cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
How to respond to a dengue epidemic: overview and experience in Puerto Rico

Dengue, a viral disease transmitted by mosquitoes, is endemic and frequently epidemic in many tropical countries. Because low-incidence periods vary in length, it is difficult to know in advance when an epidemic will occur. Response efforts, despite being logical, have been counter-productive at times. Furthermore, experience has demonstrated that dengue epidemics last a long time, making it important that government control efforts be sustainable while they last. This article describes priority activities requiring attention in order to minimize the impact of dengue epidemics. Such activities, which in many cases can be adapted to combat other types of epidemics as well, are as follows: (1) establishment of an inter-sectoral action committee, (2) formalization of an emergency action plan, (3) epidemiologic surveillance, (4) diagnostic laboratory testing, (5) mosquito control, (6) protection of sources of employment and special populations, (7) patient care, (8) education of medical personnel, (9) research, and (10) transparency before the mass media. The best way to reduce the ravaging effects of dengue epidemics is to anticipate their emergence so that infection can be prevented and steps can be taken to protect the ill. Relying on improvisation to solve all the problems that arise in moments of crisis is inefficient and reckless.
Anopheles (Nyssorhynchus) dominicanus sp. n. (Diptera: Culicidae) from Dominican Amber

The female and egg of Anopheles dominicanus sp. n. are described from Dominican amber. The species is placed tentatively into the subgenus Nyssorhynchus on the basis of the following wing characters: a preapical pale costal spot; an accessory sector pale spot that is not joined to a sector pale spot; pale scales at the apex of vein R415; basal, median, and apical pale spots on vein A; and the termination of vein Sc at the proximal end of the subcostal pale spot. This newly described mosquito from Dominican amber establishes an ancient lineage of Anopheles in the New World. AS A RESULT of their small size and fragile constitution, fossil mosquitoes are rare (see Poinar et al. (2000) for a list and critical examination of known fossil Culici- dae). The current study describes the female and egg of a new species of spotted-wing Anopheles in amber from the Dominican Republic. This is the first de- scription of a mosquito from Dominican amber and the first fossil anopheline from the New World. The fossil described here is unquestionably an Anopheles. Its subgeneric placement is less certain, however, in part because the subgeneric classification of Anopheles is based to a great extent on male char- acters, and in part because many taxonomic characters of females—development of the buccopharyngeal ar- mature, presence or absence of pruinose markings on the thorax, presence or absence of scales or scale-tufts on various parts of the body, and ornamentation of the legs—are missing, not discernable, or not known with certainty. We have had to rely heavily on character- istics of the wing and egg in our attempts to relate the fossil Anopheles to modern species. The fossil appears to be most similar to species in the subgenus Nysso- rhynchus, so we place it there tentatively. The amber containing the mosquito originated from the northern mountain ranges of the Dominican Re- public. Amber mines there are in the El Mamey For- mation (Upper Eocene), which is a shale-sandstone interspersed with a conglomerate of well-rounded pebbles (Eberle et al. 1980). The exact age of Domin- ican amber is unknown, and estimates based on var- ious analyses of microfossils and the amber provide a range from 15—20 million years (Iturralde-Vincent and MacPhee 1996) to 30—45 million years (Cepek in Schlee 1990).
Virtual Axis Finder: A New Method to Identify the Two Kinematic Axes of Rotation for the Tibio-Femoral Joint

Kinematic modeling of the knee requires an accurate method to identify the rotational axes [1]. The tibio-femoral joint has two fixed rotational axes: the flexion-extension axis in the femur (FE) and the longitudinal rotational axis in the tibia (LR) [2–4]. Because the knee naturally produces coupled rotation about the LR axis during flexion, attempting to identify the axes from natural flexion alone creates an underdetermined system. A previous study using a mechanical axis finder identified the FE and LR axes by initially identifying the LR axis from pure internal-external (I/E) rotations [4]. Because the major source of error in this method was the visually-based alignment of the axis finder, it should become more repeatable and reliable by utilizing a mathematical optimization to situate the axis finder. Therefore, the two objectives were to develop and validate a new axis finding method, which is based on a mathematical optimization, for identifying the two fixed rotational axes of the tibio-femoral joint.© 2009 ASME
The Use of Tts in the Derivation of Damage Risk Criteria for Noise Exposure

ResumeNous avons decrit un nouveau critere de risque de dommages apres exposition a un bruit interrompu ou intermittent. Ce nouveau critere est base sur le fait que toutes les expositions qui produisent une chute temporaire du seuil, deux minutes apres la fin de l'exposition au bruit, determinent une quantite egale d'abaissement permanent du seuil, du au bruit, compte tenu des etats de presbyacousie, de socioacousie et de maladie. Les valeurs a retenir pour l'abaissement temporaire du seuil, deux minutes apres la cessation de l'exposition au bruit, sont les suivantes: 10 dBs a 1.000 cps ou en dessous, 15 dBs a 2.000 cps, 20 dBs a 3.000 cps ou au dessus.Nous avons discute la question de l'incidence sur ce critere des autres causes de pertes (compensables). Nous pensons personnellement qu'il existe moins de 10% de travailleurs dans le bruit presentant le critere et chez lesquels on observe une compensation des pertes apres 10 a 20 ans d'exposition au bruit; parmi ces 10%, beaucoup presentent ce fait a cause...
Ethical and Legal Considerations

