cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Density-dependent effects on hatching success of the olive ridley turtle, Lepidochelys olivacea

Historically, the olive ridley arribada at Playa Nancite, Costa Rica, was one of the largest olive ridley arribadas in the eastern Pacific with 70,000 nesting females in a year. Recently the Nancite arribada drastically declined. We hypothesized that the population decline at Playa Nancite could have been due to low hatching success as a result of the high density of nests on the beach, such that recruitment to the population was insufficient to balance losses. To test this hypothesis, we examined density-dependent effects on hatching success and their underlying mechanisms by experimentally manipulating nest densities in experimental plots on the nesting beach. We set up four nest-density treatments in five experimental blocks. We measured effects of density on hatching success, CO2 and O2 concentrations and temperature both within nests and in sand adjacent to nests frequently during incubation. Experimental nest densities affected hatching success with the highest density having the lowest hatching success. Higher nest density led to lower O2 levels and higher CO2 levels in the nest with greater changes in the latter part of the incubation. Highest temperatures occurred in high-density areas. Temperatures were lower in sand surrounding the nest than in the nest. Effects of density on temperature, CO2 and O2 were confirmed at a naturally high-density nesting beach, Playa La Flor, Nicaragua. Long-term failure in production of hatchlings due to historic high densities may have contributed to the decline of arribadas on Playa Nancite. Thus, density-dependent population control would have operated at the embryonic life stage in this population of olive ridley turtles.
Application of a single-frequency unstable cavity to a CW HF laser

Demonstrations of diffraction-limited performance from a CW diffusion-type HF chemical laser are reported. A novel type of edge-coupled nonconfocal unstable resonator consisting of a convex mirror and a diffraction grating is used. A new technique of coupling power out of an unstable resonator different from the edge coupling previously suggested by Siegman is also applied. This consists of coupling power out directly through the diffraction grating zero-order radiation. By this technique, a large fraction of the total power is concentrated within the diffraction-limited main lobe. Peak power levels of the order of 100 W have been achieved on a single line [ P_{2}(5) ] for flow conditions yielding approximately 1 kW in closed cavity measurements.
Migration of large earthquakes along the San Jacinto fault; stress diffusion from the 1857 Fort Tejon earthquake

Abstract. Historic and modern catalogs of seismicity in California suggest a migration of earthquakes (M > 5.6) along the San Jacinto Fault; these events appear to travel down the fault with a migration speed of 1.7 krn/year (Sanders [1993]). This migration is explained by postseismic strain diffusion due to viscoelastic relaxation from the great Fort Tejon earthquake in 1857. We model this postseismic effect and find that significant stress diffuses down the San Jacinto fault for distances in excess of 200 km and the corresponding migration may be a result of Coulomb triggering from this stress perturbation. The level of postseismic stress that seems to be the trigger level for most of the events is of order 1 bar. Since the temporal evolution of the postseismic strain field is mainly dependent on the inelastic properties of the lower crust and uppermost mantle, the observed migration enables a viscosity estimate of -4x10 •8 Pas for this region of California. Introduction Sanders [ 1993] has presented evidence that suggests large earthquakes on the San Andreas fault zone (SAFZ) can influence the seismicity on neighboring faults such as the San Jacinto fault zone (SJFZ). Of particular interest, it was shown that from 1899 to 1987, larger magnitude earthquakes (M > 5.6) along the SJFZ appear to migrate in a southeast direction with a migration rate of 1.7 krn/yr. This led Sanders to
Do people know whether they are overweight? Concordance of self-reported, interviewer-observed, and measured body size

Purpose To evaluate associations among self-reported, interviewer-observed, and measured body size in a healthcare setting.
Educational Achievement of Immigrant Adolescents in Spain: Do Gender and Region of Origin Matter?

This study explores the educational achievement of immigrant youth in Spain employing data from 3 waves of the Longitudinal Study of Families and Childhood (Panel de Families i Infancia), a representative sample of children in Catalonia first interviewed at ages 13–16 in 2006 (N = 2,710). Results suggest consistent disadvantage in achievement among first-generation students. Differences in achievement between the second and third generations are apparent in bivariate analyses, but are explained by observable characteristics in multivariate analyses. Gender-specific analyses uncover a large achievement gap between first-generation girls and their third-generation counterparts, but no equivalent gap for boys. Region-of-origin differences are modest, with the exception of Latin American adolescents who exhibit the lowest educational outcomes. The significance of perceptions about school on achievement are discussed.
Pressure-induced phase transitions in CuGeO3 from Raman spectroscopic studies†

