cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Influence of type 2 diabetes on brain volumes and changes in brain volumes: Results from the Women's Health Initiative Magnetic Resonance Imaging Studies

OBJECTIVE To study how type 2 diabetes adversely affects brain volumes, changes in volume, and cognitive function. RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS Regional brain volumes and ischemic lesion volumes in 1,366 women, aged 72–89 years, were measured with structural brain magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). Repeat scans were collected an average of 4.7 years later in 698 women. Cross-sectional differences and changes with time between women with and without diabetes were compared. Relationships that cognitive function test scores had with these measures and diabetes were examined. RESULTS The 145 women with diabetes (10.6%) at the first MRI had smaller total brain volumes (0.6% less; P = 0.05) and smaller gray matter volumes (1.5% less; P = 0.01) but not white matter volumes, both overall and within major lobes. They also had larger ischemic lesion volumes (21.8% greater; P = 0.02), both overall and in gray matter (27.5% greater; P = 0.06), in white matter (18.8% greater; P = 0.02), and across major lobes. Overall, women with diabetes had slightly (nonsignificant) greater loss of total brain volumes (3.02 cc; P = 0.11) and significant increases in total ischemic lesion volumes (9.7% more; P = 0.05) with time relative to those without diabetes. Diabetes was associated with lower scores in global cognitive function and its subdomains. These relative deficits were only partially accounted for by brain volumes and risk factors for cognitive deficits. CONCLUSIONS Diabetes is associated with smaller brain volumes in gray but not white matter and increasing ischemic lesion volumes throughout the brain. These markers are associated with but do not fully account for diabetes-related deficits in cognitive function.
Performance Models of Undergraduate Students on Computer-Assisted Instruction in Elementary Logic.

Performance data were collected for students taking the computer-assisted instruction course in logic at Stanford University. The fit of the data to the Suppes, Zanotti, and Fletcher trajectory model was found to be good, though a systematic deviation from the model suggested some changes in the curriculum. A quantitative approach was used to pinpoint areas for curriculum revision. In addition, the model was evaluated for use as the basis of a predictive control mechanism.
Triassic-Liassic Deposits of Morocco and Eastern North America: Comparison

Late Triassic to middle Liassic (Early Jurassic) basin deposits in Morocco are mainly red-bed-evaporite sequences; a few in the Atlas trends in the southwest are thick detrital fill. Essentially coeval deposits in eastern North America comprise detrital sequences along the inner Alleghenian-Acadian belt, and evaporites on the outer continental margin. In Late Triassic time the two continental terrains lay north of the paleoequator, on opposite flanks of a broad, fracturing cratonic arch. Faulting and detrital basin filling began earlier, in Carnian time, along the Alleghenian and Acadian orogenes and the east-trending Cornwall-South Atlas fracture zone. In southern United States these older deposits record a warm, rather moist climate that induced deposits of coal. Later fracturing and graben development along the central Atlantic trend and on the Moroccan Meseta and adjacent African platform were accompanied by westward spread of Tethys in the Glosscap-Gibraltar fracture zone. The seaway leaked into northern marginal salt basins in Morocco and Atlantic Canada as well as down the central Atlantic belt from which it seeped laterally into marginal Atlantic grabens. During this latest Triassic-early Liassic episode the climate became hotter and drier throughout northwestern Morocco and much of eastern North America. Long after basin filling had begun, basaltic lava was extruded along old basin faults, but without disturbing the balance of basin subsidence and sedimentation. As preserved, the lava is much more widespread in Morocco, thicker in basins, and very thick along landward segments of fracture zones. By middle Liassic time a vast expanse of brine basins and mudflats covered the Tethyan and Atlantic margins of easternmost North America and northwestern Africa, as well as much of interior Morocco. But salt never accumulated along the belt of earlier fracturing on the Alleghenian and Acadian orogenes. In late Liassic time an open-marine flooding from Tethys, with a marginal-sabkha facies, spread westward into most of the Moroccan basins, into the central Atlantic rift, and into all the marginal salt basins in eastern North America, but it never reached the western basins on the Moroccan Meseta or the North American detrital basins. Unlike all of the other basins, the latter were broken up and intruded by cross-cutting dikes during an episode of renewed extensional deformation. This reconstruction of the North Atlantic basin implies that Late Triassic-Liassic salt accumulated largely on continental crust, before appreciable opening of the Mid-Atlantic rift, and that no salt accumulated in the North Atlantic realm after Liassic time.
Asphalt-Treated Permeable Base: Laboratory Testing, Performance, and Predictions

