cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Describing 1-D intensity transitions with Gaussian derivatives at the resolutions matching the transition widths

A full description of image edges requires a complete characterization of their local intensity transitions, the spatial structure of those transitions, and a description of adjacent image regions. The authors propose, as a step toward this end, a 1-D algorithm for describing local intensity transitions by their Gaussian derivatives at a resolution where the support of the Gaussian smoothing matches their widths (blur). The algorithm estimates the transition width from the second derivative of 1-D Gaussian response zero-crossing slope and leads to a characterization of the transition with its first three derivatives at the resolution matching the width. The authors describe how this algorithm can be applied to images and give an example. >
Little Hans and Freud's self-analysis: a biographical view of clinical theory in the making.

For nearly a century, Freud's "Analysis of a Phobia in a Five-year-old Boy" has been read mainly--if often critically--with Freud's conscious aim in mind: providing evidence for the central importance of oedipal conflict. Material recently released by the Freud Archives casts new light on Freud's treatment of Hans's mother, Olga Graf (nee Honig)--which began at the height of his self-analysis in 1897--and of Hans himself. Read in the enriched context of new information from Eissler's interviews with Max Graf and Herbert Graf, two texts--Freud's 1897 letters to Fliess and the 1909 case history--illuminate possible personal motives for Freud's insistence on the primacy of oedipal conflict.
Putting it Simply: a Context-Aware Approach to Lexical Simplification

We present a method for lexical simplification. Simplification rules are learned from a comparable corpus, and the rules are applied in a context-aware fashion to input sentences. Our method is unsupervised. Furthermore, it does not require any alignment or correspondence among the complex and simple corpora. We evaluate the simplification according to three criteria: preservation of grammaticality, preservation of meaning, and degree of simplification. Results show that our method outperforms an established simplification baseline for both meaning preservation and simplification, while maintaining a high level of grammaticality.
Control-relevant estimation of demand models for closed-loop control of a production-inventory system

The development of control-oriented decision policies for inventory management in supply chains has received considerable interest in recent years, and demand modeling to supply forecasts for these policies is an important component of an effective solution to this problem. Drawing from the problem of control-relevant parameter estimation, this paper presents an approach for demand modeling in a production-inventory system that relies on a control-relevant weight to tailor the emphasis of the fit to the intended purpose of the model, which is to provide forecast signals tactical inventory management policies based on Internal Model Control. The formulation is multi-objective in nature, allowing the user to emphasize inventory variation, starts change variation, or a weighted combination. By integrating the demand modeling and inventory control problems, it is possible to obtain reduced-order demand models that exhibit superior performance. A systematic approach for generating these weights is presented and the benefits resulting from their use demonstrated on a representative production-inventory system case study.
The Black Sheep of Clinical Ethics: Home Health Ethics Services:

The way health care services are delivered today is dramatically different from how they were delivered just a few decades ago, yet we have done little to rethink how ethics services should accommodate those changes. As hospital systems are growing bigger through mergers and joint ventures, they are absorbing home health agencies in their efforts to provide a wider range of services. The vital function of peer support that home health ethics committees provide will be lost if they are also absorbed by institutional committees. If at all possible, home health agencies should maintain their own ethics committees or at least their own ethics teams.
Distributive Power Control and Rate Adaptation Link Scheduling in Wireless Mesh Networks

In this paper, a new distributive heuristic algorithm is developed for maximizing the network throughput in adaptive power and rate spatial-TDMA networks. At each step of our algorithm, the link with highest current receive-SINR in its 2-hop neighborhood is included in the schedule for the underlying time slot, configuring its Modulation/Coding Scheme so that it transmits at the highest feasible power and rate. The winning link announces its power margin to its neighbors. The receivers of unscheduled links calculate the maximum potential SINR at which their link could operate if scheduled next. The next set of winners is then selected. The process repeats until the power margin of transmitting links doesn't allow more additions to the schedule at the underlying time-slot. Simulation results show the performance of the distributive algorithm to be within 5-10% of that exhibited by our recently developed centralized algorithms, while inducing a much lower computational complexity.
Fetal substrate uptake during increased ovine fetal cortisol concentration

Corticosteroid administration adversely affects fetal growth and consequently, unless metabolic rate increases (thereby increasing the need for fetal metabolic substrates), reduces fetal need for exogenous substrates. To find whether the uptake of all or only certain metabolic substrates was affected by fetal hypercortisolemia, we measured exogenous uptake of glucose, lactate, and alpha-amino nitrogen during fetal hypercortisolemia in seven late-gestation sheep fetuses. Hydrocortisone infusion increased fetal cortisol concentrations from normal to values usually associated with late gestation (4.3 +/- 0.9 vs. 72.5 +/- 5.0 ng/ml; P < 0.001). In association with increased fetal cortisol concentration, both fetal metabolic rate and the uptakes of glucose and lactate remained constant. However, the uptake of alpha-amino nitrogen-containing substances fell (39.6 +/- 3.1 vs. 28.5 +/- 3.4 mumol.kg-1.min-1; P < 0.002) as did the proportion of metabolic rate (0.45 +/- 0.04 vs. 0.32 +/- 0.04; P < 0.002) that could be supported by metabolism of these substances. The proportion of fetal metabolic rate that could be supported by complete metabolism of all substrates taken up across the placenta decreased (1.09 +/- 0.07 vs. 0.95 +/- 0.06; P < 0.02). In conclusion, hypercortisolemia alters the composition of oxidative substrates taken up by the sheep fetus and decreases total fetal substrate uptake. These changes occur within hours of exposure to increased cortisol concentration.
Atmospheric Components of the Arctic Ocean Hydrologic Budget Assessed from Rawinsonde Data

