cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Early-onset pediatric atopic dermatitis is TH2 but also TH17 polarized in skin.

Background Atopic dermatitis (AD) affects 15% to 25% of children and 4% to 7% of adults. Paradigm-shifting discoveries about AD have been based on adult biomarkers, reflecting decades of disease activity, although 85% of cases begin by 5 years. Blood phenotyping shows only T H 2 skewing in patients with early-onset pediatric AD, but alterations in early pediatric skin lesions are unknown, limiting advancement of targeted therapies. Objective We sought to characterize the early pediatric AD skin phenotype and its differences from pediatric control subjects and adults with AD. Methods Using immunohistochemistry and quantitative real-time PCR, we assessed biopsy specimens from 19 children with AD younger than 5 years within 6 months of disease onset in comparison with adults with AD or psoriasis and pediatric and adult control subjects. Results In lesional skin children showed comparable or greater epidermal hyperplasia (thickness and keratin 16) and cellular infiltration (CD3 + , CD11c + , and FceRI + ) than adults with AD. Similar to adults, strong activation of the T H 2 (IL-13, IL-31, and CCL17) and T H 22 (IL-22 and S100As) axes and some T H 1 skewing (IFN-γ and CXCL10) were present. Children showed significantly higher induction of T H 17-related cytokines and antimicrobials (IL-17A, IL-19, CCL20, LL37, and peptidase inhibitor 3/elafin), T H 9/IL-9, IL-33, and innate markers (IL-8) than adults ( P P Conclusion The skin phenotype of new-onset pediatric AD is substantially different from that of adult AD. Although excess T H 2 activation characterizes both, T H 9 and T H 17 are highly activated at disease initiation. Increases in IL-19 levels might link T H 2 and T H 17 activation.
Information Needs Assessment for a Medicine Ward-Focused Rounding Dashboard

To identify the routine information needs of inpatient clinicians on the general wards for the development of an electronic dashboard. Survey of internal medicine and subspecialty clinicians from March 2014---July 2014 at Saint Marys Hospital in Rochester, Minnesota. An information needs assessment was generated from all unique data elements extracted from all handoff and rounding tools used by clinicians in our ICUs and general wards. An electronic survey was distributed to 104 inpatient medical providers. 89 unique data elements were identified from currently utilized handoff and rounding instruments. All data elements were present in our multipurpose ICU-based dashboard. 42 of 104 (40 %) surveys were returned. Data elements important (50/89, 56 %) and unimportant (24/89, 27 %) for routine use were identified. No significant differences in data element ranking were observed between supervisory and nonsupervisory roles. The routine information needs of general ward clinicians are a subset of data elements used routinely by ICU clinicians. Our findings suggest an electronic dashboard could be adapted from the critical care setting to the general wards with minimal modification.
In pursuit of functional electrospun materials for clinical applications in humans

Electrospinning is a simple, low-cost and versatile approach to fabricate multifunctional materials useful in drug delivery and tissue engineering applications. Despite its emergence into other manufacturing sectors, electrospinning has not yet made a transformative impact in the clinic with a pharmaceutical product for use in humans. Why is this the current state of electrospun materials in biomedicine? Is it because electrospun materials are not yet capable of overcoming the biological safety and efficacy challenges needed in pharmaceutical products? Or, is it that technological advances in the electrospinning process are needed? This review investigates the current state of electrospun materials in medicine to identify both scientific and technological gaps that may limit clinical translation.
Tensions in Teaching Across Cultures

It was another midterm, and one of the rituals that I maintained in all of my classes was the administration of the midterm survey. The midterm survey was one of several formative assessment tools that included weekly reflections, exit tickets, and quick writes, among others. The weekly reflections and assignments helped me to ascertain how much prospective teachers understood each topic, while the exit tickets helped me to collect information about how much they comprehended in particular lessons.
The Poverty of Value Clarification: Using Ethical Theory to Critique and Transcend the "Givens" of Clinical Ethics Consultation.

Clinical ethics consultation is beset by a triumvirate of limited opportunities, modest aims, and conservative impulses. Contrary to what their “God committee” nickname would imply, clinical ethics...
The Mushroom Industry And The Emergence Of Mexican Enclaves In Southern Chester County, Pennsylvania, 1960-1990

This chapter examines the restructuring of the mushroom industry of southeastern Pennsylvania from 1960 to 1990. During this period, mushroom producers underwent major changes in their crop production that included the introduction of a new labor force—Mexican migrants—who since then have altered the ethnic and cultural landscape of the region.
A Generalized Surface Hopping Algorithm To Model Nonadiabatic Dynamics near Metal Surfaces: The Case of Multiple Electronic Orbitals.