Pressure-induced phase transitions in the normal phase (I) and metastably retained phase III of CuGeO3 were investigated up to 30 and 36 GPa, respectively, by Raman spectroscopy, using single-crystal samples in helium and methanol–ethanol mixture (M/E) as pressure medium. Phase I undergoes two pressure-induced phase transitions; the previously reported I–II near 7 GPa and another near 18 GPa to a phase designated VI. With phase III as the starting material three reversible pressure-induced phase transitions occur: IV, IV′, V at 8, 12.5 and 18 GPa. The above sequence of phase transitions is observed in helium and in M/E. A highly disordered phase occurs only when phase II is pressurized in M/E but not in helium. The Raman data are discussed in terms of plausible structure models for the high-pressure phases of CuGeO3, indicated by the x-ray diffraction data, as well as the high-pressure crystal chemistry of other divalent metagermanates. The need for further detailed x-ray diffraction studies is stressed, to gain a deeper understanding of the two different pathways that the pressure-induced transitions follow, depending on the nature of the pressure medium. Copyright © 2001 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Obesity Rates and Psychotropic Medication Use: Differences between a Juvenile Detained and Committed Populations in an Urban Setting

This study sought to investigate differences in body mass index (BMI) across adolescent groups taking different classes of psychotropic medications in juvenile correctional settings. Results indicate significant (p < 0.05) differences in BMI for committed adolescents (mean BMI Z score = 0.95) versus detained (mean BMI Z score = 0.75) youth. Juveniles taking antipsychotic medications are at increased risk for elevated BMI (Cohen’s d = 0.72). There is no relationship to psychotropic medication classes and BMI, suggesting type versus total number of medications explains this relationship. Clinical implications are discussed, with specific emphasis on populations who may be at increased risk for obesity.
Surface wave effects on the RCS of microstrip dipoles

The scattering cross section of microstrip dipoles is examined. The primary objective is to demonstrate the effects of surface waves on the scattering cross section and to provide a simple physical understanding of the surface wave mechanism. The scattering problem is formulated by using the dyadic Greens function approach to derive the electric field integral equation (EFIE). The method of moments technique is used to solve for the current, and the special techniques used to speed up the evaluation of the Sommerfeld integrals are explained. The radar cross section (RCS) for several microstrip dipole configurations is presented. The mechanism for the generation of surface waves is shown to play a major role in the scattering behavior of the dipoles, and a physically intuitive interpretation of the surface wave effect is used to successfully explain the pattern structure. >
Inversion of pressure anomaly data for detecting leakage at geologic carbon sequestration sites

Leakage from abandoned wells and geologic faults represents one of the greatest risks to the integrity of geologic CO2 sequestration sites. The ability to detect leakage in a timely manner is, therefore, crucial for mitigating the potential adverse impacts of leakage to the public and environment. We present an inversion approach for recovering both leakage locations and rates by using observed pressure anomaly data. The approach is based on formulation of a linear system of equations using the unit-step response method, which is applicable to both analytical and numerical models. Because the resulting system is often ill conditioned, we investigate the efficacy of regularization methods for stabilizing the solutions. Further, when prior information is insufficient to restrict the number of search locations, a global optimization algorithm is used to solve the challenging problem of joint location and leakage history inversion. The performance of several linear inversion solvers is compared while considering effects such as measurement error and spatial heterogeneity. The results are promising and suggest that our pressure-anomaly-based leakage detection algorithm can be used to identify leaky wells in practice. It can be deployed as an integrated component of CO2 risk management frameworks.
Data-Driven Time-Parallelization in the AFM Simulation of Proteins

Molecular dynamics is a popular technique to simulate the behavior of physical systems, with resolution at the atomic scale. One of its limitations is that an enormous computational effort is required to simulate to realistic time spans. Conventional parallelization strategies have limited effectiveness in dealing with this difficulty. We recently introduced a more scalable approach to parallelization, where data from prior, related, simulations are used to parallelize a simulation in the time domain. We demonstrated its effectiveness in nano-mechanics simulations. In this paper, we develop our approach so that it can be used in a soft-matter application involving the atomic force microscopy simulation of proteins. We obtain an order of magnitude improvement in performance when we combine time parallelization with conventional parallelization. The significance of this work lies in demonstrating the promise of data-driven time parallelization in soft-matter applications, which are more challenging than the hard-matter applications considered earlier.
Context aware session management for services in ad hoc networks

The increasing ubiquity of wireless mobile devices is promoting unprecedented levels of electronic collaboration among devices interoperating to achieve a common goal. Issues related to host interoperability are addressed partially by the service-oriented computing paradigm. However, certain technical concerns relating to reliable interactions among hosts in ad hoc networks have not yet received much attention. We introduce follow-me sessions, where interactions occur between a client and a service, rather than a specific provider or server. We allow the client to switch service providers, if needed. We exploit strategies involving the use of contextual information, strong process migration, context-sensitive binding, and location-agnostic communication protocols. We show how follow-me sessions mitigate issues related to proxy-based service-oriented architectures in ad hoc networks.
Liver-specific deletion of histone deacetylase 3 disrupts metabolic transcriptional networks.

