cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Perceptual Metamers in Stereoscopic Vision

Theories of cue combination suggest the possibility of constructing visual stimuli that evoke different patterns of neural activity in sensory areas of the brain, but that cannot be distinguished by any behavioral measure of perception. Such stimuli, if they exist, would be interesting for two reasons. First, one could know that none of the differences between the stimuli survive past the computations used to build the percepts. Second, it can be difficult to distinguish stimulus-driven components of measured neural activity from top-down components (such as those due to the interestingness of the stimuli). Changing the stimulus without changing the percept could be exploited to measure the stimulus-driven activity. Here we describe stimuli in which vertical and horizontal disparities trade during the construction of percepts of slanted surfaces, yielding stimulus equivalence classes. Equivalence class membership changed after a change of vergence eye posture alone, without changes to the retinal images. A formal correspondence can be drawn between these "perceptual metamers" and more familiar "sensory metamers" such as color metamers.
CA125 Response: Can it Replace the Traditional Response Criteria in Ovarian Cancer?

CA125 is well established as an accurate and reliable means of monitoring response to treatment and confirming relapse in ovarian cancer patients. Its role in follow-up after initial treatment is less certain and the subject of a current clinical trial. Measuring response with computerized tomography scans is futile in the majority of patients, as disease is often nonmeasurable at presentation, e.g., ascites or peritoneal deposits, or all measurable disease has been removed at the time of surgery. Serial changes in CA125 can be used as a reliable indicator of disease response or progression so that patients can be classified as responding or progressing according to either standard or CA125 criteria. These precise definitions are currently being prospectively validated in conjunction with the new response evaluation criteria in solid tumor response guidelines and are being incorporated into all future clinical trials.
FRUIT CHOICE AND CALCIUM BLOCK USE BY TONGAN FRUIT BATS IN AMERICAN SAMOA

When minerals are deficient in the diet, animals often seek out concentrated sources of essential nutrients to relieve deficiencies. In this study, we documented fruit bat (Pteropus tonganus) preference or avoidance of calcium-rich fruits and use of commercial calcium blocks to obtain additional calcium. Individual captive wildcaught bats were videotaped nightly to document food choice, and results were compared to the nutritional content of the given fruits. Low-calcium, high-sugar fruits were the most preferred by bats of both sexes. Overall, sugar appears to be the primary basis for fruit selection, but sex differences in calcium block use suggest that females also may forage to relieve calcium deficiencies incurred by pregnancy and lactation. Diets of wild animals can be low in essential nutrients. When minerals are deficient in the diet, animals often seek out concentrated sources of these nutrients. These sources may include natural mineral licks and foods that are rich in the deficient mineral (Klaus et al. 1998). High sodium concentrations often attract wild animals to mineral licks (Belovsky and Jordan 1981; Tracy and McNaughton 1995), although minerals such as calcium and magnesium may be equally important (Holl and Bleich 1987; Jones and Hanson 1985). When consumed by animals, these concentrated sources of minerals may help com
Designing Price Contracts for Boundedly Rational Customers: Does the Number of Blocks Matter?

When designing price contracts, one of the major questions confronting managers is how many blocks there should be in the contract. We investigate this question in the setting of a manufacturer-retailer dyad facing a linear deterministic consumer demand. Theoretical marketing models predict that the manufacturer's profits rise dramatically when the number of blocks in the contract is increased from one to two because both channel efficiency and its share of channel profits increase. However, increasing the number of blocks to three yields no incremental profits. We test these predictions experimentally and find that increasing the number of blocks from one to two raises channel efficiency but not the manufacturer's share of profits. Surprisingly, having three blocks in the contract increases channel efficiency even further and also gives the manufacturer a slightly higher share of profits. We show that these results can be explained by a quantal response equilibrium model in which the manufacturer accounts for noisy best response due to nonpecuniary payoff components in the retailer's utility. We also show that the retailer is sensitive to the counterfactual profits it could have earned if it were charged a lower marginal price for earlier blocks in the multiple-block contract.
Restructuring the Cultural Division of Labor in Malaysia and Sri Lanka

This article examines preferential treatment strategies in Malaysia and Sri Lanka that are designed to restructure the cultural division of labor. National culture is redefined and labor-market closure mechanisms are altered in order to elevate the position of the Sinhalese and Malays who are politically, but not economically, dominant. The results show that cultural preferential systems can restructure employment practices, and help those groups that have some economic and political resources to bargain with. The Sri Lankan Tamils and Malaysian Indians had few economic or political resources and, consequently, became the losers in the three-way competition.
Three southern readers and southern oratory

At least three collections of “pieces” for recitation and declamation were produced to promote southern loyalties and to shield their young readers from encounter with abolitionists. None of the three, however, emphasized the sectional theme as much as loyalty to the Union and the Constitution.
Backlash-free motion control of robotic manipulators driven by tensegrity motor networks