For a molecule with multiple electronic orbitals and many nuclear degrees of freedom near a metal surface, there is a natural embedding of the quantum-classical Liouville equation inside a classical master equation (QCLE-CME) to model nonadiabatic dynamics (J. Chem. Phys. 2016, 145, 054102). In this paper, we propose a variety of surface hopping algorithms for solving such a QCLE-CME. We find that an augmented surface hopping (A-SH) algorithm works well for propagating such nonadiabatic dynamics (near a metal surface). We expect the present algorithm will be very useful for modeling electrochemical problems in the future.
Memory selector devices and crossbar array design: a modeling-based assessment

Functional and scalable memory selector devices are essential for high-density memory and storage. This paper reviews the performance requirements and device options of two-terminal memory selectors for crossbar arrays. In a large crossbar array without appropriate selector devices, large number of sneak paths will significantly degrade the reading signal and writing conditions. Asymmetry and nonlinearity in selector device characteristics can both improve crossbar array operation by making sneak paths more resistive. Rectifying diodes, nonlinear devices, and volatile switches can provide basic selector functions; however, they also need to be balanced with memory elements and meet rigorous requirements in large arrays. Modeling plays an important role in the assessment of selector device function and crossbar array performance. This paper will review the selector device and crossbar array modeling approaches and summarize key observations. The design of large crossbar arrays with functional selector devices requires a comprehensive approach that incorporates device characteristics, array parameters, operation conditions, and application specifications.
Towards a free-floating wireless implantable optogenetic stimulating system

This paper presents a wirelessly-powered and free-floating implantable optogenetic stimulating (FF-WIOS) implant with negligible footprint and high power transfer efficiency (PTE). FF-WIOS ASIC with embedded μLED and reflective lens is expected to stimulate the target cortical neuronal ensembles at high temporal and spatial resolution with minimal damage and no tethering effects. To improve the PTE, and stay below the SAR limit, a flexible planar transmitter (Tx) resonator, L 2 , will be implanted under the scalp, but over the skull. The Tx coil, L 1 , embedded in a headstage, L 2 resonator, and a wire-bond receiver (Rx) coil, L 3 , wound around the FF-WIOS device, form a 3-coil inductive link operating at 135 MHz, which directly charges a surface-mount storage capacitor. At the onset of stimulation, the storage capacitor discharges into the μLED, while the stimulation parameters are sent to FF-WIOS by amplitude modulating of the power carrier. Post-layout simulation results show functionality of the storage capacitor charging, forward data transmission, and optogenetic stimulation with adjustable parameters.
Hand Compartment Syndrome

Acute hand compartment syndrome is a potentially devastating condition a hand surgeon may be called on to evaluate and treat. This pathophysiologic cascade of events that begins with an inciting event progresses to increased intracompartmental pressure, tissue necrosis, and resultant morbidity and potentially mortality. Many patients present with an altered sensorium, making the diagnosis challenging, requiring the clinician to rely on clinical findings and intracompartmental pressure measurements. The timing to definitive treatment with complete decompressive fasciotomies is critical to optimize patient outcomes. The goals of treatment are to prevent contracture, functional disability, and the loss of limb or life.
Association of high proliferation marker Ki-67 expression with DCEMR imaging features of breast: a large scale evaluation

One of the methods widely used to measure the proliferative activity of cells in breast cancer patients is the immunohistochemical (IHC) measurement of the percentage of cells stained for nuclear antigen Ki-67. Use of Ki-67 expression as a prognostic marker is still under investigation. However, numerous clinical studies have reported an association between a high Ki-67 and overall survival (OS) and disease free survival (DFS). On the other hand, to offer non-invasive alternative in determining Ki-67 expression, researchers have made recent attempts to study the association of Ki-67 expression with magnetic resonance (MR) imaging features of breast cancer in small cohorts (<30). Here, we present a large scale evaluation of the relationship between imaging features and Ki-67 score as: (a) we used a set of 450 invasive breast cancer patients, (b) we extracted a set of 529 imaging features of shape and enhancement from breast, tumor and fibroglandular tissue of the patients, (c) used a subset of patients as the training set to select features and trained a multivariate logistic regression model to predict high versus low Ki-67 values, and (d) we validated the performance of the trained model in an independent test set using the area-under the receiver operating characteristics (ROC) curve (AUC) of the values predicted. Our model was able to predict high versus low Ki-67 in the test set with an AUC of 0.67 (95% CI: 0.58-0.75, p<1.1e-04). Thus, a moderate strength of association of Ki-67 values and MRextracted imaging features was demonstrated in our experiments.
Angina and Ischemia in Women with No Obstructive Coronary Artery Disease

Ischemic heart disease (IHD) continues to be a major health threat to women worldwide. Sex-specific differences in IHD presentation, pathophysiology, treatment, and outcomes have increasingly been identified. While IHD care has focused around detection and treatment of obstructive coronary artery disease (CAD), it is clear that symptomatic patients with evidence of ischemia do not always have obstructive CAD. This problem appears to disproportionately impact women; compared to men, women who present with acute coronary syndrome/unstable angina as well as stable angina are more likely to have non-obstructive CAD on coronary angiography, and yet have a high IHD morbidity and mortality. Data indicates that coronary microvascular dysfunction (CMD), due to endothelial and non-endothelial dependent mechanisms, may be an explanation in at least half of these symptomatic women who have evidence of myocardial ischemia. CMD is associated with adverse cardiovascular outcomes, including myocardial infarction, stroke, and heart failure. This chapter focuses on CMD diagnosis and treatment (pharmacological and non-pharmacological approaches) in women with no obstructive CAD.
Robust Landsat-based crop time series modelling

