cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
“Philosophy is also an Architecture of Signs”: On Merleau-Ponty and Cavaillès

In a letter written at the end of July 1930, Jean Cavailles singled out two of his successful students ( agregatifs ) at the Ecole Normale , Merleau-Ponty and Lautman, “full of interest in the philosophy of mathematics”. While both would play an important role in French philosophy in the coming decades, one almost never thinks of their names together. Indeed, only rarely do we think of Merleau-Ponty and Cavailles together. This paper will argue against this rarity. Cavailles would write a treatise on logic that in retrospect is often viewed to advance French philosophy—but precisely at the expense phenomenology. I will argue that this evaluation is overblown. Merleau-Ponty’s philosophy, on the other hand, is often viewed in opposition to this as defending a Husserlian account of perception, a view equally too narrow. Between them, instead, I argue, we can see both transforming the Husserlian account of a transcendental logic and a transcendental aesthetic. Both provide resources for understanding phenomenology as a dialectical and historically emergent theory. Notwithstanding Cavailles initial characterization of Husserl’s “exhorbitant use of the Cogito”, or his “aggressive” description of acts, to use Merleau-Ponty’s term, the result, in both cases, focuses on phenomenology as an emergent experience of philosophy as an “architecture” of signs.
Field deployable pushbroom hyperspectral imagining polarimeter

ABSTRACT Hyperspectral polarimetry is demonstrated to measure the spect rum and polarization state of a scene. This information is important to identify material properties for applications such as remote sensing and agricultural monitoring, among others. We report the design and performance of a ruggedized, field deployable Hyperspectral Polarimeter Imaging (HPI) system over the VIS to NIR range (450-800 nm). An entrance slit was used to sample a scene in a pushbroom scanning mode, sampling over a 30 degree vertical by 110 degree horizontal field of view. Furthermore, athermalized achromatic retarders were implemented in a channel spectrum generator to measure the linear Stoke vectors. This paper reports the mechanical and optical layout of the system and its peripherals. We present pr eliminary spectral and polarimetry calibration techniques as well as testing results in field environments. Keywords: Hyperspectral, polarimetry, remote sensing, imaging, channeled spectrum 1.0 INTRODUCTION
269 INJURY PREVENTION AWARENESS IN "TWEENS " AND COMPARISON OF TWO EDUCATIONAL FORUMS TO IMPROVE AWARENESS.

Background "Tweens, " children between the ages of 8 and 12 years old (sometimes called the forgotten years), are often seen in emergency departments (ED) for injury-related reasons. We sought to determine injury prevention awareness in this group and then to compare two educational interventions designed to improve awareness. Methods Children between 8 and 12 years were recruited from our pediatric ED (both patients and siblings). On enrollment, patients completed a standardized pretest. They were then randomized to receive either a video of a series of vignettes or a written cartoon-like sheet both with injury prevention principles in car, bike, and fire safety. Following the intervention, a post-test along with a 2- to 4-week phone follow-up (FU) post-test were given. Tests were 15 questions (10 knowledge and 5 behavioral). Data were entered into Epistat and scores were compared using Student9s t-test statistics. Results A total of 87 children were enrolled with mean age of 10. Test scores improved after either intervention: #1 (video), 47% of participants improved their score; #2 (sheet), 68% improvement (t = 3.71, p Those completing 2- to 4-week FU were similar to those who could not be reached for FU in pretest scores (t = 1.49, p = .14, 95% CI 1.2, 8.4). Two- to 4-week FU scores were significantly better than pretest scores, suggesting retention of information (t = 4.7, p 12 years old to sit in the front). Eighty-six percent reported having a bicycle (only 30% of those had a helmet—increased to 80% on 2- to 4-week FU). On pretest, only 18.4% reported wearing a helmet (100% stated yes on the 2- to 4-week FU test (81.6% increase, z = 8.41, p Conclusion Children between 8 and 12 respond well to either video or cartoon sheet and in this study showed improvement in test scores and retention of knowledge using either method. Emergency departments can be effective sites for education.
ANALYSIS OF TRANSIENT FLUID FLOW IN FRACTURED ROCK MASSES WITH DIGITAL IMAGE-BASED METHOD

The realistic characterization of rock heterogeneity has been a long-standing problem of great practical interest.The heterogeneity of the fractured rock masses can be described by statistical random sampling in most numerical simulations.In this study,a digital image based(DIB) numerical method is proposed for the two-dimensional transient seepage analysis of the fractured rock masses by actually taking the spatial distribution of main fractures,minor fractures and intact rock into account.The digital image processing technique is developed to identify and classify the main structures(i.e.fractures,intact rocks) in the fractured rock masses and their intrinsic permeabilities are specified to these main structures.Then the characterized permeabilities of these structures are directly imported into newly developed three-dimensional simulator SCMR,a FEMLAB-based simulator of coupled multiphysics in rocks,to evaluate the effect of heterogeneity on the transient fluid flow in the fractured rock masses.The digital image based numerical results of transient fluid flow show that the digital image-based technique is capable to characterize the heterogeneity and the fracture structures of fractured rock masses.The digital image based technique is more advantageous than the statistical method in characterizing the rock heterogeneity and provides a new approach to obtain the realistic results.
Two New and Remarkably Similarly Colored Species of Labeotropheus (Perciformes: Cichlidae) from Lake Malaŵi, Africa

