cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
SYSTEMATIC REVISION OF POCKET GOPHERS OF THE CRATOGEOMYS GYMNURUS SPECIES GROUP

The genus Cratogeomys, particularly members of the Cratogeomys gymnurus species group, account for much of the high species diversity of pocket gophers in the Trans-Mexican Volcanic Belt. Recent molecular studies of this species group have shown strong discordance between genetically defined clades and current species taxonomy. Accordingly, we investigated relationships among the 5 species in the C. gymnurus species group using mitochondrial and nuclear DNA, chromosomes, and morphological characters. Although quantitative morphometrics provided little discrimination among species or clades within this group, the molecular data sets were consistent in identifying 5 allopatric clades, none of which corresponded to any of the 5 currently recognized species. Four of these 5 genetically defined clades lack clear diagnosability, and so are grouped into the single polytypic species, C. fumosus. The fifth clade is diagnosable based on multiple characters, including nuclear genotype, chromosomal diploid number, parasite fauna, and qualitative morphological characters. Accordingly, we resurrect Merriam’s (1895) species planiceps to represent members of this clade, which occurs
Modeling Consumer Distribution Channel Switching Behavior: The Case of Direct Vs. Traditional Channels

Based on Becker’s (1965) theory of time allocation, this paper develops a formal model to explain consumers’ distribution channel switching behavior. Our model suggests that consumers choose among alternative distribution channels on the basis of the relative opportunity costs of time, costs of the goods, pleasure derived from shopping, perceived value of the goods, and relative risk of each channel.
Economic Uncertainty And The Role Of Organizational Development

The US Economy has entered an era of economic uncertainty. Stock markets are down. Unemployment is up. This paper examines the effect of economic uncertainty on organizational behavior.
Thessaly test is no more accurate than standard clinical tests for meniscal tears

Commentary on : Blyth M, Anthony I, Francq B, et al. Diagnostic accuracy of the Thessaly test, standardised clinical history and other clinical examination tests (Apley's, McMurray's and joint line tenderness) for meniscal tears in comparison with magnetic resonance imaging diagnosis. Health Technol Assess 2015;19:1–62.[OpenUrl][1] The tibial menisci are prone to injury with age and degeneration-causing repetitive microtrauma as well as with more obvious trauma such as twisting on a planted leg or anterior cruciate ligament tear. The criterion standard for diagnosis is arthroscopic surgery. MRI is often used as a surrogate because, despite high cost and imperfect accuracy, MRI is not invasive. Detection of meniscus tears by history and physical examination would be ideal due to very low … [1]: {openurl}?query=rft.jtitle%253DHealth%2BTechnol%2BAssess%26rft.volume%253D19%26rft.spage%253D1%26rft.genre%253Darticle%26rft_val_fmt%253Dinfo%253Aofi%252Ffmt%253Akev%253Amtx%253Ajournal%26ctx_ver%253DZ39.88-2004%26url_ver%253DZ39.88-2004%26url_ctx_fmt%253Dinfo%253Aofi%252Ffmt%253Akev%253Amtx%253Actx
Some Effects of the War upon Japanese Society

UNTIL 1945, the Japanese nation had never suffered a really major defeat. Humiliations, actual as well as imaginary, had been imposed, but never outright and final loss of a war, never invasion and occupation since the descent of the Yamato people themselves from the high plain of heaven. Her remoteness in fact, and in the calculation of her leaders, her unique polity under the rule of a dynasty established for ages eternal in the minds of her people had saved Japan on each previous threatening occasion. But this time there was no escape. Japan lost the war, and all Japanese know that she lost. Just as, at an earlier date, the country provided a unique laboratory for the student of social stability and of cultural integration-a much neglected laboratory, unfortunatelyso, now Japan offers the opportunity for a study of society under the most extreme forms of stress. What have been the effects of war, of catastrophically losing war, upon Japanese society?
Assigning economic value to people results in dehumanization brain response.

For a profit-maximizing rational agent, labor markets present a paradox: Economic contexts encourage exploitation of commodities whereas social contexts discourage exploitation of people and instead promote empathic responding and moral protection. This may result in irrational behavior. Perhaps rational agents reduce spontaneous social- cognitive responses to successfully maximize profits in a labor market. We tested this hypothesis by creating a labor market-an economic market where people serve as commodities. fMRI participants initially purchased players from a timeestimation skill labor market, then revalued these players based on performance in an attempt to maximize profit. Despite implementing a variety of purchasing strategies, we find that participants initially reduce activity in social cognition brain regions when viewing purchased players-an initial reduction consistent with a dehumanized brain response-that predicts later revaluation of purchased labor market players. However, traditional valuation regions in medial orbito-frontal cortex (MOFC) predict nonpurchased players' revaluation. These results suggest valuation and social cognition brain regions independently guide revaluation processes when people are treated like commodities. © 2014 American Psychological Association.
Concrete philosophy The problem of judgment in the early work of Herbert Marcuse

Herbert Marcuse’s early essays and reviews written while under the tutelage of Martin Heidegger continue to suffer a poor reception. Even the most sympathetic of his critics widely focus on either ...
An Implantable X-Ray-Based Blood Pressure Microsensor for Coronary In-Stent Restenosis Surveillance and Prevention