Tensegrity robots with backlash free motion control functionality are considered. Without introducing any link-to-link motors, the proposed system achieves controllability by a motorized-pulley tendon actuation network. Due to the mechanical coupling between two motorized-tendons and two robotic manipulators, the proposed actuation system maintains a surjective mapping from the space of admissible tendon forces to the space of singularity-free maneuvers of the individual serial-chain manipulators (provided the links remain non-contacting). For this new class of snake-like robots, a position-feedback motion control law is developed that minimizes the maximum motor torque while ensuring that the tendons do not go slack at any point along a given robot trajectory. Numerical simulations illustrate the method and demonstrate tensegrity's superior maneuvering and backlash avoidance capabilities.
Development of the immune system in the cynomolgus monkey: the appropriate model in human targeted toxicology?

Toxicological research for humans requires model animals that are physiologically and/or developmentally closely related to one another. The development of the immune system (IS) in the cynomolgus ...
Fabrication and Electrical Characterization of Densified Carbon Nanotube Micropillars for IC Interconnection

Closely packed carbon nanotube (CNT) bundles are expected to have higher conductivity than copper and could potentially replace copper for electrical and thermal conductors in IC chips. However, it is extremely difficult, if not impossible, to controllably grow closely packed CNT bundles. We report on a novel postgrowth capillary densification method, which results in dramatic increase of CNT site density. Bare CNT pillars are densified approximately 15 times. High-density CNT micropillars and micrologs with round cross sections were fabricated from CNTs coated with parylene prior to densification. These CNT micropillars and micrologs could be used as basic building blocks for future IC interconnection. Electrical characterization results show that the densification process does not mitigate the electrical conducting performance of CNTs.
Statins: Powerful drugs for lowering cholesterol advice for patients

The underlying cause of heart disease is a process called atherosclerosis. Atherosclerosis has been described simply as hardening of the arteries, but in truth, it involves a complex interaction of biological processes in the walls of arteries. In atherosclerosis, plaque may build up in the vessels that carry blood to the heart (coronary arteries). When one of these plaques tears or ruptures, a blood clot forms that may block the vessel completely and lead to a heart attack (also called a myocardial infarction, or MI, in medical terminology). One of the key risk factors for the development of atherosclerosis is high cholesterol. Cholesterol is a fatty substance that is a normal component of the cells of the body. Cholesterol (measured in milligrams per deciliter of blood [mg/dL]) is carried through the blood by particles known as lipoproteins, which are classified by their densities. The cholesterol in low-density lipoprotein (LDL-C) is called the “bad” cholesterol, and high levels of LDL-C increase the risk for coronary heart disease. Cholesterol in high-density lipoprotein (HDL-C) is called the “good” cholesterol, and high levels of HDL-C decrease the risk for heart attack. High levels of triglycerides, fatty acids that your body uses to store energy that has been made by the body or obtained from food, also may be associated with increased heart attack risk. Table 1 may be used to help classify your lipid levels, using a scheme developed by the US National Cholesterol Education Program Adult Treatment Panel III.1 View this table: Table 1107530. Classification of Lipids in Latest US Guidelines ### If I have an unfavorable cholesterol profile, what can I do to lower my risk for a heart attack? High-fat diets are associated …
Intravenous Drug Use and AIDS: A Review and Analysis of Evolving Correctional Policy

The presence of high concentrations of intravenous (IV) drug users in correctional facilities has resulted in complex AIDS policy problems for correctional administrators. This paper examines the incidence of AIDS within jails and prisons as the result of illegal IV drug use and policies for its management. It suggests that the response by correctional administrators has focused upon mass testing and segregation. The federal court system and governmental funding sources have played a crucial role in these solutions. The paper concludes with a discussion of AIDS related policies and provides suggestions as to the most appropriate.
Dynamic Changes In The Medial Temporal Lobe During Incidental Learning Of Object–Location Associations

The role of the medial temporal lobe (MTL) in associative memory encoding has been the focus of many memory experiments. However, there has been surprisingly little investigation of whether the contributions of different MTL subregions (amygdala, hippocampus [HPC], parahippocampal [PHc], perirhinal cortex [PRc], and temporal polar cortex [TPc]) shift across multiple presentations during associative encoding. We examined this issue using eventrelated functional magnetic resonance imaging and a multivoxel pattern classification analysis. Subjects performed a visual search task, becoming faster with practice to locate objects whose locations were held constant across trials. The classification analysis implicated right HPC and amygdala early in the task when the speed-up from trial to trial was greatest. The same analysis implicated right PRc and TPc late in learning when speed-up was minimal. These results suggest that associative encoding relies on complex patterns of neural activity in MTL that cannot be expressed by simple increases or decreases of blood oxygenation level—dependent signal during learning. Involvement of MTL subregions during encoding of object--location associations depends on the nature of the learning phase. Right HPC and amygdala support active integration of object and location information, while right PRc and TPc are involved when object and spatial representations become unitized into a single representation.
Medical Anthropology as Cultural Anthropology

