cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Children discover the spectral skeletons in their native language before the amplitude envelopes.

Much of speech perception research has focused on brief spectro-temporal properties in the signal, butsome studies have shown that adults can recover linguistic form when those properties are absent. In thisexperiment, 7-year-old English-speaking children demonstrated adultlike abilities to understand speechwhen only sine waves (SWs) replicating the 3 lowest resonances of the vocal tract were presented, butthey failed to demonstrate comparable abilities when noise bands amplitude-modulated with envelopesderived from the same signals were presented. In contrast, adults who were not native English speakersbut who were competent 2nd-language learners were worse at understanding both kinds of stimuli thannative English-speaking adults. Results showed that children learn to extract linguistic form from signalsthat preserve some spectral structure, even if degraded, before they learn to do so for signals that preserveonly amplitude structure. The authors hypothesize that childrens early sensitivity to global spectralstructure reflects the role that it may play in language learning.Keywords: speech perception, sine wave speech, childrens speech perception, perceptual objectformation
Laboratory flow experiments for visualizing carbon dioxide-induced, density-driven brine convection

Injection of carbon dioxide (CO2) into saline aquifers confined by low- permeability cap rock will result in a layer of CO2 overlying the brine. Dissolution of CO2 into the brine increases the brine density, resulting in an unstable situation in which more-dense brine overlies less-dense brine. This gravitational instability could give rise to density-driven convection of the fluid, which is a favorable process of practical interest for CO2 storage security because it accelerates the transfer of buoyant CO2 into the aqueous phase, where it is no longer subject to an upward buoyant drive. Laboratory flow visualization tests in transparent Hele-Shaw cells have been performed to elucidate the processes and rates of this CO2 solute-driven convection (CSC). Upon introduction of CO2 into the system, a layer of CO2-laden brine forms at the CO2-water interface. Subsequently, small convective fingers form, which coalesce, broaden, and penetrate into the test cell. Images and time-series data of finger lengths and wavelengths are presented. Observed CO2 uptake of the convection system indicates that the CO2 dissolution rate is approximately constant for each test and is far greater than expected for a diffusion-only scenario. Numerical simulations of our system show good agreement with the experiments for onset time of convection and advancement of convective fingers. There are differences as well, the most prominent being the absence of cell-scale convection in the numerical simulations. This cell-scale convection observed in the experiments may be an artifact of a small temperature gradient induced by the cell illumination.
Germination, Postgermination Adaptation, and Species Ecological Ranges

Germination behavior is one of the earliest phenotypes expressed by plants. This fact has several consequences for the evolution of postgermination traits, ecological niches, and geographic ranges. By determining the conditions that plants experience after they germinate, germination influences phenotypic expression of postgermination traits, natural selection on them, and their genetic basis. The breadth of germination niches may influence the ecological breadth and geographic ranges of species. Because germination is expressed early, it is frequently subjected to natural selection before other traits are expressed. We review evidence for natural selection on and adaptation of germination and discuss how the breadth of the germination niche is associated with the ecological niche and range of plant species. We review evidence for the coevolution of germination and postgermination traits and compare germination to postgermination niches. Finally, we discuss how germination responses to altered environments can influence species distribution and the evolution of postgermination traits after environmental change.
Decaying turbulence in neutral and stratified fluids

Decaying turbulence in neutral and stratified fluids has been studied experimentally for relatively high mesh Reynolds numbers and long time-histories. The neutral case indicates an initial period decay law, q2∝ t−1, through non-dimensional time \[ W_gt/M \simeq 800 \] which is considerably longer than previous measurements at the same mesh Reynolds number (Re = 48260). The stratified experiment resulted in a decay rate virtually identical to that of the neutral case through Wgt/M = 275. However the decay rate sharply decreased after this time when the field of turbulence was replaced by internal gravity waves. A critical Richardson number marks the transition from the turbulence to an internal gravity wave domain.
Nanofiber scaffolding for improved neural electrode biocompatibility

The prospect of obtaining neural signals directly from the brain for prosthetic control and chronic research has been limited by the brains natural immune response to current thin film neural electrodes. In this study we have attempted to coat ceramic thin film neural electrodes with a nanostructured, biodegradable polymer matrix for subsequent use in localized, controlled drug delivery and glial sear inhibition. Twelve rats were implanted with coated and uncoated neural electrodes. The recording characteristics of polymer-coated electrodes were indistinguishable from that of control electrodes. After 2 weeks, 4 weeks, and 6 weeks post-implantation the rats were perfused and processed using glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP) immunohistochemistry. The coated electrodes glial scar was quantified and found to be the same as that induced by non-coated neural electrodes. The prospect of utilizing these nanofiber scaffoldings for drug delivery can now be investigated.
Revision Risk After Allograft Anterior Cruciate Ligament Reconstruction Association With Graft Processing Techniques, Patient Characteristics, and Graft Type