Coronary artery disease is a leading cause of mortality in the U.S. and percutaneous coronary intervention with stent placement is a common treatment. Stents often fail through coronary in-stent restenosis. Periodically monitoring restenosis could help alert the physician of any problems earlier, reduce myocardial reinfarctions, and improve outcomes. Currently, there are no inexpensive and noninvasive techniques to monitor stent patency. We describe an X-ray-addressable blood pressure (X-BP) microsensor. The X-BP has a column of radio-opaque liquid that changes its length with blood pressure. The X-BP allows for the noninvasive evaluation of the pressure drop across a stent and the fractional flow reserve (FFR) on radiographs. A FFR threshold of 0.75-0.8 is clinically established as the cutoff for the identification of hemodynamically significant stenosis that requires intervention. The X-BP membrane was modeled and the X-ray signal-to-noise ratio of different sensor dimensions was experimentally determined. Based on this data, optimal design parameters were selected. The sensor was prototyped and tested under microscope with radiographs and video fluoroscopy. The sensor has a potential dynamic range of 0-200 mmHg, and can reliably resolve the clinically important pressure drop of 20%-25% across the dynamic range for an FFR value of 0.8-0.75 or less. The X-BP also has a time constant <;32 ms with no appreciable hysteresis. We believe this sensor can be used for periodic screening of coronary in-stent restenosis.
Strategies for preventing bronchopulmonary dysplasia.

Purpose of review Neonatologists and pulmonary biologists have long sought preventive treatments for bronchopulmonary dysplasia (BPD). The purpose of this review is to highlight recent reports of a number of potential treatments intended to prevent BPD and to discuss the controversies surrounding preventive strategies. Recent findings The evolution of BPD from a disorder of pulmonary injury affecting moderately preterm infants, to one characterized by a developmental pulmonary arrest among survivors of extreme prematurity has important implications for BPD prevention. Recent recognition that the pathogenesis of BPD might have prenatal origins raises new challenges and opportunities for studies of BPD prevention; however, most current preventive strategies for BPD focus on respiratory management. Neither past nor current clinical trials have shown a conclusive benefit of a single preventive treatment strategy. Promising but still largely unproven preventive respiratory treatments include: high frequency oscillatory ventilation, permissive hypercapnea, and inhaled nitric oxide. Observational and recent laboratory data support the need for randomized clinical trials of continuous positive airway pressure versus mechanical ventilation. Additionally, clinical trials are needed to address the deficit in our knowledge of the potential benefits and risks of postnatal low dose corticosteroid treatment. Further study of superoxide dismutase, inositol, and alpha-1 proteinase inhibitor also are warranted on the basis of recent clinical trials or meta-analyses. Summary Only Vitamin A has proven a safe and effective preventive treatment for BPD. Additional studies of respiratory technologies, management strategies, and protective molecules are needed. Directed cytokine and genetic therapies are on the horizon.
Fertility after Cryptorchidism: A Comparative Analysis of Early Orchidopexy with and Without Concomitant Hormonal Therapy in the Young Male Rat

Abstract Infertility is common in patients with a history of bilateral cryptorchidism, even after successful prepubertal orchidopexy. Recent data suggest that this defect may be partially due to the existence of hormonal abnormalities in some forms of cryptorchidism. To analyze any potential benefit of hormonal therapy, we have evaluated the immediate and long-term effects of chronic hormonal therapy administered following surgical correction of cryptorchidism. First, using young male rats, we examined the effects of chronic human chorionic gonadotropin (HCG) and a luteinizing hormonereleasing hormone agonist (LHRH-A), alone or combined, on acute pituitary-gonadal axis responsiveness to LHRH administration. High doses of HCG and/or LHRH-A induced deleterious effects on the pituitary-testicular axis in terms of suppression of response to LHRH. Therefore, treatment with a low dose of HCG (50 U/kg./day) for 14 days was used, since it produced a significant increase in intratesticular testosterone (ITT). Second, we tested this hormonal regimen in a cryptorchid rat model. Bilateral cryptorchidism was produced by gubernaculum resection at 14 days of age. Early orchidopexy was performed at age 30 days, and HCG therapy was given from 31 to 44 days of age. Follicle stimulating hormone (FSH), luteinizing hormone (LH) and testosterone (T) levels were determined before and immediately after hormonal therapy, and at sacrifice. Animals were sacrificed at 61 days of age for determination of serum and testicular hormone levels, accessory sex organ weights and testis histology. Five or six animals from each group were retained for breeding studies at the age of 90 days. Hormonal alterations noted immediately following treatment of cryptorchid animals with HCG are not lasting. The data reveal that the fertility defect in bilateral cryptorchidism is partially prevented by early orchidopexy and that adjunctive hormonal therapy is probably of little additional benefit.
A LATE EVALUATION OF FLEXIBLE TEFLON PROSTHESES UTILIZED FOR TOTAL AORTIC VALVE REPLACEMENT. POSTOPERATIVE CLINICAL, HEMODYNAMIC, AND PATHOLOGICAL ASSESSMENTS.