The haplochromine cichlid genus Labeotropheus is endemic to Lake Malaŵi, Africa. This genus presently contains two recognized species, Labeotropheus fuelleborni and L. trewavasae. As currently recognized, both species consist of geographically isolated populations scattered throughout the lake, each distinguished by a unique male nuptial color pattern. While other such allopatric populations of Lake Malaŵi cichlids have been described as different species, those of Labeotropheus have not, largely due to misunderstandings or misinterpretations of criteria applied to other Malaŵian endemics. Taking a refined approach to the recognition of putative species of Labeotropheus, I used morphometric, meristic, and color characteristics to describe two new, very similarly colored, species of Labeotropheus, both of which are found near Katale Island alongside the Luromo Peninsula in northwestern Lake Malaŵi.
The Economic Pamphleteer: Zoning Considerations for Urban and Peri-urban Agriculture

First paragraph: Every year, about 1.2 million acres of U.S. farmland is converted to residential and other commercial uses, according to the American Farmland Trust.[1] This includes some of the most fertile farmland in the nation, as many of our major cities were originally established in fertile farming areas. With more than 900 million acres of farmland remaining, we are not likely to run out of land for farming in the near future. However, farmland conversion is clearly putting the long-run sustainability of U.S. food production at risk. [1] American Farmland Trust, http://www.farmland.org/programs
Nostalgic Emotional Appeals for Smoking Prevention

Nostalgia-evoking messages are used to promote consumer products, but their use for encouraging healthy behaviors is not well understood. This study examines the use of nostalgia as an emotional appeal to influence attitudes and reduce smoking behavior. The study hypothesized that exposure to a nostalgic public service announcement (PSA) will result in (a) more negative attitude toward smoking; and (b) increased intention to limit smoking, relative to a control. Participants exposed to the nostalgia-evoking PSA expressed more negative attitudes toward smoking and stronger intentions to limit smoking than did participants exposed to nonnostalgic messages. The findings suggest nostalgic appeals as a promising strategy for smoking prevention messages.
DEFINING MCNP SOURCES IN MORITZ

We have added a source definition component to the Moritz geometry editing and display program. Gamma line emission can be imported from a library based on the Brookhaven National Laboratory Nuclear Data Center. The user can select one or more isotopes from a tree view list. The abundances can be corrected for radioactive decay between two times. The line emission is then converted to MCNP SDEF format. Tabulated data, such as an X-ray tube spectrum, can be read and converted to MCNP format. Interactive tools are available for defining source volumes, direction, cone source opening angle, and bias direction; these items can be shown together with the geometry. All source definition items can be entered exactly in dialog fields. Source definitions can be read from existing input files. The tools will expedite and verify source definition and ensure accuracy and do not require knowledge of the MCNP SDEF syntax.
Strategic Air Traffic Planning with Fréchet Distance Aggregation and Rerouting

An aggregate route model for strategic air traffic flow management is presented. It is an Eulerian model, describing the flow between segments of unidirectional point-to-point routes. Aggregate rou...
Feasibility of through-time spiral generalized autocalibrating partial parallel acquisition for low latency accelerated real-time MRI of speech.

Purpose To evaluate the feasibility of through-time spiral generalized autocalibrating partial parallel acquisition (GRAPPA) for low-latency accelerated real-time MRI of speech. Methods Through-time spiral GRAPPA (spiral GRAPPA), a fast linear reconstruction method, is applied to spiral (k-t) data acquired from an eight-channel custom upper-airway coil. Fully sampled data were retrospectively down-sampled to evaluate spiral GRAPPA at undersampling factors R = 2 to 6. Pseudo-golden-angle spiral acquisitions were used for prospective studies. Three subjects were imaged while performing a range of speech tasks that involved rapid articulator movements, including fluent speech and beat-boxing. Spiral GRAPPA was compared with view sharing, and a parallel imaging and compressed sensing (PI-CS) method. Results Spiral GRAPPA captured spatiotemporal dynamics of vocal tract articulators at undersampling factors ≤4. Spiral GRAPPA at 18 ms/frame and 2.4 mm2/pixel outperformed view sharing in depicting rapidly moving articulators. Spiral GRAPPA and PI-CS provided equivalent temporal fidelity. Reconstruction latency per frame was 14 ms for view sharing and 116 ms for spiral GRAPPA, using a single processor. Spiral GRAPPA kept up with the MRI data rate of 18ms/frame with eight processors. PI-CS required 17 minutes to reconstruct 5 seconds of dynamic data. Conclusion Spiral GRAPPA enabled 4-fold accelerated real-time MRI of speech with a low reconstruction latency. This approach is applicable to wide range of speech RT-MRI experiments that benefit from real-time feedback while visualizing rapid articulator movement. Magn Reson Med 78:2275–2282, 2017. © 2017 International Society for Magnetic Resonance in Medicine.
Colorectal cancer screening among underserved Hispanic and African Americans receiving medical care from safety-net, primary care settings

