cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Development of Multilinear Regression Models for Online Voltage Stability Margin Estimation

This paper investigates the use of reactive power reserves (RPR) as an indicator to estimate voltage stability margin (VSM) in an online environment. The methodology relies upon the relationship between system-wide RPRs and VSM. Statistical multilinear regression models (MLRM) are utilized in order to express how variations in RPRs can be transformed into direct information about VSM. Data regarding RPRs and system VSM are obtained through an offline voltage stability assessment (VSA) and stored in a database for further MLRM development. Different load increase directions and a comprehensive list of contingencies are considered to account for uncertainty present in real-time operations. Once properly designed and validated, the MLRMs are ready to be used in the online environment. The methodology is tested on the IEEE 30-bus system and a real size test system containing 1648 buses. Preliminary results show that MLRMs can be successfully employed in online VSM estimation.
Measuring and controlling data quality in biological assemblage surveys with special reference to stream benthic macroinvertebrates

Summary 1. Biological assemblage surveys primarily aim to characterise species composition and relative abundance at one or more spatial or temporal scales. Data interpretation and conclusions are dependent on how well samples characterise the assemblage of interest. 2. Conventional measures of data quality, e.g. standard deviations or coefficients of variation, were designed for single variable estimation, and they are either insufficient or invalid for assessing the quality of data describing entire assemblages. Similarity indices take species composition and relative abundance into account and may be used to effectively measure and control the quality of data used to characterise assemblage structure. 3. The average Jaccard coefficient (JC) calculated across multiple pairs of replicate samples, i.e. autosimilarity JC (AJC), is conceptually and numerically related to the average coefficient of variation in the densities of all species recorded, a measure of sampling precision, and to the proportion of total species richness sampled, a measure of sampling accuracy. 4. We explored how AJC can be used to assess the effect of different potential sources of error on the quality of assemblage survey data, including the sampling effort used both within regions and at individual sites, the individuals collecting samples, sub-sampling procedures, and consistency of taxon identification. 5. We found that the autosimilarity-based approach overcomes most weaknesses associated with conventional measures of data quality and can be used to effectively measure and control the quality of assemblage survey data.
Presenilin/γ-secretase activity regulates protein clearance from the endocytic recycling compartment

The presenilin (PS)/gamma-secretase complex proteolytically cleaves more than 20 different proteins in addition to the amyloid precursor protein (APP). These substrates are almost exclusively type I membrane proteins. Many undergo internalization from the cell surface followed by degradation or recycling back to the plasma membrane through the endocytic recycling compartment (ERC). Evidence shows that the PSs also regulate intracellular trafficking of APP and its C-terminal fragments (CTFs). To investigate whether PS/gamma-secretase activity is required for normal endosomal recycling, we performed live cell imaging experiments with fluorescently labeled transferrin, reported to specifically traffic through the ERC. By using pharmacological gamma-secretase inhibitors or cell lines lacking functional PS/gamma-secretase, here we show that PS/gamma-secretase activity is required for clearance of transferrin from the ERC. Interestingly, lack of PS/gamma-secretase function also resulted in the accumulation of APP and APP-CTFs in the ERC in addition to the cell surface. Familial Alzheimer's disease mutations in APP-CTFs did not affect endocytic recycling of these proteins. Our results suggest that PS/gamma-secretase activity is required for normal endosomal recycling of soluble and membrane-associated proteins through the ERC and propose a new mechanism by which impaired PS/gamma-secretase function may eventually contribute to neurodegeneration.
Simulating actions and perception of autonomous mobile robots in a multi-agent indoor environment

The goal of the GOFER project is to control the operation of many mobile robots in an indoor environment in order to automate a variety of tasks. This project raises many research issues: man-robot and robot-robot communication systems and protocols, implementation of non-conflicting sensor systems, task-adapted strategy in the use of sensors, sensor fusion, contingency-tolerant motion control, multi-robot motion planning, multi-robot task planning and scheduling. The purpose of the paper is to focus on the integration of software dealing with various aspects of the overall problem. The paper presents a general simulation tool designed to package such software, and to evaluate and compare methods that solve some of the specific problems mentioned above in an unpredictable environment. >
Lowering of Blood Pressure for Recurrent Stroke Prevention

