cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Analysis and design considerations for permanent-magnet aerospace-instrument devices

The range of permanent-magnet materials for electro-magnetic-device applications has recently been augmented by the commercial development of Samarium Cobalt. Of particular importance is the magnetic characteristic of SmCo 5 in relation to other available hard magnetic materials. The most striking aspects of the material are its high coercivity and possible maximum energy level, while the most gratifying aspect is its predictable performance. In order to make best use of a high quality and relatively expensive magnetic material such as SmCo 5 , one should strive for optimized designs. In view of the complicated geometries involved, significant leakage flux particularly caused by compact design, and nonlinear ferromagnetic materials used in making up the electromagnetic device, it becomes necessary to resort to numerical solutions to determine the effect of variation of significant parameters involved and to achieve an optimized design for the device. The paper presents the modeling techniques for simulating permanent magnets in computer-aided analysis, methods to deal with various geometries and inherent symmetry that may be a characteristic of the problem. By numerically analyzing the model, detailed flux-distribution plots have been obtained by means of a high-speed digital computer. The paper discusses typical cases that have been studied.
Invited Commentary: Causation or “noitasuaC”?

Longitudinal studies are often viewed as the "gold standard" of observational epidemiologic research. Establishing a temporal association is a necessary criterion to identify causal relations. However, when covariates in the causal system vary over time, a temporal association is not straightforward. Appropriate analytical methods may be necessary to avoid confounding and reverse causality. These issues come to light in 2 studies of breastfeeding described in the articles by Al-Sahab et al. (Am J Epidemiol. 2011;173(9):971-977) and Kramer et al. (Am J Epidemiol. 2011;173(9):978-983) in this issue of the Journal. Breastfeeding has multiple time points and is a behavior that is affected by multiple factors, many of which themselves vary over time. This creates a complex causal system that requires careful scrutiny. The methods presented here may be applicable to a wide range of studies that involve time-varying exposures and time-varying confounders.
Treatment considerations in vancomycin-resistant enterococcal bacteremia: daptomycin or linezolid? A review

Background Vancomycin resistant enterococcal bloodstream infections are an important cause of morbidity and mortality in hospitalized patients. Aim of the Review A search of the literature was undertaken to determine the optimal antimicrobial therapy for the management of vancomycin resistant enterococcal bloodstream infections. Method MEDLINE, EMBASE, and the Cochrane Library (unrestricted to time or language) were searched for studies of vancomycin resistant enterococcal bloodstream infections in adults reporting outcomes of direct comparisons of linezolid versus daptomycin on November 26, 2012. Studies of basic science, reviews, commentaries, pharmacologic, epidemiologic, or pediatric studies, and those studies examining conditions other than enterococcal bacteremia, a single antimicrobial agent or other antimicrobials were excluded. Results 226 studies were screened for eligibility and yielded eight studies evaluating a total of 807 patients. Inter-rater agreement was 100 %. Qualitative evaluation of the studies was performed using the Newcastle–Ottawa scale. No randomized controlled trials were identified. All studies were retrospective cohorts and non-randomized. 458 (57 %) patients treated with linezolid and 349 (43 %) with daptomycin were analyzed. Variable comorbidities and severity of illness were described in the included studies and reported here for comparison. Conclusion The optimal treatment of vancomycin resistant enterococcal bloodstream infections is yet to be determined. Well-designed prospective studies are needed to lend more convincing evidence regarding choice of antimicrobial therapy for this important multidrug resistant organism.
Draft versus finished sequence data for DNA and protein diagnostic signature development

Sequencing pathogen genomes is costly, demanding careful allocation of limited sequencing resources. We built a computational Sequencing Analysis Pipeline (SAP) to guide decisions regarding the amount of genomic sequencing necessary to develop high-quality diagnostic DNA and protein signatures. SAP uses simulations to estimate the number of target genomes and close phylogenetic relatives (near neighbors, or NNs) to sequence. We use SAP to assess whether draft data is sufficient or finished sequencing is required using Marburg and variola virus sequences. Simulations indicate that intermediate to high quality draft with error rates of 10{sup -3}-10{sup -5} ({approx} 8x coverage) of target organisms is suitable for DNA signature prediction. Low quality draft with error rates of {approx} 1% (3x to 6x coverage) of target isolates is inadequate for DNA signature prediction, although low quality draft of NNs is sufficient, as long as the target genomes are of high quality. For protein signature prediction, sequencing errors in target genomes substantially reduce the detection of amino acid sequence conservation, even if the draft is of high quality. In summary, high quality draft of target and low quality draft of NNs appears to be a cost-effective investment for DNA signature prediction, but may lead to underestimationmore » of predicted protein signatures.« less
A rose in any other font would not smell as sweet: Effects of perceptual fluency on categorization