Book reviewed in this article: Medicine, Rationality, and Experience: An Anthropological Perspective. Byron J. Good. Knowledge, Power, and Practice: The Anthropology of Medicine and Everyday Life. Shirley Lindenbaum and Margaret Lock, eds.
COMPARISON of TWO OPERATING METHODS of A PLATE HEAT EXCHANGER UNDER CONSTANT HEAT FLUX CONDITION and THEIR EFFECT ON the TEMPERATURE PROFILE DURING MILK FOULING

Two methods of operating a plate heat exchanger under constant heat flux were studied: Method A) control by increasing the flow rate of the heating medium; and Method B) control by increasing the inlet temperature of the heating medium. the cross-sectional temperature variation in the plate used in this study was smaller than that of an intermating-type plate. A change in the axial temperature profile was discovered as a result of the uneven formation of milk deposit along the channel. the temperature changes of both the milk and the solid-milk interface (stainless steel-milk or deposit-milk) during fouling were larger when the effects of fouling were overcome by increased flow rate of heating medium than when the effects of fouling were overcome by increased temperature of the heating medium. A quadratic empirical model underpredicted the temperatures in the lightly fouled region and overpredicted the temperatures in the heavily fouled region.
Colloidally-synthesized cobalt molybdenum nanoparticles as active and stable electrocatalysts for the hydrogen evolution reaction under alkaline conditions

The efficient catalysis of water electrolysis using Earth-abundant materials is considered to underpin the large-scale implementation of several clean energy technologies. Here, we report the synthesis of molybdenum rich Co–Mo nanoparticles, which function as highly active and stable electrocatalysts for the hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) in alkaline aqueous solutions. The Co–Mo nanoparticles have an average diameter of approx. 3 nm, a Co:Mo ratio of approx. 1:9, and are poorly crystalline. The Co–Mo nanoparticles deposited onto Ti foil substrates at a loading of approx. 1 mg cm−2 required an overpotential of only −75 mV to produce an operationally relevant current density of −10 mA cm−2, placing them among the most highly active Earth-abundant HER catalysts in alkaline media.
Miscellaneous Helminthic Infections

The parasitic helminthes include trematodes (flukes), cestodes (tapeworms), and nematodes (roundworms) 31.1. Although the most common method of diagnosing gastrointestinal helminthic infections is examination of stool for ova and parasites, these organisms are occasionally detected in biopsy or resection specimens. In addition, worms are increasingly frequently visualized endoscopically. Gastrointestinal helminths have a worldwide distribution, but their clinical importance varies with geographic region. They are more often a cause of serious disease in nations with deficient sanitation systems, poor socio-economic status, and hot, humid climates. Helminthic infections may be encountered in immigrants, however, as well as patients who travel to endemic areas, and they are an increasingly important problem in immunocompromised hosts. Helminths can cause severe and life-threatening nutritional problems, especially in children. The most common site of anatomic infection is the small bowel, although the stomach and large bowel may be involved. Hookworms, roundworms (both Ascaris and Enterobius), and whipworms are the most common helminthic infections in humans. A more detailed discussion of selected helminthic gastrointestinal infections is given below.
“It’s Almost Like We Were Sold”: Burundians with Refugee Status and Educational and Economic Inequity in the U.S.

In this article about Burundians with refugee status in the U.S., I represent Burundian experiences of resettlement and critique the scant provisions the US government and resettlement agencies provide. I note that as a result of their experiences Burundians feel betrayed and isolated: they find that they are “tracked” into the least desirable, low-wage work with no provision for training or education to improve their economic situation. They report how the education of their children takes place in U.S. schools that are populated by other equally marginalized and poor students, who have also been left behind in the inadequately funded schools. In noting how the official rhetorical aims of the U.S. government agencies and faith-based organizations involved with resettlement frequently cloak the realities of families with refugee status, I argue that both the policies and practices in place precipitate educational and economic inequity. In short, it can be argued that is it more accurate to understand this phenomenon as a form of structural violence, rather than as humanitarian aid.
Examining the relationship between school suspensions/expulsions and felonies

This paper examines the suspensions and expulsions of students. Using individual student pupil (rather than incident) data, this research examines whether these rates are driven by a few high-volume offenders and whether high-volume offenders become felons. This study uses the number of students at three levels of violations: 0 offenses, 1–3 offenses, and four or more offenses. The authors also examined the relationship between the three groups of violators and committing a felony as a juvenile. The number of offenses per student ranged from 0 to 31. Findings indicated that those with 0 school infractions had no felonies, while the other two groups of violators 1–3 and four or more had a similar numbers of felonies. Implications for developmental models of delinquency are discussed.
Poorer limb salvage in African American men with chronic limb ischemia is due to advanced clinical stage and higher anatomic complexity at presentation.