Flexible pavements containing a thin asphalt-treated permeable base (ATPB) layer have been used in California for more than 15 years. The original philosophy upon which use of ATPB is based, the implementation of that philosophy, and observations regarding its effectiveness are examined. Laboratory tests for resilient modulus of ATPB are presented for the as-compacted state, after 3 and 10 days of soaking, and after repetitive loading in the as-compacted and saturated states. The results indicate a loss of stiffness after soaking, and failure caused by stripping and loss of cohesion between the aggregates when subjected to repetitive loading while saturated. The lab test results were used in simulations of fatigue life for pavements with and without ATPB. The results indicate that predicted pavement fatigue lives are improved when ATPB is included in the pavement structure as compared with when aggregate base alone is used, but the improvement diminishes if water damage occurs in the ATPB. Recommendations are made regarding future use of ATPB in flexible pavements.
Universal integral controllers for minimum-phase nonlinear systems

We consider a single-input-single-output (SISO) nonlinear system that has a well-defined normal form with asymptotically stable zero dynamics. Using only knowledge of the relative degree and the sign of the high-frequency gain, we design an output feedback integral controller that asymptotically regulates the output to a bounded time-varying reference signal with a constant limit. We give regional as well as semi-global results. We also show that, for relative degree one and two systems, the proposed integral controller reduces to the classical PI and PID controllers, respectively.
Fun with Computer Vision: Face Recognition with OpenCV on the iPhone

My interest in Computer Vision began in October 2008 after having read a paper on optical Sudoku puzzle solving.1 I was just beginning the final year of my Computer Science Tripos2 at the University of Cambridge and I had to pick a final year project. The Sudoku solver seemed perfect. Unfortunately, I was not allowed to pursue that project due to it being too specific and hard to evaluate scientifically.
Delayed-rectifier potassium channel activity in isolated membrane patches of guinea pig ventricular myocytes.

When the patch-clamp technique was used, a slowly activating, time-dependent outward current was identified in both cell-attached and excised membrane patches obtained from guinea pig ventricular myocytes. This macroscopic patch current was present in approximately 50% of patches studied and could be observed both in the presence and absence of unitary single channel activity (i.e., ATP-sensitive K+ channels). The time course of activation of the patch current resembled that of the whole cell delayed-rectifier K+ current (IK) recorded under similar ionic conditions, and the patch current and IK were activated over a similar membrane potential range. The time-dependent patch current could be eliminated when the Nernst potential for K+ equaled that of the pulse voltage. The patch current was inhibited by external addition of the tertiary ammonium compound LY 97241 (50 microM) and was augmented after internal application of the catalytic subunit of adenosine 3',5'-cyclic monophosphate-dependent protein kinase (500 nM). Deactivating tail currents with kinetics similar to those of IK could be recorded to cell-attached and excised patches. Unitary single channel events underlying the time-dependent patch current could not be resolved despite various attempts to increase single channel conductance. Thus our results suggest that a major component of delayed rectification in guinea pig ventricular cells is due to the activity of a high-density, extremely low conductance K+ channel.
Neurology clerkship goals and their effect on learning and satisfaction.

Objective: To define medical student goals in the neurology clerkship and explore the association between goal setting and student performance, clerkship satisfaction, self-directed learning (SDL), and interest in neurology. Methods: A 4-year prospective study of consecutive second- to fourth-year medical students rotating through a required 4-week neurology clerkship was conducted. A goal-generating cohort (first 2 years) was enrolled to describe the breadth of student-derived goals. A goal-evaluating cohort (second 2 years) was used to evaluate the frequency of goal achievement and assess associations with performance (e.g., National Board of Medical Examiners [NBME], examination), satisfaction, and SDL behaviors (both based on 5-point Likert scale). Results: Of 440 evaluable students, 201 were goal-generating and 239 goal-evaluating. The top 3 goals were (1) improvement in neurologic examination, (2) understanding neurologic disease, and (3) deriving a differential diagnosis. More than 90% (n = 216/239) of students reported achieving goals. Achievers reported significantly higher clerkship satisfaction (4.2 ± 0.8 vs 2.8 ± 1.0, p p = 0.001), and higher observed tendency toward SDL (4.5 ± 0.5 vs 4.1 ± 0.8, p p = 0.04). Conclusion: Students consistently generated similar goals for a required neurology clerkship. Goal achievers had better adjusted standardized test scores, higher satisfaction, and greater tendency toward SDL. This student-generated, goal-setting program may be particularly appealing to clinicians, educators, and researchers seeking resource-lean mechanisms to improve student experience and performance in the clinical clerkships.
Emailing Workers Using Python

While the Mechanical Turk web interface allows researchers to contact research participants individually, it is frequently necessary to email participants en masse. In this working paper we describe how to email up to 100 workers at a time using boto.
A Longitudinal Study of the Google App Market

Recently emerged app markets provide a centralized paradigm for software distribution in smartphones. The difficulty of massively collecting app data has led to a lack a good understanding of app market dynamics. In this paper we seek to address this problem, through a detailed temporal analysis of Google Play, Google's app market. We perform the analysis on data that we collected daily from 160,000 apps, over a period of six months in 2012. We report often surprising results. For instance, at most 50% of the apps are updated in all categories, which significantly impacts the median price. The average price does not exhibit seasonal monthly trends and a changing price does not show any observable correlation with the download count. In addition, productive developers are not creating many popular apps, but a few developers control apps which dominate the total number of downloads. We discuss the research implications of such analytics on improving developer and user experiences, and detecting emerging threat vectors.
Functional Behavioral Assessments and Behavior Support Plans for Work-Based Learning