Background:Allograft tissue is a common graft choice for anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction (ACLR). Allograft sterilization methods vary widely across numerous commercial tissue vendors. Multiple studies, despite being limited in sample size, have suggested a higher rate of clinical failure associated with the use of allograft tissue in ACLR when compared with autograft.Purpose:To examine the association of graft processing techniques, patient characteristics, and graft type with risk of revision surgery after allograft ACLR.Study Design:Cohort study; Level of evidence, 3.Methods:A retrospective cohort study was conducted that used an integrated United States health care system’s ACLR registry to identify primary unilateral cases in which allografts were used. Aseptic revision was the endpoint of the study. Allograft type, processing methods (irradiation dose, AlloWash, AlloTrue, BioCleanse), and graft donor age were assessed as potential risk factors for revision, with adjustment for patient age, ...
Microsurgical denervation of the rat spermatic cord and its connection to the diagnosis and treatment of chronic orchialgia: a bench to bedside experience

Chronic orchialgia is a common urologic problem, however, determination of the etiology is often difficult and the pathophysiology is poorly understood. As a result, there is no clear algorithm for surgical treatment for men who have failed conservative medical treatment. This review aims to describe microsurgical denervation of the rat spermatic cord (SC) and summarize several surgical techniques that have been described in the literature ranging from orchiectomy to epididymectomy to vasectomy reversal for post-vasectomy orchialgia. More recent studies advocate for microsurgical denervation of the spermatic cord (MDSC), which can be performed with a standard operating microscope or laparoscopic/robotic techniques providing optical magnification. Data regarding efficacy and complications for all surgical treatments is outlined. Experimental modalities, such as the use of multiphoton microscopy (MPM) to identify and ablate nerves surrounding the vas deferens are also described. Finally, given the fact that chronic orchialgia often affects young men, we summarize safety data generated from an animal model regarding the effect of microsurgical denervation on the structure and function of the testis and vas deferens.
The Infrared Zodiacal Light

Thermal emission from interplanetary dust is the main source of diffuse radiation at λ 5–50 μm. Analysis of infrared sky maps from IRAS and ZIP lead to the result that the average optical properties of the dust change with heliocentric distance. The present uncertainties in calibration should be resolved by COBE. Existence of a dust sublimation zone at 4 solar radii awaits confirmation at the next solar eclipse.
Abstract TP260: Synergistic Inhibitors Halt Brain and Systemic Hemorrhage After Tissue Plasminogen Activator Treatment for Ischemic Stroke

Tissue plasminogen activator (TPA) treatment for ischemic stroke is complicated by brain hemorrhage and major systemic bleeding for which there is no specific antidote. These bleeding complications reduce the therapeutic value of TPA as well as undermine its therapeutic use in eligible patients. Although the primary causes of TPA-induced hemorrhage are unknown, it may be related to the clot dissolving or fibrinolytic effects of TPA-catalyzed plasminogen activation. We examined whether specific inhibitors of TPA’s fibrin-dependent activation of plasminogen could reduce bleeding after the initiation of TPA therapy for ischemic stroke. METHODS: Hybridomas were screened for the production of monoclonal antibodies (MAbs) that inhibited TPA-induced fibrinolysis. After molecular characterization and purification, these MAbs were tested for their ability to stop brain hemorrhage and systemic bleeding triggered by TPA therapy for ischemic stroke. RESULTS: Two MAbs were selected that bound with high affinity (sub-nanomolar dissociation constants) to different epitopes on the TPA molecule. These MAbs preferentially inhibited TPA’s fibrin-dependent plasminogen activation but not other catalytic functions; they did not affect plasminogen activation by other agents. When added to human clots, these MAbs synergistically blocked TPA fibrinolysis with greater specificity and potency than a stabilized form of plasminogen activator inhibitor 1. When administered after the onset of TPA therapy for ischemic stroke, these MAbs significantly reduced brain hemorrhage (p CONCLUSION: TPA-induced brain and systemic bleeding in vivo is blocked by potent synergistic inhibitors of TPA’s fibrin-dependent plasminogen activation. This implies that hemorrhage is related to TPA’s fibrin-dependent mechanism of plasminogen activation and that targeted inhibitors of this process may serve as specific antidotes for TPA-associated hemorrhage.
Chronic CO inhalation and carotid body catecholamines: testing of hypotheses.