Ethics are the standards that societies, organizations, and professions establish to define expectations for behavior among members of that group. They broadly define right from wrong and create expectations of appropriate behavior. Laws, regulations, and policies are used to more clearly define ethical behavior and to impose sanctions for wrongful actions. This chapter will describe established ethical and legal principles that anesthetists should consider when acting appropriately and professionally within their practice. Because laws, regulations, and policies differ among states and within institutions, anesthetists must familiarize themselves with the proper policies where they practice.
Mitigating the Effects of Poverty and Crime: the Long-Term Effects of an Early Intervention Programme for Children who were Developmentally Delayed and Prenatally Exposed to Cocaine

AbstractThis study explores the long-term impact on participation in the Linda Ray Intervention Program (LRIP) for children (n = 54) who were developmentally delayed and prenatally exposed to cocaine. By identifying a group of programme graduates from a high crime/high poverty neighbourhood in Miami-Dade County using ArcGIS 10.2 software, a quasi-experimental design was used to compare children living in this area who participated in the centre-based modality (5 h a day; 5 days a week) to children living in this area who participated in the home-based modality (3 h per week) on their Florida Comprehensive Assessment Test (FCAT) reading and math scale scores in public school. The children who participated in the centre-based modality reported stronger outcomes in both math and reading FCAT scale scores at the p < .05 level and also out-performed their school-age peers on both math and reading FCAT scores at the p < .05 level.
No major difference in outcomes for endovascular aneurysm repair stent grafts placed outside of instructions for use

Objective Studies have shown that a sizable percentage of endovascular aneurysm repair (EVAR) for abdominal aortic aneurysms (AAAs) is performed outside the instructions for use (IFU). We report our long-term outcomes after EVAR with respect to device-specific IFU. Methods Computed tomography angiography data from a cohort of 566 patients meeting inclusion criteria who underwent elective EVAR between 2003 and 2014 were examined. Preoperative anatomic measurements for each patient were taken and compared with device-specific IFU. Primary outcomes included all-cause mortality and AAA-related mortality. Secondary outcomes were late-onset rupture, need for reintervention, endoleaks, aneurysm sac enlargement, and intraoperative and perioperative complications. Results Nine different stent grafts were placed in this set of patients with a mean follow-up of 3.54 ± 2.65 years. Most patients (465; 82.2%) were male, and the mean age was 74.8 ± 8.70 years. Overall, 176 patients (31.1%) fit all IFU anatomic criteria, and 535 patients (94.5%) fit at least half of IFU criteria. In patients, iliac artery diameter was most commonly outside of IFU (253; 44.7%). A total of 1114 iliac arteries were treated, with 463 (41.6%) treated outside of iliac artery diameter IFU; the majority of these (374; 80.7%) were larger than IFU. Demographics and comorbidities were comparable between the groups within and outside of IFU. AAA-related mortality and all-cause mortality were similar between these two groups, as was late-onset rupture, need for reintervention, rates of endoleak, aneurysm sac enlargement, and major intraoperative and perioperative complications. The sole statistically significant difference in secondary outcomes was increased perioperative blood transfusion needed in those treated outside the IFU, 13.2% vs 6.2% in those treated within IFU ( P = .02); however, this was not associated with decreased access vessel diameter or iliac artery rupture. Conclusions Despite most EVAR patients being treated outside of IFU, there was no difference in outcomes with respect to all-cause mortality or aneurysm-related mortality. In addition, with the exception of perioperative blood transfusions, there was no association between IFU adherence and late-onset rupture, need for reintervention, rates of endoleak, aneurysm sac enlargement, or most other major complications.
LARGE SCALE VISUALIZATION OF PULSED VORTEX GENERATOR JETS

The use of small jets of air has proved to be an effective means of flow control on low Reynolds number turbine blades. Pulsing of these jets has also shown benefits in reducing the amount of air needed to achieve the same benefits in flow control. An experiment using both hot wire anemometry and Particle Image Velocimetry (PIV) has been set up to investigate how these pulsed jets interact with the boundary layer to help stabilize it and keep the flow attached. A 25x scaled jet hole in a plate has been utilized. The 1” diameter jet has a pitch angle of 30° and a skew angle of 90°. Pitch angle is defined as the angle the jet makes with the surface of the plate, and the skew angle is the angle that the jet makes with the cross flow. A two-dimensional traverse was set up to obtain the hot wire data of the free jet, which serves as a baseline for the free jet PIV results. Measurement planes were taken along the centerline of the jet. The jet was pulsed at 4 Hz with varying pulse durations. The ratio of the pulse duration to the total cycle time is called the duty cycle. Duty cycles of 10, 25, and 50 percent were implemented for each plane. Velocity and vorticity planes were obtained from the hot wire method, and were used in the characterization of the jet flow and its interaction with the boundary layer.
Partial Codes—A Symptom of a Larger Problem