Work experiences are linked to positive post-school outcomes for youth and young adults with disabilities. Unfortunately, students who struggle to manage conflict and challenges in work settings have a difficult time maintaining employment. Though ecological assessments are used to create supported work plans surrounding socially inappropriate behavior, some students may benefit from a more targeted function-based approach to addressing these behaviors in work settings. This article provides information about how functional behavioral assessments and behavior support plans, tools routinely used in schools, can be adapted for use in employment settings.
Field Tests With the Musk Thistle Insects Trichosirocalus (Ceuthorhynchidius) horridus and Ceutorhynchus trimaculatus to Determine Their Impact on Artichoke

A series of field tests were conducted to clarify the specificity of Trichosirocalus (Ceuthorhynchidius) horridus and Ceutorhynchus trimaculatus (Curculionidae) to the Carduus thistles, one of their natural hosts in Europe. Adult feeding on artichoke, Cynara scolymus L. was recorded, however, the amount was insignificant, and the insects were unable to complete their development. T. horridus has been released in the U.S. for the biological control of musk thistle and C. trimaculatus is under consideration for release.
Nation, Church, and Private Religion: The Emergence of an American Pattern

If anything utterly defies definitive explanation, it is the current religious scene in America. Not only does the con temporary observer face the perennial problem of attaining a relatively unbiased perspective on events in which he is a par ticipant; his task is further complicated by a rapidly changing society that catches up religious life in its change. Yet the American religious scene calls for understanding, even if the most illumination that we can hope for is to cast some light on its complexity and confusion. Certainly a portion of that un derstanding must derive from an historical awareness of the road Americans have traveled up to the present. This study will propose that certain key features of our religious situation represent the culmination of a pattern of values that is deeply rooted in the national experience. The pattern has developed according to the interplay among three factors: nation, church, and private faith. The contours of the picture of current religious life are blurred, but they do form a rough shape. It is a picture of the tra ditional churches in apparent slow decline, while the religious impulse itself is far from dead—in fact, it seems diffused through out our culture. On the one hand, surveys and public opinion polls report a drop in church membership, attendance, and giv ing, together with a majority of laymen voicing their opinion that religion is losing its influence on American life. And recent sociological analyses have described a growing sense of alienation from the church on the part of middle-class members because of their disagreement with the liberal stand of their clergy on such issues as civil rights and American foreign policy. On the other hand, a majority of Americans polled insisted that they
Study on the reuse of flocculation-adsorption in fermented-grains-flavor liquor

To reduce the discharge amount of flocculation-adsorption in yellow rice wine production and save the energy and cost consumption,the experiments on the reuse of flocculation-adsorption in fermented-grains-flavor liquor were carried out.The final result indicated that the processed flocculation-adsorption could be used to replace the feeding water in the fermented-grains-flavor liquor.After filtration,flocculation-adsorption can be reused more than four times and yet has no bad effects on the fermentation.The application of the reuse of flocculation-adsorption can achieve satisfying results in that it can reduce the energy consumption and enhance both the economic and social benefits.
Observations of the Coyote Lake, California earthquake sequence of August 6, 1979

abstract At 1705 UTC on August 6, 1979, a strong earthquake ( M L = 5.9) occurred along the Calaveras fault zone south of Coyote Lake about 110 km southeast of San Francisco. This strong earthquake had an aftershock sequence of 31 events (2.4 ≦ M L ≦ 4.4) during August 1979. No foreshocks ( M L ≧ 1.5) were observed in the 3 months prior to the main shock. The local magnitude ( M L = 5.9) and the seismic moment ( M o = 6 × 10 24 dyne-cm from the SH pulse) for the main shock were determined from the 100 × torsion and 3-component ultra-long period seismographs located at Berkeley. Local magnitudes are determined for the aftershocks from the maximum trace amplitudes on the Wood-Anderson torsion seismograms recorded at Berkeley (Δ ≊ 110 km). Temporal and spatial characteristics of the aftershock sequence are presented and discussed. Some key observations are: (1) the first six aftershocks ( M L ≧ 2.4) proceed along the fault zone progressively to the south of the main shock; (2) all of the aftershocks ( M L ≧ 2.4) to the south of the largest aftershock ( M L = 4.4) have a different focal mechanism than the aftershocks to the north; (3) no aftershocks ( M L ≧ 2.4) were observed significantly to the north of the main shock for the first 5 days of the sequence; and (4) the b -value (0.70 ± 0.17) for the aftershock sequence is not significantly different from the average b -value (0.88 ± 0.08) calculated for the Calaveras fault zone from 16 yr of data.
An 8000-year-old case of thalassemia from the Windover, Florida skeletal population.