The purpose of this study was twofold: one concerns carotid blood flow and tissue PO2 and the other the effect of chronic hypoxic hypoxia on enhanced catecholamine content. The rationale was that chronic CO inhalation would not mimic the effect of hypoxia on the carotid body if its tissue blood flow is sufficiently high to counteract the effect of CO on O2 delivery and, hence, on tissue PO2. The differential effects of CO on the carotid body and erythropoietin-producing tissue would also indicate that the effect of hypoxic hypoxia on the carotid body is the result of a direct action of a local low O2 stimulus rather than secondary to a systemic effect initiated by other O2-sensing tissues. To test these alternatives we studied the effects of chronic CO inhalation on carotid body catecholamine content and hematocrit in the rats, which were exposed to an inspired PCO of 0.4–0.5 Torr at an inspired PO2 of approximately 150 Torr for 22 days. The hematocrit of CO-exposed rats was 75 +/- 1.1% compared with 48 +/- 0.7% in controls. Dopamine and norepinephrine content of the carotid bodies (per pair) was 5.88 +/- 0.91 and 3.02 +/- 0.19 ng, respectively, in the CO-exposed rats compared with 6.20 +/- 1.0 and 3.29 +/- 0.6 ng, respectively, in the controls. Protein content of the carotid bodies (per pair) was 18.4 +/- 1.6 and 20.5 +/- 0.9 micrograms, respectively. Thus, despite a vigorous erythropoietic response, the CO-exposed rats failed to show any significant stimulation of carotid body in terms of the content of either catecholamine or protein. The results suggest that carotid body tissue PO2 is not compromised by moderate carboxyhemoglobinemia because of its high tissue blood flow and that the chronic effect of hypoxic hypoxia on carotid body is direct.
Epidemiological characteristics of hand-foot-mouth diseases in Ningxia in 2012

Objective To understand the epidemiological and pathogenic characteristics of hand-foot-mouth disease(HFMD) in Ningxia in 2012.Methods Descriptive epidemiological analysis was conduct on the data of HFMD.Results A total of 7285 cases of HFMD,including 2 cases deaths,were reported in Ningxia in 2012.The reported incidence was 113.93/lakh,the death rate was 0.03/lakh and HFMD had two seasonal peaks.Most cases were reported from May to November in 2012.Most cases were children from 1 to 4 years old which(77.93%).EV71 was the main epidemiological agents of HFMD.There were two outbreaks occurred in kindergartens.Conclusion The reported incidence of HFMD in 2012 is higher than that in 2011,but it is lower than 2010.The incidence of HFMD has significant regional,seasonal and population characteristics.The emphasis of the disease prevention and control should focus on the children outside and children in kindergartens.
24 CHILD LIFESTYLE CHOICES AND OBESITY

Background Obesity is the most common nutritional problem in our country. Objective To determine the prevalence of obesity among low-income inner-city children ages 2 to 17 years and to identify the association between obesity and the consumption of high calorie drinks (soda, juice, Kool-Aid, sweet tea), television viewing, and exercise. Methods A prospective sample of mothers of children ages 2-17 years who presented at two inner-city university affiliated pediatric clinics were surveyed and anthropomorphic, demographic, and lifestyle variables obtained. Using a 6 ounce cup as a visual cue, mothers were asked how many servings of juice, Kool-Aid, sweet tea, soda, water, and milk their children consumed on a daily basis. Mothers were also asked to estimate the amount of exercise and television viewing their children received. The height and weight of each child were measured and BMI calculated. Results The mothers of 504 children were surveyed (79.8% African-American, 91.9% Medicaid, 52.8% male). 112 (22.4%) children were overweight and 88 (17.5%) were at risk for being overweight. Older children (> 8 years) were more likely to watch > 2 hours of television per day (OR + 3.1 [2.1-4.6], p Conclusion Children older than eight years are more likely to have a television in their bedroom and watch > 2 hours of TV per day. In addition, they appear to have decreased physical activity compared to younger children. These factors, along with increased consumption of sugar containing beverages, may be contributing factors to the rise in pediatric obesity.
Influence of an Experimental Infection of Ascaris suum on Performance of Pigs

Thirty-two pigs (average 26.6 kg live weight) were individually housed and fed to study the effect of an infection of Ascaris suum (either 0, 600, 6,000 or 60,000 A. suum eggs/pig) on performance of growing-finishing pigs. Increasing the level of A. suum infection produced linear (P less than .07) and quadratic (P less than .09) effects on final weight, weight gain and average daily gain. Feed to gain ratio and number of A. suum worms recovered from the intestines of pigs at slaughter increased linearly (P less than .01) with increasing doses of A. suum eggs. Pigs receiving 60,000 A. suum eggs were 13% less (P less than .01) efficient than the noninfected controls. In each of two trials, eight crossbred barrows (15.7 kg in trial 1 and 16.1 kg body weight in trial 2) were examined for the effects of two levels of A. suum infection (0 and 20,000 eggs/pig) on digestibility coefficients for dry matter, crude protein and gross energy. The infection did not affect (P greater than .05) digestibility coefficients during the first two collection periods (d 6 through 10 and 19 through 23). However, digestion coefficients for dry matter, crude protein and gross energy obtained from the total collection period on d 33 through 37 postinfection were greater (P less than .01) for control pigs than for pigs given 20,000 A. suum eggs each. Also, N retention was greater (P less than .05) for control pigs than for infected pigs.
Inter-app communication in Android: developer challenges

