison with white people (P = 0.0029). Based on the study of 305 healthy subjects, no sex difference in vitamin B12 levels was noted. Conflicting claims have been made on sex difference in the past. The authors conclude that there is a racial but not a sex difference in vitamin B12 levels in the United States. Like African black people, black people and Latin-Americans in this country have significantly higher vitamin B12 levels than do white people. This finding supports the thesis that genetic factors contribute to the racial differences in vitamin B12 levels.
The Poisson-Boltzmann Equation

In this chapter, we give a theoretical treatment of the Poisson-Boltzmann equation, and discuss the various approximations that enter into it, setting the stage for the various theoretical extensions that are experimentally investigated in subsequent chapters.
Enabling Saccade Latency Measurements with Consumer-Grade Cameras

Eye movements can be affected by a number of neurological, neuromuscular, and neurodegenerative disorders that are important to diagnose and track longitudinally. To enable unobtrusive tracking of disease progression, we tailored and evaluated a set of candidate eye-tracking algorithms to operate on video sequences obtained from an iPhone 6, for accurate and robust determination of the time between the presentation of a visual stimulus and the beginning of the eye movement toward the stimulus (saccade latency). Additionally, we proposed a model-based method to determine the onset of the eye movement and demonstrate that the associated residual normalized root-mean-squared error can be used to automatically flag saccade tracings that should not be included in further analysis. A variant of the iTracker algorithm performs most robustly and results in mean saccade latencies and associated standard deviations on iPhone recordings that are essentially the same as those obtained from simultaneous recordings using a high-end, high-speed camera. Our results suggest that accurate and robust saccade latency determination is feasible using consumer-grade cameras and therefore might enable unobtrusive tracking of neurodegenerative disease progression.
Next Generation Law: Data Driven Governance and Accountability Based Regulatory Systems in the West, and Social Credit Regimes in China

Data driven governance systems are transforming the regulatory landscape of both states and other governance institutions. Grounded in principles of accountability and embedded in incentive based systems for reducing risk and managing behaviors through mechanisms of choice and markets, these governance systems may well reshape the way states and other governance organs are constituted and operate. This short essay has two objectives. The first is to examine the challenges that social credit, ratings or assessment systems pose for effective implementation. Social Credit itself refers generally to a new mode of data driven governance through which data analytics are used to create and operate algorithms that provide a basis for rewards and punishment for targeted behaviors. More specifically, social credit references the specific project of the Chinese state to create a comprehensive legal and regulatory mechanism grounded in data driven metrics that they have named "social credit." To that end, Section II considers first the difficulties of separating the role of social credit as a set of techniques and as a means of advancing ideological principles and objectives, in the context of Chinese efforts. Section III then examines some of the ways in which Western efforts at social credit institutions have sought to meet similar challenges. The section first explores the context of social credit systems in the West, and its operationalization, principally in the private sphere and through the use of market mechanisms for behavior management. It then examines the way that social credit might be used in the West as a technique of governance and as a means of embedding international standards in domestic behavior. The essay concludes by suggesting that social credit represents the expression of new forms of governance that are possible only through the correct utilization of big data management. The shift in regulatory forms also point to significant shifts in the relationship between law, the state and government. Accountability regimes grounded in behavior standards enforced through data driven analytics may well change the focus of public law from constitution and rule of law to analytics and algorithm.
Between Two Waves of the Sea: On Collaborating with an Art Therapist

(2000). Between Two Waves of the Sea: On Collaborating with an Art Therapist. Art Therapy: Vol. 17, Is art therapy a profession or an idea?, pp. 214-215.
On the thermal stability and grain boundary segregation in nanocrystalline PtAu alloys

Abstract Grain boundary (GB) solute segregation has been proposed as a new mechanism to stabilize nanocrystalline (NC) metals. In this study, we investigate the thermal stability and GB solute segregation in a noble metal alloy system (Pt–Au). Thermal stability of the Pt.90Au.10 alloy system was evaluated by annealing a thin film (∼20 nm in thickness) at 500 °C and 700 °C as well as a thick film (∼2 µm in thickness) at a temperature range from 200 °C to 700 °C. The remarkable stability of the Pt.90Au.10 alloy system was demonstrated by comparing its thermal stability to that of pure Pt films processed under identical conditions. Although presence of voids in the GBs may contribute to thermal stability, the enhanced thermal stability of the Pt.90Au.10 alloy is mainly attributed to preferential Au segregation to GBs in the alloy film, which is revealed by aberration-corrected scanning transmission electron microscopy. Our results show that Au segregation to GBs is heterogeneous, with variation in solute content between different GBs as well as non-uniformity along individual GBs. The heterogeneity is dependent on the annealing temperature and is less pronounced at a higher processing temperatures (e.g., 700 °C). By using the noble Pt–Au system, which avoids oxidation and impurities, this study validates the mechanism of GB solute segregation and provides further understanding of the thermodynamics and kinetics underlying NC stabilization.
Maternal and Offspring Genetic Risk of Type 2 Diabetes and Offspring Birthweight Among African Ancestry Populations