SUMMARY Postoperative clinical and hemodynamic assessments of valve function were carried out in 23 patients surviving total replacement of the aortic valve with flexible Teflon fabric prostheses. Satisfactory valve function’ was indicated in 21 of 23 patients by left heart catheterizations performed 1 to 7 months after operation; only trivial systolic gradients and normal arterial diastolic pressures were recorded. Subsequently, severe aortic regurgitation developed in 13 patients, leading to death or necessitating reoperation. Examinations of the Teflon valves removed at operation or autopsy revealed stiffening and calcification of the fabric, and regurgitation resulted from tearing of the leaflets and/or disruption of their lines of attachment. Since failure of the Teflon aortic prostheses resulted from unsatisfactory material, rather than from improper design, continuing study of this aspect of flexible valves appears indicated.
Copyright and Innovation: The Untold Story

Copyright has an innovation problem. Judicial decisions, private enforcement, and public dialogue ignore innovation and overemphasize the harms of copyright infringement. Just to pick one example, “piracy,” “theft,” and “rogue websites” were the focus of debate in connection with the PROTECT IP Act (PIPA) and Stop Online Piracy Act (SOPA). But such a debate ignores the effect of copyright law and enforcement on innovation. Even though innovation is the most important factor in economic growth, it is difficult to observe, especially in comparison to copyright infringement.This article addresses this problem. It presents the results of a groundbreaking study of 31 CEOs, company founders, and vice-presidents from technology companies, the recording industry, and venture capital firms. Based on in-depth interviews, the article offers original insights on the relationship between copyright law and innovation. It also analyzes the behavior of the record labels when confronted with the digital music revolution. And it traces innovators’ and investors’ reactions to the district court’s injunction in the case involving peer-to-peer (p2p) service Napster.The Napster ruling presents an ideal setting for a natural experiment. As the first decision to enjoin a p2p service, it presents a crucial data point from which we can trace effects on innovation and investment. This article concludes that the Napster decision reduced innovation and that it led to a venture capital “wasteland.” The article also explains why the record labels reacted so sluggishly to the distribution of digital music. It points to retailers, lawyers, bonuses, and (consistent with the “Innovator’s Dilemma”) an emphasis on the short term and preservation of existing business models.The article also steps back to look at copyright litigation more generally. It demonstrates the debilitating effects of lawsuits and statutory damages. It gives numerous examples, in the innovators’ own words, of the effects of personal liability. It traces the possibilities of what we have lost from the Napster decision and from copyright litigation generally. And it points to losses to innovation, venture capital, markets, licensing, and the “magic” of music.The story of innovation in digital music is a fascinating one that has been ignored for too long. This article aims to fill this gap, ensuring that innovation plays a role in today’s copyright debates.
Reliability-Based Specification of Welding Distortion Tolerances for Stiffened Steel Panels

The purpose of this study is to analytically derive a simple and reasonably accurate expression for the maximum allowable unfairness tolerance of longitudinally stiffened panels in ship structures. The stiffened panels under consideration are typical of those found in the deck, bottom, or side shell of longitudinally stiffened ships. They are assumed to be under still water and wave-induced loads, resulting in predominantly compressive loads. A plate-stiffener combination model is used as representative of the stiffened panel. Ultimate strength is determined based on a strut approach taking into account the effects of initial stiffener deflection and welding residual stresses in the stiffener. A series of stiffener reliability analyses relative to the ultimate failure strength of the stiffener for varying proportions of column slenderness ratios is carried out. Based on the computed results, a simple expression for predicting the maximum allowable unfairness tolerance of the stiffener is derived. The developed expression, expressed in terms of the stiffener slenderness ratio, can be useful for the assessment of fairness limits of plating with frames, or as a design guideline in ship structures during construction.
Myosin Va Motor Teams Navigate Vesicle Cargos through 3D Actin Filament Intersections

Myosin Va (MyoVa) motor teams collectively move intracellular cargo through a complex, three dimensional (3D), actin meshwork. To address how MyoVa motors navigate this physical challenge, we imaged fluorescently labeled 350nm synthetic lipid vesicles, bound with ∼10 MyoVa HMM motors, moving through 3D actin filament intersections strung between 3µm beads. Intersections were formed by filaments being ∼90 degrees to one another and separated by 30-250nm. As the vesicle surface contacted the intersecting actin filaments, two regions of potential motor engagement were created on the vesicle surface. Geometric constraints limited the engaged motor number at each contact point to no more than 3, as confirmed by laser trap stall force measurements. These points of vesicle-actin filament contact resulted in an effective tug of war between two motor teams that were physically separated on the vesicle surface. The vesicle's directional outcome at an intersection was visualized using high spatial and temporal 3D super resolution imaging. For vesicles that physically contacted both actin filaments at the intersection, 55% of vesicles continued straight through the intersection, 35% switched filaments, while only 10% terminated. These outcomes were successfully simulated by a model in which the directional outcome was dependent on the interfilament gap, the vesicle's azimuthal approach angle to the intersection, the stochastic attachment and detachment of motors within a team (i.e. a team's force generation), and the Brownian motion of the vesicle while attached to the actin filaments. All of these physical factors contributed to which motor ensemble won the tug of war at the intersection and thus the vesicle's directional outcome. This simplified biomimetic system and resultant data provide an experimental framework for understanding how MyoVa motor teams navigate their cargo through evermore complex 3D actin networks that exist within cells.
Estimating Accuracy at Exercise Intensities: A Comparative Study of Self-Monitoring Heart Rate and Physical Activity Wearable Devices