The Android platform is designed to support mutually un-trusted third-party apps, which run as isolated processes but may interact via platform-controlled mechanisms, called Intents. Interactions among third-party apps are intended and can contribute to a rich user experience, for example, the ability to share pictures from one app with another. The Android platform presents an interesting point in a design space of module systems that is biased toward isolation, extensibility, and untrusted contributions. The Intent mech- anism essentially provides message channels among modules, in which the set of message types is extensible. However, the module system has design limitations including the lack of consistent mechanisms to document message types, very limited checking that a message conforms to its specifica- tions, the inability to explicitly declare dependencies on other modules, and the lack of checks for backward compatibility as message types evolve over time. In order to understand the degree to which these design limitations result in real issues, we studied a broad corpus of apps and cross-validated our results against app documentation and Android support forums. Our findings suggest that design limitations do in- deed cause development problems. Based on our results, we outline further research questions and propose possible mitigation strategies.
David's Need for Mutual Recognition: A Social Personhood Defense of Steven Spielberg's A. I. Artificial Intelligence

In Steven Spielberg's A.I. Artificial Intelligence (2001) a company called Cybertronics is responsible for creating, building, and disseminating a large number of ‘mechas’ – androids built specifically to address a multitude of human needs, including the desire to have children. David, an android mecha-child, has the capacity to genuinely love on whomever he ‘imprints.’ The first of this kind of mecha, he is ultimately abandoned by his ‘mother’ Monica, and David spends the rest of the film searching for Pinocchio's Blue Fairy so that he can be made into a ‘real boy’ and gain Monica's love. Their reunion finally occurs at the end of the film, after hundreds of years. Typically, the ending in A.I. is panned by critics, and written off as an egregrious example of Spielberg's sentimentalism. However, we argue that the ending is essential in order to portray a certain conception of the nature of human personhood. While many science fiction films about artificial intelligence are centered on the issue of what c...
Obesity in trauma patients: correlations of body mass index with outcomes, injury patterns, and complications.

Current understanding of the effects of obesity on trauma patients is incomplete. We hypothesized that among older trauma patients, obese patients differ from nonobese patients in injury patterns, ...
Abstract P004: Telemonitoring of Blood Pressure in Low-Income African American Patients With Congestive Heart Failure

Introduction: Uncontrolled blood pressure (BP) due to non-adherence to medical therapy or inadequate medical therapy in African American (AA) patients with congestive heart failure (CHF) increases the risk of CHF exacerbation. Use of telemonitoring (TM) to monitor BP in low-income AA patients with CHF has not been studied. Aim: To identify patients with uncontrolled BP in low-income AA patients with CHF using a TM device. Methods: We conducted a prospective study of 15 patients with CHF (Ejection Fraction Results: 15 patients consented to participate in the study. During the study period 67% (10/15) patients used the TM device to record BP for more than 50% (14/28 days) of the days. Of these, 50% (5/10) patients had either systolic or diastolic blood pressure equal to or greater than 140/90 mm of Hg for more than 50% of the times they were monitored (Figure 1). Conclusions: Use of TM can help identify patients with CHF whose blood pressure is not at goal and may increase patient’s medication adherence. Whether TM is a cost effective tool to improve clinical outcomes in low income AA patients with CHF & uncontrolled BP needs to be proven in larger studies.
Aspects of the 1905 Revolution in Latvia: Looking through the Library and Archival Collections of Stanford University

This paper offers a look at some facets of the 1905 Revolution in Latvia, at the time part of the Russian Empire, and their interpretation in historiography from 1905 to 2015. Using resources in th...
Multispectral signal processing of synthetic aperture acoustics for side attack explosive ballistic detection

Substantial interest resides in identifying sensors, algorithms and fusion theories to detect explosive hazards. This is a significant research effort because it impacts the safety and lives of civilians and soldiers alike. However, a challenging aspect of this field is we are not in conflict with the threats (objects) per se. Instead, we are dealing with people and their changing strategies and preferred method of delivery. Herein, we investigate one method of threat delivery, side attack explosive ballistics (SAEB). In particular, we explore a vehicle-mounted synthetic aperture acoustic (SAA) platform. First, a wide band SAA signal is decomposed into a higher spectral resolution signal. Next, different multi/hyperspectral signal processing techniques are explored for manual band analysis and selection. Last, a convolutional neural network (CNN) is used for filter learning and classification relative to the full signal versus different subbands. Performance is assessed in the context of receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves on data from a U.S. Army test site that contains multiple target and clutter types, levels of concealment and times of day. Preliminary results indicate that a machine learned CNN solution can achieve better performance than our previously established human engineered Fourier-based Fraz feature with kernel support vector machine classification.
Elder Abuse in the African Diaspora: A Review.