Abstract Thalassemia is a congenital blood disorder which destroys red blood cells at a faster rate than can be produced, resulting in anemia. Historically, this disease is found more often in Old World populations, such as Middle Eastern and Southeast Asian. The earliest reported skeletal evidence of thalassemia comes from the eastern Mediterranean (Atlit-Yam) and is correlated with early agriculturalists' exposure to malarial parasites. While there have been virtually no skeletal reports of thalassemia in prehistoric Native American populations, among the individuals from the 8000-year-old hunter-gatherer site of Windover, Florida there is a single potential case of the disease. A female in her early 20’s exhibits bilateral foreshortening of the humeri with indications of premature epiphyseal fusion. Both proximal humeri are medio-laterally compressed, the gleno-humeral joint surfaces exhibit medial deformation, and bones show expansion of the medullary cavity with increased cancellous bone growth. These characteristics have been reported as indicators of thalassemia in both clinical and archaeological contexts. Alternate diagnoses such as congenital dislocation or injuries during child birth are considered but fail to account for the full set of characteristics shown. Individual #76 may, therefore, represent the oldest reported case of thalassemia from a native North American skeletal population.
(Un)Obtrusive Control in Emergent Networks: Examining Funding Agencies’ Control Over Nonprofit Networks:

Nonprofit sector organizations tackle intractable problems by seeking support from external funding agencies, resulting in funders holding power through resource control. Nonprofits also access resources and coordinate activities through building networks with other nonprofits. Such networks have been viewed as emergent with an underlying assumption that the nonprofits determine when and with whom to partner. Given the power of funders, however, how much control do the nonprofits have in determining whether or not to partner? Document analysis of 83 application packets used by funders in the United States to collect and assess nonprofit suitability for funding shows significant differences between private- and public-sector control over nonprofits decisions to network. Unlike private-sector foundations, public-agency funding documents mandate awardees to network, which has practical and theoretical implications. Although the idea of building a network implies autonomous acts on the part of nonprofits, som...
Prerequisites for College-Level Work

The semester was half-over and the initial enthusiasm that many students had brought to my first-year seminar on hip-hop language and culture was waning. A bit frustrated myself, I walked into the classroom and declared: “I feel like I am carrying you on my back.” It was a spontaneous metaphor that came to mind, but it seemed to capture my imagination as well as those of my students.
Emergency contraceptive pill users' risk perceptions for sexually transmitted infections and future unintended pregnancy.

Background and purpose The availability of emergency contraception pills (ECP) over the counter (OTC) has the potential to reduce the incidence of unintended pregnancy; however, the increased risk for sexually transmitted infection (STI) acquisition, related to unprotected intercourse, has not been adequately addressed. The purpose of this study is to gain insight into risk perceptions for STIs and subsequent unintended pregnancy in women who have purchased ECP OTC. Methods Twenty-one women, aged 18-24, attending a private university in an urban setting, who purchased and used ECP OTC participated in 1-h, individual interviews. Conclusions Narrative, descriptive findings indicated that these women did not consider themselves at risk for STI or unintended pregnancy, despite having used ECP OTC. Pregnancy prevention was paramount for these women, which overshadowed concerns regarding STIs. Implications for practice Women at risk for unintended consequences of sexual activity are not fully cognizant of those potential outcomes and do not take measures to prevent their occurrence. The availability of ECP OTC offers protection against unintended pregnancy; however, opportunities for health promotion and prevention counseling may be lost.
Liquid metals for active terahertz waveguides

We demonstrate an active tunable filter with channel add-drop functionality by employing electronically reconfigurable liquid metals in the gap between two waveguides to dynamically modify the coupling.
Federated learning of predictive models from federated Electronic Health Records.

Abstract Background In an era of “big data,” computationally efficient and privacy-aware solutions for large-scale machine learning problems become crucial, especially in the healthcare domain, where large amounts of data are stored in different locations and owned by different entities. Past research has been focused on centralized algorithms, which assume the existence of a central data repository (database) which stores and can process the data from all participants. Such an architecture, however, can be impractical when data are not centrally located, it does not scale well to very large datasets, and introduces single-point of failure risks which could compromise the integrity and privacy of the data. Given scores of data widely spread across hospitals/individuals, a decentralized computationally scalable methodology is very much in need. Objective We aim at solving a binary supervised classification problem to predict hospitalizations for cardiac events using a distributed algorithm. We seek to develop a general decentralized optimization framework enabling multiple data holders to collaborate and converge to a common predictive model, without explicitly exchanging raw data. Methods We focus on the soft-margin l1-regularized sparse Support Vector Machine (sSVM) classifier. We develop an iterative cluster Primal Dual Splitting (cPDS) algorithm for solving the large-scale sSVM problem in a decentralized fashion. Such a distributed learning scheme is relevant for multi-institutional collaborations or peer-to-peer applications, allowing the data holders to collaborate, while keeping every participant's data private. Results We test cPDS on the problem of predicting hospitalizations due to heart diseases within a calendar year based on information in the patients Electronic Health Records prior to that year. cPDS converges faster than centralized methods at the cost of some communication between agents. It also converges faster and with less communication overhead compared to an alternative distributed algorithm. In both cases, it achieves similar prediction accuracy measured by the Area Under the Receiver Operating Characteristic Curve (AUC) of the classifier. We extract important features discovered by the algorithm that are predictive of future hospitalizations, thus providing a way to interpret the classification results and inform prevention efforts.
Thyroid Hormone Metabolism