Abstract Fluency – the ease with which people process information – is a central piece of information we take into account when we make judgments about the world. Prior research has shown that fluency affects judgments in a wide variety of domains, including frequency, familiarity, and confidence. In this paper, we present evidence that fluency also plays a role in categorization judgments. In Experiment 1, participants judged a variety of different exemplars to be worse category members if they were less fluent (because they were presented in a smaller typeface). In Experiment 2, we found that fluency also affected judgments of feature typicality. In Experiment 3, we demonstrated that the effects of fluency can be reversed when a salient attribution for reduced fluency is available (i.e., the stimuli are hard to read because they were printed by a printer with low toner). In Experiment 4 we replicated these effects using a within-subject design, which ruled out the possibility that the effects were a statistical artifact caused by aggregation of data. We propose a possible mechanism for these effects: if an exemplar and its category are closely related, activation of one will cause priming of the other, leading to increased fluency. Over time, feelings of fluency come to be used as a valid cue that can become confused with more traditional sources of information about category membership.
Corruption and the Effectiveness of Imported Antiretroviral Drugs in Averting HIV Deaths

This paper looks at the impact of corruption on the effectiveness of antiretroviral drugs in preventing deaths due to HIV and the potential channels that generate this relationship. This is based on a unique panel dataset of countries in sub-Saharan Africa, which combines information on all imported antiretroviral drugs from the World Health Organization’s Global Price Reporting Mechanism with measures of corruption and estimates of the HIV prevalence and the number of deaths in each year and in each country. Countries with higher levels of corruption experience a significantly smaller drop in HIV deaths as a result of the same quantity of ARVs imported. This is followed up with a single case-study from Kenya to illustrate one potential mechanism for the observed effect, demonstrating that disproportionately more clinics begin distributing ARVs in areas that are predominantly represented by the new leader’s ethnic group.
Comparison of milk oxidation by exposure to LED and fluorescent light

Light-induced oxidation of milk has been well studied. Exposure of milk to UV light facilitates the oxidation of fats to aldehydes, and the degradation of sulfur-containing amino acids, both of which contribute to off-flavors. In addition, vitamin A and riboflavin are easily degraded by UV light. These reactions occur rapidly and are exacerbated by bright fluorescent lights in retail dairy cases. The invention of white light-emitting diodes (LED) may provide a solution to this oxidation problem. In this study, fresh milk containing 1% fat and fortified with vitamin A and riboflavin was exposed to LED at 4,000 lx, or fluorescent light at 2,200 lx for 24 h. Milk samples exposed to LED or fluorescent light, as well as milk protected from light, were analyzed by a consumer acceptance panel, and a trained flavor panel. In addition, vitamin A, riboflavin, and the production of volatile compounds were quantified. Exposure to light resulted in a reduction of cooked/sweet, milkfat, and sweet flavors and increased the intensity of butterscotch, cardboard, and astringency. In general, exposure to fluorescent light resulted in greater changes in the milk than exposure to LED even though the LED was at higher intensity. Consumers were able detect off-flavors in milk exposed to fluorescent light after 12 h and LED after 24 h of exposure. The riboflavin and vitamin A content was reduced by exposure to fluorescent light, whereas there was no significant reduction caused by LED compared with the non-light-exposed control. Production of hexanal, heptanal, 2-heptanal, octanal, 2-octanal nonanal, dimethyl sulfide, and caproic acid vinyl ester from the light-induced degradation of fats was significantly higher with fluorescent than LED. Production of these compounds was significantly higher with both light treatments than in the control milk. This study indicates that LED is less destructive to milk than fluorescent light.
Semi-automated student advising system using QUATTRO spreadsheets

Abstract A semi-automated student advising system has been developed using QUATTRO spreadsheet software. The system consists of five inter-related spreadsheet templates; MAIN, RECORD, PROGRESS, AID, and SCHED. The MAIN template provides the listing of required courses. Student records are kept in the RECORD template. The student progress chart is displayed by the PROGRESS template. The AID template recommends to the advisor what courses the student can take. The SCHED template provides a worksheet for trial schedules, so that time conflicts can be avoided. The system performs tedious bookkeeping and analyzing tasks, so the advisor can spend more time with the student.
Intelligent Displays: Techniques to Support Safe and Autonomous Space Exploration

Intelligent Displays provide the techniques to support safe and autonomous space Exploration. Via techniques that manipulate vehicle measurements to derive and effectively present more meaningful data to increase situational awareness and reduce the workload of the crew and ground personnel, space Exploration can be made safer with reduced reliance on ground support.
Citrus Mealybug (Homoptera: Pseudococcidae) on Greenhouse Citrus: Density-dependent Regulation by an Encyrtid Parasite Complex

Inoculative release of five encyrtid parasites, Leptomastidea abnormis (Girault), Anagyrus pseudococci (Girault), Leptomastix dactylopii Howard, Chrysoplatycerus Splendens (Howard), and Pauridia peregrina Timberlake, resulted in rapid suppression of citrus mealybug, Planococcus citri (Risso), on greenhouse citrus. Several parasites, Leptomastidea abnormis, A. pseudococci, and Leptomastix dactylopii, persisted for periods >20 weeks and maintained the host at reduced densities through delayed density-dependent regulation. The impact of regulation was demonstrated through experimental parasite exclusion: P. citri cohorts exposed to searching parasites for ca. 8 weeks declined ca. 90.0%, whereas cohorts protected from parasites increased 828.3%. Relevance of natural enemy regulation theory to development of applied biological control strategies for P. citri and other greenhouse pests is discussed.
Peculiar/Unusual Perceptions and Beliefs and Covariation Detection