Background: Physical activity tracking wearable devices have emerged as an increasingly popular method for consumers to assess their daily activity and calories expended. However, whether these wearable devices are valid at different levels of exercise intensity is unknown. Objective: The objective of this study was to examine heart rate (HR) and energy expenditure (EE) validity of 3 popular wrist-worn activity monitors at different exercise intensities. Methods: A total of 62 participants (females: 58%, 36/62; nonwhite: 47% [13/62 Hispanic, 8/62 Asian, 7/62 black/ African American, 1/62 other]) wore the Apple Watch, Fitbit Charge HR, and Garmin Forerunner 225. Validity was assessed using 2 criterion devices: HR chest strap and a metabolic cart. Participants completed a 10-minute seated baseline assessment; separate 4-minute stages of light-, moderate-, and vigorous-intensity treadmill exercises; and a 10-minute seated recovery period. Data from devices were compared with each criterion via two-way repeated-measures analysis of variance and Bland-Altman analysis. Differences are expressed in mean absolute percentage error (MAPE). Results: For the Apple Watch, HR MAPE was between 1.14% and 6.70%. HR was not significantly different at the start (P=.78), during baseline (P=.76), or vigorous intensity (P=.84); lower HR readings were measured during light intensity (P=.03), moderate intensity (P=.001), and recovery (P=.004). EE MAPE was between 14.07% and 210.84%. The device measured higher EE at all stages (P<.01). For the Fitbit device, the HR MAPE was between 2.38% and 16.99%. HR was not significantly different at the start (P=.67) or during moderate intensity (P=.34); lower HR readings were measured during baseline, vigorous intensity, and recovery (P<.001) and higher HR during light intensity (P<.001). EE MAPE was between 16.85% and 84.98%. The device measured higher EE at baseline (P=.003), light intensity (P<.001), and moderate intensity (P=.001). EE was not significantly different at vigorous (P=.70) or recovery (P=.10). For Garmin Forerunner 225, HR MAPE was between 7.87% and 24.38%. HR was not significantly different at vigorous intensity (P=.35). The device measured higher HR readings at start, baseline, light intensity, moderate intensity (P<.001), and recovery (P=.04). EE MAPE was between 30.77% and 155.05%. The device measured higher EE at all stages (P<.001). Conclusions: This study provides one of the first validation assessments for the Fitbit Charge HR, Apple Watch, and Garmin Forerunner 225. An advantage and novel approach of the study is the examination of HR and EE at specific physical activity intensities. Establishing validity of wearable devices is of particular interest as these devices are being used in weight loss interventions and could impact findings. Future research should investigate why differences between exercise intensities and the devices exist. [JMIR Mhealth Uhealth 2017;5(3):e34]
Early Sherlockian scholarship: Non/fiction at play

Sherlockian scholarship is a display of intellect, wit, and canonical expertise that requires a cunning manipulation of a story world and of nonfiction. This playful style of writing defies easy classification in the terminology of fan and literary studies. Emerging in the early 20th century, Sherlockian scholarship had a tremendous surge in popularity in the late 1920s and early '30s in articles by renowned British and American authors, including Dorothy L. Sayers, Christopher Morley, Sir Desmond MacCarthy, Sir Sydney Castle Roberts, and Ronald A. Knox. The sustained popularity of Sherlockian scholarship owes much to these initial players, whose sparkling prose conjures a bygone era of repartee. In this study, I present a chronological survey of two early periods in Sherlockian scholarship to understand its poetics, popularity, generic identity, and contemporary relevance.
Environmental and bathymetric influences on abyssal bait-attending communities of the Clarion Clipperton Zone

Abstract The Clarion-Clipperton Zone (CCZ) is one of the richest manganese nodule provinces in the world and has recently become a focus area for manganese nodule mining interests. However, this vast area remains poorly studied and highly undersampled. In this study, the abyssal bait-attending fauna is documented for the first time using a series of baited camera deployments in various locations across the CCZ. A bait-attending community intermediate between those typical of the California margin and Hawaii was found in the larger CCZ area, generally dominated by rattail fishes, dendrobranchiate shrimp, and zoarcid and ophidiid fishes. Additionally, the western and eastern ends of the CCZ had different communities, with the western region characterized by decreased dominance of rattails and small shrimps and increased dominance of ophidiids (especially Bassozetus sp. and Barathrites iris ) and large shrimps. This trend may be related to increasing distance from the continental margin. We also test the hypothesis that bait-attending communities change across the CCZ in response to key environmental predictors, especially topography and nodule cover. Our analyses showed that higher nodule cover and elevated topography, as quantified using the benthic positioning index (BPI), increase bait-attending community diversity. Elevated topography generally had higher relative abundances, but taxa also showed differing responses to the BPI metric and bottom temperature, causing significant community compositional change over varying topography and temperatures. Larger individuals of the dominant scavenger in the CCZ, Coryphaenoides spp., were correlated with areas of higher nodule cover and with abyssal hills, suggesting these areas may be preferred habitat. Our results suggest that nodule cover is important to all levels of the benthic ecosystem and that nodule mining could have negative impacts on even the top-level predators and scavengers in the CCZ. Additionally, there is continuous change in diversity, dominance, and relative abundance across the CCZ and across gradients in bathymetric and oceanographic variables. This work increased the understanding of the biogeography of the demersal scavengers and top predators as well as the key environmental drivers of their distributions across the CCZ in order to better predict and manage the impacts of nodule mining.
Detecting Risk of Low Health Literacy in Disadvantaged Populations Using Area-based Measures.