Abstract Background As with many other populations, abuse of older adults is a growing problem across the Africa Diaspora. Modernization and urbanization are eroding the traditional values of respect for older adults. Also, older adults living in environments with limited social and economic resources, and having no means of economic support create a recipe for elder abuse and neglect. Methods This article reviews the current literature on the epidemiology, risk factors, and interventions used for elder abuse across the African Diaspora. Results Reports of elder abuse range from 24.9% to 81.1% across the Diaspora. Risk factors include cognitive and physical impairment, social isolation, lack of resources and widowhood. Conclusion Community-based programs using the unique social networks of older populations of African descent can provide a venue to improve caregiver training and support, reinforce traditional filial and informal caregiving practices, increase the utilization of available governmental and institutional.
Formation of Viable but Nonculturable Cells

It has long been realized that plate counts can dramatically underestimate the total number of bacteria (typically determined by direct microscopic examination) present in samples taken from natural environments. In the late 1970s, several easily performed noncultural methods (Zimmerman et al., 1978; Kogure et al., 1979) for determining cell viability allowed confirmation of earlier microautoradiographic studies (e.g., Hoppe, 1976) which demonstrated that many of these nonculturable cells are indeed viable and able to actively metabolize. Such studies led to the further realization that some bacteria, in response to certain environmental stresses, may lose the ability to grow on media on which they are routinely cultured, while remaining viable. This state is of considerable interest to our understanding of microbial ecology. It is of special concern when considering release into the environment of genetically engineered microorganisms, and for those indicator bacteria (e.g., coliforms) and human pathogens which enter this nonculturable state and are thus not detectable through routine bacteriological procedures.
Novel MI-based (FracBot) sensor hardware design for monitoring hydraulic fractures and oil reservoirs

Monitoring of hydraulic fractures and unconventional oil and gas reservoirs are crucial for determining the rich venue of oil and natural gas reserves. Wireless sensor nodes are a promising technology to collect data from hydraulic fractures and oil reservoirs in real time, such nodes are not available in the market since they need to be designed for this special application to overcome limitations caused by the small size requirement and the environment. To overcome limitations caused by harsh environmental conditions and energy constraints, this paper proposes a novel prototype of magnetic induction (MI)-based wireless sensor node (FracBot) to be used as a platform for a new generation of Wireless Underground Sensor Networks (WUSNs) for monitoring hydraulic fractures, unconventional reservoirs and measuring other wellbore parameters. We design and develop the hardware of the MI-based wireless sensor for short range communication using near field communication (NFC) as a physical layer combined with energy harvesting capability and ultra-low power requirements. We realize theses characteristics using cost-effective and commercial off-the-shelf components. We confirm the performance of our design via theoretical and experimental evaluation. the FracBot can operate perpetually with minimum energy radiated conditions. Also, it can establish the communication link and transmit the data using modulation ASK with the data rate of 1.6 kbit/s.
The Association of Departmental Quality Infrastructure and Positive Change: A Pathology Department Illustration.

A vertically and horizontally well-integrated quality improvement team is essential for effective quality data collection and implementation of improvement measures. We outline the quality structur...
Distance running alters peripheral microRNAs implicated in metabolism, fluid balance, and myosin regulation in a sex-specific manner

Microribonucleic acids (miRNAs) mediate adaptive responses to exercise and may serve as biomarkers of exercise intensity/capacity. Expression of miRNAs is altered in skeletal muscle, plasma, and sa...
Magnesium and Doped Magnesium Nanostructured Materials for Hydrogen Storage

Hydrogen is an attractive fuel for many applications because of its high energy density as molecular hydrogen, as well as the clean exhaust produced when burned with oxygen. One significant challenge to the widespread adoption of hydrogen, for mobile applications in particular, is the inability to efficiently store large amounts of readily accessible hydrogen in small volumes at ambient temperature and pressure. This chapter describes the current research on one particularly interesting candidate for hydrogen storage, nanostructured magnesium. The synthetic methods currently used to control the size and shape of nanostructured magnesium are described, as are the measured kinetics of hydrogen storage, the modeling used to explain the observed kinetics, and theoretical models that can be used to guide experimental efforts.
Evaluation of shunt function in patients who are never better, or better than worse after shunt surgery for NPH.

We investigated the cause of poor outcome in patients with normal pressure hydrocephalus (NPH) who did not respond as expected after shunt surgery. Two methods were used to evaluate shunts: radionuclide shunt patency study, or continuous ICP monitoring.
Assessment of the effects of gabapentin on activity levels and owner-perceived mobility impairment and quality of life in osteoarthritic geriatric cats

OBJECTIVE Toevaluate effects of gabapentin on activity levels and owner-perceived mobility impairment and quality of life (QOL) in osteoarthritic geriatric cats. DESIGN Blinded, placebo-controlled,...
Citrus root responses to localized drying soil: A new approach to studying mycorrhizal effects on the roots of mature trees