Abstract Reliable satellite monitoring of agriculture is often difficult because surface variations occur rapidly compared to the cloud-free satellite observation frequency. Harmonic time series models, i.e., superimposed sequences of sines and cosines, have an established provenance for fitting satellite vegetation index time series to coarse resolution satellite data, but their application to medium resolution Landsat data for crop monitoring has been limited. Non-linear harmonic models have been shown to perform well over agricultural sites using single-year Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) time series, but have not been explored with Landsat data. The 2017 availability of Landsat Analysis Ready Data (ARD) over the United States provides the opportunity to investigate the utility of temporally rich Landsat data for 30 m pixel-level crop monitoring. In this paper, the capability of 5- and 7-parameter linear harmonic models and a 5-parameter non-linear harmonic model applied to a year of Landsat 5 Thematic Mapper (TM) and Landsat 7 Enhanced Thematic Mapper Plus (ETM+) ARD is investigated. The analysis is undertaken over six sites, each defined by a 5000 × 5000 30 m pixel ARD tile, that together include the major conterminous United States (CONUS) crops identified by inspection of the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) Cropland Data Layer (CDL). The model fits are evaluated as the root mean square difference (RMSD) between the fitted and the observed Landsat data. Considering locations with at least 21 annual Landsat observations, the 7-parameter linear harmonic model (tile mean crop NDVI RMSD values ranging from 0.052 to 0.072) and the 5-parameter non-linear harmonic model (tile mean crop NDVI RMSD values ranging from 0.054 to 0.074) are shown to be able to fit annual Landsat NDVI time series for most CONUS crops, whereas the 5-parameter linear harmonic model cannot (tile mean crop NDVI RMSD values ranging from 0.072 to 0.099). If there are between 15 and 20 annual Landsat observations, the 5-parameter non-linear harmonic model is recommended for fitting annual NDVI crop time series, and if there are ≥21 observations, then either the 5-parameter non-linear or the 7-parameter linear model can be used. The 7-parameter model had marginally smaller mean NDVI RMSD values but larger standard deviations than the 5-parameter non-linear model, likely due to the relative robustness of the non-linear model to over-fitting and oscillations. None of the models could reliably fit crops with multiple stages, such as alfalfa, that are insufficiently sampled using combined Landsat 5 TM and Landsat 7 ETM+ time series. Given the utility of the growing season peak NDVI for crop yield applications, the date and magnitude of the model fitted peak NDVI are compared to quantify model reporting differences. The differences between the 7-parameter linear and the 5-parameter non-linear harmonic models are not large. For each ARD tile, the mean absolute differences in the estimated peak NDVI days varied from
Systems with Link Flexibility

This chapter uses spatial operators to formulate the SKO dynamics and develop efficient recursive algorithms for systems with non-rigid links. Spacecraft and other lightweight structures are important examples of flexible multibody systems. Refer- ences [22,26,35,64,65,118,169] describe approaches to modeling the dynamics of flexible multibody systems with Banerjee [21] providing a historical survey of the field. For the sake of simpler exposition, we will focus on a canonical serial-chain system, though generalizations to more general topologies systems along the lines discussed in Chap. 9 are straightforward.
Investigations of a complete pore structure analysis

Abstract A method is offered for determining the pore volume and pore surface distributions of micropores, i.e., pores having widths of the order of 16 A or less. The method is an extension of the “t-method” of de Boer and his co-workers, and the authors have named it micropore analysis method or “MP-method.” The volumes, surfaces, and hydraulic radii of groups of pores are calculated from the downward deviations of the straight line in the de Boer vl − t plot. Certain problems connected with the method are discussed. The application of the method is illustrated with the analysis of the pores of a silica gel that contains only micropores. Evidence is offered that the BET surface gives a correct value for the entire surface of the silica gel accessible to nitrogen.
Characteristics and Timing of Interhospital Transfers of Emergency General Surgery Patients.