The characteristics of precipitation minus evaporation (P-E) for the north Polar Cap (the region north of 70°N), the Arctic Ocean and a Central Arctic Ocean domain are examined by applying the aerological method to rawinsonde data collected between 1973 and 1995. Regional estimates of mean precipitation (P) are obtained using an improved climatology, and evaporation (E) is calculated as a residual. Annual mean P-E, P and E for the Polar Cap are estimated at 161 mm, 279 mm and 118 mm, respectively. Corresponding values for the Arctic Ocean are 153 mm, 252 mm and 99 mm compared to 174 mm, 202 mm and 28 mm for the Central Arctic Ocean. The latter domain excludes the Kara and Barents seas. For all three domains, mean P-E is positive for every month with a winter-half minimum and a late summer and autumn maximum. Precipitation also exhibits a summer maximum, indicating that P is largely a function of the large-scale moisture convergence. This seasonality contrasts sharply with the major terrestrial drainages, which tend to show a summer minimum in P-E and a summer maximum in P, indicating that summer precipitation is strongly related to within-region recycling of water vapor. None of the three domains show trends in P-E. For any season, large values are favored by situations leading to above-average moisture inflows along the Atlantic sector. Our estimate of mean P-E for the Polar Cap is lower than estimates based on gridded wind and moisture fields from “reanalysis” projects.
Does salivary gland dysfunction occur after rhTSH-aided remnant ablation with low dose I-131?

2528 Objectives Salivary gland damage is a common adverse effect of high dose radioiodine therapy for thyroid cancer. Recently, it has been reported that remnant ablation using rhTSH stimulation and low dose I-131(30mCi) is as effective as that with conventional high dose (100mCi) administration. Aim of the study was to investigate whether adverse effects against salivary glands are observed after rhTSH aided low dose ablation. Methods 36 patients with post-surgical papillary thyroid cancer, who were to undergo first remnant ablation under rhTSH stimulation with 30mCi of I-131, were enrolled. None of the patients had previous history of salivary gland disorders, diabetes, or collagen tissue diseases. Salivary gland scintigraphy(SGS) was performed within one month before ablation and 4 to 5 months after ablation to assess parenchymal and excretoy fanction. Both scan images and timeactivity curves for major 4 salivary glands were evaluated. Clinical symptoms were evaluated using a visual analogue scale. Whole body and neck images of I-131 were acquired 3 days after I-131 ingestion. Uptake of I-131 in the major 4 glands was evaluated and classified as (-), (±), (+), and (++). The relationship among SGS, symptom, and I-131 uptake was investigated. Results None of the patients showed abnormal findings on the preablation SGS. Radioiodine uptake was (-) in 36 glands, (±) in 56 glands,(+) in 32 glands, and (++) in 20 glands, respectively. 2 patients (5%) showed abnormal findings on the postablation SGS.One showed decreased parenchymal uptake associated with persistent pain in the unilateral parotid gland. Another showed obstructive pattern in te unilateral parotid gland without any symptoms of sialoadenitis. I-131 uptake in the affected gland was (+) in both patients. Conclusions Although frequency of the event seems fewer than that with high-dose therapy, rhTSH-aided ablation with low dose I-131 may be associated with subseguent salivary gland damages. Further study with larger population will be warranted to determine effect of low dose I-131 for on salivary gland function.
Comment: Response to “On the Grounds of Parental Consent in Determining the Treatment of Defective Newborns”

Professor Donchin has presented an excellent discussion of some of the issues involved in the area of parental consent for defective newborn infants. Yet she has provided us no final decision on what one is to do at 3:00 in the morning in the newborn intensive care unit when a decision is required in the next 60 minutes. I, too, have no solid answers to this problem but I would like to present two sets of comments. First I would make some remarks regarding the five issues presented by Professor Donchin regarding parents as decision-makers; then I would like to point out some of the advantages and problems relative to each group of potential decision-makers; and finally, I’ll present a pragmatic solution.
Screening for Chronic Kidney Disease

The case asks students to develop a method for identifying individuals at risk of having chronic kidney disease. A 6,000 subject training set containing 34 potential predictor variables is provided along with a 2,819 subject validation set the instructor uses to evaluate student predicitons. The case is based on an actual study which resulted in a simple nine-question survey that instrument health professionals use to help patients decide whether to be tested for chronic kidney disease.
Cephalic phase insulin release in normal weight males: verification and reliability