sponsible, as thechaplainnoted, for theethical,moral, and financial debris of apartial code?The statewhoauthorized theuseof theadvance directive allowing a partial code? The hospital who permitted the partial code? The physicians? The patient? The family? All of the above? It’s an issue thatmerits further discussion, especially with an aging population in which resuscitative success declines,5 an ever-increasing use of life-prolonging medical technology that complicates theacceptanceofdeath, andnow,Medicare reimbursement for advance care discussions. So in theend,whenapatient survives apartial code, it canoften portendamessyandemotional futureforthefamilyaswellasthephysician,not tomention the financial repercussions for thehospital and family. As with Colorado’s advance directive, theMedical Orders for Scopeof Treatment (MOST) (http://coloradoadvancedirectives.com /wp-content/uploads/2014/07/1-MOST-Form-FINAL-2015.pdf) whichoffers thechoiceof full codeornocodewithnomenuofother options—perhaps codes should be an all or nothing event, not ”everything but intubation,” or “everything but cardioversion,” or “everything but intravenous medications,” or “everything but chest compressions.”Certainly, somewill arguesuchapolicy ispaternalistic and devoid of patient autonomy, but if the idea is to save a life and restorethepersontothe living,whywouldwenotperformafull code, even ifbriefandtime-limited, rather thanaresuscitative facade, such as chest compressionswithout intubation?
Space Priority Buffer Management for ATM Networks

Broadband Integrated Services Digital Networks (BISDN) will support a wide variety of services such as voice, data, and video applications utilizing a limited set of connection types and user network interfaces. Standards committees have decided on Asynchronous Transfer Mode (ATM) as the target transport technique for BISDN. ATM is a connection oriented transport technique in which all information is conveyed using a fixed size packet (called a “cell”) for switching and transmission purposes so as to dynamically share the network resources between connections. Since BISDN’s will support various classes of multimedia traffic with different bit rates and quality of service requirements, traffic control and resource management are crucial in order to guarantee a grade of service. Several mechanisms will exist in a BISDN to control traffic, such as call admission control, input rate regulation and routing. Here we focus on a particular type of congestion control dealing with packet discarding at ATM buffers in order to guarantee a specified cell loss rate.
Seattle, Portland, and Vancouver: Cascadia subduction zone

SCIENTISTS RECOGNIZE THE THREAT I had been working on earthquake hazards for seven years when I moved from Ohio to western Oregon in 1977. There was a sense of relief that I could study earthquakes while living in Ohio or Oregon and yet not worry about being in the path of an earthquake myself. Certainly, I knew that Oregon, as part of the northwestern United States, is close to the Cascadia subduction zone, the boundary where the oceanic Juan de Fuca tectonic plate is driving eastward beneath North America. However, in 1977 the subduction zone appeared to be unique in the Pacific Ring of Fire in that seismographs are recording essentially no earthquakes on it at all (see Figure 1.3). In addition, there have been no giant earthquakes on the subduction zone in recorded history, meaning since before the days of the Lewis and Clark expedition in 1804–1806. Some scientists believed that subduction was taking place without building up strain to be relieved by an earthquake. So I could work on your earthquake problem without worrying that it might be my problem as well. However, my scientific colleagues weren't so sure. The USGS had convened a workshop that I attended in Olympia, the Washington State capital, on a possible earthquake hazard to the Pacific Northwest. Scientists at Caltech, including Tom Heaton, discussed in the preceding chapter, were pointing out that, despite the lack of earthquakes, Cascadia is similar to other subduction zones that have had massive earthquakes, including the Chile subduction zone off southern South America that in 1960 had experienced an earthquake of magnitude 9.5, the largest earthquake ever recorded. That earthquake spawned a deadly tsunami that caused damage and loss of life as far away as Japan (see Figure 8.3). Then, in May 1980, Mt. St. Helens volcano blew off its top, spewing pyroclastic flows and ash, and taking 57 lives. Because of the general view that active volcanoes are an indication of active subduction, the Cascade volcanoes suddenly stopped being simply scenic wonders, and the subduction zone suddenly stopped being a scientific curiosity and became a worry to people living nearby, including local scientists.
Arthritis is developed in Borrelia-primed and -infected mice deficient of interleukin-17