Abstract Background Transferred emergency general surgery (EGS) patients have increased morbidity, mortality, and costs, yet little is known about the characteristics of such transfers. Increasing specialization and a decreasing general surgery workforce have led to concerns about access to care, which may lead to increased transfers. We sought to evaluate the reasons for and timing of transfers for EGS diagnoses. Methods We performed a retrospective medical record review of patients transferred to a tertiary academic medical center between January 4, 2014 and March 31, 2016 who had an EGS diagnosis (bowel obstruction, appendicitis, cholecystitis/cholangitis/choledocholithiasis, diverticulitis, mesenteric ischemia, perforated viscus, or postoperative surgical complication). Results Three hundred thirty-four patients were transferred from 70 hospitals. Transfer reasons varied with the majority due to the need for specialized services (44.3%) or a surgeon (26.6%). Imaging was performed in 95.8% and 35.3% had surgeon contact before transfer. The percentage of patients who underwent procedures at referring facilities was 7.5% (n = 25), while 60.6% (n = 83) underwent procedures following transfer. Mean time between transfer request and arrival at the accepting hospital was lower for patients who subsequently underwent a procedure at the accepting hospital compared to those who did not for patients originating in emergency departments (2.6 versus 3.4 h, P Conclusions Interhospital transfers for EGS conditions are frequently motivated by a need for a higher level of care or specialized services as well as a need for a general surgeon. Understanding reasons for transfers can inform decisions regarding the allocation and provision of care for this vulnerable population.
Alcohol-related effects of POST-9/11 discrimination in the context of the great recession: Race/ethnic variation.

Abstract Objectives This study examined whether race/ethnic variation in discrimination is differentially associated with economic adversity during the period of the Great Recession for Blacks and Latinos compared to non-Hispanic Whites, thereby contributing to higher rates of alcohol use and problematic drinking among these groups. Methods Structural equation modeling was used to analyze data from a national mail survey. Results The association of 9/11-related discrimination with problem-related drinking substantially derives from the association between 9/11-related discrimination and recession-era economic adversity. The association between 9/11-related discrimination and economic adversity is also significantly greater for Blacks and Latinos compared to non-Hispanic Whites, and is more strongly linked with problem-related drinking for both groups in contrast to non-Hispanic Whites. Conclusions Overall, the results demonstrate the sustained association of 9/11-related discrimination with alcohol use for Blacks and Latinos compared to non-Hispanic Whites, as well as the differential impact of the Great Recession for these race/ethnic groups. The findings highlight the need to acknowledge macro-level stressors that disproportionately affect disadvantaged groups, such as those occasioned by discriminatory legislation and social policies.
Revolution in Law: Contributions to the Legal Development of Soviet Legal Theory, 1917-38 : Contributions to the Legal Development of Soviet Legal Theory, 1917-38

The essays in this volume reassess pre-revolutionary Russian legal culture, the debates of the 1920s over the role of law under socialism, and the abrupt and bloody termination of the debate which took place in the 1930s.
The modern evolution of geomorphology - Binghamton and personal perspectives, 1970-2019 and beyond

Abstract The annual Binghamton Geomorphology Symposia (BGS) began in 1970, initiated by Professors Donald R. Coates and Marie Morisawa of the State University of New York at Binghamton. The 50 BGS meeting topics through 2019 can be organized into five general themes, as follows: (1) Applications; (2) Methods; (3) Process and Form; (4) History, Philosophy, and Theory; (5) Systems. My own geomorphological research can be divided among these themes, though it has not always been in tune with any prevailing paradigm. The experience of the BGS meetings suggests that the immediate future of geomorphology will follow current trends involving technological advances in such areas as geochronology, geospatial analysis, lidar mapping, computer simulation, and systems-based predictive modeling. For the longer term it may be that the research frontiers will lie in outer and inner space, with the former involving the discovery and analysis of the surfaces of Earth-like planets within and beyond our own solar system. The challenges of inner space may be even more profound as they are imposed against the background of rapidly accelerating advances in artificial intelligence.
The meninges enhance leukemia survival in cerebral spinal fluid

Abstract Central nervous system (CNS) relapse is a common cause of treatment failure in patients with acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) despite current CNS-directed therapies that are also associated with significant short and long-term toxicities. Herein, we showed that leukemia cells exhibit decreased proliferation, elevated reactive oxygen species (ROS), and increased cell death in CSF both in vitro and in vivo. However, interactions between leukemia and meningeal cells mitigated these adverse effects. This work expands our understanding of the pathophysiology of CNS leukemia and suggests novel therapeutic approaches for more effectively targeting leukemia cells in the CNS.
Perú 2018: la precariedad política en tiempos de Lava Jato

Este articulo presenta un analisis de los principales eventos politicos del 2018. Tras la renuncia de Pedro Pablo Kuczynski (ppk) se dio inicio al primer ano de mandato de Martin Vizcarra. Su gobierno enfrento numerosos escandalos alimentados por el caso Lava Jato, resultando en la detencion de politicos clave (incluyendo a los expresidentes ppk y Ollanta Humala) y la transformacion de los tres poderes del Estado. Ademas, una serie de audios destaparon una red de trafico de influencias dentro del Poder Judicial que involucra la proteccion de politicos y la negociacion de puestos y reduccion de penas. Como respuesta, el gobierno de Vizcarra impulso una serie de reformas institucionales via referendum, las cuales se enmarcan en un contexto de precariedad institucional.
Principle and experimental results of ultra-wideband noise radar imaging of a cylindrical conducting object using diffraction tomography