Histone deacetylase 3 (Hdac3) is an enzymatic component of transcriptional repression complexes recruited by the nuclear hormone receptors. Inactivation of Hdac3 in cancer cell lines triggered apoptosis, and removal of Hdac3 in the germ line of mice caused embryonic lethality. Therefore, we deleted Hdac3 in the postnatal mouse liver. These mice developed hepatomegaly, which was the result of hepatocyte hypertrophy, and these morphological changes coincided with significant imbalances between carbohydrate and lipid metabolism. Loss of Hdac3 triggered changes in gene expression consistent with inactivation of repression mediated by nuclear hormone receptors. Loss of Hdac3 also increased the levels of Pparγ2, and treatment of these mice with a Pparγ antagonist partially reversed the lipid accumulation in the liver. In addition, gene expression analysis identified mammalian target of rapamycin signalling as being activated after deletion of Hdac3, and inhibition by rapamycin affected the accumulation of neutral lipids in Hdac3-null livers. Thus, Hdac3 regulates metabolism through multiple signalling pathways in the liver, and deletion of Hdac3 disrupts normal metabolic homeostasis.
Ethnicity as a moderator of treatment effects on parent--child interaction for children with ADHD.

The vast parenting literature has shown differences in parenting practices across different ethnicities. However, parenting practices of parents of children with Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) have primarily been studied in Caucasian middle-class families. Given that modifying parenting practices is often a primary target for psychosocial intervention for children with ADHD, ethnic differences in parenting may moderate treatment outcomes. Utilizing observations of 567 children with ADHD (ages 7–9) and their caregivers collected during the Multimodal Treatment Study of ADHD (MTA), the present study examined ethnic differences in observed parenting and child behavior at baseline and the moderating effects of ethnicity on the relationship between treatment and parenting and child behavior. The four MTA treatments were medication management, behavior therapy, combined medication management + behavior therapy, and community care. Baseline results indicated that both parenting practices and child behavior differed by ethnicity. However, ethnicity did not moderate the relationship between treatment and parenting and child behavior. Hence, children from different ethnicities did not differentially benefit from one treatment over another on observed ratings of parenting or child behavior. Implications for clinical care and future research are discussed.
Antibody-Drug Conjugates of Calicheamicin Derivative: Gemtuzumab Ozogamicin and Inotuzumab Ozogamicin

Antibody-drug conjugates (ADC) are an attractive approach for the treatment of acute myeloid leukemia and non-Hodgkin lymphomas, which in most cases, are inherently sensitive to cytotoxic agents. CD33 and CD22 are specific markers of myeloid leukemias and B-cell malignancies, respectively. These endocytic receptors are ideal for an ADC strategy because they can effectively carry the cytotoxic payload into the cell. Gemtuzumab ozogamicin (GO, Mylotarg) and inotuzumab ozogamicin consist of a derivative of calicheamicin (a potent DNA-binding cytotoxic antibiotic) linked to a humanized monoclonal IgG4 antibody directed against CD33 or CD22, respectively. Both of these ADCs have a target-mediated pharmacokinetic disposition. GO was the first drug to prove the ADC concept in the clinic, specifically in phase II studies that included substantial proportions of older patients with relapsed acute myeloid leukemia. In contrast, in phase III studies, it has thus far failed to show clinical benefit in first-line treatment in combination with standard chemotherapy. Inotuzumab ozogamicin has shown remarkable clinical activity in relapsed/refractory B-cell non-Hodgkin lymphoma, and it has started phase III evaluation. The safety profile of these ADCs includes reversible myelosuppression (especially neutropenia and thrombocytopenia), elevated hepatic transaminases, and hyperbilirubinemia. There have been postmarketing reports of hepatotoxicity, especially veno-occlusive disease, associated with GO. The incidence is ~2%, but patients who undergo hematopoietic stem cell transplantation have an increased risk. As we steadily move toward the goal of personalized medicine, these kinds of agents will provide a unique opportunity to treat selected patient subpopulations based on the expression of their specific tumor targets.
Rapidly convergent leader-enabled multi-agent deployment into planar curves

We introduce an approach for stable deployment of agents into planar curves (1-D formations in 2-D space) parameterized by the agent index. Stability is ensured by leader feedback, which is designed in a manner similar to boundary control of PDEs. By discretizing the model and the PDE controllers with respect to the continuous agent index, we obtain control laws for the discrete follower agents and the leader agent. The class of PDEs that motivates our design is the reaction-advection-diffusion class (broader than the standard heat equation, which is stable and does not necessitate leader feedback), which allows a much broader family of deployment profiles. Many of these profiles, however, are open-loop unstable. We stabilize them with leader feedback.
Whatever gets your heart pumping: the impact of implicitly selected reinforcer-focused statements on exercise intensity