B64 Colorectal carcinoma (CRC) racial disparities have widened during last three decades and the racial differences in prevention practice patterns has been blamed for excessive morbidity among minority populations. Specific Aims of this study were threefold: 1) to examine the correlates of CRC testing in socio-economically disadvantaged Latinos and African Americans receiving medical care from safety-net, primary care settings; 2) to examine the patient characteristics associated with self-reported physician recommendation of CRC screening and 3) to examine factors associated with adherence to recommended colorectal cancer testing including barriers, attitudes and beliefs. Design: Cross-sectional survey of clinic-based sample. Setting: Large urban safety net, out-patient primary care setting served by 33 family medicine physicians in the County of Los Angeles. Participants: Three hundred and six African-American and Latino patients aged 50 years and older. Results : Fifty-four percent of participants self-reported physician recommendation of lower endoscopic procedures for CRC testing and of these 74% adhered with the recommend tests. Physician recommendation was the most significant predictor of CRC testing. Age, medical conditions associated with CRC risk, and recent fecal occult blood test were all associated with an increased likelihood of physician recommendation of CRC testing. Ethnicity, marital status, medical conditions associated with CRC risk, barriers to CRC testing, were significantly associated with adherence with recommended CRC testing. Conclusion: Over 60% of minority underserved individuals do not receive or adhere to standard CRC testing schedules in the urban safety net, out-patient primary care setting. Interventions that both emphasize CRC screening recommendation by providers in these settings and promote patient adherence, will reduce the disparities and the burden of colorectal cancer in minority underserved populations.
Using the capture-recapture method to estimate the incidence of musculoskeletal injuries among U.S. Army soldiers.

Abstract Musculoskeletal injury (MSI) data typically are obtained from medical chart-review (MCR) or injury self-reports (ISR). MSI incidence may be under-counted if only one source is utilized, as MCR will not capture MSI for which medical care was not sought, and ISR may be affected by issues with recall. Objectives The purposes of this study were to determine MSI incidence from two sources (MCR, ISR) and to estimate the incidence, after accounting for the under-counting in both sources, among a sample of U.S. Army soldiers. Design Descriptive cross-sectional study. Methods The estimated cumulative incidence during a one-year period was calculated from the two sources of MSI data using a novel statistical analysis (capture–recapture—CRC). Results MSI data were available for 287 soldiers (age: 27.5 ± 6.3 years (mean ± standard deviation)). The one-year cumulative incidence of MSI was 17.8% (MCR), 19.5% (ISR), and 54.0% (CRC). CRC analysis showed that there was under-counting from both sources of data and the percent of CRC estimated MSI observed were 32.9% (MCR), 36.1% (ISR), and 57.4% (MCR and ISR combined). When analyzed by MSI type, percent of CRC estimated MSI counted from both sources was highest (75.0%) for fracture, followed by sprain (53.8%), strain (43.8%), and pain/spasm/ache (35.8%). Conclusions There was under-counting of MSI from both sources of data, and the under-counting varied by MSI type. There is a need for further investigation of the relative benefits of various sources of MSI data and the application of the capture–recapture analysis in military populations.
A Systematic Review of the Methods of Diagnostic Accuracy Studies of the Afirma Gene Expression Classifier.

Background: The Afirma® Gene Expression Classifier (GEC) risk stratifies The Bethesda System for the Reporting of Thyroid Cytopathology class III/IV (indeterminate) thyroid nodules (ITNs) as suspicious for malignancy or benign. Several authors have published studies describing the diagnostic accuracy of the GEC. However, the quality of these methods has not been rigorously examined. Summary: In this study, MEDLINE and EMBASE were searched for studies published between January 1, 2010, and June 30, 2016, examining the sensitivity, specificity, negative predictive value, and positive predictive value of the GEC. The Quality of Diagnostic Accuracy Studies 2 was customized to evaluate the methods of included studies in each of four domains: nodule selection, index test execution, reference standard assignment, and flow and timing. Signaling questions were used to identify sources of potential bias in calculation of diagnostic accuracy, and issues of applicability were assessed. Three panelists applied the Qua...
Contributors to the substantial variation in on-treatment testosterone levels in men receiving transdermal testosterone gels in randomized trials.