Objective African Americans (AAs) with symptomatic peripheral arterial disease (PAD) have been reported to have fewer revascularization attempts and poorer patency and limb salvage (LS) rates than Caucasians (CAUs). This study compared the outcomes between AA and CAU men with chronic limb ischemia. Methods All AA and CAU men who underwent treatment for symptomatic PAD between November 1, 2003, and May 31, 2012, were included. Patency rates, LS, major adverse cardiovascular and limb events, amputation-free survival, and survival were compared before and after propensity score matching and with multivariate (Cox regression) analysis. Results Of the 834 men (1062 limbs), 107 were AA (137 limbs) and 727 were CAU (925 limbs). AAs were more likely to have insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus, hypertension, dialysis dependence, lower albumin levels, and critical limb ischemia (73% vs 61%; P = .006), whereas CAUs had more coronary artery disease, dyslipidemia, and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. In patients with critical limb ischemia, primary amputation rates (10.9% vs 7.2%; P = .209) were similar between groups; however, infrapopliteal interventions were more frequent in AAs (62.6% vs 44.3%; P = .004). Perioperative morbidity and mortality rates were similar. Mean follow-up was 38.5 ± 28.9 months (range, 0-119 months). Patency rates, major adverse limb and cardiovascular events, amputation-free survival, and survival were similar in AAs and CAUs; however, the LS rate was significantly lower in AA (73% ± 6% vs 83% ± 2%; P = .048), mainly due to the difference in the endovascular-treated group (5-year LS, 69% ± 7% in AAs vs 84% ± 2% in CAUs; P = .025). All outcomes were similar in propensity score-matched cohorts. In multivariate analysis, insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus, gangrene, poor functional capacity, dialysis-dependence, and need for infrapopliteal revascularization were independently associated with limb loss, whereas race was not. Conclusions AA men with symptomatic PAD were found to have lower LS rates than CAUs. However, this was likely due to presenting with advanced ischemia or with poor prognostic factors that are independently associated with limb loss.
Management of hydrocephalus in children with posterior fossa tumors.

Case 1: A 2-year-old male with no prior medical history presented to the emergency room with a 3-week history of constant headache and daily vomiting. Computed tomography (CT) and subsequent magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) of the brain [Figure 1] showed a minimally enhancing mass in the fourth ventricle, which extended out through the foramen of Luschka on the left. There was associated supratentorial hydrocephalus. He had no evidence of spinal metastasis on MRI of the spine. There was no papilledema on the fundoscopic exam. He underwent placement of a right frontal external ventricular drain (EVD) and gross total resection of the tumor through a modified telovelar approach at the same time. The pathology was consistent with a grade II ependymoma. Postoperatively, the ventricular drain was unable to be weaned, and he underwent ventriculoperitoneal shunt placement without complication 1.5 weeks after initial surgery. He was eating and ambulatory after recovery. He went on to radiation therapy. Figure 1 Magnetic resonance images of patient described in case 1. (a) Sagittal precontrast. (b) Axial fluid-attenuated inversion recovery. (c) Axial postcontrast Case 2: A 9-year-old male with no prior medical history presented to an outside hospital emergency room with 2 weeks of progressive headaches and 1-day of vomiting. A CT of the head showed a posterior fossa mass. MRI of the brain [Figure 2] showed an enhancing fourth ventricular tumor with associated metastatic lesions throughout both cerebellar hemispheres and supratentorial hydrocephalus. There was no evidence of spinal metastasis. Fundoscopic exam was positive for papilledema. He underwent placement of a right frontal EVD and resection of the fourth ventricular mass through a modified telo-velar approach at the same time. The infiltrative lesions in the cerebellum were not resected. The pathology was consistent with medulloblastoma. Postoperatively, his EVD was weaned over the course of 2 weeks and removed. He did not require permanent cerebrospinal fluid diversion. He was discharged home after recovery and went on for adjuvant radiation therapy. Figure 2 Magnetic resonance images of patient described in case 2. (a) Sagittal precontrast. (b) Axial fluid-attenuated inversion recovery. (c) Axial postcontrast
Numerical Modeling in Mine Structure Design

SUMMARY This paper presents an overview of the U.S. Department of the Interiors’ Bureau of Mines research program regarding development of numerical modeling procedures to assist mine operators in 1) solving basic ground control problems common to the mining industry, and 2) designing optimum mine layouts to ensure safe, productive, and cost-efficient operations. The research focuses on computer program and procedure development, application of structurally related numerical modeling procedures to rock mechanics problems, and field verification to confirm the theoretical predictions. Capabilities and limitations of computer programs developed and currently used by the Bureau are discussed. The programs are based on numerical techniques such as the finite-element method, the boundary-element method, and the distinct-element method. Applications of the techniques to typical mine design problems are presented. Examples include analysis of roof stability and floor heave and a case study of chain pillar stability influenced by multiple seam interaction. A comparison between theoretical predictions and field measurements is presented.
The basic functionsb andh for Fredholm integral equations with displacement kernels