The existence and reliability of cephalic phase insulin release (CPIR) were tested in 20 normal weight males. Each subject was challenged three times with the same food stimulus over a 5-day period. Four baseline blood samples were taken at 5-min intervals before food ingestion and then every 2 min for 16 min postingestion. Significant increases in plasma insulin were found at 4 min postingestion on each trial day. CPIR was found to be highly reproducible between trials (r = 0.83; P less than 0.001). Fifty percent of the subjects exhibited a significant increase of plasma insulin above their own baseline mean on the first trial, whereas 75 and 72% exhibited increases on trials 2 and 3, respectively. Only two subjects (10%) did not demonstrate a response on any trial. A significant decline in plasma glucose was observed at 4 min postingestion on trials 2 and 3. No significant changes in plasma glucagon were found during any trial day. This study confirms a reliable CPIR in normal weight males.
Influence of Application Date on Damage Resulting from Controlled Infestations with Eggs of Diabrotica virgifera virgifera (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae)

Field plots were infested with eggs of Diabrotica virgifera virgifera LeConte in three different infestation treatments. Splitting the infestation rate (infesting twice, at planting and after the corn had emerged) did not cause significantly more damage than infesting at planting time. Amount of damage, however, was significantly increased when the entire infestation was applied after plants had emerged. Also, damage was extended over more nodes of roots and occurred higher on the root system when eggs were applied after plants emerged. We conclude that there are no advantages to multiple infestations, but damage will more closely approximate that caused by natural populations of corn rootworms when eggs are applied in a single application to older plants rather than at planting.
A CASE OF MEDULLARY CARCINOMA WITH LYMPHOCYTIC INFILTRATION UNCORRECTLY DIAGNOSED NINE YEARS EARLIER AS METASTATIC GASTRIC CANCER

61歳女性の胃リンパ球浸潤性髄様癌の症例を経験した.胃体上部前壁に粘膜下腫瘍様の12mm径の中心に陥凹をもつ小隆起が存在した.転移性胃癌を疑い,原発巣の検索のため,全層標本を得る目的で腹腔鏡下胃局所切除術を施行した.全層標本より,頭頸部からの転移が強く疑われたが,結局,原発巣は判明しなかった. 9年を経過した現在でも健在なことより,転移性胃癌ではなく,胃リンパ球浸潤性髄様癌と考えた.胃リンパ球浸潤性髄様癌は,比較的稀な疾患であり,かつ,粘膜下腫瘍の形態を示す事があり,診断に苦慮することが多いといわれている.なぜ,転移性胃癌という診断に至ったかという反省点も含め,若干の文献的考察を加え報告する.
Considering Frontiers and Empires: George Kennan's Siberia and the U.S. West

This article examines the late nineteenth-century writings of American explorer, travel writer, and journalist George Kennan on Siberian indigenous peoples, the region's incarceration and exile system, and his early twentieth-century commentary on federal Indian policy. Kennan's work highlights the possibilities for comparative analysis of the U.S. empire in the Far West and Russia's far eastern empire.
Inhibition of calf thymus DNA polymerase-alpha by deoxyribonucleoside triphosphates.

Kinetic evaluation of DNA polymerase-α (DNA nucleotidyltransferase, EC [2.7.7.7][1].) was conducted using the enzyme purified from calf thymus and obtained from a commercial source. At saturating levels of template, the reaction was first order with respect to dTTP and, at optimum dTTP, was first order with respect to homopolymer template. At subsaturating levels of template, however, the reaction yielded nonhyperbolic kinetics which were consistent with substrate inhibition by dTTP. This substrate inhibition was competitive with template and independent of Mg2+ concentration. The noncomplementary nucleotides, dCTP, dGTP, and dATP, all inhibited the reaction in a noncompetitive manner with respect to dTTP and in a competitive manner with respect to template. Noncomplementary homopolymer as well as pyrophosphate also inhibited the reaction competitive with template. This study suggests that the deoxyribonucleoside triphosphate precursors of DNA may regulate the replication of cellular DNA through substrate inhibition of DNA polymerase-α. [1]: pending:yes
Clientelism and the Democratic Deficit

This article examines the usefulness of the theory of clientelism for understanding the politics of Andhra Pradesh (AP), where pressures to secure election funds as populations became more mobile l...
HIV testing and referral to care in U.S. hospitals prior to 2006: results from a national survey.