In this paper, the principle, simulation, and experiment results of tomographic imaging of a cylindrical conducting object using random noise waveforms are presented. Theoretical analysis of scattering and the image reconstruction technique are developed based on physical optics approximation and Fourier diffraction tomography, respectively. The bistatic radar system is designed to transmit band-limited ultra-wideband (UWB) random noise waveforms at a fixed position, and a linear scanner allows a single receiving antenna to move along a horizontal axis for backward scattering measurement in the frequency range from 3–5 GHz. The reconstructed tomographic image of the rotating cylindrical conducting object based on experimental results are seen to be in good agreement with the simulation results, which demonstrates the capability of UWB noise radar for complete two-dimensional tomographic image reconstruction of a cylindrical conducting object.
In Search of Cognitive Promotive and Protective Factors for Word Reading.

This study examined whether strong cognitive skills (i.e. vocabulary, rapid naming, verbal working memory [VWM], and processing speed [PS]) contributed to resilience in single-word reading skills i...
Transgenic Animal Models for Alzheimer's Disease

The neuropathology of Alzheimer's disease is characterized by the deposition of abnormal protein aggregates. The main constituent of the deposition is beta-amyloid protein. A seminal role of this protein is supported by the discovery of point mutations in the gene of its precursor protein in certain forms of familial Alzheimer's disease. In vitro (cultured neuronal cells), overexpression of the precursor protein or a part of the precursor leads to degeneration of neurons, suggesting neurotoxicity of its derivatives. At this time, all of the reported transgenic mice bearing DNA construct for the precursor or a part of the precursor, however, have not developed convincing pathological changes similar to what is observed in patients with Alzheimer's disease. This interesting discrepancy between in vitro and in vivo suggests suppressors in vivo which ameliorate beta-amyloid precursor protein derivative-mediated neurotoxicity.
Anchoring on Historical Round Number Reference Points: Expert Experience Corrects for Pricing Bias while Market Forces Do Not

Buyers typically strive to negotiate low prices for durable goods. Psychologically-salient round number reference points (e.g., $10,000) influence these purchasing decisions. However, existing research does not capture how these historical reference points influence the anchoring effect of previous sales prices on future valuations. We argue that the anchoring effect of prior sales prices on subsequent prices is discontinuous at round numbers, such that it matters disproportionately whether a previous sales price reached a round-number threshold. Buyers paying a price just below a round number may sacrifice money because they receive disproportionately less when reselling the good. We further argue that while market forces are unlikely to attenuate this effect, highly-experienced professional intermediaries may. Using data on over 13,000 repeat real estate transactions, we find that home buyers who previously paid just under a $10,000 reference point subsequently list and sell their homes for about 1.3 percent (over $2000) less on average than do buyers selling comparable homes who previously paid at or above a round number threshold. This drop is observable controlling for home characteristics and the general relationship between previous and current prices. Buyers who cross a $10,000 threshold by paying $1000 more therefore would earn a return of 215%. An experiment with 1010 participants replicates these findings and increases confidence in causality. Market mechanisms, the negotiation process, and organizational support provided to intermediaries does not correct substantively for these discontinuities: Lower initial listing prices persist to final sales prices. However, using a highly-experienced agent attenuates intergenerational pricing bias.
Search for the real McCoy: Authorship Attribution

A person’s writing style is an example of a behavioral biometric identity. The words used by certain individuals, distinctive structuring of the sentences, personification of vocabulary, writing discipline and articulation of theory can often be used to link a piece of written work. Authorship attribution is one of the oldest problems in linguistics which also became one of the most important ones to be solved with the rise of modern statistics, machine learning and natural language processing. Authorship attribution is defined as an attempt to identify if the testing corpus has been written by the aforementioned author or not using their stylometric fingerprint. Here the proposed research discusses in detail about solving this challenging problem of identifying patterns in text using multiclass classification techniques coupled with Radial Basis Function. The proposed model yields state-of-the-art performance on several data sets, containing either formal texts written by a closed set of authors or informal texts generated by thousands of online users. Further discuss on the applicability of such novel algorithm in cases like email authorship verification and others are also carried out. Finally the findings have been formulated as a set of recommendation for best practices.
Lifetime heavy drinking years predict alcohol use disorder severity over and above current alcohol use.