OBJECTIVES Maternal genetic risk of type 2 diabetes (T2D) can influence offspring birthweight through shared offspring genetic risk and by altering intrauterine glycemic status. The aim of this study was to estimate the independent effects of maternal and offspring genetic risk scores (GRSs) of T2D on offspring birthweight and the extent to which intrauterine glycemic traits mediate the effect of maternal GRSs on offspring birthweight. DESIGN The study involved 949 mother-offspring pairs of African ancestry from the Hyperglycemia Adverse Pregnancy Outcome study. GRSs of T2D were calculated separately for mothers and offspring as the weighted sum of 91 T2D risk alleles identified in a genome-wide association study meta-analysis in African Americans. Linear regression models were fit to estimate changes in birthweight by quartiles of GRSs. Mediation analysis was implemented to estimate the direct and indirect effects of maternal GRS on offspring birthweight through cord blood C-peptide and maternal fasting and postchallenge glucose levels. RESULTS Maternal and offspring GRSs were independently and differentially associated with offspring birthweight. Changes (95% CI) in birthweight across increasing quartiles of maternal GRSs were 0 g (reference), 83.1 g (6.5, 159.6), 103.1 g (26.0, 180.2), and 92.7 g (12.6, 172.8) (P trend = 0.041) and those of offspring GRSs were 0 (reference), -92.0 g (-169.2, -14.9), -64.9 g (-142.4, 12.6), and 2.0 g (-77.8, 81.7) (P trend = 0.032). Cord blood C-peptide mediated the effect of maternal GRS on offspring birthweight, whereas maternal postchallenge glucose levels showed additive effects with maternal GRS on birthweight. CONCLUSIONS Maternal and offspring GRSs of T2D were independently and differentially associated with offspring birthweight.
Breast Density in a Contemporary Cohort of Women With Ductal Carcinoma In Situ (DCIS).

Mammographic breast density (MBD) is an independent risk factor for breast cancer. Information regarding the relationship of MBD and breast cancer biology in women with ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS) is currently lacking. This study aimed to examine the clinicopathologic characteristics of DCIS in women stratified by MBD. A retrospective review was performed to identify women with pure DCIS who underwent preoperative mammography between 2010 and 2018. Clinicopathologic and demographic data were collected. For the purpose of analysis, MBD was categorized as “non-dense” (Breast Imaging-Reporting and Data System [BI-RADS] density categories A and B) or “dense” (BI-RADS C and D) according to its identification in radiology reports. Of 3227 patients with a breast cancer diagnosis enrolled in the institutional Breast Cancer Database during the study period, 658 (20%) had pure DCIS. Of these 658 patients, 42% had non-dense breasts, and 58% had dense breasts. Most lesions were non-palpable (92%) and detected by mammography (84%). Patients with dense breasts were more likely to be younger at the time of diagnosis (p < 0.001), premenopausal (p < 0.001), and Asian (p = 0.018), and to have higher-grade disease (p = 0.006; Table 2). Family history, BRCA status, parity, mammogram frequency, palpability, method of presentation, lesion size, hormone receptor status, comedo histology, and recurrence did not differ significantly between the two groups (Table 1). The median follow-up period was 7.1 years. Women with pure DCIS and higher MBD are more likely to be younger at the time of diagnosis, premenopausal, and Asian, and to present with higher-grade disease. Further research on the relationship of age, MBD, and tumor biology in DCIS is warranted.
The semantics of questions