Hypertension is the premier modifiable risk factor for stroke.1,2 Indeed, ≤50% of strokes may be attributable to hypertension, and the relationship of hypertension with stroke also comprises distinct independent links between both systolic and diastolic hypertension and the occurrence of both primary and recurrent strokes.3 Furthermore, the underlying pathophysiological rationale and clinical trial evidence for lowering blood pressure (BP) in people with hypertension to safely prevent a primary stroke of any type are overwhelmingly clear.4 However, when it comes to recurrent stroke prevention, questions surrounding BP treatment linger, including what exactly to do, when precisely to do it, and whether the approach should vary by type of patient. This comparative lack of clarity about the nature of the BP-lowering strategy after a stroke has arisen because of theoretical efficacy/safety concerns related to the acuity and type of index stroke, as well as the paucity of published hypertension treatment trials for recurrent stroke prevention.5,6 As such, expert consensus recommendations for BP lowering to avert vascular events either do not specifically or adequately address recurrent stroke prevention (Eighth Joint National Committee,7 American Heart Association guidelines for managing BP in coronary artery disease)8 or are largely based on a paucity of clinical trials or reviews that did not specifically address key issues of acuity, stroke type, or BP-lowering intensity.9 Nonetheless, some expert opinion suggests that management of high vascular risk patients with hypertension remains aggressive for now until specific compelling trial evidence is available.10 The importance of optimizing recurrent stroke prevention to lessen the personal and societal burden of stroke cannot be overemphasized. Approximately 25% of stroke cases are recurrent events, often occurring within the first year of a prior stroke or transient ischemic attack (TIA),11 and the case mortality …
A review of patents (2011–2015) towards combating resistance to and toxicity of aminoglycosides

Since the discovery of the first aminoglycoside (AG), streptomycin, in 1943, these broad-spectrum antibiotics have been extensively used for the treatment of Gram-negative and Gram-positive bacterial infections. The inherent toxicity (ototoxicity and nephrotoxicity) associated with their long-term use as well as the emergence of resistant bacterial strains have limited their usage. Structural modifications of AGs by AG-modifying enzymes, reduced target affinity caused by ribosomal modification, and decrease in their cellular concentration by efflux pumps have resulted in resistance towards AGs. However, the last decade has seen a renewed interest among the scientific community for AGs as exemplified by the recent influx of scientific articles and patents on their therapeutic use. In this review, we use a non-conventional approach to put forth this renaissance on AG development/application by summarizing all patents filed on AGs from 2011–2015 and highlighting some related publications on the most recent work done on AGs to overcome resistance and improving their therapeutic use while reducing ototoxicity and nephrotoxicity. We also present work towards developing amphiphilic AGs for use as fungicides as well as that towards repurposing existing AGs for potential newer applications.
Communicating with Key Publics in Crisis Communication: The Synthetic Approach to the Public Segmentation in CAPS (Communicative Action in Problem Solving)

The purpose of this study is to identify and understand key publics and their communication behaviours in crisis communication, using the public segmentation framework which has been rarely used in crisis communication. In doing so, the study quantitatively tests a new theoretical framework of Communicative Action in Problem Solving, classifying eight types of aware and active publics. Through the new framework of public segmentation, the survey results from 1,113 participants substantiate eight types of active and aware publics, as well as their communicative characteristics in a crisis situation. The study finds that the aware and active publics are, as the key publics, more likely to have negative behavioural intentions toward an organization. Theoretical and practical implications are discussed.
Surviving death, by Mark Johnston, Princeton & Oxford, Princeton University Press, 2010, 408 pp., $29.95 (paperback), ISBN 9780691130132

As a piece of natural theology or atheology, Surviving Death is a carefully crafted defense of a naturalistic view of death and the afterlife. Johnston meticulously works through the philosophical ...
Postnatal Development of the Cats Visual Pathways

During postnatal life, there is a tremendous increase in both the weight and the volume of the brain. This increase cannot be attributed to the addition of new neurons, since mitosis of neurons is essentially completed by birth. Instead, this is due to the conjoint proliferation and elaboration of dendritic arbors and synaptic connections between neurons; this leads to enormous growth of the synaptic neuropil. The question that will be addressed here is the extent to which the development of these connections can be modified by the environment or, conversely, the extent to which these connections can develop normally in spite of experimental alterations to the normal sensory environment.
Recent Developments in Combined PET/MRI

Combined positron emission tomography and magnetic resonance imaging (PET/MRI) is emerging as a powerful technique in clinical applications including oncology, neurology, and cardiology. In this review, we outline recent advances in the field, with particular focus on the study of neurodegenerative diseases, epilepsy, cardiac disorders, and oncology. We also highlight recent technical improvements in PET/MRI, with particular attention to attenuation correction and the integration with advanced MRI modalities including arterial spin labeling, fMRI, and hyperpolarized 13C magnetic resonance spectroscopy.
Some arguments for a mental semantics without sentences

AbstractAn alternative to Fodor's ‘inner language’ theory is sketched, in which mental models provide a semantics for natural language. This approach shows promise of being able to solve three problems concerning belief sentences: the problem of distinguishing necessary truths, the problem of indexicality, and Kripke's ‘Pierre’ problem. Arguments given by Fodor and Lycan in favor of the inner language are countered, and several other arguments against inner sentences and in favor of the alternative are given.
Harvard Law School, New England Legal Culture, and the Antebellum Origins of American Jurisprudence