In many branches of applied mathematics, including lateral inhibition in neural systems, radiation dosimetry, and optimal filtering of noisy signals, important roles are played by Fredholm integral equations with displacement kernels. Frequently, certain functionals on the solutions of the integral equations are as important as the solutions themselves. In this paper, it is shown that many such functionals may be expressedalgebraically in terms of two basic functions,b andh, and that these functions themselves are solutions of a certain Cauchy system and a system of singular integral equations.
Residential proximity to traffic and female pubertal development.

Abstract Background Traffic-related air pollution (TRAP) has been linked with several adverse health outcomes, including preterm birth and low birth weight, which are both related to onset of puberty. No studies to date have investigated the association between TRAP and altered pubertal timing. Objective Determine the association between residential proximity to traffic, as a marker of long-term TRAP exposure, and age at pubertal onset in a longitudinal study of girls. Methods We analyzed data for 437 girls at the CYGNET study site of the Breast Cancer and Environment Research Program. TRAP exposure was assessed using several measures of residential proximity to traffic based on address at study entry. Using accelerated failure time models, we calculated time ratios (TRs) and their corresponding 95% confidence intervals (CIs) for specified traffic metrics and pubertal onset, defined as stage 2 or higher for breast or pubic hair development (respectively, B2 + and PH2 +). Models were adjusted for race/ethnicity, household income, and cotinine levels. Results At baseline, 71% of girls lived within 150 m of a major road. The median age of onset was 10.3 years for B2 + and 10.9 years for PH2 +. Living within 150 m downwind of a major road was associated with earlier onset of PH2 + (TR 0.96, 95% CI 0.93, 0.99). Girls in the highest quintile of either distance-weighted traffic density, annual average daily traffic, and/or traffic density also reached PH2 + earlier than girls in the lowest quintiles. Conclusions In this first study to assess the association between residential proximity to traffic and pubertal onset we found girls with higher exposure reached one pubertal milestone several months earlier than low exposed girls, even after consideration of likely confounders. Results should be expanded in larger epidemiological studies, and with measured levels of air pollutants.
Power and Politics in Organizations

Aristotle made the observation that man is a political animal. Engineers often like to think they are above the fray when it comes to organizational politics, but most organizational theorists believe politics is a fundamental dynamic in any group. This paper examines the various ways that people use power within organizations to negotiate the political interactions in the work place.
A new fast algorithm for calculating near-field propagation between arbitrary smooth surfaces

A new fast algorithm using multilevel Taylor interpolation and the FFT (TI-FFT) has been developed to solve the near-field (NF) propagation problem for the planar scenario. The algorithm speeds the computation by grouping neighborhood regions in the spatial domain or the spectral domain through the Taylor interpolation (TI) method using the FFT technique. The CPU time increases as O(N/sup 2/ log/sub 2/ N/sup 2/) instead of the polynomial time O(N/sup 4/) required for the Stratton-Chu formula for N /spl times/ N observation points. The multilevel TI-FFT uses a sampling rate above the Nyquist rate as required by the FFT, while the Stratton-Chu formula requires a higher sampling rate because of the fast variation of the phase term. An accuracy of -50 dB for the multilevel TI-FFT algorithm is easily obtained and an accuracy of -70 dB is possible when the algorithm is optimized. The algorithm works particularly well for band-limited beam-like fields and "quasi-planar" surfaces.
External and Internal Influences on Human Capital Acquisition Strategy and Implementation

This study examines firm human capital acquisition strategy. In particular, we study variation among firms intentions and success in hiring entry-level versus experienced workers. We compare the re...
The Bayesian Group Lasso for Confounded Spatial Data

Generalized linear mixed models for spatial processes are widely used in applied statistics. In many applications of the spatial generalized linear mixed model (SGLMM), the goal is to obtain inference about regression coefficients while achieving optimal predictive ability. When implementing the SGLMM, multicollinearity among covariates and the spatial random effects can make computation challenging and influence inference. We present a Bayesian group lasso prior with a single tuning parameter that can be chosen to optimize predictive ability of the SGLMM and jointly regularize the regression coefficients and spatial random effect. We implement the group lasso SGLMM using efficient Markov chain Monte Carlo (MCMC) algorithms and demonstrate how multicollinearity among covariates and the spatial random effect can be monitored as a derived quantity. To test our method, we compared several parameterizations of the SGLMM using simulated data and two examples from plant ecology and disease ecology. In all examples, problematic levels multicollinearity occurred and influenced sampling efficiency and inference. We found that the group lasso prior resulted in roughly twice the effective sample size for MCMC samples of regression coefficients and can have higher and less variable predictive accuracy based on out-of-sample data when compared to the standard SGLMM. Supplementary materials accompanying this paper appear online.
The Potential Role of Aerobic Exercise-Induced Pentraxin 3 on Obesity-Related Inflammation and Metabolic Dysregulation