Pinning down the semantics of questions poses a challenge for the study of meaning. Unlike most declarative statements, questions cannot be assigned a truth value. They do not assert information about the world that can be easily verified as true or false, or accepted or rejected. Instead, their function as a speech act is to interrogate, to seek information about the world. Thus a truth-conditional approach to the semantics of questions runs into a dead end. We must therefore evaluate the semantics of questions in terms of the propositions that serve as their answers. But here, a number of questions arise that shape our investigation. What counts as a suitable answer, in general or in a given discourse context? How does the variability of question types within and across the world's languages influence our theory of a unified semantics of questions? When questions are embedded under a matrix verb like "know," which takes the question as a sentential complement, how does the semantics of questions feed into the assessment of the proposition expressed by this declarative utterance? What must the subject of the sentence know? Should they be required to know or list an exhaustive list of true answers or one true answer, should they know of the false answers that they are false? What answers are licensed? How can questions reflect a bias on the part of the speaker? These issues lie at the heart of an investigation of the semantics of questions. This article is characterized under: Linguistics > Linguistic Theory Linguistics > Language in Mind and Brain.
Assessment of attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder and comorbid reading disorder with consideration of executive functioning

Abstract This chapter provides an overview of current knowledge regarding the frequency, implications, and etiology of comorbidity between attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and reading disorder (RD). Results from community studies indicate that 20%–50% of individuals with ADHD also meet criteria for RD, and the presence of comorbid RD is associated with increased functional impairment and less positive long-term outcomes. The association between RD and ADHD is strongest for symptoms of inattention and more complex aspects of reading such as reading fluency and comprehension. Family and twin studies indicate that RD and ADHD are both significantly familial and heritable, and multivariate analyses indicate that nearly all of the phenotypic covariance between RD and ADHD is due to shared genetic influences that are associated with slower and more variable cognitive processing speed. Key future directions include studies that incorporate additional aspects of reading and more sophisticated neuropsychological and neuroimaging phenotypes, along with studies that may fill the important gap in the literature regarding the treatment implications of comorbidity between ADHD and RD.
65 – Congestive Heart Failure

Publisher Summary The sympathetic nervous system (SNS) component of the autonomic nervous system (ANS) has been studied extensively in patients with congestive heart failure (CHF). Modern therapy for heart failure has been revolutionized by the use of agents that block some of the effects of the SNS. In CHF, increased plasma levels of norepinephrine (NE) and the increased urinary excretion of catecholamines indicate heightened activation of the SNS. This activation of SNS occurs early in the course of the disease as shown in the Studies of Left Ventricular Dysfunction (SOLVD) trial. SOLVD has demonstrated that NE is significantly greater in asymptomatic patients with impaired left ventricular (LV) function than in control subjects. The magnitude of SNS activation is closely linked with prognosis in CHF. Individuals with high levels of SNS activation, as estimated by plasma NE values, have the worst prognosis.
What Drives High Costs of Cytoreductive Surgery and HIPEC: Patient, Provider or Tumor?

Cytoreductive surgery with hyperthermic intraperitoneal chemotherapy (CRS/HIPEC) is utilized for peritoneal malignancies and is associated with significant resource use. To address potentially modifiable factors contributing to excessive cost, we sought to determine predictors of high cost of care for patients undergoing CRS/HIPEC. An institutional CRS/HIPEC database was queried for adult patients from 2014 to 2018. Cost was defined as cost for the index hospitalization, and high-cost cases were defined as > 75th percentile for cost. Bivariate analyses for cost were performed, and all significant tumor, patient, and surgeon-specific variables were entered in a linear regression for cost. A separate linear regression was performed for length of stay (LOS). In total, 59 patients underwent 61 CRS/HIPEC procedures. The median direct variable cost was $20,509 (16,395–25,240). Median length of stay (LOS) was 8 (7–11.5) days and ICU stay was 1 (1–1.5) day. LOS, length of ICU stay and operative time were predictive of cost. Factors associated with increased LOS were Clavien-Dindo grade II complications and ostomy creation. Patient-related factors, including age and BMI, tumor-related factors, such as PCI and CCR, and surgeon were not predictive of cost nor LOS. Our results, the first to identify predictors of high cost of CRS/HIPEC-related care in the US, reveal cost was largely related to length and intensity of care. In turn, these drivers were influenced by complications and operative factors. Future work will focus on identifying an appropriate ERAS protocol following CRS/HIPEC and selection of those patients that may avoid routine ICU admission.
Sana.PCHR: Patient-Controlled Electronic Health Records for Refugees

