cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Why the silence on population

The tripling of the world’s population growth since 1960 has received little public attention the past decade. Six reasons for the silence around this subject constitute a “perfect storm”. The first five are: visibility of actual fertility decline in the developed countries as well as a number of the developing ones; well justified attention to the impact of high levels of consumption on the environment; an implicit welcome by conservative political and religious forces to reduced needs for family planning; the tragedy of AIDS dominating international health concerns; and the 1994 Cairo conference’s focus on examples of coercive family planning while nearly ignoring the coercion of women forced into unwanted childbearing. These five relatively new developments have been supported by standard demographic theory containing an assumption that couples naturally want many children, making it difficult to see the many barriers blocking women’s options to manage their own childbearing.
Briefly delayed reinforcement effects on variable-ratio and yoked-interval schedule performance.

Most investigations of briefly delayed reinforcement have involved schedules that arrange a time-plus-response requirement. The present experiment examined whether briefly delaying reinforcement on schedules that have a ratio requirement differs from results with schedules that have a time-plus-response requirement. Four pigeons responded on a two-component multiple schedule. One component arranged a variable-ratio (VR) 50 and the other a variable-interval (VI) schedule in which the distribution of reinforcers was yoked to the preceding VR schedule. Across a series of conditions, delays were imposed in both schedules. These delays were brief (0.25- or 0.5-s) unsignaled delays and, as control conditions, a 5-s unsignaled delay and a 0.5-s delay signaled by a blackout of the chamber. In the yoked-VI component, the brief unsignaled delay increased response rates in six of nine opportunities and increased the proportion of short interresponse times (IRTs) (<0.4 s) in eight of nine opportunities. In the VR component, the brief unsignaled delay increased response rates and the proportion of short IRTs in only two of nine opportunities. For two of the three pigeons that were exposed to the 5-s unsignaled delay, response rates and the proportion of short IRTs decreased in both of the components. The 0.5-s signaled delay did not systematically change response rates nor did it change the distribution of short IRTs relative to the immediate reinforcement condition. The results replicate effects reported with time-based schedules and extend these observations by showing that changes commonly observed in VI performance with briefly delayed reinforcement are not characteristic of VR responding.
One-year postoperative resource utilization in sarcopenic patients

Background It is well established that sarcopenic patients are at higher risk of postoperative complications and short-term health care utilization. Less well understood is how these patients fare over the long term after surviving the immediate postoperative period. We explored costs over the first postoperative year among sarcopenic patients. Methods We identified 1279 patients in the Michigan Surgical Quality Collaborative database who underwent inpatient elective surgery at a single institution from 2006–2011. Sarcopenia, defined by gender-stratified tertiles of lean psoas area, was determined from preoperative computed tomography scans using validated analytic morphomics. Data were analyzed to assess sarcopenia's relationship to costs, readmissions, discharge location, intensive care unit admissions, hospital length of stay, and mortality. Multivariate models were adjusted for patient demographics and surgical risk factors. Results Sarcopenia was independently associated with increased adjusted costs at 30, 90, and 180 but not 365 d. The difference in adjusted postsurgical costs between sarcopenic and nonsarcopenic patients was $16,455 at 30 d and $14,093 at 1 y. Sarcopenic patients were more likely to be discharged somewhere other than home (P < 0.001). Sarcopenia was not an independent predictor of increased readmission rates in the postsurgical year. Conclusions The effects of sarcopenia on health care costs are concentrated in the immediate postoperative period. It may be appropriate to allocate additional resources to sarcopenic patients in the perioperative setting to reduce the incidence of negative postoperative outcomes.
Infectious complications from full extension endobronchial ultrasound transbronchial needle aspiration

The development of a convex probe endobronchial ultrasound (CP-EBUS) videobronchoscope to allow real-time transbronchial needle aspiration (TBNA) has been a significant advance in minimally invasive lung cancer staging and diagnosis. Several recent studies have demonstrated CP-EBUS-TBNA to have recovery rivalling that of the current gold standard, cervical mediastinoscopy. These same studies have indicated that the safety of this procedure has no reported complications. The present case study presents two infectious complications from full extension endobronchial ultrasound transbronchial needle aspiration and discusses possible aetiologies of these infections, as well as implications for future application of this technology.
Causes of encopresis.

To the Editor.— I was intrigued by Dr Pilapil9s comments in his reply regarding the case of stool withholding reported by de Vos et al in the February 1991 issue of Pediatrics.1 It would be pertinent to consider some of the possible byproducts of one element of Pilapil9s therapy of his case reported in the April 1990 issue of Pediatrics.2 One must be alert to the possible "anxiety-provoking situation" of exposing this 3-year-old child to the toileting functions of his family.
Localization and characterization of macrophages in murine uterus.