Interleukin-17 (IL-17) has been shown to participate in the development of Lyme arthritis in experimental mice. For example, neutralization of IL-17 with antibodies inhibits induction of arthritis in Borrelia-primed and -infected C57BL/6 wild-type mice. We hypothesized that mice lacking IL-17 would fail to develop Borrelia-induced arthritis. IL-17-deficient and wild-type C57BL/6 mice were primed with heat-inactivated Borrelia and then infected with viable spirochetes 3 weeks later. No swelling or major histopathological changes of the hind paws were detected in IL-17-deficient or wild-type mice that were primed with Borrelia or infected with viable spirochetes. By contrast, IL-17-deficient and wild-type mice that were primed and subsequently infected with heterologous Borrelia developed severe swelling and histopathological changes of the hind paws. In addition, Borrelia-primed and -infected IL-17-deficient mice exhibited elevated gamma-interferon (IFN-γ) levels in sera and increased frequencies of IFN-γ-expressing lymphocytes in popliteal lymph nodes compared to Borrelia-primed and -infected wild-type mice. These results demonstrate that IL-17 is not required for development of severe pathology in response to infection with Borrelia burgdorferi, but may contribute to disease through an interaction with IFN-γ.
High Speed, Area and Power Efficient 32-bit Vedic Multipliers

This paper presents two novel Vedic-multiplier architectures which follow the technique of concatenation and rearrangement of partial products. These architectures exhibit their excellence in speed, area, and power. Thus resulting in energy-efficient operation and improved Energy-Area product. The first design is Ripple carry adder based partial product concatenation (RCA_PPC) and achieves this goal through rearrangement of partial products. The second proposed design is Carry Save Adder based partial product concatenation (CSA_PPC) with another block which called add-by-constant block in this work. Both of these exhibit competitive results in comparison with the existing Vedic-multiplier architectures in terms of area and power. The RCA_PPC architecture shows advantages of high-speed, Energy-efficient, and improvement in Energy-Area product over other architectures discussed in this paper. The CSA_PPC architecture shows an advantage of improvement Energy-Area product when compared to the existing architectures. Simulation results specify that these proposed architectures are Energy-Area efficient as there is a significant decrease in area, power and time delay.
Understanding the Impact of Heritage Language on Ethnic Identity Formation and Literacy for u.s. Latino Children

Studies show positive associations between ethnic identity, socio-emotional health and academic success. However, most work is carried out with adolescents and few have examined how young children develop an ethnic identity, particularly U.S. Latino children. The present study represents a first-pass investigation of children’s ethnic identity mechanisms and their relation to academic success. We carried out semi-structured interviews in Spanish with 25 Latino children (ages 5–12). Open-ended questions addressed items on the Multigroup Ethnic Identity Measure and Ethnic Identity Scale, incorporating a mixed qualitative (i.e., themes) and quantitative (i.e., scoring) analysis. Results revealed that children provide great detail when discussing their ethnic background. Additionally, Latino children’s bilingualism and Spanish-language proficiency were significant markers of ethnic identity formation, which in turn were positively associated with affect and Spanish literacy. These findings shed light on the complexities of ethnic identity construction during children’s early years, and establish a path for further investigation of Latino children’s socio-emotional health and academic achievement.
Iraq’s struggle with de-Ba`thification process

ABSTRACTVetting/lustration/purging is one of many transitional justice mechanisms, designed for addressing the atrocities of a former regime, restoring peace, providing justice and engendering unity and reconciliation. It specifically aims to purify the public sphere of former regime members or of people who lack integrity. de-Ba`thification of Iraq is one of the latest transitional justice mechanism that can be examined under this category. The process of de-Ba`thification holds lessons and provides valuable insight into policy-making well beyond the Iraqi context. This article presents a detailed analysis of the implementation of de-Ba`thification process in Iraq and a number of lessons to be learned/relearned by policy-makers. Data gathering involves in-depth and formal interviews with the designers and implementers of de-Ba`thification project including Coalition Provisional Authority (CPA) administrator and advisors; Higher National de-Ba`thification Commission (HNDBC) and Accountability and Justice ...
A power supply circuit for gate driver of GaN-based flying capacitor multi-level converters

Recently, flying capacitor multi-level (FCML) converters with GaN power switches have received increased attention due to their potential to achieve high efficiency and high power density. However, one of the major challenges is providing power to the gate drive circuits, most of which are not ground referenced. The most common existing method utilizes isolated DC/DC converters, which are bulky, expensive and energy inefficient. This work introduces two new techniques that leverage inherent properties of the FCML topology and the GaN switches to provide gate drive power to the floating switches with minimum hardware requirements. The two methods, termed cascaded bootstrap and gate driven charge pump, are analyzed in details and their performance evaluated. A new power supply circuit combining the two techniques can help shrink the size of the converter, and further increase the converter's power density. Experimental results show that the proposed circuit is up to 5× more power efficient than conventional solutions, at 1/10 of the cost.
Design of a Power Waveform Capture Platform for Plug Load Monitoring