SYNOPSIS Objectives. We sought to provide a benchmark for human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) testing availability and practices in U.S. hospitals prior to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s (CDC’s) 2006 revised recommendations. Methods. We conducted a survey of nonfederal general hospitals in the U.S. in 2004. Chi-square tests detected significant associations with hospital characteristics. Questionnaires were completed electronically via a secure Internet site or on paper. Nonresponse analysis was conducted and data were weighted to adjust for nonresponse. Results. HIV testing (on the basis of clinical symptoms or behavioral risk factors) was available in more than half of hospital inpatient units (62%), employee health departments (58%), and emergency departments (57%). Twenty-three percent offered routine screening (testing for people in a defined population regardless of clinical symptoms or behavioral risk), most commonly in labor and delivery. Teaching status, region, size, and type of metropolitan area were associated with the availability of HIV testing and routine screening (p0.01). Hospitals used a variety of methods to link patients to care: referral to a hospital-based clinic (36%); on-site, same-day evaluation (35%); and referral to an unaffiliated HIV or community clinic (42%). Conclusions. Hospitals offered HIV testing on the basis of clinical suspicion or risk, but were far from meeting CDC’s current recommendation to routinely test all patients aged 13 to 64. Hospital size, teaching status, and geographic location were associated with HIV testing availability and testing practices. Our understanding of current practice identifies opportunities for public health action at the practitioner, organization, and systems levels.
ER Consolidated Qtrly Rpt_July-September 2015_January 2016

This Environmental Restoration Operations (ER) Consolidated Quarterly Report (ER Quarterly Report) provides the status of ongoing corrective action activities being implemented by Sandia National Laboratories, New Mexico (SNL/NM) for the July, August, and September 2015 quarterly reporting period. The Solid Waste Management Units (SWMUs) and Areas of Concern (AOCs) identified for corrective action at SNL/NM are listed in Table I-1. The work completed during this quarter is reported below in Sections I.2.1 and I.2.2. Section I.2.1 summarizes the quarterly activities at sites undergoing corrective action field activities (SWMUs 8 and 58, 68, 149, 154, and 502, and three groundwater AOCs). Section I.2.2 summarizes quarterly activities at sites where the New Mexico Environment Department (NMED) has issued a certificate of completion and the site is in the corrective action complete (CAC) regulatory process. Currently, the Mixed Waste Landfill (MWL, SWMU 76) is the only site in the CAC regulatory process. Corrective action activities have been deferred at the Long Sled Track (SWMU 83), the Gun Facilities (SWMU 84), and the Short Sled Track (SWMU 240) because these are active mission facilities.
Draft Genome Sequence of a Multidrug-Resistant Strain of Enterococcus faecalis, PM01, Isolated from the Nest of an American Bushtit, Psaltriparius minimus.

ABSTRACT Pathogenic microorganisms associated with avian nests may detrimentally impact parental health and nest success for the nest primary users, potentially neighboring avian or terrestrial species, including humans. Here, we report the genome sequence of Enterococcus faecalis strain PM01, isolated from a failed nest of American bushtits, Psaltriparius minimus .
Recent Developments in Stability Theory for Stochastic Hybrid Inclusions

Stochastic hybrid systems (SHS) combine continuous evolution, instantaneous jumps, and random inputs that affect each type of evolution. Various types of SHS have been studied for over three decades and can be used to model many interesting systems in science and engineering. The most recent developments regarding SHS focus on models that permit nonunique solutions, perhaps thereby modeling the effect of an adversarial input on the system dynamics, and robustness properties, which can again be linked to the effect of adversaries. We call such systems “stochastic hybrid inclusions” (SHI). Using, as a departure point, developments over the past ten years on modeling, sequential compactness of the solution space, and robustness of stability for non-stochastic hybrid systems, a comprehensive modeling framework for SHI is being developed. The ultimate goal is an extensive, robust stability theory for SHI. In this paper, we review recent results that have been obtained in this direction, describing a solution concept for a class of SHI, defining stability notions like recurrence and asymptotic stability in probability, stating equivalent characterizations (involving uniformity and robustness) that follow from a sequential compactness result, providing Lyapunov-based necessary and sufficient conditions for these properties, and describing relaxed sufficient conditions that are based on an invariance-like principle.
Mesoscale Evaluation of Titanium Silicide Monolayer as a Cathode Host Material in Lithium–Sulfur Batteries

Two-dimensional materials are competitive candidates as cathode materials in lithium–sulfur batteries for immobilizing soluble polysulfides and mitigating the shuttle effect. In this study, a mesoscale modeling approach, which combines first-principles simulation and kinetic Monte Carlo simulation, is employed to evaluate titanium silicide (Ti2Si and TiSi2) monolayers as potential host materials in lithium–sulfur batteries. It is found that the Ti2Si monolayer has much stronger affinities to Li2S x (x = 1, 2, 4) molecules than does the TiSi2 monolayer. Also, Ti2Si can facilitate the dissociation of long-chain Li2S4 to LiS2. On the other hand, TiSi2 can only provide a weak chemical interaction for trapping soluble Li2S4. Therefore, the Ti2Si monolayer can be considered to be the next-generation cathode material for lithium–sulfur batteries. Nevertheless, the strong interaction between Ti2Si and Li2S also causes fast surface passivation. How to control the Li2S precipitation on Ti2Si should be answered by future studies.
The Spectrum of Neurological Adverse Events from Immune Checkpoint Blockade: A Comprehensive Review of Literature (P6.174)