Macrophages are known to be present in the murine uterus and are known to be among thosecells comprising the uterine decidual response to pregnancy. The extent of macrophage involvement in the decidual response has not been documented, and there are unresolved questions regarding expression of markers normally associated with macrophages on cells within the decidua. Using tissue immunohistology, macrophages were identified in virgin and pregnant murine uteri. A significant increase in macrophage density was noted during all stages of pregnancy. When uteri from virgin and pregnant mice were enzymatically digested, 10% of uterine cells from virgin and 22% from pregnant mice expressed macrophage markers (binding of rabbit antimouse macrophage serum, Fc y receptor expression). Double labeling immunofluorescence demonstrated that the two markers were associated with the same cells. Those results were confirmed in “panning” experiments using a monoclonal antimouse macrophage reagent. In cell suspensions from pregnant murine (C3H/HeN) uteri, 50% of cells exhibiting macrophage markers were
Why Did You Do That? A Methodological Exploration of Motive Attribution

The idea of a motive behind an action is an important part of the debate around the idea of social causation or of causation in political science. In practice most explanations of behavior in political science rely, whether implicitly or explicitly, on some attribution of motive to actors. However, motive and the attribution of motive to individuals and especially corporate actors, like the state, is rarely theorized in empirical studies, either in terms of what it means conceptually, or in terms of how attribution of motive is dealt with methodologically. This paper explores some of these issues and apply them to the practice of political science, with particular reference to examples in International Relations. In particular, this paper articulates the fundamental problem of motive attribution, that we cannot introspect the motives of other actors, and lays out its implications. There are three possible methodological responses to this fundamental problem; 1) assume or deduce a possible motive and explain behavior in terms of that motive; 2) use empirical evidence to adjudicate between possible motives; and 3) avoid the direct attribution of motive to individuals and locate explanatory leverage at an analytical level beyond the individual actor. I argue that how scholars react to the fundamental problem has constraining effects on the sort of knowledge claims that they can consistently make. That is, particular types of knowledge claims can only be supported by particular types of evidence. This has implications for some prominent disciplinary practices. For example, if a rational-choice analysis generates a plausible, novel reason for an action or set of actions, this is in and of itself a useful piece of research. If we are to empirically assess whether a motive is the actual motive for an action, then we must deal with the issues involved in appealing to explicit justifications and other actions as evidence of motive. In particular, cross-actor correlative evidence cannot be used to support a knowledge claim about a particular actor's motive for an action. That is, standard quantitative analysis has at best a small part to play in motive attribution. Finally, non-intentional explanation, while intuitively unsatisfying, is not subject to some of the major problems involved in direct motive attribution.
Effects of propranolol on regional O2 supply and O2 consumption in reperfused dog myocardium.

This study was designed to assess whether propranolol would improve the relationship between O2 supply and O2 consumption in the reperfused ischemic dog myocardium. In 14 dogs, the left anterior descending coronary artery was occluded for 2 hr, followed by a 4-hr period of reperfusion. In 7 of the 14 dogs, 1 mg/kg of propranolol was administered 10 min before and again 2 hr after reperfusion. Small artery and vein O2 saturations obtained microspectrophotometrically were combined with regional blood flow measurements using radioactive microspheres to determine regional myocardial O2 consumption. In both groups, 2 hr of occlusion lowered the regional flow to a similar level. In the control group, 4 hr of reperfusion returned the blood flow toward normal levels, from 17 +/- 20 ml/min/100 g (mean +/- S.D.) at the end of occlusion to 60 +/- 42 ml/min/100 g in the affected area compared with 84 +/- 28 ml/min/100 g in the nonischemic area. In the propranolol-treated animals, the flow increase with reperfusion was not significant (25 +/- 30 ml/min/100 g to 45 +/- 26 ml/min/100 g). O2 extraction was greater in the ischemic than in the unaffected area in both groups. However, ischemic region O2 extraction was lower in the propranolol-treated group than in the control group. There were a greater number of arteries and veins with reduced O2 saturations in the control group reperfused area compared with the nonischemic area. Propranolol decreased the number of low O2 saturation vessels in the ischemic area.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
Directed partial orders on complex numbers and quaternions II

Suppose that F is a partially ordered field with a directed partial order and K is a non-archemedean totally ordered subfield of F with \(K^{+} = F^{+} \cap K\). In this note, directed partial orders are constructed for complex numbers and quaternions over F. It is also shown that real quaternions cannot be made into a directed algebra over the real field with the total order.
The immunologic specificity of antiserum for trypsin-treated red blood cells and its reactions with normal and hemolytic anemia cells.

The Addendum which appeared on page 647 of an article entitled "The Immunologic Specificity of Antiserum for Trypsin-Treated Red Blood Cells and Its Reactions with Normal and Hemolytic Anemia Cells" by Matthew C. Dodd, Claude-Starr Wright, J. Albert Baxter, Bertha A. Bouroncle, Alvinza E. Bunner, and Henry J. Winn (Blood 8: 640-647, 1953) belongs, instead, with the article entitled "Production of Nucleophagocytosis by Rabbit Antileukocytic Serum" by Hyman J. Zimmerman, John R. Walsh, and Paul Heller (Blood 8: 651-654, 1953).
Turning Everyday Materials into Living Microscope Slides