One of the most remarkable developments in American legal history, and the theme of this special issue of the Journal of American History, is the momentous effort of the powerless to make the Constitution and the law work for them. When they attempted to do so, however, as they did with increasing insistency in the decades following the Civil War, they found the high constitutional ground already occupied by powerful business interests, which were supported by the middle class and both political parties and backed by the military authority of the state. Buttressing the conservative legal structure was the Supreme Court under ChiefJustices Morrison Waite and Melville Fuller, which improvised boldly to make the Fourteenth Amendment serve business but refused to make it work for the black Americans for whom it was intended. Business consolidated with the blessings of the law; labor's attempt to organize and bargain was opposed by an impressive array of legal stratagems. Commerce clause decisions regularly went against state regulatory efforts, and judicial construction of the Interstate Commerce Act of 1887 and the Sherman Antitrust Act of 1890 generally defeated their regulatory intent. While law supported a class-biased double standard, lawyers, judges, legal publicists, and educators talked of adjudication made neutral and objective by the science of the law. Legal formalism, as the paradigm of conservative jurisprudence in the last quarter of the nineteenth century came to be called, not only made law work for those in power, but also supplied moral and intellectual arguments for denying its benefits to the powerless. Workers, blacks, immigrants, and women need not apply or so read the hegemonic message of American jurisprudence in the Gilded Age., Reasons peculiar to late nineteenth-century American culture explain the force
Performance of 3D computers and 3D printed models as a fundamental means for spatial engineering information visualization

Engineering information delivery can be a source of inefficient communication of design, leading to construction rework and lower worker morale. Due to errors, omissions, and misinterpretations, there remains a great opportunity to improve the traditional documentation of engineering information that craft professionals use to complete their work. Historically, physical three dimensional (3D) models built by hand provided 3D physical representations of the project to assist in sequencing, visualization, and planning of critical construction activities. This practice has greatly diminished since the adoption of 3D computer-aided design (CAD) and building information modeling technologies. Recently, additive manufacturing (a.k.a. 3D printing) technologies have allowed for three dimensional printing of 3D CAD models. A cognitive experiment was established to measure the effectiveness of 2D drawings, a 3D computer model, and a 3D printed model in delivering engineering information to an end-user are scientifi...
The effect of similarity between the study and the prototypical exemplars on the recognition of prototypical exemplars

To test whether the similarity between the prototypical and the study exemplars affects the recognition of prototypical exemplars, 60 undergraduates were presented two, four, or six sample exemplars simultaneously and then asked to judge whether average prototypical (Pa) or the modal prototypical (Pm) exemplars, was more similar to, or went together with them. In the narrow category structure which are composed of exemplars with less variable values, the Pa exemplars were selected as frequently as the Pm ones. In the wide category structure which are composed of the exemplars with more variable values, however, the Pm exemplars were selected more frequently than the Pa ones. Previous finding that Pm exemplars were more abstracted than Pa exemplars in the wide structure might be due to the similarity between prototypical exemplars and sample exemplars.
The Effects of the Size and the Doping Concentration on the Power Factor of n-type Lead Telluride Nanocrystals for Thermoelectric Energy Conversion

For the first time, we demonstrate a successful synthesis of colloidal n-type lead telluride nanocrystals doped with iodine. By tuning the reaction time and iodine concentration in the precursor solution, nanocrystals with different sizes and doping concentrations are synthesized. The Seebeck coefficient and electrical conductivity of the nanocrystals are measured on nanocrystal thin films fabricated by dip-coating glass substrates in the nanocrystals solution. Investigations on the influence of size and doping concentration on the electrical properties have been performed. The results show that the size of the nanocrystals significantly influences the electrical conductivity but not the Seebeck coefficient of nanocrystal films, while higher doping concentration leads to lower Seebeck coefficient but higher electrical conductivity in the nanocrystal films. Proof-of-concept thin-film thermoelectric modules are also fabricated using both p-type and n-type PbTe nanocrystals for the conversion of thermal ener...
Endoscopic Removal of a Vaginal Calculus in a Domestic Rabbit (Oryctolagus cuniculus)

Abstract A 6-year-old female spayed domestic rabbit ( Oryctolagus cuniculus ) was evaluated for stranguria and pollakiuria. A large calculus was presumed to be in the urethra based on radiographic images; however, the rabbit retained the ability to urinate. An ultrasound examination was performed, which revealed a 0.8 × 0.6 × 0.8cm 3 , round, hyperechoic foci with strong acoustic shadowing in the pelvic region. A small amount of anechoic urine was present in the urinary bladder and the urethra was normal, extending from the urinary bladder to pelvis. It could not be determined ultrasonographically whether the structure of interest was in the urethra or vagina. Based on these findings, vaginoscopy was performed under general anesthesia, which confirmed the calculus was present in the proximal vagina rather than the urethra. The calculus was removed endoscopically using a retrieval basket. Calculi within the vagina should be considered as a differential diagnosis for female rabbits presenting with stranguria and pollakiuria, especially if clinical, radiographic and ultrasonographic findings are not consistent with urinary obstruction. Vaginoscopy is a rapid, noninvasive tool for diagnosis and removal of vaginal calculi.
Determinants of the contractile properties in the embryonic chicken gizzard and aorta.