Objective: Provide a comprehensive review of neurological toxicities from immune checkpoint inhibitors (CPI) reported in literature. Background: Checkpoint (CTLA-4 & PD-1) inhibitors are the most commonly used anti-cancer immunotherapeutics. Their use is associated with well-documented immune-related adverse events (iAEs) but among those, neurological adverse events (nAEs) are rare. They have been described in multiple reports but detailed analysis of the spectrum of neurotoxicities, their relationship to the drug dose, and their latency period before onset is lacking. Design/Methods: PubMed and Ovid-MEDLINE databases were queried for all nAEs from CPIs published cases. Three additional cases from our institution were included. Clinical, radiologic, and laboratory data was reviewed. Results: 63 cases were identified including 6 with delayed onset (> 6 months after therapy initiation) that were analyzed separately. nAEs appeared 1–6 doses into therapy with a median of 3 doses and median latency of 6 weeks. Neuropathy was the most common nAE from pooled CPI cases (32%) or anti-CTLA-4 oness (43%) but in anti-PD-1 cases, Myasthenia Gravis (44%) was more common than neuropathy (11%). Encephalopathy (14%), CNS demyelination (11%), and meningitis (6%) were other common pooled CPI-related nAEs. Peripheral nAEs outweighed central ones by 2.2:1 in anti-PD-1 cases vs. 1.7:1 in anti-CTLA-4 ones. Improvement was seen in 77% of the cases. Associated systemic iAEs were seen in only 25% of cases. Delayed nAEs cases occurred 31–76 weeks after therapy initiation. Conclusions: CPI-induced nAEs typically affect PNS > CNS, occur after a few doses of therapy, and are not commonly associated with systemic iAEs. Their profile varies by type of blockade (PD-1 vs CTLA-4). Immunotherapy may unmask subclinical previously undiagnosed neurological disorders. Risk of nAEs is higher in patients with pre-existing autoimmune neurological disorders. Prompt recognition and relevant testing before and during therapy is of utmost importance as majority of cases improve with discontinuation of CPI +/− immunosuppressive therapy. Disclosure: Dr. Daher has nothing to disclose. Dr. Tummala has nothing to disclose.
Within-category variation in production of Hindi and English stop consonants

This paper addresses the broad question of how phonological structure affects phonetic production using within-category variation of multiple phonetic cues in Hindi and English stop consonants. The intuitive hypothesis, formalized in Dispersion Theory (Lindblom, 1986) is that languages that have more phonological contrasts along a single phonetic dimension should have relatively less within-category variation along that dimension. Hindi (four stop contrasts per place of articulation) speakers are therefore predicted to exhibit less within-category variation in production relative to English (two contrasts per place) speakers. This was observed in the results of Hauser (2016) who examined VOT variation of voiceless aspirated stops in these languages. The present study builds on those results and examines F0 as a second cue to the voicing contrast. The F0 results do not conform to the prediction that Hindi speakers should exhibit less variation. There was no difference in F0 variation between the Hindi and ...
The spin-forbidden a 4Σ--X 2Π1/2 transition of GeH detected in absorption using intracavity laser spectroscopy.

The a 4Σ−–X 2Π1/2 transition of GeH has been recorded in absorption for the first time using Intracavity Laser Spectroscopy (ILS). The GeH molecules were produced in a 0.40–0.60 A DC plasma discharge inside an aluminum hollow cathode, using 500 mTorr of Ar, 100 mTorr of H2, and 200 mTorr of GeH4. This cathode is located within the resonator cavity of a Coherent Verdi™ V-10 pumped dye laser. Effective path lengths for this series of measurements using the ILS method ranged from 2 to 7 km. Spectra were calibrated using the absorption spectrum of I2 collected from an extracavity cell, the I2 transmission spectrum from Salami and Ross, J. Mol. Spectrosc. 223(1), 157 (2005) and PGOPHER’s [C. M. Western, J. Quant. Spectrosc. Radiat. Transfer 186, 221–242 (2016)] calibration feature. Differences in peak positions between calibrated experimental spectra and the reference data were on average less than ±0.002 cm−1. All eight branches expected to have appreciable intensity for the transition have been identified, and isotopologue splitting was observed in features of 5 of the 8 identified rotational branches. Molecular constants have been obtained for the a 4Σ− states of 70GeH (20.84% abundant), 72GeH (27.54% abundant), and 74GeH (36.28% abundant). The transitions were fit using PGOPHER, holding the ground state constants fixed to the values reported by Towle and Brown [Mol. Phys. 78(2), 249 (1993)]. The constants for the a 4Σ− state of 74GeH determined by the fit are T0 = 16 751.5524(13) cm−1, B0 = 6.764 912(33) cm−1, D0 = 0.459 60(17) × 10−3 cm−1, λSS = 9.7453(12) cm−1, λD = 0.468(14) × 10−3 cm−1, γ = 0.077 878(84), and γS = −0.361(77) × 10−3 cm−1.The a 4Σ−–X 2Π1/2 transition of GeH has been recorded in absorption for the first time using Intracavity Laser Spectroscopy (ILS). The GeH molecules were produced in a 0.40–0.60 A DC plasma discharge inside an aluminum hollow cathode, using 500 mTorr of Ar, 100 mTorr of H2, and 200 mTorr of GeH4. This cathode is located within the resonator cavity of a Coherent Verdi™ V-10 pumped dye laser. Effective path lengths for this series of measurements using the ILS method ranged from 2 to 7 km. Spectra were calibrated using the absorption spectrum of I2 collected from an extracavity cell, the I2 transmission spectrum from Salami and Ross, J. Mol. Spectrosc. 223(1), 157 (2005) and PGOPHER’s [C. M. Western, J. Quant. Spectrosc. Radiat. Transfer 186, 221–242 (2016)] calibration feature. Differences in peak positions between calibrated experimental spectra and the reference data were on average less than ±0.002 cm−1. All eight branches expected to have appreciable intensity for the transition have been identified, a...
An open-source realtime computational platform (short WIP paper)