The present research explored the possibility that peculiar/unusual perceptions and/or beliefs might be associated with covariation detection. One-hundred thirty-five college students completed the Perceptual Aberration and Magical Ideation scales. They also performed a task in which they were presented with unpleasant images and asked to indicate whether the image was upright or rotated; participants were told the task was examining the impact of distraction on visual processing. In fact, loud noises were paired disproportionately with images of automobile accidents. After completing the task, participants were asked to identify the type of image that had been paired disproportionately with the loud noises. Participants who successfully detected the covariation had significantly higher Perceptual Aberration scale scores than did participants who did not detect the covariation.
Associations of Apelin, Visfatin, and Urinary 8-Isoprostane With Severe Hypertension in African Americans: The MH-GRID Study

Background Apelin is an adipokine directly associated with adiposity, insulin resistance, and decreased blood pressure. Urinary 8-isoprostane is a marker of chronic oxidative endothelial stress. Visfatin, an adipokine that acts by binding and activating the insulin receptor, has been associated with hypertension. As severe hypertension (SH) is highly prevalent among African Americans (AA), we aimed to assess the association of these biomarkers with SH status. Methods A sample of 250 AA participants (134 normotensive controls and 116 with SH (including 98 treatment controlled, SCH: severe controlled hypertension, and 18 treatment resistant, SRH: severe resistant hypertension)) from the Minority Health Genomics and Translational Research Bio-Repository Database (MH-GRID) in metro Atlanta had blood analyzed for apelin and visfatin and urine for 8-isoprostane. T-tests, sex-specific age-adjusted correlation coefficients, and multivariable logistic regression models were used to assess the association of biomarkers with hypertensive status. Results Levels of apelin and 8-isoprostane were not statistically different between controls and SCH or SRH. Statistically significant differences were present in levels of visfatin between controls (1.03±0.84 pg/ml), SCH (1.34±1.14 pg/ml), and SRH (1.59±0.85 pg/ml). After multivariable adjustment, categorization in the middle 2 quartiles of urinary 8-isoprostane were associated with SH. In similar models, categorization into the highest quartile of visfatin was associated with SH (odds ratio = 2.80; 95% confidence interval: 1.02-7.02). A continuous association of visfatin with SH was present. Conclusion In our community sample of AA, there were increased odds of SH with increased levels of urinary 8-isoprostane and visfatin, but not with apelin.
Cattle Raisers of the Old Southwest: A Reinterpretation

onsidering that virtually every essay on Frederick Jackson Turner includes his observation of the "procession of civilization" from Cumberland Gap to South Pass, it is remarkable that the cattle raiser of the Old Southwest has reposed so long in historiographical obscurity. The scholarly neglect of these frontiersmen is particularly surprising in view of Turner's assertion in his famous essay that "the experience of the Carolina cowpens guided the ranchers of Texas." 1 If, as the patron saint of western historians suggested, Texas cowpunchers learned some of their ropes from herdsmen who grazed their cattle westward from the Carolinas and Georgia across the gulf states, why have his cattle raisers received so little attention? Perhaps the most significant explanation of this oversight is the overriding influence of Walter Prescott Webb's attitudes toward the role of longhorns and long drives in the American experience-ideas which are as sacrosanct today as they were suspect four and a half decades ago. Few of Webb's admirers are more devoted than the author, and few preach more enthusiastically the validity of his Great Plains concept. Nevertheless, Webb appeared blind to the antecedents of the cattle kingdom as an industry and seemed mistaken regarding the uniqueness of its Spanish heritage to the Great Plains. Who would deny the unprecedented scope of the cattle frontier after the Civil War? To quote Webb, "Ranching as practiced on the Great Plains after 1866 was distinctive," and "for rapidity of expansion" perhaps there was not "a parallel movement in American history." 2 But to deny the cattle kingdom of its cis-Mississippi heritage is another matter. In
Total and regional adiposity measured by dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry and mortality in NHANES 1999-2006.

Objective Associations of overall and regional body fat measured by dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry with total and cause-specific mortality in the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) 1999-2006 were investigated. Methods This study included 9,471 participants (≥20 years) free of major chronic diseases at baseline. Death information was obtained from the National Death Index (mean follow-up duration: 8.8 years). Results A total of 682 participants died after 12 months since baseline, with 206 and 170 deaths attributed to cardiovascular diseases (CVD) and cancer, respectively. The second quartile of fat mass percentages (FM%) was used as the reference to account for potential nonlinearity. In the multivariate-adjusted model, participants in the highest quartile of total FM% had increased total mortality; hazard ratio (HR; 95% confidence interval, 95% CI) was 1.48 (1.07-2.04; P < 0.05). Higher total and trunk FM%, but not leg FM%, were significantly associated with an increased CVD mortality; HRs (95% CIs) in the highest quartiles of total, trunk, and leg FM% were 2.24 (1.17-4.31), 1.93 (1.02-3.66), and 1.50 (0.77-2.94), respectively. Conclusions Higher total body fat was associated with increased total mortality in U.S. adults. Higher total and trunk fat contents were also associated with increased CVD mortality, although fat accumulation in the lower body was not an independent predictor of mortality.
Depression increases the risk of mortality in patients with heart failure: A meta-analysis.