Background Noncommunicable diseases (NCDs) account for an increasing proportion of global morbidity and mortality and unsparingly affecting war-torn populations. Diabetes and hypertension, in particular, were implicated in 80% of deaths in pre-conflict Syria (ca. 2010) [Sethi], and are as persistent as ever throughout the ongoing Syrian civil war. Over the past several years, evidence has been accruing to suggest that mobile health (“mHealth”) interventions are efficacious in improving health outcomes all over the world. Sana, an interdisciplinary organization comprising many healthcare-sector stakeholders, has devised a patient-controlled health records (PCHR) app that will allow physicians to monitor and impact their patients’ long-term health outcomes. Objective We intend to implement this technology solution in close collaboration with front-line healthcare workers, patients, local governments, and humanitarian organizations, so as to better understand the on-the-ground populations we are seeking to serve. Methods The first phase of product development and testing is slated to occur within 21 months of the project’s commencement. During months 0–6, the Sana.PCHR application will be iterated and optimized using available guidelines and inputs from country-based healthcare providers. At the same time, data on existing NCD treatment will be collected at local healthcare facilities for comparison purposes. During months 7–8, frontline healthcare workers will be trained to use the app, which will be subsequently deployed in selected health care facilities. Finally, during months 9–21, use of the application will be monitored and supported by MIT Sana and JHU, and modifications will be made as needed. Related data will be collected for research purposes. Results We anticipate that the Sana.PCHR app will improve health outcomes along four key axes: (1) the overall quality of NCD care by promoting adherence guidelines, both during patient-doctor interactions and throughout the patient’s longitudinal treatment; (2) care coverage by supporting lesser-trained providers in lower-resource settings during care delivery; (3) continuity of care by maintaining patient-specific information that can smooth transitions between healthcare providers; and (4) data analytics so that in the long term, humanitarian organizations can apply machine learning to improve operations and outcomes. Conclusion Sana.PCHR is an innovative approach to addressing the emerging global refugee crisis while simultaneously curbing the escalating burden of NCDs. Successfully implementing this application will lead to more granular and effective monitoring of refugees’ health, especially in resource-constrained settings.
Tricuspid/Pulmonary Valve Disease

Mild pulmonic or tricuspid valve disease is quite common and does not result in significant hemodynamic compromise. Severe tricuspid or pulmonic regurgitation is typically due to pulmonary hypertension or left sided heart disease (left sided valve disease or heart failure) and can be readily seen with echocardiography. Tricuspid stenosis is typically due to rheumatic heart disease. All severe right sided valve disease can lead to symptoms of right sided heart failure. As most of these lesions are due to left sided heart disease, they are best managed by treating those conditions. If there is isolated right sided valve disease leading to symptoms or right ventricular failure, surgery can be considered.
Mass grid storage with reversible Brayton engines

Abstract This article discusses the storage of grid energy using Brayton engines to convert energy reversibly to heat and storing the heat in molten nitrate salt. The physics is similar to that of compressed air energy storage, except that all the energy is stored as heat instead of just part of it, and the compression-expansion cycle is executed twice, thus eliminating the need for an underground cavern. The upper temperature, similar to the present-day supercritical steam plants (and thus within steel creep limits), gives an asymptotic round-trip efficiency of about 70% with present-day turbomachinery. Like pumped hydroelectric storage and flow batteries, the Brayton battery separates the engine from storage medium, allowing the cost per engine watt to be priced separately from the cost per stored joule. The cost per engine watt is somewhere between its value for a present-day gas turbine and half this value. The low cost comes from being a closed-cycle gas turbine similar to a supercritical CO2 engine, with a power proportional to the background pressure in the loop. The cost per stored joule, functionally the cost of the salt, is so low that it is irrelevant for storage times less than 24 h. The Brayton battery has no potential explosion danger, no land-use issues, no environmental issues from low-pH fluids and metal ions, and no semiconductors.
Technical considerations for elective colectomy for diverticulitis

Abstract Colectomy is the definitive treatment of diverticulitis, consisting of surgical resection of the pathophysiologic origin of the disease process. The decision to proceed with elective colectomy is often a nuanced decision. The data and consensus recommendations have evolved over time and no longer simply advocate for surgery after the first episode of complicated or second episode of uncomplicated diverticulitis.
“Your Child Has Cerebral Palsy”: Parental Understanding and Misconceptions:

Importance:Caregivers of children with cerebral palsy can best help their child if they understand the disorder and the correct terminology.Objective:To assess caregiver understanding of cerebral p...
Defining Acute Kidney Injury in Children