Smooth muscle is generally grouped into two classes of differing contractile properties. Tonic smooth muscles show slow rates of force activation and relaxation and slow speeds of shortening (V max...
Assessment of health risk of arsenic in drinking water in Xinjiang army

Objective To evaluate potential threat of As,the heavy metal contamination in drinking water to health of Xinjiang army.Methods On basis of detecting drinking water sample for concentrations of As from 13 armies in Xinjiang,model for evaluating health risk of water pollution was established and the health risk caused by As through drinking water was assessed preliminary.Results The average concentrations of As in water taken by Xinjiang army was from 1.566×10-4 mg/L to 4.333×10-3 mg/L.Annually maximum personal risk associated with As in water was 2.915×10-5/a.Conclusions The annually personal health risks associated with As in water taken by Xinjiang army is lower than the maximum allowance levels recommended by ICRP(5.0×10-5/a).
Identification of FUTABA Gyro and its Application in UAV

The NORMAL mode mathematical model of FUTABA gyro GYA351 is obtained by analyzing the relationship among the parameters and identification of dynamic characteristic.The usage of GYA351 in a commercial camera UAV(unmanned aerial vehicle) flight control system is given.
Fauna of Ceratopogonidae in Xinjiang

Objective To study fauna distribution of Ceratopogonidae in Xinjiang.Methods Using bedent snars,lamp snars,animal snars and insect net to collect Ceratopogonidae from Xinjiang.Results Ceratopogonidae of Xinjiang belonging to 3 genera and a total of 67 species had been recorded,of which 17 species of Leptoconops Skuse,2 species of Lasiohelea Kieffer and 48 species of Culicoides Latreille.Culicoides Latreille was superior in species number(71.64%),the second was Leptoconops in species number(25.37%)and the third was Lasiohelea Kieffer in species number(2.99%).67 species Ceratopogonidae of Xinjiang were known,51 species were recorded in palaearictic,16 species of interrelational consists in palaearictic and oriental of Ningxia were recorded.Conclusion Scientific accordance is given for fauna study on Ceratopogonidae of Xinjiang.
A Calibrated Reasoning Model for Early Warning of Bank Failures

The focus of this research is to demonstrate how probabilistic models may be used to provide early warnings for bank failures. While prior research in the auditing literature has recognized the applicability of a Bayesian belief revision framework for many audit tasks, empirical evidence has suggested that auditor's cognitive decision processes often violate probability axioms. This study demonstrates that a formal belief revision scheme can be incorporated into an automated system to provide reliable probability estimates for early warning of bank failures. The automated system will examine financial ratios as predictors of a bank's performance, and assess the posterior probability of a bank's financial health. The study examines two different probabilistic models, one that is simpler and makes more assumptions, while the other that is complex but makes fewer assumptions. Both models are able to make accurate predictions while the complex model is well-calibrated in its probability estimates.
The Simple Chordate Ciona intestinalis Has a Reduced Complement of Genes Associated with Fanconi Anemia

Fanconi anemia (FA) is a human genetic disease characterized by congenital defects, bone marrow failure, and increased cancer risk. FA is associated with mutation in one of 24 genes. The protein products of these genes function cooperatively in the FA pathway to orchestrate the repair of DNA interstrand cross-links. Few model organisms exist for the study of FA. Seeking a model organism with a simpler version of the FA pathway, we searched the genome of the simple chordate Ciona intestinalis for homologs of the human FA-associated proteins. BLAST searches, sequence alignments, hydropathy comparisons, maximum likelihood phylogenetic analysis, and structural modeling were used to infer the likelihood of homology between C. intestinalis and human FA proteins. Our analysis indicates that C. intestinalis indeed has a simpler and potentially functional FA pathway. The C. intestinalis genome was searched for candidates for homology to 24 human FA and FA-associated proteins. Support was found for the existence of homologs for 13 of these 24 human genes in C. intestinalis. Members of each of the three commonly recognized FA gene functional groups were found. In group I, we identified homologs of FANCE, FANCL, FANCM, and UBE2T/FANCT. Both members of group II, FANCD2 and FANCI, have homologs in C. intestinalis. In group III, we found evidence for homologs of FANCJ, FANCO, FANCQ/ERCC4, FANCR/RAD51, and FANCS/BRCA1, as well as the FA-associated proteins ERCC1 and FAN1. Evidence was very weak for the existence of homologs in C. intestinalis for any other recognized FA genes. This work supports the notion that C. intestinalis, as a close relative of vertebrates, but having a much reduced complement of FA genes, offers a means of studying the function of certain FA proteins in a simpler pathway than that of vertebrate cells.
Methods to Limit Reinfarction and Ischemia After Thrombolytic Therapy