Obesity is defined as the excess accumulation of intra-abdominal body fat, resulting in a state of chronic, low-grade proinflammation that can directly contribute to the development of insulin resistance. Pentraxin 3 (PTX3) is an acute-phase protein that is expressed by a variety of tissue and cell sources and provides an anti-inflammatory property to downregulate the production of proinflammatory cytokines, in particular interleukin-1 beta and tumor necrosis factor alpha. Although PTX3 may therapeutically aid in altering the proinflammatory milieu in obese individuals, and despite elevated expression of PTX3 mRNA observed in adipose tissue, the circulating level of PTX3 is reduced with obesity. Interestingly, aerobic activity has been demonstrated to elevate PTX3 levels. Therefore, the purpose of this review is to discuss the therapeutic potential of PTX3 to positively regulate obesity-related inflammation and discuss the proposition for utilizing aerobic exercise as a nonpharmacological anti-inflammatory treatment strategy to enhance circulating PTX3 concentrations in obese individuals.
Timely antibiotic administration in febrile neutropenia.

204Background: The University of Illinois currently lacks a standard process to ensure timely antibiotic administration for patients with febrile neutropenia. The Infectious disease society of America (IDSA) guidelines recommend administration of antibiotics within two hours. Given the variability in patient encounters, we sought to implement an early identification and interventional strategy in the ambulatory setting for febrile neutropenic patients. A retrospective chart review over 10 weeks demonstrated that of 40 patients diagnosed with neutropenia 15 % (N = 6) had febrile neutropenia. Of these 6 patients, 50% (N = 3) received antibiotics within the IDSA time frame. We aimed to increase the percentage of febrile neutropenic patients receiving antibiotics within 2 hours from 50% to 100% in 8 weeks. Methods: A focus group at our quarterly morbidity mortality and improvement conference brainstormed a list of causes of delay in antibiotic initiation based on an index case discussion. A task force generat...
Childhood stress and birth timing among African American women: Cortisol as biological mediator

Abstract Preterm birth (PTB) occurs among 1:11 U.S. white women and 1:7.5 African American women and is a significant driver of racial disparities in infant mortality. Maternal stress is the most common clinical phenotype underlying spontaneous PTB. Specific patterns of stress and biological mediators driving PTB remain unclear. We examined the effect of childhood stress on birth timing among African American women and evaluated maternal cortisol elevation as a biological mediator. A prospective observational design was employed, with a single study visit at 28–32 weeks gestation and medical record review. The Stress and Adversity Inventory was administered, which provides a comprehensive estimate of childhood stress, stress in adulthood, and five core characteristic subscales (interpersonal loss, physical danger, humiliation, entrapment, role disruption). Venipuncture was performed between 11:00am and 4:00pm and plasma cortisol quantified by ELISA. Analyses controlled for stress in adulthood. Among a final sample of 89, cumulative childhood stress predicted birth timing ( p = 0.01). The association was driven by stress related to interpersonal loss and physical danger, with support for maternal cortisol as a biological mediator ( ab = 0.02, 95% CI [0.001, 0.045]; ab = 0.02, 95% CI [0.001, 0.043], respectively). Results were similar, overall, in sub-group analyses among spontaneously laboring women ( n = 53); however, role disruption arose as an additional predictor, as mediated by cortisol elevations ( ab = 0.03, 95% CI [0.005, 0.074]). Of note, cortisol was no longer supported as a mediator linking physical danger to birth timing after adjusting for sleep quality and hours awake prior to venipuncture ( ab = 0.02, 95% CI [−0.0001, 0.046]). We provide preliminary evidence that, independent of stress in adulthood, childhood stress of specific core characteristics may shape birth timing, with cortisol elevation as a biological mediator. Further investigation is warranted and may bolster the development of biologically-informed screening tools for the prediction and targeted prevention of stress-related PTB.
The Revolution Will Be Working Class and Queer: Dos Passos's Three Soldiers, Progressive Politics, and Revolutionary Rhetorics

Although there is no rigorous consensus about the nature of male relationships during World War One, readers will see in the early novels of the American modernist John Dos Passos a progressive estimation of the value of male homosocial desire. These positions are ramified in Three Soldiers and Manhattan Transfer with political rhetorics that situate the possibility of left revolution at the crossroads of homosocial desire and interclass contact. This essay uses the queer theory of Samuel Delany and Eve Kosofsky Sedgwick to generate a close reading of Dos Passos’s early novels and the lines of Dos Passos’s earliest works, thereby staking a claim of the intercalation of sexuality and class in the revolutionary position.
A 65nm compressive-sensing time-based ADC with embedded classification and INL-aware training for arrhythmia detection