Because fine roots tend to be concentrated at the soil surface, exposure to dry surface soil can have a large influence on patterns of root growth, death and respiration. We studied the effects of arbuscular mycorrhizas (AM) formation on specific root length (SRL), respiration and mortality of fine roots of bearing red grapefruit (Citrus paradisi Macf.) trees on Volkamer lemon (C. volkameriana Tan. & Pasq.) rootstock exposed to drying soil. For each tree, the fine roots were removed from two woody lateral roots, the roots were surface sterilized and then each woody root was placed in a separate pair of vertically divided and independently irrigated soil compartments. The two split-pot systems were filled with sterilized soil and one was inoculated with arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (Glomus etunicatum/G. intraradices). New fine lateral roots that emerged from the woody laterals were permitted to grow inside the pots over a 10-month period. Irrigation was then removed from the top compartment for a 15-week period. At the end of the study, roots inoculated with AM fungi exhibited about 20% incidence of AM formation, whereas the uninoculated roots were completely void of AM fungi. Arbuscular mycorrhizal roots exhibited lower SRL, lower root/soil respiration and about 10% lower fine root mortality than nonmycorrhizal roots after 15 weeks of exposure to dry surface soil. This study demonstrates the feasibility of examining mycorrhizal effects on the fine roots of adult trees in the field using simple inexpensive methods.
Lack of forest tree seedling recruitment and enhanced tree and shrub growth characterizes post-Tsuga canadensis mortality forests in the southern Appalachians

Abstract The loss of Tsuga canadensis from invasion by hemlock woolly adelgid (Adelges tsugae, HWA) has altered ecosystem structure and function in forests across the eastern United States. In southern Appalachian forests, T. canadensis co-occurred with hardwood species and an evergreen Rhododendron maximum shrub layer in riparian and cove positions. In this region, HWA infestation was detected in 2003, with mortality reaching 97% by 2014. In this study we examined responses of light, soil moisture, tree seedling density, and overstory and understory vegetation growth from 2004 to 2014 following HWA infestation and mortality of T. canadensis. We hypothesized that seedling recruitment and vegetation growth would continue to increase over time as observed with initial trends reported through 2009, and that species that associate with ectomycorrhizal (ECM) fungi may benefit more than those that do not due to the pulse of organic material in these stands from dead T. canadensis trees. Light transmission measured at 1 m above the ground increased from 2006 to 2009, but gradually decreased from 2015 to 2017. Basal area of overstory non-Tsuga trees increased only marginally, and there was no recruitment of tree seedlings to the overstory size class, even though seedling density of deciduous species increased initially. Increased basal area and stem density of R. maximum may explain the light and seedling responses, as this species can inhibit tree seedling recruitment by limiting light and nutrients. Overstory species with the highest basal area increment (BAI) in the post-T. canadensis stands were Pinus rigida, Betula lenta and Quercus coccinea, which all associate with ECM fungi. However, not all ECM tree species grew significantly more following T. canadensis mortality compared to pre-mortality growth rates—only those ECM species that had high growth rates prior to mortality did. After a decade, growth of both overstory trees and R. maximum has not compensated for the loss of T. canadensis. Active management of R. maximum, which may involve the removal of the evergreen shrub and soil organic layer, may be required to allow for diverse tree seedling recruitment; and subsequently, restore riparian forest structure, diversity, and function.
Irregularity Parameter Estimation for Interpretation of Scintillation Doppler and Intensity Spectra

We investigate the Irregularity Parameter Estimation (IPE) technique for characterizing ionospheric irregularities using satellite beacon observations of amplitude and phase scintillation. The approach is to fit either the Doppler spectrum or the intensity spectrum of scintillation observations with theoretical fitting functions derived for the case of propagation through a thin phase changing screen. Fitting the Doppler spectrum yields estimates for the phase spectral strength, spectral index, and effective scan velocity. Fitting the intensity spectrum provides estimates for these parameters, and additionally the Fresnel scale. We find that fitting the intensity spectrum tends to provide more robust and accurate results than fitting the Doppler spectrum. Nevertheless, fitting the Doppler spectrum is simpler and generally produces acceptable estimates of phase spectral strength and spectral index.
Darwin's finches: a model of landscape effects on metacommunity dynamics in the Galápagos Archipelago

Darwin's finches represent a dynamic radiation of birds within the Galapagos Archipelago. Unlike classic island radiations dominated by island endemics and intuitive ‘conveyer belt’ colonization with little subsequent dispersal, species of Darwin's finches have populations distributed across many islands and each island contains complex metacommunities of closely related birds. Understanding the role of metacommunity and structured population dynamics in speciation within this heterogeneous island system would provide insights into the roles of fragmentation and dispersal in evolution. In this study, a large multi‐species dataset and a comparative ground finch dataset (two co‐distributed lineages) were used to show how landscape features influence patterns of gene flow across the archipelago. Factors expected to regulate migration including distance and movement from large, central islands to small, peripheral islands were rejected in the multi‐species dataset. Instead, the harsh northeast islands contributed individuals to the larger central islands. Successful immigration relies on three factors: arriving, surviving and reproducing, thus the dispersal towards the central islands may be either be due to more migrants orienting towards these land masses due to their large size and high elevation, or may reflect a higher likelihood of survival and successful reproduction due to the larger diversity of habitats and more environmentally stable ecosystems that these islands possess. Further, the overall directionality of migration was south‐southwest against the dominant winds and currents. In comparing dispersal between the common cactus finch and medium ground finch, both species had similar migration rates but the cactus finch had approximately half the numbers of migrants due to lower effective populations sizes. Significant population structure in the cactus finch indicates potential for further speciation, while the medium ground finch maintains cohesive gene flow across islands. These patterns shed light on the macroevolutionary patterns that drive diversification and speciation within a radiation of highly‐volant taxa.
Contemporary Assessment of Match Violations within Urology: an Opportunity for Ethical Leadership