Abstract Background Depression is a risk factor for mortality in cardiovascular diseases. Prior studies confirm that depression predicts adverse outcomes in patients with heart failure (HF). However, data were inconclusive regarding the effect of depression on mortality. This meta-analysis examines the relationship between depression and mortality in HF. Methods Prospective studies of depression and mortality in HF published between 1999 and April 2016 were located using PubMed, PsychINFO, and MEDLINE. Comprehensive Meta-Analysis software was used to compute an aggregated effect size estimates of hazard ratios and to conduct subgroup analyses. Results Eighteen studies met inclusion criteria. For 8 aggregated univariate and 14 multivariate estimates, depressive symptoms were related to all-cause mortality. A pooled HR of 3 multivariate analyses indicated that depressive symptoms were not linked to cardiovascular mortality. In subgroup analyses, depression predicted all-cause mortality in samples with a mean age > 65. The impact of depression on all-cause mortality also differed by follow-up duration, with samples with shorter follow-up durations demonstrating a larger effect. Conclusions In HF, depression is related to increased all-cause mortality risk, with stronger effects in samples with shorter follow-up and in older adults. In older adults, depression may serve as a marker of more severe HF. However, this possibility is difficult to examine given inconsistent adjustment for HF severity. Additional studies may assist in determining the relationship between depression and cardiovascular mortality, as the low number of studies examining cardiovascular mortality may have precluded detection of an effect.
The Myth of the "Middle Colonies": An Analysis of Regionalization in Early America

CRITICS REPEATEDLY CHASTISE HISTORIANS for neglecting the middle colonies and middle states. Early American histor ians in particular receive this criticism because of their apparent fascination with the neighboring Chesapeake and New England. * In the past decade, however, New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, and Delaware have finally attracted to their early histories numerous and skilled scholars.2 But as a result of this inquiry do we know more about an entity, "the middle colonies?" How strongly did the four middle colonies, and later states, share social, economic, and political patterns? If we assume their uniformity, we may carelessly ascribe local, or at best regional characteristics to
Gamifying Course Modules for Entry Level Students

The growing shortage of skilled professionals in cybersecurity and forensics has increased global demand for information systems professionals. To identify and attract more students to cybersecurity and forensics programs, the authors developed a game engine along with a sequence of entertaining, engaging, and educational games, suitable for forensics and cybersecurity courses. This paper focuses on the design and development of a modular educational game framework composed of a game engine and a GUI-based game creator. Following narrative and storylines of the game via interactive dialogs and visualized abstract concepts, students are motivated and engaged to obtain the necessary knowledge. Students will also develop their problem solving skills by using real tools and technologies while playing the game. The GUI-based game creator allows educators to create and develop new educational games by only focusing on game content.
Efficacy of Density Functionals and Relativistic Effective Core Potentials for Lanthanide-Containing Species: The Ln54 Molecule Set.

The utility of 22 density functionals paired with relativistic effective core potentials (RECPs) for the prediction of thermodynamic properties was investigated for the Ln54 set of lanthanide-containing molecules. The Ln54 set includes lanthanide oxides, fluorides, and chlorides with the lanthanide formally in the +1, + 2, or +3 oxidation state. The density functionals were chosen to span the gamut of complexity from the local density approximation to double hybrids. Computed enthalpies of formation and bond dissociation energies were compared to experimental data and to previous calculations performed with all electron basis sets. The performance of the functionals was then assessed for each class of molecules in the Ln54 set. Overall, SVWN was found to be the best-performing functional having the lowest MAD of 22.1 kcal mol–1 and the most systematic deviation in comparison to the other functionals.
Abstract TP451: Age-associated Changes in the Structure and Biomechanical Properties of Parenchymal Arterioles