Summary There is substantial inter-individual variability in serum testosterone levels in hypogonadal men treated with testosterone gels. We aimed to elucidate participant-level factors that contribute to inter-individual variability in testosterone levels during testosterone therapy. An exploratory aim was to determine whether polymorphisms in genes encoding testosterone-metabolizing enzymes could explain the variation in on-treatment testosterone concentrations in men who were randomized to testosterone arm in TOM Trial. We used data from three randomized trials that used 1% transdermal testosterone gels and had testosterone levels measured 2–4 weeks after randomization for dose adjustment: Testosterone in Older Men with Mobility Limitation (TOM), Effects of Testosterone on Pain Perception (TAP), and Effects of Testosterone on Atherosclerosis Progression (TEAAM). Forty-seven percent, 38%, and 9% of participants in TAP, TEAAM, and TOM trials, respectively, failed to raise testosterone levels >400 ng/dL; 6, 8, and 30% of participants had on-treatment testosterone levels >1000 ng/dL. Even after dose adjustment, there was substantial variation in on-treatment levels at subsequent study visits. Baseline characteristics (age, height, weight, baseline testosterone, SHBG, hematocrit, and creatinine) accounted for only a small fraction of the variance (<8%). Polymorphisms in SHBG and AKR1C3 genes were suggestively associated with on-treatment testosterone levels. To conclude, baseline participant characteristics account for only a small fraction of the variance in on-treatment testosterone levels investigated. Multiple dose titrations are needed to maintain on-treatment testosterone levels in the target range. The role of SHBG and AKR3C1 polymorphisms as contributors to variations in on-treatment testosterone levels should be investigated.
Moving Target Defense for Securing SCADA Communications

In this paper, we introduce a framework for building a secure and private peer to peer communication used in supervisory control and data acquisition networks with a novel Mobile IPv6-based moving target defense strategy. Our approach aids in combating remote cyber-attacks against peer hosts by thwarting any potential attacks at their reconnaissance stage. The IP address of each host is randomly changed at a certain interval creating a moving target to make it difficult for an attacker to find the host. At the same time, the peer host is updated through the use of the binding update procedure (standard Mobile IPv6 protocol). Compared with existing results that can incur significant packet-loss during address rotations, the proposed solution is loss-less. Improving privacy and anonymity for communicating hosts by removing permanent IP addresses from all packets is also one of the major contributions of this paper. Another contribution is preventing black hole attacks and bandwidth depletion DDoS attacks through the use of extra paths between the peer hosts. Recovering the communication after rebooting a host is also a new contribution of this paper. Lab-based simulation results are presented to demonstrate the performance of the method in action, including its overheads. The testbed experiments show zero packet-loss rate during handoff delay.
GROUPS GENERATED BY POWERS OF DEHN TWISTS

We classify groups generated by powers of 2 Dehn twists which are 1) free or 2) have no "unexpected" reducible elements. We give some sufficient conditions in the case of groups generated by powers of h � 3 twists.
Scalable parallel interval propagation for sparse constraint satisfaction problems

Multi-core processors have been broadly available to the public in the last five years. Parallelism has become a common design feature for computational intensive algorithms. In this paper we present a parallel implementation of an algorithm called interval constraint propagation for solution of constraint satisfaction problems over real numbers. Unlike existing implementations of this algorithm, our implementation scales well to many CPU cores with shared memory for sparse constraint satisfaction problems. We present scalability data for a quad-core processor on a number of benchmarks for non-linear constraint solvers.
Reconstruction of Elasticity and Attenuation Maps in Shear Wave Imaging: An Inverse Approach

Acoustic shear waves of low frequency can be detected and measured using a phase contrast based magnetic resonance imaging technique called MR Elastography or phase measurement based ultrasound techniques. Spatio-temporal variations of displacements caused by the propagating waves can be used to estimate local values of the elasticity of the object being imaged. The currently employed technique for estimating the elasticity from the wave displacement maps, the local frequency estimator (LFE), has fundamental resolution limits and also has problems with shadowing and other refraction-related artifacts. These problems can be overcome with an inverse approach using Green’s function integrals which directly solve the wave equation problem for the propagating wave. The complete measurements of wave displacements as a function of space and time over the object of interest obtained by the above techniques permit an iterative approach to inversion of the wave equation to obtain elasticity and attenuation maps.
Probabilistic nonadaptive and two-stage group testing with relatively small pools and DNA library screening

We use a simple, but nonstandard, incidence relation to construct probabilistic nonadaptive group testing algorithms that identify many positives in a population with a zero probability of yielding a false positive. More importantly, we give two-stage modifications of our nonadaptive algorithms that dramatically reduce the expected number of sufficient pools. For our algorithms, we give a lower bound on the probability of identifying all the positives and we compute the expected number of positives identified. Our method gives control over the pool sizes. In DNA library screening algorithms, where relatively small pools are generally preferred, having control over the pool sizes is an important practical consideration.
The Korean Tradition of Religion, Society, and Ethics: A Comparative and Historical Self-understanding and Looking Beyond

By making Korea a central part of comparative history of East Asian religion and society, this book traces the evolution of Korean religion from the oldest representation to that of the current day by utilizing wide-ranging interdisciplinary and comparative resources. This book presents a holistic view of the enduring religious tradition of Korea and its cultural and social significance within the wider horizons of modern and globalizing changes. Reflecting nearly five decades of the author’s work on the subject, it presents an understanding of the main current in Korean religion and social thought throughout history. It then goes on to examine discourses on values and morality involving the relationship between religion and society, in particular the human meaning of economy and society, which is one of the most central and practical problems in the contemporary world with global relevance beyond Korea and Asia. Addressing the overview of the Korean religious tradition in the context of its impact on the making of modern society and economy, this book will appeal to students and scholars of Religious Studies, Korean Studies and Asian Studies.
Nationwide surveillance algorithms for tuberculosis among immigrant workers from highly endemic countries following pre-entry screening in Taiwan.