Abstract This study investigated the impact of reinforcer-focused statements vetted by the Implicit Relational Assessment Procedure (IRAP) on the intensity of participation in an exercise class. Using a relative heart rate measure, the first experiment compared individually selected phrases focused on the positive consequences of exercise to general topographic advice about how to exercise using an alternating treatments design, and found that participants exercised harder in the presence of the reinforcer-focused phrases. Experiment 2 tested a similar comparison using phrases focused on consequences that were shown to be neutral or negative by the IRAP, and found no consistent effect on responding. These results support a key prediction from previous research in Relational Frame Theory, namely that reinforcer-focused statements can function as motivative augmentals, and they suggest that such motivative effects can impact behaviours of applied importance such as exercise.
Evaluation of Growth and Maturation in Adolescence

The term adolescence denotes the period of time between the onset of puberty and the completion of physical maturation. During these transitional years, full reproductive capacity is attained, manifested by spermatogenesis in the male and ovulation in the female. Concomitantly, major physical changes occur, including (1) full maturation of the gonads, external genitalia, and secondary sexual characteristics, (2) alterations in lean body mass and fat distribution, and (3) rapid skeletal growth, ultimately terminated by fusion of the epiphyses and the attainment of final adult stature. Although we are accustomed to equating adolescence with the teenage years, the last century has been characterized by a progressive lowering of the normal age for pubertal development, so that presently, 50% of girls in the United States reach puberty while in elementary school. The implications of this earlier physical maturation, particularly in terms of sexual education and contraception counseling are readily evident. Furthermore, as the normal onset of puberty occurs earlier, the psychological ramifications of pubertal delay and short stature in adolescence become increasingly pronounced. It is not unusual, nowadays, to see 13 or 14-year-old patients (and their parents) who are concerned about delays in sexual maturation and skeletal growth, and while the majority of such patients are found to be normal variants, their anxieties and concerns are nonetheless real.
The Folk Biology of the Tobelo People: A Study in Folk Classification

The Folk Biology of the Tobelo People:. Study in Folk Classification. Paul Michael Taylor. Smithsonian Contributions to Anthropology, 34. Washington, DC: Smithsonian Institution Press, 1990.187 pp. n.p. (paper)
Tidal Flow in Exponentially Varying Estuaries

Estuaries with negligible freshwater flow and insignificant diurnal inequality are considered. With flow resistance according to Manning's formula, and governing equations according to the small-amplitude shallow-water theory, solutions are obtained for the tidal flow in estuaries with the cross section decreasing exponentially upstream.
Biological production of liquid and gaseous fuels from synthesis gas

Liquid and gaseous fuels may be produced biologically from coal by the indirect conversion of coal synthesis gas. Methane has been produced from synthesis gas using acetate and CO2/H2 as intermediates, utilizing a number of CO-utilizing and methanogenic bacteria. Also, a bacterium that is capable of producing ethanol from synthesis gas through indirect liquefaction has been isolated fron natural inocula. This paper summarizes research to optimize the performance of some of these cultures. These conversions, involving H2 and CO, which are only slightly soluble in the liquid media, may be mass transfer limited, and methods to enhance mass transport are examined. Experimental results and models for several reactor designs, including CSTR and packed columns, are presented and discussed.
Evaluating the Effect of Robot Feedback on Motor Skill Performance in Therapy Games

For individuals with a motor skill disorder, repetition of recommended therapy exercises is essential for motor improvement. Moreover, external feedback of performance is an important component of therapy such that individuals can correct their exercises and improve their performance. However, direct feedback is typically only provided by an expert therapist during weekly or monthly therapy sessions, which limits improvement on a daily basis. In order to promote the repetition of recommended exercises in a home setting, several serious games have been developed to promote compliance with therapy interventions. To advance this work, we have developed a novel framework to couple serious games with a robot playmate that provides corrective feedback during interaction. The playmate continuously tracks the user's kinematic performance and autonomously provides objective verbal and nonverbal cues in order to increase the efficacy of the intervention. To determine how various cues affect an individual's kinematic performance, we have tested the complete system with 20 able-bodied adults. Namely, we computed the total amount of time it took the participants to successfully complete a reaching task as a function of the verbal or nonverbal cues received. The results show that movement times improve at a faster rate for the group provided with both verbal and nonverbal feedback versus verbal feedback alone. Exit surveys also suggest that the system was deemed enjoyable by the targeted population.
Why We Should Worry About Full Faith and Credit to Laws

In the case Phillips Petroleum Co. v. Shutts, the United States Supreme Court held that both the due process and full faith and credit clauses of the United States Constitution barred Kansas’ application of its state law to the entirety of a class action for royalties on natural gas produced in several different states. This halted state courts from applying forum law in cases involving people and events in other states. This article attempts to ascertain principles that should guide construction of the requirement that states give full faith and credit to the laws of other states. The principles presented will not be drawn from the recorded history of the clause, for the records of its adoption give little insight into its purpose, and suggest that the clause was subject to minimal debate. Nor will principles be gleaned primarily from judicial interpretation of the clause, because such interpretation has been rife with conceptualism and vague, conclusionary tests. Rather, the article focuses on the values broadly reflected by our constitutional scheme that are implicated in choice of law decisions, and on the need for invoking the full faith and credit clause to assure that these values are effectuated meaningfully. The article’s premise is that only by thinking about full faith and credit in this manner can we begin to develop a principled and rational construction of the clause.
Narcotism and Narcomania