Arterial aging, a phenomenon that we do not fully understand, results in dysfunctional arteries. Age-associated changes in physiological and vascular functions increase the risk of cardiovascular disease. Aging results in peripheral artery remodeling, described as a change in artery size and wall structure. Age-related cerebral artery remodeling could increase the risk of stroke and vascular dementia particularly in situations where comorbidities, such as hypertension, are present. The effects of aging on the biomechanical properties of parenchymal arterioles (PAs) have not been characterized. PAs regulate perfusion of the cerebral microcirculation and are important in determining cerebrovascular resistance. We hypothesized that aging would decrease the lumen diameter, and increase the wall thickness and collagen deposition in PAs from C57Bl/6 mice. PAs were collected from 3-5 month (young; n=8) and 22-24 month (old; n=8) old male mice for assessment of structure by pressure myography. Data collected at 60mmHg are presented as mean ± SEM, young vs. old. Advanced age was associated with increased systolic blood pressure (126 ± 1 vs 145 ± 2mmHg). Aging did not significantly affect the outer (49 ± 5 vs 53 ± 3μm) or lumen (41 ± 5 vs 41 ± 2μm) diameter of the PAs (p > 0.05 for all comparisons). However, the PAs from older mice had increased wall thickness (4 ± 1 vs 6 ± 1μm), wall area (591 ± 96 vs 853 ± 101μm2), and wall-to-lumen ratio (0.10 ± 0.01 vs 0.13 ± 0.01) (p 0.05). Our studies of geriatric mice with high blood pressure suggest that aging is associated with hypertrophic remodeling of the PAs that is accompanied by alterations in the extracellular matrix of the artery wall; these changes could increase the risk of cerebrovascular diseases.
Kaposi's Sarcoma-Associated Herpesvirus Utilizes and Manipulates RNA N6-Adenosine Methylation To Promote Lytic Replication

N6-adenosine methylation (m6A) is the most common posttranscriptional RNA modification in mammalian cells. We found that most transcripts encoded by the Kaposi's sarcoma-associated herpesvirus (KSHV) genome undergo m6A modification. The levels of m6A-modified mRNAs increased substantially upon stimulation for lytic replication. The blockage of m6A inhibited splicing of the pre-mRNA encoding the replication transcription activator (RTA), a key KSHV lytic switch protein, and halted viral lytic replication. We identified several m6A sites in RTA pre-mRNA crucial for splicing through interactions with YTH domain containing 1 (YTHDC1), an m6A nuclear reader protein, in conjunction with serine/arginine-rich splicing factor 3 (SRSF3) and SRSF10. Interestingly, RTA induced m6A and enhanced its own pre-mRNA splicing. Our results not only demonstrate an essential role of m6A in regulating RTA pre-mRNA splicing but also suggest that KSHV has evolved a mechanism to manipulate the host m6A machinery to its advantage in promoting lytic replication. IMPORTANCE KSHV productive lytic replication plays a pivotal role in the initiation and progression of Kaposi's sarcoma tumors. Previous studies suggested that the KSHV switch from latency to lytic replication is primarily controlled at the chromatin level through histone and DNA modifications. The present work reports for the first time that KSHV genome-encoded mRNAs undergo m6A modification, which represents a new mechanism at the posttranscriptional level in the control of viral replication.
The Imagined Backward and Downtrodden Other

The Roma, commonly known as Gypsies, have always been a people who do not fit neatly within traditional notions of, and conversations about, minorities. The group consistently makes the news in European contexts, where discourses range from the typical other to advocacy claims for their rights and to rectify human rights-type discrimination. Yet in the US context, the Roma are typically less visible in the news. An analysis of newspaper articles published in the United States between 2010 and 2015 finds that the Roma are talked about as downtrodden, political cause for intervention, or as a marginalized other who need salvation. In the context that American news has largely ignored the plight of the Roma, has deemed the population to be an invisible stranger, and has continued to bolster historic stereotypes, this study concludes that US news misses the opportunity to connect the problem of the Roma to current political and popular discourses about immigration, and confines their reporting to dominant ide...
Patrick Geddes and applied planning practice

Abstract Patrick Geddes made substantial contributions to applied planning practice by promoting academic, professional and public awareness of urbanism, regionalism and civics. He contributed to university and adult education, and through his publications, summer schools, exhibitions and museum projects he reached a much broader public, not just in Britain but also in other parts of Western Europe, North America, the Eastern Mediterranean, and South Asia. He pushed forward a series of institutional projects, and as a planning consultant he wrote numerous reports and several significant city plans, most notably in India and Palestine between 1914 and 1924.
Letitia Elizabeth Landon (1802–1838): Whose Poetess?

Letitia Elizabeth Landon was lauded, berated, and commodified throughout her lifetime. As her poems proliferated throughout the 1820s and 1830s, her name was linked in the gossip pages with various influential men. After a protracted courtship, she married the governor of Cape Coast Castle, and moved to the Gold Coast. Two months later Landon was found dead; she was all but forgotten until 1982 when Germaine Greer re-introduced Landon to the world, as a woman who “seems to have capitulated… utterly to the sexual double standard” (21). As more scholars read Landon, they came to other conclusions, and she was alternately depicted as innocent, capitalist, proto-feminist, and unwed mother. This chapter explores the various ways critics have (mis-)read Landon’s life and work.
Validity of Parent-Reported Vaccination Status for Adolescents Aged 13–17 Years: National Immunization Survey-Teen, 2008