Thyroid hormone metabolism comprises all biochemical reactions of thyroid hormones and iodothyronines, which are catalyzed by various classes of enzymes of the vertebrate organism and its microflora. These enzymes alter the biochemical properties of the thyroid hormones thyroxine (T4) and 3,3′,5-triiodothyronine (T3), which are secreted by the thyroid gland and modify the properties of iodothyronines derived from T4 and T3. Metabolism by the three deiodinase enzymes leads to either activation or inactivation of the thyroid hormones. Metabolism by glucuronidases, sulfotransferases, or sulfatases alters the solubility, distribution, and biological potency of thyroid hormones. Enzymes metabolizing the amino acid side chain or cleaving the diphenylether bridge of iodothyronines generate further iodinated metabolites, which may exert actions related to that of the thyromimetic hormone T3 or a new spectrum of actions. Thyroid hormone metabolism allows fine-tuning of thyroid hormone action at the tissue, cellular, and subcellular level by controlling the local availability of active thyroid hormone T3 independent of the global supply of T4 and T3 by the thyroid gland and the circulating blood concentration. Deiodinase activity in the pituitary thyrotroph cells controls the negative feedback regulation of thyroid hormones on thyrotropin synthesis and secretion.
Impact of Medical Scribes in Primary Care on Productivity, Face-to-Face Time, and Patient Comfort.

Background: Medical scribes are a clinical innovation increasingly being used in primary care. The impact of scribes in primary care remain unclear. We aimed to examine the impact of medical scribes on productivity, time spent facing the patient during the visit, and patient comfort with scribes in primary care. Methods: We conducted a prospective observational pre-post study of 5 family and internal medicine-pediatrics physicians and their patients at an urban safety net health clinic. Medical scribes accompanied providers in the examination room and documented the clinical encounter. After an initial phase-in period, we added an additional 20-minute patient slot per 200-minute session. We examined productivity by using electronic medical record data on the number of patients seen and work relative value units (work RVUs) per hour. We directly observed clinical encounters to measure the amount of time providers spent facing patients and other visit components. We queried patient comfort with scribes by using surveys administered after the visit. Results: Work RVUs per hour increased by 10.5% from 2.59 prescribe to 2.86 post-scribe (P Conclusions: Although the full implications of medical scribe implementation remain to be seen, this initial study highlights the promising opportunity of medical scribe implementation in primary care.
Biomarkers for acute radiation syndrome: challenges for developing radiation countermeasures following animal rule

The development and availability of suitable radiation countermeasures for acute radiation syndrome (ARS) remains a substantial unmet medical need and has been recognized as a high priority area by...
Discovering linear-recurrent solutions to Hofstadter-like recurrences using symbolic computation

Abstract The Hofstadter Q -sequence, with its simple definition, has defied all attempts at analyzing its behavior. Defined by a simple nested recurrence and an initial condition, the sequence looks approximately linear, though with a lot of noise. But, it is unknown whether the sequence is even infinite. In the years since Hofstadter published his sequence, various people have found variants with predictable behavior. Commonly, the variant sequences eventually satisfy linear recurrences. Proofs of such behaviors are inductive and highly automatable. This suggests that a search for more sequences like these may be fruitful. In this paper, we develop an algorithm to search for these sequences. Using this algorithm, we determine that such sequences come in infinite families that are themselves plentiful. In fact, there are hundreds of easy to describe families based on the Hofstadter Q -recurrence alone.
Bioinspired remora adhesive disc offers insight into evolution

Remoras are a family of fishes that can attach to other swimming organisms via an adhesive disc evolved from dorsal fin elements. However, the factors driving the evolution of remora disc morphology are poorly understood. It is not possible to link selective pressure for attachment to a specific host surface because all known hosts evolved before remoras themselves. Fortunately, the fundamental physics of suction and friction are mechanically conserved. Therefore, a morphologically relevant bioinspired model can be used to examine performance of hypothetical evolutionary intermediates. Using a bioinspired remora disc, we experimentally investigated the performance of increased lamellar number on shear adhesion. Herein, we translated fundamental biological principles into engineering design rules and show that a passive model system can autonomously achieve adhesive forces measured in live remoras in any environment. Our experimental results show that an increase in lamellar number resulted in an increase in shear adhesive performance, supporting the phylogenetic trend observed in extant remoras. The greatest pull-off forces measured for our model were on surface roughness on the order of shark skin and exceeded those measured for live remoras attached to shark skin by almost 60%. Overall, relative to fossil remoras and their closest ancestor, extant remoras exhibit a morphology indicative of selection for enhanced shear adhesive performance.
Towards understanding and fixing upstream merge induced conflicts in divergent forks: an industrial case study