This cross-sectional study was retrospectively performed to assess the trend of tuberculosis (TB) among Taiwan’s immigrant workers from highly TB-endemic countries under an intervention of conducting a 4-round follow-up (at 0–3 days and 6, 18, and 30 months post-migration) screening program with initial chest X-ray (CXR) following an overseas, pre-entry normal CXR. The immigrant workers with TB disease enrolled in the Taiwan TB registry database in 2011–2014 were analyzed and linked to an immigrant worker physical exam database to stratify TB case categories of actively screened or not for comparison. Following pre-entry screening for the admission of CXR-normal immigrant workers from highly endemic countries, the overall TB incidence of 70.6–128.6/100,000 person-years resulted either from a subsequent series of 4-round post-entry active screenings or misalliance algorithms, including passive diagnostics for the illness. Overall, the TB relative risk based on incidence in the immigrant working population was 2.2- to 5.5-fold greater than that among corresponding age Taiwanese, with 14.3% (15.5/100,000 person-years) sputum-smear-positive pulmonary TB (SS+ PTB), 74.2% (80.8/100,000 person-years) sputum-smear-negative (SS-) PTB, and 7.8% (8.5/100,000 person-years) only extra-pulmonary TB (EPTB). Regarding the clinical characteristics, 55.5% TB cases – identified through passive illness diagnostics vs. 44.5% TB cases actively identified through mandatory screenings, were higher in SS+ PTB (adjusted odds Ratio (aOR): 1.5, 95% CI: 1.1–2.0, P = 0.008), higher in SC+ PTB (aOR: 1.4, 95% CI: 1.1–1.7, P = 0.004), higher in concurrent extra-pulmonary TB (aOR: 8.9, CI: 4.5–7.4, P 100, CI: 0- > 100, P = 0.908). The TB yields of 3rd- to 4th-round screenings were higher than those of 1st- and 2nd-round screenings and ranged from 52.6–65.3 cases per 100,000 screenings in 2013–2014. The multiple post-entry TB screenings with initial CXR for high-risk immigrants could actively reduce TB transmission by finding SS- TB cases at early stages. The TB yields at post-entry 3rd- to 4th-round screenings might imply a persistent reactivation of latent TB. Adding more sensitive, economical screenings and preventive treatments for latent TB infection is a comprehensive approach for accelerating TB elimination.
How to Manage Moderate Aortic Regurgitation in the Context of Combined Valvular Disease

Surgeons sometimes face difficulty when questioning how far to extend the surgical indications for valvuloplasty and valve replacement while taking the pathophysiology and surgical invasiveness into account when they consider surgical treatment for combined valvular disease (CVD). This would reflect the evidence that the mechanisms and pathophysiology of DVD are highly variable. Determination of the surgical indication is strongly affected by the cusp etiology, but the determination must be made with a comprehensive understanding of all examination results.
Abstract P396: Influence of Social Determinants of Health on Emergency Department Visits Among Individuals With Coronary Heart Disease and Stroke: an Analysis of the 2010-2016 National Health Interview Surveys

Introduction: Coronary heart disease (CHD) and stroke are leading causes of morbidity and mortality in the U.S. Over 92 million Americans have been diagnosed with CHD/stroke and have more costly em...
Use of a case study to improve learning outcomes of construction engineering students

This paper investigates the use of a case study to improve students’ learning outcomes in construction engineering. Theimprovements were measured using the Laboratory for Innovative Technology and Engineering (LITEE) surveyinstrument. Five constructs were used to assess students’ learning outcomes: higher-order cognitive domain of learning,self-efficacy, ease of learning, teamworking, and communication skills. Using a sample of 15 students, we collected bothquantitative data (survey questions) and qualitative data (open-ended questions) on learning outcomes and students’perceptions of the effectiveness of using a case study. The results showed that working with a real case study significantlyimproved students’ higher-order cognitive domain of learning. Our findings suggest that case studies can be used as aneffective tool to improve students’ learning in the classroom.
Facultative and anaerobic consortia of haloalkaliphilic ureolytic micro-organisms capable of precipitating calcium carbonate

Aims Development of biomineralization technologies has largely focused on microbially induced carbonate precipitation (MICP) via Sporosarcina pasteurii ureolysis; however, as an obligate aerobe, the general utility of this organism is limited. Here, facultative and anaerobic haloalkaliphiles capable of ureolysis were enriched, identified and then compared to S. pasteurii regarding biomineralization activities. Methods and results Anaerobic and facultative enrichments for haloalkaliphilic and ureolytic micro-organisms were established from sediment slurries collected at Soap Lake (WA). Optimal pH, temperature and salinity were determined for highly ureolytic enrichments, with dominant populations identified via a combination of high-throughput SSU rRNA gene sequencing, clone libraries and Sanger sequencing of isolates. The enrichment cultures consisted primarily of Sporosarcina- and Clostridium-like organisms. Ureolysis rates and direct cell counts in the enrichment cultures were comparable to the S. pasteurii (strain ATCC 11859) type strain. Conclusions Ureolysis rates from both facultatively and anaerobically enriched haloalkaliphiles were either not statistically significantly different to, or statistically significantly higher than, the S. pasteurii (strain ATCC 11859) rates. Work here concludes that extreme environments can harbour highly ureolytic active bacteria with potential advantages for large scale applications, such as environments devoid of oxygen. Significance and impact of the study The bacterial consortia and isolates obtained add to the possible suite of organisms available for MICP implementation, therefore potentially improving the economics and efficiency of commercial biomineralization.
A Thrombus in Transit Complicating Acute Pulmonary Embolism.