Objective. The validity of parent-reported adolescent vaccination histories has not been assessed. This study evaluated the validity of parent-reported adolescent vaccination histories by a combination of immunization card and recall, and by recall only, compared with medical provider records. Methods. We analyzed data from the 2008 National Immunization SurveyTeen. Parents of adolescents aged 13–17 years reported their child’s vaccination history either by immunization card and recall (n53,661) or by recall only (n512,822) for the hepatitis B (Hep B), measles-mumps-rubella (MMR), varicella (VAR), tetanus-diphtheria/tetanus-diphtheria-acellular pertussis (Td/ Tdap), meningococcal conjugate (MCV4), and quadrivalent human papillomavirus (HPV4) (for girls only) vaccines. We validated parental report with medical records. Results. Among the immunization card/recall group, vaccines with 20% falsepositive reports included MMR (32.3%) and Td/Tdap (36.9%); vaccines with 20% false-negative reports included VAR (35.2%), MCV4 (36.0%), and Tdap (41.9%). Net bias ranged from 225.0 to –0.1 percentage points. Kappa values ranged from 0.22 to 0.92. Among the recall-only group, vaccines with 20% false-positive reports included Hep B (33.9%), MMR (61.4%), VAR (26.2%), and Td/Tdap (60.6%); vaccines with 20% false-negative reports included Hep B (58.9%), MMR (33.7%), VAR (51.6%), Td/Tdap (25.5%), Tdap (50.3%) MCV4 (63.0%), and HPV4 (20.5%). Net bias ranged from 246.0 to 0.5 percentage points. Kappa values ranged from 0.03 to 0.76. Conclusions. Validity of parent-reported vaccination histories varies by type of report and vaccine. For recently recommended vaccines, false-negative rates were substantial and higher than false-positive rates, resulting in net underreporting of vaccination rates by both the immunization card/recall and recallonly groups. Provider validation of parent-reported vaccinations is needed for valid surveillance of adolescent vaccination coverage.
First Notes on Surrender and Autobiography

This title — “First Notes on Surrender and Autobiography” — already is an achievement, for it makes it possible for me to speak, in fact makes me speak, brings words, specific words, for me to say. The title has made me find what in this matter of surrender-and-autobiography I am entitled to hope for: “first notes.” The title has given me my beginning, the beginning of this piece, “Surrender and Autobiography.” But the title is not my achievement: it has happened. Beginning is not my beginning: as my beginning it is impossible. (In our unadmitted despair we say that all beginning is difficult — as if it were not more than difficult.) To be able to begin can never be taken for granted, cannot even be taken for possible. For it is creatio ex nihilo, creation out of nothing at all. It is the catch of surrender. The catch of surrender is the hope (the glorious hope) that there will be a catch.
Eosinophils: Biology and Role in Disease

Publisher Summary The chapter reviews recent findings on the biology of the eosinophil, particularly distinctive eosinophil features, and discusses the possible role of the eosinophil in the pathogenesis of certain diseases with which the cell is associated. There is evidence that eosinophils slow the rate of progression of solid tumors through tumoricidal mechanisms. There is no experiment of nature in that cell, or its progenitors are selectively depleted; and at the present time no pharmacological or biological inhibitor is available for laboratory-based or clinical studies. However, in the past few years, evidence has shifted away from the cell having anti-allergic properties, and even its role in adaptive immunity to helminth infections is seriously questioned. It is important to bear in mind that the eosinophil is an inflammatory cell and that the purpose of inflammation is to restore, repair, and remodel injured tissue. The role of the eosinophil in wound healing has recently received considerable attention, and it seems reasonable to expect that this will be a growth area for eosinophil biologists. Intriguingly, there is now some firm data to implicate the eosinophil in immunological responses against cancer cells. The recent findings on the potential of eosinophils in cancer immunity may stimulate a better understanding of the role of this cell type. It can be stated with reasonable assurity that the eosinophil probably has some homeostatic function in certain physiological situations and that this needs to be considered further.
Overview of Testing of Motility and of the Anorectum

Evaluation of constipation begins with a detailed history and physical. Diagnostic testing for constipation is not routinely recommended in the initial evaluation in the absence of alarm signs. Testing should be targeted at symptoms or signs elicited in the history or physical that suggest an organic process. Colonoscopy is indicated in all patients over 50 years of age who have never had colorectal cancer screening and in those with alarm symptoms; experts suggest start screening at 45 years of age for African Americans and the obese due to diagnosis at a younger age. Anorectal manometry, along with the rectal balloon expulsion test, should be performed in patients who fail to respond to laxatives or empiric medical therapy for constipation. Additional testing, including defecography, dynamic pelvic magnetic resonance imaging, colon transit studies, colon manometry, and EMG, may also be used to further characterize the etiology and therapy of chronic constipation. The information herein is intended as a guide to diagnostic testing for those with constipation refractory to conservative treatment.
Computational Modeling of Phonological Learning

Recent advances in computational modeling have led to significant discoveries about the representation and acquisition of phonological knowledge and the limits on language learning and variation. T...
The Role of the Neuropsychologist in Deep Brain Stimulation

Abstract Deep brain stimulation (DBS) is approved in the United States primarily for the treatment of movement disorders, although it is also approved for obsessive–compulsive disorder, and as an adjunct treatment for partial seizures. This chapter reviews the state of the art regarding neuropsychological effects of DBS in Parkinson’s disease, essential tremor, and dystonia. The utility of neuropsychological evaluation in outcome prediction, risk factors for poor outcome, and evaluation practice is also discussed.
Severe mosquito bite allergy: an unusual EBV+ NK cell lymphoproliferative disorder.