Divergent forks are a common practice in open-source software development to perform long-term, independent and diverging development on top of a popular source repository. However, keeping such divergent downstream forks in sync with the upstream source evolution poses engineering challenges in terms of frequent merge conflicts. In this work, we conduct the first industrial case study of frequent merges from upstream and the resulting merge conflicts, in the context of Microsoft Edge development. The study consists of two parts. First, we describe the nature of merge conflicts that arise due to merges from upstream. Second, we investigate the feasibility of automatically fixing a class of merge conflicts related to build breaks that consume a significant amount of developer time to root-cause and fix. Towards this end, we have implemented a tool MrgBldBrkFixer and evaluate it on three months of real Microsoft Edge Beta development data, and report encouraging results.
Validation of a novel partial resuscitative endovascular balloon occlusion of the aorta device in a swine hemorrhagic shock model: Fine tuning flow to optimize bleeding control and reperfusion injury.

Objectives Partial restoration of aortic flow during resuscitative endovascular balloon occlusion of the aorta (REBOA) is advocated by some to mitigate distal ischemia. Our laboratory has validated the mechanics and optimal partial REBOA (pREBOA) flow rates using a prototype device. We hypothesize that pREBOA will increase survival when compared with full REBOA (fREBOA) in prolonged nonoperative management of hemorrhagic shock. Methods Twenty swine underwent placement of aortic flow probes, zone 1 REBOA placement, and 20% blood volume hemorrhage. They were randomized to either solid organ or abdominal vascular injury. The pREBOA arm (10 swine) underwent full inflation for 10 minutes and then deflation to a flow rate of 0.5 L/min for 2 hours. The fREBOA arm (10 swine) underwent full inflation for 60 minutes, followed by deflation/resuscitation. The primary outcome is survival, and secondary outcomes are serologic/pathologic signs of ischemia-reperfusion injury and quantity of hemorrhage. Results Two of 10 swine survived in the fREBOA group (2/5 solid organ injury; 0/5 abdominal vascular injury), whereas 7 of 10 swine survived in the pREBOA group (3/5 solid organ injury, 4/5 abdominal vascular injury). Survival was increased (p = 0.03) and hemorrhage was higher in the pREBOA group (solid organ injury, 1.36 ± 0.25 kg vs. 0.70 ± 0.33 kg, p = 0.007; 0.86 ± 0.22 kg vs. 0.71 ± 0.28 kg, not significant). Serum evidence of ischemia was greater with fREBOA, but this was not significant (e.g., lactate, 16.91 ± 3.87 mg/dL vs. 12.96 ± 2.48 mg/dL at 120 minutes, not significant). Swine treated with pREBOA that survived demonstrated trends toward lower alanine aminotransferase, lower potassium, and higher calcium. The potassium was significantly lower in survivors at 60 minutes and 90 minutes time points (5.97 ± 0.60 vs. 7.53 ± 0.90, p = 0.011; 6.67 ± 0.66 vs. 8.15 ± 0.78, p = 0.029). Calcium was significantly higher at 30 minutes, 60 minutes, and 90 minutes (8.56 ± 0.66 vs. 7.50 ± 0.40, p = 0.034; 8.63 ± 0.62 vs. 7.15 ± 0.49, p = 0.019; 8.96 ± 0.64 vs. 7.00, p = 0.028). Conclusion Prolonged pREBOA at a moderate distal flow rate provided adequate hemorrhage control, improved survival, and had evidence of decreased ischemic injury versus fREBOA. Prophylactic aggressive calcium supplementation may have utility before and during the reperfusion phase.
Helicon Propagation in Metals: Quantum Oscillations in Tin

The propagation of electromagnetic waves through a medium containing free carriers in a magnetic field is discussed in other chapters of this volume. The emphasis there, however, is on the case of high-frequency waves in semiconductors, whereas here we shall be concerned with low-frequency waves in metallic single crystals. The special considerations that arise in this case will be reviewed and illustrated by reference to experiments in tin(1), a metal which exhibits most of the special effects. In addition, the origin of and some deductions from the quantum oscillations observed in the propagation in tin (1,2) will be discussed. An excellent series of papers on many aspects of electromagnetic waves in solids can be found in (3).
Primary solidification of ternary compounds in Al-rich Al–Ce–Mn alloys