Introduction: Socio-economic status (SES) and low health literacy (LHL) are closely correlated. Both are directly associated with clinical and behavioral risk factors and healthcare outcomes. Learning healthcare systems are introducing small-area measures to address the challenges associated with maintaining patient-reported measures of SES and LHL. This study’s purpose was to measure the association between two available census block measures associated with SES and LHL. Understanding the relationship can guide the identification of a multi-purpose area based measure for delivery system use. Methods: A retrospective observational design was deployed using all US Census block groups in Utah. The principal dependent variable was a nationally-standardized health literacy score (HLS). The primary explanatory variable was a state-standardized area deprivation index (ADI). Statistical methods included linear regression and tests of association. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) analysis was used to develop LHL criteria using ADI. Results: A significant negative association between the HLS and the ADI score remained after adjusting for area-level risk factors (β: –0.21 (95% CI: –0.22, –0.19) p Conclusions: HLS and ADI use differing measurement criteria but are closely correlated. A state-based ADI detected additional neighborhoods with risk of LHL compared to use of a national HLS. An ADI represents a multi-purpose area measure of social determinants useful for learning health systems tailoring care.
Discovery of human cell selective effector molecules using single cell multiplexed activity metabolomics

Discovering bioactive metabolites within a metabolome is challenging because there is generally little foreknowledge of metabolite molecular and cell-targeting activities. Here, single-cell response profiles and primary human tissue comprise a response platform used to discover novel microbial metabolites with cell-type-selective effector properties in untargeted metabolomic inventories. Metabolites display diverse effector mechanisms, including targeting protein synthesis, cell cycle status, DNA damage repair, necrosis, apoptosis, or phosphoprotein signaling. Arrayed metabolites are tested against acute myeloid leukemia patient bone marrow and molecules that specifically targeted blast cells or nonleukemic immune cell subsets within the same tissue biopsy are revealed. Cell-targeting polyketides are identified in extracts from biosynthetically prolific bacteria, including a previously unreported leukemia blast-targeting anthracycline and a polyene macrolactam that alternates between targeting blasts or nonmalignant cells by way of light-triggered photochemical isomerization. High-resolution cell profiling with mass cytometry confirms response mechanisms and is used to validate initial observations.
Goal-Striving Stress Is Associated with Chronic Kidney Disease Among Participants in the Jackson Heart Study.

Research that assesses the relationship between psychosocial factors and chronic kidney disease (CKD) among African Americans (AAs) is limited. Using the Jackson Heart Study (JHS) cohort data, we investigated the association of goal-striving stress (GSS)—the stress experienced from not reaching goals—with prevalent CKD among AAs. This was a cross-sectional analysis of JHS exam 1 data that assessed the relationship between GSS and CKD. We utilized a sample from the JHS (n = 4967), an AA sample of women and men, 35–84 years old from the Jackson, MS metro area. The baseline relationship between GSS levels (low, moderate, and high) and CKD (eGFR < 60 mL/min/1.73m2) was evaluated using a logistic regression model to estimate odds ratios (OR) on a 95% confidence interval (CI). The final model was adjusted for sex, age, socioeconomic status, health behaviors, risk factors, and total stress. After full adjustment, the odds of prevalent CKD increased by 52% (OR 1.52; 95% CI 1.04, 2.24) for those reporting high (versus low) GSS. Deficiencies between goal aspiration and achievement were associated with prevalent CKD. Potential interventions might consider the impact GSS contributes to prevalent CKD.
Morphological creativity in a China English corpus

With increasing numbers of international students from China at American universities, China English has become a matter of great interest and concern for educators. Recent studies have delineated characteristics of its grammatical features and lexical usage, but its processes of word derivation have been neglected. This study is based upon the analysis of a corpus consisting of the entrance-examination essays of Chinese international students. It shows that these students, though producing words that seem to deviations from standard forms, are actually using productive morphological-derivation processes and relying on sophisticated concepts such as analogy and parallelism, tendencies which should be encouraged in second-language learners rather than simply corrected.
The Brokenness of Broken Windows: An Introductory Statistics Project on Race, Policing, and Criminal Justice

We describe a semester-long project for an introductory statistics class that studies the broken windows theory of policing and the related issues of race, policing, and criminal justice. The most ...
Applying Gestural Interfaces to Command-and-Control