Background: Preclinical studies demonstrate that chronic and heavy alcohol use facilitates neuroadaptations that perpetuate addiction-like behaviors. In clinical studies, it is unclear whether the extent of heavy alcohol use over the lifetime contributes to alcohol use disorder (AUD) severity over and above current alcohol use patterns (i.e. last 30 days to 3-months). Such information may improve our understanding of the phenomenology of AUD.Objectives: The purpose of this study was to examine lifetime heavy drinking years in relation to a clinical assessment of AUD.Methods: Participants, who were non-treatment-seeking and engaged in heavy drinking (n = 140; 50% male), completed an interview-based assessment of lifetime regular and heavy drinking years along with a battery of measures indexing alcohol use and problems, drinking motives, and depression and anxiety symptomatology.Results: Lifetime heavy drinking years was positively associated with lifetime regular drinking years, current alcohol use, alcohol problems, tonic alcohol craving, drinking for the enhancing effects of alcohol, and drinking to cope (r's = .21-.58). Adjusting for lifetime regular drinking years and current alcohol use, lifetime heavy drinking years predicted higher scores on the Alcohol Use Disorder Identification Test (AUDIT; B = .382; SE = .123). A multivariate logistic regression found that lifetime heavy drinking years predicted greater odds of more severe AUD over and above current alcohol use (OR = 1.147).Conclusion: Our findings suggest that lifetime heavy drinking years are a clinically meaningful indicator of AUD severity that is not redundant with current alcohol use measures.
Concurrent deferred reference counting with constant-time overhead

We present a safe automatic memory reclamation approach for concurrent programs, and show that it is both theoretically and practically efficient. Our approach combines ideas from referencing counting and hazard pointers in a novel way to implement concurrent reference counting with wait-free, constant-time overhead. It overcomes the limitations of previous approaches by significantly reducing modifications to, and hence contention on, the reference counts. Furthermore, it is safer and easier to use than manual approaches. Our technique involves using a novel generalization of hazard pointers to defer reference-count decrements until no other process can be incrementing them, and to defer or elide reference-count increments for short-lived references. We have implemented the approach as a C++ library and compared it experimentally to several methods including existing atomic reference-counting libraries and state-of-the art manual techniques. Our results indicate that our technique is faster than existing reference-counting implementations, and competitive with manual memory reclamation techniques. More importantly, it is significantly safer than manual techniques since objects are reclaimed automatically.
Chronic social isolation signals starvation and reduces sleep in Drosophila.

Social isolation and loneliness have potent effects on public health1–4. Research in social psychology suggests that compromised sleep quality is a key factor that links persistent loneliness to adverse health conditions5,6. Although experimental manipulations have been widely applied to studying the control of sleep and wakefulness in animal models, how normal sleep is perturbed by social isolation is unknown. Here we report that chronic, but not acute, social isolation reduces sleep in Drosophila. We use quantitative behavioural analysis and transcriptome profiling to differentiate between brain states associated with acute and chronic social isolation. Although the flies had uninterrupted access to food, chronic social isolation altered the expression of metabolic genes and induced a brain state that signals starvation. Chronically isolated animals exhibit sleep loss accompanied by overconsumption of food, which resonates with anecdotal findings of loneliness-associated hyperphagia in humans. Chronic social isolation reduces sleep and promotes feeding through neural activities in the peptidergic fan-shaped body columnar neurons of the fly. Artificial activation of these neurons causes misperception of acute social isolation as chronic social isolation and thereby results in sleep loss and increased feeding. These results present a mechanistic link between chronic social isolation, metabolism, and sleep, addressing a long-standing call for animal models focused on loneliness7. Behavioural and transcriptomic analyses show that chronic social isolation of Drosophila causes perturbed sleep and increased feeding, and induces a starvation-like brain state.
Systematic review of diagnostic criteria for IBS demonstrates poor validity and utilization of Rome III

Background In the absence of a clear biomarker for irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), clinical criteria are used. In this study, we conduct a systematic review to examine the validation and utilization of IBS criteria. Methods A systematic review was performed in two stages. The first was a review of literature from 1978 validating IBS diagnostic criteria. The second stage of review was to select studies published in IBS between 1992 and 2011. This time period was divided into three segments (Rome I era from 1992 to 1999, Rome II era from 2000 to 2006, and Rome III era from 2007 to 2011). The number and type of study (RCT or other) and criteria used were evaluated for each era. Key Results The first stage of the systematic review identified only 14 published studies validating diagnostic tests for IBS (with three studies evaluating more than one criterion). There were eight validations for Manning, three validations for Kruis, four validations for Rome I, three validations for Rome II, and no validation for Rome III. In the second review of utilization of Rome criteria, only 25.7% of published IBS papers used Rome III criteria during the Rome III era (Rome II was used most in 64.8% of studies). Conclusions & Inferences This review identified that comparator groups varied widely between studies making comparison of criteria impossible. Manning criteria are the most valid and accurate criteria. More importantly, Rome III is not validated and is poorly adopted in clinical research trial enrollment.
Coming in through the Out Door