The primary aim of this review is to: (1) adequately define Match violations, (2) thoroughly examine the nature and scope of Match violations in the American Urologic Association (AUA) Urology Match, and (3) propose and recommend policy guidelines, including consequences for applicants and programs, as it pertains to Match violations. These recommendations are intended to affect change at the level of the AUA and Society of Academic Urology (SAU) that more effectively mitigates future violations, intentional or not. There is a paucity of specific guidelines published by the AUA on what constitutes a Match violation. Furthermore, in contrast to the National Resident Matching Program (NRMP), the AUA is surprisingly lenient in their existing guidelines. The Match violations most frequently reported were programs asking applicants illegal and restricted questions as well as inappropriate post-interview communication between applicants and programs. Review of current Match policies and violations suggest several areas for improvement, particularly regarding the specificity of AUA guidelines to define Match violations, the asking of illegal interview questions, and post-interview communication. The obligation to uphold a fair and equitable Match is an ethical imperative for the urologic community.
Sex/gender differences in cognitive trajectories vary as a function of race/ethnicity

Abstract Introduction The present study sought to determine whether cognitive trajectories differ between men and women across and within racial/ethnic groups. Methods Participants were 5258 non-Hispanic White (NHW), Black, and Hispanic men and women in the Washington/Hamilton Heights-Inwood Columbia Aging Project who were administered neuropsychological tests of memory, language, and visuospatial abilities at 18- to 24-month intervals for up to 25 years. Multiple-group latent growth curve modeling examined trajectories across sex/gender by race/ethnicity. Results After adjusting for age and education, the largest baseline differences were between NHW men and Hispanic women on visuospatial and language, and between NHW women and Black men on memory. Memory and visuospatial decline was steeper for Black women compared with Hispanic men and NHW women, respectively. Discussion This study takes an important first step in understanding interactions between race/ethnicity and sex/gender on cognitive trajectories by demonstrating variability in sex/gender differences across race/ethnicity.
Should Obesity Be Considered a Contraindication for Prepectoral Breast Reconstruction

Background:Prepectoral implant-based reconstruction reemerged as a viable approach following recent advances in reconstructive techniques and technology. To achieve successful outcomes, careful patient selection is critical. Obesity increases the risk of complications and has been suggested as a rel
Association of Visual Acuity Improvement With Uncorrected Refractive Error in Patients New to Low Vision Clinics.

Importance There is substantial socioeconomic and individual burden from uncorrected refractive error (URE) and chronic ocular disease. Understanding the association of visual acuity (VA) reduction with URE and the adults most likely to benefit from refraction may help support clinical decision-making in ophthalmologic care and maximize patient outcomes. Objectives To assess the magnitude of VA improvement associated with URE among adults under ophthalmic care who obtain low vision rehabilitation (LVR) services and identify the characteristics of the patients who are most likely to experience improvement. Design, Setting, and Participants This retrospective case series assessed patients 20 years or older who were new to the LVR clinics from August 1, 2013, to December 31, 2015, and who had habitual VA between 20/40 and counting fingers (not including) and underwent refraction. Data analysis was performed from April 4, 2018, to December 20, 2019. Exposures Patient demographics and clinical data, including habitual and refraction VA, refraction, and disease diagnosis. Habitual VA was categorized as mild (VA worse than 20/40 and at least 20/60), moderate (VA worse than 20/60 and better than 20/200), severe (VA 20/200 or worse and better than 20/500), and profound (VA 20/500 or worse) vision impairment (VI). Main Outcomes and Measures At least 2-line VA improvement and any VA improvement (≥1-line) by refraction. Results Among the 2923 patients new to LVR clinics, 1773 (mean [SD] age, 70 [18.2] years; 1069 [60.3%] female) were included in these analyses. The mean habitual VA was 20/100 (mean [SD], 0.67 [0.36] logMAR). At least 2-line improvement was observed in 493 patients (27.8%), and any VA improvement was seen in 1023 patients (57.7%). At least 2-line improvement was observed in 54 patients (34.8%) with corneal disorders and was more likely seen among patients aged 40 to Conclusions and Relevance The findings suggest that URE is prevalent among patients with ocular disease and accessing LVR and that refractive evaluation should be considered for patients with ocular disease and reduced VA, especially working-age adults aged 40 to
Deep Composer: Deep Neural Hashing And Retrieval Approach To Automatic Music Generation

With recent advances in artificial intelligence, recurrent neural networks have successfully generated pleasing melodies; however, they have struggled to create a full song that has structure, theme, and uniqueness. To overcome this limitation, we introduce Deep Composer, a music generation system based on music retrieval using deep neural hashing to encode the music building blocks. Music generation is performed by using the current music segment to retrieve the next segment from the database until the whole composition is complete. We present performance comparisons with multiple recent state-of-the-art music generation methods to show that the songs generated by Deep Composer are unique, musically pleasing and contain more structure and theme features like that of a professionally composed song.
Fast and Intelligent Antenna Design Optimization using Machine Learning

Traditional antenna optimization solves the modified version of the original antenna design for each iteration. Thus, the total time required to optimize a given antenna design is highly dependent on the convergence criteria of the selected algorithm and the time taken for each iteration. The use of machine learning enables the antenna designer to generate trained mathematical model that replicates the original antenna design and then apply optimization on the trained model. Use of trained model allows to run thousands of optimization iterations in a span of a few seconds.
Mitochondrial-derived vesicles compensate for loss of LC3-mediated mitophagy.