Plug loads in consumer electronic products consume large quantities of energy, often without the knowledge of the user. To facilitate the development of smart plug strips and new building control systems, an open-source power waveform capture platform has been designed and tested. The system was developed to accurately and safely record the voltage and current waveforms for any plug load such as consumer electronic and electrical systems. The device incorporates a commercially available hardware platform that has been reprogrammed to record the voltage and current waveforms and transfer them in real-time to a computer for storage and further processing. The system samples the voltage and current waveforms with a sampling rate of 2048 Hz, and this detailed data can be used to identify the types of waveforms that are associated with various devices, as well as measure any power parameter of interest such as real power, energy, RMS volts, RMS current, power factor, frequency, etc. The system has been tested with several known electrical loads and has been found to perform well. The paper describes the hardware and software, the test setup, and the test results. Since the hardware is inexpensive (about $250) and the software is available for free from the authors, this system can be used by almost anyone to perform detailed studies of the power characteristics of electrical and electronic devices.Copyright © 2016 by ASME
The influence of real human personality on social presence with a virtual human in augmented reality

Human responses to an interaction with a Virtual Human (VH) can be influenced by both external factors such as technology-related limitations, and internal factors such as individual differences in personality. While the impacts of external factors have been studied widely, and are typically controlled for in application scenarios, less attention has been devoted to the impacts of internal factors. We present the results of a human-subject experiment where we investigated a particular internal factor: the effects of extraversion-introversion traits of participants on the sense of social presence with a VH in an Augmented Reality (AR) setting. Our results indicate a positive association between a condition where the VH proactively requests help from the participant, and participants indicating higher social presence with the VH, regardless of their personality. However, we also found that extraverted participants tended to report higher social presence with the VH, compared to the introverted participants. In addition, there were differences in the duration of when the participants were looking at the VH during the interaction according to their extraversion-introversion traits. Our results suggest that a real human's personality plays a significant role in interactions with a VH, and thus should be considered when carrying out such experiments that include measures of the effects of controlled manipulations on interactions with a VH. We present the details of our experiment and discuss the findings and potential implications related to human perceptions and behaviors with a VH.
Unraveling the Role of Order-to-Disorder Transition in Shear Thickening Suspensions.

Using high-resolution in situ small angle x-ray scattering in conjunction with oscillatory shear on highly monodisperse silica suspensions, we demonstrate that an order-to-disorder transition leads to a dynamic shear thickening in a lower stress regime than the standard steady shear thickening. We show that the order-to-disorder transition is controlled by strain, which is distinguishably different from steady shear thickening, which is a stress-related phenomenon. The appearance of this two-step shear thinning and thickening transition is also influenced by the particle size, monodispersity, and measurement conditions (i.e., oscillatory shear versus steady shear). Our results show definitively that the order-to-disorder transition-induced thickening is completely unrelated to the mechanism that drives steady shear thickening.
IMPLEMENTATION OF A SHARED DECISION SUPPORT INTERVENTION FOR PATIENTS CONSIDERING DESTINATION THERAPY LEFT VENTRICULAR ASSIST DEVICE: THE DECIDE-LVAD TRIAL

Deciding whether to pursue a left ventricular assist device as destination therapy (DT LVAD) is a major decision. Patient decision aids (PtDAs) have been shown to improve patient decision making; however they are poorly adopted. We developed a paper and video PtDA for patients considering DT LVADs,
Assessing Collector Bias: A Geometric Morphometric Analysis of a Collection of Isolated Clovis Points from the Midcontinent

ABSTRACTClovis points are found across the contiguous United States as isolated surface finds and as elements of assemblages in surface and subsurface deposits. Despite being scattered over the con...
Reassessment of Resistance to Sunflower Stem Weevil, Cylindrocopturus adspersus LeConte (Coleoptera: Curculionidae), in Cultivated Sunflower Germplasm

Sunflower stem weevil, Cylindrocopturus adspersus LeConte (Coleoptera: Curculionidae), larval feeding on pith and vascular tissues can weaken stalks of cultivated sunflower, leading to breakage and loss of harvestable yield. Previous research has suggested host plant resistance (HPR) to this pest is possible, but results have been difficult to interpret because of limited comparisons to cultivated inbreds and hybrids, along with possible confounding effects of stem diameter. Trials in Kansas (2012) and Nebraska (2015) were used to help reassess the value of germplasm with putative resistance to sunflower stem weevil. Field tests in 2012 included 28 inbreds and hybrids and three entries previously identified as resistant. Though a putative resistance source, PI 386230, was infested with fewer weevil larvae per stem than several hybrids, differences primarily appeared to be due to stem diameter, which is strongly correlated with the number of weevil larvae per stem. A follow-up trial in 2015 suggested differences in larval infestation were not attributable to other qualities in groups of germplasm that differ in stem diameter (i.e., males, females or hybrids), but that changes in plant density predictably alter both stem diameter and numbers of stem weevil larvae. Though resistance to sunflower stem weevil and other stem-feeding pests may be possible, the cost and difficulty of developing HPR, declining severity of the pest, and availability of other simple management options are significant disincentives to additional research.
the general strategy of inferential statistics