This whitepaper examines the applicability of gesture-based user interfaces in notional Command-and-Control (C2) environments of the United States Army. It was authored by a team of Human Factors Engineers at The MITRE Corporation, a not-for-profit research and development organization funded by the United States Government. Since MITRE resides in a not-for-profit advisory position to their federal sponsors, the research team was able to take an unbiased perspective driven solely by identified issues, the search for improved workflows, and practical opportunities for technology development. The goal of the effort was to inform the US Army community so that it can make responsible, needs-driven decisions regarding gestural interface technologies, and avoid the potential pitfalls that may arise from technology-centered or profit-driven decisions.
Evaluating Impact: A Comparison of Learning Experiences and Outcomes of Students Completing A Traditional Versus Multidisciplinary, Project-Based Introductory Statistics Course

The teaching of statistics is limited by numerous challenges that are not easily overcome with traditional pedagogical approaches. To evaluate the potential impact of a multidisciplinary, project-based course in introductory statistics, this article examines differences in course experiences, confidence, and interest in future experiences with data analysis and applied statistics of students enrolling in a traditional introductory statistics course compared to a multidisciplinary, project-based course. Results demonstrated that students enrolled in the project-based course had more positive course experiences, showed a greater likelihood of increases in confidence in managing data (e.g. setting aside missing data, creating scales and/or dichotomizing variables), choosing the correct statistical test, and writing syntax or code to run statistical analyses. They also showed greater interest in pursuing additional course-work in statistics and related topics. Findings were not better accounted for by differences in background characteristics of the students enrolled in the traditional vs. project-based course.
Conditional Survival in Patients with Multiple Myeloma Undergoing Upfront Autologous Stem Cell Transplantation

Background Conditional survival (CS) is defined as the probability of surviving an additional x years given a patient has already survived y years since diagnosis or a time-point of interest. Although there are readily available overall survival (OS) estimates in multiple myeloma (MM) from the time of diagnosis or autologous stem cell transplantation (ASCT), data on CS in those who had already survived a landmark time since ASCT are lacking. Our objective was to investigate 5-year CS rate and standardized mortality ratio (SMR) in 1-, 3- and 5-year survivors after front-line ASCT in MM. Method We reviewed the institutional transplant database at Cleveland Clinic to identify 340 patients who underwent frontline ASCT (≤18 months from diagnosis) for MM between 1996 and 2013. OS was estimated by the Kaplan-Meier method. Relapse mortality (RM) and non-relapse mortality (NRM) were estimated with cumulative incidence. SMR was defined as the ratio of number of deaths in the study patients to that in an age, sex and race-matched healthy population. Estimates of outcomes and SMR are presented with 95% confidence intervals (CI). Results We identified 309 survivors at 1 year, 246 at 3 years, and 178 at 5 years from ASCT. The median age at ASCT was 56 years (range, 22-76) in all 3 cohorts. The median time from diagnosis to ASCT was 7.9 months in 1- and 3-year and 8.2 months in 5-year survivors. Approximately 40%, 35%, and 25% of patients had ISS stage I, II and III disease respectively at diagnosis in all cohorts. Median follow-up from ASCT in surviving patients was 88 months, 90 months and 100 months in 1-, 3- and 5-year survivors respectively. Estimated 5-year CS was 59% (53-64) in 1-year survivors, 60% (53-67) in 3-year survivors and 62% (53-70) in 5-year survivors. The respective cumulative incidence of 5-year conditional RM was 34% (28-39), 29% (23-35) and 25% (18-33) and that of NRM was 7% (5-11), 11% (7-16) and 13% (8-19). The SMR of 1-year, 3-year and 5-year survivors was 6.9 (5.8-8.2), 6.1 (5.0-7.5) and 5.6 (4.3-7.3) respectively, indicating significantly worse survival compared to demographically-matched healthy population irrespective of the duration of survival after ASCT. Survival curves for the 3 cohorts are shown in Figure I. Conclusion The probability of surviving an additional 5 years in patients with MM undergoing front-line ASCT does not improve with time, as shown in 1-, 3- and 5-year survivors, with estimated 5-year CS staying constant at around 60%. However, a decrease in the magnitude of SMR was observed with increase in the number of years already survived after ASCT. Information on CS and SMR is a pragmatic resource for long-term survivorship and beneficial at an individual level for counselling patients.
The use of intravascular ultrasound in the treatment of type B aortic dissection with thoracic endovascular aneurysm repair is associated with improved long-term survival.

Abstract Objective Intravascular ultrasound (IVUS) examination is an integral technique used for treating type B aortic dissection (TBAD) because it verifies true lumen access. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the use of IVUS, to determine factors associated with IVUS use, and to investigate the potential survival benefit associated with IVUS in the treatment of TBAD. Methods A retrospective review of TEVARs performed for TBAD in the national Vascular Quality Initiative was performed from January 2010 to August 2018. Data collected included demographics, intraoperative and postoperative variables, and long-term mortality. Multivariable logistic regression evaluated variables associated with IVUS the use and mortality, and Cox regression was performed for adjusted survival analysis. Results In this study of 2686 patients, the average age was 60.4 years, 69.3% were male, and IVUS examination was used in 74.6% of cases. IVUS patients were younger (60.0 years vs 61.7 years; P = .004), more often male (72.1% vs 61.3%; P Conclusions IVUS examination was used in the majority of TBAD, although not universally. IVUS examination was used more often in acute TBAD and more complex aortic repairs, and was independently associated with improved long-term survival. Further study is needed to understand these patterns.
Comment on African Borders: Putting Paid to a Myth