Of late there has been active discussion of problems of narcomania in the pages of the Soviet periodical press, and numerous specific cases have been cited of the "attraction" that narcotics hold for adolescents and young people, and the sad results of this pernicious passion.1 Open discussion of the urgent problems posed by narcomania is explained not so much by the large scope of this phenomenon in our country (even though the number of drug and toxic substance addicts registered in Moscow, for example, is not so very small—3,700 persons) as by the intensification of glasnost', by the desire to put an end to the "ostrich policy,"2 and to launch a real fight against this negative social phenomenon.
Questioning Invisibility

In this paper, the invisibility of today's technology is often a blessing. Should invisibility be the guiding design goal for ubiquitous computing? The author mentions that invisibility is a narrow design goal. It's not necessarily a bad one, but it doesn't capture the full range of technological or creative possibilities. If the computer scientists and engineers only strive to build invisible systems, they will neglect to build important technology that is educational, engaging, and beautiful. It should expand the focus and rhetoric.
Inhibition of brain respiration by ethyl alcohol at varied temperature levels.

SummaryThe inhibition of oxygen consumption of rat cerebral cortex slices by ethyl alcohol was studied at 37.7 C, 30 C and 20 C. The inhibition becomes progressively greater with time at 37.7 C; such progressive inhibition is less marked at 30 C and is absent at 20 C. The minimum effective inhibitory concentration increases with decrease in temperature. The percentage inhibition with a given concentration of alcohol decreases with decrease in temperature.
Fluid and electrolyte shifts in the hydrated adrenalectomized rat after nephrectomy.

SummaryNormal and 2-day adrenalectomized rats were nephrectomized and subsequently hydrated, thus making it possible to study the internal partitioning of relatively large amounts of ingested water. There was a delayed intestinal absorption of water in the adrenalectomized animals. A larger percentage of absorbed water shifted to the cells of these animals than was observed in the controls apparently as a result of salt depletion during the previous 2-day period of adrenal insufficiency. Although there was a tendency for desoxycorticosterone acetate therapy to enhance intestinal absorption and also to prevent the excessive intracellular hydration of the adrenalectomized animals, these extrarenal hormonal actions were not significantly established. Alterations in potassium metabolism were also briefly discussed.
A COMPUTER SEARCH FOR FREE ACTIONS ON SURFACES

(1998). A Computer Search for Free Actions on Surfaces. The American Mathematical Monthly: Vol. 105, No. 2, pp. 144-153.
Gridded uncertainty in fossil fuel carbon dioxide emission maps, a CDIAC example

Abstract. Due to a current lack of physical measurements at appropriate spatial and temporal scales, all current global maps and distributions of fossil fuel carbon dioxide (FFCO2) emissions use one or more proxies to distribute those emissions. These proxies and distribution schemes introduce additional uncertainty into these maps. This paper examines the uncertainty associated with the magnitude of gridded FFCO2 emissions. This uncertainty is gridded at the same spatial and temporal scales as the mass magnitude maps. This gridded uncertainty includes uncertainty contributions from the spatial, temporal, proxy, and magnitude components used to create the magnitude map of FFCO2 emissions. Throughout this process, when assumptions had to be made or expert judgment employed, the general tendency in most cases was toward overestimating or increasing the magnitude of uncertainty. The results of the uncertainty analysis reveal a range of 4–190 %, with an average of 120 % (2σ) for populated and FFCO2-emitting grid spaces over annual timescales. This paper also describes a methodological change specific to the creation of the Carbon Dioxide Information Analysis Center (CDIAC) FFCO2 emission maps: the change from a temporally fixed population proxy to a temporally varying population proxy.
Measuring Industry-Based Managerial Discretion: A Leadership Influence Approach

Using a leadership influence approach, we explored an alternative measure of industry-level managerial discretion pioneered by Hambrick and Abrahamson in 1995. A two-stage study design was adopted....
Evaluating Shape Alignment via Ensemble Visualization

The visualization of variability in surfaces embedded in 3D, which is a type of ensemble uncertainty visualization, provides a means of understanding the underlying distribution of a collection or ensemble of surfaces. This work extends the contour boxplot technique to 3D and evaluates it against an enumeration-style visualization of the ensemble members and other conventional visualizations used by atlas builders. The authors demonstrate the efficacy of using the 3D contour boxplot ensemble visualization technique to analyze shape alignment and variability in atlas construction and analysis as a real-world application.
Analysis on the Pig Disease Occurrence and Affecting Factors of China:Based on the Survey in Sichuan and other three Main Pig Producing Provinces