Behavioral scientists usually wish to draw inferences about a population that is too large to measure in its entirety based on information obtained from a sample drawn randomly from that population. An initial hypothesis, called Hypothesis O, is assumed to be true so that the statistical calculations can be performed. These calculations yield the probability of obtaining the observed result if Hypothesis O is true. This chapter discusses the goals of inferential statistics, the strategy of inferential statistics, and presents a comparison between the coin experiment and behavioral science research. The analysis of a behavioral experiment by means of inferential statistics proceeds in an almost identical fashion to the analysis involving the flipping of the coins. Thus, if one understands the rationale underlying the coin experiment, one should have little trouble comprehending the use of inferential statistics in the behavioral research experiment. The chapter explains what an experimental sampling distribution is and presents the application of a table of probabilities and theoretical normal curve model.
Strengthening the International Monetary System

The term “International Monetary System” (IMS) refers to the rules and institutions that organize and regulate international payments and foreign exchange systems. Specifically, these include the currency/monetary regimes of countries, the rules for exchange rate intervention, and the institutions that back those rules. Historically, there have been various systems, including several forms of the gold standard and the floating currency system. The Bretton Woods arrangements of a fixed but adjustable foreign exchange system overseen by the International Monetary Fund (IMF) were introduced after World War II. The abandonment of the gold standard in 1971 paved the way to a less regulated system comprising floating exchange and fixed but adjustable rates. A key notion in this setup is that of reserve asset: so long as a country fixes or manages its exchange rate, it needs a liquid international asset of stable value. Since the demise of gold as monetary anchor, the US dollar has been the world’s principal reserve asset.
Pathogenesis of Sjögren's syndrome.

Sjogren's syndrome is a systemic autoimmune disease characterized by lymphocytic infiltrations of lacrimal and salivary glands. SS patients produce a variety of autoantibodies, including RF and ANA. Genetic factors, including HLA-DR3, predispose to primary SS. In contrast to normal SGs, the SS SG epithelial cells express high levels of HLA-DR antigens. This class II gene expression on the target organ may represent the structural basis for HLA-associated disease susceptibility. The glands are infiltrated with CD4+ T cells that can produce cytokines, including IL-2 and interferon-gamma. B cells within the SG produce autoantibodies, including RF. These SG B cells frequently use the VKIIIb subgroup of kappa light chain, a feature that SS patients share with Waldenstrom's macroglobulinemia patients. B cells undergo small clonal expansions that can be detected on Southern blot as immunoglobulin gene rearrangements, and SS patients have a markedly increased risk of developing non-Hodgkin's B-cell lymphoma involving the SGs and cervical lymph nodes. Due to accessibility of the SG for biopsy and the characteristic patterns of autoantibody production, SS provides an opportunity to study the target organ for autoimmune destruction and the transition from autoimmunity to lymphoma.
Two years of Visual Odometry on the Mars Exploration Rovers: Field Reports

NASA's two Mars Exploration Rovers (MER) have successfully demonstrated a robotic Visual Odometry capability on another world for the first time. This provides each rover with accurate knowledge of its position, allowing it to autonomously detect and compensate for any unforeseen slip encountered during a drive. It has enabled the rovers to drive safely and more effectively in highly sloped and sandy terrains and has resulted in increased mission science return by reducing the number of days required to drive into interesting areas. The MER Visual Odometry system comprises onboard software for comparing stereo pairs taken by the pointable mast-mounted 45 deg FOV Navigation cameras (NAVCAMs). The system computes an update to the 6 degree of freedom rover pose (x, y, z, roll, pitch, yaw) by tracking the motion of autonomously selected terrain features between two pairs of 256×256 stereo images. It has demonstrated good performance with high rates of successful convergence (97p on Spirit, 95p on Opportunity), successfully detected slip ratios as high as 125p, and measured changes as small as 2 mm, even while driving on slopes as high as 31 deg. Visual Odometry was used over 14p of the first 10.7 km driven by both rovers. During the first 2 years of operations, Visual Odometry evolved from an “extra credit” capability into a critical vehicle safety system. In this paper we describe our Visual Odometry algorithm, discuss several driving strategies that rely on it (including Slip Checks, Keep-out Zones, and Wheel Dragging), and summarize its results from the first 2 years of operations on Mars. © 2006 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Other Approaches to Measuring Defenses: Derived Questionnaires, Self-Report Inventories, and Self-Other Ratings

In the previous chapter, the Defense Mechanisms Inventory (DMI), the most widely used single approach to measuring defense mechanisms, was discussed. This chapter considers methods based on a structured inquiry and a structured response format. In the first section, defense measures that have been derived from existing personality inventories are presented. These measures were constructed through the selection of questionnaire items that have been empirically shown to relate to an independent criterion of defense use. In the second section, inventories that require the individual to self-report on the use of defense or defense-derivative behaviors are discussed. In the third section, measures that are based on the comparison of ratings of self with ratings of others are reviewed. The substantive findings yielded by these three approaches are summarized in Chapter 10.
Feasibility Study on the Removal of Perfluorooctanoic Acid by Using Palladium-Doped Nanoscale Zerovalent Iron