Abstract Teachers have reported that students enjoy growing plants but that logistical constraints such as limited space and inadequate lighting make it difficult to incorporate living plants into their classrooms. We present a method that takes familiar materials from the students' world — trading-card holders — and uses them to make interactive, cost-effective “plant pouches” that can function as living microscope slides. Students grow plants in card holders and are able to observe both the roots and shoots for several weeks, including making observations with a compound or dissecting microscope. The plant pouches require minimal space or resources, and the system is flexible enough to accommodate different types of plants and is amenable to experimentation.
Microenvironmental regulation of hematopoietic stem cells and its implications in leukemogenesis

Purpose of review Hematopoietic stem cells (HSCs) are a population of cells in the bone marrow which can self-renew, differentiate into late lineage progenitors, or remain quiescent. HSCs exist alongside several cell types in the bone marrow microenvironment that comprise the stem cell niche. These cells regulate HSC function and can contribute to leukemogenesis. In this review we will discuss recent advances in this field. Recent findings In the vascular niche, arteriolar and sinusoidal zones appear to play distinct roles in HSC function. Endothelial cells modulate HSC function via Notch and other signaling pathways. In the endosteal niche multiple cell types regulate HSCs. Osteoblasts promote HSC quiescence via secreted factors and possibly physical interactions, whereas adipocytes may oppose HSC quiescence. The balance of these opposing factors depends on metabolic cues. Feedback from HSC-derived cells, including macrophages and megakaryocytes also appears to regulate HSC quiescence. Dysfunction of the bone marrow microenvironment, including mesenchymal stem cell-derived stromal cells and the sympathetic nervous system can induce or alter the progression of hematologic malignancies. Summary Many cell types in the bone marrow microenvironment affect HSC function and contribute to malignancy. Further understanding how HSCs are regulated by the microenvironment has clinical implications for stem cell transplantation and other therapies for hematologic malignancies.
Beating the direct sum theorem in communication complexity with implications for sketching

A direct sum theorem for two parties and a function f states that the communication cost of solving k copies of f simultaneously with error probability 1/3 is at least k · R1/3(f), where R1/3(f) is the communication required to solve a single copy of f with error probability 1/3. We improve this for a natural family of functions f, showing that the 1-way communication required to solve k copies of f simultaneously with probability 2/3 is Ω(k · R1/k(f)). Since R1/k(f) may be as large as Ω(R1/3(f) · log k), we asymptotically beat the direct sum bound for such functions, showing that the trivial upper bound of solving each of the k copies of f with probability 1 -- O(1/k) and taking a union bound is optimal! In order to achieve this, our direct sum involves a novel measure of information cost which allows a protocol to abort with constant probability, and otherwise must be correct with very high probability. Moreover, for the functions considered, we show strong lower bounds on the communication cost of protocols with these relaxed guarantees; indeed, our lower bounds match those for protocols that are not allowed to abort.In the distributed and streaming models, where one wants to be correct not only on a single query, but simultaneously on a sequence of n queries, we obtain optimal lower bounds on the communication or space complexity. Lower bounds obtained from our direct sum result show that a number of techniques in the sketching literature are optimal, including the following:• (JL transform) Lower bound of
[Applicability of multi-step neoplasm therapy in ophthalmology].

Einer kurzen Darstellung vom Ziel und Wesen der Krebs-Mehrschritt-Therapie von M. v. Ardenne folgen experimentelle Befunde zur Frage der Auswirkung von Hyperthermiebedingungen am Sehorgan. Beim Kaninchen lies sich trotz Erhohung der Kerntemperatur mittels eines thermostasierten Kupferkastens bei freibleibendem Kopf auf Werte uber 40° C diese Temperatur an der Netzhaut nicht erreichen. Es war eine zusatzliche lokale Erwarmung des Auges erforderlich, um intraoculare Temperaturen auf 40° C und mehr einstellen und uber langere Zeit konstant aufrechterhalten zu konnen. Im ERG lies sich wahrend der Hyperthermie eine reversible Amplitudenerhohung der a-, b- und c-Welle beobachten. Funktionelle und morphologische Schaden sind durch eine Hyperthermieattacke von 40° C der Krebs-Mehrschritt-Therapie an der Netzhaut nicht zu erwarten.
Celebrity Adjudication: Comparative Analyses of United States Verdict Rates for Celebrity Defendants

The effect of outside influences on judicial decision-making has a long and storied history. However, the impact of celebrity status as an outside influence on judicial decision-making has received very little attention in the literature. I examine 303 celebrity verdicts from 1998 to 2010 to shed light on whether celebrities are adjudicated in the same or a similar manner as non-celebrities. My findings suggest that celebrities do not receive any special treatment at trial, but in fact are convicted at a 12.1% higher rate than non-celebrity defendants.
Subpicosecond Photoconductivity in III-V Compound Semiconductors Using Low Temperature MBE Growth Techniques

Molecular beam epitaxial growth of III-V semiconductors at very low temperatures results in ultrashort carrier lifetimes. We have characterized this by photoconductive switching and time-resolved reflectivity measurements.
Reduction of Carboxylic Acid Derivatives to Alcohols, Ethers and Amines