Acute kidney injury (AKI) refers to an abrupt decline in kidney function characterized by reduced excretion of waste products, deranged electrolytes, and disrupted fluid homeostasis. Unfortunately, until recently AKI was defined inconsistently, confounding epidemiologic analyses and hampering therapeutic studies. Fortunately, in 2004 the critical care nephrology community embarked on a consensus-building process culminating with the Kidney Disease: Improving Global Outcomes (KDIGO) criteria. KDIGO defines AKI based upon progressive increases in serum creatinine and more severe oliguria. AKI defined according to these metrics has been associated with greater morbidity and higher mortality, however, creatinine and urine output are functional metrics; both are proxies for injury, and neither provide etiologic information. The goals of the chapter are to review metrics of renal function, dysfunction, and injury as well as to discuss the evolution of the current consensus definition for AKI.
Outcomes and prognostic factors of major salivary gland tumors treated with proton beam radiation therapy

Background Proton beam radiation therapy (PBRT) has dosimetric advantages compared to photon radiation therapy for the treatment of major salivary gland tumors (MSGTs). Methods Patients with non-metastatic MSGTs treated at a single proton therapy center from October 2013 to October 2018 were retrospectively reviewed. Results Sixty-eight patients with MSGTs were included and the most common site and histology were the parotid gland (75.0%) and adenoid cystic carcinoma (22.1%), respectively. The 3-year rates of locoregional control, progression-free survival, and overall survival were 95.1% (95% CI: 89.9%-100.0%), 80.7% (70.2%-92.7%), and 96.1% (95% CI: 90.9%-100.0%), respectively. Conclusion In a large cohort of MSGTs treated with PBRT, the rates of locoregional control were high in short-term follow-up and treatment was well tolerated.
Transit Planning Optimization Under Ride-Hailing Competition and Traffic Congestion

With the soaring popularity of ride-hailing, the interdependence between transit ridership, ride-hailing ridership, and urban congestion motivates the following question: can public transit and rid...
Effects of repetitive Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation in aged rats depend on pre-treatment cognitive status: Toward individualized intervention for successful cognitive aging.

Abstract Background Repetitive Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (rTMS) has shown initial promise in combating age-related cognitive decline and dementia. The nature and severity of cognitive aging, however, varies markedly between individuals. Objective/hypothesis We hypothesized that the distinct constellation of brain changes responsible for individual differences in cognitive aging might influence the response to rTMS. Methods Cognitive effects of rTMS were evaluated using a rat model of cognitive aging in which aged rats are classified as Aged-Impaired (AI) or -Unimpaired (AU) relative to young (Y) according to their performance in the Morris water maze. Several weeks later, following presentation of a sample odor in an olfactory recognition task, rats received either sham (Y, n = 9; AU, n = 8; AI, n = 9) or intermittent Theta Burst Stimulation (Y, n = 8; AU, n = 8; AI, n = 9). Memory was tested 24 h later. Results Recognition memory in the sham and stimulated conditions depended on pre-treatment cognitive status in the aged rats. Y and AU sham rats displayed robust odor recognition, whereas sham-treated AI rats exhibited no retention. In contrast, rTMS treated AI rats showed robust retention, comparable in magnitude to Y, whereas the AU stimulated scored at chance. Conclusion Our results are consistent with a perspective that the unique neurobiology associated with variability in cognitive aging modulates the response to rTMS. Protocols with documented efficacy in young adults may have unexpected outcomes in aging or neurodegenerative conditions, requiring individualized approaches.
Toward an Automated Model-Based Geometric Method of Representing Function Failure Propagation Across Uncoupled Systems

The complex engineered systems being designed today must rapidly and accurately be developed to satisfy customer needs while accomplishing required functions with a minimum number of failures. Failure analysis in the conceptual stage of design has expanded in recent years to account for failures in functional modeling. However, function failure propagation across normally uncoupled functions and subsystems has not been fully addressed. A functional model-based geometric method of predicting and mitigating functional failure propagation across systems, which are uncoupled during nominal use cases, is presented. Geometric relationships between uncoupled functions are established to serve as failure propagation flow paths. Mitigation options are developed based upon the geometric relationships and a path toward physical functional layout is provided to limit failure propagation across uncoupled subsystems. The model-based geometric method of predicting and mitigating functional failure propagation across uncoupled engineered systems guides designers toward improved protection and isolation of cross-subsystem failure propagation.Copyright © 2014 by ASME
Defense spending and economic growth in developing countries: A causality analysis