Systems neuroscience studies involving in-vivo models often require realtime data processing. In these studies, many events must be monitored and processed quickly, including behavior of the subject (e.g., movement of a limb) or features of neural data (e.g., a neuron transmitting an action potential). Unfortunately, most realtime platforms are proprietary, require specific architectures, or are limited to low-level programming languages. Here we present a hardware-independent, open-source realtime computation platform that supports high-level programming. The resulting platform, LiCoRICE, can process on order 10e10 bits/sec of network data at 1 ms ticks with 18.2 µs jitter. It connects to various inputs and outputs (e.g., DIO, Ethernet, database logging, and analog line in/out) and minimizes reliance on custom device drivers by leveraging peripheral support via the Linux kernel. Its modular architecture supports model-based design for rapid prototyping with C and Python/Cython and can perform numerical operations via BLAS/LAPACK-optimized NumPy that is statically compiled via Numba’s pycc. LiCoRICE is not only suitable for systems neuroscience research, but also for applications requiring closed-loop realtime data processing from robotics and control systems to interactive applications and quantitative financial trading.
Morphological Changes in the Hypothalamus and Other Brain Areas Influencing Endocrine Function during Aging

Morphological alterations or nerve cell loss in neuroendocrine regulatory areas represent a convenient explanation for the demise of neuroendocrine function which accompanies aging. Biochemical evidence and lesion experiments support the idea that morphological changes in the brain may be responsible for the age-related changes in estrous cycles and hormone secretory patterns. In addition, the feedback of target organ hormones has been proposed to accelerate neuronal degeneration in neuroendocrine regulatory areas. However, while several lines of evidence are suggestive of the occurrence of morphological changes in neuroendocrine regulatory areas with aging, little neuroanatomical data is presently available to support the existence of such changes. The purpose of this chapter is to review the available evidence for morphological changes in brain areas influencing endocrine function.
Patterns of Influence Among Phenomenological Awareness, Social Experience and Conceptual Knowledge

Proposals concerning patterns of influence among children’s developing conceptual knowledge of cognition, children’s phenomenological awareness of their own cognitive functioning, and social experience are further elaborated. Relations of reciprocal influence between conceptual knowledge and cognitive monitoring, conceptual knowledge and social experience, and social experience and cognitive monitoring are described. In addition, possible developmental mechanisms underlying the acquisition of knowledge about cognitive activities are considered, focusing on the issue of domain-specific modules versus domain-general learning processes. As children learn about cognition, general learning processes, particularly pattern recognition and executive function, may help them to integrate their mental state concepts with information available through first-person phenomenological experience and social experience.
A rapid deployment model for VGI projects in mobile field data collection

Spatial data collection in an organizational setup is growing in terms of the number of applications. While these applications are similar in providing the capability to collect and store spatial data, they are inherently different in the domains they cater to. For instance, they range from collecting data for facilitated Voluntary Geographic Information (VGI) like evaluating children’s walkability to schools or visual quality assessment of a community to crowd sourcing or emergency dispatch and large-scale census gathering. Mobile devices are a great medium to collect such VGI. Several constraints with respect to time, manpower and efficiency contribute to the lack of a technology model to enable dynamic creation and delivery of such projects. In this thesis, we address the research questions as to what a model for rapidly deploying a mobile VGI should look like and how to create one. We demonstrate this by creating a web-based project authoring system. The data collected from this system is fed into a Geographic Information System (GIS) model that automates creation of necessary spatial components and exposes them as Representational State Transfer (REST) services. An iOS mobile application consumes the web services and enables field data collection. The model also integrates multiple projects for a user while providing a domain specific means for collecting non-spatial attributes. Existing solutions for gathering data do not consider the relationship of attributes to one other. This thesis presents a dynamic decision tree implementation for the same, which improves efficiency and ensures correctness of the data collected in the field.
Litigating Civil Cases in State Intermediate Appellate Courts: Analyzing Decisions to Appeal Civil Trial Verdicts or Judgments and the Impact of Appellate Litigation on Trial Court Outcomes