Thrombolytic therapy has greatly influenced the long-term outcome of thousands of patients suffering AMI. The incidence of reocclusion and recurrent ischemia are continuing problems that need to be confronted if thrombolytic therapy is to have its full impact on the care of these patients. Clinical studies are providing more information on the best adjunctive therapy to accompany thrombolysis. Nursing has the potential to improve the outcome of patients by assuring the methods of preventing reocclusion we have available are skillfully implemented. If reocclusion occurs, nurses can identify the event and initiate treatment before substantial myocardium is lost. In the future, noninvasive methods to identify which patients will reocclude may be available. Thrombolytic "cocktails" or medications such as antiplatelet antibodies may be useful and may abolish reocclusion completely.
MRI investigation of the linkage between respiratory motion of the heart and markers on patient's abdomen and chest: Implications for respiratory amplitude binning list-mode PET and SPECT studies

Respiratory motion of the heart impacts the diagnostic accuracy of myocardial-perfusion emission-imaging studies. Amplitude binning has come to be the method of choice for binning list-mode based acquisitions for correction of respiratory motion in PET and SPECT. In some subjects respiratory motion exhibits hysteretic behavior similar to damped non-linear cyclic systems. The detection and correction of hysteresis between the signals from surface movement of the patient's body used in binning and the motion of the heart within the chest remains an open area for investigation. This study reports our investigation in nine volunteers of the combined MRI tracking of the internal respiratory motion of the heart using Navigators with stereo-tracking of markers on the volunteer's chest and abdomen by a visual-tracking system (VTS). The respiratory motion signals from the internal organs and the external markers were evaluated for hysteretic behavior analyzing the temporal correspondence of the signals. In general, a strong, positive correlation between the external marker motion (AP direction) and the internal heart motion (SI direction) during respiration was observed. The average ± standard deviation in the Spearman's ranked correlation coefficient (ρ) over the nine volunteer studied was 0.92±0.1 between the external abdomen marker and the internal heart, and 0.87±0.2 between the external chest marker and the internal heart. However despite the good correlation on average for the nine volunteers, in three studies a poor correlation was observed due to hysteretic behavior between inspiration and expiration for either the chest marker and the internal motion of the heart, or the abdominal marker and the motion of the heart. In all cases we observed a good correlation of at least either the abdomen or the chest with the heart. Based on this result, we propose the use of marker motion from both the chest and abdomen regions when estimating the internal heart motion to detect and address hysteresis when binning list-mode emission data.
Apolipoprotein C-III Nanodiscs Studied by Site-Specific Tryptophan Fluorescence

Apolipoprotein C-III (ApoC-III) is found on high-density lipoproteins (HDLs) and remodels 1,2-dimyristoyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphocholine vesicles into HDL-like particles known as nanodiscs. Using single-Trp-containing ApoC-III mutants, we have studied local side chain environments and interactions in nanodiscs at positions W42, W54, and W65. Using transmission electron microscopy and circular dichroism spectroscopy, nanodiscs were characterized at the ultrastructural and secondary conformational levels, respectively. Nearly identical particles (15 ± 2 nm) were produced from all proteins containing approximately 25 ± 4 proteins per particle with an average helicity of 45–51% per protein. Distinct residue-specific fluorescence properties were observed with W54 residing in the most hydrophobic environment followed by W42 and W65. Interestingly, time-resolved anisotropy measurements revealed that Trp side chain mobility is uncorrelated to the polarity of its surroundings. W54 is the most mobile compared to W65 a...
A national probability study of problematic substance use and treatment receipt among Latino caregivers involved with child welfare: the influence of nativity and legal status

Abstract The goal of this study was to determine whether differences exist in problematic substance use and receipt of services by nativity (U.S. born, foreign born) and legal status (U.S. citizen, legal resident, undocumented) among Latino parents reported for child abuse and neglect. We used data from the National Survey of Child and Adolescent Well-Being II and weighted bivariate chi-square tests to compare rates of problematic substance use and services receipt by nativity and legal status. Weighted logistic regression models estimated the effect of immigrant status on the odds of service receipt. Rates of problematic substance use were not significantly different by nativity or legal status. Service receipt was significantly lower for foreign-born (2.1%) versus U.S.-born (9.4%) parents. Compared to U.S. citizens (8.1%) and legal residents (4.3%), services receipt was least likely for undocumented parents (0.3%). Adjusting for covariates, nativity did not affect services receipt but undocumented legal status reduced the odds of receiving services by 95%. Data indicate that disparities do exist in receipt of substance use services among immigrant parents, especially undocumented parents, compared to U.S. born parents. Findings also suggest that the protective effect of immigrant status on problematic substance use, i.e., the immigrant paradox, may not apply to child-welfare-involved families.
Fast Noncoherent Decoding of Block Transmissions over Doubly Dispersive Channels