AbstractPerfluorinated chemicals (PFCs) are highly persistent organic contaminants that have become a global health concern. Few studies so far have demonstrated successful decomposition of PFCs un...
Body composition and cognition in preschool-age children with congenital gastrointestinal anomalies

Abstract Background Children with congenital gastrointestinal anomalies (CGIAs) experience multiple stressors while hospitalized in neonatal intensive care units during an essential time of growth and development. Early stress and inadequate nutrition are linked to altered growth patterns and later neurodevelopmental delays. In other at-risk populations, improved fat-free mass (FFM) accretion is associated with improved cognitive outcomes. Objective To determine if body composition is associated with cognitive function in preschool-age children with CGIAs. Study design An observational study examined body composition and cognition in 34 preschool-age children with CGIAs. Anthropometric measurements and body composition testing via air displacement plethysmography were obtained. Measurements were compared with a reference group of healthy, term-born children. Cognition was measured with the NIH Toolbox Early Childhood Cognition Battery. Linear regression was used to test the association of body composition with cognitive function. Results Compared with the reference group, children with CGIAs had similar anthropometric measurements (weight, height, and body mass index z-scores) and body composition at preschool-age. Processing speed scores were lower than standardized means (p = 0.001). Increased FFM was associated with higher receptive vocabulary scores (p = 0.001), cognitive flexibility scores (p = 0.005), and general cognitive function scores (p = 0.05). Conclusions At preschool-age, children with CGIAs have similar growth and body composition to their peers. In children with CGIAs, higher FFM was associated with higher cognitive scores. Closer tracking of body composition and interventions aimed at increasing FFM may improve long-term outcomes in this population.
Abstract 439: Statins Disrupt Rac Regulation Leading to Increased Atherosclerotic Calcification

Coronary artery disease caused by atherosclerosis is the leading cause of morbidity and mortality in the world. Calcification of atherosclerotic plaque is predictive of increased cardiovascular eve...
Asymmetric Nozaki—Hiyama Propargylation of Aldehydes: Enhancement of Enantioselectivity by Cobalt Co-Catalysts.

A highly enantioselective catalytic system is developed for the asymmetric addition of propargyl bromide towards aldehydes.
Concentric Micromirror Array for High-Speed Optical Dynamic Focusing

Optical dynamic focusing has emerged as a speed, complexity and efficiency bottleneck across various applications, which include scanning multi-photon microscopy in biology, maskless lithography and micromachining in material processing, and wavefront correction. Here, we present a 32-ring 23,852-pixel concentric micromirror array capable of performing dynamic focusing for wavelengths of up to 1040 nm with a response rate of up to 8.75 kHz, 30 V drive and a focusing full-width-halfmaximum to range ratio of 4.8%.
Universal Formula for Smooth Safe Stabilization

This paper formulates a safe and stabilizing control state feedback law for a control affine nonlinear system. We assume that there exist a known control Lyapunov function (CLF) and a control barrier function (CBF) that are compatible, i.e., there exists a control choice satisfying the conditions given by both the CLF and CBF at each given state. In contrast to the approach in the literature of finding a minimum-norm control using optimization on the feasible control set, we take a different approach by finding and combining different weighted centroids of the feasible control set. As a result, we can propose a control feedback law with guaranteed smoothness everywhere except at the origin, and with guaranteed continuity at the origin if small control property holds.
Differential Response of Meloidogyne, Pratylenchus, Globodera, and Xiphinema Species to the Nematicide Fluazaindolizine

This research focused on the effects of fluazaindolizine on a diversity of plant-parasitic nematodes. In microwell assays, 24-h dose-response curves were generated for several species and populatio...
Quantifying Subjective and Objective Measures of Singing After Different Warm-Up Durations

Summary Background Performing vocal warm-ups prior to singing repertoire has been shown to change the perceived quality and acoustic parameters of the voice. To date, there are no studies that specifically compare singers’ and listeners’ perceptions of vocal quality after various warm-up durations. Objective To determine if specific warm-up durations (0, 5, 10, or 15 minutes) change subjective and objective measures of voice. Study Design Prospective cohort study. Methods Information related to demographics, singing practice, medical history, and vocal hygiene were collected. First- and second-year collegiate classical voice majors completed a series of four warm-up times, 1 week apart, prior to singing Caro mio ben in a standard key for their voice type. A modified Voice Range Profile (mVRP), and the Evaluation of the Ability to Sing Easily (EASE) scale were completed. Participants blindly rated 30-second recorded audio clips using the Auditory-Perceptual Rating Instrument for Operatic Singing. Four independent expert blinded listeners rated all audio clips for each participant in random order. Results Six first-year and three second-year classical vocal performance majors completed all measures. Results of the EASE scale showed decreased scores with 5- and 10-minute warm-up duration, compared to 0 and 15 minutes of warm-up (P = 0.029 for the total EASE score and P = 0.044 for Rasch score). Delayed perceptual analysis of voice yielded nearly equal medians between warm-up durations for both self and expert-listener ratings. The mVRP showed that both 5 and 10 minutes of warm-up duration led to increased highest fundamental frequency for females (P = 0.017). Conclusion This pilot study demonstrates the immediate self-perceived benefit for all participants and increased frequency range for females after performing 5 and 10 minutes of vocal warm-up. No significant differences were found in delayed perceptual analyses completed by the participants or the expert raters after the different warm-up durations. Future investigations should include a larger population and different levels of education and genres of singing.
Lifestyle Moderates Genetic Risk of Venous Thromboembolism: The ARIC Study.