Carboxylic acids may be reduced to produce primary alcohols by hydrogenation over heterogeneous catalysts at elevated temperatures and pressures. Copper chromite, barium oxide promoted copper chromite, Raney nickel, ruthenium dioxide and rhenium oxides are the most commonly employed catalysts.1,2 For example, glyoxalic acid was hydrogenated over ruthenium dioxide at 145–150 °C and 700– 775 atm (1 atm = 101 kPa) to produce 1,2-ethanediol (83%). Such ruthenium-mediated hydrogenation reactions are frequently carried out in the presence of water to suppress ester formation. Rhenium oxides are useful for the reduction of aromatic carboxylic acids without concomitant arene hydrogenation. Representative hydrogenation reactions include the preparations of 1-decanol (100%; Re2O7, H2, 137 °C, 173 atm, H2O, dioxane), 2-methyl-1-propanol (90%; ReO3, H2, 144 °C, 205 atm, cyclohexane), 1-hexanol (93%; Cu–Ba chromite, H2, 200 °C, 188 atm, H2O) and 1,4-butanediol (59%, RuO2, H2, 150–190 °C, 720–950 atm) from the corresponding carboxylic acids or succinic acid. In general, the preparation of primary alcohols from carboxylic acids via such hydrogenation reactions is inconvenient. Specialist equipment and techniques are required.
The Hunt for Anyon Superconductivity

Various models of high-temperature superconductivity, including in particular the models with particles obeying fractional statistics (anyons), imply spontaneously broken time-reversal symmetry. Experiments which might show manifestations of this broken symmetry include muon spin relaxation, and optical experiments looking for an antisymmetric contribution to the dielectric tensor. The current experimental situation is very confusing, however, as results from different groups are seemingly contradictory.
The impact of distractors in programming completion puzzles on novice programmers position statement

Our previous work has demonstrated that programming completion puzzles enable novice programmers to acquire new programming skills [1]. As shown in Fig. 1, programming completion puzzles ask users to reassemble a block-based program's statements into the correct order. Users use the available blocks in the puzzle statement bin (Fig. 1-A) and place them into the correct order in the puzzle workspace (Fig. 1-B). In our previous work we only included blocks that were part of the actual puzzle's solution [1]. However other puzzle-like programming systems often include distractor statements as part of the user's experience [2]. In the context of programming puzzles, distractors are extra blocks or statements that are not part of a puzzle's solution. We wondered what impact distractor statements might have in programming completion puzzles on novice programmers? Do distractors also help facilitate learning programming skills when used in programming completion puzzles?
Dietary patterns of early childhood and maternal socioeconomic status in a unique prospective sample from a randomized controlled trial of Prenatal DHA Supplementation.

Dietary habits established in early childhood and maternal socioeconomic status (SES) are important, complex, interrelated factors that influence a child’s growth and development. The aim of this study was to define the major dietary patterns in a cohort of young US children, construct a maternal SES index, and evaluate their associations. The diets of 190 children from a randomized, controlled trial of prenatal supplementation of docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) were recorded at 6-mo intervals from 2-4.5 years by 24-h dietary recall. Hierarchical cluster analysis of age-adjusted, average daily intake of 24 food and beverage groups was used to categorize diet. Unrotated factor analysis generated an SES score from maternal race, ethnicity, age, education, and neighborhood income. We identified two major dietary patterns: “Prudent” and “Western.” The 85 (45%) children with a Prudent diet consumed more whole grains, fruit, yogurt and low-fat milk, green and non-starchy vegetables, and nuts and seeds. Conversely, those with a Western diet had greater intake of red meat, discretionary fat and condiments, sweet beverages, refined grains, French fries and potato chips, eggs, starchy vegetables, processed meats, chicken and seafood, and whole-fat milk. Compared to a Western diet, a Prudent diet was associated with one standard deviation higher maternal SES (95% CI: 0.80 to 1.30). We found two major dietary patterns of young US children and defined a single, continuous axis of maternal SES that differed strongly between groups. This is an important first step to investigate how child diet, SES, and prenatal DHA supplementation interact to influence health outcomes. NCT00266825 . Prospectively registered on December 15, 2005
A GaN-based synchronous rectifier for WPT receivers with reduced THD

This work examines the potential of a GaN-based synchronous rectifier as a receiver in 6.78 MHz wireless power transfer (WPT) applications. Compared to a traditional diode-based rectifier, the synchronous rectifier has merits in its additional control freedoms. The active control of switching actions can be used to alter impedance presented to transmitting source, or, when combined with a zero-voltage switching (ZVS) resonant tank, to reduce harmonics generated by the switching actions, and therefore mitigate requirements on the filter network to meet EMI limitations. Analysis of control and hardware design strategies to maximize efficiency, limit total harmonic distortion (THD), and control impedance at the WPT frequency are presented and verified on a prototype experimental platform.
31. Dickinson’s I Dreaded That First Robin so

(1947). 31. Dickinson’s I Dreaded That First Robin so. The Explicator: Vol. 5, No. 4, pp. 60-61.
The impact of parental investment on lifetime reproductive success in Iceland.