There’s a rock group that sings a song called ‘‘In Through the Out Door.’’ Not that I’m a fan of theirs, but I thought of it recently as I prepare to rotate off the ALA’s board of directors and as your outgoing president. What’s so ‘‘in’’ about being ‘‘out’’? Well, if you haven’t looked around lately, there’s a tremendous amount of progress that your board of directors has made during the past two years. And it’s progress that is bound to reshape and revamp ALA for many years to come. Let’s start from an organizational point of view. For the first time in our history, we have a professional and experienced chief administrative officer running the organization. Greg Dummer has made an immediate and strong impact in elevating the way ALA runs itself and in enhancing our value to members and to the industry. Under Greg’s leadership, we have built a capable staff organization to support our members and our leadership initiatives. Once run almost solely by volunteers, ALA now has a very experienced group of professionals guiding our professional affairs. Then there are programmatic achievements that have occurred, all geared to better serving the community of laboratory automation professionals. These include: A new agreement with Elsevier to publish the Journal of the Association for Laboratory Automation (JALA). Our goal is to make JALA the premier journal in the field of laboratory automation.
The multicentric origin of carcinoma in situ of the cervix; case report.

Abstract The multicentricity of carcinoma of the cervix is occasionally mentioned in the current literature on the subject. Most authors seem to accept this postulate, but the evidence for it is scanty. The purpose of this case report is to present supportive evidence for the supposition of a multicentric origin of carcinoma in situ of the cervix and to demonstrate that in this case a conization of the cervix would have been inadequate as a curative procedure.
Parameter identification of photovoltaic cell/module using genetic algorithm (GA) and particle swarm optimization (PSO)

Parameter identification of a photovoltaic (PV) cell is essential to simulate the behavior and to optimize the different characteristics of the PV generator. Therefore, the prediction of the PV system behavior will be possible; this allows a better energy management and a good operation reliability. There are several models that express the physical behavior of a PV cell to reproduce well the I-V curve in real conditions. In this paper, we focus on metaheuristic methods; two algorithms were used and compared, Genetic Algorithm (GA) and Particle Swarm method (PSO) with experimental results.
Studies on the enzymic decomposition of urocanic acid. VI. Properties of the enzyme catalyzing the oxidation of 4(5)-imidazolone-5(4)-propionic acid to L-hydantoin-5-propionic acid.

Abstract The enzyme catalyzing the oxidation of imidazolonepropionic acid to hydantoinpropionic acid has been purified about 240-fold from guinea pig liver. A study has been made of some of its properties and of the reaction which it catalyzes. The enzyme exhibits a pH optimum at pH 5.8 and a Michaelis constant of 5 × 10−4 m . It is inhibited by cyanide and to an even greater extent by atabrine, but is insensitive to EDTA. Preparations of the enzyme contained FAD, but this could not be removed without loss of enzymic activity; the addition of FAD to the inactive enzyme did not restore activity. The formation of hydantoinpropionic acid involves the net uptake of 1 μ atom of oxygen per micromole of product formed.
ROV based tool sled for the placement of fiber optic cable between benthic instrument nodes

The Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute (MBARI) has committed to the novel and technically ambitious Canyon Dynamics Project. Canyon Dynamics represents a dual effort by science and engineering. Science, to understand the physical processes of submarine canyons as conduits for transporting materials from continents to the deep sea. Engineering, to develop the tools necessary to accomplish this goal. The key elements are instrumented platforms deployed in the axis of the Monterey Bay Canyon at depths of 250 and 500 meters, located 10 kilometers apart. These RINs (remote instrument nodes) and BINs (benthic inter connect nodes) will be connected with a fiber optic/power cable and establish a network that can measure the currents, suspended sediments concentrations, salinity, and temperature at these sites. This technology will act as building blocks for MOOS (MBARI Ocean Observatory System, MARS (Monterey Accessible Research System, and NEPTUNE projects. This presentation will deal specifically with the design, building, testing, and deployment of a ROV based tool sled constructed for the placement of this cable on the seabed and interconnections with the RIN/BIN platforms. The design includes; integration with the ROV Ventana, meet operational weight constraints, the ability to (pick up, drop, and reacquire the cable spool), support the vehicle's Schilling Titan III manipulator, monitor cable payout speed and distance and a variable ballast system controlled by the amount of cable deployed. Currently the core sled is complete and the peripherals are under construction. Testing has begun with the ROV Ventana and the cable laying tool sled, in the MBARI test tank, performing interconnects with an instrumented RIN platform. Further testing will continue through summer with RIN/BIN deployment taking place in June and cable laying scheduled for this fall.
Introduction to Evidence-Based Mobile and Web Health Design and Analysis Minitrack

The objective of this minitrack is to address the challenges facing mobile and Internet-based health-related applications and devices. Healthcare professionals and consumers alike are vulnerable to unproven methods that have not been subjected to testing for usability, efficacy, effectiveness, or positive outcomes. The papers in this minitrack explore ways to encourage adherence to treatment protocols, employment and engagement of persons with disabilities, improve monitoring of communicable diseases, and design interactions that draw on patients as stakeholders.
Anionic polymerization of caprolactam. Optimization of the system NaH/N‐benzoyl caprolactam