Abstract Primary solidification of ternary compounds Al20Mn2Ce and Al10Mn2Ce were analyzed through the coupling of the thermodynamic modeling and classic nucleation theory. Thermodynamic models of Al20Mn2Ce and Al10Mn2Ce were developed using the CALPHAD approach based on first-principles calculated enthalpy of formation and experimental data obtained from this work and the literature. The analysis suggested that despite the larger thermodynamic driving force for nucleation of Al10Mn2Ce, nucleation is preferred for the Al20Mn2Ce phase in the highly undercooled liquid due to its smaller interfacial energy. Therefore, manufacturing methods with rapid cooling rates will favor primary solidification of Al20Mn2Ce for Al-rich Al–Ce–Mn alloys.
Distribution of flurescent latex particles following clearance from the hemolymph of the freshwater crayfish,Orconectes virilis (Hagen)

By using a novel technique we have been able to follow the clearance and distribution of fluorescent latex particles injected into both the midventral sinus and pericardial sinus of the freshwater cray-fish,Orconecte virilis. The fluorescene of various tissues was determined over post-injection periods ranging from 1 h to 20 days.
A One-Two Punch in the Gut May Trigger Multiple Sclerosis.

Summary The microbiome plays an important role in multiple sclerosis. In a recent issue of Nature, Miyauchi et al. report that gut microbial molecular mimicry in concert with gut microbes that enhance Th17 cells act synergistically to worsen CNS autoimmunity.
Auscultation of Bowel Sounds and Ultrasound of Peristalsis Are Neither Compartmentalized Nor Correlated.

Objective Auscultation of bowel sounds has been taught as a component of the physical examination since the beginning of the 20th century. However, there has been little research or consensus on the significance of listening in different quadrants. Some textbooks indicate that bowel sounds are the result of peristalsis in that region, while others state that bowel sounds can be generalized over the entire abdominal wall. With ultrasonography, peristalsis can be visualized in a dynamic and non-invasive manner. The purpose of this study was to determine the relationship between auscultation of bowel sounds and visualization of peristalsis with ultrasound, to understand whether or not bowel sounds and peristalsis are compartmentalized. Methods Study participants quietly lay supine, while one investigator positioned an ultrasound probe on the abdomen visualizing the small intestine, and a second investigator placed an EKO Digital Stethoscope (Eko Devices, Inc., Oakland, CA) directly adjacent to the probe auscultate for bowel sounds. During a two-minute interval, a third investigator noted every time a bowel sound was heard (A+), peristalsis was seen (U+), or a combined event (C+) occurred, recording the total number of events. Measurements were recorded from four quadrants (right upper quadrant {RUQ}, left upper quadrant {LUQ}, right lower quadrant {RLQ}, left lower quadrant {LLQ}) and the periumbilical region (PUR). Fisher Exact test was used to determine whether there were significant differences between the number of bowel sounds heard but not seen (A+) and those seen but not heard (U+) with sounds that were both seen and heard (C+). Significance was determined with p < 0.05. Results A total of 16 participants were included, with a combined 973 discrete bowel events, both auscultated and visualized. No quadrant showed a significant correlation between an isolated sound (A+) or peristalsis (U+) and a combined event (C+), indicating there were many events where an auscultated sound failed to correlate with observed peristalsis, and vice versa. The average p-value was 0.544, with a range of 0.052-1.00. Conclusion This study showed that there is no significant correlation between auscultated bowel sounds and peristalsis within a given region. This study calls into question whether auscultation of all four quadrants provides more meaningful information than auscultation of one central point of the abdomen.
African Interventions: State Militaries, Foreign Powers, and Rebel Forces

Foreign military intervention has had a profound impact on post-colonial African history and politics. Interventions have destabilized borderlands, overthrown governments, and taken a devastating toll on populations. Emizet F. Kisangani and Jeffrey Pickering advance a new theoretical framework and combine quantitative, qualitative, and historical methods to shed fresh light on these important but understudied events. Their detailed analysis brings understanding to supportive and hostile interventions and to interventions by former colonial states, non-colonial foreign actors, and African countries. Kisangani and Pickering also analyse military incursions into ungoverned territories and lands engulfed in civil war. Showcasing a variety of examples from the Second Congo War to the Ethiopian-Eritrean conflict, the book offers a rich and accessible examination of military intervention on the continent.
Clinical complications of tendon tissue mechanics due to collagen cross-linking in diabetes

Abstract Diabetes is characterized by a hyperglycemic environment, which promotes accumulation of advanced glycation end products (AGEs). In tendon tissue, AGEs build-up results in alterations in collagen structure and binding along with changes in the noncollagenous components of tendon tissue. These changes are believed to result in stiffening of the tendon tissue; however, experimental data suggest that the impact of AGEs to tendon mechanics may be more nuanced. For example, alterations in tendon biochemistry and sliding mechanics may lead to impaired homeostasis and consequent degenerative changes that could lead to decreased stiffness. Additional investigation translating the effect of AGEs in tendon tissue to specific tendon-related clinical syndromes would be beneficial to identify specific treatment targets and better tailor medical and rehabilitative intervention for individuals with diabetes.
GRADUATE EDUCATION TOWNHALL: Strengthening Models for Mentoring and Advising Graduate Students at Mason (2 hours)