BACKGROUND Demonstrating the impact that parents have on the fitness of their children is a crucial step towards understanding how parental investment has affected human evolution. Parents not only transfer genes to their children, they also influence their environments. By analyzing reproductive patterns within and between different categories of close relatives, this study provides insight into the genetic and environmental effects that parents have on the fitness of their offspring. METHODS We use data spanning over two centuries from an exceptionally accurate Icelandic genealogy, Islendingabok, to analyze the relationship between the fertility rates of close relatives. Also, using genetic data, we determine narrow sense heritability estimates (h2) to further explore the genetic impact on lifetime reproductive success. Finally, we construct four simulations to model the expected contribution of genes and resources on reproductive success. RESULTS The relationship between the reproduction of all full sibling pairs was significant and positive across all birth decades (r = 0.19) while the reproductive relationship between parents and offspring was often negative across many decades and undetectable overall (r = 0.00) (Fig. 1 and Table 1). Meanwhile, genetic data among 8,456 pairs of full siblings revealed a narrow sense heritability estimate (h2) of 0.00 for lifetime reproductive success. A resources model (following the rule that resources are transmitted from parents to children, distributed equally among siblings, and are the only factor affecting reproductive success) revealed a similar trend: a negative relationship between parent and offspring reproduction (r = - 0.35) but a positive relationship among full siblings (r = 0.28). The relationship between parent and offspring lifetime reproductive success (LRS) and full sibling LRS was strongly and positively correlated across time (r = 0.799, p < 0.001). Similarly, the LRS among full siblings was positively correlated with both the LRS among half siblings (r = 0.532, p = 0.011) and the relationship between the LRS of aunts and uncles with their nieces and nephews (r = 0.438, p = 0.042). DISCUSSION We show that an individual's lifetime reproductive success is best predicted by the reproduction of their full and half siblings, but not their parents, grandparents or aunts and uncles. Because all siblings share at least one parent, we believe parental investment has had an important impact on fitness. Overall, these results indicate that direct parental investment, but not genes, is likely to have had an important and persistent impact on lifetime reproductive success across more than two centuries of Icelandic history.
Towards Liquid-Helium-Free, Persistent-Mode MgB2 MRI Magnets: FBML Experience.

In this article I present our experience at the Magnet Technology Division of the MIT Francis Bitter Magnet Laboratory on liquid-helium (LHe)-free, persistent-mode MgB2 MRI magnets. Before reporting on our MgB2 magnets, I first summarize the basic work that we began in the late 1990s to develop LHe-free, high-temperature superconductor (HTS) magnets cooled in solid cryogen—I begin by discussing the enabling feature, particularly of solid nitrogen (SN2), for adiabatic HTS magnets. The next topic is our first LHe-free, SN2–HTS magnet, for which we chose Bi2223 because in the late 1990s Bi2223 was the only HTS available to build an HTS magnet. I then move on to two MgB2 magnets, I and II, developed after discovery of MgB2 in 2000. The SN2–MgB2 Magnet II—0.5 T/240 mm, SN2-cooled, and operated in persistent mode—was completed in January 2016. The final major topic in this article is a tabletop LHe-free, persistent-mode 1.5 T/70 mm SN2–MgB2 'finger' MRI magnet for osteoporosis screening—we expect to begin this project in 2017. Before concluding this article, I present my current view on challenges and prospects for MgB2 MRI magnets.
Occipital Nerve Stimulation for the Treatment of Refractory Occipital Neuralgia: A Case Series.

Background Occipital neuralgia is a chronic pain syndrome characterized by sharp, shooting pains in the distribution of the occipital nerves. Although relatively rare, it associated with extremely debilitating symptoms that drastically affect a patient's quality of life. Furthermore, it is extremely difficult to treat as the symptoms are refractory to traditional treatments, including pharmacologic and procedural interventions. A few previous case studies have established the use of a neurostimulation of the occipital nerves to treat occipital neuralgia. Objective The following expands on that literature by retrospectively reviewing the results of occipital nerve stimulation in a relatively large patient cohort (29 patients). Methods A retrospective review of 29 patients undergoing occipital nerve stimulation for occipital neuralgia from 2012 to 2017 at a single institution with a single neurosurgeon. Results Of those 29 patients, 5 were repair or replacement of previous systems, 4 did not have benefit from trial stimulation, and 20 saw benefit to their trial stage of stimulation and went on to full implantation. Of those 20 patients, even with a history of failed procedures and pharmacological therapies, there was an overall success rate of 85%. The average preoperative 10-point pain score dropped from 7.4 ± 1.7 to a postoperative score of 2.9 ± 1.7. However, as with any peripheral nerve stimulation procedure, there were complications (4 patients), including infection, hardware erosion, loss of effect, and lead migration, which required revision or system removal. Conclusion Despite complications, the results suggest, overall, that occipital nerve stimulation is a safe and effective procedure for refractory occipital neuralgia and should be in the neurosurgical repertoire for occipital neuralgia treatment.
Fluid management during the first postnatal day in very low birth weight neonates and rates of patent ductus arteriosus requiring treatment.