Abstract A 51-year-old man presented with acute pulmonary embolism. He was found to have a large intracardiac thrombus in transit across a patent foramen ovale. He underwent anticoagulation and urgent surgical thrombectomy with good outcome. (Level of Difficulty: Beginner.)
Case series examining somatic test results for patients with hereditary cancer syndromes associated with gastrointestinal cancer risk.

680Background: Somatic tumor testing may identify germline pathogenic variants (PV) associated with cancer predisposition syndromes. Labs differ whether they offer somatic only or paired germline a...
Best Self or Best Company? Peloton Searches for a Voice

Peloton had redefined many things about the boutique exercise experience, bringing it into members' homes and eliminating per-class fees of roughly $34, instead charging $40 per month. Rather than chatting with a pal beside the gym locker for a few moments before class, customers had Peloton's online community of hundreds of thousands of people who interacted with one another digitally throughout the day. The instructors themselves were part of Peloton's cult following. They were expected to lead and inspire, not just teach a class, and each had a large social media following and minor celebrity status. The company was poised for an IPO in 2019 by identifying a new opportunity in a constantly evolving fitness space, by defining its business broadly, and by capitalizing upon the energy of celebrity and personality that online communities could bring to a brand. But how could a business built on a social community pivot to a position in the public marketplace? Excerpt UVA-M-0977 Oct. 29, 2019 Best Self or Best Company? Peloton Searches for a Voice Cycle with a DJ It wasn't often that a fitness club could justify the hassle and expense of hosting a class with a live DJ. But by spring 2019, it had become a core element of Peloton's cycling studio, with riders relying upon the energy of a DJ's music two-and-a-half times every month, on average. Peloton had redefined many things about the boutique exercise experience, bringing it into members' homes and eliminating the per-charge class fee of roughly $ 34 to instead charge $ 40 per month. Unlike common rhythm-based classes, Peloton used metrics to drive motivation at any given moment. Rather than require customers to get to a particular studio at a specific time to join 30 other acquaintances, they could select from a library of thousands of classes at any time. Yet these customers didn't miss out on socializing with their friends by exercising at home. Rather than chatting with a pal beside the gym locker for a few moments before class, customers had an online community, created by Peloton, of hundreds of thousands of people who interacted with one another digitally throughout the day. Cofounder and CEO John Foley encountered difficulties in creating a business model, raising capital, and designing a product—difficulties shared by many start-ups. But Peloton evolved from a struggling idea in 2012 to a company valued at over $ 4 billion that was poised for an initial public offering (IPO) by spring 2019. It did so by identifying a new opportunity in a constantly evolving fitness space, by defining its business broadly, and by capitalizing upon the energy of celebrity and personality that online communities could bring to a brand. . . .
Foliar Stoichiometry is Marginally Sensitive to Soil Phosphorus Across a Lowland Tropical Rainforest

The distribution of nutrients, both vertically and horizontally in a forest, has long been theorized to influence primary productivity. Working at La Selva Biological Station, Costa Rica, we gathered the most comprehensive foliar samples to date for a lowland tropical rainforest to measure horizontal and vertical trends in foliar nutrients. The mean traits of foliage from forest floor to top-of-canopy were determined at 45 plots placed across the landscape in a stratified random design. Area-basis foliar N and P for these vertically integrated columns varied by a factor of 3, while foliar N:P and mass-basis foliar N and P varied by a factor of 2. The variance in plot-level foliar N:P and P was best explained by total soil P, while variance in foliar N was best explained by soil pH (regression trees: r2 $$\ge $$ 0.20, p $$\le $$ 0.01). Other soil, topographic, and forest structure factors offered no additional explanatory power for variation of foliar nutrients from plot to plot. To explore vertical trends, we aggregated the data across the landscape into ~ 2 m vertical segments. We found that foliar N:P was unrelated to height in the canopy, and that area-basis foliar N and P increased with height in the canopy (linear regression: r2 = 0.82 and r2 = 0.65 respectively, p < 0.0001 for both). We compared these vertical trends to those of the eight other elements quantified in the leaves, and the only other element enriched with height was potassium (K). Vertical nutrient enrichment was driven by increases in leaf mass per area (LMA), not mass-basis concentrations. Altogether, these findings suggest that, even in diverse tropical rainforests, foliar chemistry may reflect environmental constraints.
Free Energy Calculations of ALS-Causing SOD1 Mutants Reveal Common Perturbations to Stability and Dynamics along the Maturation Pathway.