Abstract Military spending can affect economic growth either negatively, through a crowding out of investment, or positively, through an expansion of aggregate demand. Using Granger causality methods extended to incorporate non-stationary and cointegration, this paper evaluates the causal relations between defense spending and economic growth in 62 developing countries. The results showed that unidirectional causality was found in 23 countries, from either defense expenditures to economic growth or vice versa, while bi-directional causality existed in 7 countries. Causality did not exist in 18 countries that were integrated of the same order, while in 14 countries the data were integrated of differing orders. The long-run effects were distinguished from short-run causality when cointegration existed. Some of the limitations of the methods and results were also discussed.
What Affects Academic Functioning in Secondary Special Education Students with Serious Emotional and/or Behavioral Problems?.

Concern is growing over the limited academic progress in special education students with emotional and/or behavioral disorders (EBD).We know little about how academic and behavioral factors interact in these students to affect their academic functioning. Therefore, potential associations were investigated over the course of one school year for 196 secondary students with EBD in a self-contained public school (SCS). Demographics, IQ and achievement testing, teacher checklist ratings for emotional/behavioral problems, and standard measures of school function were gathered. First, academic achievement was studied, and regression analyses showed that both reading and math achievement were significantly increased by higher verbal IQ and lower ADHD-inattentive symptoms (ADHD-I), and math also by higher performance IQ and younger age. Next, general academic performance was examined, and regression analysis demonstrated that major-subject GPA was significantly increased by lower ADHD-I teacher ratings, higher mat...
Domain Walls in Antiferromagnets and the Weak Ferromagnetism of α - Fe 2 O 3

At the N\'eel temperature local nucleations of the antiferromagnetic order and their subsequent growth lead to the formation of domain walls. The domains in an antiferromagnet are thermodynamically stable only when the anisotropy force opposing the gradual switch of spins in the Bloch zone is small such that the wall energy is offset by the gain in entropy. However, in most cases the domain wall would owe its stability to the presence of lattice imperfections, such as interstitial atoms or dislocations. A typical magnetization curve of an antiferromagnet with ferromagnetic domain walls is dipicted.The weak ferromagnetism observed in the (111) plane of $\ensuremath{\alpha}$-${\mathrm{Fe}}_{2}$${\mathrm{O}}_{3}$ (hematite) is identified with the magnetization in domain walls pinned down by lattice imperfections. An assumption that the linear dimension of domains is, on the average, ${10}^{4}$ atomic spaces gives the observed strength of the weak ferromagnetism. The disappearance of this ferromagnetism at $\mathrm{ca}$ -20\ifmmode^\circ\else\textdegree\fi{}C when the magnetic axis switches from [$11\overline{2}$] direction to the [111] direction is due to the extreme difference in the anisotropy force in the (111) plane and that in a plane containing the [111] axis. The following experimental findings on $\ensuremath{\alpha}$-${\mathrm{Fe}}_{2}$${\mathrm{O}}_{3}$ are interpreted: (a) The variation of the ferromagnetism as the temperature increases shows the general feature of the decrease of long-range order in cooperative phenomena, being very gradual at lower temperatures and growing sharper and sharper as the temperature approaches the N\'eel point. (b) In the transition region of the two antiferromagnetic states of $\ensuremath{\alpha}$-${\mathrm{Fe}}_{2}$${\mathrm{O}}_{3}$ an applied field in the (111) plane causes a decrease of the temperature at which the ferromagnetic effect and the large magnetostriction effect disappear but produces no change in the neutron diffraction intensity of the (111) line.
An efficient electro-ultrafilter.

Four rubber-stoppered alundum thimbles (6406 RA 360) were coated with a 10 per cent solution of parlodion in glacial acetic acid, utilizing a procedure similar to that described by Seibert (1928). The washed, coated thimbles were attached by short lengths of pressure tubing to a glass manifold and lowered into a container composed of 4 glas cylinders somewhat larger in diameter than the thimbles. The former were joined to each other by short lengths of Tygon tubing, 2 diagonal cylinders being connected, in addition, through a central 2-armed well as illustrated in figure 1. Each stopper contained, in addition to the glas tube connecting the thimbles to the manifold, a smaller peripheral tube leading to the bottom of the thimble through which distilled water was circulated around the electrodes. The anode may be an inexpensive pure carbon rod such as is used in a spectroscope, or platinum foil or gauze; 100-mesh brass strainer cloth serves for the cathodes. In operation, the coated thimbles are lowered into the container and the distilled water tubes connected through a small 4-way manifold to a flask of distilled
Results from a multiple morbidities testing program offering rapid HIV testing bundled with hepatitis and sexually transmitted infection testing.