This paper described China′ s pig disease situation and its influences using survey data in four main pig producing provinces of Sichuan, Henan, Hunan and Jilin, then made an empirical analysis on the relationship between the disease and its influencing factors by the means of Probit model. Studies have shown that: length of education of the pig farmers, main family income from livestock-raising sector, pigs inventory, amount of pig construction investment and harmless treatment of disease or dead pig has a negative impact on pig disease occurrence; while hog farmers' breeding age and the number of their farming sows has a positive impact on the pig disease occurrence. The findings are also obtained that some variables of regional factors, raising sows or not, the harmless treatment methods such as household income sources effected on pig disease largely. Final section is the suggestions of strengthening the pig disease prevention and management.
Silk-based blood stabilization for diagnostics

Advanced personalized medical diagnostics depend on the availability of high-quality biological samples. These are typically biofluids, such as blood, saliva, or urine; and their collection and storage is critical to obtain reliable results. Without proper temperature regulation, protein biomarkers in particular can degrade rapidly in blood samples, an effect that ultimately compromises the quality and reliability of laboratory tests. Here, we present the use of silk fibroin as a solid matrix to encapsulate blood analytes, protecting them from thermally induced damage that could be encountered during nonrefrigerated transportation or freeze–thaw cycles. Blood samples are recovered by simple dissolution of the silk matrix in water. This process is demonstrated to be compatible with a number of immunoassays and provides enhanced sample preservation in comparison with traditional air-drying paper approaches. Additional processing can remediate interactions with conformational structures of the silk protein to further enhance blood stabilization and recovery. This approach can provide expanded utility for remote collection of blood and other biospecimens empowering new modalities of temperature-independent remote diagnostics.
Effect of Local Intramuscular Repeated Injection with Botulinum Toxin-A for Treatment of Spastic Cerebral Palsy

Objective To observe the curative effect of botulinum toxin A(BTX-A)repeated intramuscular injection for treatment of serious spastic cerebral palsy.Methods Thirty cases with serious spastic cerebral palsy received local repeated intramuscular injection. The interval time was 3 months. The dose of BTX-A was 4 U/kg.The muscle tone was assessed with the modified ashworth scale and range of motion with physical rating scale(PRS).The indexes were evaluated before injection and 3 months after the second injection. Paired-samples t-test was used in the statistic analysis.Result The muscle tone and PRS had remarkable improvement after second therapy with BTX-A(P0.001).Conclusion Local repeated intramuscular injection with BTX-A can effectively treat serious spastic cerebral palsy.
New Species and Records of Sawflies (Hymenoptera: Argidae, Pergidae, Tenthredinidae) from Arizona

Abstract. Zynzus truncatus Smith, n. sp. (Argidae), Acordulecera irwini Smith, n. sp. (Pergidae), and Nematus grahami Smith, n. sp. (Tenthredinidae), are described from southern Arizona. Arizona records for ten other sawfly species of Argidae, Pergidae, and Tenthredinidae from recent collections are given.
The effectiveness and unique contribution of neuropsychological tests and the δ latent phenotype in the differential diagnosis of dementia in the uniform data set

Objective Two main approaches to the interpretation of cognitive test performance have been utilized for the characterization of disease: evaluating shared variance across tests, as with measures of severity, and evaluating the unique variance across tests, as with pattern and error analysis. Both methods provide necessary information, but the unique contributions of each are rarely considered. This study compares the 2 approaches on their ability to differentially diagnose with accuracy, while controlling for the influence of other relevant demographic and risk variables. Method Archival data requested from the NACC provided clinical diagnostic groups that were paired to 1 another through a genetic matching procedure. For each diagnostic pairing, 2 separate logistic regression models predicting clinical diagnosis were performed and compared on their predictive ability. The shared variance approach was represented through the latent phenotype δ, which served as the lone predictor in 1 set of models. The unique variance approach was represented through raw score values for the 12 neuropsychological test variables comprising δ, which served as the set of predictors in the second group of models. Results Examining the unique patterns of neuropsychological test performance across a battery of tests was the superior method of differentiating between competing diagnoses, and it accounted for 16-30% of the variance in diagnostic decision making. Conclusion Implications for clinical practice are discussed, including test selection and interpretation. (PsycINFO Database Record
Limiting Behaviors of Nonoscillatory Solutions for Two-Dimensional Nonlinear Time Scale Systems

We consider a two-dimensional time scale system of first order dynamic equations and establish some necessary and sufficient conditions for the existence of nonoscillatory solutions for the system using Knaster fixed point theorem, the Schauder fixed point theorem and the Schauder–Tychonoff fixed point theorem. We also provide examples to underline the main results of this article.
Psychiatric Genomics and Public Mental Health in the Young Mind.