AbstractPurpose: Previous studies have suggested an association between high maintenance fluid volumes during the first several postnatal days and patent ductus arteriosus (PDA) requiring treatment in very low birth weight (VLBW) neonates. However, no studies have specifically examined fluid administration during the first postnatal day with regard to PDA-related outcomes. We seek to determine whether additional intravenous fluid administration beyond prescribed goals during the first postnatal day is associated with PDA requiring treatment.Materials and methods: Retrospective data were collected from neonates with birth weight <1250 g. Infants receiving fluids beyond initially documented goals, stratified by relative degree of additional fluids, were compared to those receiving no additional intravenous fluids for the primary outcome of PDA requiring treatment and secondarily for other neonatal morbidities.Results: Two hundred VLBW neonates were included. Controlling for birth weight and gestational age,...
Correlates of Dementia and Mild Cognitive Impairment in Patients With Atrial Fibrillation: The Atherosclerosis Risk in Communities Neurocognitive Study (ARIC‐NCS)

Background Atrial fibrillation (AF) has been associated with faster cognitive decline and increased dementia risk. Factors associated with dementia in patients with AF have been seldom studied. Methods and Results We studied 6432 individuals from the ARIC‐NCS (Atherosclerosis Risk in Communities Neurocognitive Study). In 2011 to 2013, participants underwent a physical exam, echocardiography, detailed cognitive assessments, and a subset, brain magnetic resonance imaging. Dementia and mild cognitive impairment (MCI), as well as etiology of MCI/dementia, Alzheimer9s disease–related or vascular, were adjudicated by an expert panel. AF was defined by study ECGs and past hospitalizations. We used logistic regression to estimate odds ratios and 95% CI of MCI/dementia by AF status and to assess cross‐sectional correlates of MCI/dementia in patients with AF. Among 6432 participants, 611 (9.5%) had prevalent AF. AF was associated with increased odds of dementia and MCI (odds ratio, 95% CI, 2.25, 1.64–3.10, and 1.28, 1.04–1.56, respectively). Prevalence of Alzheimer9s disease–related MCI/dementia and vascular MCI/dementia were higher in participants with AF than without AF (odds ratio, 95% CI, 1.29, 1.04–1.61, and 1.50, 0.99–2.25, respectively). In multivariable analyses, older age, lower body mass index, diabetes mellitus, stroke, and APOE genotype were associated with dementia prevalence in participants with AF. In models evaluating MCI/dementia subtypes, diabetes mellitus was associated with Alzheimer9s disease–related MCI/dementia, whereas male sex and stroke were risk factors for vascular MCI/dementia. Conclusions In a large, community‐based study, AF was associated with higher prevalence of MCI and dementia. Controlling cardiometabolic risk factors is a potential target for prevention of adverse cognitive outcomes in AF patients.
The PhysioCam: A Novel Non-Contact Sensor to Measure Heart Rate Variability in Clinical and Field Applications.

Heart Rate Variability (HRV) is a reliable indicator of health status and a sensitive index of autonomic stress reactivity. Stress negatively affects physical and psychological wellness by decreasing cardiovascular health and reducing quality of life. Wearable sensors have made it possible to track HRV during daily activity, and recent advances in mobile technology have reduced the cost and difficulty of applying this powerful technique. Although advances have made sensors smaller and lighter, some burden on the subject remains. Chest-worn electrocardiogram (ECG) sensors provide the optimal source signal for HRV analysis, but they require obtrusive electrode or conductive material adherence. A less invasive surrogate of HRV can be derived from the arterial pulse obtained using the photoplethysmogram (PPG), but sensor placement requirements limit the application of PPG in field research. Factors including gender, age, height and weight also affect PPG-HRV level, but PPG-HRV is sufficient to track individual HRV reactions to physical and mental challenges. To overcome the limitations of contact sensors, we developed the PhysioCam, a noncontact system capable of measuring arterial pulse with sufficient precision to derive HRV during different challenges. This passive sensor uses an off the shelf digital color video camera to extract arterial pulse from the light reflected from an individual’s face. In this manuscript we validate this novel noncontact measure against criterion signals (ECG and PPG) in a controlled laboratory setting. Data from twelve subjects is presented under the following physiological conditions: rest, single deep breath and hold, and rapid breathing. The following HRV parameters were validated: Interbeat Interval (IBI), Respiratory Sinus Arrhythmia (RSA), Low Frequency HRV (LF). When testing the PhysioCam against ECG or PPG: the Bland-Altman plots for the IBIs show no systematic bias; correlation coefficients (all p values <0.05) comparing ECG to PhysioCam for IBI and LF approach 1, while RSA correlations average 0.82 across conditions. We discuss future refinements of the HRV metrics derived from the PhysioCam that will enable this technology to unobtrusively track indicators of health and wellness.
Mapping antenna precoders to equal power antenna patterns