In the civil justice system, litigants can file appeals as a means of challenging or modifying trial court verdicts or judgments. In most states, intermediate appellate courts represent the first, and in many cases, final arbiter of review for civil cases decided by bench or jury trial. While prior research on state appellate courts has focused primarily on civil appeals in state courts of last resort, there have been few attempts to examine the appeals process in state intermediate appellate courts. The current research attempts to address this gap by examining a national sample of tort and contract trials concluded in 2005 that were subsequently appealed. Specifically, this paper explores the factors that are related to (1) the rates in which civil trials are appealed to intermediate appellate courts, (2) the likelihood that a civil appeal will be decided on the merits, and (3) the probability of trial court outcomes being reversed at the intermediate appellate court level. The paper provides a roadmap for better understanding the case and litigant level characteristics that drive key decisions in intermediate appellate courts.
Evaluation of workplace lactation support among employers in two Pennsylvania cities

Abstract A majority of mothers with infants less than 1 year old participate in the labor force. Employers can modify the physical and social environments at work to accommodate breastfeeding employees and enable continued participation in the labor force. The purpose of our article is to (1) characterize breastfeeding policies and programs currently offered at workplaces in two Pennsylvania cities and (2) identify improvement areas to support breastfeeding employees in the workplace. We partnered with two business groups on health in Pennsylvania and electronically administered a survey to their employer members. Responses were aggregated into a workplace lactation support score based on physical space, time, policy, and resources. Higher scores indicate that employers offered a large number of workplace lactation supports. We conclude by offering specific improvement opportunities that include a written policy communicated to all employees and the formal communication of lactation services. Employers can utilize workplace lactation support scores to elect interventions that are feasible for implementation in their organizations.
Large-Scale Bayesian Kinship Analysis

Kinship prediction in forensics is limited to first degree relatives due to the small number of short tandem repeat loci characterized. The Genetic Chain Rule for Probabilistic Kinship Estimation can leverage large panels of single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) or sets of sequence linked SNPs, called haploblocks, to estimate more distant relationships between individuals. This method uses allele frequencies and Markov Chain Monte Carlo methods to determine kinship probabilities. Allele frequencies are a crucial input to this method. Since these frequencies are estimated from finite populations and many alleles are rare, a Bayesian extension to the algorithm has been developed to determine credible intervals for kinship estimates as a function of the certainty in allele frequency estimates. Generation of sufficiently large samples to accurately estimate credible intervals can take significant computational resources. In this paper, we leverage hundreds of compute cores to generate large numbers of Dirichlet random samples for Bayesian kinship prediction. We show that it is possible to generate 2,097,152 random samples on 32,768 cores at a rate of 29.68 samples per second. The ability to generate extremely large number of samples enables the computation of more statistically significant results from a Bayesian approach to kinship analysis.
Complement C3- and CR3-dependent microglial clearance protects photoreceptors in retinitis pigmentosa

Abstract Complement activation has been implicated as an inflammatory driver of neurodegeneration in retinal and brain pathologies. However, its involvement and influence of photoreceptor degeneration in retinitis pigmentosa (RP), an inherited, largely incurable blinding disease, is unclear. We discover that markedly upregulated retinal expression of multiple complement components coincided spatiotemporally with photoreceptor degeneration in both the rd10 mouse model and in human specimens of RP, with increased complement C3 expression and activation localizing to infiltrating microglia near photoreceptors. Genetic ablation of C3 in the rd10 background resulted in accelerated structural and functional photoreceptor degeneration and altered retinal expression of inflammatory genes. These effects were phenocopied by the genetic deletion of CR3, a microglia-expressed receptor for the C3 activation product C3b, implicating an adaptive microglial-mediation mechanism involving C3-CR3 interaction. Deficiency of either C3 or CR3 resulted in deficient microglial phagocytosis of apoptotic photoreceptors in vivo, as well as increased microglial neurotoxicity to photoreceptors in vitro. These findings demonstrate a novel adaptive role for complement activation in RP that facilitates microglial clearance of apoptotic photoreceptors, without which increased proinflammatory microglial neurotoxicity ensues. These positive contributions of complement via microglial-mediated mechanisms are important in the design of immunomodulatory therapeutic approaches to neurodegeneration. One Sentence Summary Complement activation mediates adaptive neuroprotection for photoreceptors by facilitating C3-CR3 dependent microglial clearance of apoptotic cells.
Subthalamic Nucleus Activation Occurs Early during Stopping and Is Associated with Trait Impulsivity.