The effects of changes in concentration of sodium hydride as catalyst, and N-benzoyl caprolactam as cocatalyst upon the polymerization of e-caprolactam were studied. The effects were monitored as changes in the intrinsic viscosity of the resultant polymer determined in m-cresol at 25°C. Effects of changes in polymerization temperature at constant catalyst and cocatalyst concentration were also studied. Reproducibility of a given average molecular weight was variable. The highest value of intrinsic viscosity resulted from the lowest cocatalyst concentration studied. Intrinsic viscosity of the product reached a peak at 1.8 mol-% catalyst for 1 and 2 mol-% cocatalyst, but no clear peak occurred at the higher cocatalyst concentrations studied. The highest intrinsic viscosity resulted from the lowest polymerization temperature in the range from 120–200°C. Der Einflus der Konzentration von Natriumhydrid als Katalysator und N-Benzoylcaprolactam als Cokatalysator auf die Polymerisation von e-Caprolactam wurde untersucht. Dazu wurde die Anderung der Grenzviskositatszahl der entstandenen Polymeren in m-Kresol bei 25°C bestimmt. Auch der Einflus der Polymerisationstemperatur wurde bei konstanter Konzentration von Katalysator und Cokatalysator auf die gleiche Weise untersucht. Obwohl die Reproduzierbarkeit der mittleren Molekulargewichte schwankte, kann man die folgenden Aussagen machen: Der hochste Wert der Viskositatszahl wurde fur die niedrigste Konzentration des Cokatalysators erhalten. Die Viskositatszahl der Polymeren erreichte einen Maximalwert bei einer Katalysatorkonzentration von 1,8 mol-% fur Cokatalysatorkonzentrationen von 1 und 2 mol-%, jedoch ergab sich bei hoheren Konzentrationen an Cokatalysator kein klares Maximum. Im Bereich von 120–200°C ergab sich die hochste Viskositatszahl fur die niedrigste Polymerisationstemperatur.
Up and Down with the Agrarian Question: Issue Attention and Land Reform in Contemporary Brazil

The two most recent Brazilian presidents have both surprised observers with their land reform programs but for very different reasons. Despite presiding over a center-right government with strong ties to large landowners and a state-shrinking economic program, Fernando Henrique Cardoso implemented easily the largest rural land redistribution in Brazilian history. As the leader of a leftist party and a historic champion of radical land reform, Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva seemed to have sterling pro-land reform credentials. Yet Lula's program has, by some key measures, fallen well short of Cardoso's. This article attempts to explain these two anomalous outcomes. Drawing on Downs’ concept of the “issue-attention cycle,” it argues that the trajectory of land reform under Cardoso and Lula largely reflects the impact of a variable rarely cited in analyses of Brazilian politics: public issue saliency. This argument holds implications for both the future of land reform in Brazil and our broader understanding of the Brazilian political system.
CARDIOMYOPATHY IN INFANTS OF A2 DIABETIC MOTHERS: AN ECHOCARDIOGRAPHIC STUDY. 111

Cardiac abnormalities including cardiomyopathy, altered diastolic function and congenital heart disease have been described in infants of diabetic mothers. It has been shown that control of maternal diabetes has a direct influence on the incidence of these complications. In order to determine whether treatment of A2 diabetic mothers with insulin will have added beneficial effect on neonatal cardiac outcome, sixty A2 diabetic subjects were randomly controlled with either diet or insulin during pregnancy. Forty-eight infants of these diabetic mothers (25 from the insulin group, 23 from the diet group) underwent echocardiographic examination during the first 48 hours of life, including M-mode, two-dimensional imaging, and pulsed Doppler interrogation using a 5 Mhz transducer. Variables included heart rate, cardiac anatomy, ventricular wall thickness, left atrial (LA) and ascending aorta (Aao) in diastole. Pulsed wave Doppler interrogation of tricuspid and mitral valve inflows were recorded to measure peak E and A velocities, E deceleration half time, and area under E and A portions of the diastolic velocity-time integral. Pulsed Doppler interrogation at aortic outflow was obtained to measure peak interventricular septal thickness/left ventricular posterior wall thickness, left ventricular ejection fraction, E/A, and cardiac index.
Rotatory and horizontal vibrations of a circular surface footing on a saturated elastic half-space

The forced vibration of a liquid-filled, porous, elastic half-space produced by rotatory and horizontal oscillations of a circular surface footing is reduced to the solutions of Fredholm integral equations of the second kind. The circular footing is modeled by a pervious, weightless, rigid disk of negligible thickness. For a medium consisting of dense sand saturated by ground water, numerical solutions of the integral equations are obtained to reveal the variations of the impedance functions with the exciting frequency and the material parameters (permeability and Poisson's ratio). Comparison with the response of the dry soil is also discussed. In the rocking oscillation case, the presence of the ground water is found to influence the magnitude and shape of the impedance functions and may need to be considered in applicable soil-structure interaction problems. In the horizontal vibration case, however, marginal influence of the pore water is found to affect the response of the medium.