Kong and colleagues (2017) consider the ethical challenges in translating psychiatric genomic research findings into clinical and public health settings. They discuss the promise of psychiatric gen...
Local control and overall survival for adjuvant stereotactic radiosurgery in patients with residual or recurrent disease

Prior studies of post-operative stereotactic radiosurgery (SRS) have not distinguished between Adjuvant SRS (ARS) versus Adjuvant SRS to residual/recurrent disease (ARD). In this study, we defined ARS and ARD and investigated local control (LC), overall survival (OS), distant development of brain metastases (DBF), and leptomeningeal disease (LMD). We retrospectively identified BM patients who received surgical resection and SRS for BM from an IRB approved database between Jan 2009–Aug 2015. Patients were stratified into two groups: ARS and ARD. LC was determined by follow-up MRI studies and OS was measured from the date of surgery. LC and OS were assessed using the Kaplan–Meier method. 70 cavities underwent surgical resection of BM and received SRS to the post-operative bed. 41 cavities were classified as ARS and 29 as ARD. There was no significant difference in 12-month LC between the ARS and ARD group (71.4 vs. 80.8%, respectively; p = 0.135) from the time point of SRS. The overall 1-year survival for ARS and ARD was 79.9 and 86.1%, respectively (p = 0.339). Mean time to progression was 6.45 and 8.0 months and median follow-up was 10 and 15 months for ARS and ARD, respectively. 11.8% of ARS patients and 15.4% of ARD patients developed LMD, p = 0.72. 29.4% of ARS and 48.0% of ARD patients developed DBF, p = 0.145. Our findings suggest that observation after surgical resection, with subsequent treatment with SRS after the development of local failure, may not compromise treatment efficacy. If validated, this would spare patients who do not recur post-surgically from additional treatment.
A framework for medical power in two case studies of health policymaking in India and Niger

Medical professionals influence health policymaking but the power they exercise is not well understood in low- and middle-income countries. We explore medical power in national health policymaking for child survival in Niger (late 1990s-2012) and emergency medicine specialisation in India (early 1990s-2015). Both case studies used document review, in-depth interviews and non-participant observation; combined analysis traced policy processes and established theoretical categories around power to build a conceptual framework of medical power in health policymaking. Medical doctors, mainly specialists, utilised their power to shape policy differently in each case. In Niger, a small, connected group of paediatricians pursued a policy of task-shifting after a powerful non-medical actor, the country's president, shifted the debate by enacting broad health systems improvements. In India, a more fragmented group of specialists prioritised tertiary-level healthcare policies likely to benefit only a small subset of the population. Compared to high-income settings, medical power in these cases was channelled and expressed with greater variability in the profession's ability to organise and influence policymaking. Taken together, both cases provide evidence that a concentration of medical power in health policymaking can result in the medicalisation of public health issues.
Plastid genomes reveal recurrent formation of allopolyploid Fragaria

Premise of the study Recurrent formation of polyploid taxa is a common observation in many plant groups. Haploid, cytoplasmic genomes like the plastid genome can be used to overcome the problem of homeologous genes and recombination in polyploid taxa. Fragaria (Rosaceae) contains several octo- and decaploid species. We use plastome sequences to infer the plastid ancestry of these taxa with special focus on the decaploid Fragaria cascadensis. Methods We used genome skimming of 96 polyploid Fragaria samples on a single Illumina HiSeq 3000 lane to obtain whole plastome sequences. These sequences were used for phylogenetic reconstructions and dating analyses. Ploidy of all samples was inferred with flow cytometry, and plastid inheritance was examined in a controlled cross of F. cascadensis. Key results The plastid genome phylogeny shows that only the octoploid F. chiloensis is monophyletic, all other polyploid taxa were supported to be para- or polyphyletic. The decaploid Fragaria cascadensis has biparental plastid inheritance and four different plastid donors. Diversification of the F. cascadensis clades occurred in the last 230,000 years. The southern part of its distribution range harbors considerably higher genetic diversity, suggestive of a potential refugium. Conclusions Fragaria cascadensis had at least four independent origins from parents with different plastomes. In contrast, para- and polyphyletic taxa of the octoploid Fragaria species are best explained by incomplete lineage sorting and/or hybridization. Biogeographic patterns in F. cascadensis are probably a result of range shift during the last glacial maximum.
Inapproximability results for computational problems on lattices

In this article, we present a survey of known inapproximability results for computational problems on lattices, viz. the Shortest Vector Problem (SVP), the Closest Vector Problem (CVP), the Closest Vector Problem with Preprocessing (CVPP), the Covering Radius Problem (CRP), the Shortest Independent Vectors Problem (SIVP), and the Shortest Basis Problem (SBP).
Psychological Injury in the States and Federal Workers’ Compensation Systems

There are two primary workers’ compensation (WC) systems in the United States. The first relates to the individual State WC systems. Each State has its own rules and laws related to WC. There is no standardization of WC systems from State to State. The second system pertains to the federal WC system. The federal WC system is governed by the Federal Employees’ Compensation Act (FECA). The federal WC system provides WC insurance for all federal employees, except railroad employees. Like the States, it has its own regulatory process related to its WC process.
Effects of Nutritional Status on the Reported Long-term Decrease in eGFR after LVAD Implantation