We propose a scheme for noncoherent iterative (i.e., turbo) reception of coded block transmissions over unknown time and frequency selective, or doubly dispersive, channels. Starting with a noncoherent metric that leverages a basis expansion model (BEM) for the channel's time-variation, we propose an efficient noncoherent soft equalization strategy that combines sub-optimal tree search with a fast noncoherent metric update. Though the complexity of our scheme is only linear in the block length and quadratic in the number of BEM parameters, numerical experiments show that it attains a performance relatively close to that of the turbo receiver with perfectly known channel.
Ethical and Legal Considerations of Donor Insemination in the United States

Donor insemination (DI) for humans was first reported in 1884, when not even the mother of the child conceived was informed that she had been inseminated with the sperm of another man (1). In 1945, Mary Barton, a gynecologist, published an article in the British Medical Journal about her DI program that copied the already established veterinary practice in animal husbandry (2) and was met with outrage and widespread condemnation of the practice. In response to Barton’s article, committees investigating DI generally recommended that it be considered a criminal offense (3). Reasons for rejecting the procedure included religious concerns, fears of eugenic implications, and the association of DI with agriculture (4). Sperm donors were viewed with suspicion, and the technique remained burdened in secrecy for four decades. It was not until the latter half of the 20th century that a rapid growth occurred in the use of DI for family building (5). By 1988, approx 80,000 women per year utilized DI, and more than 30,000 children were born each year in the United States (6). Despite the widespread use of DI, the majority of adults and children conceived are unaware that the person they know as their father is not their genetic parent. Secrecy continues to surround the practice of DI.
Extensive Remineralization of Large Pelvic Lytic Lesions Following Total Therapy Treatment in Patients With Multiple Myeloma

Osteolytic bone lesions are a hallmark of multiple myeloma (MM) bone disease. Bone destruction is associated with severely imbalanced bone remodeling, secondary to increased osteoclastogenesis and significant osteoblast suppression. Lytic lesions of the pelvis are relatively common in MM patients and are known to contribute to the increased morbidity because of the high risk of fracture, which frequently demands extensive surgical intervention. After observing unexpected radiological improvement in serial large pelvic CT assessment in a patient treated in a total therapy protocol, the radiographic changes of pelvic osteolytic lesions by PET/CT scanning in patients who received Total Therapy 4 (TT4) treatment for myeloma were retrospectively analyzed. Sixty-two (62) patients with lytic pelvic lesions >1 cm in diameter were identified at baseline PET/CT scanning. Follow-up CT studies showed that 27 of 62 patients (43%) with large baseline pelvic lesions achieved significant reaccumulation of radiodense mineralization at the lytic cortical site. The average size of lytic lesions in which remineralization occurred was 4 cm (range, 1.3 to 10 cm). This study clearly demonstrates that mineral deposition in large pelvic lesions occurs in a significant proportion of MM patients treated with TT4, potentially affecting patient outcomes, quality of life, and future treatment strategies. © 2017 American Society for Bone and Mineral Research.
Associations of Blood Pressure Dipping Patterns With Left Ventricular Mass and Left Ventricular Hypertrophy in Blacks: The Jackson Heart Study

Background Abnormal diurnal blood pressure (BP), including nondipping patterns, assessed using ambulatory BP monitoring, have been associated with increased cardiovascular risk among white and Asian adults. We examined the associations of BP dipping patterns (dipping, nondipping, and reverse dipping) with cardiovascular target organ damage (left ventricular mass index and left ventricular hypertrophy), among participants from the Jackson Heart Study, an exclusively black population–based cohort. Methods and Results Analyses included 1015 participants who completed ambulatory BP monitoring and had echocardiography data from the baseline visit. Participants were categorized based on the nighttime to daytime systolic BP ratio into 3 patterns: dipping pattern (≤0.90), nondipping pattern (>0.90 to ≤1.00), and reverse dipping pattern (>1.00). The prevalence of dipping, nondipping, and reverse dipping patterns was 33.6%, 48.2%, and 18.2%, respectively. In a fully adjusted model, which included antihypertensive medication use and clinic and daytime systolic BP, the mean differences in left ventricular mass index between reverse dipping pattern versus dipping pattern was 8.3±2.1 g/m 2 ( P 2 ( P =0.536). Compared with participants with a dipping pattern, the prevalence ratio for having left ventricular hypertrophy was 1.65 (95% CI, 1.05–2.58) and 0.96 (95% CI, 0.63–1.97) for those with a reverse dipping pattern and nondipping pattern, respectively. Conclusions In this population‐based study of blacks, a reverse dipping pattern was associated with increased left ventricular mass index and a higher prevalence of left ventricular hypertrophy. Identification of a reverse dipping pattern on ambulatory BP monitoring may help identify black at increased risk for cardiovascular target organ damage.
Variedades da Democracia no Brasil