Objectives.Bundling human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) testing with tests for other infectious diseases such as hepatitis C, syphilis, or gonorrhea has been proposed as a method to recruit at-risk individuals into HIV testing. The objectives of this study were to determine (1) the types of at-risk clients who choose the rapid vs. standard HIV test when bundled with hepatitis and sexually transmitted infection (STI) tests, and (2) whether clients receiving a rapid HIV test are more likely to return on time for hepatitis and STI test results.Methods.We recruited individuals from drug treatment programs, methadone maintenance programs, needle-exchange programs, a community-based agency serving the gay and lesbian community, and the Center for Behavioral Research and Services' office-based testing facility at California State University, Long Beach from January 2005 through November 2007.Results.A total of 2,031 clients from a multiple morbidities testing program in Long Beach, California, were tested between...
Note on International Trade Finance

This note provides an introduction to the financing terms and payment arrangements that support international trade. It describes the principal instruments of trade finance, the limited evidence on their relative use, and the international trade dispute resolution mechanisms that form the backdrop against which traders select financing terms.
A Revised Spatial Serial Learning and Memory Procedure Using Corsi's Block-Tapping Apparatus

The purpose of this study was to use Corsi's Block Tapping Test as a spatial analog of Benton's Serial Digit Learning Test, using the cognitive neuroscience approach utilized in the California Verbal Learning Test. 60 normal participants, ages 19-52 years, were included and administered an 8-block sequence for 9 trials or until they recalled the entire sequence for 3 consecutive errorless trials. The score was the number of blocks tapped in the correct serial order. An interference trial was administered. Following a 10-min. delay, free recall of the original sequence, cued recall, and recognition measures were obtained. Retroactive interference was significant, but no proactive interference emerged. Scores showed a strong primacy effect. Most participants who learned the sequence to the criterion of three successive errorless trials recalled the sequence after the 10-min. delay. Scores on the cued recall and recognition trials tended to support their validity as less demanding retrieval tasks. The use of this spatial learning and memory procedure allows finer discriminations among nonverbal memory deficits and may facilitate direct comparisons with scores on verbal memory tasks such as Serial Digit Learning and the California Verbal Learning Test.
Carbon-based coatings for thermal detectors: laser damage and thermal efficiency

The laser damage threshold and absorption efficiency of a variety of carbon based thermal coatings for laser power and energy measurements have been investigated. Carbon based paint, carbon fibers, as well as single wall carbon nanotubes (SWCNTs) and multiwalled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs), were applied to a water cooled copper substrate. The heating of the water was measured to determine power absorbed by the sample during laser exposure. Before and after exposure to 10.6 µm laser radiation, optical and electron microscopy as well as Raman spectroscopy were employed to evaluate the coating topology and composition. These early measurement results demonstrate that a MWCNT coating has a damage threshold of approximately 1686 W/cm 2 , which is four times as large as that measured for SWCNTs and fifteen times greater than that of carbon based paint.
Sign iconicity: single-sign receptive vocabulary skills of nonsigning hearing preschoolers.

Abstract This study examined hearing preschoolers' ability to use iconic cues to comprehend signs. Twelve nonsigning 3-year-old hearing children served as subjects. Scores obtained from oral presentations of the Peabody Picture Vocabulary Test—Revised (PPVT-R) were compared with the scores obtained from the manual (signed) presentations of the PPVT-R. Results suggest that even in a limited choice context, the resemblance of signs to their referents does not enable hearing children to decipher the meaning of most of the presented signs. Discussion focuses on the relevance of these findings to the selection and use of adapted assessment instruments with young hearing-impaired children.
Nuclear Receptor Coactivator ACTR Is a Novel Histone Acetyltransferase and Forms a Multimeric Activation Complex with P/CAF and CBP/p300

Abstract We report here the identification of a novel cofactor, ACTR, that directly binds nuclear receptors and stimulates their transcriptional activities in a hormone- dependent fashion. ACTR also recruits two other nuclear factors, CBP and P/CAF, and thus plays a central role in creating a multisubunit coactivator complex. In addition, and unexpectedly, we show that purified ACTR is a potent histone acetyltransferase and appears to define a distinct evolutionary branch to this recently described family. Thus, hormonal activation by nuclear receptors involves the mutual recruitment of at least three classes of histone acetyltransferases that may act cooperatively as an enzymatic unit to reverse the effects of histone deacetylase shown to be part of the nuclear receptor corepressor complex.
Role of Serotoninergic Pathways in Drug-Induced Valvular Heart Disease and Diagnostic Features by Echocardiography