In his latest contribution to the Journal of Borderlands Studies, French geographer and diplomat Michel Foucher tackles the enduring myth that the “arbitrary, artificial and absurd” borders inherit...
G309 The mini ketamine course: interprofessional simulation in paediatric emergency medicine procedural sedation

Aim Simulation is an effective teaching modality for paediatric procedural sedation (PPS), with positive correlation between simulation training and clinical performance. PPS is included on the curriculum for subspecialty Paediatric Emergency Medicine training in the UK and Ireland. Although a literature search identified PPS simulation courses in North America, Australia, Israel and Japan, to our knowledge none have been described in the UK. We aimed to design an educationally relevant course, comprising of e-learning, interactive face-to-face teaching and team-based high-fidelity simulation, to provide training in ketamine PPS for emergency physicians and nurses: the Mini Ketamine Course. Methods To validate the educational merit of the course, participants completed pre and post-course questionnaires regarding 10-point Likert-rated confidence in components of ketamine PPS and true/false multiple-choice questions with certainty-based scoring. Results To date 35 practitioners have participated with post-course feedback obtained from 31 and paired pre and post-course questionnaires from 29. Composite confidence scores increased from 4.41 pre-course to 7.28 post-course (p Conclusion The Paediatric Emergency Research in the UK and Ireland (PERUKI) network recently approved a study proposal to evaluate Emergency Department based PPS practice to develop a national PPS training package. We have shown that interprofessional simulation-based training significantly improves confidence and knowledge in ketamine PPS in emergency practitioners. Next steps include the use of in situ simulation to assess latent safety threats in the clinical environment and highlight opportunities to improve clinical practice.
Eddy evolution during large dust storms

Abstract The evolution of eddy kinetic energy during the development of large regional dust storms on Mars is investigated using the Mars Analysis Correction Data Assimilation (MACDA) reanalysis product and the dust storm data derived from Mars Global Surveyor Mars Daily Global Maps. Transient eddies in MACDA are decomposed into different components according to their eddy periods: P ≤ 1 sol, 1 P ≤ 8 sols, 8 P ≤ 60 sols. This paper primarily focuses on the Mars year 24 pre-solstice ”A” storm that starts with many episodes of frontal/flushing dust storms from the northern hemisphere and attains its maximum global mean opacity after dust expansion in the southern hemisphere. During the development of this storm, the dominant eddies in terms of eddy kinetic energy progress from the 1 P ≤ 8 sol eddies in the northern mid/high latitudes to the P ≤ 1 sol eddies (dominated by thermal tides) in the southern mid latitudes, and the 8 P ≤ 60 sol eddies show a prominent peak with the increased global-mean dust opacity. The peaks of the 1 P ≤ 8 sol eddies are found to best correlate with the average area of textured frontal/flushing dust storms within 40 ∘ N–60 ∘ N. The region where the 1 P ≤ 8 sol eddies increase the most corresponds to the main flushing channel. The eddy kinetic energy of the P ≤ 1 eddies, dominated by P = 1 and its harmonics, increases with the global mean dust opacity both before and after the winter solstice in Mars year 24. The 8 P ≤ 60 sol eddies briefly spike during large, regional dust storms but remain weak if dust storm sequences do not lead to a major dust storm. Zonal wavenumber analysis of eddy kinetic energy shows that the peaks of the 1 P ≤ 8 eddies often result from combinations of zonal wavenumbers 1 to 3, while the P ≤ 1 eddies and 8 P ≤ 60 sol eddies are each dominated by zonal wavenumber 1.
Filigrana y vastedad

Hay que cantar. Robinson Quintero Ossa. Cooperativa Editorial Magisterio/Ulrika Editores, Bogota, 1998, 80 pags.
Immunotherapy in the Management of Asthma and Other Allergic Conditions

Immunotherapies for asthma and allergies aim to suppress or modify detrimental immune responses that contribute to allergic disease pathogenesis. Allergen-specific immunotherapy is effective for decreasing allergen-driven symptoms in patients with allergic asthma and rhinitis and has the potential to induce long-term clinical tolerance. Nonspecific immunotherapies target key mediators in allergic inflammation and therefore can be beneficial for all patients with allergic disease regardless of their allergen triggers. Proper patient selection is critical for maximizing the clinical efficacy of immunotherapy while minimizing the risk of potentially serious adverse reactions.
An 8-bit Low-Cost String DAC With Gradient Errors Suppression to Achieve 16-bit Linearity

Resistor string is one of the classic digital-to-analog converter (DAC) architectures and has dominant applications where guaranteed monotonicity is important. For high-resolution string DACs, gradient errors limit the linearity performance by causing mismatch in the resistor arrays. In this paper, a low-cost practical string DAC structure with gradient error suppression is proposed. It achieves high linearity by dividing a string into multiple smaller substrings and placing them in a pattern where up to $2^{nd}$ order gradients are suppressed. The derivation is provided to explain how the $2^{nd}$ order gradient is mitigated. Averaging and interpolation are implemented at the substrings’ outputs to recover the bits of resolution without sacrificing the linearity improvement. An 8-bit prototype is fabricated in a $0.13~\mu \text{m}$ CMOS technology and occupies 2.6 mm2. It achieves 16-bit linearity performance without trimming and calibration.
Reversing donor-specific antibody responses and antibody-mediated rejection with bortezomib and belatacept in mice and kidney transplant recipients.