With over 150 heritable mutations identified as disease-causative, superoxide dismutase 1 (SOD1) has been a main target of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) research and therapeutic efforts. However, recent evidence has suggested that neither loss of function nor protein aggregation is responsible for promoting neurotoxicity. Furthermore, there is no clear pattern to the nature or the location of these mutations that could suggest a molecular mechanism behind SOD1-linked ALS. Here, we utilize reliable and accurate computational techniques to predict the perturbations of 10 such mutations to the free energy changes of SOD1 as it matures from apo monomer to metallated dimer. We find that the free energy perturbations caused by these mutations strongly depend on maturational progress, indicating the need for state-specific therapeutic targeting. We also find that many mutations exhibit similar patterns of perturbation to native and non-native maturation, indicating strong thermodynamic coupling between the dynamics at various sites of maturation within SOD1. These results suggest the presence of an allosteric network in SOD1 which is vulnerable to disruption by these mutations. Analysis of these perturbations may contribute to uncovering a unifying molecular mechanism which explains SOD1-linked ALS and help to guide future therapeutic efforts.
Mast cells and eosinophilic granule cells in Oncorhynchus mykiss: Are they similar or different?

Abstract Mast cells are important in inflammatory processes and in the nonspecific immune response, and there are also indications that these cells are associated with the effectors of the specific immune response. Eosinophilic granular cells are frequently compared to mast cells, and some authors maintain that they are the same cells. In this study, we take a fresh look at the similarities and differences between these two cell types in Oncorhynchus mykiss. We evaluated the cytomorphology of each cell type with optical microscopy, their staining affinities, and their ultrastructure. We observed that mast cells were positive for CD117 (c-kit), while eosinophilic granular cells were negative for this marker. We propose that these two cell types have certain common characteristics but represent well-differentiated populations distributed in several Oncorhynchus mykiss tissues.
Do Revenues Matter More Than Earnings for Initial Public Offerings

We demonstrate that investors in initial public offering (IPO) firms value revenues and that the number of U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) revenue recognition comment letters issued o...
The Association of Socioeconomic Status and Discharge Destination with 30-Day Readmission after Ischemic Stroke.

OBJECTIVES This study aimed to explore the association of socioeconomic status and discharge destination with 30-day readmission after ischemic stroke. MATERIALS AND METHODS We examined 30-day all-cause readmission among patients hospitalized for ischemic stroke in states of Arkansas, Iowa, and Wisconsin in 2016 and 2017 and New York in 2016 using Healthcare Cost and Utilization Project (HCUP) State Inpatient Databases. RESULTS Among the 52301 patients included, 51.1% were female. The 30-day readmission rates were 10.2%, 8.2%, 9.3%, 10.4%, 11.6%, and 11.2% for age group 18-34, 35-44, 45-54, 55-64, 65-74, and ≥75 years, respectively (p<0.001). In Generalized Estimating Equation analysis, patients with Medicare and Medicaid insurance were more likely to be readmitted, compared with private insurance, (adjusted Odds Ratio [aOR] 1.37, 95% CI 1.23-1.53; and aOR 1.26, 95% CI 1.09-1.45, respectively). Patients in the bottom quartile of zip code level median household income had higher 30-day readmission rate (12.4%) than those in the 2nd, 3rd and 4th quartile (10.3%, 10.1%, and 10.7%, respectively, p<0.001). Compared with those discharged home with self-care which had the lowest readmission rate (8.4%), patients who left against medical advice had the highest readmission rate (18.6%; aOR 2.23, 95% CI 1.75-2.83), followed by rehabilitation and skilled nursing facilities (13.2%; aOR 1.33, 95% CI 1.22-1.46), and home with home health care (11.3%, aOR 1.18, 95% CI 1.08-1.28). CONCLUSIONS Socioeconomic status and discharged destination affect readmission after stroke. These results provide evidence to inform vulnerable patient population as targets for readmission prevention.
Non-target stimuli in the visual field influence movement preparation in upper-limb reaching

The present work provides an empirical test of the Dynamic Field Theory of visuospatial cognition. The Dynamic Field Theory is a bi-stable neural network model applied to explain how visual information is integrated during the preparation of reaching responses (Erlhagen and Schoner). The dynamic field theory posits that motor cortices develop peaks of activation for each possible target in the visual field. Targets that are close in space produce neural peaks with overlapping distributions, whereas targets that are far apart produce distinct peaks with non-overlapping distributions. As such, the Dynamic Field Theory predicts reaction times to potential targets that are close in space will be faster than those to targets that are far apart. The present work examined how proximal and distal distractors impact reaction time in an upper-limb reaching task. The results demonstrated that distal distractors result in prolonged reaction times compared to proximal distractors. We suggest that reaction time represents the time required to inhibit neural activity representing the location of the distractor. Thus, prolonged reaction times observed for distal distractors reflect the temporal demands associated with the competition of two non-overlapping distributions of activity in the brain. These findings support the tenets of the Dynamic Field Theory and demonstrate that non-target stimuli in the visual field can influence movement preparation.
Cefuroxime Treatment Failure and Haemophilus influenzae Meningitis: Case Report and Review of Literature