Multiple communication standards including 3GPP LTE and IEEE 802.11, employ codebooks of antenna precoders. For these standards, feedback from the receiver is used to optimize the antenna precoder selection performed at the base station. This optimization process implicitly assumes that the antenna precoders which have equal Euclidean norm are mapped to antenna patterns with equal transmit power. However, for coupled antennas, it can be shown that that if the precoders are implemented as a vector voltage source in a Thevenin source model or as a vector current source in a Norton source model, the equal power condition is not satisfied. The effect of transmission lines between the source and the antenna array are included in the analysis, as this affects the power delivered to the array, as does the use of matching networks. To illustrate, an example is considered using two half-wavelength dipoles for which the variation in transmit power can be in excess of 3 dB even when the Euclidean norm of the precoders is held constant. Given this problem, two methods are proposed which can be used to map equal norm antenna precoders to equal power antenna patterns. The first of these two methods requires signaling of scale factors to the receiver, while the second method can be implemented in a manner that is completely transparent to the receiver.
Active Oxygen in Fungal Pathogenesis of Plants

The term “active oxygen species” generally refers to both radical and non-radical derivatives of oxygen which are highly reactive in biological systems. Ground state molecular oxygen is relatively unreactive in cells due to its “triplet” conformation (the presence of two unpaired electrons of parallel spin). Since most organic molecules in biological systems have paired electrons with opposite spins (“singlet” conformation), reactions of ground state oxygen with other compounds are generally spin-restricted, and often occur one electron at a time. Thus, metabolic reactions involving oxygen often result in the production of radical or reduced intermediates,1 including Superoxide (O 2 ·− ), hydrogen peroxide (H2O2), and the hydroxyl radical (OH·). Another activated oxygen species, singlet oxygen (1O2), is not a free radical, but the lack of any spin restriction makes it highly reactive with biological molecules. Although toxic to cells, all of these forms of oxygen occur in biological systems and have increasingly been shown to play important roles in normal cellular processes, including normal metabolic and biosynthetic reactions, signaling, and cell defense.
Classification of Common Violin Bowing Techniques Using Gesture Data from a Playable Measurement System

This paper presents the results of a recent study of common violin bowing techniques using a newly designed measurement system. This measurement system comprises force, inertial, and position sensors installed on a carbon fiber violin bow and electric violin, and enables recording of real player bowing gesture under normal playing conditions. Using this system, performances of six di! erent common bow
Commercial Casualties: Political Boycotts and International Disputes

We explore whether international disputes harm commerce by galvanizing consumer boycotts of foreign products. Boycotts increase the social penalty of owning goods associated with a foreign adversary, offsetting individual incentives to free ride or discount the utility of participation. By harming international commerce, boycotts can help reveal information about resolve and avoid more costly forms of conflict. Using administrative data on the universe of new passenger vehicle registration records in China from 2009 to 2015, we demonstrate that consumer boycott that arose amid tensions between China and Japan over a territorial dispute in 2012 had significant and persistent effects on vehicle sales, especially in cities that witnessed anti-Japanese street demonstrations. The market share of Japanese brands dropped substantially during and after the boycott with long-lasting effects. Our analysis provides concrete evidence of the short- and long-term impacts of international tensions on economic activities.
Modeling Techniques in Design-By-Refinement Methodologies

Embedded system design methodologies that are based on the effective use of multiple levels of abstraction hold promise for substantial productivity gains. Starting the design process at a high level of abstraction improves control over the design and facilitates verification and synthesis. In particular, if we use a rigorous approach to link the levels of abstraction, we can establish properties of lower levels from analysis at higher levels. This process goes by the name of “design by refinement”. To maximize its benefit, design by refinement requires a formal semantic foundation that supports a wide range of levels of abstraction. We introduce such a semantic foundation and describe how it can integrate several models for reactive systems.
Medical Analytics Based on Artificial Neural Networks Using Cognitive Internet of Things

This research proposes machine learning algorithms in conjunction with cognitive-based networking as a remote patient monitoring framework for accurately predicting disease state and disease parameters from remotely monitored and measured patient biometric and biomedical signals. This system would facilitate doctors and clinicians by providing hospitals machine learning-based predictive clinical decision support systems to remotely monitor patients and their diseases. In this proposed work, a cognitive radio (CR) network is simulated for optimization of spectrum sensing and energy detection. Further, two effective classification methods are evaluated on remotely measured physiological parameters, such as blood pressure and heart rate, of patients with two types of diseases—chronic kidney disease and heart disease. First, a support vector machine (SVM) model was trained on a heart disease dataset with inputs and binary targets. The disease parameter correlations between blood pressure and age, heart rate, and blood glucose level results were plotted and their relationships were modeled using SVM. Second, the artificial neural network (ANN) algorithm was employed for the detection of disease state with the two types of disease datasets—heart disease and chronic kidney diagnosis. With SVM, the accuracy was around 60% for heart disease and 84% for chronic kidney disease patients. The percentage of accurately categorized patients with ANN was observed to be 95% overall in estimate for heart disease and 93% overall in estimate for chronic kidney disease. ANN is more accurate and recommended for predictive modeling of patient data in the proposed cognitive IoT remote patient monitoring system.
Ovarian volume ratio is a reliable predictor of ovarian torsion in girls without an adnexal mass.