In-sensor analytics are in high demand to avoid high computation at server back end. Traditional analog sensors require high supply voltage in the range of 1–1.2V even when digital supplies are scaled down to 0.4V-0.6V. We propose a time-based compressed-domain analog-to-digital (ADC) based encoder with parallel processing units for arrhythmia classification. The computationally enhanced ADC performs in-situ compression along with analog to digital conversion. An accuracy of 84% accuracy is achieved with 10.5nJ energy per classification for an 8X compression ratio.
Irritability is Common and is Related to Poorer Psychosocial Outcomes in Youth with Functional Abdominal Pain Disorders (FAPD).

Functional abdominal pain disorders (FAPD) are associated with increased emotional problems which, in turn, exacerbate functional impairment. However, irritability, which relates both to internalizing and externalizing problems, has not been specifically examined in these youths. Irritability may be common and adversely impact functioning in pediatric FAPD, particularly for males who are more likely to experience such symptoms. The current study examined the relationship between irritability and psychosocial and pain-related impairment in youth with FAPD. Data were gathered as part of a larger study examining a psychological treatment for youth with FAPD and were compared to previously published data on irritability in healthy controls and in youth with severe emotional dysregulation. For the current study, participants (ages 9–14) with FAPD and caregivers completed measures of child irritability, pain-related and psychosocial functioning, and parent functioning. Pearson correlations revealed significant positive associations between irritability and anxiety, depressive symptoms, pain catastrophizing, and caregiver distress. Results also indicated that parents reported significantly greater irritability in males, but males and females reported similar rates of irritability. Gender moderated the relationship between child-report of irritability and anxiety only. Future research may include tailoring of behavioral intervention approaches for pediatric FAPD to specifically target symptoms of irritability.
Net models for concurrent object behaviour

The behaviour of an object allocated and used by a computer program consists of a set of events involving the object which occur in and around a computer during execution of the program. Object behaviour can be modelled by an occurrence net (a Petri net without places), in which each event is a transition (drawn as a box), and the arrows between the transitions represent dependency between the events. The total behaviour of the program is just the sum of the behaviours of the objects which it allocates. A program (perhaps expressed as a Petri net with places) is mathematically defined as just the set of all its possible behaviours, in all its possible environments of execution. An object class is similarly defined as the set of all the possible behaviours of all its possible objects, as used in any possible program.
Twenty-Five Years of Multielectrode Recordings in the Somatosensory System: It is All about Dynamics

Chronic multielectrode recording methods introduced 25 years ago have opened up the opportunity to simultaneously sample the activity of neurons at multiple levels of the somatosensory system while rats engage in active tactile behaviors. This chapter focuses on results gleaned from recordings in the rat whisker system. The earliest multielectrode investigations revealed that the peak of neural activity evoked by single-whisker stimuli drifts widely over the cortical and thalamic somatotopic whisker maps. This property could provide a mechanism for recognizing spatiotemporal patterns of whisker stimulation. These studies also showed that information about tactile stimulus identity is carried by the relative latencies of evoked spikes in different simultaneously recorded neurons. Subsequent experiments also revealed highly synchronized firing in neurons from brainstem to cortex, and immediate receptive field reorganization in thalamus induced by partial deafferentation or reversible inactivation of primary somatosensory cortex (S1). Even the two hemispheres of S1, long viewed as independent modules for processing exclusively contralateral stimuli, were found to interact on millisecond timescales in anesthetized and waking rats. This later finding suggested that the brain combines bilateral whisker afferents to discriminate bilateral whisker stimuli – such as the widths of tunnel openings in the dark – an idea that was confirmed by the development of bilateral tactile discrimination tasks. Multielectrode recordings during tactile discrimination revealed qualitatively distinct response modes in S1 as compared to responses to passive whisker stimulation, including task-related firing rate modulations that begin well before whisker stimulation. These data have pushed our conception of somatosensory representation – even at the earliest thalamic and cortical processing stages – away from the static classical one-barrel/one-whisker picture, toward that of a highly plastic multilevel structure whose functional architecture quickly adjusts to meet the demands of the present situation.
CYTOKINES MAY PROVE USEFUL IN THE TREATMENT OF SJOGRENS SYNDROME (SS) DRY EYE

Patients with Sjogren’s syndrome (SS) often complain of xerophthalmia and xerostomia. The loss of tear and saliva production in SS is secondary to lymphocytic infiltration and destruction of the lacrimal and salivary glands. Neither the reason for lymphocyte accumulation nor the mechanism for acinar destruction is known. In this and other autoimmune diseases, research has focused on specialized functions of immune cells and their products (e.g., cytokines). Particular attention has centered on the interaction between MHC molecules and T-cell receptors and on specific autoantibody and autoantigen interactions. This has led to a large body of information on immune repertoire, but offers few clues for treatment. Our recent investigations in SS have focused more on generalized functions that immune cells share with other cells. Chief among these is the important homeostatic mechanism called apoptosis, or programmed cell death (PCD).
Diversity analysis of Plio-Pleistocene large mammal communities in the Omo-Turkana Basin, eastern Africa.