![Figure][1] A 14-year-old Hispanic youth was in good health until the onset of skin lesions, which started in the left leg following a mosquito bite, and then spread to involve both legs and upper extremities. The lesions consisted of discrete hemorrhagic bullae, which progressed to eschars
Variable past participles in Portuguese perfect constructions

Some Portuguese verbs have two past participle forms: one regular (stem + -do), and the other irregular (often identical to the first person singular present indicative). Per grammars, the perfect auxiliaries ter/haver take regulars, while irregulars appear with passive/adjectival ser/estar. To test these claims, we analyzed naturally-occurring data from Brazil (twentieth century) and Portugal (nineteenth and twentieth). We coded 1077 tokens from 21 verbs for ten predictors and performed mixed-effects logistic regressions in R. Irregulars appear with ter/haver 54% overall and in 68% of cases from Portugal. Our results demonstrate that past participle choice is determined by the interaction of several linguistic factors. While lexical verb is the most significant predictor of participle selection, verbs with irregular participles identical to the first person singular present indicative occur in the irregular significantly more than other verbs. We conclude that analogical processes underpin the variation. This conclusion allows us to adjudicate between competing accounts of past participle choice in Portuguese.
Exploring classification of birth defects severity in national hospital discharge databases compared to an active surveillance program.

Objective To explore the extent to which the severity of birth defects could be differentiated using severity of illness (SOI) and risk of mortality (ROM) measures available in national discharge databases. Methods Data from the 2012-14 National Inpatient Sample (NIS) was used to identify hospitalizations with one or more major birth defects reported annually to the National Birth Defects Prevention Network using the International Classification of Diseases, Ninth Edition, Clinical Modification (ICD-9-CM) diagnosis codes. Each hospitalization also contained a 4-level SOI and 4-level ROM classification measure. For each birth defect and for each individual birth defect-related ICD-9-CM code, we calculated mean and median SOI and ROM, the proportion of hospitalizations in each level of SOI and ROM, the inpatient mortality rate, and level of agreement between various existing or derived severity proxies in the NIS and the Texas Birth Defects Registry (TBDR). Results Mean SOI ranged from 1.5 (cleft lip alone) to 3.7 (single ventricle), and mean ROM ranged from 1.1 (cleft lip alone) to 3.9 (anencephaly). As a group, critical congenital heart defects had the highest average number of co-occurring defects, mean SOI, and ROM, whereas orofacial and genitourinary defects had the lowest SOI and ROM. We found strong levels of agreement between TBDR severity classifications and NIS severity classifications defined using Level 3 or 4 SOI or ROM Level 3 or 4. Conclusions This preliminary investigation demonstrated how severity indices of birth defects could be differentiated and compared to a severity algorithm of an existing surveillance program.
Conservative management of low-risk prostate cancer among young versus older men in the United States: Trends and outcomes from a novel national database.

BACKGROUND Management for men aged ≤55 years with low-risk prostate cancer (LRPC) is debated given quality-of-life implications with definitive treatment versus the potential missed opportunity for cure with conservative management. The objective of this study was to define rates of conservative management for LRPC and associated short-term outcomes in young versus older men in the United States. METHODS The nonpublic Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results Prostate with Active Surveillance/Watchful Waiting (AS/WW) Database identified 50,302 men who were diagnosed with LRPC from 2010 through 2015. AS/WW rates in the United States were stratified by age (≤55 vs ≥56 years). Prostate cancer-specific mortality and overall mortality were defined by initial management type (AS/WW vs definitive treatment [referent]) and age. RESULTS AS/WW utilization increased from 8.61% (2010) to 34.56% (2015) among men aged ≤55 years (P for trend <0.001) and from 15.99% to 43.81% among men aged ≥56 years (P for trend <.001). Among patients who had ≤2 positive biopsy cores, AS/WW rates increased from 12.90% to 48.78% for men aged ≤55 years and from 21.85% to 58.01% for men aged ≥56 years. Among patients who had ≥3 positive biopsy cores, AS/WW rates increased from 3.89% to 22.45% for men aged ≤55 years and from 10.05% to 28.49% for men aged ≥56 years (all P for trend <.001). Five-year prostate cancer-specific mortality rates were <0.30% across age and initial management type subgroups. CONCLUSIONS AS/WW rates quadrupled for patients aged ≤55 years from 2010 to 2015, with favorable short-term outcomes. These findings demonstrate the short-term safety and increasing acceptance of AS/WW for both younger and older patients. However, there are still higher absolute rates of AS/WW in older patients (P < .001), suggesting some national ambivalence toward AS/WW in younger patients.
Quantitative fluorescence inter-simple sequence repeat PCR (FISSR-PCR) for subclonal analysis of bronchial cell populations