The subthalamic nucleus (STN) is thought to be a central regulator of behavioral inhibition, which is thought to be a major determinant of impulsivity. Thus, it would be reasonable to hypothesize t...
Effects of Planting Date on Thrips (Thysanoptera: Thripidae) in Cotton

At-plant applications of insecticides are the most common method to manage thrips in upland cotton, Gossypium hirstutum L. Because the primary pest species, tobacco thrips, Frankliniella fusca (Hinds), has developed resistance to commonly used neonicotinoid insecticides used in producing cotton, alternative control options are needed for sustainable thrips management programs. A 3-year study (2015-2017) showed that densities of thrips, feeding injury from thrips, cotton growth, and yield varied among 10 planting dates. Densities of thrips were lowest in seedling cotton planted after mid-May in all years. Thrips injury ratings in all years were highest in cotton planted in April, lowest in cotton planted in June, and below intermediate injury (intermediate corresponded to a 3 on the 0-5 scale) levels in cotton planted after mid-May. Cotton planted during May, rather than in April or June, had the highest yield potential, regardless of variety. Results of the study indicated that altering planting date could potentially be useful in mitigating injury and losses from thrips in upland cotton.
Fastball Velocity and Elbow-Varus Torque in Professional Baseball Pitchers

Context High loads in the elbow during baseball pitching can lead to serious injuries, including injuries to the ulnar collateral ligament. These injuries have substantial implications for individu...
Developing and applying ICME + modeling tools to predict performance of additively manufactured aerospace parts

Abstract The development and application of integrated computational materials engineering (ICME) and other modeling tools are useful to understand the linkages among processing, chemistry, microstructure, defects, properties, and performance of additively manufactured materials. Both the models and the understanding of additively manufactured metallic materials have seen several advances over the past 5 years. This chapter reviews some of the basic elements of a general ICME approach for additive manufacturing, and describes some of the advances that have been made specifically for Ti–6Al–4V. This chapter also describes some challenges that remain for additively manufactured aerospace alloys, and reviews the potential progress that may be made related to those challenges.
Effect of Neutron Irradiation on Critical Magnetization Current in Single Crystal YBa2Cu3O7-δ

Magnetization measurements were performed on single crystals of YBa2Cu3O7-δ to study the effect of fast neutron irradiation on flux pinning ana the critical magnetization current. Neutron irradiation up to a fluence of 8. 16×1017 cm−2 (E > 0. 1 MeV) always enhances the magnitude of critical magnetization currents significantly, while the transition temperatures decrease at a rate of 2. 6 K per 1018 neutrons cm−2. The temperature and field direction dependence of these enhancement factors are discussed in detail.
Evaluation of clinical outcomes in an interdisciplinary abdominal pain clinic: A retrospective, exploratory review.

BACKGROUND Pediatric functional gastrointestinal disorders (FGIDs) are common and well-accepted to be etiologically complex in terms of the contribution of biological, psychological, and social factors to symptom presentations. Nonetheless, despite its documented benefits, interdisciplinary treatment, designed to address all of these factors, for pediatric FGIDs remains rare. The current study hypothesized that the majority of pediatric patients seen in an interdisciplinary abdominal pain clinic (APC) would demonstrate clinical resolution of symptoms during the study period and that specific psychosocial variables would be significantly predictive of GI symptom improvement. AIM To evaluate outcomes with interdisciplinary treatment in pediatric patients with pain-related FGIDs and identify patient characteristics that predicted clinical outcomes. METHODS Participants were 392 children, ages 8-18 [M = 13.8; standard deviation (SD) = 2.7], seen between August 1, 2013 and June 15, 2016 in an interdisciplinary APC housed within the Division of Gastroenterology in a medium-sized Midwestern children's hospital. To be eligible, patients had to be 8 years of age or older and have had abdominal pain for ≥ 8 wk at the time of initial evaluation. Medical and psychosocial data collected as part of standard of care were retrospectively reviewed and analyzed in the context of the observational study. Logistic regression was used to model odds of reporting vs never reporting improvement, as well as to differentiate rapid from slower improvers. RESULTS Nearly 70% of patients followed during the study period achieved resolution on at least one of the employed outcome indices. Among those who achieved resolution during follow up, 43% to 49% did so by the first follow up (i.e., within roughly 2 mo after initial evaluation and initiation of interdisciplinary treatment). Patient age, sleep, ease of relaxation, and depression all significantly predicted the likelihood of resolution. More specifically, the odds of clinical resolution were 14% to 16% lower per additional year of patient age (P < 0.001 to P = 0.016). The odds of resolution were 28% to 42% lower per 1-standard deviation (SD) increase on a pediatric sleep measure (P = 0.006 to P < 0.040). Additionally, odds of clinical resolution were 58% lower per 1-SD increase on parent-reported measure of depression (P = 0.006), and doubled in cases where parents agreed that their children found it easy to relax (P = 0.045). Furthermore, sleep predicted the rapidity of clinical resolution; that is, the odds of achieving resolution by the first follow up visit were 47% to 60% lower per 1-SD increase on the pediatric sleep measure (P = 0.002). CONCLUSION Outcomes for youth with FGIDs may be significantly improved by paying specific attention to sleep, ensuring adequate skills for relaxation, and screening of and referral for treatment of comorbid depression.
Bridging Divides: Understanding Knowledge Producers’ Perspectives on the Use of Research in Law

Legal challenges continue to play central roles in critical higher education policy discussions. There are, however, wide gaps in understanding between the legal and research communities about the ...