Abstract Knowing how the diversity of large mammal communities changes across space and time provides an important ecological framework for studying hominin evolution. However, diversity studies that apply methods currently used by neoecologists are rare in paleoanthropology and are also challenging due to diversity's unusual statistical properties. Here, we apply up-to-date analytical methods for understanding how species- and genus-level large mammalian diversity in the Omo-Turkana Basin changed through time and across space at multiple spatiotemporal scales (within each formation:102−3 km2 and 104−5 years; and within the basin as a whole: 103 km2 and 105 years). We found that, on average, Koobi Fora's large mammal community was more diverse than Nachukui's, which in turn was more diverse than Shungura's. Diversity was stable through time within each of these formations (alpha diversity), as was diversity in the basin as a whole (gamma diversity). Compositional dissimilarity between these three formations (beta diversity) was relatively low through time, with a 0.6 average proportion of shared species, suggesting dispersal acted to homogenize the region. Though alpha and gamma diversity were fairly stable through time, we do observe several notable peaks: during the KBS Member in Koobi Fora (30% increase), the Lokalalei Member in Nachukui (120% increase), and at 1.7 Ma in the entire basin (100% increase). We conclude by (1) demonstrating that habitat heterogeneity was an important factor influencing alpha diversity within each of the three formations, and (2) hypothesizing that diversity stability may have been driven by equilibrial dynamics in which overall diversity was constrained by resource availability, implying biotic interactions were an important factor in structuring the communities that included hominins as members. Our findings demonstrate the need to quantify how large mammal diversity changes across time and space in order to further our understanding of hominin ecology and evolution.
The CryoEM Method MicroED as a Powerful Tool for Small Molecule Structure Determination.

In the many scientific endeavors that are driven by organic chemistry, unambiguous identification of small molecules is of paramount importance. Over the past 50 years, NMR and other powerful spectroscopic techniques have been developed to address this challenge. While almost all of these techniques rely on inference of connectivity, the unambiguous determination of a small molecule’s structure requires X-ray and/or neutron diffraction studies. In practice, however, X-ray crystallography is rarely applied in routine organic chemistry due to intrinsic limitations of both the analytes and the technique. Here we report the use of the electron cryo-microscopy (cryoEM) method microcrystal electron diffraction (MicroED) to provide routine and unambiguous structural determination of small organic molecules. From simple powders, with minimal sample preparation, we could collect high-quality MicroED data from nanocrystals (∼100 nm, ∼10–15 g) resulting in atomic resolution (<1 A) crystal structures in minutes.
Assessing malleable social-psychological academic attitudes in early adolescence

Abstract Although it is important to accurately assess and promote student achievement, it is also critical to accurately assess and promote student social and emotional well-being and positive attitudes about school. Recent research has shown the promise of school-based interventions to improve certain student academic attitudes but has also raised concerns about a lack of reliable measures of these attitudes for early adolescents. We compiled the Malleable Social-Psychological Academic Attitudes (MSPAA) survey to measure school trust, social belonging, evaluation anxiety, self-complexity, locus of control, and identification with school. We adapted MSPAA measures to make them more appropriate for early adolescents in the school context, assessed the measurement properties of the MSPAA survey, and examined how student responses differed based on various demographic factors. We found that this brief survey reliably measured these constructs among early adolescents (N = 2158). Additionally, differences by grade level, school context, gender, and racial group revealed insightful patterns of variation that have implications for social and psychological theory, as well as for practices in schools. We close by suggesting further study of this survey for use among education researchers and within schools.
Comparison of closure measurements with finite element model results in an underground coal mine in central Utah

Abstract Quantitative analysis of mine-wide subsidence at the kilometer scale and details of stress distribution about an advancing longwall face are estimated using an adaptation of the finite element method. The method is well suited to the tasks at hand. For greater realism, variability of strata properties is taken into account as are the effects of joints and cleats on elastic moduli and strengths. Evolution of pillar stress and entry closure remote from the face is readily quantified in a series of analyses that simulate face advance. Computed results compare favorably with the evolution of closure measurements about an instrumented pillar in a two-entry headgate. The appropriateness of the finite element method is confirmed. This method is based on first principles that avoid empirical schemes of uncertain applicability and numerical models “calibrated” by fitting computer output to mine measurements.