2925 Tumorigenesis is a process of cumulative clonal and subclonal cell expansion in a field of epithelial cells driven by genetic instability. Quantitative assessment of the frequency and complexity of clonality in pre-malignant tissues may therefore provide cancer risk information. Inter-Simple Sequence Repeat PCR (ISSR-PCR) is a DNA fingerprinting technology that has proven useful for quantifying clonal changes in human tumors. FISSR-PCR involves the same technology as ISSR-PCR except that fluorescence-dye labeled oligonucleotide primers are utilized and the PCR products are analyzed using the ABI 377 DNA Sequencer. We previously demonstrated that FISSR-PCR could distinguish clonal outgrowths of bronchial epithelial clones derived from single cells. The purpose of this study was to determine the sensitivity of FISSR-PCR to detect subclonal variation in populations of bronchial epithelial cells. To this end, DNA of single cell clones with gains and losses at known loci, previously isolated from lung epithelial Beas 2B and 1170I cell lines, were mixed together in different proportions at 10% increments to mimic cell populations with different degrees of subclonal variation. Following gel separation and fluorescence quantitation of size (i.e., migration) and relative amount (peak size) of the resultant PCR fragments, the DNA band profiles were aligned on the basis of the largest cluster of common bands. The scans derived from the various cell mixtures were then compared on the basis of normalized peak heights. For common peaks between variant cell populations, the standard deviation was found to be less than 10% of the absolute mean value (data from triplicates of 11 population mixture reactions). On the other hand, the relative peak height of known variant bands varied linearly with the relative ratio of cell mixtures (linear regression analysis, R2 >0.98). Based on these studies, a change in relative peak height of 20% was sufficient to detect the presence of a subclonal variant. This suggests that FISSR-PCR may provide a sensitive technique for quantifying clonal variation in bronchial epithelial cell populations and may prove useful for cancer risk assessment. Supported in part by DAMD17-02-1-0706, CA-68437, and CA70907.
Correlated evolution between repertoire size and song plasticity predicts that sexual selection on song promotes open-ended learning

Some oscine songbird species modify their songs throughout their lives ('adult song plasticity' or 'open-ended learning'), while others crystallize their songs around sexual maturity. It remains unknown whether the strength of sexual selection on song characteristics, such as repertoire size, affects adult song plasticity, or whether adult song plasticity affects song evolution. Here, we compiled data about song plasticity, song characteristics, and mating system and then examined evolutionary interactions between these traits. Across 67 species, we found that lineages with adult song plasticity show directional evolution toward increased syllable and song repertoires, while several other song characteristics evolved faster, but in a non-directional manner. Song plasticity appears to drive bi-directional transitions between monogamous and polygynous social mating systems. Notably, our analysis of correlated evolution suggests that extreme syllable and song repertoire sizes drive the evolution of adult song plasticity or stability, providing novel evidence that sexual selection may indirectly influence open- versus closed-ended learning.
Stimulated Raman backscattering amplification with a low-intensity pump

The efficiency transfer from the pump to the seed of stimulated Raman backscattering in plasma was optimized at a pump intensity below 1014 W/cm2. Two ways were employed to obtain high-quality but low-intensity pump beams. First, the pump focus was moved away from the plasma entrance to optimize guiding the uniform part of the beam in the plasma channel. The seed was amplified from 50 μJ to 1.1 mJ after 2-mm interaction, with an effective Raman transfer efficiency over 4.7%. Second, an aperture was set to make the pump focus pass through the plasma channel. An output seed energy of 1.02 mJ was obtained when the pump energy decreased to 20 mJ, showing a transfer efficiency of 5.1%. The experimental results indicate that the transfer efficiency may be mainly suppressed by plasma heating but not spontaneous Raman scattering.
Generalized likelihood ratio test detector for a modified replacement model target in a multivariate t-distributed background

A closed-form expression is derived for the generalized likelihood ratio test (GLRT) detector of a subpixel target in a multispectral image whose area and brightness are both unknown. This expression extends a previous result (which assumed a Gaussian background distribution) to a fatter tailed elliptically-contoured (EC) multivariate t-distributed background. Numerical experiments with simulated data indicate that the EC-based detector outperforms the simpler Gaussian-based detectors, and that the relative performance of the new detector, compared to other EC-based detectors, depends on the regime of target strength and background occlusion.
IT responses to Covid-19: rapid innovation and strategic resilience in healthcare

This paper addresses IT responses to Covid-19 in the healthcare industry, and specifically, with respect to diagnosis and patient care. Two generic frameworks illustrate how such responses can be c...
The Ammount of Interstellar Carbon Locked in Solid Hydrogenated Amorphous Carbon

We review the literature and present new experimental data to determine the amount of carbon likely to be locked in form of solid hydrogenated amorphous carbon (HAC) grains. We conclude on the basis of a thorough analysis of the intrinsic strength of the C-H stretching band at 3.4 micron that between 10 and 80 ppM H of carbon is in the form of HAC grains. We show that it is necessary to know the level of hydrogenation (H/C) of the interstellar HAC to determine more precisely the amount of carbon it ties up. We present optical constants, photoluminescence spectroscopy, and IR absorption spectroscopy for a particular HAC sample that is shown to have a 3.4 micron absorption feature that is quantatively consistent with that observed in the diffuse interstellar medium.