Introduction Small retrospective analyses have shown that eGFR and serum creatinine (sCr) appear to improve in the months immediately following LVAD implantation but begin to decline thereafter. However, no study has accounted for changes that occur in the patient's serum albumin or weight over time. Our aim was to calculate the eGFR in patients after implantation using various formulae that account for factors that influence creatinine production, such as the patient weight (as in Cockroft-Gault) and serum albumin (as in MDRD-6), in addition to demographics and sCr (as in MDRD-4 and CKD-EPI), to determine if trends observed in the literature could be explained by variations in nutrition rather than true decreases in renal function. Methods This was a single-center, retrospective study of patients who underwent LVAD implantation between September 2008 and February 2017 and survived for >12 months with the device. Laboratory data was collected at the time of surgery and at 1-, 3-, 6-, 9-, and 12-month follow-up. eGFR was calculated using MDRD-6, MDRD-4, CKD-EPI (mL/min/1.73m2) and Cockroft-Gault (mL/min) equations. Analysis of variance (ANOVA) was performed to determine the differences between mean eGFR calculated by each formula at each time point. Results 66 patients were included with an average age of 53 ± 15 years. Patients were predominantly male (78%); 50% were African-American. Serum albumin increased from a mean of 3.3 ± 0.6 g/dL at baseline to 3.9 ± 0.6 at 12 months. Mean sCr at baseline was 1.46 ± 0.82 mg/dL, reached a nadir at 3 months of 1.06 ± 0.45, and had increased to 1.32 ± 0.65 at 12 months. When compared to time of implantation, there was no statistically significant change in eGFR between formulae at 1 month (p = 0.49), 3 months (p = 0.67), 6 months (p = 0.85), 9 months (p = 0.73) or 12 months (p = 0.77) (Figure, Table). Conclusions eGFR begins to decline between 3 and 6 months after LVAD implantation and approaches pre-implant levels by 12 months, despite using formulae that account for nutritional status with serum albumin, BUN, and weight in addition to sCr. These findings suggest that observed declines in eGFR represent true renal dysfunction in these patients.
Cone Photoreceptor Cell Segmentation and Diameter Measurement on Adaptive Optics Images Using Circularly Constrained Active Contour Model.

Purpose Cone photoreceptor cells can be noninvasively imaged in the living human eye by using nonconfocal adaptive optics scanning ophthalmoscopy split detection. Existing metrics, such as cone density and spacing, are based on simplifying cone photoreceptors to single points. The purposes of this study were to introduce a computer-aided approach for segmentation of cone photoreceptors, to apply this technique to create a normal database of cone diameters, and to demonstrate its use in the context of existing metrics. Methods Cone photoreceptor segmentation is achieved through a circularly constrained active contour model (CCACM). Circular templates and image gradients attract active contours toward cone photoreceptor boundaries. Automated segmentation from in vivo human subject data was compared to ground truth established by manual segmentation. Cone diameters computed from curated data (automated segmentation followed by manual removal of errors) were compared with histology and published data. Results Overall, there was good agreement between automated and manual segmentations and between diameter measurements (n = 5191 cones) and published histologic data across retinal eccentricities ranging from 1.35 to 6.35 mm (temporal). Interestingly, cone diameter was correlated to both cone density and cone spacing (negatively and positively, respectively; P < 0.01 for both). Application of the proposed automated segmentation to images from a patient with late-onset retinal degeneration revealed the presence of enlarged cones above individual reticular pseudodrusen (average 23.0% increase, P < 0.05). Conclusions CCACM can accurately segment cone photoreceptors on split detection images across a range of eccentricities. Metrics derived from this automated segmentation of adaptive optics retinal images can provide new insights into retinal diseases.
Effects of multimodal synchrony on infant attention and heart rate during events with social and nonsocial stimuli.

Abstract Attention is a state of readiness or alertness, associated with behavioral and psychophysiological responses, that facilitates learning and memory. Multisensory and dynamic events have been shown to elicit more attention and produce greater sustained attention in infants than auditory or visual events alone. Such redundant and often temporally synchronous information guides selectivity and facilitates perception, learning, and memory of properties of events specified by redundancy. In addition, events involving faces or other social stimuli provide an extraordinary amount of redundant information that attracts and sustains attention. In the current study, 4- and 8-month-old infants were shown 2-min multimodal videos featuring social or nonsocial stimuli to determine the relative roles of synchrony and stimulus category in inducing attention. Behavioral measures included average looking time and peak look duration, and convergent measurement of heart rate (HR) allowed for the calculation of HR-defined phases of attention: Orienting (OR), sustained attention (SA), and attention termination (AT). The synchronous condition produced an earlier onset of SA (less time in OR) and a deeper state of SA than the asynchronous condition. Social stimuli attracted and held attention (longer duration of peak looks and lower HR than nonsocial stimuli). Effects of synchrony and the social nature of stimuli were additive, suggesting independence of their influence on attention. These findings are the first to demonstrate different HR-defined phases of attention as a function of intersensory redundancy, suggesting greater salience and deeper processing of naturalistic synchronous audiovisual events compared with asynchronous ones.