Bacterial meningitis continues to be a major cause of morbidity and mortality in children despite effective antimicrobial therapy. Ampicillin and chloramphenicol have been the treatments of choice for bacterial meningitis in children older than 3 months of age, but recommendations also include cefuroxime and third-generation cephalosporins as possible single-drug alternatives. Although cefuroxime has been reported to be as effective as conventional therapy and some have recommended it for treatment of bacterial meningitis in children, there have been recent concerns about its efficacy. The purpose of this report is to describe an infant who had a relapse of Haemophilus influenzae meningitis 1 day after completing 30 days of therapy with iv cefuroxime for H influenzae meningitis complicated by sterile subdural effusion and possible osteomyelitis.
On the Reachability of Trustworthy Information from Integrated Exploratory Biological Queries

Levels of curation across biological databases are widely recognized as being highly variable, depending on provenance and type. In spite of ambiguous quality, searches against biological sources, such as those for sequence homology, remain a frontline strategy for biomedical scientists studying molecular data. In the following, we investigate the accessibility of well-curated data retrieved from explorative queries across multiple sources. We present the architecture and design of a lightweight data integration platform conducible to graph-theoretic analysis. Using data collected via this framework, we examine the reachability of evidence-supported annotations across triangulated sources in the face of uncertainty, using a simple random sampling model oriented around fault tolerance. We characterize the accessibility of high-quality data from uncertain queries and levels of redundancy across data sources and find that generally encountering non-experimentally verified annotations are nearly as likely as encountering experimentally verified annotations, with the exception of a group of proteins whose link structure is dominated by experimental evidence. Finally, we discuss the prospect of determining overall accessibility of relevant information based on metadata about a query and its results.
Maintaining Analytic Utility while Protecting Confidentiality of Survey and Nonsurvey Data

Consider a complete rectangular database at the micro (or unit) level from a survey (sample or census) or nonsurvey (administrative source) in which potential identifying variables (IVs) are suitably categorized (so that the analytic utility is essentially maintained) for reducing the pretreatment disclosure risk to the extent possible. The pretreatment risk is due to the presence of unique records (with respect to IVs) or nonuniques (i.e., more than one record having a common IV prole) with similar values of at least one sensitive variable (SV). This setup covers macro (or aggregate) level data including tabular data because a common mean value (of 1 in the case of count data) to all units in the aggregation or cell can be assigned. Our goal is to create a public use le with simultaneous control of disclosure risk and information loss after disclosure treatment by perturbation (i.e., substitution of IVs and not SVs) and suppression (i.e., subsampling-out of records). In this paper, an alternative framework of measuring information loss and disclosure risk under a nonsynthetic approach as proposed by Singh (2002, 2006) is considered which, in contrast to the commonly used deterministic treat- ment, is based on a stochastic selection of records for disclosure treatment in the sense that all records are subject to treatment (with possibly dierent probabil- ities), but only a small proportion of them are actually treated. We also pro- pose an extension of the above alternative framework of Singh with the goal of generalizing risk measures to allow partial risk scores for unique and nonunique records. Survey sampling techniques of sample allocation are used to assign sub- stitution and subsampling rates to risk strata dened by unique and nonunique records such that bias due to substitution and variance due to subsampling for main study variables (functions of SVs and IVs) are minimized. This is followed by calibration to controls based on original estimates of main study variables so that these estimates are preserved, and bias and variance for other study vari- ables may also be reduced. The above alternative framework leads to the method of disclosure treatment known as MASSC (signifying micro-agglomeration, sub- stitution, subsampling, and calibration) and to an enhanced method (denoted GenMASSC) which uses generalized risk measures. The GenMASSC method is illustrated through a simple example followed by a discussion of relative merits and demerits of nonsynthetic and synthetic methods of disclosure treatment.
Abstract W P10: Endovascular Treatment for Anterior Circulation Stroke Leads to Similar Outcomes in Very Early (within 3 hours) versus Selected Late (Beyond 8 Hours) Presenting Patients

Background and Purpose: Endovascular therapy for acute ischemic stroke (AIS) is thought to have a higher chance of good outcome in patients presenting early than in those presenting late. However, a subgroup of late presenting patients, identifiable through advanced neuroimaging methods, has favorable physiology and can still experience good outcomes following reperfusion. We sought to compare outcomes in patients treated very early (within 3 hours) vs. late (beyond 8 hours) at our institution. Methods: Via retrospective analysis of a prospectively collected database of 961 consecutive patients treated at our center (2001-2013), we identified patients with anterior circulation stroke who underwent endovascular treatment 8 hours from time last seen well, selected with advanced neuroimaging. Baseline characteristics and outcomes including MRI derived final infarct volumes (FIV) for...
Dispersion control of high-k waves in tapered hyperbolic waveguides

The fundamental problem of efficiently outcoupling high-k waves from hyperbolic metamaterials is approached with an in-plane configuration, and enhanced with adiabatic tapering. This strategy may allow for better efficiency of Purcell enhanced quantum sources.