Neste artigo apresentamos resultados coletados pelo projeto Variedades da Democracia para o Brasil. Descrevemos a evolucao historica da democracia brasileira entre 1900 e 2015 enfocando seus cinco principais componentes (eleitoral, liberal, participativo, deliberativo e igualitario) e duas dimensoes adjacentes ao regime (corrupcao e partidos politicos). Por fim, nos comparamos os dados para o Brasil com resultados obtidos para outros paises da America do Sul. A analise dos dados aponta: a. a existencia de uma trajetoria “em espiral” dos regimes politicos no Brasil, na qual novas experiencias democraticas tendem a superar experiencias anteriores em todos os quesitos; b. os avancos e limites da experiencia democratica contemporânea em que se combinam bons resultados nos indicadores eleitoral, liberal e deliberativo da democracia, e resultados menos elevados nos componentes igualitario e participativo do regime, bem como em suas dimensoes adjacentes.
ICA-Derived EEG Correlates to Mental Fatigue, Effort, and Workload in a Realistically Simulated Air Traffic Control Task

Electroencephalograph (EEG) has been increasingly studied to identify distinct mental factors when persons perform cognitively demanding tasks. However, most of these studies examined EEG correlates at channel domain, which suffers the limitation that EEG signals are the mixture of multiple underlying neuronal sources due to the volume conduction effect. Moreover, few studies have been conducted in real-world tasks. To precisely probe EEG correlates with specific neural substrates to mental factors in real-world tasks, the present study examined EEG correlates to three mental factors, i.e., mental fatigue (also known as time-on-task (TOT) effect), workload and effort, in EEG component signals, which were obtained using an independent component analysis (ICA) on high-density EEG data. EEG data were recorded when subjects performed a realistically simulated air traffic control (ATC) task for two hours. Five EEG independent component (IC) signals that were associated with specific neural substrates (i.e., the frontal, central medial, motor, parietal, occipital areas) were identified. Their spectral powers at their corresponding dominant bands, i.e., the theta power of the frontal IC and the alpha power of the other four ICs, were detected to be correlated to mental workload and effort levels, measured by behavioral metrics. Meanwhile, a linear regression analysis indicated that spectral powers at five ICs significantly increased with TOT. These findings indicated that different levels of mental factors can be sensitively reflected in EEG signals associated with various brain functions, including visual perception, cognitive processing, and motor outputs, in real-world tasks. These results can potentially aid in the development of efficient operational interfaces to ensure productivity and safety in ATC and beyond.
Robot-Applied Resistance Augments the Effects of Body Weight-Supported Treadmill Training on Stepping and Synaptic Plasticity in a Rodent Model of Spinal Cord Injury.

Background. The application of resistive forces has been used during body weight–supported treadmill training (BWSTT) to improve walking function after spinal cord injury (SCI). Whether this form o...
How Do You Take Learning Beyond the Classroom in an Interdisciplinary First‐Year Seminar?

We suggest four changes to the first-year experience (FYE): reconceptualize practices of engagement as verbs rather than nouns; remove the discrete borders between teacher and student; develop manifold opportunities within FYE; and create a learning place rather than a learning space.
Rate of aphasia among stroke patients discharged from hospitals in the United States

ABSTRACTBackground: Estimated rates of post-stroke aphasia range from 18% to 38%. Despite the existence of several studies that have calculated rates of aphasia among stroke survivors, no specific study has emerged that describes the rate of post-stroke aphasia among stroke patients discharged from acute care hospitals in the United States (US).Aim: To estimate the hospital discharge rate (HDR) of aphasia in stroke patients discharged from acute care hospitals in the US.Methods & Procedures: Healthcare Cost and Utilization Project (HCUP) data (2011–2012) derived from a convenience sample of eight states (Oregon, Arizona, Colorado, Florida, Kentucky, North Carolina, South Carolina, Arkansas) were analyzed to calculate rate of aphasia.Outcomes & Results: In 2011–2012, among 152,972 adults who were hospitalized for a stroke in the eight representative states, 28,086 (18.4%) were discharged with aphasia. The HDR of aphasia ranged from 14.3% to 24.9% across the eight states over the two-year period. The rate o...
Control of Organized Structures in Round Jets at High Reynolds Numbers

Researchers have studied jets for decades and have observed very early their sensitivity to sound. Dual-mode dual-frequency acoustic excitation can be applied to round air jets to alter dramatically their structure [3,4]. The axial excitation locks the formation of the shear-layer vortex rings on the excitation frequency and therefore controls the vortex spacing, while the helical excitation controls the eccentricity of the rings. The development of the jet depends on the ratio R f of the axial excitation frequency f a to the helical frequency f h . When this ratio is a non-integer between 1.6 and 3.2 the jet is said to bloom [3] as the vortex rings are sent in all directions. When this ratio is equal to 2 the jet bifurcates into two distinct branches. As the axial excitation frequency is increased, the vortex spacing is reduced, leading to a stronger mutual interaction and jet spreading angle. The Strouhal number St a of 0.55 based on the axial frequency, mean exit velocity and exit diameter was found to produce the largest spreading angles [3]. If the spacing is too small however, the rings tangle and the spreading effect disappears at once. The judicious combination of longitudinal and azimuthal excitation has been shown to enhance jet entrainment drastically [2].
The Clinical Presentation, Survival Outcomes, and Management of Patients With Renal Cell Carcinoma and Cardiac Metastasis Without Inferior Vena Cava Involvement: Results From a Pooled Clinical Trial Database and Systematic Review of Reported Cases.