Objective: Venous thromboembolism (VTE) is a common disease that has a genetic basis. Lifestyle factors contribute to risk, but it is unknown whether healthy lifestyle can mitigate the genetic risk...
Exactly how inefficient is the PJM capacity Market

Abstract A common feature of electricity markets is the need to assure an appropriate amount of generating capacity to satisfy demand at any given moment. Some regional markets hold a capacity auction which compensates generation facilities for providing power at some point in the future. These auctions are intended to efficiently price capacity via competitive bidding. However, the Pennsylvania-New Jersey-Maryland Interconnection (PJM) regional transmission organization (RTO) has been in litigation before the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) over high prices and a lack of competition in their annual capacity market auctions. A peculiar feature of the PJM RTO is its segmented capacity market, where pivotal suppliers have successfully petitioned to separate from the larger market and create captive Locational Deliverability Areas (LDAs) in which they have a dominant market share. We analyze the competitiveness of the market, the growing capacity margins, as well as the PJM LDA market concentration via Hirschfield-Herfindahl Index (HHI), 4-Firm Concentration Ratio (CR4) and Three-Pivotal-Supplier (TPS) test. We find that many LDAs do not operate competitively and have a pivotal supplier with market power, able to set prices unilaterally. In addition, we find that although reserve margins are inordinately high in the PJM market, they are rising along with prices, an outcome that is only seen in monopolistic markets.
Regulation of Discrete-Time Linear Input Delayed Systems Without Delay Knowledge

Regulation of linear systems without using any knowledge of the delay in the input is an open problem that is known to be challenging. This is the case both in the continuous-time setting and in the discrete-time setting. This chapter presents a solution to this problem for a discrete-time linear system with an arbitrarily large bounded input delay. When the system has all its open loop poles at z = 1 or inside the unit circle, an adaptive feedback law is proposed to regulate the state and the input of the system to zero as time tends to infinity. The main features of the feedback law are its accommodation to unknown delay and its memorylessness. No knowledge of the delay, not even the knowledge of its variation with time and its upper bound, is needed in the implementation of the feedback law. Moreover, only the current state is used for feedback. These two features of the feedback law contribute to the simplicity of its implementation. The simplicity of our adaptive control design in turn entails a delicate regulation analysis. A new paradigm of regulation analysis is developed that does not follow any Lyapunov type analysis for time delay systems. Numerical study demonstrates the analyzed regulation results and further provides an indication of the robustness of our control scheme to exponentially unstable open loop poles.
Sex Differences in Factors Contributing to the Racial Disparity in Diabetes Risk.

Introduction Diabetes incidence differs by race in the U.S., with a persistent reported Black–White disparity. However, the factors that contribute to this excess risk in middle-aged and older adults are unclear. Methods This prospective cohort study included 7,171 Black and White adults aged ≥45 years without diabetes at baseline (2003‒2007) who completed a follow-up examination (2013‒2016). Modified Poisson regression was used to obtain sex-stratified RRs for diabetes. Mediation analyses using a change in β coefficient assessed individual and neighborhood factors that contribute to the racial disparity in diabetes incidence. Statistical analyses were conducted in 2018–2019. Results The cumulative incidence of diabetes was higher for Black men (16.2%) and women (17.7%) than for White men (11.0%) and women (8.1%). Adjusting for age and prediabetes, diabetes risk was higher for Black women than for White women (RR=1.75, 95% CI=1.47, 2.07) and for Black men than for White men (RR=1.33, 95% CI=1.09, 1.64). The individual factors that attenuated the racial disparity the most were Southern dietary pattern (change in β=42.8%) and neighborhood socioeconomic environment (change in β=26.3%) among men and BMI (change in β=34.4%) and waist circumference (change in β=32.4%) among women. When including all factors collectively, the racial disparity in diabetes incidence was similar for men (RR=1.38, 95% CI=1.04, 1.83) and was attenuated for women (RR=1.41, 95% CI=1.11, 1.81). Conclusions The racial disparity in diabetes incidence remained after accounting for individual and neighborhood factors. Further investigation of additional factors underlying this racial disparity is needed to inform multilevel strategies for diabetes prevention.