Summary Mitochondria are critical metabolic and signaling hubs, and dysregulated mitochondrial homeostasis is implicated in many diseases. Degradation of damaged mitochondria by selective GABARAP/LC3-dependent macro-autophagy (mitophagy) is critical for maintaining mitochondrial homeostasis. To identify alternate forms of mitochondrial quality control that functionally compensate if mitophagy is inactive, we selected for autophagy-dependent cancer cells that survived loss of LC3-dependent autophagosome formation caused by inactivation of ATG7 or RB1CC1/FIP200. We discovered rare surviving autophagy-deficient clones that adapted to maintain mitochondrial homeostasis after gene inactivation and identified two enhanced mechanisms affecting mitochondria including mitochondrial dynamics and mitochondrial-derived vesicles (MDVs). To further understand these mechanisms, we quantified MDVs via flow cytometry and confirmed an SNX9-mediated mechanism necessary for flux of MDVs to lysosomes. We show that the autophagy-dependent cells acquire unique dependencies on these processes, indicating that these alternate forms of mitochondrial homeostasis compensate for loss of autophagy to maintain mitochondrial health.
United States medical licensing examination Step 1 scores are a quantifiably better predictor of American Board of Surgery In-Training Examination success compared to Step 2 scores.

Abstract Background United States Medical Licensing Examination Step 1 (STEP 1) and Step 2 (STEP 2) scores are used in the selection of surgery residents. The American Board of Surgery In-Training Examination (ABSITE) is employed to assess resident knowledge. We sought to determine whether both STEP 1 and/or STEP 2 were predictive of ABSITE performance. Methods We performed a 10-year retrospective analysis of all PGY levels comparing STEP 1 and 2 scores with raw ABSITE scores and percentile rank. Additionally, we analyzed STEP 1 and 2 scores for the likelihood of scoring above the 20th percentile on the ABSITE. Results When STEP 1 and STEP 2 scores were evaluated separately, both were independent predictors of ABSITE performance. However, when STEP 1 and STEP 2 scores were evaluated together, only STEP 1 scores were predictive of ABSITE performance. Finally, only STEP 1 scores were predictive of scoring above the 20th percentile. Conclusion STEP 1 scores are a better predictor of ABSITE performance than STEP 2.
Principles of Biomedical Informatics

This book provides a foundation for understanding the fundamentals of biomedical informatics, which deals with the storage, retrieval, and use of biomedical data for biological problem solving and medical decision making. It covers the application of these principles to the three main biomedical domains of basic biology, clinical medicine, and public health. The author offers a coherent summary, focusing on the three core concept areas of biomedical data and knowledge representation, biomedical information access, biomedical decision making, and information and technology use in biomedical contexts.It develops principles and methods for representing biomedical data, using information in context and in decision making, and accessing information to assist the medical community in using data to its full potential. It provides a series of principles for expressing biomedical data and ideas in a computable form to integrate biological, clinical, and public health applications. It includes a discussion of user interfaces, interactive graphics, and knowledge resources and reference material on programming languages to provide medical informatics programmers with the technical tools to develop systems.
THE LATIN SQUARE

This chapter focuses on the Latin Square design. The basic idea behind the Latin Square design is that if certain assumptions may be made, then the number of observations necessary to analyze various effects may be reduced considerably. In the chapter, a three-factor design with no two-factor or three-factor interactions was assumed. A Latin Square of size N is a set of N symbols arranged in an N × N matrix so that each symbol appears once in each row and once in each column. The Latin Square design can be considered as an extension of the randomized block design. While the randomized block design is employed to minimize the effects of one nuisance variable in the comparison of treatment effects, the Latin Square design extends this principle to a double blocking that eliminates nuisance variables in two directions from experimental error. In the Latin Square design, the treatment levels are assigned randomly to the experimental units with the restriction that each treatment level should appear in only one row block and one column block.
Professing Performance: Theatre in the Academy from Philology to Performativity

1. Discipline and performance: genealogy and discontinuity 2. Institutions and performance: professing performance in the early twentieth century 3. Culture and Performance: structures of dramatic feeling 4. Practice and performance: modernist paradoxes and literalist legacies 5. History and performance: blurred genres and the particularising of the past 6. Identity and performance: racial performativity and anti-racist theatre.