Abstract Background Cardiac metastases from renal cell carcinoma (RCC) are uncommon and there are limited data regarding the presentation and outcomes of this population. The objective of this study was to evaluate the characteristics and outcomes of patients with RCC with cardiac metastasis without inferior vena cava (IVC) involvement. Materials and Methods We conducted a pooled retrospective analysis of metastatic RCC patients treated in 4 clinical trials. Additionally, we conducted a systematic review of cases reported in the literature from 1973 to 2015. Patients with cardiac metastases from RCC without IVC involvement were included. Patient and disease characteristics were described. Additionally, treatments, response to therapy, and survival outcomes were summarized. Results Of 1765 metastatic RCC patients in the clinical trials database, 10 had cardiac metastases without IVC involvement. All patients received treatment with targeted therapy. There was 1 observed partial response (10%) and 6 patients showed stable disease (60%). The median progression-free survival was 6.9 months. The systematic review of reported clinical cases included 39 patients. In these patients, the most common cardiac site of involvement was the right ventricle (51%; n = 20). Patients were treated with medical (28%; n = 11) and/or surgical treatment (49%; n = 19) depending on whether disease was isolated (n = 13) or multifocal (n = 26). Conclusion To our knowledge, this is the first series to report on the presentation and outcomes of patients with cardiac metastasis without IVC involvement in RCC. We highlight that although the frequency of patients with cardiac metastases without IVC involvement is low, these patients have a unique clinical presentation and warrant special multidisciplinary management.
Swift-Link: A Compressive Beam Alignment Algorithm for Practical mmWave Radios

Next generation wireless networks will exploit the large amount of spectrum available at millimeter wave (mmWave) frequencies. The design of mmWave systems, however, is challenging due to the strict power, cost, and hardware constraints at higher bandwidths. To achieve a good SNR for communication, mmWave systems use large antenna arrays. Beamforming with highly directional beams is one way to use the antennas. As the channel changes over time, the beams that maximize the SNR have to be estimated quickly to reduce the training overhead. Prior research has exploited the observation that mmWave channels are sparse to perform compressed sensing (CS) based beam alignment with few channel measurements. Most of the existing CS-based algorithms, however, assume perfect synchronization and fail in the presence of carrier frequency offset (CFO). This paper presents Swift-Link, a fast beam alignment algorithm that is robust against the offset. Swift-Link includes a novel randomized beam training sequence that minimizes the beam alignment errors due to CFO and a low-complexity algorithm that corrects these errors. Even with strict hardware constraints, our algorithm uses fewer channel measurements than comparable CS algorithms and has analytical guarantees. Swift-Link requires a small output dynamic range at the analog-to-digital converter compared to beam-scanning techniques.
Ubiquity symposium 'What is computation?': Computation and information

In this sixth article in the ACM Ubiquity symposium,What is Computation? Ruzena Bajcsy of the University of California-Berkeley explains that computation can be seen as a transformation or function of information. --Editor
Experimental and Theoretical Studies of Combustion Oscillations

Publisher Summary This chapter discusses a few experimental and theoretical studies of combustion oscillations. The frequency of organ-pipe oscillations in combustors of varying cross sections is roughly associated with the length of the path which the gas travels through the unit. If the combustor section is greatly enlarged compared to inlet and exhaust, as is the case for some types of combustors, the lowest frequency of oscillation may be approximated by solving the equation of an equivalent Helmholtz resonator. For the singing-flame type of oscillation, the amount of damping in the system determines the relative importance of each of the driving mechanisms. This relation determines the ranges of the various parameters of the system in which oscillations will occur. In small laboratory-type combustors, other types of driving mechanism may be used for specific studies by employing combustor heads, combustible mixtures, and pressures that are not attractive for practical rockets. The tests are particularly valuable from an acoustic standpoint, as they indicate at a low cost the multitude of modes that might occur, including some rather unusual combinations of modes.
Adalimumab-Related Dental Implant Infection

We present an adalimumab-related dental implant surgical-site infection. A 55-year-old patient with a history of twice-weekly adalimumab subcutaneous injections for ulcerative colitis underwent mandibular extractions and placement of 5 immediate dental implants. She experienced intraoral purulent drainage from all 5 dental implant sites with submental and submandibular space infections 2 weeks after surgery. Treatment consisted of extraoral incision and drainage of involved fascial spaces, removal of all mandibular dental implants, and debridement of necrotic mandibular bone. She went on to heal uneventfully. In individuals taking adalimumab, severe infection with loss of implants and bone may develop.