Active antibody-mediated rejection (AMR) is a potentially devastating complication and consistently effective treatment remains elusive. We hypothesized that the reversal of acute AMR requires rapid elimination of antibody-secreting plasma cells (PC) with a proteasome inhibitor, bortezomib, followed by the sustained inhibition of PC generation with CTLA4-Ig or belatacept (B/B). We show in mice that B/B therapy selectively depleted mature PC producing donor-specific antibodies (DSA) and reduced DSA, when administered after primary and secondary DSA responses had been established. A pilot investigation was initiated to treat six consecutive patients with active AMR with B/B. Compassionate use of this regimen was initiated for the first patient who developed early, severe acute AMR that did not respond to steroids, plasmapheresis, and intravenous immunoglobulin after his third kidney transplant. B/B treatment resulted in a rapid reversal of AMR, leading us to treat five additional patients who also resolved their acute AMR episode and had sustained disappearance of circulating DSA for ≤30 months. This study provides a proof-of-principle demonstration that mouse models can identify mechanistically rational therapies for the clinic. Follow-up investigations with a more stringent clinical design are warranted to test whether B/B improves on the standard of care for the treatment of acute AMR.
Pygidial glands in the Myrmicine ants (Hymenoptera, Formicidae)

Fifty-two species, representing 39 genera of the ant subfamily Myrmicinae were surveyed for the presence of «pygidial glands» hetween the 6th and 7th abdominal terga. In 7 genera the actual glandular reservoirs were seen intact after dissection. In an additional 7 genera, reservoirs were not preserved, but pygidial sculpture suggests their presence in the living animal.
Probabilistic Release Point Optimization for Airdrop with Variable Transition Altitude

High-altitude low-opening airdrop is a technique for aerial delivery that has unique operational advantages. The primary decisions that must be made in execution of these missions are the aircraft ...
Chapter 4 – Finite Dimensional Vector Spaces

In this chapter, we define vector spaces to be algebraic structures with operations having properties similar to those of addition and scalar multiplication on RnRn. We then establish many important concepts relating to vector spaces, including span, linear independence, bases, dimension, and coordinatization with respect to a basis. Because we are studying vector spaces as a class, this chapter is more abstract than previous chapters. But the advantage of working in this more general setting is that we generate theorems that apply to all vector spaces, not just RnRn.
Tibiocalcaneal Arthrodesis With a Porous Tantalum Spacer and Locked Intramedullary Nail for Post-Traumatic Global Avascular Necrosis of the Talus

Global avascular necrosis of the talus is a devastating complication that usually occurs as a result of a post-traumatic or metabolic etiology. When conservative options fail, tibiocalcaneal arthrodesis is generally indicated in conjunction with massive bone grafting to maintain the functional length of the extremity. Several bone grafting options are available, including the use of a freeze-dried or fresh-frozen femoral head allograft or autograft obtained from the iliac crest or fibula, all of which pose their own inherent risks. The noted complications with massive bone grafting techniques have included graft collapse, infection, immune response, donor site morbidity, and nonunion. In an effort to avoid many of these complications, we present a case report involving post-traumatic talar avascular necrosis in a 59-year-old male who was successfully treated with the use of a porous tantalum spacer, an autogenic morselized fibular bone graft, and 30 mL of bone marrow aspirate in conjunction with a retrograde tibiocalcaneal nail. Porous tantalum is an attractive substitute for bone grafting because of its structural integrity, biocompatibility, avoidance of donor site complications, and lack of an immune response. The successful use of porous tantalum has been well-documented in hip and knee surgery. We present a practical surgical approach to tibiotalocalcaneal arthrodesis with a large segmental deficit. To our knowledge, this is the first published report describing an alternative surgical technique to address global avascular necrosis of the talus that could have additional applications in salvaging the ankle with a large bone deficiency.
New Insights on the Role of the Mesenchymal-Hematopoietic Stem Cell Axis in Autologous and Allogeneic Hematopoiesis.

Cytoreductive protocols are integral both as conditioning regimens for bone marrow (BM) transplantation and as part of therapies for malignancies, but their associated comorbidities represent a lon...
Memory-Efficient Hardware Performance Counters with Approximate-Counting Algorithms

Hardware performance counters are special registers on processors that track the hardware activities. While the performance counter data are useful for many applications, there are challenges in efficiently collecting many event statistics simultaneously, due to the limited number of performance counters on chip. We propose an efficient hardware performance counter design that uses approximate-counting algorithms to improve the number of events tracked on-chip without incurring significant memory overhead. These counters are more memory efficient because they increment counts according to a dynamic probability and approximate the exact counts. Compared with multiplexed hardware performance counters, our approximate hardware counters have a statistically provable memory-accuracy trade-off and are entirely managed in hardware.