Graduate students are considered one of the most vulnerable populations in higher education. They face financial uncertainty, pressure to graduate within a given time frame and before funding runs out, and disruption in academic work. The beginning of this session will provide updates and highlight ongoing initiatives to help and support graduate students at Mason. The second part of the session will be used as a Q&A and conversation with the Mason graduate community to cultivate a culture of Graduate Education excellence at Mason. This is a collaborative effort between Office of Graduate Education, Office of Faculty Affairs and Development, and Office of Research.
Formative Evaluation of Engineering Designs Using Driver Performance in a Immersive Driving Simulator

The systems engineering approach employs iterative evaluation of human factors issues throughout the system design process. Formative evaluation and refinement of user interfaces promotes cost savings by continuously validating design concepts and defining needs for improving the designs at the earliest possible point in the engineering process. Testing may use varying levels of prototypes of the system or simulations of its responses and user interfaces. While human factors evaluation frequently uses paper or foam board mockups, immersive driving simulators enhance the process by incorporating realistic road geometries and traffic flows and by requiring driver perception, decision making, and control actions in realistic scenarios and timelines. Three studies conducted in the Western Transportation Institute driving simulation laboratory are summarized. These used an immersive driving simulator to evaluate drivers’ responses to (1) Intelligent Transportation System (ITS) deployments on a rural highway, (2) the user interface to a lane departure warning system, and (3) a proprietary cooperative warning system for installation on the exterior of vehicles.
Erectile dysfunction in men treated for testicular cancer

Objective To study the unique characteristics of erectile dysfunction (ED) in a population of men who developed ED after testicular cancer (TC) diagnosis and treatment. Patients and Methods All men treated for TC who presented for sexual function evaluation were included in an institutional database. All men underwent standard evaluation including a history/physical examination, completion of the International Index of Erectile Function (IIEF) questionnaire, testosterone/gonadotropin measurement and penile duplex Doppler ultrasonography (DUS). Results The study population comprised 76 men whose mean (sd) age was 29 (8) years and of whom 25% were married/had a partner. In all, 39% of the patients had seminoma and 61% had non-seminomatous germ-cell tumour (NSGCT). A total of 66% of patients with seminoma underwent radiation therapy. Of the patients with NSGCT, 79% received chemotherapy, 18% underwent primary retroperitoneal lymph node dissection (RPLND) and 20% underwent post-chemotherapy RPLND. The mean (sd) time before seeking sexual medicine consultation was 12 (7) months after treatment completion, the median (range) number of vascular risk factors was 0 (0–2) and the mean (sd) remaining testis volume was 16 (8) mL. Mean (sd) total testosterone, luteinizing hormone, follicle-stimulating hormone levels were 312 (186) ng/dL, 9 (7) IU/mL, 17 (12) IU/mL. A total of 26% of patients had total testosterone levels <300 ng/dL. In all, 84% of patients complained primarily of loss of erection-sustaining capability and 24% had episodes of transient ED before TC diagnosis. The mean (sd) IIEF erectile function domain score was 16 (7). All the patients (100%) had a normal DUS. Mean (sd) peak systolic and end-diastolic velocities were 48 (16) and 1.2 (2.2) cm/s, respectively. A total of 88% of patients responded to phosphodiesterase type 5 inhibitor (PDE5i) use with erections sufficient for penetration, but 12% did not (mean [sd] erectile function domain score 27 [5] vs 17 [6]). There were no differences in haemodynamics between those men with and without hypogonadism. Conclusions Men with TC presenting with ED after treatment appear uniformly to have normal erectile haemodynamics, suggesting adrenaline-mediated ED. While the majority of TC survivors with ED respond successfully to PDE5i, a significant minority do not.
Dynamic Load Balancing DNS

dlbDNS: This article discusses an attempt to solve the problem of network traffic congestionadding a dynamic load balancing feature to the existing DNS
Pair Programming: Experience the Difference

Pair programming is emerging as an important technique for developing higher quality code, faster. With pair programming, two software developers work on one computer, collaborating on the same design, algorithm, code, or test. This tutorial examines pair programming research results and anecdotal experiences of programmers who have transitioned to pair programming. It will discuss what works and what doesn't and will also explain techniques for fostering support in making a transition to pair programming -- support from management and support from peers. Hands-on activities will be used to demonstrate pair programming benefits.
Probabilistic features for connecting eye gaze to spoken language understanding

Many users obtain content from a screen and want to make requests of a system based on items that they have seen. Eye-gaze information is a valuable signal in speech recognition and spoken-language understanding (SLU) because it provides context for a user's next utterance—what the user says next is probably conditioned on what they have seen. This paper investigates three types of features for connecting eye-gaze information to an SLU system: lexical, and two types of eye-gaze features. These features help us to understand which object (i.e. a link) that a user is referring to on a screen. We show a 17% absolute performance improvement in the referenced-object F-score by adding eye-gaze features to conventional methods based on a lexical comparison of the spoken utterance and the text on the screen.