Abstract Purpose The aims of this study were to identify ultrasound-based predictors of ovarian torsion in girls without an adnexal mass and establish a set of normal values for ovarian volume ratio (OVR). Methods A retrospective review was performed of all premenarchal patients ≥ 3 years of age with a normal pelvic ultrasound between January 2016 and January 2019. A comparison group of premenarchal girls presenting between 2011 and 2019 with torsion in the absence of an adnexal mass was utilized. Results Five-hundred and four premenarchal girls underwent pelvic ultrasound evaluation with a normal examination. The mean OVR was 1.6 ± 0.7 (range 1.0–6.5). OVR did not vary with age (r = − 0.06) as compared to ovarian width which increased steadily with age (r = 0.53, p 2.5 demonstrated the best diagnostic accuracy of any predictive variable (sensitivity 100%, specificity 94%, AUC 0.991, p Conclusions OVR is an excellent predictor of ovarian torsion in premenarchal girls without an adnexal mass. Unlike ovarian width, OVR does not increase with age, and a cutoff OVR > 2.5 demonstrates high sensitivity and specificity for identifying ovarian torsion in this population. Type of study Study of diagnostic test. Level of evidence Level III.
Assessing the adaptive resilience of twentieth-century post-industrial fishing landscapes in Siglufjörður, Iceland

Over the last 130 years, the landscapes of northern Iceland’s fishing villages have experienced repeated reconfigurations based on changing technology, cultural developments, and ecological shifts....
Commentary: Deepening understanding of refugee children and adolescents using Bronfenbrenner’s bioecological and PPCT models – A Commentary on Arakelyan and Ager (2020)

This commentary provides some context for issues highlighted in the article by Arakelyan & Ager (2020) and discusses potential implications of their analysis for theory, future research, practitioners, and policy makers. It discusses the current global scale of displacement, terminology surrounding refugees and asylum seekers, and the authors' analyses of Bronfenbrenner's bioecological and person-process-context-time (PPCT) models. It also identifies additional areas of research and potential implications for integrating theory, research, policy, and practice.
Implementation of the Uniformed Services University Pain Registry Biobank: A Military and Veteran Population Focused Biobank and Registry.

Objective The objective of this overview is to discuss the development, implementation, data content, and structure of the Uniformed Services University Pain Registry Biobank. Additionally, procedures and policies for accessing samples for pain-related research purposes are detailed. Design Cross-sectional overview. Setting Multiple military treatment facilities. Subjects Adult beneficiaries seeking care within the Military Health System. Methods Participants complete a baseline battery of biopsychosocial survey measures, including PROMIS® measures, provide biologic samples (e.g. blood and saliva), and relevant health history, including medications and surgical history, is extracted from medical records. During the course of the next year, enrolled participants complete surveys and provide biologic samples at 3-months, 6-months, and 12-months. Thereafter, participants are contacted once annually to complete self-reported assessments and provide biologic samples. Results In the first year alone 86 subjects have participated in the Uniformed Services University Pain Registry Biobank and provided 390 observations (e.g. biological samples and biopsychosocial patient-reported outcomes). The Uniformed Services University Pain Registry Biobank's integration of biological samples, patient-reported outcomes, and health record data over a longitudinal period across a diverse sample recruited from multiple military facilities addresses many of the limitations faced by other pain-related registries or biorepositories. Conclusions The Uniformed Services University Pain Registry Biobank will serve as a platform for conducting research closely aligned with the Federal Pain Research Strategy. The inclusion of active duty service members, beneficiaries, and civilians living with and without acute or chronic pain provides a unique data repository for all investigators interested in advancing pain science.
Development and optimization of algal cultivation systems

This thesis describes research done on two novel algae cultivation systems. The first system was an attached algal growth system to facilitate biomass harvest with improved biomass yield. In the attached system, algal cells were grown on the surface of a material rotating between the nutrient-rich liquid phase and the carbon dioxide-rich gaseous phase. The algal cells from the attached growth system were harvested by simply scraping off the algal biofilm. The operation conditions of the attached growth system were optimized to improve biomass productivity. A harvesting frequency of 7 days with a rotational speed of 4 rpm resulted in the highest cell productivity. Changing the CO2 content from atmospheric CO2 level (~300ppm) to 3000 ppm did not significantly change growth performance. The attached growth system resulted in a biomass productivity of 10.5 g*m -2 *day -1 . The biomass harvested from the attached system had higher carbohydrate content, but lower lipid content compared to the suspension culture system. Other research presented in this thesis was to grow the microalga Chlorella vulgaris under simulated microgravity conditions to evaluate CO2 consumption and O2 generation rates. The effects of hydraulic retention time, gas flow rate, and CO2 concentration on algal growth were investigated. All the three factors significantly influenced CO2 consumption and O2 generation rates. A statistical response surface design was used to optimize these two parameters. The optimal conditions for CO2 consumption and O2 generation were determined to be 6.59 days hydraulic retention time, 0.153 vvm gas flow rate, and 0.80% CO2 concentration. Algae growth and CO2 consumption rates in microgravity were not significantly different than growth at earth (1 g) gravity. A hollow fibre membrane photobioreactor was also developed which enhanced CO2 consumption rates.