Serotonin plays a significant role in the development of carcinoid heart disease, which primarily leads to fibrosis and contraction of right-sided heart valves. Recently, strong evidence has emerged that the use of specific drug classes, such as ergot alkaloids (for migraine headaches), 5-hydroxytryptamine (5-HT or serotonin) uptake regulators or inhibitors (for weight reduction), and ergot-derived dopamine agonists (for Parkinson's disease), can result in left-sided heart valve damage that resembles carcinoid heart disease. Recent studies have suggested that both right-sided and left-sided drug-induced heart valve disease involves increased serotoninergic activity and in particular activation of the 5-HT receptors, including the 5-HT2B receptor subtype, which mediate many of the central and peripheral functions of serotonin. G-proteins that inhibit adenylate cyclase activity mediate the activity of the 5-HT2B receptor subunit, which is widely expressed in a variety of tissues, including liver, lung, heart, and coronary and pulmonary arteries; it has also been reported in embryonic mouse heart, particularly on mouse heart valve leaflets. In this review, the authors discuss the salient features of serotoninergic manifestations of both carcinoid heart disease and drug-induced cardiac valvulopathy, with an emphasis on echocardiographic diagnosis.
COMPLEMENTARY ANALYSIS OF PEPTIDE AGGREGATION BY NMR AND TIME-RESOLVED LASER SPECTROSCOPY

Aggregation is an important area of scientific investigation because of the consequences of this process for many aspects of protein and peptide chemistry. Previous studies of the aggregation of th...
Autosomal Recessive White-eyed Mutation in Muscina stabulans (Fall.)

PATERSON1 has described a sex-linked and sex-limited white-eyed mutant in Muscina stabulans (Fall.). This communication reports a white-eyed mutation in the same species which involves a different mode of inheritance.
SU‐FF‐I‐48: Assessment of Detective Quantum Efficiency: Inter‐Comparison of IEC 62220‐1 with Representative Prior Methods

Purpose: To evaluate a new international standard method for the measurement of detective quantum efficiency (DQE) of digital radiography systems in comparison with representative prior methods. Methods and Materials: Three DQE evaluation methods were considered: 1) a relatively recent international standard method published by the International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC, 62220‐1, 2003) which was evaluated in comparison with previously published methods by 2) Dobbins et al (Med Phys 22:1581–1593, 1995) and 3) Samei et al (Med Phys 30: 608–622, 2003). In addition to an overall comparison of the methods, the impact of the defining factors that comprise each method were evaluated including: beam quality, the presence of beam‐limiting devices (apertures or collimators), the NNPS analysis algorithm and processing parameters, and the MTF test device and associated analysis methodology. Results: The IEC DQE results at low/mid‐frequencies were lower than those obtained using the method of Dobbins et al and Samei et al by 3.3% and 6.5%, respectively. Averaged over 1.5–2.5 mm−1, the DQE estimate according to the IEC method was 7.1% lower and 12.4% higher than that of the other two methods, respectively. The overall DQE methods of Dobbins et al and Samei et al agreed well (within 2.0%) in the low‐ to mid‐frequency range but diverged by up to 10% at higher frequencies. Of the influencing factors on the DQE estimate considered, the most significant impact was seen with the MTFmeasurement method, followed by the beam‐limitation method. Conclusions: Comparison of DQE estimates using the new standard technique with results using prior methods demonstrated that measurement method can impact the DQE estimate by as much as 12%. Specifically, the results suggest the use of beam limitation using internal collimation (rather than external apertures) and use of a radio‐opaque edge MTF test device for more accurate estimation of the DQE.
Algorithms: Algorithm 338: algol procedures for the fast Fourier transform

The following procedures are based on the Cooley-Tukey algorithm [1] for computing the finite Fourier transform of a complex data vector; the dimension of the data vector is assumed here to be a power of two. Procedure COMPLEXTRANSFORM computes either the complex Fourier transform or its inverse. Procedure REALTRANSFORM computes either the Fourier coefficients of a sequence of real data points or evaluates a Fourier series with given cosine and sine coefficients. The number of arithmetic operations for either procedure is proportional to n log2n, where n is the number of data points.